Posts from — April 2010

Want to have a little nature adventure in honor of Earth Day? If you haven’t already, you should really try letterboxing.  Personally, I have a hard time motivating my kids to do a hike.  They need some seriously interesting landscape or a crowd of friends in order to stay engaged.  But another great motivator is a freakin’ treasure hunt!   I mean, what kids don’t like to go hunting for stuff?  This is good for a family or small group outing, otherwise you’ll spend too much time negotiating how to take turns when you get to your destination.

So, here’s how letterboxing works: You get a list of clues that will direct you to a specific location.  Then, somewhere you’d least expect it, say, under a rock, there’s a little box that someone’s “planted” there.  The box generally contains a special stamp  (often an original, hand-carved one),  a booklet where you can put your own stamp’s imprint and/or write a little note, and usually  a stamp pad and a pen.  So, the idea is that you bring along your own stamp (it’s nice to have a unique signature one, but if you’re just trying for the first time, you can fudge it with another stamp and leave a note that this was your first outing ever), a journal or pad in order to collect the stamp imprint for that location.  Sometimes locations are out in the wilderness, and sometimes they’re in the middle of an active public space, but you need to do your best to keep the letterbox itself safe and a secret so that it isn’t removed or damaged.  Really, it’s a great lesson for little kids in learning to be considerate of others as well.

So, where do you get the clues to go a-huntin’? The two main sites that I know of are LbNA/Letterboxing North America and Atlas Quest.  LbNA has a kids’ section which is helpful. Readers I’ve spoken with like searching for clues via Atlas Quest. When I started looking on AtlasQuest, I had trouble with my searches.  Turns out that my “search type” (in the top left) was on the wrong thing, so once I changed it to “All Locations” I was golden.

I’ve gone letterboxing a couple of times, but a friend with three active little boys has done tons, so I asked her to recommend some good local outings.  Here’s what she said:

• Logos: T to Z – this is a long hike, but it’s easy and the stamps are great. It’s in Rotterdam.
• FOUR SEASONS – another long one but worth it.  There is a stream with 1-2 foot falls that the kids can play on.  It’s in Amherst.
• Imprint On The Future – An easy, short hike in an old cemetery-very cool.  It’s in Duanesburg.
• Mythological Monsters – Great stamps and an easy hike. In Charleston, Montgomery Co.
• Reist Sanctuary – This is a quiet spot for hikes, but you can’t do all the boxes in one day (unless you spend the whole day there). In Niskayuna.
• Zoe’s Friend – Quick and easy near a playground.  In Niskayuna.
• Our College on the Hill – If you want to start with one that’s not in the wilderness, this garden is pretty.  Just remember to be discreet.  In Schenectady.

Of course, you can do a search and just strike out on your own.  Or, another great way to search, especially if you do one letterboxing outing that you enjoy, is to search by the person who places the letterbox.  Two prolific planter/placers in this area are Turtle Run and Buggylou–if none of the ones I named above is anywhere near you, check out these links for a lists in a variety of nearby places.

Anyone else out there have a favorite letterboxing search to recommend?

How about this gorgeous day?  J is tidying up the playhouse outside, and I organized the garage and finally got around to fertilizing our garden, after removing about 37 itsy-bitsy Maple trees.

One of our friends reminded me of a fun activity–taking in a baseball or softball game.  Of course, you could trek out to Boston or New York for a major league game sometime this summer, but a smaller scale can be a lot more fun for kids & less expensive for you.  You get to be really close to the action and maybe even interact with the players.   The schedule for our local minor league team, The Tri-City Valleycats, won’t start until June, but the college students have to get in their schedule by the end of the school year, so they’re in full swing right now.  And, woo-hoo!  All of these games are FREE!

Union College Baseball Schedule These games are at Central Park, making it an even better destination for the kiddies.  And, look!  There are games this Saturday at 1 pm and Sunday at noon.  The games are at the C Diamond, which is up the hill on the other side of the lake from the playgrounds (closer to McClellan).

Union College Softball Schedule I gotta plug the women, too, of course.  They’re almost through with the season, but they have games coming up after school this Thursday and Tuesday.  They play on campus.  If you enter via Union Ave., the field is adjacent to the football field.

RPI Baseball Schedule If you’re east of me, check out RPI.  They’ve got a game on Saturday at noon and next Wednesday after school.  The field is at 17th Street & Eagle, right behind Samaritan Hospital’s ER (hmmm, convenient!).

Siena College Baseball Schedule They don’t get as much glory as the basketball team; why not go see them for one of their three games this weekend?  I tried calling the athletics office for details and to confirm that games are free, but I haven’t heard from them yet.

Siena College Softball Schedule They’ve got two games this Saturday, at 1 & 3 pm.

