Passage 4 I do not mean that the housewife has much free time! For a short while after our twins were born, I was without help and had to do everything myself including three-hourly feeds day and night, so I know how exhausting children and housework can be! As well as being exhausted, however, I felt nothing more than a boring job. I had little to talk about when my husband came home in the evening and all the time I was con­sciously looking forward to what I called "getting back to work” — namely, to using some of the men­ tal resources which I had been specially trained to use for years. I was indeed "on the go" for 24 hours a day but I wasn’t doing the kind of work that made full use of my own abilities. When I returned to studies I was constantly asked, "How do you find the time?” The answer seems to be a lifelong mystery to the woman who doesn’t go out to work and quite simple to those of us who do. There are 24 hours in every day; the people who ask this question seem to be amazed at how much can be packed into them; I am astonished at how little some people seem to do. The answer is this — you can achieve as much in a day as you set out to achieve if you think ahead and get everything well organized. The days when I have only our home to think about are just as busy as when I have other things to deal with as well. I am running about most of the time cooking, shopping and doing the housework and seek to have no spare moments. But all of this is done equally well when I have things to do in addition, because I then make sure that everything is done with maximum efficiency in minimum time. I see that the weekly order to the grocer really does include the needs for the week. Shopping which can be done by telephone is done that way after having a word with the shopkeep­ er about the quality and service that I like. All cookery( 烹饪 ) operations are carried out in the best order so that not a minute is wasted. I quickly found that it is possible to put in eight hours' work a day as well as being a housewife.