Line Drying My Clothes

Line Drying My Clothes

I love hanging our laundry out to dry. I have been doing this for years, beginning the first year of our marriage 17 years ago. My grandmother and my mother did it so it was no big deal for me to begin doing and I never gave a second thought about it.

I remember as a child running around my grandparents farm,also the same house my grandmother was born. I remember so much about those times in my life,they run through my mind like a movie projector. I can still see myself running barefoot and swooping down to run under the clothes line to pass as I was running through the yard to get to my next adventure. Making it to the well where my uncle was drawling water for my grandmother (see there was no running water at that time on their small farm),I turned around and take in the view of the towels and sheets that seemed to go on forever blowing in the wind. I can see my grandmother with her basket patiently hanging the laundry piece by piece until the basket was empty and all clothing was hung and behind her a large vegetable garden of dark greens and bright colors and beyond that the pigs were making their playful sounds. Up from the pigs you could hear the chickens and see them pecking the grounds and wondering around.

Later as I got older it's my mother that I see with her basket full of clothes patiently hanging one piece at a time until her basket is empty. Then she teaches me, at firs it was fun I mean after all I have seen this done countless times. Until our dryer went out in the winter and we hung clothes out and inside to dry,that was no fun and I complained and swore I would never hang clothes to dry when I grew up. LOL I have to chuckle a little at this because if I knew then how I would be now and what I know now I wonder if I would have been saying that.

Now that I am older I look at hanging out our laundry to dry as a tradition women have been doing for generations upon generations. There's something so peaceful about being outside with the soft summer breeze blowing,and me making my way down the line. A lot of time I take this as an oppertunity to talk to God,while I'm making my way down the line patiently hanging my laundry piece by piece until my basket it empty. 

Now it's my turn to teach my daughter the art of hanging the laundry to dry. How it connects you with nature and God and teaches you patience. All these in such a simple act of hanging your laundry to dry.

Happy Homemaking