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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

WARM MEMORIES for Wednesday

I am tired of everything matchy matchy..
in perfect order...
I want the warmth and personality of 
AN OLD FASHIONED BED..
Soft, worn quilts..
HANDMADE...
My mom made embroidery pillow cases..JUST LIKE THAT ONE on this bed.
Our pillows didn't have to be STRAIGHT..         ♥
 or have a thousand pillows piled on the bed..
I have EIGHT (8) pillows here...
 there's TWELVE (12) on this guest bed..
Good Grief...
The beds of my childhood...all they really HAD to be...
was soft and comfy and warm and smell good.
and friends and family, snuggling together..
telling stories..♥
laughing at jokes..
sneaking into the kitchen for ANOTHER one of those good cookies
♣ and running back, jumping from the doorway all the way to the bed.
♥
THESE are silly, giggling grand girls, all piled up in MY bed..
I can remember doing the same with cousins and friends
when I was younger...
I love beds that hold THIS much fun...♥



HOME SWEET HOME... ♫♪
IRONING ...
it brings so many memories rushing back that it is almost overwhelming.
I am getting so choked up...so full of emotions that my mind is jumping all over the page..
My mother had an old quilt on HER ironing board, too...*gulp
I close my eyes and I can see..
the steam rising from the dampened pillowcases being ironed...
I can even SMELL the wondering aroma from the sweet ironed pieces. ♫

I see a basket, filled to the brim with the weeks ironing, just like the one of mine, above.
I see the old Dr. Pepper bottle with the sprinkler cork inside..used to dampen all the clothes, making ready for IRONING.   ♥
I can remember EXACTLY the first time I was allowed to use the iron to iron a pillowcase.



 This is the cutest painting from DUDA DAZE
that I have hanging in my
Laundry Center.
She has some awesome things for sale in her
ETSY SHOP..

♥





Growing up, we ALWAYS had a screen door at our house.
One reason being that, as a YOUNG child, 
we didn't have air conditioning. !!
CAN you even believe it ?   ♥

We opened all windows and doors...
and, of course, the screen door let in the breeze
but kept those ole pesky bugs OUT.
running in and out.....
"Jeanie, if you slam that screen door 
ONE MORE TIME........ !!"      :O)

 JACKS...
I played Jacks morning, noon and night...
Along with a screen door..
our houses had WOODEN porches.
I can remember several times, while playing Jacks with my cousins,
on the WOODEN front porch,
getting long splinters up a fingernail....
OUCH !

I just wish I still had some of the little
JACK POUCHES
my mother made for me...  ♥
well, for me and for all my cousins.
The one I show here is just about like the homemade
ones she whipped out...
Courtesy Quality Clotheslines.net
*
Oh, how I remember hanging the clothes out on the line.
And, how I wish I had a picture of that old  4 lines CLOTHES LINE
that my daddy built for my mama.
♥
I don't have a clothes line...
 I do however, have a fabulous, vintage wooden DRYING RACK
that I LOVE using, every chance I get.
I've posted about it before.



Mr. Sweet has offered many times to build
a clothes line in our tiny back yard.
HOWEVER...
 our yard IS small.
A blogger told me about a round one that
I might think about.
♥♥
I adore soft towels, due to the CLOTHES DRYER and SOFTENER SHEETS..
♥
I love my sheets softer, too.
O, they smell heavenly when dried outside...
but they are SCRATCHY...   ♥   
I am SUCH a sissy.!
 This FLYING AUNT  ANT reminds me that Mama used to tell me, when I was taking down the clothes,  to
"...be sure and shake the clothes real well..don't bring bugs into the house".
*is it because I'm getting old that makes me want to HEAR THOSE WORDS again ?
We made a lot of homemade ice cream when I was a little girl... most of the time, it was out on the screened-in porch. And...we would put an old, thick quilt on top of the freezer and us kids would sit on it while the grown-ups took turns turning the crank.
THIS even LOOKS like my mother..
she was dark haired...thin...
apron
washing dishes
milk bottle
clothes on the line...♥
she even had yellow mixing bowls..
She always wore dresses..
HOUSE dresses,♥ she called them.
I didn't see my mom in pants or shorts until I was almost grown.
 dishes drying in a rack always TAKE ME BACK...
MY job was to DRY the dishes each night.
Mom said I would ALWAYS " have to go to the bathroom" about that time.
Guess I was hoping they would dry themselves.
I have so many more wonderful memories..too many
to add to this already TOO LONG post.

