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!...

Oh CMOT... ... I hope the root cause of your Dad's illness is easily found and quickly and easily mended... X

Morning all,

A movie and sofa day sounds great...I have stupid work. Have to go into town to bank and post office first though, so may end up in a cafe for a while!

Alas, I think the root cause of his illness is old age, diabetes, and being fed up of life really He is a stubborn beggar who won't go to the doctors when things hurt him, or go back when they are worse.

Morning everyone!

Your dad sounds rather like mine, Cmot. I don't think he is fed up with life, but he is worn down by a number of health problems which on the whole the doctors seem unable to fix, which then makes him less likely to seek help when they worsen or new ailments emerge. Fingers crossed for your dad.

Tea - I am very tempted to propose a meet-up but I know that some regulars would hate it and I do have a sort of schoolgirl anxiety about it myself. Suppose it changed the dynamics of the tea room forever, and not in a good way? Suppose nobody came? Suppose people did come but they didn't like me and tried to flush my head down the toilet?

Anyway, a tray of fresh shortbread and flapjacks is on the aga, for anyone in need of sustenance.

CMOT, keeping your Dad's situation in my thoughts. Let us know how it's going?

Shortbread!

Just had a new bookcase delivered. Desperately needed, before we drown in books.

Trowel, I have the same anxiety about a real life tea room thingy, though without the loo bit . I want to do it, but haven't a clue about how to make it work on account of how I'm a small daft aspie. It'd be fun, but really strange*, and I can't guarantee not to panic and hide under something in RL just like I do here

*everything to do with aspies just IS really strange, trust me on this...

Oh sorry about your dad CMOT, for some reason your post hadn't popped up when I posted mine.

I would meet up...but I live in Ireland!

I met, or tried to meet some people from a prenatal forum once. No-one else turned up!! To be fair one of the girls was actually in a car crash on the way to meet up (she was ok). It was then rearranged for another date for two of us. It was strange because she was the type of person I would never have spoken to initially in real life, but through the forum I found that she was really lovely - it's just interesting to think about the judgements people make about each other because of appearances or accent in real life and that when those are removed in online setting you can actually just take people on their personality.

Haven't some of the tearoom people met up already? I thought they had.

Have a weird tummy bug at the mo and don't feel so great .

Me and Jacksmama met up in a country that neither of us live in, and just happened to be at the same place at the same time - was a freaky co-incidence, and I can confirm that she is in no way a hairy tartan shirted trucker. And that Jackbaby is sooo cute

Am having a frustrating morning trying to find out what is going on with dad (you may remember that mum is not a reliable source of info) - nurses variably not available/on a break/dad off for scan with his notes. I explained the situation with mum, and someone very nice said someone would ring me back when dad and his notes returned.

I'd just go down and see him, but if he is going off for tests, then two hours driving to maybe not see him at all before I have to return to pick up DS isn't worth it. Want to find out what the story is first.

Cmot - Would a supportive pat on the arm be welcome here?

Amber - I wasn't entirely serious about the toilet aspect but was trying to explain my neurosis. I see your asp traits and raise you neurosis and paranoia.

As the sun is shining here, I suggest we have lunch in the garden. Mellors - who, as we all know, has almost limitless talents - will be providing a little musical accompaniment. It's one of my favourite songs and seems perfect for a sunny day.

Duh. That should have been aspie traits, not asp. We only have one snake in the tea room and that is not Amber!

Thank you for the pat. Just what I needed

Got hold of a nurse who knew what was going on - Dad has a DVT in spite of being on aspirin anyway. He's being discharged, but has to go on warfrin, and have heparin injections till thats at the right level. They were going to make him go back to the hospital everyday to be injected, but conceded that maybe the district nurse or the community hospital close to home could do them instead. I do wonder when people look at an elderly man who can barely walk why they wouldn't look for the least disruptive and stressful option.

Actually spoke to my brother on the phone just now - don't think we have done that for 20 years !

I forgot - Unis, do you still need those cow codes ?

Afternoon all! Job for Dh has significantly improved his general outlook which is good. Next thing is he'll either have to get a slightly better paid contract, preferably that is slightly longer-term, or a permanent job. But this is significantly better than we were at least.

Having issues about MC's birthday party - the nearest Saturday is Easter Saturday - bad idea (tried that once before); next is the following one - half his class away; next 2 I've got rehearsals and concert (Amber, concert not too far, although not in the town we both grew up in - at a place you might have had an eclesiastical event or course) so I think we'll have to make it the 2nd weekend into the summer term!!!! Ridiculous!

Don't know whether to say blow it and buy him a nice, decent bike for his birthday, or try to find a 2nd hand one somewhere - if we could find a good condition one, that would be fine. Took him to Halfords just for sizing and he needs an 18" wheel (suitable for 6 - 8 yo)(he's not quite 5!) so at least I hope it should last him for a bit.

Hello.

