LAUNDRY DAY
by
Vivian Combs Moon

Oh yes I remember laundry day...
But what I remember most was grandma's suprise.
My grandfather owned a small store in Lee County
and he had ordered my grandma a clap on hand 
crank wringer that went between the wash tubs...

I remember us walking to the store to get the box 
and she was sooo happy. Bright and early the next
morning my grandfather with great pride placed his
gift on the tubs as my grandmother looked at him with
love and at the wringer with a big smile on her face...I 
remember this look..it was just like she had gotten
a new Magtag.

  Laundry Day started as the sun was just coming up.
We had a big wooden barrel set out at the corner 
of the house to catch rain water. This water was put
in the big black pot in the yard and heated until it 
came to a boil and then it was poured into the wash 
tubs that were out in the yard.

  Grandma made her own lye soap and she would
put some in the hot water.The white clothes went it
first and then were soaked. In went the big scrub 
board and the real work started. Scrub, scrub and 
then through the hand crank wringer into the other 
tub to rinse, then back through the wringer again 
and then on to the line to dry. If it was my 
grandfathers Sunday shirt it went into a bucket of 
cooked starch and then on to the line. 

  The colored clothing came next and then my 
grandfathers work bib overalls and off to the 
lines again to hang them all up.

   And in between all the washing she put on a
big pot of pinto beans with a big hunk of ham 
on the wood stove to slowly cook for my 
grandfather's lunch with fried potatoes and 
corn bread and that 
wonderful homemade butter..


  Then back outside to get the clothes off the 
line and start the ironing. My grandma had
three irons, two small ones and one bigger 
one and she placed these on the woodstove
to heat. Usually the ironing continued on the
next day.

  Then it was time to start cooking supper....


page created by Lynda Combs Gipson