I wish you would share some of your young memories..
I LOVE hearing them.
xoxo bj  ♥

Joining:
WHITE WEDNESDAY
OURDOOR WEDNESDAY
GOOD LIFE WEDNESDAY
REDNESDAY WEDNESDAY
FALL FESTIVAL WEDNESDAY
and because I am *going back in time,
TIME TRAVEL THURSDAY 
at

47 comments:

  1. Sissie's Shabby CottageSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:11 PM

    Hi BJ!
    OMG, you have taken me back to home sweet home and memories of my Mom. I remember watching her iron and I loved the smell of the clean clothes and the steam rising from the iron as she sprinkled the clothes with water.
    You are so right about the comfy beds we had as children.

    Your beautiful post makes me smile and remember when.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:13 PM

    What a wonderful post.
    You took me back home to WV
    and memories of my mother and grandmother.

    Pamela
    Michigan

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    I love it when you take us down memory lane. I remember how I was the champ at playing jacks in the
    6th grade. I used 3 sets of jacks and a golf ball. I was so proud that nobody could beat me. I played by the hours. The dishes and ironing, I was not fond of. We had 9 in our family and dishes and ironing was always there, it seemed.My Mother starched and iron everything. Oh and I remember one time I hid some pots and pans in the oven so I could say I had the kitchen cleaned up. Dad found out and took every dish out of the cabinet and made my sisiter and I wash and dry them. :)
    Chris

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  4. Kim @ Savvy Southern StyleSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:26 PM

    BJ, I have so many of the same memories. My mom had the bottle with the sprinkle thing on it and stored the clothes in the fridge till she was ready to iron. I used to help her hang the clothes out on the line and take them back down. Yes, beds should be comfy. So hard to leave one messy though. I tried the cheese dome link you have at the top, but did not see any.

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  5. DonnieSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:27 PM

    Such sweet memories. I still do my dishes with a drainboard because I don't have a dishwasher and it is only the two of us.

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  6. Miss JaniceSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:37 PM

    I stalk Susan Branch's site also! LOVE all your photos and I so remember my Mama wearing house dresses all the time. Great post:)

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  7. AnonymousSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:48 PM

    I've been thinking about yall.Hope the fires get put out soon,are you having any problems with smoke?
    ~JO

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  8. Kathleen GraceSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    Isn't Susans blog lovely!? I have all those same old memories from living with my grandparents on the farm when I was little. Screen doors, playing on the porch, clothes on the line and ironing! I thought ironing was a big treat, especially grnadmothers handkercheifs and pillowcases. You know, the easy square stuff! But my ridiculous little eyes would just light up when grandma brought out the ironing. Lol, I still like to do it. Especially the easy square pieces:>)

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  9. Brenda PruittSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    If I put pillows on the couch or bed, before long here comes Ms. Abi to nose them all off. Oh, memories do take us back. I'm all for the simple life, so reckon I'd best go visit her.
    Brenda

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  10. Barbara F.September 6, 2011 at 5:01 PM

    This post took me down memory lane also, I can still smell the warm steamy fragrance of freshly pressed clothes, even my summertime play clothes got ironed. I remember my father's dress shirts with perfectly done collars and cuffs, all the clothes hung on the clothes line in size place.....those were the days. We did not own a dryer at that time. Ah, memories.....xo

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  11. UnknownSeptember 6, 2011 at 5:30 PM

    Dear Bj, Been a while since I payed a visit and was so happy I did. I have always loves SB and have some of her books. I didnt know she had a blog so thank you for sharing that. I grew up in a small house sharing it with 4 brothers and two sisters. So space was limited and with so many brothers and my dad it seems like my mom was always at the ironing board! Shirts had to be pressed..and then when I was old enough to handle the iron I made myself a great little business ironing for my brothers..at the time a quarter a shirt gave me some serious money! Thanks for the memories...the smile on my face is going to last a while

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  12. Ceekay-THINKIN of HOMESeptember 6, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    Your growing out sounds a lot like mine. My mother ironed almost everyday. I can see her right now, ironing EVERYTHING! I have some of her clothespins, her scrub board and her sprinkling bottle with the topper!! I cherish them!
    The most vivid memory of a bed is at my grandma's...freshly ironed white sheets....with old blankets on top....the windows open and the gauzy priscilla curtains blowing...I can almost smell it!!

