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'm going to have to do a quick bit of knitting before Christmas - I have just about 2 weeks for a project required for a Secret Santa present (could order, but rather close to the required £ without postage, and I could make several for the same price...)

Mmmm I like the Apple Cracker - thank you Bocca!

Hey mistle, I just caught your post to honeymoonmummy on Birth Announcements... I have to say I was completely shocked that they didn't induce you before your lo got to 10 stone and 5 pounds!!!! !!!

Hand over some of that Apple Cracker, would you?

Ohh, Apple Cracker, not had it before but I like it!

What fascinating lives you all lead! Cmot the only person I know with a Muntjac deer is Blooming Ruth on the Archers...well her son to be precise. Tell me you don't say DAaaAAaaViD to your DH all the time or I might not sleep

I do so like the cafe, I was thinking we are going to fill the thread soon, what a busy busy month!

Racing how about Reindeersnake as a Christmas name? Or Rudolphsnake? Racingsanta I also like

Bocca luuurve those socks!

JM nice to see you darling, I think we may bump - if you are venturing onto other threads you need to add a link for those like me a little too idle scared to venture elsewhere on MN

Mistle am intrigued by PC news. But I am not pampered nor much of a chef, but sounds like a laugh, particularly Cmot's experience!

Glad you DH has sorted out thatching for us Cmot, my DH has just earnestly "engaged" me in a discussion about the best snow tyres....

It's fun fun fun a go go this Friday night at Daisy Villas!

Right, gonna snatch Daisyboy in from that fire. He's had quite enough rounds of Kumbya for one night

Seeing as the sofa and arm chair and well, all the seats are taken, Daisyboy and I are just going to curl up near to the fire, all snuggly in those fetching throws you provided JM, with a couple of extra pillows. We may, in due course, stagger upstairs to join the Germans

Daisy... errrmm... poinsettia I know what you mean, I've been on a few other threads lately that have become a little scary. Tempers seem to be flaring a lot lately.
Budge up, Jackbaby and I are going to share your spot by the fire, k?
Night all!!

Oh, hello JM, lovely to see you

night night!

Oh, hello JM, lovely to see you

night night!

Hell ... oh! Aw, don't you look sweet when you're sleeping. Even daisy/poinsettia, who is dribbling a little.

Morning! Does anyone recognise me?

OK, I don't think I'll try cute. Dh told me last night that my miserable face spoilt all the santa photos he took. Will try again with fixed grin.

Real life not too good at the moment; am thinking of moving me, Reindeercalf and pig into the tearoom permanently. Might have to accomodate menagerie in the garden. It would give Mellors something to do. He could do some mucking out and have something for the compost heap other than kidnapped aspidistras.

Mistle - have you thought of becoming totally festive and going for something like RockingRobin?

Hi reindeersnake - what's happening in RL?
(BTW your DH's comment sounded a bit... er... cutting... did he mean it or was he joking?)
You sound like you need a (((((HUG))))).
Here, have something yummy from the coffee bar.

Not joking. Feelling better for the and the Baileys. Must not moan in tea room, and maybe nothing is as bad as it seems anyway.

Beautiful cold starry night. Just been to local garden centre where they have amazing Christmas display. Shopping is obviously an instinct, as, with no modelling at all from her parents, RC took a basket and filled it with fluffy guinea pigs, ending up with a basket that was probably worth more than our car; certainly 100 time more than poor little Pig here in the sofa!

Finally had to drop the basket and run, screams echoing back through the displays!

If you need a moan RS, go ahead. Afterall, if you can't offload on MN, where can you ?

It's beautiful here today also - we went over to one of the farm shops where they have a coin in the slot mini tractor you can drive round, and assorted animals to feed. DS adores this, but his day was really made when they were removing the apple boxes (they have most of the apples outside in 1.5m square boxes), so the lifter thing (no idea what you call them, not a forklift, more like a bale lifter) was stacking up 3 at a time, then taking them to the shed. He also told the goose off for not sharing.

I like RC's style with the guinea pigs

Tomorrow we plan to go to the Birmingham German Christmas market. This may be madness, and I forsee a small child stuffed to the gills with bratwurst and stollen, and a mummy a bit stumbly on Gluhwein

Ermm... "must not moan in the tearoom"... why ??? We all have. Well, okay, I have, and plenty. And isn't that why we're here, and not on those scary other threads, to give each other hugs and comfy rugs and lovely alcoholic drinks if we need them?
So moan away if you want.
Here:

And am at your DH for cutting remark. Arse what was up his butt?

All this talk of Christmas shopping. I seem to have been shopping for weeks yet have barely started. Anyone got any good ideas for what to buy for aged but not completely decrepit parents? My own stock of ideas was exhausted years ago!

Reindeer - As you have seen on many occasions, the tea room is a place where people do let it all hang out. Of course, you don't have to share if you'd really rather not but, equally, if you want to offload we'll listen and (if you want us to) will offer our collective wisdom and advice.

For the moment, the best I can do is proffer another pitcher of Apple Cracker and turn on the tea room jukebox.

Signor Bocca is dragging us out but just wanted to reply quickly so that you didn't feel ignored.

This doesn't sound very little at all. The credit crunch seems to be tightening its grip I can understand why your husband is anxious.

What's your assessment of how likely (or not) he is to be made reundant? Do I deduce that he's French? Do you think he's right to believe that he'd be more likely to find another job if you relocated? Would your mother cope with being transplanted to France?

Sorry, so many questions, but I'm trying to get a sense of how well-founded his fears are. Back soon and, until then, ((((hugs)))).

