The morning after the night before....

This post is brought to you this morning by a very tired but happy Ruby

After getting to bed at almost 4am

The dogs woke me up at 7 30am

I decided to bring them for a walk straight away

To tire them out so they would be quiet and not wake up the sleeping visitors

So 

Where do I start?

Well

Yesterday was all go

We spent the day sitting around 

Chatting and laughing

And started to get ready at about 4pm

All the curls fell out of my hair after a nights sleep

So my sisters girlfriend re did it for me

In the end 

I decided to go with the Orange and cream dress 

Although I have to admit

It was just a teeny weeny bit tight

But that's the price we pay 

And I was ok with it

All day 

My speech was on my mind 

I had an idea of what I wanted to say

I wanted to keep it light, funny and heartfelt 

So through out the day 

I cobbled together a few sentences 

At 6 pm

My sister, her girlfriend and my brother and his girlfriend all headed in to the hotel to decorate the table

And to sort out any last minute jobs

We put balloons on the table

A banner behind 

And party poppers and little glittery words saying congratulations

We then went to bar to wait for everyone

Bit by bit

They all dribbled in

I was still feeling anxious

And just prayed for the speech to be over 

But I held it together 

And managed to be sociable

At 8pm

We all headed in to the restaurant 

We all took our seats 

I took one on the middle

So that when I spoke 

Everyone could hear me

There were 15 of us altogether

The plan was for me to make the speech after the orders had been taken

And when the champagne was being poured

I swear I was so tempted to take a glass

Just for some Dutch courage alone

Oh my God you guys 

I was so freakin nervous

I shit you not

I kept going to the bathroom

And sitting on the toilet seat

Running through it in my head

At the table 

I had so many butterflies 

That I didn't think I'd be able to eat

But I thought I would feel better when it was done and dusted

All too soon 

It was time 

I got the nod after the champagne was poured

And I stood up to speak

Here is the gist of what I said 

Hi everyone and welcome

I was kindly nominated by my brother and sister to say a few words 

So I will keep it short and sweet

First I want to thank everyone for coming

I know you've come from all over

London

Dublin

Cork

Donegal

Leitrim 

And Sligo

We are so delighted you are here to help us celebrate Mums retirement 

I want to congratulate Mum

I know she has many things planned for her retirement

Book clubs 

Film clubs

And learning to swim which has been on her to do list since 1985

So please join me in a toast

We are super proud of you Mum

We love you very much

And I'm looking forward to travelling the country with you on our respective bus passes

Oh the relief when it was over

I was just so glad to get the words out

And everyone w laughed

And Mum shed a tear

I sat down 

And could finally relax 

Then food started to arrive 

First we had an amuse Bouche 

Which was a little tea cup of carrot and coriander soup

Delicious 

Then the starters 

I had the trio of melon 

As I wanted something light because I really wasn't that hungry

Other starters were pork belly

Which I tasted and it was Devine

Soup

And chowder 

For the main 

I had slow braised blade of beef

Again

I couldn't really enjoy it 

As I just had no appetite 

I ate about a third of it

And gave the rest to my brother 

I tried my best to stay put after eating

I really tried to hang on

But about five minutes later 

I made a little trip to the bathroom

Purging in restaurants is always tricky

There is the issue of others hearing you

And then trying to clean up the mess 

Thankfully there was no one in there though

And I purged in peace

I cleaned up 

And headed back to the table

Then it was time for tea, coffee and dessert

They were all quite heavy

So I just ordered ice cream 

Which was nice

I then had three cups of tea

Which was very welcome as I was gasping for one

We had great craic at the table 

So much laughter which was lovely

And the time just flew by

At just after midnight

We retired to the bar for drinks

Here is where I have to make a little confession

I was really starting to flag and feel really tired

So I was really sneaky and had two drinks of vodka and orange juice

I tried to keep it quiet

But my brother noticed

And asked me what I was drinking 

I told him

And asked him to keep it quiet 

My brrother and I then had a really interesting conversation about escaping reality 

And why I find it so hard to live without the use of substances 

To be honest

I didn't really feel the effect of the alcohol

And I'm not even sure why I did it

I know I shouldn't drink

But I just really craved one last night

Alcohol was not my primary addiction

So part of me still thinks I can get away with having a drink or two

But I know where it leads

At about 1 30am we started to move out and head home

The dogs greeted us

And I immediately changed into pyjamas 

Put my hair up

And washed my make up off

It felt so good getting in to comfy clothes

And I was so glad that the night went well

And that Mum enjoyed it

I am lucky and blessed to have an amazing Mum

She is selfless to a fault

And has been my cheerleader, supporter, friend, confidant and carer from day one

I can never repay her for all she has done for me

That's the reason I made the speech

I wouldn't have done it for anyone else 

After chatting got a while

Everyone began to move to their rooms

I was on the couch

Which I didn't mind at all

When I first moved here 

Even though I had a bedroom

I slept on the couch for the first few months

I could sleep in my own bedroom

As an ex boyfriend had over dosed in there

It was nearing 4 40am when I finly fell asleep

Content

Relieved

And so happy that the night went week

Many many photos were taken last night

Here is a selection of them....