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  13. SusanSeptember 6, 2011 at 6:03 PM

    I remember my mother would iron at night and I would hear the hissing of the iron until late at night. It was probably around 11:00 pm. But for me as a little girl that was late.

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  14. On Crooked CreekSeptember 6, 2011 at 6:29 PM

    BJ,
    This post is just so very precious!!! I enjoyed it beyond the realm of my words! Tugged at my heartstrings! I finished a post for Labor Day Holiday...Just A Bit Tart...about a visit to Grandmothers and making baked beans as a child. Sending wonderful thoughts your way today, dearest friend. Have "Mr. Sweet" hold you in his arms...my substitute!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  15. Sue @ Not the Good Scissors!September 6, 2011 at 6:33 PM

    Oh BJ, you certainly brought back a lot of wonderful memories for me. I have been reminiscing fiercely lately and this post just helped with my memories.

    We are so blessed to have these memories. I know what you mean about the sweet scent of freshly ironed clothes. Just up until a few years ago I use to hang my clothes on a clothes line. I miss that.
    Hugs, Sue

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  16. Penny from Enjoying The Simple ThingsSeptember 6, 2011 at 6:35 PM

    BJ, your memories are precious. They brought a lot of memories back for me too. We didn't have a/c either. We lived on a lake in Michigan and at night when the windows were open we could hear the frogs croak and the fish jump.

    We played jacks, pick up sticks and marbles. I didn't have a jack pouch but I did have a marble pouch.

    Thanks for the memories!
    xo
    Penny

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  17. LVSeptember 6, 2011 at 6:49 PM

    Thank you for sharing some of your special memories. I can relate to a lot of them and have used them in the past.

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  18. Ricki TreleavenSeptember 6, 2011 at 6:58 PM

    I love Susan Branch, too, especially her "Willards." Do you get those? I love to iron, too. I have been ironing since I was thirteen. I iron everything!!!

    Thanks for trusting us with your childhood memories, especially those of your sweet mom. Thank-you for a lovely post, BJ.

    xoxoxoxo,
    Ricki Jill

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  19. Our Country BungalowSeptember 6, 2011 at 7:02 PM

    I enjoyed this post very much! Lots of dreamy photos. And the memories you've shared about your mother...I can just read that sort of thing all day!
    ~cathy

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  20. Sanghamitra Bhattacherjee(Mukherjee)September 6, 2011 at 7:36 PM

    What a lovely post! Moms are always special..aren't they?? Nice pictures.

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  21. Tammy at Tammy Loves DishesSeptember 6, 2011 at 7:42 PM

    Oh, BJ, you have brought such memories of my grandmother back to me. I remember her soda bottle with stopper that she used to do her ironing.

    And I remember playing jacks as a young girl, although we played on sidewalks. You had to be careful not to scrape your pinky fingers when grabbing up those jacks.

    Thanks for the memories!

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  22. NanaDianaSeptember 6, 2011 at 7:48 PM

    Bj-Your life and mine was so similar growing up-I am constantly amazed at it. I remember the quilted ironing board AND the bottle with the sprinkler on top. We had a big old chest freezer and if my Mom got stopped in the middle of an ironing session she would put the already sprinkled clothes into the freezer until she could get to them.

    And the ice cream machine...turning and turning until it was too hard to turn anymore and then letting the ice cream ripen.

    Great memories here today! xo Diana

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  23. LaSeptember 6, 2011 at 8:14 PM

    I love the smell of sheets fresh off the line. Hmmm. My mother had a sprinkling bottle she used to dampen the clothes before ironing.

    Thank you for brining these memories to the forefront of my mind.

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  24. MeckySeptember 6, 2011 at 8:22 PM

    What a sweet post. You took me back home for a few minutes, too.
    Funny that you mentioned a screen door. I have spent the day stripping several layers of paint off mine. I love screen doors. Although my parents would also get after us for letting the screen door slam, I love it when my kids do! I love that sound!

