Bags of rags

 

When I win the lottery – which will be a trifle difficult as I’ve never bought a lottery ticket – I intend to throw the household’s collection of towels away and buy a completely new set which all match.

I might then move on to sheets, pillowcases, quilt covers and the like. Then I’ll start on tablecloths, napkins and place-mats. I’ll buy some new cutlery – it’s extraordinary how cutlery disappears, just like single socks. We use a lovely set of George Jensen stainless steel cutlery from the ‘70s but mysteriously there are missing forks and spoons but not knives.

Then I might go to various home-wear shops and buy lots and lots of things I’ve never thought of before.

I can justify this farrago of spending by reflecting on my current status as queen of recycling.

I have bags for odd socks, paper rubbish, glass, bottles and cans, hangers, soft plastics and bags of rags. Which reminds me that when newly married I answered the door of our flat to an elderly lady who was collecting rags for charity; I had to admit that at that stage of my life I hadn’t any.

All our unusable clothing (items among them which fitted when I wasn’t fat) goes to Vinnies or the Red Cross shop. Also consigned to re-sale are the buying mistakes – rather too many of those.

Used A4 paper gets torn across twice to make scribble notelets which sit in a container on my desk. Batteries are collected and eventually taken to the store which provides for their recycling.

Shoe boxes are used for storing various collections of children’s bits and pieces and the firm plastic covering of new sheets and the like is used in various ways including storing handbags on an open shelf. I also use them as storage in my sewing room. I collect tins, the sort that hold yummy biscuits or Christmas cake. These I use to store individual projects of embroidery or patchworking. It’s just as well I have them as rather too often I start an embroidery or other project and just don’t get around to finishing it.

And about boxes, and the rigid plastic containers which once held delicious chocolates … I have a number in my laundry cupboards for storing various things. One box has our world class collection of computer, phone and other cables which I have neatly wound up and tied (yes, I know I’m obnoxiously anal!). Another has electrical bits and bobs including plugs and cords of various dimensions while one of the smaller boxes holds silver and brass cleaner and their rags. Somewhat bigger boxes – purchased and not re-purposed – house collections of household cleaning sprays and the like. On top of the washing machine is one container with laundry powder and another with de-staining spray, soaker and fabric softener (probably unnecessary but it smells nice).

All in all I think I deserve that lottery win but I’m reminded of the old joke: Moishe prays to God: “God, you know I’m a good man, I’m charitable, I go to the synagogue every week, I volunteer at the homeless shelter … would it be so hard to let me win the lottery.” God replies: “Moishe, I know you’re a good man, you’re charitable, you come faithfully to shule each week, you volunteer at the homeless shelter. But Moishe, meet me half way. Buy a ticket!”

 

Quote of the week from Chambers Dictionary of Modern Quotations:

“Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man. Communism is the complete opposite.”

Described by Laurence J. Peter as a “Polish proverb”.