Friday, November 30, 2018

Full Disclosure: I'm Not a Trend-Setter

Thought for the dayNo man has ever been shot while doing the laundry.




I just came in from hanging a tablecloth on the clothesline. Perfect day for it, too. Wall-to-wall sunshine, and a nice breeze blowing, the kind of day that does a lickety-split job of drying, and leaves everything smelling like the great outdoors. As I hung it, I thought about the tons of clothes I've clipped onto clotheslines over the years...


We lived in a row home when I was a kid, and had a fold-up umbrella type clothesline. In those days, every back yard in the whole congested neighborhood held a clothesline of some sort, and hanging clothes outside wasn't just a necessity; it was a time for bona fide over-the-fence socializing.


I reckon our love affair with computers have changed that scenario quite a bit, eh?




 But anyhow, back then, hanging clothes was a time for gossiping, political opining, recipe swapping, and talking about the latest guest on the Ed Sullivan show. I was a latchkey kid, so most of the time, I was the one out there hanging clothes behind our house, and for some unfathomable reason, the neighbor ladies accepted me as their pint-sized equal.



Now, not all the memories of those times are rosy. Trying to fold frozen clothes with equally frozen fingers wasn't a whole lot of fun.









Wasn't too great when one of our dogs completely shredded everything hanging on the line, or when a flock of mulberry-eating birds selected our humble sheets as a primary bombing target, either. But all-in-all, I remember those days fondly.











The first house Smarticus and I bought boasted a killer clothesline. Big sturdy metal tees with half a dozen long lines stretched between them. (As Tim Allen would say, "R-R-R-R!") The thing was, it was a pretty big yard, so there was never any socializing over the fence while hanging clothes. Then, most everybody got clothes dryers, so it became a rarity to even see anybody outside with a wet basket of laundry.

When we moved here to the sunny South, there were no clothesline to be seen in our neighborhood at all. Zip, zilch, nada. I reckon it was considered "common" or "old-fashioned" to hang clothes on the line in 1971. Anybody who was anybody had the latest, greatest clothes dryer by then. Even me. But I also had a clothesline in the back yard. Something big enough to hang sheets, because, really, is there anything that smells as wonderful as bedclothes filled with the smell of sunshine? Alas, in time, I, too, grew weary of hanging clothes. It's too bloody hot here in the summertime. And well, yeah, a dryer really is convenient.

But I still have ONE line strung out back, and always will. And when I was out there hanging that tablecloth this morning, lo and behold, the man who lives behind us was hanging something on a line in his yard, too! He's a new neighbor, and it's a brand new line. And get this: we exchanged greetings. It wasn't exactly heavy-duty socializing like days of yore, but it sure felt good. And I've noticed that some of the young families moving into our neighborhood are putting up clotheslines, too. Going green, they say. But I say, what's old is new again.



Like lots of other things. Our daughter used to tease me unmercifully because of some of the clothes I wore. Like clam diggers. In fact, she teased me so much, I finally got rid of them. And wouldn't ya know, they're all the rage now. They call 'em capri pants these days, but as far as I'm concerned, they're just good old clam diggers with a fancy name and attitude. So in years to come, if you should happen to see me sporting a suddenly popular pair of bell bottom pants, it won't be because I'm a trend-setter. It'll be because I never got rid of my old ones. And if red patent leather platform shoes ever come back into style, I'm all set. And (shhh) just between you and me, I'm never giving up my slouch socks.

Hmmmm, maybe I should teach my granddaughters how to play jacks. We could be starting a new trend ...


How about you? Are some of the "old things" from your past becoming new again? (Face lifts don't count!)

Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other. Think I'll go pull out my old bag of balls and jacks. My skills could use a little brushing up.







P.S. Hanukkah, an eight-day festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, and spirituality over materialism, begins this weekend. To all who are Jewish, I wish you a very happy Hanukkah. For the rest of us, I believe we, too, should embrace the ideals of light over darkness.

If you're gonna be lighting a menorah, I bet you won't be doing it quite like THIS:
         



52 comments:

  1. That's a very clever way to light a Menorah. Me being a simple type, I'd just use a match :)
    I remember having my own clothesline in every place I ever lived, until I moved here. Now I share a line with three or four other flats and it doesn't get anywhere near enough sunshine, so mostly I dry my clothes on airing racks in my back porch. No sunshine there either, but at least stuff doesn't go missing...

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    1. HA! Yeah, I'd stick with a match, too, but I always get a kick out of watching those Rube Goldberg kinda set-ups.

      I don't blame you for not using the shared lines. Hanging undies in my own back yard is one thing, but hanging them in a communal area? No thanks. Especially if somebody else "accidentally" walked away with them in their basket...