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  25. Sonny GSeptember 6, 2011 at 8:24 PM

    BJ,
    That was a beautiful and enjoyable stroll down memory lane. thanks for taking us with you..
    love those polka dot plates.

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  26. Theresa @ Take A Sentimental JourneySeptember 6, 2011 at 8:27 PM

    Hi BJ !
    I sure wished we had those days back . I used to play jacks constantly. I was obsessed with them ! If I had some I would play them right now :))

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  27. BonnieSeptember 6, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    Enjoyed your post so much! It took me back to many pleasant memories. Made me smile! Thank you so much.

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  28. Jacqueline~Cabin and CottageSeptember 6, 2011 at 9:33 PM

    Great going back in time with you! especially about the beds. I've got to scoot over and check out Susan Branch!

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  29. Always NestingSeptember 6, 2011 at 9:42 PM

    Oh BJ I love all these memories and just reading them gets me all choked up. I love ironing and have since I was a little girl. When my dad was in Vietnam and I was in the second grade I wasn't allowed to iron so I would go to the downstairs neighbor and she would let me iron her pillowcases. To this day I iron pillowcases and they feel wonderful.

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  30. Pat @ Mille Fiori FavoritiSeptember 6, 2011 at 10:06 PM

    Sweet, sweet post, bj! I also loved to hear the sound of thunder and rain as I read it, even though it rained all day here today!

    I also love Susan Branch and have many of her books. I'm so thrilled she has a cute blog now!

    I used to hang out my laundry when I was first married as I didn't have a dryer for many years. No air conditioning either! I could not live without either appliance now...lol.

    I love patch quilts and have them on all my beds. Even though I live in the city I am a country girl at heart :)

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  31. Patty MarkerSeptember 6, 2011 at 10:06 PM

    What a beautiful tribute to your mom and the moms of yesterday. So many of your memories are my own. We were scurried outside in the morning and didn't dare come back in until lunch and then went right back outside (my mom denies this now but all five of us remember this to be true)of course we didn't mind because outside was where all the action was anyway! My mom still irons everything to this day...she says it is much cheaper than therapy. ha..ha. Thanks again for the wonderful memories sweet lady.

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  32. UnknownSeptember 6, 2011 at 11:45 PM

    I LOOOOVVVE me some Susan Branch! I save the images too. :) I love the more homey look. :) thanks for the trip down memory lane. :)

    ~Liz

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  33. NeabearSeptember 7, 2011 at 3:01 AM

    Loved this post! Some of the memories you have I also have. I remember my mom ironing pillow cases. I would come home from school and there she was ironing. My mother also used to play jacks alot. The bugs in the clothes reminds me of something. I had a pair of spandex leggings that I used for taking Tap dance. I had hung them on the line and them folded them and put them away. Well....the next time I wore them as I pulled them on and the bottom of the legging snapped over my heel onto my ankle I felt a sting on the back of my leg. Ouch! ouch! ouch! I was saying. When I checked to see what that caused that, it was a bee that was still inside my pants after I had put them away. I was so shocked. And to this day I still have the mark from where that bee got me. It was a black bee. Hard to see against the black pants. That'll teach me to shake out the clothes first!

    ~Linnea

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  34. Sarah @ Modern Country StyleSeptember 7, 2011 at 6:48 AM

    What a lovely, lovely post. I feel all nostalgic now for my childhood, which came flooding back as I read yours.

    I love the idea of using an old quilt as an ironing board cover. Genius!

    Sarahx

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  35. RettabugSeptember 7, 2011 at 6:51 AM

    I just love it when you take us on a walk down your memory lane, BJ.

    I, too, have so many of the same memories. My mom had the sprinkling bottle and also stored the clothes in the fridge too, till she was ready to iron. I used to help her hang up the clothes on the line and remember running outside to take them back down when it started to rain.
    I also LOVED to play Jacks...hours & hours spent with girlfriends on the porch. Thanks for jogging all those wonderful memories!

    I discovered SB's blog through you but I have not been able to find ANY free offerings of her darling art work. I think I looked at every single page of her blog, too & only captured the "July" header one that you used this year. Are your little blue birds from her??

    Hugs,
    Rett

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  36. Pat@Back Porch MusingsSeptember 7, 2011 at 7:35 AM

    Beautiful post, BJ.

