Tea Room The 24th - San Francisco Painted Lady!

[Tee2072]

Welcome to the 24th incarnation of the One-Child Tea Room. Not that you only have to have one! Just so long as you enjoy chat, tea, coffee, cake!!

The usual rules apply - no bunfighting. If you like that sort of thing, go elsewhere.
Other rules: bring . Or .

Our ongoing voyage take us to one of San Francisco's Painted Ladies!

We've brought the Aga over, it's in the back in the cosy kitchen overlooking the back garden. The chintz sofa is in the front room, under the bow window! All of the pillows and duvets have come along as well!

What's that? The Priest Hole? It's just over there --> behind the bookcase!

Mellors is upstairs, preparing the bedrooms for naps and such.

The aspidistras are thriving as they overlook Nob Hill! The horses have found themselves stabled in the Garden, which is much larger than these places usually are in this city!

So come in and have a seat!

::tea hurries off to Powell Street to catch the Cable Car to Ghirardelli Square::

I deed a degond glad redurn do Dottinghab, pleede.

Maud, I blame you. The cold virus must have found a way to sneak thro the intraweb.

Code in node not nearly as completely out-wiping as chest infection (good) but had forgotten just how utterly unbearable it is when you can't breathe thro your nose at all yuk yuk yuk (not so good).

Maybe we need a sub-section of the tea room for all the sickies there are at present? A sort of infirmary a la the girls' boarding school romps? Could Mellors do duty as Matron or would that be a little bit unpleasant? He could at least prepare me a nice eucalyptus steam inhalation thingy. If he's not busy administering massage or what have you at the mo.

Scout, glad that TS is finally getting better, but sorry to hear about weight loss probs for you. Like Amber, I tend to have the opposite problem but working in reverse I would suggest eating a lot more red meat, dairy, sugary foods and of course chips (fries or crisps!); and upping the booze intake! You might get very unhealthy in all sorts of other ways but unless your metabolism is very different to mine you will certainly pile on the weight!

Actually, as your metabolism clearly is very different to mine, (have never had the losing too much weight involuntarily problem! or actually I have but only once and that was over two decades ago) that's possibly a bit of a pointless suggestion. Erm, it's the thought that counts.

Now, where did I put that packet of Tunes?

Well, LCT now has a double ear infection and he's coughing very hard again. And a fever. Poor little guy just can't catch a break. He's well for a week and then picks up something else at germdaycare.

Sorry to hear everyone is poorly or has poorly little ones.

Scout I assume they've done every test known to man to figure out what's wrong? That must be a bit scary to just keep losing like that no matter what you eat.

Oops, dinner time, later!

Poor LCT! And poor you, Tee. It's rough. Sending the Tee family some big geet well wishes.

Oh dear, Tee. Poor LCT and Tee (and MrTee)! I hate seeing littles so poorly and they can't tell you exactly what hurts/isn't right.

How are you feeling, Secrete?

And amber, how are you? Taking it easy today?

'Tis the meds doing it. Because I'm now under what I was when I met MrScout (though still more than when I moved out on my own). To be fair I spent most of my life underweight (was only about 105 lbs around aged 24/25 when I moved to Minnesota) but I managed to put on 20 lbs living on my own (same size clothes, though) and managed to put on more after moving to England (I blame yummy pub dinners!). I was never round but was certainly at my highest weight ever at pre-pregnancy weight. I was pre-preggers weight before I started the treatment. I think what concerned me was the fact that the doctor mentioned it this time. To be fair, 1.5 kgs in two months is slower than it was (2 kg in a month a few times), but even I'm getting a bit fed up of it now. Doctor did say I may gain some of it back when I stop treatments.

I do eat a fair bit of red meat (not always by choice but because MrScout likes meat and some nights I can't be bothered to make a meat-free option for myself). I drink LOADS of milk. Always have. Though when I was pregnant it was worse (6 pints a day easily). Get through ice cream. I have a selection box of cookies/biscuits and have a 2-4 cookies a day with a glass of milk. Think I need to up my nuts intake. And chocolate. Good thing the Easter Bunny is filling TS's Easter Basket full of things she likes.

How many spuds?? don;t know exactly, haven't planted most of them yet. SO far I only have 4 planted - an early salad variety, planted in bags , in the greenhouse for the time being till we are past frequent frosts.
I guess I'll probably plant 12 or more plants of main crop in 3 or 4 batches a week or two apart . I'd like some sort of progressive cropping.

When I'm moving about and gardening or building or even just doing housework my neck and back are fine and don;t hurt, its when I stop that the pain starts. And getting up in the morning is rather ouchy.