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  2. Thanks for the Chanukah wishes, I light my Menorah in the normal way! We are not allowed to hang washing outside here, for some reason only known to the house administration....but as my apartment looks onto vields and trees and can't really be seen by anyone, I just do it! Have a great weekend, hugs, Valerie

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    1. You're very welcome. :)

      HA! I knew it... you're a rebel! Love it. (I hate when housing authorities tell you what you can and can't do. That's one of the reasons we chose a neighborhood without a homeowner's association.)

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  3. Much of this takes me back over many years but I find neighbours don't seem to socialise (even over the back fence) any more.
    I have never had a clothes dryer and I agree there is nothing like sun dried sheets, or towels for that matter.
    So many people here have a Hills hoist but I have never liked them so I have a para line and, cos I now can't do it. my great hubby hangs out and brings in the washing.
    Hope you have a great weekend.

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    1. You're right. Neighbors don't socialize nearly as much as they used to. It's a big deal just to have a neighbor nod or say hello these days.

      Your hubby is a real keeper. :)

      You have a super weekend, too.

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  4. haha birds pooping on clothes on the line would be it for me. Dryer it is. Things do come back around. I don't think dryer sales will be going out of business any time soon though.

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    1. Birds pooping on the laundry is never cause for celebration, but when mulberry-eating birds do it, it's like having the clothes splashed with maroon dye. :)

      You're right. I think dryers are here to stay.

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  5. We just call them rotary clothes lines over here. Love it that you call them umbrella or para clothes lines. I might try and start a trend.
    We still hang clothes outside unless we get a long spell of wet weather.

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    1. Calling them rotary clotheslines makes sense. (I don't know if anybody else calls them umbrellas, but I do!)

      I'm glad to hear you still use a clothesline, too. :)

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  6. I remember hating when mom washed sheets and hung them on the clothes line. Then back on the bed - stiff as a board. By the time you finally got your bed comfy again, she'd be stripping off the sheets. Aah. Good times!
    I am not a trend setter either. Let's keep hanging out on that bench!

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    1. Sheets weren't nearly as stiff as the towels. Then again, who heard of fabric softener back then?

      HA! The bench it is. Have a super weekend.

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  7. Greetings Susan. My Mother has three clothes lines, and is always conversing with the nice neighbours she has. I live in a flat and have not got a washing line in my yard. Blessings to you and the Jewish community, with them celebrating Hanukah. Love love, Andrew.

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    1. Greetings, Andrew. I'm glad to hear that somewhere in the world, ladies are still conversing while hanging the laundry. :)

      Blessings back atcha.

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  8. I'm very thankful for all the years I had and used a clothesline. I'm not a trendsetter either and while I never hung clothes when it was freezing cold out, I love the sunny days that I could. I do love the idea of embracing the light and try to always look on the bright side.

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    1. It's a lot more enjoyable hanging clothes outside in pretty weather, that's for sure.

      I think you may embrace the light more than anyone I've ever known. It's a fantabulous way to be.

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  9. I used to hang out laundry with my mom when I was a kid. I always enjoyed it and the fresh smell it left on the clothes and sheets. Of course, living in Ohio, we are somewhat limited by weather for that. I don't have a clothesline now, but I have in the past.

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    1. Yeah, there's no dryer sheet that smells half as good as good ol' fresh air and sunshine. Your outdoor hanging days up there are limited by cold weather; here, it's the heat. (Excuses, excuses! HA)

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  10. My wife was very annoyed when someone stole a pair of her undies from our washing line. It wasn't the knickers that she was upset about but the fifteen pegs.....
    CLICK HERE for Bazza’s platitudinous Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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  11. I still hang most of my laundry to dry, though usually in the laundry room, since I live in the drizzly Northwest. It's a leftover habit from years of living in Europe, where clothes driers aren't as common.
    Another new-again trend that makes me giggle/sigh: Millennials blathering on about "minimalism" as if it's a new thing they've invented. Back in the 90s, voluntary simplicity was a huge thing, a philosophy/practice I still cling to, especially around the holidays.

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    1. HA. Yeah, young people think they're onto something "new." And we were "green" before green was cool.

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  12. That video shows EXACTLY the way I light our menorah--it saves on matches!!

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    1. HA! I'll just bet... (Well, if ANYBODY did it, it'd be YOU!)

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  13. My Mom used to have a pulley system from a window to a pole in the yard. It worked very well and she did not have to stand out in the cold. Later, when we moved to Pa, she got a clothesline that looked like your second picture. Her backyard seemed like like a wind tunnel often and clothes got dried pretty quickly. However, it was a horrible task to hang and take off the wash. For forty years we tried to talk her into letting us buy a clothes dryer for her, but she refused. Finally, at age 80, she relented and LOVED her gift, however, she would often say, that she missed the smell of her air dried sheets. I got her some dryer sheets, and all was well with the world.

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    1. That pulley system sounds terrific. I've seen pictures of European set-ups like that, but I never saw one in person. Sure would beat the frozen fingers.

      There's something very sweet and touching about getting your mom her first dryer when she was eighty.

      Have a wonderful weekend, sweet lady.