Racingreindeer I'm with Bocca. That doesn't sound like "something" little at all. Facing a move, possibly to another country, is hugely stressful. I well remember moving across the entire width of Canada to the West Coast. Just about did me in and I didn't have as many ties and history as you do. No wonder you're down. More (((((BIG HUGS)))).
I know how disheartening it is to live with someone who tends to be a pessimist. My stepfather is like that. If you ask him anything, chances are he'll find something negative to say, at least at first. He has some health challenges, some of which he has brought upon himself, and some of which are legitimate, but his pessimism, as your DH's, can become a self-fulfilling prophesy. I can see how it wears my mum down at times. My own DH can be a little like that, when stressed. It pushes all my buttons. (He knows it, we've had it out on that subject.)
It's so wearying to have to be around someone like that.
I don't really know what to say, and of course it may all work out just fine, but I understand how you feel. I think it's worse when it's out of your control.

Back home now and slowly thawing out, so will pick up where I left off.

Racing - I don't want to minimise your husband's concerns, but (as I see it) you've identified some good reasons not to relocate. I know that a house is 'just' bricks and mortar, but if you would pine for your old home, your menagerie and your friends then that would introduce new strains to your marriage. Of course, it may be relocating to France or another part of the UK is the best option for your family, but I think Jacksmama is right that you need not to be swallowed up in your husband's pessimism - especially if his fears are exaggerated or misplaced.

Sorry. Am becoming strident. Will zip it now.

Lidl's Christmas goodies are yummy, aren't they? Here, it's a tad early but let's open this bottle of Lidl's excellent prosecco.

In answer to your questions Bocca: Quite possibly, yes, probably, don't know.

Yes, it is very hard to live with a pessimist, but it must be harder to be one. I always think things will be OK somehow at some point.

Actually, things may turn out differently, we had a fairly nice day out in the cold in town (country livers going to the town for fun and walks!) and I suppose things could be seen as a challenge. At least we talked about it a bit.

Lovely prosecco - always thought it was a kind of meat!

Are you now settled and happy on the West Coast, JM?

Actually, was hoping there would be a crumb or two of Birmingham stollen about tonight. We have put of stollen buying until December and if we are not careful will not get to Lidl before xmas. at xmas without stollen.

I don't like marzipan so if cmot does bring in any stollen, reindeersnake, you can have my slice. And sorry if I was too opinionated earlier. But it really is OK to complain the tea room. No apologies needed for that.

Prosecco - yummy! My favourite!! My mum and I went through about three bottles when I was in Toronto recently. And that would be over four days so we averaged almost a bottle a night...

Another (((((HUG))))) for racingreindeer.

I've been happily settled in British Columbia for alomst five years. Miss my mum dreadfully... but it can't be helped, I couldn't live in Toronto. Hoping she will eventually move out here. She has said she would love to, many times, but it may only happen when my stepdad passes away as he has said, equally many times, that he is not moving. Seeing as he'd probably not live long without her, I don't see her moving without him. And if she gave him an ultimatum and he did move, he'd probably make her life even more miserable. Soooooo... what do you do?
Except have some more prosecco.
Thank you Bocca dear!

Bocca, I have to tell you, you remind me so much of a friend of mine. Your RL name isn't Maddalena by chance is it? (And I mean remind me in a good way.)

Ah, sorry, I am stollenless, as DH pointed out this morning that we both have next Monday off, and maybe it would be better to go to (apparently) heaving event then. Which was very true. However, I will be having an 'exciting' day out on Tuesday as I have to go to Nurenberg to do a demo, and will purchase lebukuchen (I can never spell this, but those spicy gingerbread biscuits) and stollen during one of my airport stops.

We ended up going to Homebase instead to return the light fitting bought for the downstairs toilet which would have been impossible to wire up - thrilling !

And a big snort at Bocca not liking marzipan - have you tried Neideregger ? It is the king of marzipan.

A bit of a sad day for me - the last of my parents menagerie went as Dad could no longer cope with the goats, so he has arranged for them to go to a rescue centre, but will supply hay, straw, and food to the centre. I was 8 when they first got the goats, and it was a huge part of their world for a long time.

RS - relocating, let alone across countries and with an aged parent in tow is terribly stressful. We have transplanted our lives twice now, albeit in the same country, and will undoubtedly do it again. I hope your DH's thoughts of redundancy turn out to just be salacious gossip

Ah, sorry, I am stollenless, as DH pointed out this morning that we both have next Monday off, and maybe it would be better to go to (apparently) heaving event then. Which was very true. However, I will be having an 'exciting' day out on Tuesday as I have to go to Nurenberg to do a demo, and will purchase lebukuchen (I can never spell this, but those spicy gingerbread biscuits) and stollen during one of my airport stops.

We ended up going to Homebase instead to return the light fitting bought for the downstairs toilet which would have been impossible to wire up - thrilling !

And a big snort at Bocca not liking marzipan - have you tried Neideregger ? It is the king of marzipan.

A bit of a sad day for me - the last of my parents menagerie went as Dad could no longer cope with the goats, so he has arranged for them to go to a rescue centre, but will supply hay, straw, and food to the centre. I was 8 when they first got the goats, and it was a huge part of their world for a long time.

RS - relocating, let alone across countries and with an aged parent in tow is terribly stressful. We have transplanted our lives twice now, albeit in the same country, and will undoubtedly do it again. I hope your DH's thoughts of redundancy turn out to just be salacious gossip