Hanging the Laundry

Does anyone remember hanging clothes on a clothes line? I believe there are rules against this in California. I believe most people would consider it unsightly. However, in Spain it is the norm. You wash your clothes in a washing machine and then hang them on the line to dry. Ecologically, you cannot argue with this. It’s a little more time consuming than putting them in a clothes dryer, but not really that much. And there is a feeling that occurs when I am pinning clothes to the line. I don’t know if it is primal or not, but it is a sense of calm and a sense of connection with the generations of women who have gone before me.

I remember wringer washing machines, large tubs that chugged and blades that swished the clothes one way and then the other. Then you would pull out one piece of clothing at a time and put it through the wringer taking care that your fingers did not go through the wringer with the clothing. After the clothes had all been wrung out, you would empty the tub of the soapy water and fill it with clean water , return the clothes to the tub, the blades swishing the clothes in clean water, wring the clothes again and repeat as necessary to get the soap out of the clothes. Then you would hang the clothes on the line to dry. We were the proud owners of one of these machines when my youngest brother was born. It took several rinses to make sure all the soap was out of the diapers so his little bum would not be rashed. Disposable diapers? Not even.

Almost everything close here on a Sunday, even the mall! It is eery at first and then comforting as you realize that everyone is off work enjoying a day of rest and/or recreation. Because this is a resort town for the Spanish, the cafes along the beach are open, but that is it. No markets, no clothing stores, no hardware store, nothing. Strolling along the beach you see these large old wooden boats filled with sand that are the equivalent of our barbeque pits only so much more scenic. Spanish families construct large tent communities around these boats with tables and chairs and stay through the day long into the night cooking, eating, drinking. talking, and laughing. Lots of children busying themselves with children’s games in the sand. There are no electronic games in sight. Just balls, buckets and games of chase. It is a joyous sight.

Last night we road tested our rice cooker. A lot of saffron, a little salt, rice and tofu with zuchinis on top to steam. It was a lovely dinner. We also road tested our new blender with fresh peaches, pears, bananas and a concoction of milk and rice they sell here (think rice pudding) that we had froze. I am appalled to report that the blender, which was the cheapest one we could find, worked worlds better than my one at home. It blended everything up real spiffy lickedty split. Wowzie! And for desert we had Spanish cookies, galletas, shaped like a heart, very crispy, and not overly sweet. You can get these in the states, but I think it may be like eating hot dogs cooked over a camp fire, they just taste better here.