I learned to be a recycler, saving at my mother’s knee:
- String from the grocery box became crochet thread.
- Flour and sugar sacks with tiny flowers were blouses.
- Lard buckets were water pails for the chickens, and lunch boxes.
- Tuna cans and walnut shells became Christmas decorations.
- “I think I’ll just pick this up—I might need it sometime.”
I learned to be a recycler, saving as a Home Economist:
- Saran, foil, plastic bags, cottage cheese containers; all washed and reused.
- Saving for a really good appliance might pay off in the long run.
- Just follow directions to replace a toilet or repair a washing machine.
- A good cut of beef can be a dinner roast, sandwiches, Stroganoff and soup.
- Items that have only one use are of questionable value.
I learned to be a recycler, saving in my first house:
- Sledge hammered walls opened tiny rooms to useable spaces.
- Curtains and a basinet cover were once a crinoline-supported skirt.
- Careful color selection of Ace Hardware gallons covered many walls.
- Goodwill furniture became chic with a little time, thread and remnant fabric.
- Juice cans in a garage shelf transformed into an ever-expanding wine closet.
Now, I am a venerable recycler in my old age:
- A plain vanilla Grandparent car holds us all, with multiple lists to save trips.
- Paper, aluminum, plastic are recycled with an old paid-for, gas-guzzling pickup just to make sure it still runs.
- Compostable coffee grounds and kitchen peels cause the garage to reek and drip.
- F-150 4-wheel drive, fifth-wheel camping trailer-pulling kin think I am an eco-fanatic.
- My friends, on their year-round bicycles, think I am ruining the planet. MSN
