Hanging Out To Dry

Good Sunday evening friends.  Hope you have all had a great weekend. Was quite a busy one here at the homeplace. Do you ever accomplish on the weekend as much as you had hoped to?  We did a little work and had a little fun so guess we can't complain. 

After church services today I rushed home so that I could give my Santa Suits a good grunge bath.  This was the last sewing project before putting the machine to rest earlier in the week.  But waiting on a sunny day to grunge they have been laying upstairs on the craft table. 

As I was hanging them on the fence to dry in the sun, my old clothesline came to mind.  I know so many of you still have a clothesline and I miss mine terribly at times.  Most of my craft objects get hung on the fence or from a chain on the carport to dry.  I couldn't help but smile as I hung these little red suits outside for all the neighbors to see as they drove by. We don't know our neightbors as they come and go pretty quickly around here, even tho we have lived here for over 32 years.   I'm sure they are not aware that we do crafts and with all the cheesecloth and other items I give a grunge bath , I am sure they wonder what is going on.  This brought to mind a poem I copied a few years back and did a stitchery from it.  Thought I would share it with you today.

THE CLOTHES LINE POEM

 

Clothes line was a news forecast 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!
~Marilyn K. Walker ~

                                                                           

Yes today I realized just how much I miss my clothesline.  Memories of all the baby clothes that smelled so good when I would bring them inside some 28 years ago, sheets that smelled like the sunshine on a cool autumn day, quilts airing in the breeze waiting to comfort and keep us warm on a cold winter's night.  Do I really care what my neighbors see or think??  Maybe not.  Wonder if I can persuade Mr. P. to put me up a clothesline as a weekend project in the near future.  Hmmmmm, will let you guys know. 

But for today, my fence served the purpose.  All the little suits are dry and waiting for their buttons and to be priced.   And as for the neighbors, I'll just let them wonder.

Have a good evening.  Until next time.....