Pages

Monday, July 26, 2021

Today is Wash Day! Or Maybe Green Beans!

Well, it's actually almost Tuesday as I type this out. Work is so very hectic. I work late every day and barely make a dint in the pressing work! I am paid for 3 hours a day in the summer, Monday through Thursday, but work at least 8. I feel I can't let the students down. But -- while I do agree it's good to work "For the Glory of God," as the bookkeeper, I notice that while that is said, 'tis not followed, by the administration. Ahem.

But...back to washday, and I just heard the washer stop its spin, so that means into the dryer and tumbling and tumbling till good and dry. I often use the line, but not at night, and it's also RAINING in the desert (just a bit here, but deluges elsewhere). Pray we get a bit of one of the deluges, please!

We sang this song when I was young. Maybe I should re-title this post as "Green Bean Day." Oh, I run so late. My nickname, among several, was "String Bean" as a girl. We called green beans, string beans. Remember settin' on the porch, snapping beans and pulling those strings? Ah, those skinny days. Where did they go? 

Today is Monday! 
Today is Monday!
Monday, wash day,
All ye hungry brothers,
We wish the same to you!

Today is Tuesday!
Today is Tuesday!
Tuesday green beans,
Monday wash day,
All ye hungry brothers,
We wish the same to you!

and so on...Wednesday Soup, Thursday Roast Beef, Friday Fish, Saturday Payday, Sunday Church...

Here is a picture of part of my laundry room shelf. The laundry room is actually just a stub of a hall off the main hall, and what a racket when I'm doing laundry. But the shelf shows the influence of the culture here: I absolutely LOVE the smell of the Mexican laundry soaps. I put a good shake into every load, along with the Gain, the Out, sometimes a spray of Febreze, sometimes a measure of the washing soda if something has that doggy smell from my dear doglets. (My chiweenie is nicknamed "Stinkbug" and with good reason. Smelly little creature, but I love him.)

laundry shelf


New Mexicans know how to do laundry. The air is fragrant on washdays. My neighbor long ago, an elegant and kind woman, first showed me the Ariel washing powder. Her whole house smelled so fresh and good. I throw a handful into the kitchen garbage can each time I change the liner. Not shown: Big boxes of Gain powder, ORIGINAL scent only, please!

So the washer churns and the dryer cartwheels while I am trying to catch up on the blogs and do a bit of housework, a bit of crafting, and a bit of gardening.

I have been in the desert long enough to get excited when it rains, and rush to take photos of the raindrops. 

sprinkling rain in the desert

Storm light; I love it! Some raindrops are visible in the left corner.

two small doggies

Whither thou goest, I will go (to stomp down baby lemon grass and onions...)

old terra cotta strawberry pot

Old terra cotta planter we inherited when we bought the house....it was foretelling my new body shape...


Chi-chi-chi chive talkin'...


And my favorite "task," making pinkeeps out of my stitcheries. And NO, it is NOT too early for autumn decorating!


On our Sunday drive, we saw some pretty sights, too:


Rows of grains and sunflowers planted between thousands of pecan trees...



My future pecan pie ingredients...



Pretty horses next to the pecan groves. The flies were fierce and their tails were slashing and hooves stomping!


Someone is having a bumper crop of "tunas" (prickly pear fruit)...


View from a neighborhood called Raasaf Hills -- millionaire row -- pecan groves stretching out for miles.

Well my dear bloggie frens, have a wonderful week and I will be hopping to your blogs to read your posts! 

Kind regards,

Olde Dame Holly

15 comments :

  1. Monday is wash day here too. My frustrating washer decided that today it would only dispense cold water. I wanted hot water to get my towels properly clean but no amount of convincing worked.
    It was also Green Bean Day and I made delicious green bean and other veg. soup. Who says you can't eat soup when it's hot out. We had it with cheese toast.
    Your pin keeps are so cute. I was thinking just today about how I love to decorate for Fall. I told myself I had to wait a few more weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The pecan tree in our yard has "fruit" setting on. I remember driving to Green Valley near Tucson to buy crates of pecans. And yes, those coveted raindrops in the desert, I understand!!

