GardenMama

.: Welcome To Wash Wednesday! :.

As the sun melted away into the horizon, wood smoke from the campfire  scented  pillowcases that hung on the clothesline nearby.  As we slumbered on these pillowcases last night, we were reminded in our dreams of this fun evening of roasting marshmallows together in the warm summer evening... 

Welcome to Wash Wednesday!

Teena shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...  

"My clothesline this week featured the onesies my friends and family made for the new babe at the Blessingway. I think they came out amazing!"

Naturally Chic Mama shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...  

"When I'm out in the hot sun, hanging up my laundry, I feel incredibly connected to my great-grandmother, Mama Stacy. I always remember her having a beautiful clothesline in her backyard. It's one of my many fond memories of her and a small way to carry on her legacy."

Samantha Tara shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words... 

"Cloth diapers yet again!  They always seem to be drying on our patio ~ 

Oh, but aren't they a beautiful sight? (I think so!!)"

Farmgirl Susan shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! This photo is called...                                      "The Lamb and the Laundry Line"  

Amy shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words... 

"I bring you the dark side of the laundry line... just dried laundry, left out for a bit longer, only to be soaked by those afternoon storms that pop up so often these days."

Mona shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words... 

"I treasure my clothesline, the mere sight of clean clothes waving in a breeze, the smell of cleanness (and perhaps a drop of essential oil for the joy of it) and the feel of damp and cool hands while hanging up the clothes makes me feel at peace."

"My clotheslines stretches between a couple of old apple trees, to a giant willow tree and to the back of a shed that houses our chickens. I have to walk through the entire garden and through a hedge to get there. It's like walking into some shadowy, private place, and even though I sometimes postpone my »visits« there, I always have this feeling of settling down and enjoying the task."

Patricia shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...  

"The sun is shining and the wind dances gently through the air.

I enjoy to see how the laundry and my daughter are playing with the wind."

Joy shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...  

"drying all the swimsuits during dinner"

Meg shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words... 

"we're enjoying the shots that unfold here each wednesday

and enjoying the sunny, summer days that we're able to hang stuff on the line to dry"

Julie shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words... 

"I love hanging washing on the simple line strung between trees.                                                                                      We have no washing machine here. Everything is simply washed, by hand                                                                  This is Summer, a Swedish Summer... Towels hung on the line to dry after a refreshing swim in the river at the bottom of the forest track."

Christina shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...  

"I do so enjoy to see the clothes on the line, that I actually enjoy to color coordinate it as I am hanging, I view it as a creative expression, and in this way, since I rarely get to a canvas these days, I can play with color on my clothesline.

Thank you for participating in the two-month long photo challenge "Wash Wednesday!" This series has now come to an end! 

I am now very excited to begin the creation of the Wash Wednesday book! 

.: If you are up for one last photo challenge for next Wednesday, I hope to incorporate some human elements into the book. If you would like to take this challenge and possibly end up in the book, email me your photos or blog your Wash Wednesday photos of yourself with your children at your clothesline in the spirit of Motherhood! :.

Happy Wash Wednesday!

.: The Fairies Of Midsummer :.

.: My eldest son runs through the flowery fields  :.

On this morning we gently rub the sleep away from our eyes and our gaze turns towards the sun.  We peer outside and our eyes grow wide from the brilliant sight before us!

The fields have come alive with graceful dancing ladies bedecked in golden yellow dresses swaying in the fields.  We run out to join them in their joyous dancing.  The children feel their playful energy and skip alongside them, entranced by this dream-like landscape that is full with such magic!

 .: Taking notice of the beauty found all around us in the fields on this day! :.

.: "Follow me through the fields on this Summer's day!" :.

The fairies of Summer have paid us a visit! They have scattered the seeds of summer and it is growing up all around us! We remember the name of our summer time friend "Daisy" who also shares this space with her beautiful friend "Susan" who has the most beautiful eyes you ever have seen! 

Beautiful Black-eyed Susan greets us in these fields with her golden dress and Daisy with her white dress--the appearance of these dear friends are a welcome signpost of Summer for us on this day!

    

.: Flowers grow up as tall as the children and create magical spaces for them to tuck themselves into! :.

 

.: My eldest teaches me to "Be here now"  :.

We can still hear echoes of the summer fairy's laughter--they planted many wildflowers this season knowing that these three little ones would take joy in the freedom and beauty of this magical carpet of flowers. 

.: My thoughtful little one taking careful notice of these cheerful blooms of Summer! :.

.: A spider friend sits among her knitting for the day! :. 

.: Making a trail into the sea of flowers   :. 

There are times where only the tops of their heads can be seen among the tall growth around them. It is as if they are also flowers of this field.  

 .: Sister and Brother and also best of friends :.

  

.: Carefully stitched and delicate knits sway in the breeze :.

In this clearing a simple line is hung and wee fairy finery hovers above the Black-eyed Susans.  The Fairies of Summer appear to have a proper washing line too! As the children approach this clothesline they take notice of each handmade raiment.  

.:With magic in her eyes and joy in her heart my daughter imagines the fairies who live among the fields!:.

  

.: My daughter lending a helping hand to the fairy's laundry on this wee line! :.

Soon a  rain gently sets in. The children are cooled off and our dear friends Susan and Daisy have a drink. The fairy's clothing will be washed once again by the summer rain and will be dried by the sun to leave us with the sweet scents of the fields on this day!

.: Welcome To Wash Wednesday! :.

