I'll put the kettle on...

I visited my grandparents for lunch yesterday. It is one of my favourite things to do. They lived in Northern Ireland when I was growing up so I would only see them once or twice a year. A few years ago they moved to a bungalow near to my parents which means that I can pop in and see them more regularly. I love the familiarity of being there. I always have a cup of tea in my brown mug, there are ornaments there that moved with them from their old house. But most of all I love chatting to them about the past. Where they lived when they were younger and members of my family who I never met. I found out yesterday that an uncle of my Grandmothers died during the first world war. I know a lot about my Great-Grandfather's time during the war but know very little about the family of my Grandmother's side of the family. I will have to start to research that too...

Two pints please...

We had our first delivery of bottled milk today. It was really exciting to open the front door at 6:50am and see two pints of milk waiting for me on the doorstep. I checked that the milkman delivered early as we both go to work before 9am but before 7am is very impressive.


This is another small step towards using the supermarkets less frequently. My new year’s resolution is to stop using the big supermarkets to do all of my shopping and use local shops and online retailers. I feel very strongly that the supermarkets have really taken over and the food that they are providing is having a damaging effect on both our local communities and the environment, not to mention our perception of what real food is actually like! My aim is that by the end of the year I do not have to go to the large supermarkets for anything, that as much of my food as possible is locally sourced, and that buying it is no more expensive or less convienient than going to a supermarket. With all the recent programmes about chicken rearing and where our food comes from I have become more aware of just how controlling the supermarkets are. I already keep two lovely chickens, Mabel and Luci, and their eggs are absolutely delicious. They are made all the more tasty by the fact that I know that my chickens have a lovely life and are very well looked after.

So all in all I am very excited about having milk delivered to my door. It is slightly more expensive than buying it from the shop, but the big bonus is that it is in glass bottles which are re-used, so less plastic recyling for me and less plastic in a landfill! It is also supporting a local dairy and my milkmans livelihood. I will have to get up a bit earlier if I want to meet him though…