Poor zick tea roomers. Here is Bolly and Twiglet sorprise
funnily enough Oxboy was asking for a little brother today. I treat it along with wanting puppies or space ships. In the realm of fantasy. We plan names and what we'll do etc. Leaves him happy but me a touch achy for what might have been

Scout - am not doing too bad thanks, dosing myself up with Lemsip amd getting thro my vast array of herbal teas - I kid you not, I have a selection of organic Yogi Teas and general herbal/fruity ones that almost equals that of a health food shop. So far today have had Himalaya (ginger), Breathe Deep, and Cinammon (with honey), as well as usual two mega-mugs of lemon and ginger to start the day. I don't stint on the "plenty of warm fluids" prescription! Bit worried about whether I'll get much sleep tho, as lying down will cause the up-bunging to go into overdrive, eek. And then of course there's the usual issue of a certain small person, but although he's still coughing he is starting to sleep a bit better now.

You really sound like you're eating all the right stuff! 6 pints of milk a day !!! I too eat a lot more red meat now that I have a husband; hardly ever touched it when it was just me. And am trying to cut down on it again at the mo. Was thinking about what Renee Zellweger did when she was trying to pile it on for Bridget Jones - didn't she eat a lot of pizza? But as it's the meds doing it I suppose all those usual things just won't cut it. Sorry, have missed what you're on the meds for and don't know if it's intrusive to ask, so will leave it to your discretion. Anyway, it is good that at least the rate of losing weight has slowed down, so try and take heart from that.

Unis,good luck with the physio. I agree that digging could well be a factor. I slipped a disc in my lower back a good few years ago and I'm sure that digging in the garden I then had (before I met MrSecret and was transplanted to a first floor gardenless flat - but obviously only about the garden!!) was a key factor in that injury. I have had loads of chiropractic and osteopathy and some physio over the years, now see a really lovely osteopath as and when I need to and try to get on with my back exercises when I can (not very often). Your spuds sound v exciting tho, and I must say the idea of progressive cropping is extremely sensible!

oxeye, that was a moving post. I still haven't completely come to terms with SBoy being an only, and still harbour vague (and realistically rather ludicrous) hopes that we could have another, so I feel your ache.

I don't think at this stage SBoy would be too chuffed about a sibling tho tbh. He does not like sharing, is very strong willed, and tries to have everything on his own terms as far as possible, so I think it would be a real shock for him not to be the one and only any more!

(he is also very charming and affectionate and loving and funny and sociable, I hasten to add, not wanting to paint a picture of him as a mini tyrant!!)

You like your tea, Secrete!

I do like milk. And when I was preggers I craved milk (and fruit, though not in the way I did milk). I'd stop and buy a two-pint jug on the way into work and have it finished before most of my co-workers got to their desks half-an-hour later (I was always early due to my train schedule). I'd get another 2-pinter at lunch and have it and then have even more when I'd get home. I grossed a lot of people out. TS loves his milk, too, in any form. He drinks loads of water, too, but give him a choice and he goes for milk.

I think why I'm disheartened is I was originally told I'd probably only lose a few pounds and then it would stop. At 10% loss of starting weight they were meant to intervene. I'm now closing in to 15%. Doctor doesn't seem TOO worried, especially only have 14.5 weeks left (YAY!) and I'm generally healthy.

Three/four weeks before I was due with TS I was told I have a blood disorder. It can be worked on/fixed, which is what we're doing. It's treatment with some yucky side-effects (like the mahoosive weight loss).

Oh, oh! I didn't mention before -- told the doctor today I hadn't heard from the paeds department regarding TS's test for my disorder. She went onto the computer and looked up his results and (drum-roll please) he's FREE and CLEAR!!! Not only has he been spared (most of) my heart issues he's been spared the blood. YAY!!!

UniS, you do like spuds! I was hoping/planning on doing a grow-bag thing of potatoes with TS next year when he's old enough to really have a good dig, water, etc. Are they easy to do?

s anyone, seeing as I have the selection box out again? And anyone for a cream egg?

Have you thought about adding something like Maxijul to your milk Scout ? You can get it from the pharmacist and will boost your intake painlessly if you feel like you don't want to eat more.

Or make the milk into shakes with added cream, full fat milk etc

I'll take you up on a virtual Scout, seeing as I'm trying to avoid sugar in RL! ta very much.

I understand your worries more clearly now, and yes, I can see how it would set off alarm bells given what they said initially. Hopefully you're on the home straight now tho and fingers crossed you stay healthy and doctor stays not too worried! And fantastic news about TS's tests coming back clear! That must be such a relief for you and MrS.

