Monday, September 28, 2009

My towels are famous!




Scrolling down my Facebook home page, I was delighted to see the above photo. Those are my towels drying on the clothesline in my back yard.  Weeks earlier, I’d posted said photo on the fan page of Project Laundry List. To quote it’s website, “Project Laundry List is making air-drying and cold-water washing laundry acceptable and desirable as simple and effective ways to save energy.”


Make It and Mend It, a blog dedicated to “making small changes to our lives that have a ripple effect and influence the world we live in,” then wrote an article about Project Laundry List, using the photo of my towels.  


Isn’t it wonderful something so simple has become so heralded? In an age of economic concerns and energy conservation, clotheslines have become chic again.


Growing up, everyone hung laundry out to dry.  I remember playing hide and seek with Mom as she hung out the wash. My brother joined in, running after me. The two of us would peek in and out among the sheets.  As the sheets dried, they would billow out. I’d imagine them to be great sails on ancient ships, ready to carry me to brave adventures. 


After sufficient time, Mom would proclaim, “I’ve got to bring in the sheets.” She would go to the line, returning with white sails perfumed with sunshine. 


It was a simple kind of magic.


In my five-year old soprano voice, I’d sing “Bringing in the sheets! Bringing in the sheets! We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheets!”  Suppressing overwhelming desire to burst out laughing, Mom told me “No, it’s ‘Bringing in the sheaves!’”  My young mind could not grasp the idea of gleeful wheat gathering, but there was something wonderful and romantic about bringing in the sheets. Something worth singing about.

2 comments:

  1. What a great story! Like you I have many childhood memories of sheets billowing on the line. I am lucky to live in London where it is still considered quite acceptable - most of my neighbours line dry. I've never owned a dryer. We at www.makeitandmendit.com are really happy to be supporting Project Laundry List - and your photo was just perfect - so thanks for letting us use that.

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  2. I love your story of singing 'Bringing in the sheets'.
    I have similar memories of my Mom hanging out the laundry and playing hide and seek. After all the clothes were dry, my Mother would iron everything and I mean everything!
    I try and use the dryer as little as possible but I confess I'm not as dedicated to the clothes line as I should be.
    Sunny :)

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