Monday, June 15, 2009

Monday, Monday


REMEMBER WHEN MONDAY WAS LAUNDRY DAY?

You spent the entire day washing the clothes and bedding, carrying the heavy, wet stuff out to the clothesline in bushel baskets made of thin wooden slats with metal handles that cut into your fingers. If you were lucky, it would be a sunny, breezy day so the laundry would dry quickly but not blow off the clothesline. Then you could rotate the dried things off as you hung out more wet things and not have to worry about running out of clothespins. It was HARD work.

Now you can do laundry 24/7. It's no longer a big deal--you can do it as an afterthought. Don't you just love it?

I remembered a song from my youth about Monday being washday, Tuesday ironing etc. If you're interested in all the lyrics, I googled and found it only on another blogsite at http://mimirock-castleyonder.blogspot.com/
Monday's Wash Day

Today is Monday, Today is Monday,
Monday's wash day, Everybody happy?
Well, I should say!
Today is Tuesday, Today is Tuesday,
Tuesday Ironing, Monday washday
Everybody happy? Well, I should say.
Today is Wednesday, Today is Wednesday,
Wednesday Cleaning, Tuesday Ironing, Monday washday,
Everybody happy? Well, I should say.
Today is Thursday, Today is Thursday,
Thursday baking, (a little faster) Wednesday cleaning, Tuesday ironing, Monday washday,
Everybody happy? Well, I should say.
Today is Friday, Today is Friday,
Friday fiii-sh, (a little faster) Thursday baking, Wednesday cleaning, Tuesday ironing, Monday washday,
Everybody happy? Well, I should say.
Today is Saturday, Today is Saturday,
Saturday shopping, Friday fiii-sh, (faster) Thursday baking, Wednesday cleaning, Tuesday ironing, Monday washday,
Everybody happy? Well, I should say.
(Hushed and reverent voice) Today is Sunday, Today is Sunday,
(very hushed) Sunday church,
(Louder) Saturday shopping, Friday fiii-sh, Thursday baking, Wednesday cleaning,
Tuesday ironing, Monday washday, Everybody happy?
Well I should Say!

6 comments:

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

We had a similar song, but it had different dinners for each day of the week and had the refrain "All ye hungry brothers, we wish the same to you!"

People really did used to have the week divided into different "chore" days. Back in the bad old days, that is!!! Because everything, as you noted, was so difficult! None of the conveniences we enjoy today. I have a load of laundry spinning in the washer even as I type this!

Ms Sparrow said...

When I googled "Today is Monday" I came up with dozens of sites with the version you know. One site thought it may have originated during WWII when many foods were rationed. I barely remember rationing so I'm sure you have never experienced it.

I also discovered (to my amazement) that my blogs are available on google! Who knew?

Sparrow chic said...

As a kid, I remeber we had day of the week that held special meaning. Now, I have an idea where they originated from.
Thursday was grocery day, Friday was taco day, Sat. was clean so we can go shopping day, of course Sunday was church day but also, ( dum da dum dum ) the night before back to school day. Sigh, I still get that feeling watching reruns of Bonanza.

MimiRock said...

I enjoyed your reminiscence about laundry on the clothesline. I grew up in a railroad community in NE Indiana and the soot and ashes in the air made my Mom go out and run a wet rag over the clothesline before we could hang up the laundry, else we'd get black marks on the clothes where the clothespin pinched the line. I joined your Blog as I think we have a number of things in common. I'd like to learn from you about the writing groups as I am uninformed.

Ms Sparrow said...

Hi Mimi, When I ran across your blog, I thought we had much in common too. Glad you are nostagic about Washday too.

Sorrel Jakins said...

I grew up in the 50s and we really did do our washing on Mondays our ironing on Tuesdays cleaning on Wednesdays baking on Thursday and fish on Fridays