Would anyone like a cup of tea and a muffin?

[MadBadandDangerousToKnow]

I'm tired and in need of refreshment.

The tea room is now officially open, serving hot chocolate, tea, freshly-squeezed orange juice and a range of home-baked muffins. Tablecloths and crockery are charmingly mismatched antiques (no Cath Kidston here). We overlook an attractive although somewhat overgrown garden, with a distant view of rolling countryside.

Everyone is welcome but house rules dictate that anyone indulging in fisticuffs will be ejected.

Please come in.

I don't see Mellors writhing with glee over Cath Kidston... but I could be wrong. Judging by the state of the garden he is a lazy sod.

Oh how cute! My DS is currently playing with the contents of the kitchen which is spread out on the living room floor in its entirety...

Nice, is that the knives and scissors, the graters and the beaters then?

by the way Mistle, how is DS's besmirched finger?

Of course, remember my irresponsible thread?

Just checking you haven't smartened up your act! No doubt you are lying back swigging the merlot while he's at it!!!

It's too early (only 10 am here), I've got Bailey's caramel in my coffee though

Mmmmmmmm hello ladies.... all of a fluster, slightly red cheeked... T42 tiptoes down the stairs... four minutes later Mellors follows... no-one notices - well at least pretend they don't - great!

T42 screams and rushes back upstairs because she suddenly realises that neither her or Mellors closed the Mummyporn website they were looking at and it is still up on the computer for anyone to find! Including racingpig - and with his little fast beating heart racingpig might not stand the excitement - this is getting serious...

( this is the website -

www.tulipandnettle.com/live/)

T42 gets to the computer - clicks close and wonders if one day she will get an award for kindness to animals or maybe gardeners...

(T42 decides to sit on the other side of the cafe from Mellors from now on seeing as a while ago I thought it was a great idea to sign my dh and Mum upto mn - and if that is not crazy enough -ontop of that I told them my nickname but can't remember either of theirs!!!)

T42 no wonder the busies are after you!

LOL at signing up you MUM and your DH!!!! crazy girl!!!

right, I suggest a warm toddy of brandy and honey and tuck you up under a snuggly blanket and watch Gardener's World, you naughty thing!

(and avert poor Racingpig's eyes!)

PMSL at Mummyporn!! Love it!!!

Daisy - I am really glad you got to go to the funeral by the way.

Although I am very very young and naive I too have lost some dear friends.

I really believe my friends and your friend will go on living... I don't mean in a spooky ghosty way... rather just in their influence on us. For example one of my friends grew sweetpeas and I know the day I get a garden of my own the first plants I will put in are some beautiful sweetpeas! The same friend taught me to love music and restaurants! That is why I never ever have any money left at the end of the month!!!

I maybe being a bit silly here but I even think your friend and mine will live on into the next generation because we will teach our children certain things we might have never known without them.

T42 opens champagne bottle - POP - fills everyones glasses

Hey - CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERS!!!!!

To friends!!!

T42 looks in the corner of the tea shop - oh eeeerrrr 'ello you two - and of course cheers to Mums and DHs too!!!! Mwaaaaaah mwaaaaaah!!!!!

My kitchen counters look wonderful!! Hand ver some champers, I need to celebrate!!!

Oh - look - not only is it Gardeners World - but it is a special on sweetpeas!!!!!!

Oh how lovely!!!!

Teafortwo snuggles under blanket and drinks the Brandy and champagne!!!

Has anyone else noticed, maybe it is the Brandy and champagne talking, but Jacksmama is sounding increasingly like Nigella Lawson these days....

(JM she is a sleb cook on UK telly www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXaovJPSS5E -I think that is an ok link but my sound is a mess so I can't hear it!!!)

But... with JM/NL (it is hard to tell them apart) we are no longer talking just mummyporn here... because the Dads really like her too!!!

I love Nigella!! Got her latest book, Nigella Express - yummmm!! Sadly tho have nowhere near Nigella's lush figure... am 5'8 1/2" and 129 lbs. Stick-figure in other words. Also lack Nigella's melting chocolate-brown eyes and sexy accent...

Do you realise that any one of us (not excluding Racingpig) but be dh and / or Mum, T42?

Have now had to comppletely revise my image of JM, whom I had always seen as blond and freckled in a colonial sort of way.

ummm.... i have pictures on my profile... deffo not blonde and freckly!!!!

Oh? JM, you have her all the way over there???? That is very funny! In France they quite like Jamie Oliver - but in general snigger at anyone British who claims to be able to cook... let alone tries to do it on tv!!!

besides, as Bocca (or was it MadBad before she was stretchered away to the MN Home for the Tipsy Befuddled) pointed out, Canada is dominion... however... what would a colonial look like?
(curious emoticon)

I'm a huge fan of Jamie too... learned how to grow potatoes in a bag of earth from him... not that I have the garden space to do it as live in a townhouse but for future reference.
We have the Food Channel on the telly here... got addicted while on my
(very short, sob) maternity leave with DS. Between Nigella, Jamie, Anna Olsen and Tyler Florence, my cooking improved immeasurably!! DH loved it until his trousers got too tight...

Colonials (not quite sure of the adjective for dominions - dominials? dominants?) should, I feel be out-doors, healthy, freckled (I have always wanted freckles) and maybe throw on the odd check shirt if the occasion calls for it.

Dominicans?
Not me... but I am European by birth. (German) So maybe that's why I don't fit into your image of colonials, LOL.

Just checked closet... sorry, no checkered shirts. None in DH's either.

Another treasured image shattered.

If I had a free choice, not sure whether I would rather have freckles or look like Nigella. Maybe look like Nigella with freckles?

Do you think it's about time Mellors shifted himself out ito the garden to count the hole diggers? Racingpig is looking quite anxious.

Hmmmm... I guess BabyJ would be a true colonial... but, no freckles as yet (again, see profile pics). He is very chubbyhealthy-looking though!

So, are we all name-changing for Christmas?
I'm thinking of JacksFirstChristmasMama

How about ChristmasTeaForTwo RacingAroundTheChristmasTreeSnake Daisy99ChristmasDivinePaganChristmas WatchRebellingAgainstChristmasMum Bocca Della Buon Natale Verita

whoops PaganChristmasWatch - where has she been BTW??