It's another Monday...

And the laundry, oh the laundry... the basket runneth over....

 She left Wisconsin and came to California in a covered wagon, went to school in a one room school house, danced through the roaring 20's, was married to the love of her life for more than 70 years and survived three wars. She was a housewife, a home manager and expert at keeping her house in order, and we knew not to ask her to change her ways. She was my Grandma.

Mondays were her “wash” day and she always referred to her laundry soap as “washin powders”.  She used vinegar, rubbing alcohol and a brush to remove stains, reduce static and keep her linens fresh. She added liquid starch to her rinse and then hung her clothes out on the line. She also misted her “ironin” with vinegar water and let it sit, then pressed it in the afternoon when it was too hot to work outside.  Every meal was served with a crisply pressed linen napkin on a beautiful white tablecloth.

She sewed like a professional seamstress, was self taught, and made all of her clothes. She saved each piece of cloth, button, zipper, and clasp. She even saved the thread from the hem and wrapped it on an old wooden spool. I saw her remove a pocket from a pair of my Grandpas worn out jeans and sew it onto another pair that had a bad tear. And yes, she shared her talents with all of us. Even making my daughter a pair of playtime overalls from an old suit, a unique item to say the least, Grandma was proud of it and she expected it to be worn when she she came to visit. Nothing was thrown away. Everything had a purpose.

Her Mondays were like that!