Two Princess Parties in One Day

I love my job at the tea room.  Really.  But those birthday parties can really kick my butt!  I'm running around trying to get the talent (Ariel or the Face Painter) all set up and trying to make the guests happy.  Basically, it's difficult for me to be "on" that long.  I'm not that happy of a person, people!

But the little girls all loved the party and while I'm about to fall into bed and snooze, in the end it was a success.

 

Two jobs can get in the way of stuff

If only the office looked like that and I had those clothes!

 

I'll have to quit if Margo makes me wear one of those hats-:)

 

While neither of these pics is an exact representation:  My boss at the day job isn't a meanie like the Meryl Streep character in DevilWears Prada, but the subtleties needed to manage some of the high profile people we deal with remind me of this job.  And my sister is a MUCH better cook than Lucy (thank god we don't do chocolates), sometimes our days seem a little Ethel and Lucyesque.

 

However you look at it, I'm working two jobs for a bit.  My former boss needed a fill-in for my old position (the woman hired to replace me is gone - long story).  I love my old boss who is actually my friend, so of course, I agreed. 

 

I usually leave one place to go to the other, so I'm busy seven days a week for now.  I imagine I'll wrap up the old job in another month, just in time for the Christmas season at the tea room.

 

I miss posting on here, but I have been so darn busy and it's all I can do to do the stuff that needs to happen to keep life going.  And did I mention, our Cub Scout treasurer went AWOL and I'm now doing that too???? 

 

I'll be back soon.

 

 

 

 

Lament of the demise of the handwritten letter

Elegy for the Personal Letter

by Allison Joseph

I miss the rumpled corners of correspondence,
the ink blots and crossouts that show
someone lives on the other end, a person
whose hands make errors, leave traces.
I miss fine stationary, its raised elegant
lettering prominent on creamy shades of ivory
or pearl grey. I even miss hasty notes
dashed off on notebook paper, edges
ragged as their scribbled messages—
can't much write now—thinking of you.
When letters come now, they are formatted
by some distant computer, addressed
to Occupant or To the family living at—
meager greetings at best,
salutations made by committee.
Among the glossy catalogs
and one time only offers
the bills and invoices,
letters arrive so rarely now that I drop
all other mail to the floor when
an envelope arrives and the handwriting
is actual handwriting, the return address
somewhere I can locate on any map.
So seldom is it that letters come
That I stop everything else
to identify the scrawl that has come this far—
the twist and the whirl of the letters,
the loops of the numerals. I open
those envelopes first, forgetting
the claim of any other mail,
hoping for news I could not read
in any other way but this.

"Elegy for the Personal Letter" by Allison Joseph, from My Father's Kites. © Steel Toe Books, 2010.

I just started a Meetup Group called the Denver Letter Writers.  The purpose is to share in the act of letter writing.  I love paper, sealing wax, words, stamps, you name it.  And I plan to keep the post office in business all by myself.  We are actually doing a little Salon Tea at DTR in July where we'll kick off this Meetup Group.  I'm so excited - I have 6 other folks like me who want to attend!!

The poem above was shared with by one of the Meetup members.  I just love how you can "see" it.

More Poirot and Chai Tea

This picture is apropos of nothing I have to say today, but I like it.  It's a drawing of Babe Paley.

We watched yet several more Poirot episodes this weekend.  I am laughing at how much the CO Boy is enjoying them!  I think he only gets a sliver of what is going on but he has a great deal of fun figuring out who did it. 

A medium-ish day at the tea room.  Had a princess party (bunch of 5yr. olds) and then grown up party going on at the same time in two different rooms.  I was tired because of the time change.  I think all three of us were a bit out of sorts and not quite on our game today.  Thank goodness it wasn't an extremely busy day.

The CO Boy and the Roping Dummy went to the Horse Expo.  RD worked the booth for the riding camp he helps with in the summer and the CO Boy made fast friends with some other little boy as they cleaned stalls and generally goofed around.  He announced today that he would really like his own horse.  Surprise. 

Tomorrow is my day off.  Tea room is closed on Mondays and I plan to put primer on my desk.  Remember the one I was sanding?  Well, after waiting for some decent weather, I was able to finish the sanding process and now I'll move on to the primer.  Yay.  I think it's going to be just lovely in the Lego Room.  I shall take more pictures of the process and post them.

Blogging at DTR

Hi there,

location of The Denver Tea Room

I'm over at the tea room blog talking about walking tours, tea parties and haunted houses.  It's all good!