Today is the day

As the title of this post suggests 

Today is the day of Mums retirement do

The visitors are here

The house has been cleaned to within an inch of its life

Beds are changed with fresh white linen

Many meals have been made

Hair and make up are being prepared

Dresses and shirts are being ironed

Dogs are wondering what the heck is going on

Bottles of wine are being opened 

Gifts are being wrapped

Music is playing loudly 

Excitement is in the air

And nerves are frayed

But all in a good cause

Myself and my sister organised this thing

Do we are hoping that it goes off without a hitch 

All in all

There will be 15 - 17 for drinks and dinner

And last night my sister sprang it on me

And asked me to make a speech

I'm like really?

24 hours before the event 

You ask me to make a speech?

I will do it

But people 

You can bank on the fact that it will be short and sweet 

A quick thank you for coming 

And a toast to Mum

That's about as far as my speech making abilities stretch 

I've decided on the orange dress for sure 

As I think it suits my hair better 

And I feel comfortable in it 

So now I must dash and continue the preparations 

Here's hoping it all goes well....

Change of plan!

As is a woman's perogative

I changed my mind about what I'm going to wear to my Mothers retirement dinner

I liked the trouser and t-shirt combo

It was comfortable

Practical

Sensible 

But I felt it was just a bit too casual

So I had a good ol' rifle in my wardrobe

And found an orange and cream dress that was hiding right at the back

I think it's dressier than the other outfit

And I feel more feminine

Anyway

Here it is

Thoughts please....

The Preparations

The first of the visitors landed today

With more to arrive later on this evening

I am hoofed out of my room for a couple of nights

And will be sleeping on the couch

I got my hair done today 

Which you can see photos of below 

She did a tight curl

So it will hold until tomorrow

And also two thin plaits along the side of my head

Coping wise 

So far so good

And dare I say it

I'm even looking forward to tomorrow night

I've seen the menu 

And my mouth was watering reading it

I already know what I'm going to order 

The slow cooked braised beef

Oh my God

Total food porn

After I got my hair done this morning

I was in the supermarket picking up a few things

I ran in to a woman that I used to know

She is the mother of two girls that used to be in my dance class

We chatted for a couple of minutes

She told me that I look really well

I have to admit

That I still find it really hard to hear that

I know people want to be nice

And want to pay a compliment 

But I can't help but connect the comment to my weight

In that I've put on weight 

Below are some photos of the outfit I am wearing tomorrow

I took so many photos

As nine times out of ten 

I look so very chubby

Round 

Rotund 

I don't like it 

Anyway 

Enough of my bitching about my weight

Here are said photos 

The best of a bad lot.....

Thank you

I want to thank all of you who stood up for me against the anonymous commenter on my blog yesterday

I had written a post about animals

And animal abuse

And was promptly told that I was a hypocrite because I eat meat

I went back and deleted a lot of the post because I didn't want any more comments in the same vein 

Some of you lovely ladies jumped to my defence

And I am so grateful for that

It's no secret that I love animals

And my dogs are my whole world

But I'm also recovering from a life threatening eating disorder 

I am not in the habit of cutting out whiole food groups

As that plays in to my ED

When I was growing up

I thought long and hard about becoming vegetarian 

And was one for a short while

But I was so active 

And wasn't getting enough nutrition from other foods

So I went back to eating meat

It's very easy for an anonymous commenter to say their piece 

They are hiding behind the anonymity of a computer screen

Safe on the knowledge that their identity is well guarded secret

It's easy to point the finger

To point out what someone is doing is wrong 

And to say it in a sarcastic and cutting tone

Don't get me wrong 

I'm a big girl

And can handle such comments 

99% of the comments I get are positive, well considered and thoughtful 

It's only the very odd comment that is nasty

And of course it's always written anonymously

I write my blog every day

So I guess I am bound to piss someone off at some point

As a blogger

I put myself out there for the world to see

And to judge

As I move on in recovery

I write less and less about my illness

And more about my life outside my ED

As you know 

I am honest here

More honest than I am in any other area of my life

And I am open to ridicule here

As is any blogger or vlogger 

Or any one who has a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account

People seem to love to take others down a peg or two

And point out what they are doing or saying wrong 

I guess that's life though

You can't please all of the people all of the time

I'm so grateful to have genuine friends here

Who know me

And know that I try my best to be a good and honest person

I don't claim to be a saint

Or anything like one

I make mistakes 

Usually on a daily basis

It's just that my mistakes are posted on the Internet for all and sundry to see

God knows I am far from perfect

And I don't try to be 

I am human 

I am a girl trying to recover from severe addiction and a chronic eating disorder 

