Tea Room the Eleventh

[amberlight]

Goodness, we seem to have run out of space on the other one!
I shall assume that we are still in the same premises as for Tea Room Ten for the moment until wiser people tell me otherwise!!

I'm very pleased to have abay sitter for a saturday night - and Halloween at that. Its another mum, I sat for her teh other week so they could go to a concert .
I love living in a small community of villages vibrant enough to have concerts and plays and pudding clubs in the village halls on a regular basis.

It does sound lovely, UniS. Have you moved to Dibley?

I think I may have done... We are about 10 miles from the small town used in filming Jam & Jerusalem.

I suspect I'm being helped by knowing vaugly one or two people here BEFORE we moved, we are getting invites to things that might not have been issued to total newcomers.

UniS, I agree, your village sounds great. After very many years I still don't even recognise some of the people in our village (a row of ex-council houses, an architecturally-unforgivable new estate by the pub and three or four scattered farms).

I love museums and am always amazed how many intelligent and cultured friends and relations have never visited our county museum, where the Eliptical Wriggle took some of her first steps. Museums and cathedrals are perfect for toddlers, we found.

Eliptical Wriggle (I love that name, Daisy) is more contrary than ever - she has now decided that red lights mean 'go' and green 'stop' and is constantly trying to persuade me so in the car. However, that is amusing, not wearing.

Monsieur Snake, however, is being quite challenging. This week it has got to the point that friends are noticing quite how unpleasant he is being. I am torn between being furious - really really furious - at his behaviour towards me and sorry for him because if he behaves like that towards me, then he must be feeling so terrible inside. Two unspeakable days and a few very tense ones and I have found sleeping very difficult and feel rather unwell. Made a total fool of myself this morning by being seen by one of my group of closest friends as accusing them all of plotting behind my back. I really wasn't; just not quite sure what I was saying. Now possibly too embarrassed to meet up with them all again. And poor Wriggle is so desperately anxious, she just spends her whole time saying 'I want Papa' the second he leaves the room, clinging to him, which makes him even crosser with me.

oh DEAR Racing, that sounds dreadful! What on earth is wrong with the man? IS he very stressed at work, has he other ishoos or is he just being randomly gittish for the sake of it.

V. poor form to blame Wriggle's daddy-love on you as well.

Have a very large glass of Krug and some fabulous hand-made truffles with centres of your choice.

Racing - You sound worn out. Have a (((hug))) and a glass of Krug. Forgive me if we've had this conversation before, but is MonsieurSnake ill? Depressed? Bipolar? And how (if at all) did the uncertainty about his job resolve itself? Can he talk to you in civil terms about what's bothering him and his (by the sound of it) irrational behaviour? If Wriggle and your friends are picking up the vibes, things must be grim.

(((More hugs)))

((((((((Racing)))))))) for you. Why is he being such a twat???

(((Hugs))) Racing, hope you can sort this out between you, and hope he makes up for his bad behaviour with lots of flowers, chocs, etc etc

(((Racing))) sorry to hear things are tough.

sympathy. Is it all resolvable with a good shag? Or too far gone for that.

WOnder if we will get any trick or treaters at home, or in teh Tea room? Suspect none or one or two at home. being new and on teh edge of teh village I don;t suppose we are on the radar of teh pre teens yet. Boys age group are a bit little to be out unless pre arranged and I havn;t prearranged any as its been half term so no toddler groups or ballet.

But just in case we do get any, teh sweets are in teh wizards hat, teh giant spider is hanging in teh porch, a poster with cats and pumkins is at the end of teh drive saying Tor T welcome . Not that teh drive is enormously long or anything, just that we are last house in teh village on this road and so don;t get much walk past for people to spot teh spider.

So what have teh tea room preparations been like. I see George is shrouded in cobwebs, and eth aspidistra is back, with added bats and spider webs.

The aspidistra is back????????? I thought I'd killed that thing once for all!!

well it IS halloween, when the dead rise up and walk again...

we had Tor Ters!!!! 4 kids with parents in tow. Our spider got nice comments from parents about the efert we had made.

Oh dear Racing. It sounds grim for you are the moment. I hope you can have a civilised conversation with M.Racing soon and clear the air. Mr. Hatita suffers off and on with depression, so I know what it can be like to be made to feel that you are responsible for him feeling lousy (which I suspect is what you are saying....)

