Entertaining.
I really miss having friends and neighbours around to my house for dinner parties or cosy evenings in. I am fine going to other peoples homes with them drinking and me not, pub lunches etc. But can't cope with the idea of wine/beer open in my own home as I found out when I invited people around New Years Eve and ended up drinking for the first time in 5 months. For instance, it was horrible weather this weekend and this would have been a time when I would have put out a spontaneous call to my neighbours to pop around for a toasty evening around the fire. I don't miss the alcohol itself but I do miss this (although I assume that I must miss alcohol a little or it would be a non-issue surely?).
Everyone I know drinks socially, not problem drinkers, but practically all of them would think it most odd to be invited to someone's house in the evening and not be offered alcohol/or to bring alcohol. I know that I could do other events such as brunch but this is not the same as having evenings in with friends. I have my own routines that I do in the daytimes on the weekends such as classes and dog walks anyway. If I were to invite people around in the evening and say no booze allowed this would essentially owning that this is an issue for me which I am not prepared to do. Everyone knows I have quit drinking but I make really light of it.
I am sure that I cannot be the only one with this issue. I hope with time that I might be able to just say to friends, I am not drinking or offering alcohol but you are welcome to bring your own. But I feel a long way off from this point yet.
I am wondering how others deal with it?