My daughter...the squirrel whisperer

Went for a nature walk this afternoon with the little lady, to collect some fallen bits and pieces (leaves, feathers and the like) ready for some drawing to be done from them, and thought we would visit the squirrels and take them some nuts.

I will add another video later, however here is my six year old doing her best to become the new Chris Packham (excuse my shoddy camera work!).

Is alcohol really not for me any more?

Some may remember a blog earlier in the year where I'd decided I wasn't going to drink alcohol this year, except for on special occasions.  There was no real reason for this, other than, I guess, hangovers really really hurt.

For the most part of this year, I have had only a couple of occasions where I've had an alcoholic beverage...all celebrating one thing or another.  One of these also included a hangover which lasted all of the Saturday and curbed any drinking on the Saturday night (a weekend away with the girls, away from husbands and children...mums should not be allowed together without those we have to look after!!)

This year has been a bit up and down...there have been some surprising ups, and one really big down...that being that my husband lost his job at the end of January.  No warning.  No going through the channels a company is meant to go through.  Nothing.  Just a big set of Vs in his direction.  This was fought, and a more realistic, although not brilliant, agreement was put in place.

It's been a long four months, for which I won't bore you with details nor stresses, however the meester has finally been offered, and accepted, a new job, with a start date in the near future.  Am so very proud and pleased.

So this news, combined with the fact that it must be nigh on impossible to watch Eurovision sober, meant a weekend of excess was in order!!

The pair of us headed to Tescos on Friday, post swimming, to grab something nice for dinner, and some celebratory drinks.  As I approached the spirits I was facing my old friend...ah Bacardi...how I have missed thee...

I opted to the litre bottle (obviously) and then the choice of cranberry and limes, as well as the stable diet coke, for a weekend of Bacardi bliss.

...but that just didn't happen.

The Friday night, I had one...that's it.  In fact, I found myself putting off pouring it for over an hour...I just didn't feel like it now faced with a bottle.

Saturday night came, and the same thing happened.  I had myself one Bacardi and cranberry and one with diet coke, along with a celebratory glass of cava (friend's son turns 18 this week).

Seriously, that's it.  I looked at the bottle this morning and realised I'd barely made a dent...certainly nothing like I would normally have on a night of celebration or Eurovision!  Then I noticed the cider outside had also hardly been touched...nor had the bottles of beer in the fridge (the tipples of my friend and husband).  What IS going on?

So is this it?

Have I reached the end of actually physically wanting to drink alcohol, or at the very least, wanting to drink very much of it?

I must admit I've barely noticed the "not drinking"...and oddly it's a glass of red wine that I miss, something that I hadn't really been in the mood for drinking much of last year!  I certainly don't miss hangovers...

The only conclusion I can come to is that I've lost the taste for it...only time will tell on that one.  Especially given the fact that when i made the decision to not drink this year I hadn't anticipated a holiday in Italy in the summer!  However the most important observation of this weekend has to be...MOLDOVA WAS ROBBED!

And on that note...I shall leave you with their entry...ENJOY!!