I read this article with utter horror this week.  It seems that the River Mersey near Manchester has the highest recorded levels of microplastics in the world.  The world!

***WARNING! Miserable Blog Post Alert!***

Here in the UK, today has been Mothers' Day, a day to show appreciation for mums (and grandmothers, grannies and nanas) in all their various and wonderful guises!

I am lucky enough (yes, I AM lucky enough) to be a mother to five and daughter to one, but I'm also pretty glum when it comes to days like this.  The reason behind this is that I struggle, I really struggle, to rationalise my environmental principles with the consumerist trap that Mothering Sunday can become.

I have been lucky enough to be involved in a longstanding project to improve the alleyways that lie between the back-to-back terraces in my town.  I can't even begin to describe just how dreadful some of these are - full of rubbish and flytipped waste, dog and cat faeces and the scene of various criminal acts.  But slowly, slowly we have been turning things around.  I can't take any credit for this - it is down to a group of people, people I now include amongst my friends, that we've collectively nicknamed the 'Alleypals!'

We are in the grips of a catastrophe!  With snow persisting, I gather from several more enlightened sources (ie. those who've found the energy to leave the warmth of the house and venture out) that our beloved supermarkets are feeling the strain of supplying fresh food and there are... EMPTY SHELVES!

We are, as is the rest of the UK, in the grips of 'the Beast from the East,' which actually equates to around 8 inches of snow but complete shut down.  The schools are closed, and my normal day of salad production was definitely off the cards, so instead we had an enforced day in.  What a pity, eh?!

In the true spirit of Hygge, snow days should be specifically designated for all things cosy and all things making: I actually do think this should be The Law.  They are a great opportunity to catch up on all those odd little projects that sit in quiet corners looking longingly for some attention, often for years at a time.  This is one such project, and yesterday was the perfect excuse for experimental slipper making.  And yes, that is a Thing.