This is a time when I feel I am doing meaningful work for my family, after showers and breakfast are through once again I walk out to the line to gather up our clothing for the day and it feels good to take in the scent of the early morning sun on our clothing and to dress my family in crisp clean clothes knowing full well this process will be started all over once again."

Welcome to Wash Wednesday!

  Lynette shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

"As I gather the clothes from the line I notice the shadows on the ground by my basket. I love the way light plays around me in the evening.

The light reminded me to play around myself and I observed my clothesline from different angles.

It is enchanting to see hanging laundry can be seen as art."

Photo Credit: Margaret Grace Kandle

Brandee Kandle shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

 "I found this photo in a tin at my husband's grandmother's house this past weekend.  She is 98 years old and still remembered why she took it.  "I just liked the way my child's wash looked up there on the line"  On the back of the photo it says "Chuck's washing".  This is from her backyard in Yakima, WA in the early 1950's." 

 Kendra shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

"Can you believe it? It was so sunny - I actually dried two loads of wash on the line. Now this feels like summer! "

 Angela shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

"We just moved to the beautiful West coast and I finally have a chance to hang dry my clothes almost year around. I spun the clothes line between our avocado and beautiful peach tree. I choose to wash our laundry mostly in the late afternoon and then hang the clothes up, just after my little ones are tucked safely into their beds. I love stepping out into the cooler air in the evening after a hot and exhausting day. While I hang up the clothes, piece by piece, I can feel peace coming over me. I make sure to breath it all in. The gentle cool breeze, the scent of red peaches, the mockingbirds hopping through the grass in search of bugs, the setting sun and the rising moon. I feel the cool dampness from the clothes in my hands and smell the freshness of the clean laundry in my nose. Sometimes I will sigh in happiness, as it truly is the small and simple things in life, that give me most pleasure."

Pennie shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

"My husband hung me a brand new clothesline that stretches from the flag pole (what else was it being used for) to the corner of the house...very long and lovely!" 

"So here are some of today's diapers waiting to be hung!  my maiden hanging on the new line!"

Jayme shared her photos for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

"Today, the boys strung a rope from deck to oak tree and decided to "dry" their playsilks." 

"I also captured a colorful load of laundry a few days ago that might be seen as less than pretty, but I love it just the same. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder anyway."

 Erin shared her photos for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

Now.
Present.
Conscious.
Breathing.
Involved.
Sorting.
Creating.
Conserving.
Loving.
Steady.
Focused.
Deliberate.
Thinking.
Remembering.
Hanging my laundry out to dry ...

 Farmgirl Susan shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! 

 Renee shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

"I am so happy to be once again falling into the rhythm of hanging our laundry. (The dryer has not been turned on for weeks.) Chores are extra fun when they bring you outdoors! And the birds keep you company. While I am hanging our laundry I am often reminded of other clotheslines, from past homes we have lived in, there is a connection to those times, I can see the tiny baby clothes spread across the line, the cloth diapers, the baby blankets. I have always been fond of clotheslines on the deck. The one we have hung now is supposedly temporary, but now I think it will probably stay. Also on my mind, where will the next clothesline be? On "our land". That land that we will surely someday have. The clothesline that will stay forever! The family clothesline. Where my daughters will hang the clothes of their children!"

Valarie shared her photos from Lebanon

and Italy for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

"It was 1 A.M., on the phone was Zuzu. With the giddiest voice she said,"Mom, I just wanted you to know that I made it to Cairo ok. Mom? Egypt is awesome."

She mentioned all of this as if she had arrived at the movie theater safely with friends and was just doing the "check-in" call.

When I woke up in the morning, this was on my phone with the message "wish you were here, love you zuz."

This is so much better than a post card. I love the fact that today's technology can capture my children experiencing life in their world and sharing it with their mother.This got me thinking. Though hanging wash on the line is a newly re-established event in my life, I've been experiencing it all over the world. May the wash line unite us."

Christina shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...moment to moment blog...

"I do so enjoy to see the clothes on the line, that I actually enjoy to color coordinate it as I am hanging, I view

it as a creative expression, and in this way, since I rarely get to a canvas these days, I can play with color on my clothesline."

Samantha Tara shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

"Here is my lovely clothesline in the city. I will only be able to use it for two more weeks, and then I will find myself in Canada again..I will genuinely miss my little clothesline, which Jason strung up for me in a few moments' time with a simple piece of rope. It may not be extravagant but I love it, I frequently leave Jude's diapers to 'sun' themselves for days at a time just because I like to see them there..It brings me a certain joy to glimpse them gently swaying in the breeze through the window, bright white from the sun" (:

Suzy shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words...

"The Sky is just waking. Icy sunlight eclipses powder blue.

Dew glints from green. An emerald garden, a mine of jewels. A sparkling world!

And a row of clothes outline the shapes of those I love. Those dear to my heart.
Stains washed away with the love of my own two hands given away to the wind.

To be gently dried anew by creation.
The soft whispering breeze.

The smile of the sun."

Heather shared her photo for Wash Wednesday! In her words... 

"I was so proud of the baby line we had just hung up.  oh, but that girl!!"

I would love for the book to share many different landscapes, both city and country alike.   There is such beauty to be found through both.   I would also love to feature different countries.   I think this will be a beautiful aspect to the book and hope this inspires continued creative photos of your clotheslines! 

.: With a link back to "Wash Wednesday" please share your clothesline photos on your blog as well as in the comments here for us all to share in this beauty and fun! :.