Monday, July 06, 2009

Set free.....



I've set myself and my clothespins FREE!
For a year now, I have been using a clothespin bag that I lovingly made for myself and for a couple new brides. I thought then, "They're cute and they're useful," all the while knowing deep within my soul that MY new clothespin bag would put me in bondage.

"How?" you ask.

Well, let me begin at the beginning. I grew up with clothespins that had to be always returned to the clothespin bag after each wash day. They were always nice and smooth and tan (not tattered and gray and weathered). So I knew how the whole clothes line routine should go. But then I got married and my mother-in-love did not use a clothespin bag. Oh no. She left her pins on the line year round. How barbarian! But how liberating! I tried it, and I loved it. It was nice not always taking each and every pin off the line every time I hung out the laundry which was daily, especially when the children were small and there were seven of us to wash for. It was nice to hang the childrens' swimsuits right on the line after they ran through the sprinkler or hang the towel that dried the dog or to quick-dry the tea towels after doing dishes. No need to go find the bag of pins in the laundry room for little jobs like that.

Through the years, my clothespins have weathered gray and are a bit snaggly and some of them have a wee bit of lichen growing on them. But I love them and they just seemed far to wild and unrefined to be cloistered up into a bag for a year only come out for an airing once in awhile and only during daylight hours. These pins were used to bouncing on the line in all weathers -- sun, rain, hail, snow and wind and they had opportunity to be out in the late hours of the night under moonlight. How did I think I could ever get used to such regiment after all this freedom?

So for me and my clothespins, today was our Independence Day! Freedom to live on the edge of domesticity! The revolt was stoked by the large quantity of smelly barn-type laundry that required immediate attention. There were lots and lots jeans, t-shirts and socks which makes a great deal of pinning for the Laundress. And since there were so many loads, that meant when some things were dry, they needed to come off promptly and efficiently so as to make room for the next loads. Do you see how much pinning and unpinning and bagging this makes? Total fiddle-faddle in my lazy homemaker opinion.

So.........


The wild and gnarly clothespin

Today I have given up trying to be cute and fussy and proper about my clothesline and it's pins. It's back to the old ways. Ahhhh.....freedom.

19 comments:

  1. What a silly post! A great smile for the start of a new day; thanks!

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  2. hehe thanks for the morning giggle.

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  3. We always left ours on the line too. When the kids were young it worked perfectly that way, but then their clothes grew up like they did and the wind tugged so hard on them that the spring type clothespins twisted apart and off the line. I switched two years ago to the old-fashioned slip on clothes peg which requires a bag and even in a high SD gale, my clothes stay on the line almost all the time! Thanks, though, I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one who's clothespins grew lichen.

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  4. I like them left on the line too and my extras are in an old antique enameled 'pee' pot!! Of course this is my rope clothesline that goes across my backporch.

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  5. Oh my, it never once occurred to me to leave the pins on the line...I'm so gonna try that freedom!

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  6. I've been "free" for years and my clothes pins look just like yours. Isn't it wonderful?

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  7. I love this post! How often we are dominated by someone else's 'shoulds'.
    Those little clothespins have probably been in revolt this year, conspiring while in that cute bag how they might escape their incarceration!

    Joyce

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  8. Isn't that funny? I remember when you made your clothespin bag and I thought how cool and how much I'd love a clothesline just to have a bag. But now I know, if I were lucky enough to have a line, there'd be no bag for me -- my mom has a lovely collection of very weathered clothespins that are used daily and I'm sure I'd be just the same! Great post Jody!!!

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  9. Free indeed...I totally get this! I wonder what else that clothes pin bag could be used for? Something grand, I'm sure.

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  10. Melanie Schumacher7/07/2009 6:31 PM

    How ironic that you posted this! I was raised a "free" girl. My mom never and will probably never use a clothes pin bag. Recently, we put up a new clothes line and I decided to try the bag. I kept telling Ben that I don't like it and it seemed like a pain but I thought maybe there was some system I hadn't figured out yet. Needless to say, I truly believe there is no system just more work. So as of yesterday I left my pins on the line. I feel much better. Back to my old "free" ways. Thanks for making me smile.

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  11. Jaimi,

    I know....crazy, I am.

    Mary, I'm glad you got a nice laugh out of it. But I'm serious! ~smile~

    Lisa, thanks for coming by and your welcomed.

    Anon...I see you're from SD (close by me). I'm glad to know I'm not the only one leaving her pins on the line!

    Diana, another free-spirit!

    Gen, get free now!

    Lena, I'm glad to know that you, too, are still leaving those pins out on the line. It is wonderful.

    Joyce, you're right! I thought I could put myself into a cutsie mold for the clothespins. I mean, that's not really a big deal is it? Yes, it is.....to me.

    Thimbleanna, you remembered the clothespin bags? They are cute, but.....not worth the bondage. Glad to hear your mom is another free spirit when it comes to her clothespins.

    Cassie, I'm going to keep my bag, but it will stow the "new pins" until I need some replacements outdoors.

    Melanie, I'm so glad you're joining the ranks of weather-beaten clothespin owners. Be free!

    Thanks everyone for your sweet comments. I'm giddy over them!

    Jody

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  12. Long live the rebellion! Gray splintery clothes pins have more character anyway.

    frances

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  13. and hey..gnarly looking clothespins just seem to have a bit more character to them don't you think?
    ------
    inviting you over to my 500th post give away
    http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/2009/07/500th-post-giveaway-75-worth-of-awesome.html
    ~Tina

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  14. I tried the bag as well. And now I am proud to say that I am bagless. I think the nice weather patina is very attractive. :)

    ~M~

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  15. Loved this post! That's an eXcellent clothespin photo ~ great "bokeh" effect!

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  16. Dee from Tennessee

    Oh we always used a bag...it was so so cute..my grandmother made ones that looked like a little girl's dress. (I can just see one hanging on my grandmother's back proch right by the door.) But , wow...the freedom/practicality of just leaving them on the line....makes sense!

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  17. Ha, ha! Yeah, I remember those weathered clothes pins! My grandmother had them, and she was just fine as a housekeeper, so consider yourself exonerated--or freed, whichever ;-)!

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  18. I'm a half and half clothespin woman! Some always stay on the line, and the rest are in my clothespin bag. It hangs at the end of the line and slides across the line as I hang up clothes (except for where the places are that a stray pin is blocking the way). Loved the post! Great writing!

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