When you have an experience that is beyond coincidence it sure can make you feel good.
Some people call them God Winks.
Take yesterday. Ma was thinking “I haven’t talked to my sister pal Laura for ages”
She sees Laura’s picture everyday, as it’s just behind her desk at the tearoom, and of course they all chatty chat on Facebook but talking is different.
So she gives a call.
After the second ding ding Laura answers and here’s the funny thing at that very moment Laura was writing a Christmas card to us!
Go figure if there is not a little divine thread in there.
Wonder if Mega lived in Georgia would I feel that way about her!
What do you all make of this Royal rift? Ma says it’s turning into a real shakespearien drama maybe even a tragedy.
She and Auntie Lorraine have been sharing thoughts about it over the last days and I can promise you they are both 110% in the Wales camp.
Are you going to watch “Meghan and Harry”on Netflix when it drops?
You can bet your bottom dollar we will be forsaking my Lottery Dream Home this Friday to catch the first “VOLUME”. Even that sounds shakespearien. Strategically selected no doubt as a subtle reminder of Henry the Fourth Part1 and Part II and of course the victory of Henry V
Tell me now do you not see some resemblance between Hal and the SPARE?
Where will be his Agincourt? Sandringham perhaps at Christmas. Battle of the trifle or mince pie missiles.
Any guesses as to who’ll draw the short straw to play Lady Macbeth in the charades? The beleaguered one of course. Better be an Oscar worthy performance because there is a Catherine to conquer!!!
Thank goodness Kong is still surviving because I’m definitely going to need something to chew on to survive this all.
Long ago before I was born back in 2011 Ma bought two orchids for a friend’s birthday.
On the way to the party one of the flowers broke off when it fell over in the back of the car.
Since she couldn’t give someone a plant with a broken flower she brought it home and put it in the kitchen window.
It got to like it there and when someone gave Mom another orchid as a gift in 2013 she put the two together.
Each year they faithfully produce flowers for Mom and each year they seem to bloom more often and be more beautiful.
Ma says this is a sign they are happy together.
She wishes it would rub off on Jaws and me!
It’s got me thinking though that for my manifesto that I need to underline that in the right environment, regardless of origins or backgrounds, we the people should all be able to thrive and reach our full potential.
I’ve been cleaning up the crumbs like crazy. She can be messy that Granny!
We baked a FOREST. I joke not. 144 little shortbread Christmas Trees.
We used one of the little cutters my Great Godmother Patricia sent my Dad years ago from Switzerland. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined they’d every be put to such good use.
We use one of them every week for our scones and knocked up three dozen of those just now too. The very fancy dancy ones only come out for special occasions like Christmas.
Since the oven was on and the stocks are low we also made four dozen mini lemon cupcakes. That did me in so now I must slumber.
If you don’t hear from me before the weekend send a Prince like William but definitely not like Harry to smack me one on the lips.
Mom is hobbling. Her poor tootsies are shot. She was on them for twelve hours yesterday.
Another fiercely fab day was had at the Tearoom.
So much so she completely ran out of food. Had to turn a lovely family of four away as she hasn’t a morsel left.
Didn’t make the same mistake for dinner though. She stopped on the way home and bought not one but two giant Taco Party Packs. Even the bro couldn’t polish all that off.
We’ll be wear sombreros soon!
So it’s a short trot for me today and back to the baking board tomorrow as she has to rest up.
Oh my what a great day Ma had at the tearoom yesterday. She clean ran out of the promised mince pies.
So last night she was faced with a dilemma.
Go to World Market to procure more of the traditional tucker dressed like a Victorian Maid or scrape the barrel of the mincemeat jar we had at home and cross her fingers that would be enough.
She choose the latter option.
We got up at six and baked up a storm.
Not a drop was left in that jar!
If today is like yesterday she doomed to run out. Why is that a good thing?
This pic of my predecessor popped up on Facebook yesterday. Timely!
