Mama washed clothes on the back porch with an old wringer washing machine .
The water was drawn from a well and heated on the stove in the kitchen. The washer had to be full of hot water. There were two wash tubs for rinsing. If you are familiar with the way the washers worked you know that it would agitate until you were ready to stop it.
The clothes were then picked up from the hot soapy water and fed through the wringer coming out into the first rinse tub which had warm water. Each piece was sloshed around in the water. The ringer was then rotated around between the two tubs and this was done the second time. The second tub has Mrs. Stewarts bluing in it to help whiten the clothes. The clothes were run through the wringer for the third time and out into a container which was carried out to the clothes line to hang the clothes to dry. It was quiet a production and took most of that day.
Of course I was on the porch with Mama. This day I wasn't helping as I did in later years but was there so Mama could watch me.
Mama had long hair. As she was bending over feeding the clothes through once her hair got caught in the wringer. I can barely remember this but I heard Mama tell it many times.
The washer was plugged in to a extension cord laying over in the corner. Our lights hung from the ceiling and of course no plug ins on the walls. Hence the extension cords.
The ringer of course kept going with Mamas hair caught in it. She couldn't get to the cord to unplug the washer so she was trying to get me to do it for her. Well Heck fire I had been told to never touch those things and here was Mama telling me to do it. I was a bit confused of course. When Mama kept standing there saying “Ouch, Oh God help me, Clydene get the plug and pull it, Ouch”. Well I got tickled. Heck fire, I thought it was a game or something and I was having a ball not knowing Mama was in serious trouble.
I don't know how long it went on but every time Mama would shriek I would just giggle harder. I heard Daddy say later it couldn't have been long or Mamas hair would have been pulled out.
Mama finally managed to get her foot in the cord and jerk it loose. Then she had to release the wringer which also looked funny to me with Mama standing there with her head against the wringer struggling to release it.
When she did get loose I saw tears in her eyes and some blood which squelched my giggle fit in a hurry. Now I was scared and I started crying. Mama held me close with us both crying and told me she was OK.
Bless My sweet Mamas heart. She had a terrible headache and that dad blasted wringer did get a hunk of her hair.
Things were much harder back then and I know my Mama and Daddy both worked very hard. I appreciate it more and more every day. I know it was never easy for them now but I didn't know that then and they didn't want my Brother and I to know. We were loved and protected by those two wonderful Parents that God placed us with. We came first always. They earned all the respect we could give them and more. I miss those sweet people more each day I live.
