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.

What was IN that eggnog?!

I'm normally DontCallMeBaby, I'm further up/down the thread as DontCallMeBANG (bonfire night name).

racingsnake - is that an aspidistria leaf caught in the door hinges??

Please have the wing chair! Let me find you a muffin.

Would love to have a grany here; it will make us feel young and sprightly. (spritely?)Not sure that you wll be older than some of us, but we might choose to think so.

BTW, yu didn't see an aspidistra on your way here, did you? Ours seems to have gone missing.

SantaBaby - you're right about that leaf!

No, no aspridtira, just a beautiful Christmas Tree!

Did you have one then [pulls curtain a bit so nobody can see JacksFirstChristmasMama covering up the Aspidistra in the compost heap]

Hello all - anyone else enjoying the snow this morning? We set of for school/work but decided that there was no point, dropped dh at the bus stop and headed back home. Unfortunately have work with me but not sure that ds will allow me to do much of that. He is currently out trying to make snowballs to throw at Mellors (who I see hasn't even cleared the snow round the doorway) but they are getting tangled up with the 'tongue' that his monster mittens have

By the way, I found the aspidistra outside, so I've repotted it again - its looking quite well now - and done a bit of decorating - it is nearly as large as some trees that people have!

What's JFCM doing on the compost heap out there?

Oh!! The aspidistra! I suppose it was only out getting decorated. Maybe Mellors had it in the potting shed. Won't need this poster then. Maybe I'll just put it in the cupboard, though, the aspidistra seems to go missing quite often ...[fhmm0

Nice to see snow in the tearoom garden. Makes it look quite pretty, with all the undergrowth. Don't suppose Mellors can do much in this weather, so might add a few layers to Wrigglesnake and send her out to play with Mistleboy and Mellors.

Hot chocolate is indicated, I think. Anyone else?

Did that specially for Jacksxmasmamma, so determined it will work.

I think she should come in now. She's getting quite frantic out there in the compost heap. Compost going everywhere.

What do you suppose she is trying to do?

might manage a mn hot chocolate as deprived in rl. Mmmmmmm lovely . And the cookies go with it really nicely DCMSB - we've missed seeing you - that's why you were causing so much confusion.

Of course, of course, of course - I was so busy singing "Santa baby" when I saw your name I didn't notice - so obvious now it is her royal loveliness - dontcallmebaby!!!!! Awwwwwww awwwwwwwww awwwwwwwww - thanks for popping back in - please stay a while!

(Am reminded of a student 1970s fancy dress party where this dodgy bloke insisted on dancing with me - I was just ready to give him some very nasty words when he took off his glasses and wig and I discovered it was my housemate who was one of my all time best friends!!!!)

Welcome welcome welcome shoshe.... here is a particularly delicious hot chocolate for you!!!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=baVbbX4HLe4

Mmmm.... hot chocolate, Billie and that fire... wonderful stuff!!!!

Hello all!!

Someone needs to pull JXmasM off that compost heap and tell her to try and get rid of the aspidestra another time that Mistle has rescued and repotted the poor beleagured plant

My doesn't it look wonderful and festive in here! A girl goes out for 48hours and this happens! Mind you since CMot is a save it for Christmas Eve scrooge type she may not venture in for a while!

Welcome back Santababy and hello Shoshe although Bocca will pretend to give you a run for your money on the age front!

Missed so much! I need headings (nod to Racing and the Teacher Within)

Chef Mistle, I have never heard of Pampered Chef, it sounds fun but perhaps a bit expensive and competitive? In DaisyVillas DaisyBoy just waves a normal knife around and "helps" he is a dab hand at muffins too, although he has upended himself in the mixture before to get at the bananas!

Panto I think a Panto Nativity is a splendid idea. I can see it now. (with apologies to Monty Python)

Mary, "I wasn't expecting a King from the East"

King 1, "Nobody expects a King from the East! Our gift is gold"

King 2, "frankinsense" - "Among our two gifts are gold, Frankinsense and"

King 3, "Myrrh" "Among out three gifts are gold, Frankinsense and Myrrh"

DaisyBoy would love to be a sheep

I do worry about RacingPig though, might he get stage fright?

