Tea Room the Fourteenth

[amberlight]

Welcome to the 14th instalment of the Tea Room. It's now officially spring, and we've moved the tea room to a Gipsy caravan pulled by the tea room horses, which is making its way up the countryside in an effort to follow spring. There are of course hedgerows filled with spring flowers, Mellors the handsome gardener/driver/handyperson, the usual virtual Bishops, and the assorted animals and characters from previous tea rooms. All are very welcome to join in with us parents of one (or indeed more!) for general chat and the occasional very odd conversation. Climb aboard, grab a cuppa, enjoy the view, relax!...

Lots to catch up on - you've all given me some good food for thought! I'm at work today so will hopefully have some time later to pop in and glug Bolly say hello.

it's been a long hard day - anyone need a glass of something?

Ooo. yes please - proffers glass...

fill it up to the brim, dear

Did someone mention Corbieres?

Sorry to hear about your FP's aunt, DMC. Is it tasteless of me to say, though, that the scenario sounds like it should be turned into a novel or screenplay?

In fact, that reminds me of a question which we haven't asked the recent-ish arrivals. Who would play you in Tea Room: The Movie? I am hoping for Dame Judi Dench (although they'd have to age her a bit).

I'm very sorry about DPs Aunt DMC. A section of my dads family are eternally locked in combat about one family members will or another. In the latest installment, Dads cousin left his house and plant nursery to all three of his sons, but two of them actually live there anyway - total nightmare to sort out, and will undoubtedly go on for years.

Has been a beautiful day here today

No idea what kind of a day it's been, I haven't been outside. Grr.
BUSY.
Jackbaby and I are going to Toronto to my mum's next Monday and my days are completely booked until then, everyone's freaking out because their back cracker is going out of town for a week

And I want to be Emma Thompson although I have been told (by a very kind friend) that on a good day, against the light, I could look like an older version of Celia Imrie. Bit heftier too.

Have just been given a parking ticket and am . It said that I had not displayed a valid ticket - my car park ticket was in the middle of the dash board!!!!! Maybe I should have blue tacked a large arrow to the windscreen?? I can object (I think), but then it would be my word against theirs. And if I don't pay within 7 days the find will double and I will have to pay £60 for the privilege of having parked in a legitimate bay and paid the correct amount for a ticket and returning to the car 2 minutes before the ticket was up. Am thinking of boycotting Sainsbury's - will anyone join me? That'll so 'em.

Have had a lovely day (in parts). Wriggle has made a garden in the bedroom by tearing pictures of flowers out of magazines and spreading them several deep over the whole floors. It is an 'inside garden for walking on'.

I actually was allowed to take her out of a shop today for misbehaving (by DH) and she was incredulous. She was actually too shocked to cry (almost) and just kept gasping 'You are very very very naughty, Mummy.' However, he then allowed her to keep all her additions to the shopping trolley in the supermarket. Could we find a tea room use for a mega economy-sized pack of pan scrubbers shredded wheat, a large jar of pickled beetroot and a tin of spam? (I know what Wriggle and DH are having for breakfast)

Or even show 'em. Am obviously incoherent with my sense of injustice. I am the sort of sad and timid person who always buys a ticket.

DMC - was aunt living in the farmhouse in this state? Not saying she shouldn't - not quite sure that rats make it impossible to live in a house, just mean that you would have to be very careful about hygiene and not having Baby C there.

ohhh twiglet surprise please. Just the ticket after a long day at work getting grubby.

DH is being sent to USA later in teh year, just over a week when I have been offered work on a festival. bugger, Can't do the job with out DH to do childcare in evenings, so can't do the festival at all I think. he earns so much more than I do that its a no brainer which of us has to change plans. Also he is employed, I'm just contracted on job by job basis.

Boy is knackered after a long day at childminders. 8-5.30. Luckily for him I'm not working tomorrow, so he can have a day watching Cbebbies and not doing much, hes back with CM for long days on thursday and friday tho. Do children who do long CM days regularly get dog tired, or is it because its infrequent that he is so exhausted by it.

