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Hey Mama Goose—How I Became an Advice Columnist

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Sometimes I think people mistake me for an owl.  No lie, true as apple pie makes the heart sing.   Owls have the reputations of being wise.   Frankly I don’t have any in depth relationships with owls, so I don’t feel qualified to comment.  But for some reason I am inundated with emails, text messages and actual letters asking me for advice.  I could rudely honk at them, ” Why are you asking me?  Do I look like an owl to you?”    Well to be totally honest I  tried that approach and it didn’t stop the incoming.

Sooooo maybe this is my dharma, my life purpose, to dispense advice from a bird’s eye point of view.   Tea and food have been the classic solution to life’s celebrations and conundrums for hundreds of years, so maybe it does make sense that people turn to me for advice.

It came to mind if I publicized the inquiries and my answers, then those with similar situations would benefit.  Think of the success of Dear Abby and I am sure you will buy a ticket on my train of thought.    Here is an example. blue-wisteria-polish-teapot

Hey Mama Goose,

My mother-in-law is Polish.  She speaks very little English.  Since she has been in this country for twenty-one years, I don’t have any red hot hope her fluency is going to spike.  So when she has anything to say to me, she tells my husband who then tells me.

There in lies the rub.  Those rubs are turning into abrasions.  She is critical of everything I do from the dinners I cook, to my mothering skills, to how I treat her son.  My husband is an only child who is the plum in his mother’s fruit basket.  He is tired of being the rope in a tug of war between the two women in his life.  What can I do to clear the brambles from our communication path?   Help me,  Rhonda

Dear Rhonda,

Does this Polish teapot give you a hint of what I’m going to suggest?  Tea, not music the British will tell you, soothes the savage beast. I think they are right.  Fix a pot of tea in this beautiful Polish pottery teapot.  Get on line and search out a food blogger with a Polish background and bake a few classic Polish tea time cookies and scones.   Have some Polish music playing softly in the background.  Then astound her by speaking to her in Polish.  Yes, you will have to take the lead.  Life’s problems are not generally solved by merely ingesting tea and cookies.  Buck up,  Rhonda.   I will email you the contact information of an excellent teacher.

Comments

    • Yes–Lol—you can. Now that I have accepted my fate, I am taking it on full blast. Expect to see waaaaaay more of Hey Mama Goose letters.

      Reply

    • John, things will get really really interesting when I answer some of those letters after having one or two of your enticing cocktails. Lol

      Reply

  7. Carol, you need a column! That was the best solution I think anyone could come up with — food, tea, music, and a lovely tea pot would definitely do the trick! 🙂

    Reply

  9. Very good advice for Rhonda! I hope Polish is an easy language to learn. 🙂 Tea and cookies is always a good place to start. Looking forward to more advice.

    Reply

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