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!...

Aaargh. Was so slow to post that I missed several contributions.

Daisy - I think the last we heard, DaisyGrandad was in hospital. I'm so sorry. Have a hug. And give DaisyBloke a big manly hug from us, if that isn't too presumptuous. You don't have to say it's from us, of course. (Then again, compared with calling someone's husband a History Hottie, offering a hug may not be that presumptuous! )

In the pre-edit version of my last post, I had a wee rant about the shabby way in which my dad has just been treated by a teaching hospital. I'm sure it wouldn't have happened had he been younger.

Cmot - What do you think of Bad Science? I enjoy the columns but haven't read the book.

I've had a lot of meetings recently (a rarity for me) and have had to pay for my own refreshments at all of them. I wonder how one gets a job which entails being taken to Gaucho's?

Oh yes, Trowel, come share your Bolly with me

I have just read An Education (coicidentally not realising it was MN Book) but I didn't care too much for LB so didn't fancy on line chatting with her....

Did you read about the Orange BookLonglist - or rather The Other Daisy's comments on all the gloom pants books there are? It may be laugh - rather a witty rant I thought!

Ah, poor old DaisyGrandad. We had him home which was good and his passing was very peaceful, so it was not all bad, but didn't like the hospital phase at all. Thanks for he hugs

HMMMM I too would like to be taken to Gaucho's - maybe I should command it to open for us!!!

Have you seen the film of An Education? I quite like the sound of it - it was a long time after I saw the trailer that I cottoned on that it was about LB.

There is Another Daisy?

Oh, not another Proper Daisy. Just Daisy Goodwin

Not seen the film. I thought it seemed whispy and lovely very unlike LB but everyone says it's good so I might do that DVD in a few years time think

Do you realise we are nearing the end of TR13- can't you see the clutter starting to build up against the doors

Look there is Mellors in a pinny and a smile flinging bits of old pots and pans around, in an attempt to start moving

And there are our old friends the NMBs swarming out of the rafters on their teeny tiny liana vines wearing nothing but wode. Striped down their teeny tiny bodies.

It's like Braveheart in miniature

Sorry too to hear about DaisyBloke's Dad, and also to hear how he and TrowelPa were treated in hospital.It seems sadly common, but why? I can sort of understand (but obviously totally disapprove of) someone having a prejudice against someone of a different skin colour or ability, since that might be totally out of the range of experience of those of limited mind and therefore seem alien or different. But an old person is a person just like me, but older. An wouldn't it make sense to be specially nice and caring to old people and make sure they have the best of provision, because (whispers) we will be old one day and need it ourselves.

It went better at cubs, but I stayed the whole time and ensured he joined in activities where he felt able to. There was a fair amount of hiding under the table though. And I still can't get him to join in team games - and not sure what I can do about this. The Scout group leader tried some of the techniques that I suggested, but DS didn't respond to him. They made a real effort, but it was painfully obvious they needed more helpers - in fact they have repeatedly sent out letters asking for volunteer parents to get trained. Personally I felt the noise in the room almost unbearable at times, and this can't help DS, although he seems less sensitive to it than I am.

But, we survived ! I just need to catch up with what is happening on here, am a bit bemused by imaginary ducks!

Daisy, so sad to hear of the departure of DaisyGrandad

A very large cup of something isavailable for all in need.

Mary, so pleased that the Cubs went better.

Actually, I think the point of the duck was that it was not imaginary. Rather like the duck that Amber, of course, did not sit on. (Since it doesn't exist.)

Apropos the move - where shall we go? We have been on a Continental beach, the orangery of a stately home, a speakeasy (never did know where I was! ), Lapland, a Spring garden, a spa ... I still fancy something Spring-like, since I think we are all in desesperate need of Spring.

Did you know that Spring moves North through the UK at the rate of a third of a mile a day? Maybe we need some kind of moving tea room which would follow the Spring? I alwas come back to Dianna Wynne Jones and Howl's Moving Castle, but maybe the book about the Kings moving entourage would be more appropriate? The tea room could be part of a kind of travelling circus (but of course with shabby chic decor in all the wagons and heaps of home-made bunting and faded chinz throws). Only UniS is likely to know to what I am referring.

In my constant longing to join in, I now feel the need to buy a copy of Can Any Mother.

Ooo, a moving tea room? We haven't tried one of those before. Or...could it be on a sort of Orient Express train, making leisurely progress through the beautiful Spring countryside?

Surely it would be something closer to an old-fashioned gipsy caravan with the canvas roof over hoops, painted in green or red - with plenty of comfortable collapsable chairs available for spreading out in appropriate clearings... and of course with an interior that was the tardis (large on the inside, but small on the outside in case anyone misses the connection)

Mary - glad it went better at cubs - but sounds bad from your point of view. Can you take ear plugs or something to help?

