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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Zero Waste report #2 - The Terrible Cold!! - Zero Waste Style!

Well, I wanted to give weekly reports like the lovely Chez Green family over at Myzerowaste have 'em, but last week couldn't think of anything to 'report'! hm!

Basically, I haven't been doing any new experiments! - although I think I MAY have found a potential useful use for one of the strangest 'leftovers' in the bathroom! lol!! /will post about it one of these days.../

My Dad can't be trusted upon to buy cheese 'the zero waste' way, so now Mum and I will try to do it whenever we can..

Also, I had a terrible cold (brought on by the damn incinerators, I think!! just reading about them makes me - ooh!!) Or the too many Amazon-books that I tried to cram all into my head. And Beppe Grillo totally scared me!! (I had nightmares of nanoparticelli coming in through the window from the next-door factory!!)
Or it was the donuts, and a few not-so-healthy days before that. (Carnival was here!) Or, my Sis brought it home. As we both got it at the same time.

My Sis took the Coldrex anti-cold med. I was tempted, very tempted.
But I looked at the box and thought, 'Is this zero waste?' uhm, not.
I couldn't help but feel guilty at the thought of having to throw away the pill cases. Also, when I read 'caffeine' - the stuff usually made me jiffy, even when not messed up!!

So, instead I took my trusty old Louise Hay into my hands, and looked for her words of wisdom. Of course she was spot on, as pretty much always.

"Your thinking has become narrow. Wish to run away. Leave me alone." LOL!! SO TRUE!!
So instead, the right mantra is to be: "I'm always completely safe. Love surrounds me and protects me. All is well." Hm!

When I actually focused on the lovely communities going the zero waste way (instead of trying to figure out the evil ways of the incinerators or if they are really so maybe-green as some say they are) it helped heaps too!!

Basically that's probably what Louise Hay has been saying all along: focus on the solution and not on the problem! Hm!

So, the good news: my gorgeous cousin has now signed up for an eco course at the Uni (after receiving a loong pep talk from me last weekend, lol!) - I wish those courses were just part of every curriculum, unfortunately they are completely optional mostly - but the good thing it's her assistant professor's favorite course!!

Some friends and acquaintances were vaguely interested too.. (or at least didn't run away screaming, as I had feared! though one has avoided me for more than 2 weeks on account of feeling guilty for the many non-eco diapers they throw away! she has a lovely baby boy!!)

There is a thin line between inspiration and completely terrifying someone (at times) and I'm not always sure of it!! lol (seems like Beppe Grillo may still have some problems with this too!:)
So, I am still looking for ways how to tell people about this without completely scaring them or making them go on the defensive or thinking I completely lost it! lol

My Mum is now interested to try washing her hair with the soap nuts too, as I told her how some people on the online forums are delighted with them & even have more hair volume this way!

I also suggested that cloth diapers might be recommended to a local 'mothers' home' (for mummies that need to get away for a while & stay in a place before going on their own.. they might be excited about cloth diapers there too & start using them on their own later on too? It would also be more cost-effective for the home..) We'll see what comes of this, but it's another 'seed' planted.. :)

Some Moms here in Slovenia seem quite happy with them, although there are many different varieties, and it also depends on the baby, as all are different..
Personally, I think if we could survive & prosper in cloth diapers (Mom said she washed every 2 or 3 days then too) babies today could too.. (especially as more modern varieties are around) My cousin's baby (that's another cousin!) couldn't stop wetting her pants (at 3 years old) until the doctor advised taking away the disposable diapers!!

Of course, another thing was tested this week: my resolution to stay with cloth cleenex!!
In fact, I must tell you I wasn't sure if I'd last myself.. but was immensely cheered up by the lovely cloth handkerchiefs with lovely little flowers and such! (They rock!) Only used up maybe 5 altogether, and still keeping 1 or 2 around 'just in case'...
They're a nice childhood memory as we always used them, as far as I remember.. before the paper hanky frenzy.. (I do admit a few tissues of - recycled! - toilet paper too, lol!)

Other than that, nothing much to report. I wish I were 'perfect', living the zero waste lifestyle already.. but it's a (sometimes slow) learning process.. I do wish more people here in Slovenia were 'on board'.. (still didn't dare talk to my neighbours! ough - & Of course I didn't want to give them any germs either!! Although I don't believe in this 'germs' stuff much, it much more depends on one's immune system.. but if the immune system is already low, well.. just heard one neighbour is still ill, mostly due to soda pop, his wife says - I said 'better not have any in the house then,' but his wife 'loves 'em soo much' too!! OoO - and then quickly changed the subject! hm! It's difficult to change habits, yeah, sometimes.. Still, I think health comes first.)

The number of allergies and illnesses here scares me too.. Not everyone is so lucky to get better with Louise Hay & cloth hankies alone.. (& some herbal tea & juicing of beetroot+carrot+apple - yum!)
And instead of campaigning heavily for healthy air - people just go buy drugs or ionizers (I was heavily tempted last week! still am!) & succomb to advertisements telling them to stay in and use drugs, ugh!!
I do think HEALTHY AIR is more important!! :)

Hopefully other people will start realizing it too.. Some already have.

4 comments:

  1. what a fab post - I really enjoyed reading about it. I think you are doing so much already. Sure we would all like to be total zero waste, but we have to make one change at a time.
    I love Louise Hay for her wisdom - she is so spot on with her stuff about life; what a wise woman.
    Hope you are feeling better now and thanks for continually inspiring me with your passion and enthusiasm.

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  2. Oh poor Layla! I hope you will be well in a very short time! Mmm we Italian are dangerous! LOL
    Some weeks ago I went to see the new Beppe Grillo's show: he talks on very cruel realities such as that one of incinerators and nanoparticles but he only can do it, with the help of comedy, in a country like mine in which people don't want to hear, see and talk! He often screams at the public because he wants to shake people. I learnt on my own that a positive way of talking (and also thinking) is better than screaming and crying on problems. But sometimes there's the need to be serious and to say the truth.
    So let's talk about problems but especially about solutions!!!
    And for feeling well, you must not to be sad if at the moment you aren't realizing what you hope. You must be aware that anyway you are 'planting a seed'! Take a cup of wild rose infuse and optimism, and everything will be all right! :)

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  3. Thank you, Mrs Green & Danda!! :)

    I'm glad I can inspire you (even with a cold, lol!!) - and yes, I am feeling better!! :)

    Danda, I found speaking of solutions is usually better too!
    Wild rose infuse - do you mean essential oil?

    I know I'm planting some seeds - may need to get better organized though!! :)

    Thank you both for constantly inspiring & cheering me up too!! :) /and tons of other people of course!!/

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  4. Hi Layla, I hope you are already better, but as a remedy I suggested an infusion of rose hips, not the essential oil. Or you can do it with petals, so this recipes says: "To prepare it you need just 10 grams petals wild rose to be left to rest for 10 minutes in half a liter of boiling water. After be filtered, it can be consumed warm before meals." (da http://www.benessereblog.it/post/2520/rimedi-contro-il-raffreddore-la-tisana-di-rosa-canina e http://www.benessereblog.it/post/848/rimedi-naturali-infuso-di-rosa-canina-contro-la-stanchezza)
    I think you can find it in a herbal medicine shop, otherwise you can ask for a ready tea. Hope you'll find it! And don't forget to use a good honey to sweeten it!
    See also http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_canina
    A warm hug!
    Danda
    xxx

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