The One and Only Tea Room - Now Hanging in Babylon

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Well folks, here we are, transported through time and space to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Golden couches and the distressed chintz sofa are arranged on a terrace overlooking the Euphrates and, as we recline on the exquisitely-soft cushions eating peeled grapes, we can enjoy the warm fragrance of the gardens' many exotic blooms. The garden is tended by the indefatigable Mellors, with occasional help from the bishops, rabbis and any passing world leaders. Somewhere behind the terrace there is an aga and a priest's hole, with optional massage table.

Please come and join us for a celebratory drink and conversation ranging from the profound to the profoundly silly.

I think the golden couches are an adjunct to the distressed chintz sofa, Amber, possibly more suitable to the balmy climate on the banks of the Euphrates. But if the sofa is more comfortable, I am sure Mellors would waft over you and Mary there too!

::bounces on the gold sofa...races across to the distressed chintz one to have a bounce on that::

Nope, both equally good thanks.

::lies down to get her breath back after all that bouncing::

Ooh BBQ. Excellent. I love BBQ chicken legs.

To change to a slightly less pleasant subject...LCT has had the worst constipation the last 2 days. Anyone know if changing from whole to semi-skimmed milk might do that?

Tee, yes, quite possibly.

::hands Mary the gargle for removing bubble mixture::

:: stops mary blowing bolly bubbles:: messy and pointless.

My BBQ iffering to start us off tonight-
trout fillets which have been mariading in something yummy all afternoon.
enjoy with salad and new potatos from Mellors pottager.

You can come to a bbq at our's if you like Mary. There're something of a speciality here this being cowboy country. It only costs about 800 quid return .
I'm feeling a bit down as my former best friend got married at the weeked, and obviously I wasn't there. I say former because living over here has meant that most of the people I was close to in the UK I hardly speak to or see anymore. She is still fab though and I would have liked to be at her wedding, since she was the "best woman" at mine.
I shouldn't have looked at the photos really: it just made me sad.

Tee - I'm not sure whether the change in milk would have done that. However, mistlechick has always rather enjoyed the 'soft' style prunes - and sometimes figs too - that's what I would be suggesting in the circs

Catita - sorry you're feeling - quite understandable. Have you any news on the job front at all?

Thanks Cat, can't quite run to £800 I'm afraid!

Am just back from the hospital, where they've said I'm not coeliac, but to try avoiding wheat rather than gluten, see what difference that makes. Am not sure what culinary delights this gives me access to, that I wouldn't have on a gluten free diet - anyone know? Feeling a bit fobbed off :(

Yes, Mary - you can have oats whihc are not totally gluten free, rye, barley - an obvious addition is oatcakes....

But be careful - some oatcakes have wheatflour in....

::lights the barbecue::

Lights another bbq

brings veg kebabs, portabella mushrooms with mozarella, basil and garlic sandwiched between them, and sweetcorn cobs

::Starts to mould the hand-made from organic beef burgers::

Mellors, dear, you might want to pop a pinny on in case the burgers spit hot fat

Mary, oh b*m re the uncertainty...have a or two. I am.

Very mixed day here - brill meeting with lovely charity...then yuk meeting this evening with people who couldn't give a fig. Could have done with those two being in the opposite order, I think.

::joins in with the barbecue preparations, which in the case of an Amber is best confined to handing out plates and tomato sauce etc::

Hadn't you noticed my smart new apron, Cmot?

Can you be trusted with tomato sauce?

?

HA! Love that apron!

::Tee threads chunks of veggies onto skewers and bastes them with oil/balsamic/garlic dressing::

::UniS finds some interesting atisan sausages and pops them on teh grill along side Mellors " amusing" shaped burgers. Think Mistle chick may have influenced Mellors choice of shapes. Rocket ships and dinosaurs.

Yes please to the !

I'll have some and some interestingly shaped beef burger too please!
Sorry to hear about your meeting Ann. I hope the sight of Mellors at the bbq is cheering you up.
Mr H is applying for a postdoc position at the month and I will be going for a job in Mexico sometime in September if I make to the interview stage. I'm not getting my hopes up as I know there is an internal candidate. He's also a friend of ours which makes it a bit awkward. But still he understands how much we long to get away from here. If Mr. H gets his posdoc I shall try and get myself a sabbatical since I have the necessary years logged at my current job. We'll just see how things go. Thanks for asking Mistle.

Salad, anyone? Homegrown rocket, parsley and coriander.

All digits crossed for you, Catita.