[AT] Remembering Mom's Clothesline OT

Dave Rotigel rotigel at me.com
Mon Feb 13 16:51:51 PST 2012


Hi Bo, 1937. My plan is to live forever--so far it's working!
	Dave

On Feb 13, 2012, at 6:56 PM, Bo Hinch wrote:

> Dave , had NO idea you was as old as myself .
> Bo Hinch   S/W La.    where the water is plentiful again
> 
> 
> 
> On Mon, Feb 13, 2012 at 5:13 PM, Dave Rotigel <rotigel at me.com> wrote:
> 
>> Remembering Mom's Clothesline Author unknown
>> 
>> You have to be a "certain age" to appreciate this one. I can hear my
>> mother now.
>> 
>> 1. You had to hang the socks by the toes... NOT the top.
>> 
>> 2. You hung pants by the BOTTOM/cuffs... NOT the waistbands.
>> 
>> 3. You had to WASH the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes - walk
>> the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.
>> 
>> 4. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites"
>> 
>> with "whites," and hang them first.
>> 
>> 5. You NEVER hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What
>> would the
>> 
>> neighbors think?
>> 
>> 6. Wash day on a Monday! NEVER hang clothes on the weekend, or on Sunday,
>> for
>> 
>> Heaven's sake!
>> 
>> 7. Hang the sheets and towels on the OUTSIDE lines so you could hide your
>> "unmentionables" in the middle -- perverts & busybodies, y'know!
>> 
>> 8. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather...clothes would
>> "freeze-dry."
>> 
>> 9. ALWAYS gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left
>> on
>> 
>> the lines were "tacky"!
>> 
>> 10. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item
>> did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the
>> next washed item.
>> 
>> 11. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the
>> clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.
>> 
>> 12. IRONED? Well, that's a whole OTHER subject!
>> 
>> 13. We had a long wooden pole (clothes pole) that was used to push the
>> clotheslines up so that longer items (sheets/pants/etc.) didn't brush the
>> ground and get dirty.
>> 
>> And now a clothesline POEM
>> 
>> A clothesline was a news forecast,
>> 
>> To neighbors passing by,
>> 
>> There were no secrets you could keep,
>> 
>> When clothes were hung to dry.
>> 
>> It also was a friendly link,
>> 
>> For neighbors always knew
>> 
>> If company had stopped on by,
>> 
>> To spend a night or two.
>> 
>> For then you'd see the "fancy sheets",
>> 
>> And towels upon the lines;
>> 
>> You'd see the "company table cloths",
>> 
>> With intricate designs.
>> 
>> The line announced a baby's birth,
>> 
>> From folks who lived inside,
>> 
>> As brand new infant clothes were hung,
>> 
>> So carefully with pride!
>> 
>> The ages of the children could,
>> 
>> So readily be known
>> 
>> By watching how the sizes changed,
>> 
>> You'd know how much they'd grown!
>> 
>> It also told when illness struck,
>> 
>> As extra sheets were hung;
>> 
>> Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe too,
>> 
>> Haphazardly were strung.
>> 
>> It also said, "On vacation now",
>> 
>> When lines hung limp and bare.
>> 
>> It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged,
>> 
>> With not an inch to spare!
>> 
>> New folks in town were scorned upon,
>> 
>> If their wash was dingy and gray,
>> 
>> As neighbors' carefully raised their brows,
>> 
>> And looked the other way.
>> 
>> 
>> But clotheslines now are of the past,
>> 
>> For dryers make work much less.
>> 
>> Now what goes on inside a home,
>> 
>> Is anybody's guess!
>> 
>> I really miss that way of life,
>> 
>> It was a friendly sign,
>> 
>> When neighbors' knew each other best,
>> 
>> By what hung out on that line.
>> 
>> 
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>> 
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at




More information about the AT mailing list