Can't have been easy for you tho finding out you had this thing just weeks before becoming a mum, but I suppose the good thing is that it can be fixed.

It's bedtime. G'night Scout, g'night anyone else who's around. See you soon and have a good weekend everyone.

x-post dibbler, g'night to you too!

Mmm, milk shakes.

Must admit, have tried to drink TS's whole milk (sorry, full-fat milk) but I just can't. But I could use it for milkshakes, etc.

Told MrScout about weight -- think he's going to get me more chocolate. He came home the other night with a big cream egg (mmm, one of my favorites) for me as a surprise. Nomnomnom.

G'night Secrete!

Hello all. Am I fashionably late?

There is too much sickness around here and I think we need to call in the experts. It's an excellent idea that Mellors should add matron of the infirmary to his many other duties but he can't run the place single-handed, so I have also taken the liberty of calling in a paediatrician. Have you met Dr Ross?

::makes Dr Ross a nice cup of tea and puts plenty of out for everyone else::

Potatoes are exceptionally easy to grow, luckily. Leave 'em in the light for a week or so first so they start sprouting. Then bung 'em in, put earth on top of them so they're nicely covered, add a bit more earth when they first start to sprout up a bit, then just keep them watered, wait for the leaves to grow, flower and die back again, then dig up your yummy potatoes.

School reunion today. Should be riotous, if I can manage a bit of rioting...see how I feel by midday.

Scout - that is excellent news that TS is free and clear of both conditions! Very very happy for you.
Now - last time we discussed your weight loss problems, did I suggest the protein whey powders from places like Holland and Barrett? body builders use them to increase their protein intake - you don't want to load up too much on sugary stuff if you can avoid it, work to increase your protein more. So - these whey powders are basically protein-based milk shakes, come in banana, strawberry or chocolate flavours. Try those to keep your weight up.
And of course, add olive oil to pretty much whatever you can. :)

boo to sniffles - too late to tell you this now but a friend gave me a superb tip once - if you force yourself to breathe through your nose, one nostril will always remain clear. The minute you give in and breathe through your mouth, they will both clog up. It works! I haven't had a fully blocked nose for years now, since I was told. :) Apparently when breathing normally we switch between nostrils periodically anyway (every few minutes, I think) so we only need one to breathe through - and whenever I have a cold, it becomes much more noticeable as one blocks while the other one unblocks and then they switch.

Hurrah for home-grown spuds and veg - now our summer is over I might see if there's anything I can grow over the autumn (probably not) - although our herbs are mostly going well still.

Good nearly afternoon all.

LCT still fevery and coughy. This too shall pass etc.

Sounds like everyone else is mending. Perhaps it is Dr Ross' presence?

Making ham and cheese toasties avec bagels for lunch. Would anyone like one?

No room right now alas - just back from thoroughly giggly school reunion event and am knackered beyond belief, but happy that I made it (hooray)

Could squeeze in a cuppa, though?

UniS Extracts Amber from the teacup, you seem to have got wedged in there dearie.

Can I interest you in high tea? California styleee.

There will be tea, and also cake and maybe one or too more illicit substances along side.

Corn beef tart anyone??

::Arrives just in time for the hash brownies::

Glad to hear the school reunion went well, Amber. Mine are usually dreary, so I haven't been to one in ages.

Would anyone like some honey and lemon?

TS is the proud owner of new tooth. It explains the four hours of screaming overnight, the inability to get to sleep and/or stay asleep, and the screams he's been making at the most random times (screams like he's never done before). Don't know why these ones are causing so much trouble when his first six came in without effort.

Was complemented on his behavior today at the pub. Made me and at the same time.

How is everyone in the Houses of Ill?

Birthday cake anyone?

Cake would be lovely. Thank you.

Yay for the ToddlerTooth but boo to all the pain. Where did you go to the pub?

We're down in Berks so pub somewhere here (not sure if we were in Berks, Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire at the time as where inlaws are we can quite easily cross borders). Twas close to Henley, if that helps. Had lunch with TS's grandparents. His twin aunts had their 40th this week and we weren't able to be here for their big, "fancy" dinner at the restaurant on their birthday so came down to share cake and give them lovely gifties to celebrate this weekend.

How are you feeling, Maud?

Oh, and Maud, thank you for reminding me.

Must print out your lovely word search while I have access to a (working) printer. My big girlies are starting their wedding challenge this week. We're also going to paint rings and create wedding cake toppers out of playdough or Fimo.