The Nordic Tearoom (Number 31)

[beanandspud]

We have moored the barge for the winter and have moved to a beautiful, cosy log cabin in deepest Scandinavia overlooking a frozen lake and surrounded by pine trees.

Mellors has lit the log fires and candles, it is snowing outside and there are comfortable seats for everyone and fleecy blankets to snuggle up in. For the more active tearoomers there are skis and sledges outside as well as a steaming hot tub for winding down after a busy day.

So pull up a chair. The kettle is on for and there is always plenty of depending on your mood and time zone. (Alternatively there is schnapps, smorgasbord and smoked fish).

Everybody is welcome ? share as much or as little as you like ? but no fisticuffs please!

:: A reindeer runs across the lounge chased by some very merry bishops::

I am so sorry about the Bishops. They've not been the same since the Reformation, y'know...

Love the new tea room!

I've been looking round industrial buildings all day with a client. It's been, er, interesting. I'll put more on and may be back later for

ohhh, nice and rustic but cosy. I like it.

Dinner is a cooking and boy wants time to find him a yo yo he can use... The one he has been laying with is not a beginners yoyo and he can't seem to get it to roll up again. not sure if he's not tall enough, not adept enough or what.

Can I borrow mellors for a yoyo masterclass?

Amber, I really hope that the Bishops now understand that the carrot on the snowman is for their nose

Our cleaner just popped round to show ds her new puppy. The CMOT household was universally entranced.

wheeeeeeee

::Unis whizzes past the window on a swift wooden sledge:;

Boy has just made Dh and I LOL. he miss read
" nobody liked the sheriffs men" as
"nobody liked the philistines"!

::unstraps reindeer from large sledge::

::unloads the cardboard cut out George Clooney and hauls him in::

::watches the NMBs in their teeny tiny scandic hats and teen tiny scandi scarves running too and fro unpacking books, DVDs, tree decorations, the aspidestra and all the necessary tea room paraphenalia

My this is nice ladies!

oh yeah, unpacking.... Unis removes snow suit and lends a hand.

Maybe in a few days, we could disguise the Plant with some baubles

:: Uncorks the and unpacks marshmallows for toasting ::

Don't forget to check your shoes for reindeer 'droppings' - they seem to get everywhere!

This is splendid, Bean and even nicer since George got here!

::Proffers lebkuchen and gluhwein::

Of course the plant can have baubles*, but not till December. Tho, it is advent from Sunday coming.... maybe we could dec the halls for advent?

• and tinsel and glittery tat made by tea room tots.

::Buys a large box of tasteful and entirely appropriate baubles::

I dunno, we could have <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=naff+baubles&hl=en&client=ubuntu&hs=EAJ&sa=X&channel=fs&biw=1280&bih=800&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=8MsXLVAga7PddM:&imgrefurl=katieskitchenblog.com/category/craft/page/2/&docid=YfnKTn2JZyiwFM&imgurl=katieskitchen.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/xballs.jpg&w=425&h=283&ei=J9fKTu6uL8Sd8gO7nJ1e&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=515&vpy=179&dur=1098&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=134&ty=115&sig=102082506942514907068&page=2&tbnh=134&tbnw=190&start=24&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">knitted ones

Maud - are those flashing brussel sprouts around George?

DH has just phoned to say that his flight has landed and he'll be home in a couple of hours. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I wasn't expecting him until tomorrow - there must be a diary malfunction!

Ohhh, beautiful! I've always wanted to go to Scandinavia.

So where's that schnapps? I committed the ultimate of all stupidities today... and this is one I won't be sharing with the test of MN.
I fell into a couple of free hours and tool myself shopping. That wasn't the stupid part. The stupid part was thinking, "oh, maybe I'll try on a few bathing suits". Someone slap me upside the head please. Why take a perfectly good bit of self-esteem and pound it like that??? I'm an idiot.
Didn't buy anything, left feeling like crap about myself. Time to start properly exercising again and eating better. Nightly wine and cheese have not helped!!

Err, I thought they were flashing green roses so much more plausible than flashing Brussels sprouts, after all.

Eek. Two hours to put the wine in the fridge and practice your delighted and not you weren't supposed to be home until tomorrow face!

rest of MN
took myself shopping

::Pauses on the way to bed::

Do you have a holiday coming up, JM? Swimsuit shopping in winter is rarely good for the soul. I know it's about how you feel about yourself, but I doubt that anyone else would see the 'defects' that were staring back at you from the mirror. Get thee down to the shoe shop and look at boots and woolly tights - they're far more forgiving!

No holiday - just JB lives swimming and I really need a new suit.
I did also look for boots but no luck. I really want a pair of fur lined boots that come up to the knee. Or close, anyway.

I hesitate to say this because they're really designed for fat old ladies like me, but have you looked at the swimsuits that are made of 100% superlycra and suck everything in? I need some boots. I went last year to the store in London that everyone on MN raves about for the fat of calf, but they ignored me so I stomped out in a huff, sans boots.

Good night!

Would everyone like a wee laugh? :o (please note pun in progress)

JB and I decorated Christmas cards tonight, with copious amounts of glitter glue.

Then he had to go do a wee.

Guess where A LOT of sparkles ended up. :o

He spent the rest of the evening pulling down first his pants and then his pj bottoms, to show me his glittery willy :o. I was completely PMSL. He refused to have a bath, and doesn't want to have one tomorrow either, because that would wash the glitter off his willy. I can't wait to hear what his teachers will say at preschool tomorrow when they have to take him for a wee :o

ooo JM a glittery willy!!

Just a flying visit. Hope everyone is well. First day back at work since last Wednesday...I was getting used to lounging about most days!!

JM - JB's 'glittery willy' has made me laugh so much. Don't forget to make a note of it for his wedding speech!

Would anyone like a ? I really didn't get much sleep last night and I'm seriously wondering whether I would be a nicer (and more productive) person if I went back to bed for an hour.

Yeah, Bean, go back to bed for a snooze. Mind you, I did that when I was ill and woke up four hours later.

Lovely to see you, PKM!