October 6 is Mad Hatter Day, a day set aside for whimsy and nonsense, with this date selected because of the 10/6 pricetag on the Mad Hatter's hat. Now, in case you'd ever wondered why the Hatter of late never seemed to have a truly clean cup, I thought I'd share with you what my novel, THE CURIOUS CASE OF MARY ANN, has to say about that:
"While working for Mr. Rabbit this past year, the fellow had promised Mary Ann's assistance for two hours, three times a week to one of his acquaintances, Mr. Simon Milliner, hat maker of Neath. Mary Ann agreed to the work, not because she had much choice in the matter (despite his cuddly appearance, Mr. Rabbit was not one easily denied), but because some extra funds would be nice to sock away for the future. She'd even made the sock.
The problem with this particular position was not specifically Mr. Milliner, though the man WAS prone to the occasional rude personal comment. (She recalled him observing once quite seriously over a cup of hot chamomile how her face resembled a chipmunk in need of a hair restorative.) No, the real issue was that the man had somehow gotten on Time's bad side and was essentially cursed to perpetual tea for eternity.
Now perpetual teatime may sound like a lovely thing to those who are fans of the stuff. But it presents a certain series of problems in the housemaid/kitchen departments. Mainly, there was simply no way of ever ensuring enough tea, foodstuffs and clean dishes to support the effort. Mary Ann would just get done with preparations and set-up and, suddenly, all was dirtied and devoured again.
What's worse, because it was always six o'clock, Mary Ann's allotted two hours per day never came to pass. Hour after hour of work: still six o'clock. Eventually, she'd simply walked out of the engagement... Even Mr. Rabbit hadn't pressed the matter once she'd explained the situation. She'd apparently been gone four days in teatime and now his socks needed mending and the linens changed."
Now, I myself am off for a nice cup of English Breakfast and to mull over things that start with the word M. Like Memos... Meetings... and the Many hours before the work week is through. :) --Jenn
Now, I myself am off for a nice cup of English Breakfast and to mull over things that start with the word M. Like Memos... Meetings... and the Many hours before the work week is through. :) --Jenn
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