Monday 29 February 2016

Monday - laundry day


Amsterdam is at an arm’s length away. If I would climb in the tower of my castle (my home is my castle!) then I could see the urban life of Amsterdam. It is a privilege to live in the country with so much space and greenery all around us. Or is it a privilege to live in a luxury apartment in one of those fabulous buildings I showed you yesterday? It is a choice, both have advantages and disadvantages. It was just a moment of reflection, making me very thankful for living in a wonderful place at this moment. As old age will creep up with me in time, no doubt it will be more than welcome to live in an apartment with easy access to all sorts of things.


With Saturday's futuristic architectural impressions still in my head, the technology of it all, it was sort of weird to get my laundry line and pegs out for the first time this year, making use of the strong Northwestern wind and sunshine for my laundry, saving energy. The grass is high and cannot be mown because of the snowdrops and crocuses in it. Mr Frog carefully watches and hides the red hole for my dryer. Usually I cannot bear plastic ornaments in the garden, but this one does it job well and I can bear his modest and functional presence on the lawn.

It is not all that long ago that women of my mother’s age would ‘bleach’ their laundry, stretched out on the lawn. Or would put ‘Reckitt blue’ in it, stuff to brighten the sheets. My baby sister once used a jar of Quinck royal blue ink in a bucket that my mother had put aside with laundry to soak. This was not a good idea: nothing royal about it, just a lot of undesirable blue. My mother did not use Reckitt, my sister had seen it at the neighbour’s, where white overalls were being bleached and washed every day.
With our 24/7 economy and all household machinery at hand to make life easy, we could still do with the planning of the old days: it was not such a stupid idea to be strictly organized and have a particular day planning. At least it gave them a day to sit (or could they not?!) on Sunday. We seem to be running around forever, the washing machine going almost every day.


'Lunedi - Lucato' design by Milvia
This tea towel was a gift to my mother from Naples, Italy. At first she put it away and never used it, being economical on her linens. First use up the old stuff, then start on your new things, was the iea. In the end she did use it and it now shows its wear and tear. As long as I do not have a proper cover for my sewing and lock machines the two tea towels are being used to keep the dust out of the machines. The other one is on gardening on Friday (on show in another post). The design is so meaningful, with just a few drawing lines.

My husband's farmer's handkerchieves blowing in the wind.
On putting up the laundry on the line you take up the environment at the same time. The awakening garden. Colour is slowly returning in vivid and bright colours, birds bathing in the pond and singing their hearts out already at an early hour. Geese flying over, airplanes flying over urban life in Amsterdam.


For the moment I prefer my country life with dry line! I am not much of a city girl anyway, prefer the quiet of country life to the nervous hustle and bustle of town. One thing is for sure, I fully enjoy modern technology and absolutely hate washing by hand: if something cannot be put in the machine it is not for me! 


Such a cute drawing





2 comments:

  1. Hello Jacoba
    I loved seeing your laundry today... Your tea towel from your Mother is lovely. When we moved this last time I came across some vintage tea towels made of flour sacks that had been embroidered with the days of the weeks. We started using them everyday and I think it was the first time they were ever used. Vintage linens are so amazing! Have a wonderful week my friend!
    Hugs,
    Wanda

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  2. Worden de rode zakdoeken echt dagelijkse gebruikt door je husband? Zo leuk, ga ik ook proberen om hier door te voeren.
    En die theedoek zet me zo terug in de jaren 50.

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