Now I’m pretty sure he was referring to American Football and not soccer but I know I’m in for a big weekend of the Real Footie starting today.
Dad is deeply into it. So while Ma, dressed like some weird Old Maid,is dishing out the mince pies at her Victorian Christmas Dad and me will be hunkered hear at home.
Today we’re rooting for Switzerland since it’s Dads second home and Cameroon since we’d love another big upset.
Tomorrow goes without saying we’re all in for the USA since it’s my home and Sunday for England since it’s part of the UK and to whose King Ma and the bro swear allegiance.
Oh the excitement. Oh the snacks. Just can’t believe how many munchies we’ll get through.
Some days I receive messages from my readers. This morning Uncle Dave sent me a suggestion for a Christmas gift I might request from Santa.
It’s like a weighted blanket in reverse that makes you feel like you’re floating on a cloud. Calms the worst anxiety and tames the wildest beasts.
Moments later Cousin Krishna sent this story.
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, ‘Excuse me, where are we?’ ‘This is Heaven, sir,’ the man answered. Would you happen to have some water?’ the man asked. Of course, sir. Come right in, and I’ll have some ice water brought right up’. The man gestured, and the gate began to open. ‘Can my friend,’ gesturing toward his dog, ‘come in, too?’ the traveler asked.
‘I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.’ The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. ‘Excuse me!’ he called to the man. ‘Do you have any water?’ ‘Yeah, sure, there’s a pump over there, come on in..’ ‘How about my friend here?’ the traveler gestured to the dog. There should be a bowl by the pump.’ They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree. ‘What do you call this place?’ the traveler asked. This is Heaven,’ he answered. ‘Well, that’s confusing,’ the traveler said. ‘The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.’ ‘Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That’s hell.’ ‘Doesn’t it make you mad for them to use your name like that?’ ‘No, we’re just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind❤️
Made me think that one day when we’re all in heaven I’ll have to share both bed and bowl with Nala so maybe I should start being just a little kinder to her now on earth.
Remember a few days ago Ma went out shopping. Today I’m going to divulge what she got.
Before I move on I want you to reflect on that word DIVULGE because for me it conjures up dark hidden secrets and is appropriately chosen.
See what happened was on Saturday Mega ate a decoration for dessert immediately following her dinner. She then promptly threw the whole meal back up onto the parents treasured carpet. They’d bought it in Tunisia in 1986 and it had travelled all around the world with them.
The bro was charged with cleaning up his daughters mess which was copious in quantity as that kibble swells like a balloon in the stomach in no time at all. That almost caused a second incident. Enough said!
Ma declared she could survive no longer with Miss I Eat Everything if she wasn’t armed correctly. She needed a steam cleaner.
She took Dad with her the next day to find one and yesterday she and the bro got down to business.
When I saw the size of this new beast and inspected it’s capacity to clean I did a swift U-turn and got off side. There was no way my tail was going to get mangled with that force.
I resurfaced to see what it could do only when all noise had ceased.
Heavens you would not believe what it extracted. Pure unadulterated sludge is the only description I have.
But you should have seen the big smile on Ma’s face. Some gals need diamonds shes happy with dirt!!!
Thanks to my banter Ma learns new things all the time.
Take this morning I said to her “take up thy plume dear scribe and write about the diversity of yesterday”
First we dissected the meat from the remains of the Turkey and made stock with the bones. While that was simmering we delved under the sink to pull out all the dead ends of wax from this year to make memory candles. Finally we sequestered Jaws in her chamber and after lunch we got to baking for the Victorian Christmas before adjourning for a small slumber ourselves.
That’s when it hit me we had a nursery rhyme of a day.
So of course we had to Wiki to find out about the origins of the famous ditty.
It dates from the fourteenth century. Not so surprised about that BUT!
Shock horror. It’s about noble professional being caught in the act of being naughty . Oh dear me!!!
Booming Banter 