Writer's Workshop: Liberal, KS ~ Home Of The Magical Clothesline


2.) Find a photo of your grandmother’s hometown and share it.

Liberal, Kansas is the town that my grandmother and my great-grandmother lived in. It is the town that I was born in. I spent a lot of time, especially during the summer months at both of their houses. It wasn’t very difficult to spread myself between the two houses because they lived across the street from each other.



What makes Liberal unique? Well it has Pancake Day races, a Wizard of Oz Museum, and Demolition Derby races on summer weekends, but in the midst of all that is a magical little place known as Great Grandma Clara’s backyard.  


The above picture just doesn't match with the houses of my childhood. The yards were immaculate, the trees were lush and great-grandma Clara's white house was trimmed in an obnoxious pink. (She had a real thing for color.) Both houses had amazing backyards. Grandma Lillie's backyard was almost completely taken up with an enormous garden. Oh, the food that yard produced!

Great-grandma Clara's backyard was an oasis. The grass was thick and flowers grew everywhere. There were three storage sheds (trimmed in bright colors of course) that held all sorts of treasures. But the most magical thing in the whole yard was the clothesline. It was a thing of beauty. The two metal poles were surrounded by two giant tractor tires and filled with succulent hens and chicks. There were four sturdy lines that held sheets and blankets and towels that had been laundered in Tide and a heaping dose of Downy. Those smells mixed with the scent of the sun's rays was absolutely heavenly. When the cousins were all there grandma would hang sheets for us in such a way that it would turn that simple clothesline into a fortress or a castle or a cabin or whatever else we could dream up. We'd drag lawn chairs in and spend hours just imagining far away places. 

We'd spend all day out there. Grandma would bring us a picnic lunch of Kool-Aid and PB&J sandwiches. We'd spread blankets out under the trees and nap and read when we were worn out. Dinner was usually outside on the picnic table. When dusk would come great-grandpa Bert would break out the yard guard and spray for mosquitoes. Then we would spend the evening catching fireflies. When bedtime would come my sister, brother and I would cross the street with grandma Lillie to settle in for the night. My cousins would head in to great-grandma Clara's house to sleep. The next day we got up and did it all over again.

I miss those simple summer days. I miss my grandma Lillie and my great-grandma Clara. I even miss those towels that were so soft and smelled so good, but didn't absorb a drop of water because they were so saturated in softener!


Now it's your turn! Come join us over at Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop. Pick a writting prompt, write a post, then link up! Here's this week's prompts:

1.) Share a back to school memory.
2.) Find a photo of your grandmother’s hometown and share it.
3.) Talk about one thing you learned last month.
4.) Describe how your family celebrated Labor Day Weekend.
5.) Good television is coming! Share the Fall lineup you’re looking forward to.



10 comments:

  1. There's nothing better than hanging out in the sheets on the clothesline! Love those days, too! Makes you wish you could bring them back. There should be a "hang your sheets out day! so everyone can experience that.

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    1. I would totally participate in a "Hang Your Sheets Out" day! When my kiddos were little I used to very SLOWLY hang out the sheets just to savor the experience. LOL

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  2. My grandma had a similar clothesline. Good times.

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  3. I love the smell of clothes on the line, and there's no place like grandma's. Nice story today--thanks for sharing, and thanks for stopping by today.

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    1. One of my favorite smells! They need a candle that has the Tide, Downy and sunshine scent. I'd buy it for therapy. :)

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  4. Whao.. so cool a Wizard of Oz museum. I remember reading that story and watching that show on television when I was a kid.

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    1. Want to know something really funny?!! I've never been to the museum. When we would beg to go my parents/grandparents would say something like are you crazy it's too expensive. But they were never stingy on vacations. Guess it was just because it was in our own area. It makes me laugh so hard now.

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  5. I was born and raised in Western KS so this really takes me back. Sigh.~May

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    1. I live in the Ozarks of Missouri now but I miss those wide open spaces of Western KS. We went back a couple of years ago and I fell in love with it all over again. Field after field of crops. Trains. Stunning blue skies. (Of course there were the feed lots as well . . . but it was still wonderful!)

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  6. What beautiful memories you have with them! Makes me want to move across the street from my own grandmother!

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