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.

boots- ended up with size 12s. He tried on a few pairs, different model, makes and sizes. The gelert 12s were the best fit for him. He does use walking boots quite a bit, so I'm willing to spend 30 quid on a pair. Trainers ( 12.5 , addidas running shoes) were hand me down, hallelujah he loves them AND they fit. School shoes are OK for now, expect he will need another pair making in Aug / sept.

Now need to teach him to tie laces.

Congratulations!!!!! I can empathise with every long day to come and really really hope it works.

Turns out I have had/have flu. Have not been so ill for many years (ever?) and haven't eaten a single bite since Sunday night .... until 10 minutes ago, when I had a tiny French biscotte, which actually tastes vile now in retrospect. Started on the first day of the Easter holidays, when I have Wriggle, a demanding M.Snake and an increasingly anxious and needly Aged Parent to look after. Family is now thoroughly fed up as novelty has worn off. Having spent all night awake, feeling sick, coughing and thinking about Death, I am inclined to agree.

Is MC 6 now or 7? Tree house is a pretty good outside toy that will probably last - it is used for playing houses, sliding (M.Snake fixed up a builders' rubbish shute like a curly slide), eating lunch in the summer, reading (when I can get up there secretly in the summer) and just general racing up and down the ladder.

Maud, where do you put potatoes in a patio? A dustbin? Do you actually get enough potatoes to make it worthwhile? We have done nothing in the polytunnel for weeks, but the garlic is growing well and the broad beans hav sprouted.

I loved Mr Majika. Wriggle still absolutely cannot see the point of reading. She acts stories, plays with little Sylvanians or moshlings or little animals in complex role plays - sadly only with a companion and I HATE IT - or makes me tell stories out of my head. Suprisingly wearing, doing that for hours; I sympathise with Shererazade. I wouldn't have been at all suprised if she'd just said, 'Sod it, cut the head off. At least I'd have a bit of peace.'

OOooh poor LBD Hope you're feeling better soon.

I would like to build a tree house - I have a feeling that MC might have to put up with the shed instead (which we don't use - use the garage instead as its closer to the house).

MC will be 7 on Friday.

UnitSshall I bring the Peter Storm size 13s down (that failed to sell at the NCT sale despite being worm perhaps 3 times only) when I come in your direction in the summer? Will save old trainers too if you'd like them - definitely still some wear in them and would be fine for passing on but not selling ifyswim..... (looks sternly at DH)

((((((((Thumb))))))))
How lovely :) :) :)

I plant potatoes in the patio in large pots. Pink Fir Apple have been a bit disappointing though - a very meagre crop - but I suspect they wouldn't be much better in the ground, as they're not prolific croppers. The Brownies grew Charlottes last year in potato bags but we only got about 8 tiddly potatoes - I suspect because nobody was around to water them for weeks and they got so little rain. This year, I am going to use the potato bags at home, with more Charlottes, as then I can be more sure of watering them.

Fingers crossed for Thumb!

I have "rocket" spuds in bags and "nicola" in the ground. I've bag grown spuds for a few years and think its an excellent way to do it. Nice to be able to harvest just some at a time and leave the plant growing. You do get rather muddy/ compost covered doing that tho.

MT- yes please to boots etc. If they don't work for boy I can pass them on again. MC's sandals from the other year are fitting boy OK this summer, THANK YOU.

Boy adored multi sports day yesterday,we're off to visit a castle today I think.

Happy Birthday MC!!! Hope you all have a great day.

Ooooh, Thumb fingers (and thumbs HA!) and toes crossed for you and TinyThumb.

Happy birthday to MC.

How are you feeling now, LBD?

At my inlaws and oh the drama. Honestly, I'd like a visit without SiL2 drama/tension/bs.

MC did have a great day. RHS garden this morning on easter egg hunt (and new tree house, and Betty's coffee) and Betty's treats for lunch then afternoon with DH (inc inside place with butterfles and meerkats) and supper meeting me between rehearsal and concert.

Strangely, I've found Fir Apple rather good - but then I'm on clay so perhaps the extra water retention in the soil helps?

LaBelleDame, I hope you are feeling better now.

I have a cold now, nothing like as bad as the flu of course but I can't take anything at all for it so I'm feeling sorry for myself. Although I did find that I had (which I had forgotten) a tiny little roll-on with menthol and something else in, for rolling around my forehead and temples to give some relief from the sinus headache - it really helped! Ran out of tissues yesterday (Good Friday, everything was actually shut) so had to resort to loo roll; nose is a bit sorer and rawer as a result (I buy tissues with aloe vera in - they really do work!).

DH and miniThumb have gone off to MIL's - DH's cousin and her family are down for the Easter weekend, and they have a boy who is 3m older than miniThumb, so they get on very well and have a lovely time together. I get to loll around and recover - hurrah!

MT - am [buenvy] of you going to the RHS place with MC - although when I went last year, I was a tad horrified that a single macaroon cost 99p! [bushock] That's rather a lot...

I grew potatoes in the vege plot last year. Planted 5 seed potatoes, 2 didn't grow at all, 2 plants died but still produced a few potatoes and 1 didn't die and produced a few more. No idea of the breed though! Not a very good return on the seed potatoes though.

Scout - is that the same SIL who causes most of the upset? Good luck!

I fear it is, Thumb.

The Easter Bunny has visited Toddler. Where should she leave the basket -- in the middle of the complicated train layout Toddler's Dad made for him or on his seat/at his place at the table? He will be at both places within 15 minutes of coming downstairs in the morning.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to you too Scout, and everyone else!

Yum yum!

ummmm chocolate.

Ice cream of the day is dark choc with white choc and honeycomb chunks ( aka white maltesers).

One scoop or two?

Three?

three scoops it is.

mn
_/

Hope you enjoy it. I'm listening sort of, to the news quiz. Loving it.

Thank you for indulging my greed, UniS. We love the news quiz in chateau Maud - The Girl has a Crush on Sandi

Oh darn, I missed the ice cream. [busad]

there is still ice cream for you scout- here.
{O} that's a scoop of triple choc honeycomb crunch between two choc chunk cookies.

Its rained ALL day here, haven't been further than 2 ft outside the door all day. Tomorrow I am working outdoors all day so it will even out I think. I ought to go and find my tool kit and put stuff in teh car ready for an early start. BUT DH has just handed me a and a box of chocs... so... not quite yet I think.

Thanks UniS. Delicious!

It's been another roller coaster of a weekend/holiday down here at the in laws. I'm ready to go home.

It rained all day here too - so we used up a rainy day to go see my parents

Ds now has a trombone thanks to dad. He thinks it is wonderful. I am not so sure !

Trombone? Um.... interesting gift! [bugrin]

We already have guitars, a violin, a drum kit and an oboe that dad has given him - all car boot bargains though. I got some very beautiful riding boots, that alas I have no chance of getting my fat athletic calves into. Dad paid a pound for them though, so no issue