    J and I were talking about pillow cases, the other day...the ones we had as children.

    Our cases were made of white muslin feed sacks. The sheets were too. The sheets had seams in unlikely spots. Some of our pillow cases were made of flour sacks. Those were the best. The muslin feed sacks were comfy, but oh my, those flour sacks were like silk and always so cool to the touch. Loved those flour sack pillow cases, not fancy, but a beautiful childhood memory.

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  37. AnonymousSeptember 7, 2011 at 8:36 AM

    Just a quick note.... I am having a Halloween Giveaway... Come on over!!
    Marilyn

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  38. MandySeptember 7, 2011 at 11:42 AM

    BJ, thank you for the trip down memory lane. What a great way to begin the day.
    www.projectqueen.org

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  39. Bunny JeanSeptember 7, 2011 at 12:50 PM

    thanks for sharing Susan's blog, I just love all her little birdies.

    BJ, it's wonderful that you have so many sweet memories of your mamma. And who in Texas didn't have an old Dr. Pepper bottle hanging around?

    I have some embroidered pillow cases from my mother's early years. AND I have an embroidered laundry bag, it hangs up with a clothes hanger.

    xoxo Bunny Jean

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  40. RitaSeptember 7, 2011 at 12:56 PM

    Whenver I come to vist you, I leave with a warm and cozy feeling in my heart and soul. Thank you for that. I know you work hard on your blog and it shows.
    Hugs,
    Rita

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  41. JulieSeptember 7, 2011 at 2:50 PM

    :0( I miss my Mom and Dad..

    I loved doing puzzles ..and when my Dad used to read a book with me (not to me). Mom was the best cook ever. My Dad used to say that he only thought his Mother could cook until he ate my Mothers cooking!

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  42. Mary @ Redo 101September 7, 2011 at 3:07 PM

    Oh wow did you ever bring back some memories, I grew up just like you. Clothes on the line Daddy built, mom in her "house dresses," doing laundry on the old wringer washer and wringer rinser machines. No A/C until I was grown! I'm going to visit your friend's blog too because it sounds like fun. Thanks for sharing at Rednesday.

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  43. Boo-Bah AKA IrisSeptember 7, 2011 at 5:38 PM

    I love this post. It is wonderful and filled my heart with lovely memories and even brought a tear or two to my eye.

    I love Susan Branch too. A few years back when my kitchen used to be pink and sage green I had a wonderful wallpaper border of hers hung. It was of teacups and roses if I remember right.

    Happy Red Wednesday
    Iris

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  44. Something Nice and PrettySeptember 7, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    I really loved this post! My mom wore the house dresses too and sprinkled the clothes with water! My job was to iron the pillowcases and my dad's white hankies also his work clothes, I can still smell the oil smell coming off of them when the hot iron touched them! Jack's, I loved to play, two friends and I would play everyday! The screen door? Yep, I can still here that sound and my mom saying "Your dad is sleeping"!!!

    Thanks for the memories, it brought tears to my eyes!

    Rondell

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  45. VeeSeptember 8, 2011 at 6:08 PM

    Love your trips down Memory Lane. Susan does have a lovely blog and nothing about it that is pretentious. I nearly keeled over to see that we share the same sideboards and sink. I'm trying to get rid of them...not the sink...and maybe I should hang on. ☺

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  46. abeachcottageSeptember 8, 2011 at 6:49 PM

    What a lovely post. Thanks so much for sharing at Beach Cottage Good Life Wednesdays.

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  47. SueSeptember 8, 2011 at 9:09 PM

    I loved this post. You know it is interesting that you have a few years on me but that things didn't change much from your childhood to mine. Jacks were my favorite, my mom hung out the laundry and yelled not to slam the screen door. Although we did have air-conditioning at least as far back as I can remember. My mom wore pants at home, but I remember her first pair of jeans (other than those she wore as a teenager) and she didn't wear them often. Mom put her ironing in the refrigerator after "sprinkling" it. I always had a quilt on my bed and I still love them, but my old ones don't fit my king-sized bed.

    I think there were a lot of changes in from my generation to the one after me...much more so than from yours to mine. I think they are missing out, don't you?

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Thanks SO much for commenting. I am blessed for knowing you.