Thursday 31 October 2013

Freesias and happiness, cheesy scones and honey baklava …….

After the gnomes had finished singing, they sat quietly waiting for Mrs Partridge to wake up. 'Doesn't she look peaceful' muttered Aunt Mildred loudly to Hortensia 'never have met a human who can stay awake once they hear us sing!' Hortensia smiled and then burst out laughing as Mrs Partridge suddenly woke up, 'I heard that Mildred, I could still hear the lovely singing, I was just shutting my eyes for a minute!'

The gnomes were awestruck at the amazing feast that was laid out on the tea table. 'Such a relief that she hasn't made any more of that jelly' Archibold was very relieved indeed, 'horribly rubbery and very hard on the digestion!' He had never forgotten the jelly that Mrs Partridge had brought to the midsummer revels picnic.

Today however Mrs Partridge had excelled herself. Not only had she prepared Aunt Mildred's special requests, but she had also included some of her own. There in the middle of the bower of freesias was the little dining table that she had taken from the dolls house. She had used one of her best handkerchiefs as a table cloth and an upturned egg cups as a cake stands. 'How about some tea my Dears? I'll be right back'.

Mrs Partridge rushed to the kitchen to make a pot of nettle tea, 'even the smallest pot is still enormous for them - never mind it will have to do!' She placed the tea pot on the tray with a plate of warm mini cheese tarts and tiny scones and rushed back to her guests.

The gnomes were having a wonderful time admiring all the exotic treats on display. A bowl of peanut butter nestled next to a little glass dish full of the most beautiful and shiny ruby red seeds. 'They're pomegranate seeds!' Aunt Mildred was beside herself with excitement, 'it's my menu, what I requested! Look at the honey!' The gnomes fell silent at the sight and smell of the glistening Baklava 'look at the pastry, so fine and delicate', Hortensia had to sit down, 'what kindness, its all so very lovely'.

'Never mind lovely to look at, lets tuck in!' shouted Uncle Humperdinck, very excited indeed. For as long as he could remember he had heard Aunt Mildred describe the wonderful dishes she had read about in Mrs Partridge's cookbooks, and now at last the moment had come to taste some of them. 'Lets start with peanut butter spread on a scone and then some houmous with pomegranate seeds on top!'

Well I am sorry to say that there was rather a lot of enthusiastic tasting and talking with mouths full and all manner of wild gestures about how, ' simple the best, so tasty, perhaps a little more?' from the very happy and excited gnomes. Eventually they began to feel more than usually full and soon found themselves settling into the little chairs and seating areas that Mrs Partridge had made in-between the flowers. 'Stop snoring Dear!' Aunt Mildred shouted into Uncle Humperdinck's ear at close range 'its not polite at a tea party!'

However, gnomes are used to having a restorative nap after a feast and despite their very best intentions, they soon found themselves fast asleep as they breathed in the sweet air of fragrant freesias and honey, baklava, plum cake and cheesy scones.

Mrs Partridge smiled contentedly, 'well what a success! They seemed to have liked everything, perhaps this a moment for me to have a little rest too?' So that was that, Mrs partridge's house was soon filled with the sound of gentle snoring, golden sunlight and happiness - as everyone - human and gnome, enjoyed a little nap!




Tuesday 15 October 2013

Tea time and an unexpected surprise!

Mrs Partridge was busy making napkins for the tea party. 'Very tricky' she thought 'very tricky indeed to make them the same size and so very small!' She was using her best scissors to cut up a tissue into tiny squares, 'drat, drat DRAT! there is no way that I am going to be able to fold them, my fingers just aren't as nimble as they used to be.' Mrs Partridge sighed, she so wanted the tea party to be a treat for the gnomes and had an idea in her head of how she wanted the little tea table to look.

'Not every day that gnomes come for tea!' Truth to tell Mrs Partridge was feeling pleased with herself. The shopping trip had been a great success due to her inspired idea of stopping off at the new health food shop for supplies. 'Fancy them having nettle tea and chestnut milk - and pomegranate juice, a bonanza, that was what it was, a bonanza!'

As for the gnomes, well there was much brushing of jackets and tweaking of hats as they assembled at Aunt Mildred's house to set off. Uncle Humperdinck had even decorated the cart, 'Nice as a jar of ointment is, looks a bit more special decorated, and we want our friend to know how special she is to us!'

Finally they were ready to set of, Aunt Mildred had decided to ride on the cart with Hortensia and baby Harriet, 'No point in walking in my best cape if we can ride in comfort.' Hortensia wasn't sure that sitting in oak leaves in a bumpy cart was comfortable, but thought that baby Harriet, however smelly the jar of ointment was at close quarters, would probably love the experience.

Of course there were frequent stops to check that no humans were out and about in the wood, but surprisingly soon they found themselves at the edge of Mrs Partridge's garden. There they stopped in amazement, because through the open patio doors they saw a most unusual sight.

'There you are my Dears, come along all is ready, come along this way please...' Mrs Partridge gestured to the long ramp she had made from an old bit of fencing that led up to her coffee table. 'Well I never'  muttered Aunt Mildred 'we are going to have tea on her table!' The gnomes valiantly pushed and puffed as they inched their cart up to the table, there was a bit of a bump and there they were, in Mrs Partridge's 'Tea Garden for Gnomes!'

The table was covered in a pale green table cloth with lots of Mrs Partridges house plants and small vases and jars of fresh flowers carefully arranged all over the tabletop. 'Look Archie she has made a pathway through the flowers!' Hortensia and Harriet set off leading the other gnomes around the path until they came to a bower of freesias and the little tea table itself.

Mrs Partridge found herself near to tears as she saw the gnomes gasp in wonder at the beautiful sight before them. 'I found the table and chairs in the old dolls house, you can take it all home with you if you like it?' She sat down in her chair, 'I just wanted to be able to see your faces and talk with you more easily, I hope it's suitable?'

There was only one thing to do, the gnomes turned to face her and started to sing. They sang of friendship and of golden autumn leaves, of loss and of coming home and of the precious gift of kindness and the gentle warmth of a hot cup of nettle tea!