Tea Room the Thirteenth

[amberlight]

Welcome to the newest instalment of the One Parent Families tea room. As it's heading for spring, we're now in a nice warm orangery surrounded by woodland filled with spring flowers. All are very welcome to join in with us parents of one (or indeed more!), the tea room gardener/handyman Mellors, various virtual Bishops (don't ask) and a variety of other characters from previous tea rooms. Grab a cuppa, relax!...

Um. Have now looked at Michael Ignatieff's entry on wikipedia. Should have thought of that before.

Am back from the sandpit weekend - great success...am knackered..

youtube is working again in the tea household so I can see your link Catita!!!

From now on whenever I mention you in real life (internet forum sounds well dodgy so people in rl think I have lots of penpals all over the World!! )I will ensure I cleverly drop into the conversation your husband's tv appearance. Actually... I plan to mention it as much as possible due to my complete delight and excitement about the whole subject!!! !!!!!

We have been to the races today - not the posh ones that kick off this week near us, but rather more modest ones that had a countryside day. DS v impressed - he worried the farrier by standing with nose pressed to the tape, quizzing him about why the different horseshoes were different (I learnt a lot about them too), snogged some hounds, raced ferrets, and showed a good eye for horses - we came out even on betting overall

My mums ebay outfit fitted perfectly, and really suited her. I am well chuffed !

I'm afraid downloading my mum wouldn't get you very far Trowel - unless you are good at deciphering 'meat thing with pastry', or 'coloured bird that tweets'. My poor dad gets so frustrated with her. It can be a rather trying visit with them

Me too, Tea; I have lots of 'penfriends' and intend to bathe in the vicarious glory of Sr Hatita's TV stardom. I also got rather interested in the clip, Catita, and had to go and research a little further about Mexican history (instead of writing reports like what I should be doing).

Me too, Tea; I have lots of 'penfriends' and intend to bathe in the vicarious glory of Sr Hatita's TV stardom. I also got rather interested in the clip, Catita, and had to go and research a little further about Mexican history (instead of writing reports like what I should be doing).

Tee hee! I too generally refer to 'penfriends', usually just in time, when I realise I'm on the verge of saying "someone I've never met and who may turn out to a trucker called Dave to whom I regularly reveal the gruesome details of my humdrum life"!

You mean to tell me you could all be truckers called Dave? Well, you should all have said! We could have talked about the relative merits of SAAB vs Mercedes in terms of reliability and haulage merits! Tsk!

Anyone for a cup of trucker's tea with five sugars, and a slap-up trucker's caf breakfast?

I'm always up for a fry up Amber - and a proppa mug of tea.

Saab everytime innit ?

I go for 'someone I know' as all know I am not the penfriend type

Oy, my DH is called Dave!

Unbelievable, I have an understanding boss! Can't believe the conversation I just had with him (an hour in length), where I sat and pointed out all I was struggling with, and he conceded on EVERY single point! I need a cup of something strong! Can't get over the shock of it all!

Morning all, haven't been on MN since thursday perhaps (I try not to switch on laptop over the weekend) and so have just spent the last ages reading through all the tea room posts!

Mary - glad your cbt appt went well, and fantasic news on the talk with your boss, hopefully getting things out like that will make a real difference at work, well done!

MT - Great news about your dhs work!

Catita - I had been wondering where you had been! I second the cute husband comments!

UniS - Glad Boys birthday went well, LittleO cried through a large portion of his!

CMOT - The day at the races sounds fab.

Tea, T&E and racing - I know what you mean about the whole internet thing, its tricky isn't it. I did tell my closest friend about the tea room - and then felt a bit strange about it, it does sound weird really, like how can I genuinely wonder how peeople I have never met are getting on? Has anyone else told friends about the tea room? This friend uses a website for dating so I guess I felt better about it for that reason.

For mothers day I got two bunches of pink tulips (my fav flowers), a lovely handmade card in which LittleO had written his own name, and heart shaped toast in bed !

Hello again, AandO!

I generally don't tell people that I subscribe to MN, let alone mention the tea room. Because it would just sound too deranged, wouldn't it - drinking imaginary Bolly with people one hasn't met (although I reckon I could unknowingly have passed Daisy in the street ) and fighting with them for the privilege of having tango lessons or a massage with a fictional gardener who may or may not look like Daniel Craig, Wesley Snipes or Clive Owen (and who were the other candidates)? Then again, perhaps this is all real and we are living in The Matrix. Possibly with Mellors.

TrowelBloke of course is aware that I now no longer watch the telly properly - I just look up from time to time and make him explain what's going on:

Me: Who's that then?
TrowelBloke: The Emperor of Tharg. He is about to blast the Treens with his intergalactic space gun.
Me: Oh, has Gardener's World finished then?

and TrowelGirl tells all and sundry that mummy spends all her free time on MN, which isn't strictly or literally true but that's obviously how she sees it. But even so I don't mention the tea room and refer to the regulars here as "someone I chat to on MN". Perish the thought that they would ever look at these threads and recognise themselves.