Racing - Of course, you need to ask m'learned friend Daisy, but that is a travesty. Write them a fierce letter, enclosing the ticket and pointing out that no sensible person would buy a ticket and then not display it. TrowelGrandad once got a penalty for having attached his ticket to the wrong side of the windscreen, but it was withdrawn after he berated them for their idiocy pointed out the error.

I love the sound of the indoor garden and well done you for sticking to your disciplinary guns.

another slug o'wine, anyone. Am still getting to grips with all your names (sloshings of wine and incipient decrepitude probably not helping!) - T&E, no, not tasteless - it is like a 19th century novel (DP doing some writing, so will probably make its way out fictively at some point). It's hard to explain the hardship and deprivation of that generation's lives - and they all suffered for it - rural Ireland was often a very unpleasant place to live - small-minded, cruel, judgmental, overly interested in appearances and status. A lot of the people who left were glad to go (DP's dad and other aunt - although DP's family came back from England when they were small).

The farm was left in the first instance to the 2nd brother (DP's dad was the eldest but fled as soon as he was able) who farmed it until the early 90s - he died, and it went to his eldest brother (never mind the aunt who was born in the house, kept the farm going with her income, and worked on the farm); when he died it went to DP's mum who hasn't a clue what to do with it. But the aunt was 'allowed' to live on it for her lifetime - it's old and very primitive, but she's been in a home for the last 2 years or so, and it's not lived in or cared for beyond the very basics. The land is leased. Bet you wished you never asked!

Racing I love Wriggle's indoor garden! She'll be at Chelsea before you know it - I bet you could market that - right, must get act together - spent most of the day trying to sort out arrangements, and most of the evening advising a colleague about a tricky and aggressive student

help yourselves to the wine

indoor garden sounds sweet.

more wine vicar?

Did TrowelGraddad pay first or leave it until he had written his letter and risked the fine (for havinga ticket fgs) doubling?

I have never been able to afford to send sent Wriggle to a CM, but find that she is exhausted any time she does something unusual.

Twiglet suprise sounds just right.

I am a little hazy about the details but I suspect he didn't pay. I think (again, looking around desperately for M'learned Daisy) that if you write to challenge the decision, that effectively stops the clock as far as handing over the payment is concerned. When TrowelBloke also got a recent ticket for displaying a ticket in a marked bay (the council in this case claiming that a parking bay with a white line around it and a ticket machine beside it is somehow not a marked parking bay) we didn't pay but just launched into barrack room lawyer mode. Mind you, in each case the Trowel Family were dealing with councils rather than Sainsbury's. And I'm afraid I can't join the boycott as I'm collecting their vouchers for Brownies.

TrowelGirl used to find nursery tiring but I could never decide whether it was the length of the day or the novelty of the place wot did it.

night all. last one to sleep damp down the camp fire would you.

and no weeing on teh fire.

you'd only get scorched bits.

Brief hello to all, and an update from Donk!

Dad is back in the UK - and now in a hospice

Hope that you are all well

Glad to see that Mellors and the bishops are still around...

Donk! Hello, how lovely to see you again, have a bucket of corbiere/ bolly and a net full of twiglets!
Glad your Dad is back in the UK with you now although doesn't sound so good re, the hospice.

RS - I'm sure Daisy will help more but I wouldn't send the ticket anywhere - take a photocopy of it or go in person to the office and DEMAND to see someone about it - I agree, I think timing is put on hold while disputes are resolved, but it may be different if it's a private company.
If you get nothing from Sainsbo's, go to the local paper instead. Also try calling your local Councillor - it's the sort of thing my Dad would have taken up arms over but not all councillors are like my Dad was!

Still working... off again.

Donk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really good to see you again! though about your Dad - how are you doing with all of it?

Morning all...got the kettle on...

Lovely to see you again, Donki! (We met before, when I had a different, slightly unhinged, name). I hope you notice that we still have your special galvanised bucket hanging from a hook outside the caravan, making a lovely tinkling sound as we amble along the country lanes.

I am so sorry, though, to hear about your dad.

Have a bucket of tea, some carrot cake and a bowl of my special carrot and twiglet surprise.

Welcome back Donki. Sorry that your dad is in hospice care now, but hope they are looking after him well.

Donk

I have some crumpets toasting over an open fire, if anyone is interested?