Our Lady of Perpetual Laundry Copyright 2013 Elaine Luther
It’s Saturday morning and after pitching an idea for a group show to an artist friend, it was time to suit up in my wool socks, down coat, hat, gloves and snow boots so I could do laundry.
In order to do laundry in my 100+ year old house, I have to go outside, lock the door, down the stairs, turn the corner, lift the Wizard of Oz door, down the stairs, unlock the door, whew! I made it to the basement!
I started loading the machine and it took me a minute to notice I was still wearing the gloves. I put every load on the “soak it for an extra half an hour,” because it’s not like I’m exactly in a rush to go out and do that whole routine again any time soon.
I know what you’re thinking – “can’t you move the washer and dryer into the house?” Nope. “Can’t you cover the access to the basement, or somehow add interior stairs to the basement?” Nope, not safely. We’ve thought of everything – fire pole, really steep stairs under a trap door, more. Nothing will work, or involves too much of a sacrifice of valuable real estate.
This is the kind of experience that led me to create Our Lady of Perpetual Laundry, my plea for help, or relief from, the laundry. New: I’ve put a hook in everyone’s room to hang up their pajamas to wear again! Every little bit helps.
How about you? Do you have a laundry story to share? Make housework themed art? Comments are always welcome!
And if you’re thinking, “O.M.G., I need that Our Lady!” I can help you with that! Over at Red Bubble, I sell stickers, post cards, cards and prints of all the Our Ladies. Click here to visit and shop: http://www.redbubble.com/people/elainelutherart/collections/271640-our-ladies-of-perpetual-housework
Okay, that time it worked. I guess I have to do it over again.
Anyway, I’m glad you put hooks up for everyone to hang their pajamas. Because no one should throw their pajamas in the hamper after wearing them once. That’s why you have too much laundry. When my youngest kept leaving his clothes on the floor or throwing them in the hamper after wearing them for a few hours, I gave him the job of doing all the laundry for 2 months. All of it. He was 11, I think. Washing, drying, ironing, folding. When clothes magically appear clean and folded, they don’t understand the work they create until they do it themselves.