Tea room the 5th - welcome to the yurt

[UniS]

Welcome to the tea room. A warm welcome to everyone, whether you have one child, none, or ten. This is a tea-and-muffin or booze-and-sofasorcanapees sanctuary for all. But certain standards of behaviour continue to apply - anyone engaging in fisticuffs will be ejected by George Clooney, ably assisted by Mellors the Gardener.

You have found us- did you like teh slide/ bridge over teh HaHa. Teh priest hole is still available, its just over there.

Mellors and I have erected the yurt, strewn rugs around and good a good fire going in the wood burner. The place is feeling toasty and warm with not a draft to be felt.The kettle is now singing away on the hob. selection of teas for all taste on the shelf along with the hand made by potters mugs. Mellors very ably fitted teh yurt window with a window sill onto which can be placed a selection of pot plants and george.

Can someone sort out RP ( who I think came over with the sofa) and plump up the hay pile for donk.

A Previous incarnation of Tea room may be found here

CMot - sorry, should have said, I like the WoL .

You would have thought that tech would have managed to put a different colour nose on so that you could tell whether it was or

Ds is looking forward to going to a G&S on Saturday afternoon - we went to some of the rehearsal last weekend and he was and really quiet - dh has got the two of us tickets up near the back. hopefully there will be sufficient going on on stage to keep his attention! He has been talking about going so is already looking forward to it.

Amber - hope Somerset is good - you'll probably be a bit late for the snowdrops won't you. Hope the weather is kind.

MB - good to hear insurance sorted out.

MadBAd - that's good news on the insurance front - hope the cheque is for the amount you are hoping for, ifyswim (having been disappointed numerous times on this front)

Toast would be grand, thanks - have some hot chocolate! and some yummy blackcurrant jam for the toast.

HI,, just a quick visit.

Sorry you were feeling miserable, MT. Sometimes it just catches you out; it's great that you could tell everyone. And you got to hold the rabbit with the pancake! I remember one of those programmes where they said that they were pregnant and then lost the baby and the presenter told everyone on national TV. I think it happens more often than we realise. Of course, most people do have a second child, though.

In a way I think I'm lucky - when I get really miserable I can remind myself how lucky we are that WS arrived whole and healthy, considering her early leap into life, so I console myself with BEING VERY SENSIBLE not having another and try and ignore that we did try very hard. I think it can be easier if you can tell yourself you have chosen what happens to you. (Even if it's not true.) Can you think of all the advantages to your present circumstances? Or, failing that, take yourself out for a delicious vegetarian lunch?

Anyway, more cheerful matters: DH did take Wriggle to softplay on Wednesday and she managed to be sick into his top pocket. Great planning from both of them, in my opinion. Still coughing herself sick though. Last night, on one of the inumerable occasions she woke up to cough she demanded a cuddle and then declared in a loud voice, "Cuddles are wonderful!" and fell asleep again.

RL is being fine in the evening, apart from the fact that I just fall asleep by about 8.30! Could have something to do with the nights.

Thought of MadBad today while trying to get 10 minutes to hack back and sweep up in the garden - very envious of someone who somehow finds the time.

Off to telephone the wonderful garden centre cafe now to book a table for next week for Mothers' Day! Someone needs to remember.

Another quick visit here.

I confess I only have a lovely garden because (a) it is minuscule (those of you who live in the country have probably got bigger patios) and (b) I neglect all other housework to the point that I am officially a slattern, who hasn't seen her sitting room carpet for days.

Soup and a lewd rool, anyone?

RS - very sensible approach - will have a go at that

I think that we really do have enough on our hands with ds, adorable as he is some of the time!!

Anyway, its Friday - who would like a fresh-out-of-the-aga scone with some of that yummy home-made blackcurrant jam that TW brought in earlier? If anyone cares to bring some clotted cream from an appropriate part of the country, that would probably go down well too!

RS - what a clever little WS you have! She must be very good at aiming. Dh must have been delighted! (I bet you're glad you didn't take her!) Sorry her cough's still bad - I found sleeping in the same bed was the only option when MJ was like that - so much easier to help them with a cough and to get back to sleep without waking up properly.

(I see the nmb's have already taken residence in RS's medal box with the comfy lining)

didn't make it to teh yurt last night, rather busy doing admin work then boy threw up in spectactular fashion on teh one night all the small bed sheets were in the washing machine. Ho Hum, hes seeminly over it now, tho off his grub a bit. Have boy and his friend K to take into town son, am debating weather to use the pushchair for boy as hes is currently slumped on sofa watching Kipper dvd while K bounces round " looking after" him.
OOOPS- confesin time, I had a call from a customer today- I'd invoiced them with 2 differnt ammounts on teh same invoie, which was correct... then i looked at quote and neither of them were. OH. Have updated and re sent invoice. MYBE, just MAYBE they plan to pay me in this finanial year for a change.

