Imagine having a recipe for this! Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe - this is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - spelling errors and all.
WASHING CLOTHES:
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke won't blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles -
1 pile white
1 pile colored
1 pile work britches and rags
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boilin water
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored - don't boil just wrench and starch.
Hang old rags on fence
Spread tea towels on grass
Pore wrench water in flower bed.
Scrub porch with hot soapy water
Turn tub upside down
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time, when you think things are bleak, read it again and give thanks.
(For you non-southerners - wrench means rinse!)
5 comments:
I understood every word! I could see great-grandma writing something like that!
Oh,I am indeed grateful and for my vacuum cleaner, freezer, fridge etc etc. Imagine washing towels and sheets by hand. When I first married we tried it for about two weeks and then put all our cents together and rushed out and bought a second hand washing machine.
Oh my. And I can't stand folding and ironing! LOL.
You southern Daisy you.
I'm thinking I need to go put on a clean dress and brew that cup of tea! Precious!
Hi Jean,
We have it so much easier today, don't we? Oftentimes, I dream about what it must have been like to live back in those simpler times; those Little House on the Prairie type days. Times were hard! We are really blessed to have all the modern conveniences. Thanks for sharing.
Blessings,
Sandi
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