Gone are the days when people wash on Monday, iron on Tuesday and mend on Wednesday.
But those who want to know about the olden days will find a demonstration of washing clothes at Heritage Days in East Grand Forks this weekend. The annual step back in time also looks back on spinning and weaving and offers a look into a blacksmith shop, steam threshing, log sawing and plowing.
Wash day used to begin with a copper tub full of water and pieces of Fels Naptha soap cut up in it. In days gone by, the old Maytags would whirl the clothes around. After the rinsing, the clothes went through the ringer. Baskets of damp clothes were carried out to the clothesline, and the sheets and towels were hung with clothespins. They flapped in the breeze and came back in the house with a heavenly fresh, clean smell about them.
At Heritage Days, old-timers remember sarsparilla, or maybe ginger water. That was the drink Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in "Little House on the Prairie." She said Ma sweetened the cool well water with sugar, flavored it with vinegar and put in plenty of ginger to warm their stomachs so they could drink until they were no longer thirsty. Old settlers quenched their thirst with it in August.
Whazzup?
ADVERTISEMENT
Heritage Days in East Grand Forks begin with pancake and sausage for breakfast Saturday and end with roving musicians Sunday afternoon. In between, there's a long lineup of events including children scrambling in a haystack for hidden money. ... The Farmers Market will be running Saturday in Town Square in Grand Forks with produce from area gardens more plentiful every week. This week, shoppers will find sweet corn. And there will be more tomatoes. ... Penumbra also will be playing in Town Square on Saturday. ... The Art and Wine Walk on Saturday afternoon offers a chance to stroll around downtown and view local artwork. ... And there's Friday night racing at River Cities Speedway. ... The class of 1958 from East Grand Forks Senior High will be taking part in Heritage Days and the celebration of Minnesota's 150th anniversary. The class yearbook, "Memories," was dedicated to the state of Minnesota. The class will have no formal banquet, but there will be visiting and reminiscing after 5 tonight and Saturday evening in the East Grand Forks American Legion. Darrell Dallum says friends and other classes are invited to join in.
Ask Marilyn
Q. Who is Penumbra?
A. Musicians Steven Rand and Rich McGurran, who play low-key music from the 1960s and beyond -- a little drum, a little guitar.
Q. How did Tom and Jackie Saddler, 3725 Cherry St., win Yard of Week honors from the Board of Realtors and the Herald?
A. Actually, he doesn't do much; but Jackie spends hours in her flower gardens. She finds it great therapy to be out there digging in the dirt. He says he is her cheerleader as he relaxes in the shade and reads a book.
Q. What are the best vanity license plates spotted recently?
A. KYOTKLR (Coyote killer) turned off Interstate 29 ahead of me at Harwood, N.D., when I was driving home from Fargo the other day. Then a car with LOV2LAF turned off at Grandin, N.D. I saw LIBERAL on a car this summer and also QUILTR2 and BIGTIME as well as LV34YRS. A reader saw RM4MORE on a Suburban. The Minnesota license plate on an old Suburban said LAWSUIT. And a plate seen in Hillsboro, N.D., said JUSTA B. Also seen in Grand Forks was SASEGRL, maybe meaning sassy girl. BLZN BY was observed on a Chevy Trailblazer and one license plate around here says BLAH. Others about town are LV2RN (Love to run?), WRKNLDY (Working lady?) and LILBLNG (probably little bling) In Las Vegas, former resident Ron Oltmanns saw UGO JO and UQTU (You cutie, you).
ADVERTISEMENT
So smile
Cheerful person of the week: Jodi Thompson. Runner-up: Marcia Kelley.
Reach Hagerty at (701) 772-1055 or send e-mail to mhagerty@gra.midco.net .
