Laundry ... now and then ...

Marlene Terry

Really struck a nerve this morning when I opened up Facebook scanning over what everyone had to say and saw the funny card I'm sharing today.

I mean it just so happens I'm planning to do a little laundry myself. And I'm not talking about opening up the washing machine throwing in a batch of clothes and pushing a button to finish the task.

That's pretty much all we have to do nowadays. OK. You might want to count putting the batch in the dryer later, as another step. But whether or not that part is counted as a duty of a typical laundry day, no one can deny, for most of us, the job has become pretty simple.

I grew up in a time when laundry required a lot of effort. And the thought of throwing away the last few loads as expressed on the card, was even more understandable.

Step No. 1:

When I was a very little girl, 3-4 years old, my mom would retire to the washroom in the basement and pull out from the wall her Twin-Tub Dexter washing machine. Then she'd fill one tub (by hose) with hot water and add soap. It was just water for the other tub.

Dirty clothes were then sorted into batches according to color and were washed. After agitating around for a few minutes, the clothes were taken out, one article at a time, and put through the ringer into the "water only" tub so they could rinse.

One more "through the ringer" process was needed in a few minutes so the clothes could be collected in a basket, taken outside and hung on a clothesline to dry.

Step No. 2.

Memories of the laundry pinned neatly on the clothesline in our backyard while it blew in the wind, is a favorite of mine ... especially in the springtime.

Whites were placed on the first line followed by colored items and last of all, towels and miscellaneous items.

On warm days I would spend hours lying on the lawn underneath the clothesline, watching the clouds roll by while listening to the laundry gently whip back and forth.

... And did I mention the indescribable fresh smell, that no modern-day electric dryer or anything else can duplicate? 
... That was the wonderful perk that always came inside at the end of the day with the dried laundry. ... And for whatever reason, the fresh smelling basket that sat on the kitchen table waiting for the next step in the laundry process, also brought a sense of peace.

... It was a great feeling to know that things had been done properly, were where they should be and all was well.

...  Tune in tomorrow for more!

♦ Hope you'll let me share your stories and photos here at my new residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.