Narnia...

Snow came on again last night just as I was heading to bed and it's been on and off all day, heavy flurries then clear skies, but for the last two hours it's been piling down and we are once again under a thick blanket. 

So glad I don't have to be anywhere and can just enjoy it from the comfort and warmth of my chair!  :-))

Been contacted by a friend I've not seen for ages (I know I've not seen any friends for ages but I mean even before lockdown :-). Lovely to hear from her, and she wants to buy two paintings so I've spent some time this afternoon trying to find the ones she likes as they're all tidied away.  Luckily my filing system proved effective and I soon found them.

Another roasting tin dinner for us tonight, this time smoked chipotle chicken with black beans, feta and lime.  That roasting tin recipe book is amazing.

And now, I can't put it off any longer.  I asked on yesterday's blip for guesses on how many bottles of gin we have.  Before I reveal the answer, I feel the need to put it, and all the bottles of booze into context :-))

Firstly the only alcohol we buy normally is wine for D who likes a glass with his dinner at the weekend, and the occasional bottle of whisky  when my stepdad John or brother in law Kenny visits, as they're the only ones who drink whisky.  Oh and the odd bottle of Southern Comfort as both Eleanor and Agnes like that as alternative to their usual tipples (gin and rose wine.)  As for the rest of the bottles of booze, we think we have acquired them as follows:-

Lots of left overs from our 50th birthday celebrations where we had a close knit group of friends round and bought in supplies for that and they also brought bottles.  

Then, there was the official joint 50th party, where the guest list was much larger.  We did buy a fair amount for that and of course loads of people brought bottles with them, including champagne, gin and wine as gifts.

Three bottles of expensive port were Christmas gifts three years in a row from David's boss.  He's been retired for almost four years so we've had them for a while :-)

For our 50th birthdays friends gave us membership of the Craft Gin Club so  lovely bottles of gin from all around the world arrived on a very regular basis, for over a year!  Certainly far faster than we could drink them!  I have Italian gin, Norwegian gin, Dutch gin, Polish Gin, Japanese gin, Finnish gin (and of course Scottish and English gins :-) to name a few!

And of course family and friends very generously gift me gin.  this lot alone always turn up with at least three or four bottles between them when they come for the weekend, then they drink wine and refuse to take the gin back!

And Alan's support worker Christine is from Harris so regularly appears with bottles of Harris Gin (one of the many reasons I love her :-)

Anyway, all of the above makes me feel slightly better when I tell you that after our clear out yesterday, we have THIS MANY bottles of gin in our collection!  Of course there are a few duplicates (not complaining :-))

I do, of course have my special gin tray that houses all my current favourites (in extras.)

The irony of having (or indeed maybe the reason lol) we have all this booze is we hardly drink.  Couple of glasses of wine at the weekend for D and a G&T for me on a Friday and Saturday.  Consumption does go up slightly in the summer when the Gin Palace is open and friends are here.  

But we learned very early on in parenthood that caring responsibilities for Alan and hangovers do not happy bedfellows make so I can't remember the last time we were properly p*ssed (at the same time I mean.  If we are having a drink we always make sure one of us under the drink driving limit should Alan need medical attention) but certainly I have been known to be led astray when certain people come to visit ;-)))

And after all that talk of gin, I am breaking my own routine and having one tonight!  To toast my niece who's now had two unconditional uni offers.  Go Jen!  You're ginvincible!  :-)))