Great times in bringing together memories of the past good ole days when clotheslines were common in everyone's backyards and the same wash water was used for three loads. White items were washed first. Next came light colors. The final load was dirty work clothes. Each load was thoroughly rinsed at least once, sometimes twice, in wash tubs filled with clean water. The clothesline days bring back times of simplicity and foretell a story of how important it is to the fabric of society that people and things truly work together to build strong bonds that really matter by making a difference.

The Basic Rules for Clotheslines

By Kindred Grace

1. You had to hang the socks by the toes, not the top.

2. You hung pants by the bottom/cuffs, not the waistbands.

3. You had to wash the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes.

4. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, "whites" with "whites" and hang them first.

5. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders, always by the tail. What would the neighbors think?

6. Wash day was on Monday. Never hang clothes on the weekend or on Sunday, for Heaven's sake.

7. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle. (perverts and busybodies, y'know!)

8. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather, clothes would freeze dry. And they did. Almost.

9. Always gather the clothespins when taking down dry clothes. Pins left on the lines were "tacky" and they got dirty and broke more easily.

10. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothespins, but shared one with the next item.

11. Clothes off the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.

12. IRONED! Well, that's a whole other subject.