Blue Monday

According to this morning's news today is one of the most depressing of the year, the day when everyone feels down in the dumps because of post christmas debt, bad weather and failure to keep new year's resolutions. Although pay day does seem a long way away we are just about scraping through, the weather last week got me down - wet and very windy - but today is lovely, cold, dry and very sunny. I didn't make any resolutions so I'm not kicking myself about my lack of application. But, and there is always a but, I think today I will not make a resolution as such, but mentally agree to take part in a campaign organised by today's 'Independent' to tackle the problem of waste caused by supermarket packaging. I have been trying, half heartedly I admit, to not buy things that are over packaged but still it is hard, in some cases for example - soft fruit and berries. I try to buy things that are loose rather than packaged because I think any fruit or vegetable with a skin that can be peeled or washed doesn't need to be protected. The only thing I now drawn the line on is bread.

We make our own bread and have done for years but sometimes we run out and or can't be bothered or don't have time to bake so then we buy bread. If I bought it at the supermarket I always used to buy the loose bread from the baskets until one day I saw a woman walking along feeling the bread rolls with her bare hands. She went back and forth along the row whilst her husband leant on the trolly handle willing her to hurry up and chose something. I had to bite my tongue in order not to say anything but I've never bought any of that bread since. I'm afraid I buy it with wrapping - just in case.

Yesterday we had a long walk along part of the High Peak Trail from Middleton Top to Black Rock, I will post photos when they are sorted out.