Mellors
Well, he is rather redeeming himself with the snowballs. Daisyboy has run out to join the others and is having a wonderful time

I suppose since it is a virgin birth he can't really be Joseph can he

Brideshead have the 1981 Granada version, but on video and can't quite make the leap to DVD

Did see the new film, loved it. Emma Thompson steals the show as Lady Marchmain. But the Ryder character is a sort of Jeremy Irons mimic and they use Castle Howard again so a bit odd, but good fun

JXmasMama love the tree, you've done well darling. Can't bear sound of your creepy friend, agree we need baseball bat (perhaps a cricket bat more approriate for this cafe behind the counter....

Glad Wrigglesnake better, hope Racinglet ok?

sinks, exhausted and fans self with what turns out to be shreds of fascinator

Just flirting with the idea of a Christmas Name Change

How about ponsettia99divine? No good, can't spell it

Snowballs?

Ooo, it's tricky

I see your Frank Sinatra and I raise you Dean Martin singing "Baby it's cold out there"

Love the idea of Poinsettia99divine. Not sure that spelling matters.

Glad to have a co-writer on the Nativity Panto - Bocca seems to have taken a break for a bit.

Raise you Winter Wonderland with views of the tea room wilderness garden. Mellors, be ashamed. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hhesHvR3YU

Do you think we should send out soup to the dc's in the snow? Maybe even to Mellors?

Oh Good Idea Racing - I can't do those fancy links, so lovely

Today at work the Sloth Within is definitely winning

Right,

Ds, Mistledog and I have just been for a walk. Its thawing out there. There are a lot of silly drivers who have moved from the 'ahhgh there is snow on the road I can't drive in that" to "its only melted snow - 30mph is fine, who cares about the pedestrians I might splash on the way" . Whoops

Oh Mistle

I love Castle Howard. Ran away with boyfriend there for vicarious naughty weekend once, but no singing sadly

Walk sounds fab. I am desk chained

right,
done that Christmas name change thing

Had a Christmas tree on Daisyboy's advent calendar today - what you all got?

Hello all, excuse me a minute, just going upstairs to shower this dirt off... I was looking for... errmm.. my earring... I thought I'd dropped it when I dumped that ugly plant passed by it yesterday.

All right, I give up, the aspidistra stays.

NEED COFFEE!!!! Ah, a caramel latte... wonderful!!

Oh, by the way, here, I've brought our baseball bat. Will leave it here for now.

Love the Chistmas decos and names!! poinsettia99divine is great - and you did spell it right . And the Christmas emoticons are so cute.

()

Walk was nice apart from being splashed with slush - and ds falling down in a very muddy bit despite me having warned him to take it carefully as it was slippery - gloves too muddy to remain on... At least he was in his waterproof dungarees so the sitting down, lying down and further falls in the snow didn't mean that he got cold and wet. Dungarees are now hanging up from the back door handle with wellies still attached.

Do you think that there is some room on one of the tables for these table centres that ds and I made yesterday - they were passed-by at the bring and buy so I brought them here thinking that they might look rather nice. They are mainly holly, with some nice red dogwood twigs and some small golden apples...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLhIaicELVg

very good choice Daisy!!!!!

Why is Mellors in the corner saying "Ho ho ho"????

Who are you calling a scrooge Daisy ? I'll have you know that we will be putting the tree and decorations up on Sunday. It would have been Saturday, but DH is out on a networking booze up (masquerading as an awards ceremony) tomorrow night, so may not be in a fit state to do anything. And I've completed my Christmas shopping and will be having a wrapathon tomorrow

Operation redecoration is now complete after an expensive trip to John Lewis for lights - so we are now rid of the minging light fittings throughout the house. We are usually only in this sort of state of decoratedness as we are about to move from a house

DS had a log fire in the advent calendar today - appropriate as he has just discovered how to switch the gas fire on, and stands wiggling his bottom in front of it, insisting that we all get a hot bottom