Tea room 16 welcome to Shangri-la

[UniS]

Shangri-la = a hidden valley with beautiful views and crystal streams of course, and some inter-far eastern type of chalet things set around a Serene Courtyard with ever-blooming Japanese cherry trees, lots of refreshing fragrant teas, silk cushions, tinkling tiny waterfalls and bonsai trees, Gardens of Tranquillity etc.

Home to teh 16th Tea room, a haven for those with one or more or less children who like cake, tea, talking nonsense and oggling Mellors ( our handyman/ butler). If its your first vist, pull up a cushion .Mind out for the guinea pigs and other pets and do take care not to squash the teeny tiny naked mowhawk babies ( nmbs
, no longer naked and now toilet trained you will glad to hear)as they go about their duties helping Mellors.

Confused... come on, jump in and have a hot chocolate.

Crikey. That was nerve-wracking.

Would anyone like some Bolly before I drink it all?

oh, small, we are outed

ug ug ug ug ug - it is eleven at night on a Sunday and I am still working!!!! I wanted some time out so turned Amy Winehouse up and pranced around a bit...

DH said - "CAN YOU STOP THAT RACKET" then complained that our apartment is a mess.

I have constant problems finding a balance between work and life..... grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

AIBU to have a yearning to run away to Rome with DH, start getting happy with each other and not come back for at least a week?!?

V quick message before I go and put new chicken in with others and go to bed.

Train fare to Salisbury not too horrendous if you book ahead, I think.

Hiding definitely not good. I have a friend whose DD hides in shops. We race around, frantic, searching for her, then when she is found, friend smiles fondly and says, 'Isn't she funny?', while I am struggling with myself not to pick her up by the ears and shake her until her teeth tattle ....

Have a lovely time at the meet up - the rest of us will want to hear all about it!

Goa sounds great and very intrepid.

Let's really do the parcel thing! Think there should be a cost limit, but how will we work out postage costs? Obviously more expensive for Thumb to post to us UK inhabitants, for example.

Tea, you are not unreasonable. At least you want to run away with DH not from him

I am working too. Pants isn't it. So I have emailed Small instead

Racing, well, I shall work on a Salisbury Strategy

Train seems more fun for a day than 6 hours in the car have you any day preferences before August? Not promising, because it involves scarpering from work, but will try

Hi guys, wow a real life meet up!! I'm .

Lots of posts, finding it hard to remember all the news!

Thumb - what was your friends experience of Goa like? I am nervous and would welcome any info! How is the horrible cold now?

Mary - Eek about temporarily losing ds, you must have been a bit shook after that. But it is funny to think of him playing dr who in a portaloo !!

Tea - I would love to run away to Rome too. I really need non parenting time at the mo. Would love some romance, dancing and drinking.

YANBU Tea. Work/family/home/partner balance is v tricky I think. And my house is always a tip.

We have been at a birthday party at Bowood House today - it was lovely, and an amazing adventure playground. I got to spend a lot of time chatting with a friend who I was once very close to, but for a few reasons don't get to see very often at all these days. It was just like old times, and we are arranging a weekend to drink beer and dance madly, which will be fab

Oh yes, I agree there should be a set cost so that some people don't send a massive parcel and get something small in return .

RC - I am trying to be intrepid as it is a personality trait I would love to have, but I'm terrified really!!

Amber - You have to eat anything you want while on holiday...it's a rule surely!

love to join in parcels, but please, a modest budget. what were the rules - something to read, to eat, to wear and to make you laugh?
Would the price of a bottle of wine be a good guide? I've seen something international and bikeish priced in units of "your local price for a can of soda"

LOL at child playing Dr Who in a turdis.

Children hiding tale- boy has taken to hiding under a duvet or blanket shouting " I'm a letterbox, come and find me"

a letterbox??!?!?!? daft childee

I'd love to go to Rome right now. Actually, I'd quite like to go on my own and not have to be responsible for anything apart from a little retail therapy in the Via Veneto. Mind you, the expensive (by my standards) handbag I bought in Rome (not in the Via Veneto) last year is falling to bits and I am Not Well Pleased.

I'd love to join in the parcel swap, too. Although finding something legible/edible/wearable and amusing for the price of a bottle of wine sounds like a tough challenge - unless Unis was thinking of vintage Margaux ?

If the Salisbsury trip is to be by train on a Monday, may I invite myself to come along (with usual provisos about diary blah blah blah)?

Oohh, oh, can I participate in parcels, too?

Actully, some times he says he is a geo cache.

I was thinking bottle of wine as it gives some flexibility, some of us may be 3.99 a bottle drinkers, others 8.50 a bottle girls.. Of course Tea probably gets both the bottom and top of the range in her local suermarche. But for most of us in UK its between 4 and 10 quid isn;t it?

After all something to read need not be a book or "new". Something to wear can include badges, hats ( fasinators of course) and a host of other creative ideas. Bags I make JM an Aspidistra lovers Tea towel.

I'm happy with a top limit of a tenner a parcel but of course there is the cost of posting - Canada and Aus being a tad more than Weston Super Mare, non?

Are the parcels to be things for the grown up or a mix of grown up and child things?

I think it is up to you. Bar the obligatory aspidistra element of course. We are making up the rules as we go along, after all

Much though I love the idea of tea room parcels (and I do) I feel I should bow out of the collective. I can't answer for JM but I know that when I sent a colouring book (thin one) to my niece, it cost me $20 (about £12) just for that. The parcel my Dad was sending me weighed over 2kg, and they wanted to charge him £70 for it (but said it would be cheaper if he sent it in 2 parcels that weighed less than 2kg) but you'd still be looking at £15-£30 for postage. It's a fearsome amount of money and I wouldn't want to inflict it on anyone.

Am very excited for you that you are sorting out meet ups - perhaps whenever I make it back to the UK, we can try for one then as well? Don't know when it will be at this stage though.

Bah to all late working and stressy DHs. I am a bit bereft this morning though as MrThumb has just left for a few days (sorry oxeye, it is as nothing compared to your DH's absence, I know that) for a work training thingy. He'll be back Thursday (I hope) and then he has to go away for 3 days next week too.

Scout - hope you had a good day!

Thumb - Perhaps you could send a virtual parcel, just for fun?

Oxeye - Have you had any bulletins from OxBloke, sent in a bottle down the Limpopo?

That I could do, small, that I could do.

Bolly anyone? Or would you rather have a cup of fragrant orange blossom tea? Or perhaps you're mostly in bed by now...

I'm just going up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire, but will join you in a quick Bolly before I go, Thumb. Cheers!

oh, shall neck a quick bolly too

Small, inspired idead for virtual parcel from those abroad, could be good

no word from Oxbloke - he really is too far into the wilds and/or his little canoe has sunk in the Limpopo

Will go now and crack on with work
Thumb, in some ways, a few days away is worse than weeks, cos you never settle into a solo rhythm

Oxeye - Have you been eating proper food and getting even an approximation of a decent night's sleep?

Night all.