Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Splish, Splash

Nothing was as exciting as coming to grandma's and finding she was doing laundry.  We'd come into her house, and you could immediately smell that wet, soapy, heavy smell of hot water and clean clothes.  My brother and I would race into the "back room" where her wringer washer was kept, tumbling over each other to each get in there first, only to be sharply and loundly told, "get out of here, you'll get caught in the wringer."  It was enough of a warning for our arms to suddenly be sucked to our sides, in fear that the dread wringer would somehow reach down and grab a loosely guarded apendage, ripping us to shreads!  Of course, that never happened.  I know if you've never been around a wringer washer, you're wondering what made wash day so special.  Well, the wash tubs, of course!  After the laundry was washed, the water was "let out" by way of a rubber hose, running into a wash tub.  That tub of water was dumped in the yard, and the washer was filled with clean, hot water, to rinse the clean clothes.  All the clothes were put back into the washer to agitate the soap out, each piece picked up, run through the wringer, and dropped into a clothes basket to hang up.  Then the rinse water was "let out" into a tub.  Now comes the fun part!  The rinse tub was carried outside, warm and just slightly soapy, for us "younguns" to play in.  Our own private spa, where we swished back and forth, splashing water out each side, then we'd rollll, over and over... swish some more, rollll again.. for hours.  When it got late in the afternoon, and the water had cooled down, we climbed out, squeeky clean, all tired out, to dry off with a big towel.  Then we'd dress in our pjs, ready for supper and bed, barely able to keep our eyes open.  Another great day at grandma's!

4 comments:

  1. Oh what fun! I remember those old wringer washers and the dire warnings not to get near the wringer.

    Darla

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  2. Hi there! Thank you for stopping by my blog, and for leaving a comment. Comments rock!

    Let's see... You were made in the 50's, and so you call yourself Retro. I was made in the 30's, so what would I call myself, I wonder? ,-) Vintage, perhaps? Like well-aged wine, for instance. -chuckle-

    Or just "Olden," which I like myself. It takes the hard word 'old,' and 'softens' it a bit.

    Didn't make it up myself, I'm sorry to say. Some other blogging gal did. But I really like it. "Olden Aunt Amelia"... Sitting in her "Attic." Typing away on her iMac. :-))))))))))) With no rocking chairs and no knitting, in sight.

    Looks like you are pretty new to this blogging game. Welcome, if I may say so. It's a fun little "World In Cyber," and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Please come back and see me again. I will... you.

    ♥ Gentle hugs ♥

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  3. Oh no!

    The *dreaded* Word Verification Setting is on here!

    Please, reconsider this Setting. There are people who will not visit, where this Word Verification Setting is on. They'd have had fun reading your post... Have written a nice comment, to you... Seen the *dreaded* Word Verification Setting pop up...

    And left.

    I don't do that. I ask if the blogger has found it really, really necessary to have it on? And if they got SPAM, have they considered putting Comment Verification Setting on, to take care of that?

    We all read our Comments. With Comment Ver. Setting on, one just reads her Comments, before they are published. And keeps *icky stuff* out, that way.

    But does not have to make our Dear Readers, do the *dreaded* Word Verification!

    Please and thank you, for considering this.

    ♥ Gentle hugs ♥

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  4. I'll bet it was like a little spa! That is so cute. I love thinking of the little tired clean kids in their jammies. such a cute photo...is that your bunch?

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