Episode 33 - The Orangery - Tea anyone?

[mistlethrush]

The tearoom has traveled back to the Orangery for another visit. There are bluebells in the nearby woods, and Mellors has Earl Grey and Lady Grey ready for some excursions. Mellors has, indeed, been overwintering away from Canada for some reason - I think he's been helping Maud out in the garden. There are tulips out in urns outside, and there are a few tables out in the sunny courtyard for use between showers.

Whether you have one child or several, pull up a chair and share a or a . The only rules remains no fisticuffs.

Not really. GP suggested and referred her to a psychiatrist specialising in old people. We waited and waited, then the psychiatrist telephoned her, while I was unfortunately out, and asked her how she was. Being of a certain age and not inclined to complain, she said, of course, that she was fine and could manage. On the basis of this, she received a letter saying that she obviously did not need any help, 'which we understand that your daughter strongly encouraged you to seek', or words to that effect ie interfering daughter should keep out of it and to contact them again if she required futher assistance. So that was that. I mean, how can assess the mental state of a 90-year old on the telephone????

(Although, to be fair, she found the idea of EMDR quite scarey and probably wouldn't have done it.)

She sees a homeopath, which seemed to help at first and now doesn't, an accupuncturist, who did make her feel calmer but I had to choose between the two and didn't really help that much either.

And it seems to be more than just the flashbacks now.

Have just sent the playdate from hell child home - constantly demanding, attention span of 2 mins, didn't want to do anything Wriggle suggested, got down from the table after eating and just ran outside before we had all finished and didn't even say goodbye or thank you when we took her home. Put on one of APs aprons for painting, tried to drag it down over her (plump) tummy and I had to cut her out of it. Wriggle now says that this girl is her best friend. OMDB (Over My Dead Body)

woooooo, spooky RHS moment, no sooner had I stopped reading up the RHS guidelines for showing carrots and spuds than I come in here and you talking about gladioli...

Evening all. care for a lovingly washed show spud? bit like a show pony but cheaper to transport and less likely to eat the garden. Its horticultural show week here in rural devon, small nearby town show on Thursday - staging to morrow, and next village over on saturday. I'm hoping to show some crops in both and others only in one or other. Putting my cider in a show! & letting boy loose on cup cake decorating - he has won prizes in the past.

SHoes- ARRRGH. boy still whines that his baby toe is squashed by his ( newer but V cheap) trainers , but his baby toe sticks out of a hole in his older trainers. MC s out growns are not yet grown into .... School shoes are sorted tho, custom made but the FIT and the last 2 pairs have lasted a full year each. Helps that KS1 don't get to play football all lunchtime on tarmac.

Thank you for the link Maud. I suspect that it is lack of sun and otherwise cold, soggy conditions which haven't helped. I was hoping for huge blooms to have around the house but maybe next year...

I have however managed to make jam with the raspberries from the garden and still hopeful that the tomatoes might do something if the good weather continues.

Oh, LaBelleDame, that sounds grim. It's also just what my MIL; she had quite severe psychological problems but managed to put on a jolly face when the [rather naive] GP called - although at least the GP called in person - so GP concluded nothing was amiss.

UniS - is the RHS guidance available online? Someone over in Gardening was asking about showing fruit and veg,

Bean, our great tub of gladioli have managed one flower this year. But the tomatoes in the polytunnel are doing great (finally).

Took Wriggle to see Brave last night at the cinema. It was so loud. She sat on my lap, quivering, covering her ears with my hands ... and said it was wonderful. I did enjoy it, too. And all about mothers and daughters fighting ... of which there has been quite a lot in the last couple of days. And scarey bears, with lots of roaring.

Sympathies for all with parental issues at the moment. Ours are currently restricted to grandmother in law and aunts / uncles in law, but its stressing MiL out a lot (understandably).

UniS - good luck with the showing - we've not managed anything this year - it was just so wet and I've been so busy too...

LBD - my grandmother reverted to Swiss German when she was very old, even though she had hardly spoken any since she came across to England to study nursing in the '30s.

Yes, AP told me stories about this from when she was nursing. Luckily, I speak good German, so when the time comes, I'll be able to understand her. My sister doesn't speak a word, and won't.

Good luck with the veg, UniS!

I'm sorry everyone's having such a rough time with APs.

RHS guidelines- havn't fund full set on line. they wan tt you to buy the handbook. However a number of societies publish part guidelines along side their show schedule, so I google and find things on page 6 or so.

my garlic looks gorgeous, ditto cucumbers. beans not quite as straight as I'd like but hey ho.

Can I help you all to a slice of very yummy chocolate brownie? I made it for the shows, but we have started eating the second half , so I'll have to make another one on friday. tragic!

Yes please!

::waggles plate::

squelch. there you go. its bit gooey, with chunks of chocolate embedded.

Gooey is a fundamental requirement in any chocolate brownie, I always think. Thank you.

Yes please to chocolate brownie

::tries to put rather unflattering picture of self in bikini out of mind::

Good luck with the shows UniS!

Bean, if you can even contemplate wearing a bikini, you are doing just fine!

get thee to the broody box and sit on a rubber egg for a week scout- sorts the chickens out, might work on humans?

I've never heard of a broody box before.

::very urban upbringing::

(((hugs))) for Scout.

::installs Cardboard George in the broody box, to make it more appealing::

Do people find they get more or less broody the older they get?

In my case, less, much less (although I was never the broody type anyway - we decided we wanted a baby and after many travails had one, but, much as I liked my friends' babies, they never made me gooey or broody).

And I am now soooo old that the prospect of a baby is quite appalling!

Less, but was not broody for very long anyway. just about a couple of years whilst TTC.

It's strange -- I loved babies but was always happy handing them back. Surprise pregnancy, definitely gooey over my own and while I still like having a cuddle and giving them back do find myself thinking it would be nice to be pregnant and maybe have a teeny one. But then I remember the struggle and the high-pitch new cry (which is lovely once or twice but then goes through you every time after) and think "no, it's nice to hand them back." So very excited for all of my friends, though. Two of the couples for sure will make lovely parents and are just all around lovely people/couples. While they're MrScout's friends from pre-me they are my friends now, too, and I'm looking forward to having cuddles. (The one couple is Toddler's Godfather and unofficial Godmother and they were the first people besides family and medical professionals to hold/cuddle Toddler when he was teeny-tiny-new BabyScout.)

I think my problem is that for some reason this year's birthday is scaring me and it's not even a 0 or 5 birthday. But I have to remind myself that MrScout is younger than me and since these friends are all peers of his (a school friend who's wife is younger and the other couple were both in his year and/or course at uni) they're younger than me, too. They're more "up to" sleepless nights and endless feeding and all of that. Me, I like sleep.

Sleep is good!

(((hugs)))