I received this e-mail from my mother-in-law today. I thought it was so cute that I just had to share it here. I'm sure you will get a chuckle out of this and feel the sweetness of the letter as much as I did.
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe: this is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.
WARSHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water. Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch. Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch. Hang old rags on fence. Spread tea towels on grass. Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water..
Turn tubs upside down. Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs.. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
Now didn't this just make you smile. I'm counting my blessings that I have a modern washing machine, but how I love the simple pleasures of life. I certainly am blessed, and I hope to remember to count them every day.
Very sweet recipe for washing clothes. It was simpler back then but also a lot harder. I loved the part about poring the rinse water into the flower bed and scrubbing the porch with the leftover hot soapy water and then cleaning up and brewing a cup of tea. I will count my blessings too!
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