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  14. Oh, what memories you've prompted! My mother and our next-door neighbor visiting as they hung wash, shaking their heads at the awful hair on those boys from England. (Beatles) Eavesdropping upstairs, I decided they were very old and 'out of it.'

    Funny, I can't recall anyone being particularly concerned (overly modest) about their 'unmentionables' hanging there for all the world to see!

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    1. HA! "Very old", huh? I bet they were younger than we are now. (Funny how our perspective changes...)

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  15. We had a drier, but mom had one of those umbrella things and used it when the weather was good.

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  16. I always used to love the smell and feel of sheets dried on the line. We still have a rotary clothes line but haven't used it in years. A couple of houses further along and you cross the boundary into a part of the neighborhood where they have all sorts of restrictions and they aren't allowed lines at all! Not very green.

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    1. There are a lot of neighborhoods here with restrictions out the wazoo, too, but we made a point of not living in one. :)

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  17. I remember hanging cloths out when I lived at home but in the hot Tucson sun not always fun !

    cheers, parsnip and badger

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    1. I don't think I'd enjoy hanging clothes in your kinda heat. In fact, I dunno if I'd step outside of the air conditioning. Then again, I bet the clothes would dry FAST! (You might not even have time to hang the last item before the first one is dry.)

      Cheers back atcha. Have a super weekend.

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  18. Too bad our yards aren't close to each other. I have one of those most impressive metal pole hanging systems and I use it frequently...though never in winter. I also love the smell of line dried clothes.

    Also a fan of clam diggers, though in my day we called them pedal pushers. Does the fashion change or do they just keep changing the names?

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    1. Oh, cool! I LOVE that you use clotheslines! (Makes me like you even more...)

      HA! Yeah, I think you're right. They just keep changing the names.

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  19. You just can't beat the wonderful smell of outdoor line dried washing :)

    Seeing the picture of the jack and ball takes me back …

    All the best Jan

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    1. I know! No fabric softener or dryer sheet even comes close to smelling as good. :)

      I still have my old jacks from when I was a young girl (the balls are dry rotted now...) and my daughter bought me a new set a few years ago. It's still a fun game to play...

      All the best back atcha.

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  20. I love sheets dried on a line, but not towels. Too stiff and scratchy!

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    1. You're right. Towels DO get a little stiff and scratchy when hung on the line, even if ya use fabric softener.

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  21. Susan, love this ode to the humble clothesline. We consider the Great Australian Dream to be - own your own home with a Hills Hoist (rotary clothesline), a backyard for BBQs and room for the kids to play. Now it's more likely to be a small apartment with a clothes dryer and a common park and BBQ area. Hmm. Which is progress?

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    1. Which is progress? Depends on your point of view, I guess. And maybe your age. :)

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  22. Talking to neighbors. Huh. Imagine that. I should probably text someone about that.
    After I go to the laundromat.

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    1. HA! Talking to the neighbors is a bit of a strange concept these days. Too bad.

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  23. This is the best way to dry clothes. By hanging them out in the sun. We do it all the time!

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    1. The wonderful smell is one good reason to hang clothes, but even better, it doesn't cost a thing!

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  24. I remember the cold fingers and clothes lines:) That cartoon is hilarious. I wonder if I'd still have the dexterity to play jacks...
    Fun post, Susan. I enjoyed it.

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    1. I don't miss those frozen clothes and cold fingers one little bit. :)

      I betcha could still play jacks. Maybe not as well as we once could, but sure, we can do that! Hopscotch, too...

      I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks.

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  25. That's a cool way they lit the candle, but a lot of work. ;)
    My grandma had a clothes line. I remember lowering and higher them with her (she didn't clear 5 ft.so couldn't have traditional higher line). Everyone raved about clothes on the line smelling so good, but I never thought they did. I did love to go out there though, just because I was with my gram. :)

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    1. You don't like the way they smell? That's darned near blasphemy, girl! HA. I forgot about the raising and lowering. We had long poles with notched ends to hold the lines up high so the sheets wouldn't touch the ground.

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  26. I don't have an outdoor clothesline, but I have a couple of those nifty collapsible indoor racks that I put up in our dining room. Not sure why we call it dining room, we've never dined in there (it has bookcases, filing cabinets, and our treadmill in it - ha!).

    I wear capris to work all the time. And pressure cookers (remember those?) are making a comeback, only they are electric now. Makes the best bean soups!

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    1. It's funny how we call a room by a certain name, even if it isn't used for that purpose. I still refer to some of the rooms in our house as so-and-so kid's bedroom, although thy haven't lived here in twenty years. And when we shoot pool? I'll say I'm going to sink the eight-ball in the "Beermeister corner," although we haven't had a Beermeister in that corner for close to twenty years, too. Old habits die hard, I guess.

      I remember pressure cookers, but I've never had one. I still make bean soup the old-fashioned No-pressure way. HA

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