Blue
Michael please gather some sticks and a spill, whilst I fill the copper. Soon steam is rising.
Water and soda has worked its magic, and the peg has twisted and turned in the dolly tub.
Now its time to turn the mangle, then work out now to drape the clothes on the clothes horse, drying the important items.
Yes Mondays could be hard on the hands and leave little time for fun. Yet turning the mangle meant I was growing up…
Wash day over, its time for a slice of bacon jack followed by the last of the lardy cake.
This Post Has 28 Comments
Simpler times, although wash day was a lot harder work.
Indeed it was, thank you for commenting Iain.
Dear Michael,
A nicely written memoir of days gone by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you Rochelle, wash day was hard work, but the food always tasted great.
Ah yes, Those were the days. But, you had a mangle? We just had two flat stones
Hi Neil… Using two stones must have been harder… but great for grinding corn.
Ah, the days of the twin tube and sunny days to dry the load. Although, hand washing in a bucket is still done in this household, it sort of reminds me from whence I come.
A fine comment, our past is, our history
The days when washing clothes was for torture and lice removal alone. Great little tale.
Torture and lice, plus bed bugs…Now there is a thought
Laundry day was exactly that, a full day. Now it’s just something that goes on in the background. Yet it was cathartic in its way then.
How times have changed, yet are we better for it…
Simple days we say, but think of all the hard work. And yet, the joys of the simple still shine through.
Thank you, it was hard work, yet some thrived within it
These days the chore seems to be folding and putting things away. Well done, Michael.
There was much much less to put away. If one had a spare set of bed linen, you were proud to own it. !
Nice take on the prompt, Michael.
Thank you, I was struggling this week,
Michael love how you wrote this piece, a fond memory even though those times were indeed very tough <3
Thank you,…
A lovely memoir of those bygone days. They were tough times, but
Tough but happy
I like the diversion from the mini washer and to the historical description of the chore, but with the hint of satisfaction and of course the prize of Bacon Jack…which I’ve never had but trust is a worthy of a days hard work.
Very worthy, is Bacon Jack, rather like a Swiss roll with bacon scraps etc rolled up in a suet pastry and steamed. !!
I remember my grandma boiling clothes in a wash tub and using a washing board. Those were the days of hard manual labor and a lot less throwaway appliances that suck electricity.
Thank you Jade, they where tough times, but also could be good times if the food right…
I sense, though it was a lot of work, turning the mangle filled younger you with the joyous pride.
You are right, it certainly did