Have a chocolate digestive and a glass of Rioja. I'm virtually indulging as I feel pretty grim myself. Kind of worried that labour is starting tbh. Hopefully it is just like last time, and is just one of the many precursors to the main show. If things get any worse I'll have to phone the Dr.
Not keen on another c-section at the weekend though... no painkillers available once the epi wears off .... I do love Mexico sometimes.

Also I must regret to inform JM that there are no sign of the gingernuts yet. I waddled by my box yesterday.
Still, this means I can eat them when I'm bfing, which is a bonus...

I am liking the idea of a ghostly aspidistra. I am also liking UniS's notion of a satisfying shag active relationship therapy, although I am not sure how efficacious it would be . Can one shag someone when one is too upset even to look at them? [sheltered life emoticon]

We have just had our first visit from trick or treaters. We need some more or I will make myself sick the pick and mix will go to waste.

Mulled wine and pumpkin pie, anyone?

Thoroughly for having ranted. I think M.Snake suffers from depression (thank you for that affirmation, Catita) and civilised discussion is never going to happen, nor is box of chocs. If he sounds bad, you should hear about his father . Job issue temporarily resolved with someone else being made redundant. End of moaning, I promise. Very bad form. Only one day of holiday left, then life returns to normal, I trust. Pity about the weather forcast - we were going to an auction to buy chickens.

So, to get back to more interesting matters, we have never had TorTers here, as it is impossible to pass the house without a car. I do not think I approve of it at all. American import.

Good to see you again, Racingsnake. I'm glad Mellors has found you in your country retreat. I hope he's making himself, ahem, useful. Please don't apologise for letting off steam - it's what we're here for. Well, that and the champagne-drinking. I don't want to drag out this conversation, but is there anay chance that you could get MonsieurRacing to speak to your doctor about his depression?

I don't really approve of the commercialism of Halloween, either. And, having how had a number of T&T visits, I like it even less. What do you think of this? The last but one visit was a family of about six or seven, aged from 3 to 18 (at a guess) with a parent or two hanging around on the pavement. None of them was dressed up, but when I opened the door they chorused "Happy Halloween". My first inclination was to tell them to go away and make more effort, but I thought (I didn't recognise them) that they might be new neighbours so I should be hospitable. So I offered the bowl of sweets to the smallest child - every other bunch of T&Ters had just taken a small handful - whereupon the 18 year old took the bowl and tipped all the contents into a carrier bag. Does it count as a mugging when you hand over the goods yourself?

Pumpkin bread sounds good - I may look for a recipe. Meanwhile, I am thumbing through my new book of muffin recipes so stand by to be appalled amazed.

More Krug?

Talking to doctor, never.

Am about sweet mugging. Advantages to country retreat!

Looking forward to pumpkin and parmesan muffins! (Actually, I made rather good courgette and parmesan bread at the height of the courgette tsunami. So they might be delicious.)

Hmm. That sounds like a good one. I remember your courgette bread. I need to diversify my baking-with-veg beyond carrot cake, I think.

OK. Last suggestion from me for MonsieurR. Exercise. The endorphins lift the mood I think. Has he got a bike?

Will anyone join me in a glass of something sparkling?

MadBad, that is exactly they I never had anything to do with TorT in the UK - I nearly got mugged on my doorstep in Oxford by a small gang of ~10yo boys.

I did a nice jack o'lantern from the pumpkin last night and we had the innards as part of the mash on our swagman's pie - yum!

I might even load a pic of the lantern later (just to show off, you understand, cos it was my first effort )

that last one should have been a - Hallowe'en grmelins obviously got to me

It's quiet in here today.

I've been using my new muffin recipe book for the first time - it has some very unusual combinations - so would anyone like a cup of tea and a pilchard and banana orange and date muffin?

The muffins sound good Madbad. So pass 'em over and I'll empty them all into the convenient swagbag I've brought with me

I'm happy to report that yesterday was a just a warm up. The contractions went off as the day wore on. Only to come back at 3am (but never mind) for the remainder of the night. None now of course. So, I'm still a portable baby-carrier at the mo. Fingers crossed I can stay that way until Tuesday.

Hello! not sure to be glad for you or not that your contractions have stopped again, Catita - although it sounds like a good thing cos of the lack of painkillers over the weekend, iirc.

Madbad - interesting combos, you say? Like asparagus and raspberry, sort of thing?
Still, orange and date sounds all right

Why oh why am I up at this time again? It's starting to irritate me that I can only sleep through the night every 3rd night or so...

(I know Hallowe'en's been and gone but I like the little witchy hats - I think witchy MNers should have special dispensation to use them all year)