ON THE LINE

 

It appears the main characters in the prompt picture may have resided in an apartment building where they were allowed to dry their laundry on a line from one part of the building to another as this photo demonstrates.

Here’s a good load of clothes drying between buildings.

The drying wash on the line here is a little more complicated or, as my daughter would say, WOWSA!

I wonder if the one towel being blue and the other, pink, meant anything?

Looks like folks were out enjoying the water in lifejackets with beach towels to dry off on.

Laundry day here included hanging sheets out to dry.  I used to love the fresh smell of sheets dried in the open air.  Unfortunately, where we live now, hanging clothes out to dry on a line is not allowed.

If you live out in the country, however . . .

. . . or by the water’s edge, perhaps you could still enjoy that fresh ozone scent on your sheets & pillowcases.

Everyday clothes soaking up the sunshine and fresh air.

Day of the white wash.

A clever way to dry masks during the pandemic.

Teddy bears need washing and drying, too.  I remember when I had to wash and dry my kids’ favorite stuffed bears and bunnies and ducklings they’d park themselves in front of the dryer window keeping worried eyes on their beloveds until the cycle ended.  It was a traumatic time!

Hanging clothes out on the line in nice weather wasn’t so bad.  I used to help Mom do that and thought it was fun, actually.

In colder weather, however, not so fun.  A jacket could keep your body warm, but your fingers, trying to hang those wet clothes on the line, would go numb.  I remember one winter when our dryer went out and I had to hang the wash on lines my husband rigged up under our patio roof.  It was so cold my fingers were frozen!  Meanwhile our 3 kiddos were standing at the sliding glass door laughing and pointing as I hung up their wet clothes.  They thought it was great fun.  Mom, not so much!  Fortunately the dryer was fixed before the next wash day came round.

Back in the day when the dry clothes came off the line many items needed ironing.  Some folks ironed their sheets.  I never did that, nor did I iron anyone’s underwear.  But I did iron tablecloths and sometimes pillowcases depending on how rumpled they were.  But ironing dress shirts for my Dad when I was living at home and helping Mom, or my husband’s uniform shirts when I was married were absolute necessities.

That’s my 4-year-old self and my little brother playing at ironing and I remember the color of the handkerchief I was pretending to iron was red, white, & blue. J

By 1976, however, we had permanent press and not so much needed ironing anymore.  Most things came out of the dryer pretty much wrinkle free.

I have a sign hanging up in my laundry that lists a laundry schedule:

“Sort today. Wash later.  Fold eventually.  Iron - Ha Ha Ha!”

My youngest daughter at age 2 is helping to unload the dryer.  She thought it was great fun then.  Not sure she feels the same way about it today? J

:->

La Nightingail