Getting To Know Me

When I was a kid of about 9 or 10, I remember one of my 'duties'
at home was to hang out the laundry. 

Coming from a family with 9 children you can just imagine

the amount of clothes that needed washing and drying

on a daily basis.

Mom and Dad always put up a weekly 'duty schedule' for us kids. They attempted to change 

it around as best they could to give us something different every now and then.

We had a big back yard and a long clothes line. I learned pretty quickly that hanging out 

clothes was one of the things I really liked to do.

Maybe it was  because it was a solitary task with no one else around.....being in a large

family doesn't always afford one peace and quiet. So this 'duty' was one I welcomed!

I never gave it a second thought until a boy from the neighbourhood one day was

watching me at the clothesline and said 'How is Mrs.Cuvelier doing today?'

I thought what is he talking about? I really didn't understand what he meant at the time

but I gradually got the idea that I was doing a woman's/girl's task.

And you know what? I could care less and thought his comment

was ridiculous. He would continue with the comments a few

more times until he saw that it wasn't bothering me in the least.

To this day I still enjoy the act of hanging clothes out to dry.

It can be a sort of art form you know.

And I am sure everyone has their own 'method' of doing it. I break it down into categories:

lengthy clothes first, then taper it back to the shortest being the last ones.....like socks.

Of course the whites have to be together if at all possible, as well as the towels, shirts

 and underwear......no mixing allowed!

Ron thinks I am a tad OCD about this, especially when I rush to the washer

ahead of him to get the wet clothes to hang.

And you know, he may be right!! But I still love the orderliness of it all.....everything

in its place. And it is a solo task making it quiet and peaceful.

So, there are lots of advantages that came from a large family setting and

especially one that had a 'duty list'.

I will forever be thankful for my parents for teaching their children 
about sharing the work tasks at home.