Nella Last's War, Housewife, 49

Before I start this blog over again, or renew it by writing about the books I've finished reading, I wanted to mention the one I am reading: "Nella Last's War".

Nella Last, a housewife who lived near Liverpool during World War, was part of England's Mass Observation Project - citizens who kept diaries during the war.

Nella has quickly become part of my life, as I've become part of hers. I've started crocheting - not for soldiers but for other charity projects- and today I actually made vegetable soup from scratch. Cooking things from scratch is something I rarely do, but after reading about Nella's wartime cookery and how she saved bits of this and that and came up with a meal, I thought I should use my time to do something equally constructive if not equally frugal.

The many Nellas of this time period are easily forgotten because they didn't drop the bombs or storm the beaches; however, they were just as important as those that did. They were (are) the backbone of a country that survived.

Many of us today can learn from them - and more than crocheting for charity or making soup from scratch.