Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
The basic rules for the clotheslines on Monday’s wash day:
One had to wash the clothesline before hanging any clothes by walking the entire length of each line with a damp cloth, wrapping both hands around the wire to get the top and bottom to wipe off the dust that had settled.
Cut a trimmed limb, leaving a V-shape in the top end to push the clotheslines up so that longer items didn’t brush the ground and get dirty.
Clothes pins were kept in a clothes pin bag.
Never wash clothes on the weekend, or on Sunday, for Heaven’s sake! Wash day was always Monday.
Clothes were always hung in a certain order, all socks together, shirts together, etc. Always hang “whites” with “whites,” and hang them first.
One had to hang the socks by the toes.
Pants were hung by the waistbands, slightly gapped so air could blow in and down to dry the heavy material.
Shirts were always hung by the tail. What would the neighbors think? And, the breeze would blow and flip them around in the air making less wrinkles to iron.
Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so that “unmentionables” in the middle of the line were hidden.
It didn’t matter if it was sub-zero weather as clothes would “freeze-dry.”
Being efficient, one could line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but each piece shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item, except for socks.
Clothes were taken off of the line before supper time, sprinkled, neatly rolled and placed in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed. The next day, Tuesday, was ironing day.
Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were “tacky!”
The reward for all of that work? Crawling into a newly made bed that night with sheets smelling like fresh air!
This was the way clothes were washed and hung, according to mother. Then, along came the washer and dryer, and life changed, drastically.
Life’s lessons to live by include the following:
- Smell flowers in bloom.
- Look at old photos.
- Give someone the benefit of the doubt.
- Write a thank you note.
- Learn how to set the table, and then eat a meal with one’s family at the table.
The community received showers this past week. Friday was a beautiful day with sunshine and cool temperatures.
Quotes for the week are as follows:
“I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers, of April, May, or June, and July flowers.” — Robert Herrick
“There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” — Alfred Wainwright
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“I thrive on obstacles. If I’m told it can’t be done, then I push harder.” — Issa Rae
“I am not handsome or sexy. Of course, it’s not like I am homeless.” — Keanu Reeves
Life is much better when sitting on the porch to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
Marion “Pidge” Anderson got her first ripe tomato, this week. She says, “MMMM good.”
Justin, April and Chloe Simmons, along with Sharon Crider, enjoyed four days at Holden Beach, North Carolina. While there, they travelled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to eat at Crabby Mikes and visit the aquarium. They certainly had a great time.
Sorry to hear that Eldon Puffenbarger remains at Mon General Hospital in Morgantown.
Work continued this weekend with the continued repairing of damage from the spring’s wildfire. The same crew was involved, including Jeff Mitchell who also helped last weekend. Hats off to these volunteers. They are helping to make the community better.
Linnea Fisher’s parents, Don and Julie Patton, with friend George of Oregon, are visiting with Robbie, Linnea, Logan, and Michael Fisher. They were here to celebrate Michael’s sixth-grade graduation, and Linnea’s LPN pinning which was done by her aunt, Maxine “Max” Heilinger of California. Congratulations!
Mike and Lisa Jamison are home from a few days at University of Virginia Hospital. They now have a new front porch which was built by friends, so that Mike can watch the traffic. They are so very thankful for their friends who have “been there for them.”
Everett Hedrick has celebrated another birthday, 97 years old, with a brilliant mind. Happy birthday!
Clickety-clacks for the chin waggers are as follows:
- The Australian Alps get more snow than the Swiss Alps.
- The Egyptian women had a wide range of rights and freedoms. They could buy and sell property, serve on juries, and enter into legal contracts.
- The largest fresh water dunes in the world line the shores of Lake Michigan.
- The United Kingdom is home to the world’s oldest underground railway system, the London Underground, which opened in 1863.
- Dalmatians are born without spots! They are born with plain white coats with their first spots appearing after they are one week old.
Birthdays include Junior Evick, 16th; Bill Nelson and Mary Child, 17th; Jaylee Brubeck, 18th; Carroll Mitchell, 19th; Alda Propst, 22nd; Jerry Wimer, 23rd; Lester Propst, 24th; Donna Rader and Sheila Lambert, 25th; Bob Hurry, Don Vandevander, Marshall Harper and Mike Johnson, 26th; Amanda Kiser, 27th; Sunette Propst, 28th; Jeannie Koontz, 29th; and Walt Pitsenbarger and Polly Hartman, 30th.
Concerns for this week include Bob Adamson, John Ashley, Roger Ashley, Mercedes Aumann, the Charles Bates family, Richard Bennett, the Ed Bodkin family, “Bo” Boggs, Elsie Bowers, Marie Cole, Steve Conrad, Christian Dasher, Benny Evick, the Charles Evick family, Isaac Eye, Linda Eye, Marie Eye, Mary Eye, Carl Gant, Lola Graham, Patsy Green, JC Hammer, Gary Harman, Marlene Harman, Marvin Hartman, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Grace Hedrick, Jim Hiner, Evan Hise, Tim Hively, Edsel and Mary Ann Hogan, Virgil Homan, Jr., Adalbert Hoover, Keith Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Debbie and Enos Horst, the Lois Huffman family, Lisa and Mike Jamison, Jessica Janney, Alice Johnson, Richard Judy, Marsha Keller, Kim Kline, Ginger Knight, Tracie Knight, Melissa Lambert, Robert Lambert, Ronnie Lambert, Rex Landis, Roger and Skip Mallow, Yvonne Marsh, Ed May, Gary McDonald, Neil McLaughlin, Rose Miller, Bruce Minor, Tom Mitchell, Barbara Moats, Gloria Moats, John Morford, Bill Mullenax, Helen Nash, Aaron Nelson, Ruth Nelson, Cheryl Paine, Wanda Pitsenbarger, Andy Pond, Eldon “Butch” Puffenbarger, Alda Propst, Janis Propst, Mike Propst, Sheldon Propst, Stanley Propst, Tom Rader, Brandon Reel, Charles Rexrode, Jason Rexrode, Linda Fay Rexrode, Pam Rexrode, Dennis Riggleman, Mike Roberts, Donna Ruddle, Jenny Ruddle, Brittany Shriver, Annie Simmons, Phyllis Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Judy Simmons, Nelson Simmons, Robbie Sites, Mike Skiles, Tina Stuben, Steve Stump, Elizabeth Terry, Rosa Tichenor, Linda and Larry Vandevander, Sandra Vandevander, Raymond Varner, Amy Vaus, Estelle Wagner, Rene White, Judy Williams, Ann and Jerry Wimer, Margaret Wimer, the people of Ukraine, Israel, Pakistan, and avalanche victims of Papua New Guinea.