And, in honor of this post, I’ve added a new section to the Big Ol’ List of Links called Spectator Sports.  Really, I usually add at least a few new links a week, so if you haven’t checked it out recently, it’s worth another look.  And if there’s something that you think I should add or a link that’s not working, please let me know.

You know, sometimes I feel a little bit guilty, because I talk about all of these wonderful things to do, and then I hardly actually get around to doing any of them.  When the girls were younger we definitely spent more time going to specially programmed events.  These days, if they’re playing happily together, or if they’re playing with a neighbor, I hate to put a stop to it.

One of their favorite activities is constructing fabulous residences for dolls or stuffed animals, and then playacting them through some serious drama.  The funniest part is that they actually have a dollhouse, which Santa Claus scored at our nursery school’s annual garage sale.  But it’s much more satisfying to create something from scratch.  Here are some rooms from a mansion that they put together recently for Doggie & Monkey out of the kid-sized table and chair set that we have.

Living Room for Dog & Monkey

Bedroom

What’s really disturbing is that occasionally there is a naughty bad child in one of the plots, and the other characters do all sorts of horrifying things to her (all of the main characters are girls, of course), like locking her in a closet and making her wear a leash.  I try not to listen.  I guess it’s the feminized version of gunplay.  Either that, or my children are undiagnosed psychotics.

Lately the girls–especially J–spend a great deal of time examining what’s growing outside.  I have piles of half-decayed dandelion bouquets.  We have a perennial garden outside that was established by someone who knew a great deal more about gardening than I do, so there’s a tremendous amount of anticipation each year because we literally don’t know what’s going to happen next.  I have a vague idea, but for many of the plants, I don’t know what it is until I see the flowers.

The girls' favorite flower: Bleeding Heart

In the process of writing this post, I’ve actually been called away from the computer twice to see some new bloom that’s surfaced since earlier this morning.  So, that’s what the girls are up to.

I’m still running!  I have to say, that  Couch to 5K thing does not feel like it’s been worth it, exactly.  Well, I don’t know.  I did get a nice jacket that I wouldn’t have bought for myself, and I probably wouldn’t have actually registered for a race on my own, but there are just way too many participants.  Theoretically we’re assigned a mentor, but I think that the actual mentoring-ness of each mentor varies wildly (and yes, I am aware that that’s not a word, but you know what I meant, right?  right?)  I’ve barely had contact with mine, and I don’t know any of the other runners.  So the group run ends up feeling a lot like a cocktail party without  the food, the attractive outfit, or like, the cocktails.  And, you know, if you also were running at this unbelievably crappy cocktail party.

Anyway, it turns out that just signing up for it and getting the funky shoes was enough to get me motivated.  Of course, I still struggle with a complete lack of any sense of direction.  So the last few times I’ve run, I’ve done different routes, but I would try to remember to go a block farther on each loop, so I was sure that I’d gone farther than the time before.  And each time, I’d eagerly sit my sweaty self in front of the computer to Googlemap my run, only to discover that I’d run the same distance again (2.6 miles.  Exactly).  So I mapped out a little route so that next time I’m going to absolutely, positively go farther.  If I manage it.

At our house, the weekend went by way too fast.  I’m mildly bitter about it, actually.  I’m just in a crappy mood.  The girls were treating me quite obnoxiously at dinner.  And I have a raging headache.  But enough about me!  We’ve got the Riverway Storytelling Festival and Earth Day and all sorts of fun this week.  And if you feel like it, I posted again on the CBS 6 Blog, too.

All Week Long

• It’s the Riverway Storytelling Festival. This is a great opportunity to hear some great storytelling!  There’s a family event every night this week at 6:30 or 7 pm, and more this weekend.  If you go, tell us about it!
• At Bethlehem Public Library, they’re playing board games every day after school as part of TV Turn Off week.

Monday, April 19th

• Mont Pleasant Library is doing Teen Fun and Afterschool Fun again.
• At 6:30 pm, they’re having a Singalong at the Bethlehem Public Library.  For kids up to 6 and families.

Tuesday, April 20th

• No sign-up is required for the 10:15 am Preschool Storytime at Crandall Public Library.
• They’ve just announced free burritos at both locations at Bombers at lunchtime, but you should plan on giving some money to some friends who need help (details at link).
• At 2:30 pm, there’s Walking Wonders for babies just beginning to walk at Crandall Public Library.  Sign up ahead of time.
• At 4 pm, there’s a Young Poets Studio at the Lansingburgh Branch Library.  It’s for kids 7 to 12.
• At 6:30 pm at Voorheesville Public Library, they’re doing Family Evening Stories with Miss Amy.  It’s for kids preschool to 2nd grade, and registration is requested.
• No sign-up is required for the 7 pm Preschool Storytime at Crandall Public Library.
• At Bethlehem Public Library, it’s Pajamarama from 7-7:30 pm.  For kids up to 6 and families.

