The Clothes Line

[Jo McDonald]

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The clothes line . . . a dead give away.
For all of us who are a bit older, this will bring back the memories.

        THE BASIC RULES

1. You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any
clothes. Walk the length of each line with a damp cloth
around the line.

2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order and
always hang whites with whites and hang them first.

3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders, always by the
tail. What would the neighbors think?

4. Wash day on a Monday . . . never hang clothes on the
weekend or Sunday for heaven's sake!

5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you
could hide your 'unmentionables' in the middle.

6. It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather . . .
clothes would 'freeze dry.'

7. Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry
clothes. Pins left on the line was 'tacky'.

8. 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.

9. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly
folded in the clothes basket and ready to be ironed.

10. IRONED?! Well, that's a whole other subject!!

A POEM
A clothes line 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 line;
You'd see the' company table cloths'
With intricate design.

The line announced a baby's birth
To 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 said, 'Gone 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 wash was dingy gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows,
And looked the other way..

But clotheslines now are of the past
For dryers make work 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 on the line!

[Flintauqua]

Good Golly!!!!

You might be on to something. . .

Using passive solar and passive wind to dry clothes instead of coal or gas generated electricity.

Why . . . that's so . . . so GREEN!!!

[dnalexander]

Flintauqua, funny thing isn't it our parents\grandparents\great grandparents had the solutions to many of our current problems. First cars ran on "alternative energy", recycle-reuse-reduce was common sense\necessity.

David

[Flintauqua]

If I put up a clothesline, how do I get my "green tags," "carbon credits," Sierra Club membership decal and free Mother Earth News subscription?

[W. Gray]

There is a story of Howard Hughes ordering development of a new and revolutionary steam automobile in the 1920s. He believed steam was the car of the future.

He wanted a car that had a range of 400 miles and would be ready to go in twenty seconds vs the 20 or 30 minutes and sixty miles of a Stanley Steamer.

He hired two engineers to work on the car and proceeded to spend over half a million dollars and three years before the five passenger Hughes Steamer was ready. There were supposedly two cars built.

Over the three year period, Hughes never kept up with development or even spoke to the engineers. But the money kept coming and the car was finally ready.

As he was looking it over, he asked how the car operated. His engineers told him radiators were everywhere in order to give him the capability he wanted. He asked if that meant the doors also. When they told him yes, he became concerned figuring out that he would be scalded to death if anyone broadsided him.

He ordered the cars cut up.

[Catwoman]

Good Golly!!!!

You might be on to something. . .

Using passive solar and passive wind to dry clothes instead of coal or gas generated electricity.

Why . . . that's so . . . so GREEN!!!

Good golly...I didn't consider myself to be truly old until I read this thread...I grew up hanging out clothes and bringing them in for Mom...and my mother still uses her clothes lines to this day...which means, I get a sweet taste of yesteryear when I go home! lol  I have a clothes line that I use, also...guess old habits die hard...it saves on electricity costs, thank goodness.

[Jo McDonald]

I love to line dry my laundry --- I have a fold away rack here at the park - but in Texas I have 4 WONDERFUL long clothes lines, that all in that side of the cal-du-sac use.  I still iron all of our outer wear - but the line dried clothes smell soooooooooo much fresher and it saves $$$$"s at the launder-mat.  But believe me, the automatic washer beats the living heck out of carrying in the water - heating it on the stove - pouring it in the wash tub - washing on the board, carrying in more water for two more tubs to rinse, and when dry using flat irons to do the ironing.  Been there - done that , and definitely do not wish to return.

   Am I OLD --- YES SIREE!

[Catwoman]

I love to line dry my laundry --- I have a fold away rack here at the park - but in Texas I have 4 WONDERFUL long clothes lines, that all in that side of the cal-du-sac use.  I still iron all of our outer wear - but the line dried clothes smell soooooooooo much fresher and it saves $$$$"s at the launder-mat.  But believe me, the automatic washer beats the living heck out of carrying in the water - heating it on the stove - pouring it in the wash tub - washing on the board, carrying in more water for two more tubs to rinse, and when dry using flat irons to do the ironing.  Been there - done that , and definitely do not wish to return.

   Am I OLD --- YES SIREE!

No, you're not old...you're like a fine wine, getting better as you mature!   I agree, though, I am really tied to the conveniences of today...I would never want to have to give up my handheld hair dryer, my washer and dryer, my freezer...or my vacuum cleaner!  And...can you imagine going back to having to use curling irons that you heated on the stove or in the lantern chimney???  THESE are the good ol' days!

[Jo McDonald]

You are so VERY right.  I too enjoy all the goodies that we have and as I said -- been there  done that  and DO NOT want to go back. 
My Mother lived her life in the "good old days" and after she had moved to Howard, she said one day -- "You know, honey, the good old days can go to heck --- I certainly would never want to go back.  Talking about them is OK  but I love these days"!
She worked so hard and always had a wonderful outlook and was the cutest little thing, ever.  I miss her each and every day.

[littlelamb]

although im only in my mid 40's i lived with an aunt for awhile and remember taking a bath every saturday in a big tub in the middle of a room that was filled with hot rain water and using the out house in the middle of the night and in the winter she put  pee pot in a room. and ill never forget my uncle shaving with a straight edge razor and and a cup and brush to lather up his face. and i have hung the cloths on the line like you described and like you jo i can do it but would rather not.

mary