Hey there

There is nothing more fun and rewarding than hearing "hey I've read your blog" it's cool.

Big hi, to my uncle Jocelyn, my cousin Nathalie and my friend Agnie in Poland ;)

Don't forget to comments! I love those.

Upcycling construction material - part 2

There is something I forgot to mention and that is really getting on my nerves about the fact we try to recycle and upcycle material ...

Most people who are letting us recycle or upcycle their stuff think we are very very poor and that they are giving us a unstanding gift.

*rolleyes*

1. We aren't poor, far from that (not that I would be ashamed of being poor that's not the point).
2. They aren't giving us a gift ... they are most of the time in a win-win situation. They get rid of the stuff that most of the time they would have had to pay to get rid off and we are reusing it.

It bugs me 'cause it seems to a lot of people that being rich is a free pass not to recycle and care for the environment. Why buying new stuff when we can reuse?

Another thing is that they seem not to realize that yeah they are giving us the stuff they don't want but that it represents a whole lot of time to pick up the stuff (that is most of the time among the trash, full of rusty nails and other Tetanus givers), classify it, and use it properly and to the maximum of its potential.

I got the comment once again today ... well not a comment but a "I am very helping the poor people" attitude today and I can't help but telling them that I have two houses and that my husband is a senior system analyst ...
Not my style to do that, but geez, stop being so condescendant! I am not poor I am just smart and I care for my planet!

Jenga?

I am trying to clean up the place. Well, clean up is not totally exact ... I try to make some room.
It's hard. I really want to get rid of some stuff before we start the renovation on the second floor ... I can't wait!!!!

Today I was looking at the place and was telling myself that I was living in a huge jenga game ...

If I am brave enough, I'll post pics.

P.S. We have a newcomer, her name is Paloma

And did I tell you about Myrchat? He arrived some time ago.

Upcycling construction material

Since a week we are collecting materials from a house that is in major remodeling. It's amazing to see than more than 90% of the things in a deconstruction has a possibility of being upcycled.

We really plan on trying to upcycle more material from sites we know of.

Just in isolation material, we saved around 300$. We probably saved another 200$ as we took the floating floors too. We would probably put that in several little houses we will build.

We also got wood, studs, tiles ...

It takes a lot of muscles and a lot of time but it worths it.

Little Boxes

I talked to my uncle yesterday, he told me that what I was living was close to the definition he has of happiness.
I've met my psychologist some weeks ago and she told me that she was really proud of the path I took and that I was looking so happy.
Both aren't wrong.

I am super happy.

Today on chat, I've met two guys from Algeria. Both were telling me that people in Canada have it better.

That got me thinking.

People just check the shell of things. If it's cute and all dressed up, they find it pretty ... it must be perfect. They never check what's behind.

It's bit like the song ... you know Little Boxes?

People want that. But do they know what's at stake?

Work, slavery.
Slavery to a system that would take all you have until nothing's left, or until you crack, like I did.

You want things, you want more. You want things that will fill the hole there's in your soul. The thing must be bigger and bigger. Will that fill the hole? No, it won't.

"but you guys have progress" I've heard from the guy from Algeria.

Which progress?

If progressing is becoming part of a corporate world when all that matters is what you have but not what you are is progress, please bring us to the Bronze age.

I don't call it progress. I would call it regression.

People are not able to make anymore. They just consume. We are losing precious knowledge. We have to go back to a time where people were more independant.

Yeah but what about leisure? Plenty. When I go outside take care of my animals it's a time of fun, not a duty. I do that with my husband and that way we spend time together. We are top shape 'cause we work outside and we work a lot. It's not even tiring. It's rewarding.

So people of Algeria, and other country where the monster of capitalism hasn't ruined it all yet ... you guys are lucky, it's still time to turn back time.