In our area of the country, within certain groups of people, Monday is known as"wash day" Today as I drove to a meeting I saw many washlines hanging full of clothes. In the bitter cold weather, with snow covering the ground, the wash was hanging out to dry.
This wash line is quite long, actually the length of the property.
Here you can see how it extends to the far corner of the barn.
Most of these farmers have large families and do their laundry one day a week, explaining why the wash line has to be so long.
When I was a young teenager and worked at my grandpa's farm, I would help my grandma do laundry every Monday. It was my job to hang the clean laundry out on the line. It did not matter if it was winter or summer, only that the sun was shining. Oh, how well I remember those days. In fact, I remember taking the wash off the line in the winter, where the pieces of laundry had frozen stiff. But,I also remember how white Grandma's white laundry was after hanging in the sun all day, and oh, how clean and fresh it smelled.
Today, I personally am so thankful for my clothes dryer and that I do not have to use a wash line in this cold winter day.
16 comments:
I love the smell of laundry fresh off the clothes line, but I'm like you, I'm glad I have a dryer and Bounce sheets! (I did a post on laundry tonight and I love doing it...I might feel different if I had to haul all those clothes outside to hang!)
Gosh, I didn't know people do that when it's freezing. Never really thought about it.
Amen to clothes dryers!
Melinda
At our first home my husband installed a telephone poll, wheel and line and I had my own 'amish wash line' out across our back yard. It was the best way to dry laundry - high above the lawn. Miss those days..... crawling into bed with outside dried sheets.
That is amazing...such a long line.
I have such fond memories as a child of my grandma hanging up the laundry on sunny spring mornings. I think in the winter they used the basement.
My dad made a lovely rose arbor to conceal the cloths line. It was like a pergola with roses climbing up one side. It was an amazing place to be when the sun was shining,the roses were blooming, and grandma was hanging laundry :)
I had no idea that people hung their clothes outside in the winter...my goodness! Can't imagine. I feel very blessed that anytime day or night, I can pull warm towels and clothing from my dryer...especially in the cold of winter.
Not exactly an inviting way to put a newly dried shirt on, is it!?! When we moved to our house 10 years ago my neighbors informed us it was NOT ok to burn anything on Monday. It is washday and apparently it is againsy the rules of Strasburg to burn anything on the day that others are doing their laundry....I guess there's a fear that there will not be enough water to put my fire out???!
Oh ..this makes me feeling like hanging out my wash. . and now I wonder why on our sunny day I didn't. I can just imagine how white their laundry is. . so wonderfully white. I can recall my mom loving nothing more than a long line of white diapers.
Well...it makes for a great picture...laundry hanging out in the snow!
Laundry on Monday is something I vaguely recall from my childhood...but that slipped away with the advent of the washer and dryer. I still love to hang laundry on the line occasionally in the summer...just for that 'fresh linen' smell.
That is amazing...your photos are gorgeous!
Great photos...so pretty, but I hang my clothes inside when it's cold, can't imagine frozen sheets.
I remember my grandmother's long clothesline in Nebraska and I still have some pictures my sweet mother gave me of them all back by the clothesline and even hanging the clothes in the sunshine.
Sometimes I fluff things in the dryer for a few minutes if they are feeling stiff, but we rarely use the dryer here.
blessings and hugs,
marcy
One of my favorite things about blogging is getting a glimpse of daily life in other parts of the country and world. I can't say I have ever seen laundry hanging on the line in the snow. It truly does make me have a new appreciation for my dryer.
I enjoyed reading about your laundry day memories with your grandma. I must admit I love to climb into a bed made with sheets that have been drying in the fresh air. Nothing can compare to that heavenly smell.
I hope you have a wonderful day, Judy and I also want to thank you for your kind comments. Once again I feel incredibly blessed to have made your acquaintance through blogging.
I love using a clothesline but only use mine in nice weather. I remember hanging the clothes out in the cold when I was young, then bringing them in and draping them over the house to finish drying. I always thought it was a wasted step, but my mother always said the clothes would "freeze white". I'm not sure what the role of freezing plays, but I do know the sun bleaches diapers white.
Oh my goodness, MY mother would love it there! She hung out clothes when she could, and in our basement when the weather didn't cooperate.
I'm with you. Gimme a clothes dryer any day!
Stay warm,
Kathleen
Hi Judy! Thinking about you and stopping by to say hello and thank you for not forgetting me!! One of these days I'm going to catch up and find enough free time to start blogging again. I miss visiting with you and seeing all the creative things you've been up to. I'm up to about 30 weddings for this year already which is a blessing, but doesn't leave much free time. The twins have grown so much and are absolutely adorable. Better get back to work. Hope all is well with you and your family.
Hugs,
Elizabeth
WOW! I'm thankful for a clothes dryer too but I do remember helping my Grandmother hang all the wash and linens on the line to air dry but in the winter weather we would hang them on the clothes lines Grandpa put up in the basement.
This brings back some memories :)
Hugs.
Post a Comment