I'm glad you have found out about your Dad, CMOT. I hope he'll be able to have his injections at home, at least this way you know he'll get them.

Mr. MT has a job. I didn't know. Many congratulations! I hope it works out for him. I wish I could avise about the birthday, but share your dilemmas. Kittenito was born on 6 Jan (3 Kings Day, a big deal overhere involving family parties and presents left by sad kings in the manner os F Christmas) and Gatita on 2 November (Day of the Dead, more family get together, presents and feasting). We're thinking of giving the children official birthdays like Daisy (aka Her maj) some time in the summer when parties could be enjoyed to the full.

I have no opinion about meet ups really. It might change some of the dynamics, but I think that we share a level of friendship that probably would be undeterred by the discovery that one of our number has two heads, or something. Not that it concerns me, obviously. You'll never see that I am really a green scaly dragon, what with me being in Mexico and all. (Either that or I am actually Fred the painter with a a very overactive imagination)

I think two heads would be fine - it's just being too boring that could be the problem. That's what would worry me.

CMOT, glad to hear that CMOTDad is curable and they are finding a way to help. And .....cow codes????????

Daisy, yes, Wriggle has been officially backyeared (as far as I understand it). I thought it was impossible, so am and very . She is a very young three, didn't know quite a lot of words in English, so was put down as 'delayed language' - just as well they did the tests in Jan and not now - and when asked to match numbers od spots on dominoes insisted they were Dalmations and shot off on a tangent of her own. Quite normal. Have just spent a morning in a bookshop with Wriggle singing the books in the corner - not children's books which are beneath her notice, but great wordy tomes without a single picture.

Mistle - Could the problem to the birthday party dilemma be to hold the party not on a Saturday? Could a Sunday work for you? My family is full of people who were born on feast days or each other's birthdays, which means we have to be ingenious to ensure that everyone gets their turn in the spotlight. Our goddaughter has a real and an 'official' birthday.

Excellent news that Wriggle has been backyeared. I'm impressed at Wriggle's reading choices. TrowelGirl has recently attempted (but discarded) Jane Eyre.

I was thinking of Catita yesterday, when the news was full of sensational stuff about drug wars in Mexico. And it's intriguing that Dave the Trucker has s new friend, Fred the Painter! Is he related to Freda Kahlo?

Oh yes. In a pint glass for me.

Cow codes - on Anchor butter you can collect codes towards stuff . UniS was short of some to get her desired gift, so I bought Anchor this time to help out.

Good news on Wriggles backyearing

A pint, Cmot? I think I can still find the galvanised zinc bucket which Donk left behind.

I'll swap you that for a tasteful bucket of cheese, figs and twiglets. Complete with raffia bow.

DH has arrived home and is complaining of a very intense day. Then told me how nice Gauchos was . I ate his fairy cake in revenge.

Hmm. Thanks, Cmot. I think.

at eating a man's fairy cake being the ultimate in punishment and retribution.

I was trying for an artisanal shabby chic kind of look there. Am no good at food presentation - am of the sticking it on a plate/bowl and getting on with it tbh. Next weeks hotel give you bread in a flowerpot for some reason.

'Artisanal shabby chic look' pretty much describes my whole life! Dh once made a loaf in a flowerpot for a baking competition. Was it very control freaky of me to insist that he had to buy a new flowerpot and not reuse one from the garden, however well-scrubbed?

Surely the flowerpot would have been sterilised by baking?

Yes, it probably would. Hence my admission of control freakery, to add to the paranoia and neurosis.

CMOT - cow codes still accepted.. sarah at unicyclist dot com, many thanks .

HI all.

Hope you is all well etc. A meet up? I probadly wouldn;t... I prefer to remain in your imaginations as a quirky cycling godess with a charming child and no typing skills... rather than the boring reality.

PInt mugs ahoy, where is Mellors with that home brew.

EVening all!

CMOTD, sorry to hear about your Dad - I am assuming that neither he nor your Mum are able to do the heparin injection themselves? Only asking because I had to have it all through pg and DH had to give it to me. Before I left England in Feb, Dad gave me my pre-flight shot as well (I am tooooo feeble! I go all cold-sweaty and shaky if I try it)

Talking of Donk, did anyone ever hear from her again? After she went to Australia to see her Dad?

I am embarking on an MN meet up in the next couple of weeks - 3 or 4 of us are planning to meet in the Sydney Opera House bar for lunch and drinkies a week Saturday - am excited but strangely nervous! I don't "know" them as well as I feel I "know" you.

I think I would quite like a tearoom meetup but totally understand all your various problems with it - although I think we could probably help amber manage hers, as we know some of the things that get to her. Then again, maybe not. We could always promise not to flush T&E's head down the loo?

MT - glad to hear MrMistle is feeling on the up now!

pinot gigglio - I'll have a virtual glass of that, see me through the day - I have a whole day of MrThumb being here because my car is in for a service and I won't let him leave me carless just in case.