This morning as I was folding the clothes from the dryer (I still haven’t gotten a clothes line up) and putting the dirty clothes in the washer, I thought, there’s just no glory in laundry.
It’s not like that with some of the other chores, like cooking. There’s lots of hype around cooking. Sharing recipes, talking about ingredients, making special trips to the farmers market or Co-op to get just the right…whatever. And cooking itself can be dramatic. Knives chopping, oil splattering, ovens catching on fire, a few seconds too long in the pot and the pasta is ruined!
But laundry, the only time laundry gets mentioned is if there are no more clean socks. Put it in the washer, put it in the dryer, fold it, put it away…. for all of eternity always the same thing. I don’t mean to complain, although I am complaining I take that back. What I mean is, I know I shouldn’t complain. Compared to the way women used to wash clothes, the washer and dryer are a dream. But I never had to spend my Mondays hauling clothes down to the river and scrubbing them on rocks and I think, at least that has a sense of adventure to it, I mean, you might have to fight off a bear or a snake. On second thought, risking my life to do laundry isn’t all that appealing. But it does have a sense of glory to it.
Which takes me back to my morning musings. Maybe once upon a time, or somewhere else… but on Bedlam Farm, there’s no glory in laundry.
I had to smile at this ~ laundry is definitely a chore. But I am fortunate enough to have a neighbor who lets me use her clothesline, and I love hanging the clothes to dry. The scent when I bring them in is just so wonderful. I hang clothes in all seasons unless the snow is too deep ~ they always smell fresh and new. So maybe once your line is up you will like it better! 🙂 I shall have to find space for a line before long as my neighbor is getting on in years, but I’ve certainly enjoyed the privilege of using hers!
That’s it, this weekend, I have to get my clothes line up. I know it will make all the difference Candy.
love your musing.
That’s too funny, and so true! But Id rather do laundry then vacuum and dust. Laundry on the line was always special at my Grandparents house in NH. We had a dryer at home and it was just a chore, but at Grans it was a nice time to be outside with her, and she taught me how to hang things so you didn’t have to iron them. But then she went in and ironed all the sheets and pillow cases and kitchen towels. It seems to me having that sort of time to devote to a home is a by-gone thing now. She only had her home as her work, didn’t do any hobbies, did love to garden though. But now just caring for a home and not working on top of it seems a luxury… So I just skip cleaning much and my iron has never met a sheet… 🙂
Thanks for the note cards, love the sheeps. and todays pic of you with all the flock is so evocative and sweet. And Im with you on the air con, it gets wicked hot here. Cheers, Kate
I can’t even try to imagine ironing sheets and pillow cases and towels!
Brought a smile to my face…..my loving husband does his laundry and is under strict orders NOT to do my laundry for fear of shrinkage or “bleachitis”. Sometimes my stuff does end up mixed in with his and I just have to sigh and move on and count my blessings that he does help out with this “eternal chore”. But your description also reminded me of when we got married and moved to a tiny “little house on the prairie” cottage that had no washer or dryer. We had to go to the local laundromat which was run by a sweet slightly elderly couple. You could leave your laundry there and they would wash, dry and fold it for you! But we chose to do it ourselves and spent many hours together there – Ken reading the paper and me doing counted cross-stitch. We moved into our own home a year later and had our own machines but we do look fondly back at those memories and can always say we “always have the laundromat”!
Laundromat Love. How sweet Patricia
You are right! Recipes shared, cooking hints given but we don’t go to our neighbors and ask “Can you spare a pair of socks?” Or “I like that shirt you have on the line. Can I borrow it?” We just keep on doing the laundry and getting it dried and folded and ironed!
I’m sure it will Maria!!!
Back when we were first married, my husband figured out that he could fold laundry, drink beer, and watch television all at the same time, and still look like the hero! Not suggesting you pop a cold one but I do hope you find a way to make it more fun, or dangerous, or whatever. (Love the clothes lines that are attached to pulleys!)
I completely agree. My hubby will say, “This is delicious” when I cook a meal but do I hear, “Honey, the way you folded my shirts is fantastic.” Ummmm, no. Laundry is a drudgery, but a necessary one. Although my 15 year old son would be perfectly fine wearing the same t-short and shorts for a week.
I’m the laundress in my house, too! And I like cooking, but not the mundane, everyday stuff – I like the kind of cooking that dirties every pot and pan in the house (which my husband will then kindly wash). So he does the everyday dinners, I do the special stuff, I do the laundry and he does the load that he can’t kill – jeans, sheets, towels.