Sorry about lots of parents and hospital experiences - not good. My grandmother was nearly killed by the hospital - they overdosed her on morphine to the extent she was unable to feed herself or drink - and they didn't have her on a drip - it was only my Aunt turning up and insisting that they stopped the morphine and got her rehydrated that saved her.

Gipsy Tea Room Caravans! Yay! It would give the Tea Room horses something to do, for a start? And Mr T the AmberHorse could be the emergency replacement?

Orient Express? Or a gypsy caravan? Or a moving castle? Well, they all sound fabulous so maybe we could do them all, eventually?

Racing - I agree with you completely about how we ought to treat old people. But I think that some (supposed) carers have the attitude that of course the body starts to disintegrate as you get older, it's inevitable and you just ought (in every sense) to live with it. And then, of course, a lot of older people have a stoical disposition and don't like to make a fuss when care is inadequate or, if they're very frail or alone, may simply be unable to make their complaint heard. It's shameful.

oh I am loving the idea of Travelling Tea Room in Hunt of Spring.

Yes, we can clop in leisureley fashion down old lanes that are bursting with small lane like hedgerow flowers the name of which one of you will shortly give me! We can cook eggs over open fires for breakfast and make grits on hot stones - don't know how but I'm game on. we might even sport chaps

Chaps? Oh that sort of chap!
Not sure I can remember many hedgerow flowers, but there must be lots.

Seem to have a glass of something fruity here. Anyone else for a teensy bucket of it?

Just a teensy bucket then

I love the idea of the gypsy caravan following spring. I can do flowers and open air cookery, and have my own chaps.

So, it turns out that Dad not only had a DVT, but has multiple clots on both lungs. That would explain why he is so breathless then wouldn't it ? Nice of the hospital not to tell him that, to not give him any written information (I specifically asked them to provide this and in large print), and especially not to inject his heparin properly.

The nurse specialist at the thrombosis clinic was lovely and treated him very gently, with awareness of all his other conditions.

Oh Cmot. That sounds very trying for both of you. Would you like a shoulder rub from Mellors, to accompany Amber's bucket of something fruity?

I'm off to search for my Observer's Book of Hedgerow Flowers. I'm less sure of the chaps, though. I was thinking more of a crisp white shirt and corduroy trousers, in a sort of Land Girl stylee. I will bring along my Brownies camp fire songbook so that we can have hearty singalongs every evening, with Mellors playing the ukulele.

Shoulder rub very welcome if Mellors isn't busy.

Next week, no one from my family is to go to hospital, except for planned appointments. I will not have emergency visits 3 weeks in a row, and certainly not when I am out of country.

I shall bring my camp blanket for the campfire. Tis vintage guiding wear now I think. And some marshmallows.

A genuine Guide camp blanket! What joy! I never had one but am thinking of starting one now, with all the badges which they insist on gibing Guiders.

Eek CMOT!

Mistlethrush, I have problems with things in my ears, find them very uncomfortable, plus I also get psoriasis inside my ears, and it aggravates that. I was flirting with the idea of ear defenders, but I guess it does help if I hear a LITTLE of what is going on

There is a lovely Gypsy caravan here: www.lappavalley.co.uk/gypsycaravan.htm, together with lots to do, there are several steam train rides, and a very nice tea shop with home made cakes!

Where am I? What is happening? I feel like I am in a movie!!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWyZk8s2oyg&feature=related

A gypsy caravan with a circus feel sounds utterly and completely divine!!!

I believe strongly the whole thaaaang of looking after old people NEEDS an injection of pride and professionalism and very well trained and knowledgeable people doing the job. I am a real fan of SureStart and what it has done for childcare and feel this magic can be sprinkled in the elderly's direction too. What I want now we have sure start is a sure end!

I'll bring my camp blanket and join you in a sing song round the fire. bet Mellors has a nice voice.
I only folded up my camp blanket on Tuesday, its been on my bed on cold nights . Has hundreds of badges, I don't know how many, last time I got a brownie to count it was 270 ish.

Howls castle has to be good for a tea room location sometime in future, the door would open on which ever of us rang the bell where ever we were...

Travelling tea room sounds lovely, but how would I ever find it, as infrequently as I pop in?

DD turned six today!

elderly's elderlies... how !!!

Night night UniS I am looking forward to the sing song - don't forget to pack your guitar!

happy birthday to docallmebaby! How are you celebrating?

no guitar in chez uni, I may dig out a washboard tho, would you like a tambourine?

We could put together a sketch....