    Ps. Our neighbor has a chiweenie..."Dixie". She is the cutest little critter!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. We have two chiweenies in our neighborhood and one of them says it Chiweenie terrorist! The other one is sweet and friendly. I haven't got close enough to smell them so don't know if they are stinky but they look just like yours. I grew up with three ginormous pecan trees in our yard for most of my life and still love them. I have sent allergies so I could not use any of the things you have the only thing on my laundry shelf is all!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, those pecan trees, what a sight they must be, Holly. I have been craving pecan pie lately. So many wonderful things on your post today. You know, I heard Gain laundry detergent smells so nice. My Mom was a Tide lady, and passed that on to me, so I've always used Tide and Cheer. You are so dedicated to your students. Thank you for reminding me that work is a good thing to do. I've been complaining a bit lately. Although I don't have an outside job, I have worked every single day doing something since I moved to the mountains, outside and inside, and I'm just tired. That terra cotta planter left behind is pretty cool, and looks sturdy. I'm so glad you got some rain, even if it was just a drizzle. We also got a drizzle the other night, and I was overjoyed. And the little pinkeeps you make always warm my heart. I still have the sachet you made for me on my vanity, and I cherish it. Yes, your pinkeeps DO look like Autumn, which I'm patiently waiting for. ; )

    Have a wonderful week, Holly. And don't work too hard. Sounds like some long days for you, my friend.

    ~Sheri

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love that freshly cleaned laundry smell. Your pictures show a good variety of your surroundings.

    ReplyDelete
  6. My aunt in Georgia was the manager of a Black Angus farm and they also had 60 acres of pecans. It was always a treat to receive a box of these nuts at Christmas each year. They never made it into a pie, because we gobbled them up. Those poor horses. I know how bad those flies can be on them. Also never too late for Autumn decor...one of my favorite times of the year. and so love your pinkeeps! Janice

    ReplyDelete
  7. What lovely scenery. I could drive for days, looking.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fall! My favorite time of year, we are edging ever closer. It will be fall soon, according to the Celtic Calender. By the by, if I click on your profile it is showing testing.??? Didn't know if you knew it or not. Thank you for stopping over my place.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your autumn pinkeeps are too sweet.
    I do hope and pray that the administration will pay you what you are due...and worth. They need to value your service!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. IMHO, your working 8+ hours and getting paid for 3 is setting a bad example for the kids. That it's OK to take advantage and not pay one's worth if it's "for the church". And that it's OK to be taken advantage of. It seems like if you are working for the money, there might be other places that will pay you fully for your work. Or if church finances are really that bad, maybe the administration people can come do your laundry and house cleaning.


    I got my garden in way late again this year, I just picked the first few green beans today. There are a few tomatoes, not even close to turning red. The groundhog has been eating the beet & carrot tops and the okra. Oh well, that much less work to cook or can/freeze I guess. Laundry products have gotten way too overly scented these days to my nose.

    I like your pinkeeps! Sorry if this has been answered a gajillion times before - what pattern are they?

    ReplyDelete
  11. So interesting where you live! I didn't realize there were pecan trees out west. We see them in the southern part of GA. and north Florida. Love fresh good pecans and pecan pie is nice, but I love to just eat the pecans! How nice to have fresh green beans too. I don't have a vegetable garden, and sometimes I wish I did, but then again...well, we get what we need from the farmer's market each week and that is better than having to work for it! LOL. I enjoyed your little song and your pictures of your flowers and pups and scenery. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your summer! Enjoy the rain when it comes! We get plenty here these days. Take care and God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi,
    Where did you live before moving to the desert? Was it hard to get used to living in the desert?

    My aunt moved to Texas, she is born and raised Wisconsin. She had to learn all about the poisonous critters in Texas. We do not have many here in Wisconsin.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love your pin cushions.we don’t have pecan trees here, but it must be nice for baking! Here they cost a lot!
    I love your photos of the fields.
    I like summer washing days when the washing can be hung outside.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Can you tell me that pattern of your pinkeeps? Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wendy, somehow your comment was in limbo for a long time! I sell my charts in my Etsy shop, MerryNeedle. I hope you will enjoy them!

      Delete

Have a comment to share? I hope you do! I love hearing what others have to say.