Isn't Kipper wonderful, Uni? I findMartin Clunes' voice just so calming, especially when compared to all the frenetic madness from the cbbies presenters.

Dh pointed out - we have black, white, male, female, physically challenged and all the other possibilities for cbbeis presenters but never anyone over 23. Why no old, middle-aged or otherly aged people?

Have been spending a lot of time with AP sorting our finances, thinking about wills etc, and am beginning to think that the only people you are allowed to openly discriminate against and riducule and insult are old people. How silly, when we will all be old one day. I think that it may be possible for someone of limited empathy/experience/IQ not to be able to imagine what it would be like to be of another colour or to be gay (not that I am saying that they are right), but surely we are all going to be old! Wouldn't you expect everyone, politicians downwards, to make conditions as wonderful, caring and enjoyable as possible for old people, in the hope that they would inherit this situation?

As a very old person myself, I have a vested interest, obviously.

I totally agree RS. Being old is a taboo like death; everybody (moreorless) will be old one day just as everyone will die. Both situations make us uncomfortable and both we would avoid if we could. Hence the reticience to talk about death and sometime even to visit bereaved people. And hence discrimation and general ridicule of the old. I think, at least.

Cat- I have my blanket poncho ready- its tasteless 70s green and yellow geometric pattern, and I have a Very leary green yellow and pink straw hat with V wide brim. I'm off to be as Cod Mexican as I can tonight. Photos MAY be realved after teh event. The Hat is truely loud.

UniS - we definitely want to see photos!!!!!!

evenin all - I just wanted to let you know that I bit the bullet and invested in a grobag and DS is currently in it in his cot. Went to JoJoMamanBebe near me, got one in the sale (yay!) and managed to wangle our MN 10% discount, even though it wasn't an online purchase (YAY!) so am quite chuffed. Just hope it works!

Am also on the old side - and have come to the conclusion that much of the lack of respect that many juniors have for their elders is based in some of the shows they have on CBBC - if they are constantly held up as figures of ridicule, uncoolness and to be made fun of/played tricks on, how are they to learn respect?

Evening all!

Racingsnake - That new cashmere cardie is lovely and accentuates the colour of your eyes. Most becoming.

But hark at you sprightly young things complaining about being old! Now, I really am old.

It is, sadly, so true that the old are marginalised in our society. Even though we're an ageing population (or aged already, chez MadBad) it's just not the demographic that anyone is interested in - apart from daytime TV advertisers trying to flog insurance and walk-in baths. And Thumb is onto something about the pernicious effects of the stereotypes of all adults on CBBC.

There's definitely a thesis to be written about the portrayal of teachers - and especially of headteachers - on children's TV. As best I can remember, they're all (a) psychopaths or (b) buffoons.

Right, having nailed my colours to the mast as an old biddy, I propose a toast to baby sleeping bags and all things cosy.

Champagne and ovaltine for me please! but obviously not in the same vessel, that would be too weird

I am also an aged parent....

What I want to know is, what has happened to Chris... Yes, he was slightly scary, and his makeup was a bit similar to that used by Melvin Hayes in 'It aint half hot mum', but he actually was rather good at it and a) could play the piano and b) could sing in tune (which says a lot for me!!!!)

I'm very happy to join you with some champagne....

[bewildered emoticon] who is Chris?

I think we're discussing CBeebies presenters. Chris was a presenter during MadBadBaby's CBeebies-watching stage (2005-7-ish). Mistle is spot-on about the similarity in macquillage to Gloria in It Ain't Half Hot Mum, especially in that thing where he was Mr Mopple.

They seem to pension them all off once they hit about 25. Is Sid still there? Sid was always (and possibly still is) a nifty mover - perhaps we should invite him to a yurt disco, to give Mellors some competition on the dance floor?

We could start with a little rap.

Or maybe I've completely missed the point ...

ah, well I'm very new to Cbeebies etc so only really know the current crew and the ones on Milkshake on Channel 5.

one I'm not keen on is on the learning channel - the asian lady - she lacks something, for me. Plus I find Andrew a bit disturbing, sort of like a young Uncle Fester or Herman Munster type...

I do know about Gloria on It Ain't Arf Ot Mum though. Shame it's so un-PC these days and can't be shown again.

