The One and Only Tea Room: Tea, muffins and champagne served at all hours

[BoccaDellaNativita]

Well folks, here we are!

We were on the brink of filling the old thread so I thought we'd better start a new one now. There was a rumour that we were going to be evicted from our old premises, but we managed right at the last minute to get an extension on the lease. So it's business as usual. We're still in our charming old tea room, overlooking our beautiful garden complete with ha-ha and duck pond. And Mellors the gardener.

Please come and join us for a celebratory drink.

I was quite taken by the remark somewhere around here recently that, in that situation, one should offer to put the moaning parent in touch with Barnardo's, so that they can have their inconvenient children adopted!

From my research into the subject of billingualism I think basically as long as you are dedicated to it, and there are opportunities to become billingual, I think a child will be billingual. My feeling is it isn't specific techniques rather the dedication everyone has to the child being billingual that results in a billingual child. If this makes sense?

Mais oui, the pour deux!

Off to bed in a moment, but just been doing a bit of research on the new tearoom horse. I had rather hoped that he would be a glamourous dapple grey stallion, but the only one tht feels right is this one. And he is a gelding, I think. of course, I am open to correction. It is rather dark out there - maybe I am not seeing hm clearly.

I am hoping that chance to have a go with a horse might persuade Uni to overlook our fascination with colours of poo and decide to visit us again.

Cochon d'Inde!

What? Where? Oh ... sorry. I was dreaming that RS was giving me a French vocab test, we'd just got to guinea pig, as you can tell.

Rs - I was once at a billingual family's home and the Mother and Father had a row. Even in their anger he only shouted only in English she only screamed her head off in French - I was very impressed by their dedication to the one parent one language technique!!!

Accents - Tea must have a different keyboard. Remember Milk's wonderful stream of concciousness?

Thank you for the encouragng bilingual comments, Tea.

I've been trawling around MN for the thread and can't find it, but have you seen that there's a thread in which they're doing the casting for MN The Movie?

We thought if it first.

Harrumph.

ha ha ha - I do have a French keyboard! Here is my number line without capslock on...

&é"'(-è_çà)=

and the first line of the letters...

azertyuiop

funny, hey???

The rival film.

But we already have a scriptwriter. So there!

AAGGHHHH! Tea how do you cope - did you learn to type on it or have you had to relearn?

MJ Little * this morning. Which has not put me in a good mood to start the week. Anyone for a coffee and a banana and raisin muffin?

Oh no, after his good work last week. My commiserations.

The banana muffin sounds lovely. I'm just off to the doctors as I think I have another chest infection. At least, I've been coughing for weeks, and its just getting worse

I was just going to put a large bowl of delicious home-made muesli on the counter, next to the jug of creamy organic milk.

A banana and raisin muffin sounds just the ticket. Where did you get the recipe? I need to widen my muffin repertoire!

BabyBocca was worse than usual at getting ready for school today.

CMot - horrid coughing for ages - last year I started in October and eventually managed to shift it in January - the Doctor even sent me for a chest xray I sounded so awful (luckily we used the same nursery so he heard me hacking every morning!!!). I hope that Dr is sympathetic and can offer something that helps.

Why don't you try some of this red sage tea that I've made for you (sage picked from outside the kitchen door) - pour it on top of a teaspoon of honey - will be beautifully pink - then add a couple of teaspoons of lemon and it magically changes colour to yellow. Its very soothing.

I am in the process of getting ready for work and I am also being much worse than usual.... instead of drying my hair I am msn flirting with my DH and eating muffins with you!!!!

For me my naughtiness is because I have a cold (woe is me) and my head is heavy with getting organised for a funeral but more influencial I feel is the weather - it snowed exactly a week ago and it hasn't warmed up enough to thaw it yet - it is pretty depressing to have to fight the elements so much just to get to work or buy a bagette or see a friend!!!!

• Well that is my excuse and I am sticking to it!!!!

Tea - at least you have the weather as an excuse. Whilst here it is just grey and depressing - we're also gearing up for funeral tomorrow (work-related).

Mmm.... my Grandad's funeral is close to a fortnight after his death - My Uncle said that is a long way away and the funeral director said "Yes - it is a very busy time for us." It is true - I know of several people who have lost friends and relations over the past fortnight.

I hope the funeral you are gearing up for goes as smoothly as possible and will be thinking of you tomorrow! My Grandad's is on Friday and all arrangements are quiet and simple - just like him! Milk and I will be coming over to Blighty on Thursday and staying the wkd!

Does anyone mind if I take another muffin???

Please, help yourself.

I hope things go well on Fri for you two tea.

I know that there has been an official flu epidemic on the east coast. Its a problematic time of year isn't it.

MT - thanks for the tea - very pretty indeed. I'm sorry that you have the funeral tomorrow

Have got more antib's (had a chest infection in September), and more Ventolin as peak flow not very good, so hopefully will be better soon.

Tea- hope that things go as well as they can on Friday

Bocca - definitely best with red sage. Quality of honey and lemon less important!

MT - Thanks. I think we have red sage in the garden (frost permitting).