Frugal Housewife

Aunt Mary shows us a ball 

made from rubber bands,  

all different lengths, widths and bright colors. 

We cousins bounce her ball in the living room.

Who can make it go highest?

Patty smacks a lamp, our game stops. 

Nana holds Mary’s handmade ball,

turns it round and round,

studies it on all sides 

and nods approval.    

My aunt beams at her mother's verdict,

heads for the kitchen cabinet, 

fetches an enormous ball of saved string.   

She earns a second round of smiles.

Nana honed her saver skills.   

Drawers, closets and cellar shelves overflowed.

More scrap collections crammed the attic and garage.   

Nana always said, Someday we might need this.   

Depression living taught hard lessons. 

All of us learned from Nana. 

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Date Published: November 13, 2023