[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.
>>
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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