No Dark Satanic Mills Here

This is the view from a scenic outlook over the Longleat Estate called Heaven's Gate. It's still stunning weather here, and when my friend MA and I walked up here early this afternoon with her dog we just wished that we had thought to pack the papers, a blanket and a picnic so that we could lounge and gaze at this beauty all afternoon.

Here is the view looking back up the hill - weird and wonderful Stonehenge like sculpture. MA read all the blurb about the artist but I was so focused on getting to the actual overlook I didn't even see it was there. We took turns posing with R the dog in the wheel-like structure but the pictures are on her camera, not mine. I might post them later on, when MA sends them to me. R was the star of the show and charmed everyone up there. Such a lovely dog, and so much like my Tigsy in temperament that if the timing wasn't wrong I would seriously be tempted to believe in reincarnation.

It's been a social weekend and so - well, a little unrestrained shall we say on the liquid calories. Food has been pretty good - MA likes to eat piles of veggies too, but she also likes her carbs, so I started this morning with sociable toast and turned into a raving bitch queen from hell 3 hours later when the energy ran out. Luckily MA was very understanding of my temper and feed-me-now and we found a lovely cafe in Bradford-On-Avon where I ate more emergency bready carbs and olives *sigh* and then gorgeous oyster mushroom and asparagus bruschetta without the brushetta. I also dipped into the cheese and crackers with another friend after MA left for home, but back home I have eaten some purple sprouting broccoli (season is almost over, *cries*), some baby rainbow swiss chard leaves straight out of the garden, and loads of vine tomatoes with black pepper and two quorn sausages just to end the slight junk binge.

Even for me I have been conscious that I am drinking far too much right now and so I want to have at least 2 full days alcohol free this week, and be very light on the others. I am kind of ashamed that I can't just say "no more" and stick to it, but we have a wine tasting on Thursday and then a long weekend in Leeds with a friend and it's just not going to happen; well, it could but I'd rather plan for the calories and forgo the cheese plate! However, I would really like to plan for much of June and definitely the first half of July to be very, very light on the booze. I'm now at the weight I wanted to be back in January (around 112-114lbs); I could maybe drop two more pounds but no more than that, so I need to look at balancing my diet more now and being very careful. I don't want to go too far, and I certainly don't want to lose sight of my health and future in all the minor stresses and more serious family troubles that are going on right now.

I really need a holiday!