The Wringer and the Scent of Summer Laundry

We had a round oak table. Dad chopped up the pedestal and threw it on the fire out back. He then nailed the top to the basement ceiling, and added a punching bag to it for the boys. We would sit in the basement during tornado warnings and play cards. The basement had shelves that were full of home-canned and store- bought fruits and vegetables. Behind the furnace, was a small room used in the old days to store the coal. Before the automatic washer and dryer, there was a round agitator machine with two rinse tubs. One of the tubs had a wringer in it. We were all afraid we’d get our arm caught in the wringer. In the summer, we would hang the clothes outside on lines. This gave them the most wonderful smell. In the winter the clothes hung in the basement on lines.