Episode 32 - The New Zealand tea room

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Well folks, here we are, beside the hot springs of New Zealand.

The tea room (with the customary distressed chintz sofa) overlooks the steaming, bubbling lake. For the bold and sporty, hiking, biking and sky-diving are on offer. Personally, I'm not planning to leave the spa.

Please come and join us for a celebratory drink and conversation ranging from the profound to the profoundly silly. The cardinal rule remains: no fisticuffs.

? Yes please! Passes a carrot muffin down to Donki and leaves assorted nuts and nibbles on the side.

Thank goodness it's the weekend. No snow (yet) but it is absolutely Baltic here.

Just a quick hello.
I caught DH's cold. My bum hurts every time I sneeze. Apologies if nobody needed to know that. My left butt cheek is purple. Nobody probably needed to know that either.

JM - at the sharing! Ouch to the sore bits, especially when sneezing.

Donki - that sounds painful. MiniThumb is also v. argumentative. I give up regularly as he just keeps going, tis very tedious. I think I only have myself to blame though as I fear I was the same at his age and possibly still am

and croissants to anyone who feels the need, to anyone in other time zones who might still be awake and banana loaf with pecans and chocolate chip on the side for anyone who might be tempted. (I'm not so good with carrot cake but I make a mean banana one!)

Went to the local country show this morning - thank goodness it stopped raining at last! - ground was still very muddy but at least it was dry and warm, so miniThumb got his pony ride (a regular feature at these events) and a blue balloon dog and that was him made up for the day. :)
DH bought some very expensive frying pans but that made him happy so hurrah.
This afternoon I made above-mentioned banana loaf, but it's taking its own time to cook properly. Needed extra above the hour suggested, but that's not unusual for my oven!

Scout - well done for disposing of baby clothes - glad you only feel relief, that's good.

UniS skids to a halt just outside teh tea room door. Here, I bring frozen carrot vodka (?) It warm you up in Russian alpine style. Did you know haribo freze? in a pocket, while sking, they go VERY chewy.

I know its early yyet, but can teh tea room perch in one of these opulent & OTT chalets some time?

Personally, JM, I had a bit of a giggle over your previous post and didn't see it as oversharing. Though sitting in the snow may help releave some of the pain/swelling.

Did anything arrive at yours today?

good idea to sit in the snow JM. I have bruised calf muscles, this is because I lean too far back when skiing. my own fault and thus I am not allowed to whinge ( according to DH) bah humbug.

I'm going to join you in the snow JM, shall we make snow angels??

and drink Van chaud??or do you prefer hot chocolate?

No, nothing in the post :(
Will have to ask lovely neighbours to keep an eye out for any parcels.

D'oh! You know, JM, Murphy's Law states it will arrive the first day you are gone.

Ohhhhh, JM, I've heard they're going to be opening Target stores in Canada -- will any of them be near you?

UniS, are you still out-and-about enjoying the snow skiing?

Whee!! We have snow. I'm hoping it will last long enough for sledging tomorrow and then conveniently disappear before I have to go to work.

Us, too, Maud! I dug out TS's snow dungerees this morning and tights. We got him a new pair of boots, thick socks (to go on over the tights) and his first ever sled(ge) which he picked out the color he wanted. I'm ready with my camera so the AmericanScoutCamp can have new pictures.

back home again.
not much snow HERE, but thr hill above our house has been covered in teh stuff all week I'm told.

By a stroke of luck, my thermal socks arrived today! Did you ever get your super-duper thermal socks?

I got three pair over Christmas week -- two of which are too big for my baby feet and the third should be too big but actually aren't too bad. They're all too big/thick for the tennis shoes I'm currently living in but I wear them around the house and to bed and they are wonderful. My "furry feet" amuse MrScout but they keep me warm.

ohhhh, thermal socks, winner idea.

Have sort of arranged a swap to get DS a climbing frame a bit like this one for his birthday!!! its currently 2 doors down the road and the child it's owned by is now a teen. bottle of wine and box of chocs seems like a good price. They say they have tent and platform for it still, which would make a fab den.

Wow, Unis! You're getting that as a swapsie for wine and chocs? Fab deal.

Yes, Scout, I remembered that the socks were too big for your dainty feet, that's why I wondered whether you had got that sorted. I never have such problems. Harrumph.

Scout, YES to a Target near us!!!!!! 5 mins from work, 15 mins from home!!!

Working with Target as a contractor was a pain in the @rse bum but the things they do right they do very very well.

Wow, UniS, that's a GREAT swapsie!

Oh, and JM, we might need to do another swapsie -- some MP brand stuff for chocolates (or anything else from here you'd like).

Just let me know what you need. I could still send it off before I leave Monday mid-day, or from Toronto! :)

Nothing I need, JM, but thanks. Just thinking for later, you know, when all the rubbish starts up again. A package from almost home would cheer me up. Which reminds me, I need to add chocolate to the shopping list.

Oooohhhh, they've changed our snow projectio to 15 cm/6 in now. Wahoo!

Any time Scout. Just let me know. ((((HUGS))))

Toddler's hating the snow. He loves the idea but actually hates it.