Mrs. Waters Clothes Line

We watering our gardens this morning when Erika came across this.



You see it there? That post with the rope wrapped up around it? It's an old clothes line that has probably been there since 1939 when our house was built. This home only had one owner before us and the grandson of the couple who was selling the house gave us the original blueprints, photos of the home just after it was built, and lease. Having these things has connected me to the woman who occupied these walls with her family in a strange way. Every time I see this clothes line it reminds me of Mrs. Waters, the woman I never met, the woman who lived in this home for so many years. Cooked in the kitchen where I cook for my family, walked up and down the same stairs, and hung her family's clothes on this clothes line. I have never used a clothes line before today, but, with Erika's urging, we got it up.





I've been seeing the pictures that are posted on GardenMama's 'Wash Wednesday' the last few weeks and it gave me the itch. There are lots of good reasons to use a clothesline, but I always thought it was just too much work in an already hectic day filled with chores that rarely get done. What I discovered as I was helping Erika hang up our clothes was that it is actually a break from all the running around. Instead of running down to the basement and quickly tossing the clothes into the dryer, I spent some time outside talking with my oldest about the way things used to be, enjoying the beautifully sunny day, and relaxing. Suddenly, it wasn't a chore. It was a pleasure. I'm sure the allure of this will wear off when I have a giant mountain of laundry in my basement again, but I intend to keep using the clothe line because it reminds me to slow down mentally. And, believe me, I need that.