Explanation for Not Posting

I've read a post in a blog that says never to apologize for not posting (hm?) I still think I need to explain though.

The need to stay away.

Because I was deeply, terribly, horribly embarassed.

I only figured it out recently. I just couldn't get myself to post before.

My Dad. He was like the ultimate polluter, always coming up with schemes how to employ iffy practices at the renovation works - and I was just soo deeply embarassed.
Cause I wasn't able to convince him of more eco ways.

Or didn't know what were more eco ways. (I'm not an eco building expert or engineer, am I? Frenzied googling was sometimes just not timely enough, or I didn't get good enough answers.. I think my Dad has some ADD/ADHD, and sometimes things just needed to be done 'now'!)
As the renovated part will not be my chambers, I also didn't feel entitled to push my opinions too much..

It still made me miserable.

So now you know. The doors and windows will mostly be conventionally bought. Insulation and such probably too.. At a point, I just gave up. And let'em do what they want - cause I really didn't want to be the 'eco monster' anymore (Dad was really cross at me sometimes, for 'complicating things' sigh..)

Sometimes he did appreciate my ideas & cooperation later on though!!
(Like the secret doors on the balcony etc!:)

I wanted this blog to be cheerful and upbeat, so I just stopped posting! :)
Luckily an Eco Building Institute has been established recently in Slovenia, and hopefully they will provide useful independent info for all interested. (Otherwise, info can be obtained for $$$$ or it's very scattered or possibly biased.)

The summer charity workshops for kiddies went well and were MUCH more eco than the previous years! And I met some cool eco people... It's still too-easy to just focus on the negative, lol. Then I realized my Dad and I are two different people and I can't let myself be made miserable over who he is and what he does. He's 'old school' and builds in a way that was 'modern' 25+ years ago!

I did learn a lot about what (not) to do later on if I ever build or renovate anything again!
So overall, it was a good learning experience (although sometimes horribly stressful lol).

I am not perfect and neither is my Dad. But I still love him. (And try to take a walk when 'loud' works are scheduled!)

My Mum Made Butter!! :) Yum!

Well, I have been hunting for zero waste butter everywhere...

Truly, I have...

And no naked butter in sight! /sigh/

So after a neighbour said her boyfriend makes butter(!) & I lamented at home how Dad eats all the cream before we'd be able to make some, & gave them as an illustrious example! - finally, some cream was saved this week.. (it also helped Mom & Dad were away from home most of the time! making wood at Aunt's..)

Mum just used a little pot & a hand mixer.. then she showed me how she pours away the 'water' (I drank most of it - yum!) & just rinses the butter & does things to it with a spoon.. (no fancy equipment used here, just going about it as simple as possible!)
/pic found on Wikipedia/

I talked of what people online say or use.. (so Mum used a sieve too, before, she didn't)
She was told the mystery of butter-making by a woman we used to get milk from.. before that, she didn't know how..

It's really simple & quick.. (Poppy may have fumbled with it more, but we had a smaller quantity too..) and also more cost-effective... (considering we get milk anyway.. and this is just a by-product!)

Mum also said if we want to make quark/cottage cheese, we can oder extra 2 liters of milk & just make it! :)
/The woman making quark didn't come to local monthly non-farmers-market this week! Sis said we can visit her though if needed, so quark sources covered! ;)/

(pic found here )
Mum &I talked of maybe using the soapwort instead of soapnuts as a more local alternative, for hair washing & washing the clothes.. (apparently the soapwort has 20% saponins in the root, soapnuts only 15%?)
Found some recipes for shampoo, haven't found any for washing clothes yet! Any recommendations?

/pics found here/
I also want to make a dish cloth & have looked at patterns online.. only found some brightly colored cotton in Mum's boxes.. not sure if it's okay for dish cloths.. would prefer organic/eco cotton..
Does anyone know if mercerized cotton is okay for dish cloths?

Am rather dreading zero waste week cause I feel totally underprepared, & still haven't planned the menus! /sigh/ And Dad will be sawing the wood much of the time, & I really hate too much noise!!
Sis said, 'Can we have it next year?' lol

Some Horror Gifts from Easter/b-day in advance include non-zero-waste chocolate, & sadly, I couldn't resist it! /sigh/ Hopefully it will get eaten before ZW week - or wait till the end? /Or..?!/ Can I cheat? ;)

Better news:
I called the local newspaper & they're interested in articles how to make less waste. (I said nothing about zero waste week cause I'm not sure we could pull it off! lol) They would be published end-of-May & then once a month, so I have time! :)

Got the 500 media contacts of Slovenian media too (YAY!!:)), & not sure what to do with them?!! (slightly overwhelmed, lol!!)

Not-so-good:
Tomorrow we can't go to the Farmers' Market as Mum has other things, Sis seems slightly ill, & Dad wants to be sawing wood! /sigh/ & I still haven't renewed my drivers' license! /sigh/

The computers I ranted about a few weeks before were discovered under the pine trees and on the grass (!!) at the local wastewater center! /sigh!!/
Definitely something must be done about this!

(Mom said to put them in newspaper too, but I'd prefer to talk to local officials first & try to deal with this quietly & diplomatically, if possible!! alas, I'm no diplomat! & when I think of the damn computers, some of them half broken on the grass, near a river (!) I get headache!! ugh!!)

Head of a local charity agrees a reuse station would be a good idea..
Now if only I could convince the officials etc? & get some money from EU?
(They give money for MUCH stupider projects!!)

National garbage policy is said to be updated in 2 months.. NGOs should definitely have a say, but will anyone bother to do anything?

I feel so... tired, & alone, & ... ugh, not sure exactly what to do & how to go about it..?!! I am just 'poor old me', not so healthy at the time either!! - how can I change any official politics?!!
/img found here/
at least I weeded out the strawberries today! :)
now if only weeding out silly official policies & practices would be as easy!!

Hmm, maybe this is normal before a zero waste week?!! Do tell!! :)