Friday, August 23, 2013

Friday Smiles: Laundry

I'm joining Annie again this week at A Stitch in Time for Friday Smiles.  I love that we can end the work week with a smile, a grin, a laugh, and a joyous feeling of being alive and well.   It's wonderful that we each get to take a slice of our lives each week and find something enjoyable about it.

Now I bet most of you are thinking what's so funny about this?  Well, if you had lived with rain, either every night or every day for nearly four weeks, sunshine and nice weather would have you smiling, too.

I love to hang my laundry on my clothes line in summer.  It was one of the perks when I purchased this house more than a few years ago.  That clothes line always puts a smile on my face.  I love the way my clothes and linens smell when I bring them inside, and how clean my sheets smell when I place them on my bed and climb in at night.  No fabric softener can begin to compare.  Of course, my grandmother would be turning over in her grave if she saw how I hang my clothes.  I take time to fold shorts, slacks, or jeans at the crease (never the seam), then hang them on hangers.  This saves time when I remove them from the line, and it helps keep my clothes, which are mostly 100% cotton, from needing the dreaded four letter word: iron.

As an aside, can you tell how anal I am?  Each of my clothes has a color coordinated hanger.  ALWAYS!

While my sheets were washing, I took time to observe another smile.  My grass was mowed and I had only killed the mower about five times.  Much better than when I tried to mow in a "rice paddy."

Looking over at my hated back patio, I decided to light the chiminea and burn some metal pieces once the clothes were dry and put away.

I was pleasantly surprised, so I smiled when I discovered how easy it was to light this fire, even though we've had so much rain.

And of course, I really smiled when I watched the metal lids and containers turn colors as the fire did its duty.

Now let's go visit Annie, share a smile, and spend this day wearing a smile, even if you've just done laundry!!

16 thoughtful remarks:

Nan G said...

Laundry on the line :O Haven't done that since I was kid! Okay, now why are you burning tin cans? You've given me my first Smile of the day! Hugs

Annie said...

I'm chuckling here Elizabeth cos I also put my washing on the line on coat hangers :-)
Hugs,
Annie x

dawn said...

This did make me smile and remind me of my grandmas doing their laundry. My mom loves to hang her clothes out to dry also.
So glad you finally have a sunny day and easier time with the mower.
Happy Smiles to you today!

Can you guess what my mandala will be on Monday??!!

Monique said...

Your story brought a lot of smiles to my face. Firts the hanging the clothes ouside and smelling them when you bring them in =). Then the color coordinated clothes and hangers =). You killing the lawnmower brought such a hilarious picture to my mind that I almost fell off my chair laughing and lastly a huge grinn when I saw you burning metal bits =)
So thank you for this, you can never have to much smiles in a day =)
xx Monique

Craftymoose Crafts said...

We have a long clothes line from the back porch to a pole out in the yard, and I would not dream of hanging my sheets or clothes anywhere else in summer! Have a wonderful weekend!

Halle said...

I love laundry on the line. I haven't hung it out more than once this year. We have a squirrels nest in a tree above where I string my line. Not the best idea. I have yet to talk Mr. G into putting up a more permanent structure.

elle said...

Totally agree. Well,maybe not matching coat hangers but I'm all for less ironing!

Dawn said...

Awe you can't beat that line-fresh smell, delightful!! Ha ha ha ha I've just grabbed mine off my line as it's gone very dark with big black rain-clouds, thank goodness it's all dry, whoop whoop!! Relieved to the extreme as my monkey of a son had soaked his duvet (again!!), lol he can't keep his appendage in his nappy overnight, grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!
Huge hugs x x x x

Angie said...

There is somthing about fresh washing brought off the line but like you we have more wet days than dry normally. Hangers are a great idea ...not sure about the colour coordination ...a little OCD dont you think lol xx

Sylvia/LittleTreasures said...

Thanks for stopping by, you in yourself are a hoot. Smile I did with your comments. Love the smell of laundry outside, always had it out in the town..but country living..grrrrr dust, wind, and spraying...hate for my undies to be whipped away into the neighbors fields.!
Have a great weekend.

Elizabeth said...

I couldn't agree with you more, Elizabeth, there is nothing to beat the smell of newly air-dried washing ... it's one of life's enduring pleasures. All we need is good drying weather :) Glad Bleubeard appreciated my smiley pic this week too. Thanks for sharing yours and have a great weekend. Elizabeth xx

PS: you don't say why you hate your patio so much but it looks to be in a better, possibly sunnier, position than our dull and damp one.

fairy thoughts said...

I love hanging my washing out too can't beat it. It's the simple things that make us happy as it should be
Janet

PetraB said...

This did put a big smile on my face! I so much like your idea of colour co-ordinated hangers ... and using your chimenea on the metal parts, brilliant idea!

Spyder said...

You know you could start a new craze! taking pic of What's On Your Washing Line!! Made me smile!
((Lyn))

Hettie said...

I am with you on the smell of laundry once it has been dried on the washing line...I always have an audience when I hang out or get washing in - 7 beaks and 7 pairs of beady eyes of my Girls! That makes me smile!
xx

Rita said...

I haven't worn clothes that were hung on the line since I was a young girl and we still had a clothes line in the back yard before we got our first clothes dryer. Back then my mom used a wringer washer in the basement. Everything smelled so wonderful from the line! Especially sheets and pillowcases! :)