100 Words, Family, Gatherings, holidays, home, Kids, Uncategorized

Not Even The Queen

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A grad school friend of mine from Montreal told the story of her father at meal time. They were a working class family, but at every meal her father would  proclaim “Not even the Queen is eating a meal as good as this!”

I think that was a charming thing for him to say, and may have set the stage for gratitude from his family for what they had.

What do you imagine are the pros and cons of being the Queen?  In what way  is your life better than hers?  What will you eat this holiday season that the Queen might be envious of?

56 thoughts on “Not Even The Queen”

  1. Happy Festivus! After my Festivus Dinner of grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, there will be the Airing Of Grievances 2020. That might take awhile.

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  2. I can’t imagine one single good thing about being queen. Seems like just a pain in the patootie from the minute you wake up until the minute you go to bed.

    I’m going to work on my New Year’s cards today and I think it will be difficult to keep from looking for a digital image of a dumpster fire to put on them.

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        3. Unbelievable. George Carlin was right when he said, “Nail two things together that have never been nailed together before, and some schmuck will buy it.”

          Not to call your son a schmuck, Clyde, just a commentary on how all of us are easily persuaded to buy trinkets and shiny baubles just because “we’ve never seen THAT before.”

          Chris

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        4. Well, uh, you did indeed call him a schmuck. If I tell you that both my children enjoy whimsey and thus my son has a collection of odd ornaments, which of course makes him an even bigger schmuck, and thus me for teaching him a love of whimsey.

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        5. LOL, I’ve certainly bought myself lots of schmuckery over the years too. Not trying to be high and mighty at all. I even bought something that hadn’t even been two things nailed together before. It was a single large crystal of something (I have no idea what because it was long ago) that was reputed to be better and more effective than any underarm deodorant. Twenty bucks for a rock to get rid of b.o. Boy, did I feel stupid rubbing a rock under my armpits every morning. It must not have worked because I never bought another. (He’s teachable, folks!)

          Chris

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  3. Rise and Shine Baboons,

    I could not even get onto the Trail yesterday—we are packing and preparing to travel here, then I worked from the office, and all else got pre-opted.

    Cons: In 2011 we travelled to London. Everything I needed to know about being the Queen was contained in one sight—the foot long barbs on the giant barbed wire on top of the fence surrounding Buckingham Palace. At that point I concluded that really, the Queen and the other royals, are basically prisoners to their titles. Despite this conclusion I have been watching “The Crown” which I enjoy a great deal as fictional drama that might be based in some reality. It confirms my earlier conclusion, though.

    Living in that particular fishbowl, with all the expectations of perfection, pomp, and ceremony, would not be something I could tolerate. It drove me mad to live in a small town in which the adults in my family (mother, uncle, aunt) were teachers in the local schools. That was enough of a fishbowl. Shudder. Having an entire nation and often the world watching me bumble through life is just appalling to me.

    Pros: I suppose the money is nice, but the independence of making my own money—modest as it is—in anonymity is enough for me.

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    2. Totally agree, Jacque. You didn’t mention the thing I would most hate about being a royal of any sort: the British tabloids are a parasite that feeds on your body every day. What Harry and Meghan did was not shocking; I’m surprised that other royals continue to live as they do.

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  4. if i were queen i think i’d shake it up a bit
    the people of the realm would get a smile or scowl on occasion
    being a royal would put a different twist on the day
    i used to wonder if the kirby picket george clooney people get to find peace ever when going to the grocery store or out for a bite at the corner joint

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      1. I read somewhere once that the reason the queen always wears monochromatic outfits with matching hats is so that her security people can see her easily in a crowd. This means the queen technically doesn’t even get to choose her own clothing. Do you think in the privacy of her own castles she ever gets to wear sweatpants?

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  6. Oh man, ditto all the above. I can’t imagine how it must feel to have to be Proper All the Damn Time that you’re in public.

    I hope to make my Spicy Sweet Cranberry Meatballs for Christmas, and maybe try a Tourtiere – pork pie. Heck there will certainly be time to cook! I’m sure the Queen would be drooling…

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  7. Daughter is recovering in Denver, and is giving us very explicit instructions about the food she expects us to have for her when she arrives. I sure hope that her flight tomorrow night goes as planned. She says she is never going to fly United Airlines or in the Denver airport again after this

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    2. I have enjoyed the Denver airport, as well as Denver itself. United and American Airlines, not so much.

      The Big Wind, sleet and rain have just blown through here.

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    3. I’m so sorry that you’ve lost, what?, two days with her… Was the problem the storm? Which I believe Twin Cities is going to get, and it looks like Rochester will get it, so maybe we’ll be white by tomorrow a.m.

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  8. I have no time for royalty whatsoever. Quite possibly the worst way to govern a country or a people that was ever invented… and that says a lot. And the endless fascination with British royalty by us Americans is mind-boggling. My wife’s one of the guilty ones, although she’s nowhere near as obsessed with them as a lot of people I’ve met or heard about through the media. My goodness, get a life, folks.

    Chris in Owatonna

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  12. Afternoon- I have been out hooking up the rear blade to the tractor and making those last minute walk arounds making sure there’s nothing on the ground that will be a problem if covered with snow.
    I’m still hoping for just an inch or two in Rochester… has that changed?? Don’t tell me!

    Just last night I said to Kelly that I would pay someone to come in and put new clean sheets on the bed every week or two. Just so that I / we didn’t have to make it. It would help if we’d do laundry sooner in the day so it’s not 1AM when we’re already tired that we have to make the bed. Point being; I bet the Queen doesn’t have to make her own bed.

    John Irving, in ‘Cider House Rules’ always said goodnight to the boys “Goodnight you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England”.

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    2. I hope Santa brings you a spare sheet for Christmas so you don’t have to do your laundry earlier in the day in order to be able to make the bed before you get tired. I’m making the assumption that Santa isn’t going to bring you someone to actually make the bed, or do your laundry.

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  14. I’m going to my sister’s for Christmas Eve. Not sure what the menu will be, but I think maybe swedish meatballs. Any queen would be delighted with swedish meatballs, even if she’s not Swedish.

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