FORGOTTEN GEMS: So when I was a kid of about the Insta-Daughter’s age, I read a book at my grandparents’ by Mary Lasswell, called One On The House. It was dated enough to seem cool, and the story was cheerful and lighthearted — the three protagonists are old women who live together and spend a lot of time on beer, food, and overcoming minor difficulties. I got a couple of other books in the series out of the library — High Time, and Suds in Your Eye — and had largely forgotten them until recently. But, thanks to the miracle of the Internet they’re easy to get. I also ordered a cookbook supposedly put together by one of the characters, Mrs. Rasmussen’s Book of One-Arm Cookery. (The theory is that you’re supposed to be able to do most of the cooking with a beer in hand). I read the books, and they held up pretty much as I remembered, and the Insta-Daughter has devoured two already, and actually cooked two recipes from the cookbook (deviled eggs and bread-and-butter pudding: they turned out well).

But while the books may or may not be your cup of tea, what struck me was how easy I found it to get copies of books that were printed when my mother was a baby and haven’t been reissued since, compared to what it would have been like a few years ago. Living in the 21st Century really does have its advantages.