Hi all! Back from RL for a few mins - will try and catch up anon, but in the meantime, I'll have a rather large one thanks now, what's been happening?

Oh, I've brought a keg of Guinness for the Paddy's Day Celebrations next week Yippee and a bag of spuds for the teeny tiny tomahawk wielding Mohawk babes to practice their chip making skills upon.

night zazen!

Just want to pop on here and say sorry for not posting the last few days week - I'm so far behind in reading what you've all been up to, and when that happens I'm always embarrassed because I don't want to say anything completely inane.

I'd love to know how everyone who's having health/ child/parent issues is doing - Donk, how's your dad
RS, how's WS
MT, I read you had a day recently, felt for you but didn't have time to post, so here, have one of my warmest ((((((HUGS))))) catita, hope you're not too ill

If I'm forgetting anyone I am so sorry, like I said I haven't read back far enough because of lack of time (so much to do, seeing patients, finish continuing education credits in the form of an online radiology exam, have to write a medicolegal report for a patient who had a car accident and has to pursue it legally... along with being mum and wife... I know none of you know how any of this feels .

Had a afternoon - spent it with one of my patients, whom I've known since I moved to British Columbia from Ontario in 2004, is dying of an undiagnosed brain degeneration. Dying quite slowly, with many physical problems, among them the inability to swallow without choking. Julie took me under her wing when I moved here and thought the heartbreak of missing my mum would make me have to move back to ON and leave this place where I love to live and from the first felt I belonged here. She means so much to me. I did the best I could for her professionally and when I couldn't do any more for her, referred her to DH for treatment (before we were dating and eventually got married). So she knows and loves both of us. She came to our wedding, and when we had Jackbaby she was already ill and even though her vision was deteriorating, made a handmade blanket for him. We love her to bits. Her condition initially deteriorated quite rapidly, and I remember when I was pregnant and visited her, she said she wanted to hang on so she could meet my baby. Well, she's hung on much longer than that, and still has a lot of her mental faculties but her body is failing. So she phoned me a few days ago and asked if Jackbaby and I could come visit. We went to see her today, and she wanted to talk to me about having a gastrostomy tube put in to feed her because she can't swallow any more. When she started to deteriorate last year she told me she didn't want any intervention. But when we talked about it today, she was able to figure out that that was because she thought she'd deteriorate so much that the brain condition would kill her, not the fact that she can't eat. Now it's a year later and she can't eat but has more faculties left to her than she thought. So, in talking with her, she eventually felt that she's not ready to go yet and that a G-tube is the right thing for her.

I'm so glad that she's always felt she could talk to me about the nitty-gritty of her condition, because her family can't talk to her about it. Probably because they're too close to the situation. But this was such a tough conversation - even though she's at peace with knowing that she doesn't have much time left. I'm glad I could help, but I'm so sad.

Night everyone. Will tro to catch up on all your lives this weekend.

If anyone's up, I could use a hug though.
[needy emoticon]

Hiya Jacksmama: I'm sending you a big hug and simultaneous proffering a nive mug of hot chocolate and some shortbread (anything is possible in the yurt, after all).

to hear about your friend. It's very difficult to watch someone you love disappear bit by bit. When my mum looked as if she was not going to make it a couple of years ago, I remember desperately looking for photos of her when she was well and looked like herself. I didn't want to remember her as I last saw her.

It sounds like you are being a great friend to her. I bet she really loves having Jackbaby to visit. Try and feel good about that, if you can.

Very quiet in here today. I think I'll pop the kettle on and whip out the biscuits in case anyone else drops in.

There!

Thumb So how was the grobag??Does MJ like it?

Jacksmama Are you feeling any more cheerful this morning?

Wonderful Catitainahatita - I'd love a cup bucket of tea. Do have a piece of carrot cake.

(can you tell that DS and I are feeling better?)

Thanks for asking about Dad, Jacksmama - he sees the oncologist on Monday to talk about radiotherapy. He is now considering this as a possible option having initially rejected it out of hand! He seems very at peace now with the idea that his life will likely be shorter than he (we) had expected. He is very thankful for many things - that he has had time with his grandson (I think that he had given up hope of ever having a grandchild, as DH and I didn't get together when spring chickens), that the tumour was discovered early enough not to have metastasized (as far as we know) and that the tumour was operable - I know that when it comes to the end, he might get scared again, but right now he is thankful for a period of time (length uknown) in which to value friends and family.

(((hugs))) for you Jacksmama - you sound very sad about your friend.

CMOT - if you are about I'd like to ask you some questions about radiotherapy, if you wouldn't mind.