I Was Born In the Wrong Century!

I'm a stuff collector. I have stuff piled everywhere. If a horizontal surface gets cleaned off, it is only minutes before it's collected a pile of stuff. I've been trying to cure this ailment for years and years, but the older I get, the more stuff I have.

Daughter Robin loaned me a book that makes me feel better. The book's title is "The American Fugal Housewife. Dedicated to those who are not ashamed of economy" by Mrs. Child. It was published in 1833. The very first paragraph in the book tells me all I need to know: I was born in the wrong century!

"The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time, as well as materials. Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make any use of it, however trifling that use may be; and whatever be the size of a family, every member should be employed either in earning or saving money."

Now, that's a doctrine I can agree with! Robin warned me that once I started reading the book, I wouldn't be able to stop. I've already read the second paragraph, and I'll talk about it tomorrow.