Episode 34 - The Tearoom moves to New England

[beanandspud]

At this time of year New England is famous for its glorious foliage as billions of leaves change from green to a kaleidoscope of colours. The air is crisp and cool ? perfect for hiking, biking or a drive along back roads, where farm stands are piled high with crunchy apples and orange pumpkins.

Everyone is welcome. There are tea, cakes and wine aplenty so pull up a comfortable chair and join us.

The usual rule applies - no fisticuffs please!

UniS, can I come live in your attic so I can join in all of your cool village activities?!?! I want village life...!

((((((((SCOUT))))))))))

Thank you!!!!!!! Parcel 1 has arrived! You've made my morning so much sweeter. [hearts][hearts][hearts]

YAY JM! Strange, though, because they were mailed together. Same with the postcards but two children in the same house got them on different days (and most children seemed to get them on the same day despite living in different parts of the country and/or different countries!).

Parcel 2 arrived today!!!!

My coffee is going to be so happy for months!!!!
Thank you!!!!

YAY for two parcels!

MrScout's home --Yay?!

Yay to parcels and homecoming husbands!

That photo of Boy's bike is stunning! You are so creative, UniS.

Warming of your choice is on the side. Along with an assortment of Christmas treats -- cookies, gingerbread houses, chocolate sleighs, mince pies, etc. All calorie free, vegetarian, gluten free, nut free, etc (whatever free you need it to be!).

Oooh lovely Scout, what a nice spread. I think I'll have a mid-morning warm, spicy fruit-based beverage with my gingerbread.

Off racing with the hound tomorrow - and mc is coming too (he cheered up when I told him what food was available - he's feeling very full of cold, but at least the temp has gone and he's back at school, much to DH's relief)

If it's not freezing rain (like it is now) we're off to The Electric Forest tomorrow night. There are fireworks and late shopping in town tonight but the fireworks are an hour later than normal and SB needs a quiet day so he & I will probably stay home (and I can watch them from our upstairs hall window).

Thank you Scout, I'll have a and a cookie please.

We are going on the Santa train tomorrow which Small Bean is looking forward to. He has done four nativity 'performances' this week and is shattered - I just about had to lift him out of bed this morning to get him ready for school.

Santa train!

We thought of trying to do one with the PiL the weekend before Christmas but don't know if one's been booked. I hope the Bean family have a great ride!

Fun in a geeky way.

It rained ice last night. Would anyone like some? [brrrrr]

UniS, you might want to double check that link....

DOH

I just checked on SB. When I gave him Bunny, who had fallen on the floor, he snuggled in and was so relaxed with his face that his expression looked exactly like one of the 3D scan photos of him at 20-something weeks. It was very sweet but a bit creepy at the same time.

JM, the postcard from JB arrived this morning. It was the only post. SB VERY excited that the only post today is for him.

British Etiquette question regarding Christmas cards: I'm in the process of finishing up our Christmas cards and am stumped.

I have a circle of friends that I know through SB. We get together with the kids, do activities or go someplace to play. In this circle I have met half of the husbands, usually briefly/in passing (for example, run into the family at the grocery store so there's introductions/hello's and polite chatter for a few minutes) but none to know well. I know all of the husband's names. Only one of this circle has met MrScout (and that was a brief/in passing meeting a few weeks ago). SB has made Christmas cards and we were going to send them to "XYZ family" -- would it be presumptious to list the husbands'/fathers' name in the "Dear so-and-so and child" bit and to include MrScout's name in the "with love" bit? To me they're part of the family (for obvious reasons!) and want to include them but am afraid the folks around me will think I'm weird since I may not have met them/they haven't met MrScout.

Gah! This time of year is a minefield!

Also, just curious really: What do you call your husband's relatives? As in, do you call them Aunt/Uncle/Nan/Grandpa, etc? Only ask because I wrote out the card to MrScout's Aunt & Uncle (the only ones he has) and because I write the card/address the envelope I wrote "Dear A & B." I don't think of them as aunt & uncle I see them once a year, usually around Christmas but they also give us all a little gift and on mine MrScout's aunt signs it "aunt & uncle." It makes me uncomfortable but in thinking about it today am worried I'm offending them by not. Gah!

More minefieldery!

Scout - I don't know whether it's a particularly British thing or not, but I would always sign cards as from the three of us and address them to the whole family. I have noticed in the past, though, that other people do things differently. I always send a card, for example, to our UH and her partner (who I've met quite often) but she signs the card only from her. Mind you, she is American.

As for aunts and uncles, in my family people drop the 'auntie' and 'uncle' bit with adult children and so I would call my aunts and uncles by their first names. I call The Bloke's aunts and uncles by their first names, too. I never notice what he actually calls them, but he does still write cards to auntie Muriel and uncle Stanley.

Scout, I'm with Maud and I would sign cards from all three of us and address to the whole family.

Not sure about Auntie and Uncles though, I address mine with their first names but we send Christmas cards and see them about every five years (weddings, funerals...)

:: Opens the Saturday ::

We had a good time on the Santa train and Small Bean thankfully didn't come up with any surprise presents that I might not have bought.

Are you watching 'Strictly' Maud? Who is your 50p on to win?

::Accepts gratefully::

Oh yes, we are a Strictly house. I would like Lisa or Dani to win, but suspect that Denise will.

We're not long home from the Electric Forest. I think SB is going to make a good Boy Scout when his time comes.

Bean, good news about no Santa surprises! SmallBoy keeps talking about his trip to see Santa and his wishes of "train tracks presents." We pushed today to see if we could find out what type of tracks he might want but we just get "train tracks presents."

Thanks for the cards tips, Maud and Bean!

Maud & UniS, Guiding surprises should arrive in your post boxes any day now.