Remembering moms Clothesline

Now isn't this the truth! My father in law forwarded this in an email...I love it...so true for those of us who were kids in the 50's and earlier!

Remembering Mom's Clothesline  There is one thing that's left out. We had a long wooden pole (clothes pole) that was used to push the clotheslines up so that longer items (sheets/pants/etc.) didn't brush the ground and get dirty. You have to be a "certain age" to appreciate this one.... (But you YOUNGER ones can read about "The GOOD ol' days"!!) I can hear my mother now.....     THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES: (If you don't even know what clotheslines are, better skip this.) 1. You had to hang the socks by the toes... NOT the top. 2. You hung pants by the BOTTOM/cuffs... NOT the waistbands. 3. You had to WASH the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes - walk the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines. 4. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first. 5. You NEVER hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors think?  6. Wash day on a Monday! NEVER hang clothes on the weekend, or on Sunday, for Heaven's sake! 7. Hang the sheets and towels on the OUTSIDE lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!) 8. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather... clothes would "freeze-dry." 9. ALWAYS gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky"! 10. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item. 11. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.     And now a POEM ... A clothesline was a news forecast, To neighbors passing by, There were no secrets you could keep, When clothes were hung to dry. It also was a friendly link, For neighbors always knew If company had stopped on by, To spend a night or two. For then you'd see the "fancy sheets", And towels upon the line; You'd see the "company table cloths", With intricate designs. The line announced a baby's birth, From folks who lived inside, As brand new infant clothes were hung, So carefully with pride! The ages of the children could, So readily be known  By watching how the sizes changed, You'd know how much they'd grown! It also told when illness struck, As extra sheets were hung; Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe too, Haphazardly were strung. It also said, "On vacation now", When lines hung limp and bare. It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged, With not an inch to spare! New folks in town were scorned upon, If wash was dingy and gray,  As neighbors carefully raised their brows, And looked the other way. But clotheslines now are of the past, For dryers make work much less. Now what goes on inside a home, Is anybody's guess! I really miss that way of life, It was a friendly sign When neighbors knew each other best... By what hung out on that line.

French cottage side table

Joining in on the party over at Etsy Cottage style blog, I thought I would share another of my refurbished finds....

 

 here is the "before" 

I  have not finished the letter holders:) that will be in a later post...

I picked up this table at a garage sale..it was wobbly with loose legs and the top was full of water stains. But it has dome much potential! I had to bargain a bit, the owners said it was in the family since the 1930's, but one of the grandkids took it to his college dorm and pretty much had destroyed it. They didn't want to spend the money to have it refinished, but it was also hard to let go. But for $20 it was mine.

the details are amazing. The legs re-glued, and new pads on the feet and a good sanding to smooth the top. I painted it a soft heirloom white and added an antique glaze.This was to be displayed in a local antique shop that I was consigning in, but the owner abruptly closed the shop, so now I will most likely sell it on craigs list locally since it is too hard to ship from my website.

I added a coupe waterslide decals to the top and sealed

Viola!  Vintage French cottage!!

Mid July in my cottage garden

It's a jungle! The false queen annes lace has taken over mingling with the the hollyhocks..

especially proud of the hydrangea...it struggled for several years, this year it is giving quite a show

babybreath, swedish ivy and eucalyptus

 

The planter chair I re-purposed last year....

 on the front porch.....

last but not least, is the new rose I planted this spring called

"Angel Face" 

in memory of our kitty named Angel whom went to heaven last winter. It is planted right next to the bird bath, one of her favorite places to rest. It has a beautiful fragrance and makes me smile remembering our beloved kitty of 11 years:)

French cottage hall tree refurbished...

Time to share!  During the summer months I really dive into refurbishing and re-purposing as may pieces as I can fit in.

This piece was a moving sale find for $15. It needed a bit of TLC and a few minor repairs. Primed and a coat of butter yellow paint along with an antique glaze. Then new fleur de lis hangers made this piece so very French country cottage style. The mirrors I simply flipped them over and covered the back side with old newsprint scrapbook paper. So if someone wanted to have mirrors again, the option is still there.

 

Want to see what it looked like "before"

here it is--we took it apart to transport it--

ugly YES, but I had a vision for it, and I love the finished piece!

stay tuned, I have several other re-purposed pieces I will be sharing soon!

the meerie go round

These pictures were just to precious not share with my blogging friends!
A recent visit to the "meerie go round" with our two granddaughters Lilian Grace and Lynsie Jean~

Sharing a couple of my favorite summer recipes since it is berry season here in the Pacific Northwest...these are for raspberries, but any cane berry will do...I love them all!

 Joining in the party over at Etsy Cottage Style blog this morning!

Yes, this my favorite summer breakfast fare. Nothing fancy, but quick easy, fresh and local. So I pretty much am addicted to Chobani Greek yogurt now and have it for breakfast at least 4-5 times a week. But the summer brings a bounty of fresh local fruit and I snagged my first lot of raspberries. So I snapped a pic, and am sharing this less than 300 calorie sweet and oh so good for you recipe that has endless possibilities.

6 ounces non fat Greek yogurt

(Chobani brand is my fave)

2 packets Splenda

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon granola

You can substitute Vanilla yogurt, but use only 1 packet Splenda.

the options are endless with your fruit---always use fresh and local in the summer--can't wait for the local peaches...

The recipe comes from my Splenda cookbook, so it is pure indulgence without all the fat and calories!

Fresh Raspberry Fool

Fresh Raspberry Fool

1 1/2 cups low fat plain greek yogurt (Chobani being my fave)

8 tablespoons Splenda granular, divided

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

12 ounces fresh raspberries

 4 Tablespoons heavy whip cream

In a small bowl combine yogurt,  4 tablespoons splenda, and extract. In a separate bowl, mash berries with 2 tablespoons splenda. Chill both at least 1 hour.

Whip cream with remaining 2 tablespoons splenda until moderately stiff. Fold cream into into yogurt mixture. Swirl berries lightly into cream/yogurt mixture, and pour into elegant glass desert dishes. Garnish with a whole berry. Serves 4.

140 Calories