Anyway, I only popped in for lunch as I'm having a major slash and burn exercise in the garden. Without Mellors' help, sadly. Would anyone care for some watercress soup and fresh crusty bread?

PS Well done Mary for having the conversation with your boss. And well done him for having the humility to say he'd been wrong.

Thanks both, I've used the strength that has given me to email both the Akela, and the group leader (who I know slightly better), in a bid to fix things there too! Praying that that meets with as much success!

Mary, that's excellent news re. the chat with your boss - now he just has to put it all into practice and you can be happy at work again

T&E - you did make me smile there - that's pretty much exactly the same sort of conversation that I have with DH, only he's the one on the computer reading the SUn online football news

I do tell people about mumsnet, and I talk about my friends on here but not at the same time, iyswim. So I would say something about a friend whose DH has been on Mexican tv, for e.g. but not connect it to the computer gremlins that you all are, living inside my screen...

Unis waves. busy day, just popping by for a cuppa before collecting boy from preschool. Have to cycle to Drs as no busses back... seems I can only go to town by bus if I wish to return from town at or before 4.30. Drs apt is for 4.30... DOH.
never mind, boy will like the tandem ride.

Your collectively my on-line acquaintances. DH understands forum regulars as a group of friends, so he's fine with it.

Ohh mellors- cake as well. THANK YOU.
toodle pip.

Mr. H is well aware of how much time I spend on here. He tells me off regularly when he spies MN open when I am supposed to be working. He's generally in favour though, as he knows that I don't really have any close friends here. He understands that the tearoom is my lifeline to sanity and things nonrelated to work or the family.

Speaking of work, I'd better get some done then. I'll jst leave you this rather nice raison and cinnanom (???) loaf I made yesterday, (Spanish speakers I mean "canela" ´please help me out). It goes very nicely with the cappucinos and lattes also on the table.

"Me: Who's that then?
TrowelBloke: The Emperor of Tharg. He is about to blast the Treens with his intergalactic space gun.
Me: Oh, has Gardener's World finished then?"

Do we live in the same household?!

Amber - Yes. I am two inches high and live behind your skirting board. I am watching your every move.

'ello you lot!

To friends I do refer to people on mn as my penfriends I did, however, tell my sister and Mum all about mn (and my Dad "Hullo teafortwo what's new?" "Oh hang on a moment Dad because I am just asking the PM a question..."). My Mum lives in the middle of nowhere and I thought she would enjoy the banter and my sister as you all know has a new little one so I thought she might find it a useful resource!

They both had a look - my Mum didn't join becos shee sed shey woz embarised abawt herr speeling and my sister didn't (but I KNOW she lurks because when I typed www.m into her computer Mumsnet came up immediately with lots of threads about baby stuff) because she has found a better forum called... (coughs) Bounty ...???

UNiS - In my lame attempt at reducing my mning I missed your whole birthday party and family illness post.

Soooo...

Congrats on your fab party!!!

And, please let us know... How are things going re the emergency?

While we are in a bit of a navel gazing mood has anyone read this book?

www.amazon.co.uk/Can-Any-Mother-Help-Me/dp/0571233147/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1268685268&sr=1-1 -fkmr1

I read about it on a thread on mn and last year bought a copy for myself and a copy for my Mum for Mothers day. I think I mentioned how lovely it was when I was reading it but wanted to say again while we are in this mood how much it reminded me of the tearoom...

I've been meaning to buy that book for ages, Tea. It had never occurred to me that it might be like the tea room!

Comment ca va, cherie?

ho ho ho
~I too remember hearing about the Correspondence Club and meaning to get the book, now I have - oh the joys of Amazon One Click

I never refer to my sojourns in the Tearoom in RL it would (I agree with Trowel) sound just too bonkers but I often find myself thinking of you and what is going on etc and often refer to things you have said but always vaguely as "I read" or "a friend said" which DaisyBloke no doubt finds highly suspicious because I am normally clear on my sources but he is too discrete and sweet to say anything ....

It is weird too since I am sure I have passed Trowel, went to school with Thumb and may well have passed CMOT in the Big Smoke on her trip last last time....

By the way RACING I have been meaning to ask what happened with your assessments of EW to get her schooling put back?

Mary glad things are on the up

love to you all

If I lived nearby another tearoomer I would definately have suggested meeting for a rl coffee by now - you are terribly restrined daisy and trowel!!!

Milk has a really rotten mood cold... I think it will be a mn movie and sofa day for us!

I have that book - it is lovely, but so touching to read women talking so honestly about their lives. I think you very rarely hear that true historical voice.

DH quite likes MN, and sometimes I post for him when someone is asking something in his expertise domain. He always asks what is going on.

DH may be in your area today Daisy - he swears that the baristas lunch will not extend too long today. We'll see

Mum just phoned to say Dad has been taken into hospital. TBH, I think this is the best place for him at the moment - he really isn't well, in lots of ways, and needs some serious assessment