No Picnic

Yesterday was One Of Those Days. Came back from the school run to find the puppies had escaped from the kitchen, tearing through the bins on their way out before moving on to Youngest Girl’s cuddly toy stash. Opened the front door to utter carnage, like a horror version of The Teddy Bears’ Picnic. Stuffing everywhere. Piglet lost an arm (leg?) and both his ears, and he was one of the lucky ones. Then, in a final flourish, the puppies pissed on our bed. Twice. Luckily, changing sheets as 11.50pm is so much fun. In other news, I’m still doing Dry January for that piece in the paper. So far, two people have told me I look tired and I’ve put on weight. Chin chin, literally.

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White in the rack: DB Family Selection Chardonnay

Price: £5.00 - Buy From Asda

This is one for anyone who loves the idea of drinking tinned peaches in wine form. Not everyone’s bag, but if you like ripe, round, tropical fruit loaded whites with simple but happy flavours at an outrageously good price, then it’s a great buy. De Bortoli are one of Australia’s oldest family-owned wine producers. And their ‘family selection’ is right up my (quality) street. Put it with creamy fish pie.

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Red in the rack: Veneto Rosso

Price: £6.99 - Buy From Lidl

A perky Northern Italian red made from a blend of grapes, some of which were partially dried before they were fermented. This adds a bit more oomph and depth to the juicy baked plum flavours. It’s a stealth red: despite its friendly warmth, there’s 14% of alcohol in there. By the second glass you’ll have your feet up. By the third you’ll be asleep. Lovely.

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12 Comments

  • 7 years ago

    Wait, whoa – when did your blog get a makeover?? Looking fabulous (both you and your blog). Bad dogs, poor piglet. Surely that demands deviation from the dry ?? xx

    • Helen McGinn
      7 years ago

      Glad you like! Thank you, me darlin’. Staying strong (mostly because I’m being paid to) x

  • Peta
    7 years ago

    I can relate and sympathise, try a full to bursting hoover bag shaken all over the house, thats quite a good ruse! (but then we can all learn – empty the thing before it gets to that state!) Am also doing a dry month, the start of the massive weight loss before daughters wedding in September, interrupted by a G&T after phone from said brideszilla. And I missed the last frost for a frozen poo pick in the garden.

    • Helen McGinn
      7 years ago

      I love the frozen poo pick! Well, not love. But you know what I mean. SO much easier. And go you on your dry month (that G&T doesn’t count, it was an emergency, clearly).

  • LaLa
    7 years ago

    LaLa’s bitch got her head stuck in her new coat pocket trying to get at the treats.
    Toys do not last long, stuffing everywhere.
    Having a dry January can get very tough, but nearly there|

    • Helen McGinn
      7 years ago

      She’s a one off, your dog 😉

  • Trish
    7 years ago

    Having not had a puppy in the house for almost a decade, in prep for our 8 week old Irish Terrier I bought Pippa Mattinson’s Puppy Handbook. I knew IT’s had a reputation for being intelligent and active, and AGILE, but had it not been for 1am reading, page by page and then re reading each page again of this incredibly helpful – and utterly reassuring – book, we would have gone round the twist. Yesterday, I gave said IT – now 17 weeks old – our previous dog’s bed – all washed and warm, in her playpen to relax and sleep, while I worked. I thought the Kong I’d given her must have been especially good, as I could hear lots of munching behind me. 5 mins later, I turned round to find a haven of green looking soap bubbles all over her pen, which were in the process of being swallowed, as a desert, having already done a disappearing act with the rest of the bed. Back to ‘Problem Puppies’ chapter, methinks…and oh, yes, dry since NYE and have lost 12lbs, but IT’S THE IT, NOT THE DRINK! Good luck with everything, at least our pup has been dry since 12 weeks old, so we are very fortunate, and we love her to bits 🙂

    • Helen McGinn
      7 years ago

      Oh my goodness, my mum’s dog (see above comment, that’s her! As in my mum, not the dog) is also an Irish Terrier! She’s hilarious! (the dog, not my mum. Although having said…). I’m going to get her that book. Great tip, thank you. Brilliant news on the dry and weight loss. Not jealous at all. Really, not at all.

  • 7 years ago

    What gorgeous puppies – not for sale, I suppose? Just lost my 17 year old Springer in November, and just getting over it enough to look at buying another homebred pup. Yours look like Working Cockers. I realise this is a cheeky ask – but having read and loved your comms for so long, I kind of know you will be amused rather than horrified – that’s not taking into account dry january, though, eek, perhaps offensive after all . . . hope not

    all the best, only a week to go!

    Biddy

    • Helen McGinn
      7 years ago

      Ah, Biddy! If you’d asked me as I finished clearing up the carnage and changing the sheets I would have gladly handed them over. But then I took them for a walk on the forest, in the frost, yesterday and it was SO lovely watching them bound through the heather – they are forgiven! Yes, they are working cockers, half brothers. We got them from a friend in Scotland but they’ve all long gone I’m afraid. How lovely that you’re thinking about getting another though, please keep me posted! And thank you for your kind words on the blog, I’m thrilled you like it.

  • 7 years ago

    Sorry can’t comment as too WOW with the new look website – blimey ! Deliciously KWMC – well done you.

    Ps thanks so for the marvellous book you sent. Dry January is about to welcome February full of fun ? Seriously – great makeover.

    • Helen McGinn
      7 years ago

      Ah, thank you! Love that you love. The person who helped me do it is BRILLIANT. And pleasure re. book!

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