Use it up, wear it out...

Dad used to always say, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." He lived it too. If you needed a nail, a piece of plywood, a section of garden hose, a smidgen of paint (Dad used to say smidgen a lot) - he had it. It's that growing up during the depression.

Mom caught the vision too. Sometimes I would drop in and she would be making rolls, or pie, or whatever. I would ask her what motivated the baking. She would often say, "Oh, I had some sour cream that was getting old so I decided to use it up."

I know I definitely caught the vision as well. I will often start cooking with the sole aim of using up my eggs before they get old. Steve always says I am nuts - just throw them out. I point out that the starving people in China wouldn't be throwing out food, so I won't either. (As kids, when we didn't eat our dinner, we were always made to feel guilty because of the starving people in China.)

I do think I am taking a bit too far now, however. I was visiting one of my extractors (Clarice) and we started talking about quilts. She showed me a neat book she had on quilts. I asked, "Were you a dedicated quilter?" She responded, "Oh yes. I was homemaking leader for a hundred years. We used to have three quilts on every month - one to tie, one to quilt, and a baby quilt. We used to sell them at the Relief Society Bazaar." Then she continued, "I don't do that any more. Several years ago I went through my closet and gave away SEVEN BOXES of material. Just recently, I found another box of fabric - called whipped cream. They don't make that any more. I decided I'd make it all up in baby quilts for my grand children (to come). They're all ready now and I'm done quilting."

Well, that got me to thinking. I have at least seven boxes of fabric that I have bought for quilts. (My motto is, when something is on sale, buy a LOT of it. But I don't even quilt - I just tie and have no real sewing talent.) I decided I should make up all the quilts I have so I can use up the fabric and the batting I have stashed away. I can't believe how many quilts I have fabric for. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with them. The baby quilts will be great for future grandchildren - but the queen and kingsized quilts? Who is going to want all of them. And they are not gorgeous fabrics. I have a lot of red/white/blue and some wild prints that would make anyone want to keep their bed made. So, when I die and you find this hoard of oddly colored quilts that look like new - you'll know, I was just using it up, wearing it out, making it do, or doing with lots...