Forgive me if I choose to eat 

For a long time I deprived myself of food 

I guess I was a vegetarian by default 

As meat was one of the foods that I avoided 

Now

I choose to have a varied diet

Including meat

And I don't apologise for that 

That does not mean that I can't be an animal lover

Of course I can 

As I wrote yesterday 

I feel a great affinity with animals

More so than with humans a lot of the time

So please anonymous

Don't tell me what is and isn't right for me

Only I can decide that 

This matter has got me thinking about the Internet 

And social media

And how we post so much of our lives online

Everything we do

Everything we eat

Every feeling we feel

Every high

And every low

I am not a huge Facebooker

And don't use Tumblr, Twitter or Instagram

I use my blog to document my life

However 

I am thinking of opening a Twitter account

Just as another facet to my writing

But posting every little thing we do

Is it a good idea?

Sometimes i take an odd look at FB

Some of the stuff on there is interesting, funny or thought provoking

But there is also an awful lot of crap on there 

And you have to sift through a lot of it to get to the good stuff

I blog because I love to write

And I love to have my life documented 

It is such a roller coaster 

And it's nice to have it all recorded

With photos too

I read back over it sometimes 

And it's like reading about someone else

It's very strange 

But amazing also 

With all that said 

I was wondering about you 

Do you use any other social media?

Why or why not?

Do you think it's healthy to post so much about ourselves?

Why or why not?

Have you ever been the target of abuse from anonymous commenters?

How did you deal with it?

Answers on a postcard please.....

And so it begins....

Today is the start of the celebrations 

My Auntie B arrives today from London

And my sisters girlfriend arrives from Cork

The house has been cleaned to within an inch of its life

Many meals have been made

And I am mentally trying to prepare myself for the activities over the next few days

I just thank my lucky stars that I am in a good place

18 months ago I wouldn't have been able to cope with this 

But now 

I know it's not about me

It's about my Mum

And celebrating her long and successful career in education

Both my parents were teachers before they retired 

My Dad taught french  and history

And my Mum taught English

I credit them for my love of reading and writing 

My sister also works in a school library

And my brother is a writer 

So I guess it's in the blood 

I gave Mum her present today

Just before the visitors arrive

I got her a card 

And a bottle of Dolce, floral drops

Which is a lovely fresh and light perfume

She loved it 

In other news 

Honey and Lea had their yearly check up this morning at the vet

I am delighted to report that they are both fighting fit and well

The only thing the vet mentioned that they are both a little over weight

This is not news to me

Honey is a little chubster 

And Lea is no skinny Minnie either

But I love to feed them

Yes I am a feeder

I show my love for them through food 

I have a certain cupboard that I keep their  treats in

And when honey wants one

She just stands in front of it and barks her head off

I can't lie

They are spoiled rotten 

They have such a lovely life 

They both had such difficult starts in their lives

That I feel I have to give them the best life I possibly can 

I've always been an animal lover

And always felt a certain affinity with them

I am half dreading and half looking forward to the next few days

I have to keep reminding myself 

That this is a celebration of my Mothers life and career 

And I want to make it as special as possible for her

She has been through so much in her life

And has always been an amazing support to me

I wasn't close to her growing up

But after my parents split up

And I became ill

We started to become closer 

And are now very very close

She deserves to be spoiled and pampered

So that's what we will do

1 Year

Today is the 11th of August

Which means at 10 30am

This time 

Exactly one year ago

I smoked my last cigarette

So today is my one year anniversary!

I'm very excited to have reached this milestone 

I was a dedicated smoker for 20 years

I started smoking when I was 13 years old

I was a 30 a day girl

And was spending €100 a week on my precious cigarettes 

Which was more than half of my weekly income 

I was constantly broke when I smoked 

So it's nice now to have a little bit extra money

I know I've written it before 

But let me tell you the story of how I gave up

It was last July

My uncle had brought me home two cartons of cigarettes from Turkey 

I had been thinking about giving up

So I decided I would smoke what I had

And then give up

I timed it so that I would be away in London when I gave up

As I thought it might be a bit easier away from home

So I smoked my way through the two cartons 

I smoked my head off

And enjoyed every one 

All too soon 

I found myself with one cigarette

I saved it until I really really craved it

It was 11 August 

At 10 30am

I went out to the garden with my cigarette and my book

Made a cup of tea

Settled on the bench 

And smoked my last cigarette

I relished it 

Thoroughly enjoyed it

I knew it was my last one

So I took a last drag

Extinguished it

And said my goodbyes 

I had no expectations on how long I would stay off them 

I just took it day by day 

But now 

Here I am a whole year later

And it feels great!

To celebrate

My sister is cooking my favourite dinner 

Which is boeuf bourguignon

So I'm really looking forward to that

My mum and sister left a card and a coaster for me by the kettle this morning

How thoughtful of them

You can see the photos below

Today is a good day 

A day to mark achievements 

I never thought I would be able to give up smoking

But it just goes to show 

That of you put your mind to something 

It can happen 

It really can