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Growing up, we always hung our freshly washed clothes outside on a clothesline North of the house. This was a deluxe clothesline that was longer than the house ... with triple lines. With no washing machine or dryer at home, it was off to the local laundry every Saturday for the weekly wash. In the warm months, we brought our clothes home and they were clipped to the lines with spring loaded clothes pins to dry the rest of the day. They soaked up the summer sun and all the natural outdoor fragrances that clothes allowed to dry under the sun seem to have that a dryer can never provide.
Late in the afternoon was always the time to "bring in the wash". This gave our clothes, towels and sheets all day to flap in the summer breeze, soak soak up the Texas sunshine, and gather in all the natural outdoor goodness of laundry hanging on the line all day.
The first order of business was to take down the sheets and pillow cases. My Mom had a system that allow her with my help to unpin the sheets, loosen them from the line and have them perfectly folded before they want into the basket. Pillow cases were folded, but not with the same precision because they would be ironed before going back on pillows ... we had more cases than sheets so fresh ones were always ironed and waiting in the linen closet.
With everything inside, the first order of business was to make our beds. Nothing on Earth feels better on a summer night than sliding your freshly showered body between sun dried sheets ... sheer heaven and the fragrance of all outdoors surrounding your senses as sleep overtakes your tired body.
Beds made ... next came folding the towels ... fluffy and fragrant from breezes and sun. Another delicacy after the evening shower to snuggle into all of that softness and breathe deeply.
Last to get folded ... our undies.
Finally all that left only our clothing to be attended. Most of them would need to be ironed to a fresh crispness the next day. Using an old glass coke bottle topped with a sprinkle spout, these items were dampened to just the right level, rolled tightly, and placed into a huge plastic bag to sit overnight in the fridge. Nothing irons better than clothes that have been sprinkled and chilled.
The next day, my job was to do all the ironing standing under the hum of a ceiling fan, sprinkle bottle in hand to dampen any area that had dried out during the overnight chill. To pass the time while ironing, the TV was ever present allowing me to watch my "stories" as mom called them and not feel guilty. She would be in the kitchen area of our kitchen/den combo room watching and chatting as she did the canning, preserving or pickling of the day ... sometimes even making my favorite ... cherry pie!
Always...I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie
Late in the afternoon was always the time to "bring in the wash". This gave our clothes, towels and sheets all day to flap in the summer breeze, soak soak up the Texas sunshine, and gather in all the natural outdoor goodness of laundry hanging on the line all day.
The first order of business was to take down the sheets and pillow cases. My Mom had a system that allow her with my help to unpin the sheets, loosen them from the line and have them perfectly folded before they want into the basket. Pillow cases were folded, but not with the same precision because they would be ironed before going back on pillows ... we had more cases than sheets so fresh ones were always ironed and waiting in the linen closet.
With everything inside, the first order of business was to make our beds. Nothing on Earth feels better on a summer night than sliding your freshly showered body between sun dried sheets ... sheer heaven and the fragrance of all outdoors surrounding your senses as sleep overtakes your tired body.
Beds made ... next came folding the towels ... fluffy and fragrant from breezes and sun. Another delicacy after the evening shower to snuggle into all of that softness and breathe deeply.
Last to get folded ... our undies.
Finally all that left only our clothing to be attended. Most of them would need to be ironed to a fresh crispness the next day. Using an old glass coke bottle topped with a sprinkle spout, these items were dampened to just the right level, rolled tightly, and placed into a huge plastic bag to sit overnight in the fridge. Nothing irons better than clothes that have been sprinkled and chilled.
The next day, my job was to do all the ironing standing under the hum of a ceiling fan, sprinkle bottle in hand to dampen any area that had dried out during the overnight chill. To pass the time while ironing, the TV was ever present allowing me to watch my "stories" as mom called them and not feel guilty. She would be in the kitchen area of our kitchen/den combo room watching and chatting as she did the canning, preserving or pickling of the day ... sometimes even making my favorite ... cherry pie!
Always...I wish you peace, joy and happiness, but most of all I wish you Love.
As Ever, Annie
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