It gets done, in the end. But I loved your post. 🙂
that’s why i make my girls do their own laundry!!
Fun post…….. & sweet potholder…….clever ! Can’t but smile !
love this post and jon’s reply — you guys are great together — you should have a tv show!!
No glory in laundry…unless it inspires artwork like this! I despise doing the laundry – and my laundry room’s chaos is evidence of this.
After reading Jon’s post…..ah……I think his socks will all disappear ? tee hee
I’ve considered it Virginia.
After Jon’s post about his socks – you might want to make a potholder of just socks! Then he would know where his socks are! Very funny post!
Good idea Connie.
I so agree! The joy of laundry comes in hanging it on a line outside and watching it blow in the wind and sun. It’s such a meditative process. I hang it outside all year round too just like my mom did.
On a frugal/environmental note, using the sun and wind saves so much energy and money too.
Dryers suck nature out of the process and deny us the pleasure of a line of colourful clothes. It’s so artistic! (Besides, dryers eat socks!)
How right you are, Maria. Laundry seems one of those endless–not to mention thankless–tasks.Just when you’ve finished folding the last socks and undies and getting everything put away, someone throws something in the hamper and the whole cycle 9no pun intended) starts over again.
Okay…there is no glory in laundry, but there is personal satisfaction; I actually like doing it! Sometimes I pile my son’s folded shirts in color spectrum order. I get a quick thrill when I reunite a pair of socks that had been wandering apart. The smell, the warmth, the sight of the neatly folded pile, the “crack” of the sheets or jeans as I shake them out. It’s all in how you think of it! But Maria, I would buy that piece you show because it is adorable!
I can understand that part of it Kathie, but I think kids clothes can be more fun than some adult clothes. I do love your description though, it makes me understand and wish I could feel the same.
I’m grinning like a Cheshire Cat, Maria, because I had just the same problem last week only in reference to carrying a heavy laundry basket upstairs full of clean B&B sheets and towels, after last week-end’s guests. The laundry basket was carefully positioned in the middle of the hallway leading to the upstairs so that himself would either have to pick it up and carry it upstairs or trip over it getting to the downstairs bathroomm which he visits. Need I say that the comment that night was, if I dropped dead on the floor would you step over me too?
I loved your posting and I loved Jon’s posting too. What fun!
SandyP in Southern Ontario, Canada
Another thought or two…
I hate cooking! Don’t get me wrong, I love eating! But after making about 45,990 meals (minus only a few…we very rarely eat out) in 42 years of marriage and raising 3 kids, I’m tired of the whole process. After all the planning, shopping, chopping, cooking, and serving, the meals disappear in 5 minutes flat! Then there’s a mess to clean up and the next meal to plan. ;-(
Maria, it’s so funny…you’ve really started something in our household with this ‘No Glory’ thing! 😉 My hubby’s now saying things like, “there’s no glory in getting the oil changed in the car but someone’s got to do it”, “there’s no glory in taking out the garbage but I’ll do it anyway”, and on and on. I’ll never hear the end of it! LOL
It’s sadly true, there is no glory in most of those things Hazel. They are the mundane tasks of life. sigh….
I laughed about this, and it’s so true. And just as funny was Jon’s tongue in cheek response yesterday. From my view, not much glory in any household chore – cleaning, laundry or cooking. 🙂
Wow….what I wouldn’t give to have my husband cook every night….I hate to cook but enjoy doing laundry and yes, I do have a clothes line…
My washer and dryer are stuck in a warehouse waiting to move to Salem 🙁
I wish I could do laundry tonight, socks and all!
But did love the back-and-forth between you and the cook…hehe.
Laundry is my favorite chore! If I had to choose one chore to do, for sure it would be laundry. I have a clothesline and feel great satisfaction in knowing that Mother Nature will take care of the drying part. Hopefully you can get yours up soon Maria.
I am envious. I can’t do laundry any more. My washer and dryer are in the basement, and I have cancer and congestive heart failure. Between the cancer treatments and my crumby heart, the stairs are no longer possible. I love it when my husband brings me a big basket of washed laundry to sort and put away. He promised me he would put a washer and dryer in our garage, I sure hope he does it soon. Doing laundry is under-rated. BTW – many kudos on the pig round up. :o)
One woman’s drudgery is another woman’s pleasure Jill. I hope you get your washer and dryer in the garage soon.