This Little Piggy

Sometimes, I think about very random things about my family tree. This morning, I was contemplating how my ancestors were not rich, far from it. A few (on my paternal line) amassed pretty impressive amounts of farmland, but I don't find anything to show they lived lavishly. Quite the opposite, in fact. Most of the family I've found appear to have been very frugal. Some branches of our family clearly had challenges making ends meet (just as many families today struggle month to month). Most certainly my grandparents and parents were very frugal. But somehow they all made it work...otherwise, I wouldn't be here. 

I moved on to thinking about how they repaired and reused items. Where we often toss old broken items in the trash bin, for my ancestors, throwing away was a last resort when every bit of usefulness from every possible part had been gleaned. Clothes were mended and handed down, not donated or thrown away. When no longer wearable, they became the foundation for quilts. Many, like the one I remember from my childhood and still have, are treasured heirlooms. Bits of the past, squares and triangles stitched together, a lasting memory of the garments they came from. They found multiple uses for everyday items. Today, we're wide eyed when we find "101 uses for" [whatever the item may be]. In some cases, a single alternate use for a item today is a big win right? Back then, they probably knew tens if not hundreds of multiple uses by heart, because it was their way of life. 

Today, we love to find recipes to feed our families for far less than we could have imagined and we're thrilled with the savings. Back then, they made everything they could from whatever they had. When my dad was a teenager, he got up every morning and jogged his trap line before dawn. Most of the meat the family ate came from whatever he caught (rabbit, squirrel, possum and even groundhog). A depression recipe I once stumbled on was Water Pie, and while I've not actually made it (yet), it's a reminder of the ingenuity of those who came before, finding a way to make something out of almost nothing. (I have an affinity for depression era recipes. I love collecting them. Simple meals are often the best in my mind.)

And then...my mind took a sharp turn...a trajectory to nursery rhymes. I was thinking about the "this little piggy". I know, it's totally random isn't it?! Now who doesn't know this rhyme? 

This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
This little piggy went ...
Wee, wee, wee, all the way home!

We've probably all heard it at some point, and those of us with children have probably passed it along to them as babies. According to mudcat.org, the opening line goes back as far as 1728, with abundant iterations to follow. The well known version seems to stem from about 1760. Apparently, varying versions of the rhyme can cause dissent amongst spouses. I found a thread where one woman wanted others to settle a disagreement between her and her spouse over the "proper" way to say the rhyme. Why was I even thinking about this?...

Because it isn't the way I was taught this rhyme. Oh no! My little piggies appear to have made an appearance in written history about 1890. I know the rhyme like this:  

This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had bread and butter
This little piggy had none
And this little piggy went ...
Wee, wee, wee, all the way home!

When my male offspring was a wee, I taught him the way I was taught. But my ex-husband always said roast beef. At some point, my son innocently asked why my piggies didn't eat roast beef? So I told him the truth - "they were depression era piggies". I'm sure he had absolutely no clue...but it likely sounded important, and it seemed to quell his curiosity. My version eventually won out in our home. 

The differences in the way of thinking and living, then and now, were swirling around in my head. I don't know if my ancestors felt like they were missing out, or if they were fairly content with their way of life. Some certainly seemed to have had it harder than others. But however they may have perceived their lives, I'm very thankful the frugal ways of the past were passed down through the generations to me. My ancestors passed on a fundamental foundation for living. In many areas of my life, frugality seems absolutely ingrained in my DNA. 

I've enjoyed, and passed on, the love of apple, honey and maple syrup festivals (instead of going to amusement parks). I research purchases, find the best value for the money and then keep items for many years. A handmade gift or card is more valuable to me (in most cases) than a purchased item. One of my favorite books is The The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle by Amy Dacyczyn. (Not an affiliate link! You can likely find a copy at your local library, but sadly it has never been released on Kindle or as a eBook). I've read it cover to cover more times than I can count. I buy items on clearance. I stockpile consumables when on sale. I still struggle to throw away small amounts of leftovers (vs putting them in tiny Tupperware to save as a snack.) I still amass more mundane items than I need, because they might be useful one day. And my little piggies still have bread and butter. 

Image by Alexa from Pixabay