They were nearly 5 feet tall. Two of them. Connected with four strands of coated wire in 15-foot lengths. Planted in cement below the frost level in the yard of my childhood home. These were my mother’s clothes lines, and she knew them well.

These poles and lines were not the store-bought expandable versions. Dad made these out of iron and welded them into T shapes with a support brace on each side. Nothing was moving these things. I know this because I climbed them most every day and would proudly sit on top. Mom was OK with that, although I knew better than to even think about hanging from the lines.

Mom painted the clothes poles gray, probably every year, as I don’t ever recall seeing rust on them. She had a plastic ice cream pail with a handle that she stored her old wooden clothespins in, and she would carry that bucket out with each load of wet clothes from the washing machine in the basement.

Mom would hang most all of our laundry on those lines to dry. She said she loved the smell of the fresh air on the sun-dried clothes. She might also have been trying to save a few cents by not running the dryer. All I remember is that my size 7 Toughskins were crisp as cardboard, and I would need a few hours of wear to break them in. I also remember Mom instructing me to do the 50-yard dash to get the clothes off the line whenever an unexpected rain shower would arise.

The birds seemed to be attracted to those clothes lines as much as I was, often perching on them and doing their business, which created quite a contrast in color on those freshly painted gray poles. Mom clearly didn’t approve of their behavior. When on the poles, those birds also made good target practice for my brother and me with our BB guns. Mom didn’t approve of that either. Before you criticize us too much, though, you should know that we usually missed. Usually.

One of my childhood chores was to fold the clothes on the line, and this was an easier task than folding clothes out of the dryer due to the aforementioned crispness. Once set, those fold lines weren’t moving. Bed sheets were a trick, though, especially the fitted mattress covers that I still can’t seem to figure out how to fold today.

Jolene and I don’t have clothes lines in our yard, and I don’t know if we would use them if we did. The thought of freshly washed clothes being covered with pollen doesn’t sound pleasant to me or to my olfactory. Oddly, I don’t remember this being a problem in my youth.

Although it is rare, I do occasionally sees clothes hanging outside on lines today. I still have the desire to climb those poles, but, instead, I simply smile.

Have a memorable Monday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See Shane Goodman's previous columns here.

JOE'S NEIGHBORHOOD
On the road in the Netherlands with a 5-year-old

By Joe Weeg

I spent most of my adult life trying to get my kids out the door. “Begone children,” was my motto. When they were young, I’d wonder if it was too soon to suggest they get a job babysitting or as a lifeguard or maybe at a garment factory. Don’t worry, gentle reader, when I kicked them out the front door, my wife brought them back in the side door. But if wishful thinking was enough for the crime, I’d be in solitary confinement scratching marks on the wall today.

But now, as a grandfather, I am all in. Yup, even I am befuddled by this development. I just shrug, smile at my darling, and buy another round of apple drinks with Disney Princesses adorning the tops.

But traveling with a 5-year-old?

[...]

Curtain call
Residents share their experiences on stage.

By Jackie Wilson

For many people, public speaking is their worst fear. They recall suffering from butterflies in the stomach or worse before stepping out on the stage for their elementary school programs and the terror of having to speak in front of their peers in high school speech class. For them, the thought of performing before the public in a stage production sounds as appealing as being tarred and feathered. Others actually seek the spotlight, volunteer to memorize lines and create play props, eagerly awaiting the day the curtains are drawn back and the show begins. Some of these people share their reasons why center stage is the place they want to be.

Tallgrass Theatre Company (TTC) of West Des Moines formed in 2004. Shows were formerly hosted at the Rex Mathes Auditorium at a West Des Moines elementary school. They group lost its lease in 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic.

TTC found a new space to call its own at 2019 Grand in West Des Moines in the former Skate West building. The new theatre debuted at its new venue in December 2021.

Bob Baskerville, president of the TTC board of directors since 2017, says the move was much needed. During productions, they can sell beer and wine in an air-conditioned facility, which wasn’t the case at their previous location.

[...]

These celebrities were born on this date:  Barry Manilow, Newt Gingrich, Joe Piscopo, Thomas Haden Church, Kendrick Lamar, KJ Apa, Venus Williams, Marie Avgeropoulos, Will Forte, Jodie Whittaker, Jordan Henderson, Amari Cooper

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to yesterday's riddle:

What kind of dog can you train to bring you red wine? Several people answered along the lines of A WINE Weimaraner! Another answer: A Bordeaux collie! -Lori Blum, Carolyn Rogers, Gail Tomlinson. Or, St. Bernard if you swap out the brandy cask. - Rex Post

Today's riddle

What do they call the new diuretic wine?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or CITYVIEW, contact:

Megan  Pugh
Account Executive
c: 515-360-1225
megan@iowalivingmagazines.com

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