Wednesday, April 21st

• Guilderland Library is closed today.
• At 4 pm, Stuffee Goes to Mexico! at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  Pre-registration required, $15/non-member.

Thursday, April 22nd

• At 10:30 am, there’s an Earth Day Celebration: Seed Scientists at Children’s Museum of Science and Technology.  Ages 2+, registration required, it’s $2/non-member.
• Celebrate Earth Day with a Spring Cleanup at Moreau Lake State Park from 1-4 pm.
• At 2 pm, kids can build a bird feeder out of recycled materials at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  It’s free, but space is limited, so sign up ahead.
• Duane Branch Library is doing Teen Fun and Afterschool Fun again.
• At Five Rivers, they’re doing a Woodcock Watch at 7 pm.
• From 7-8 pm, it’s Book Buddies for grades 2-5 and family at the Bethlehem Public Library.  Read Carl Hiaason’s Flush and come talk about it.
• Join the Tween Green Team for Earth Day activities at Guilderland Public Library from 7-8 pm.  Sign up ahead of time.
• Free Folklife music performance at the Crandall Public Library at 7 pm.

Friday, April 23rd

• Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library is also celebrating TV Turn Off with drop-in Games for kids.  Toddler games will be from 10-11 am, and the k-5th grade set can play from 4-5 pm.
• It’s time for Stretching with Stuffee at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga from 10-10:30 am.  Free with museum admission.
• Scotia Branch Library has a Storytime for families with kids under 5 at 10:30 am.  It’s a drop-in program.
• Take a challenging hike at Moreau Lake State Park at 1 pm.
• From 3-4:30 pm it’s Teen Time at the Bethlehem Public Library.  Play Wii, Guitar Hero, and more.
• There’s another Wild, Wacky Woodcock Watch at 6:30 pm at the Albany Pine Bush.  Pre-registration required, and it’s $2/person, $5/person.
• Do a Spring Peeper (frogs)  Survey at Five Rivers at 7 pm.  Bring a flashlight and wear your galoshes!

I’ve updated the Playground List. If you visit a new playground, or if you have a favorite that isn’t listed yet, please share it with us by filling out the survey.

For those of you who didn’t catch it in the comments and who aren’t a Fan on Facebook, Schenectady’s had to shut down the Tiny Tot Land portion of the park to fix the buckling surface.  They didn’t have a firm date for the re-opening, but when I hear, you will.

J at Craig Elementary School

Small-bany just wrote a review of Riverfront Park in Rensselaer.  One of the things that struck a chord with me was that she’d passed by the playground many times, and she’d finally gotten around to stopping.  We really do get so ingrained in our routines that we miss out on some serious. . .  you got it!  Fun!

My friend and I had a similar experience recently with River Road Park in Niskayuna.  This park is convenient for gatherings because it’s got a big pavilion, plenty of tables, and bathrooms right there.  But, really, the equipment itself tends a bit toward the young side.  Between the potlucks and playdates and the equipment itself, I’m just bored with it.  Or I was.

Last time we went, we took ourselves for a little walk.  Now, I’ve done the bike path loop before, but this time we struck out into the woods.  We’ve always known, in theory, that the path leads to Rosendale Elementary School playground, but we’ve never taken the walk.   We decided to let our five-year-olds lead us, and we acted like we had no idea where it might lead so that when they “discovered” the other playground, they were shrieking with delight.  But we were surprised, too, because the trail felt like a mini-wilderness, and someone before us had put together a fort-like structure made entirely of branches (when we saw this, we both cursed ourselves for not bringing a camera for this blog), and several fallen trees made excellent balance beams.  I have a whole new appreciation for the playground.  And we still haven’t gone down the bike-friendly path through the woods!

Oh, and one more playground-related note:  does anyone know of any playgrounds (besides Tiny Tots, River Road, & Rosendale Elementary School, which I’ve thought of already) that have the extra wide-strap-’em-in swings that are suitable for bigger toddlers or children with special needs? We have a mom who was asking about this one.  If you do, can you tell us in the comments or, even better, complete a survey on the playground?  Thanks!

So, I was so busy typing this that M finished gymnastics and they both went downstairs and were all ready to go by the time I caught up with them.  If I’d left my keys loose they probably would have tried to drive home without me!  Here’s the weekend. . .

All Weekend:

• The New York State Theatre Institute in Troy is showing Orphan Train, a musical suitable for 7th graders and up.
• Disney on Ice: Princess Classics continues at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
• South Pacific is at Proctors.
• There’s a Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Expo at the Altamont Fairgrounds.  I couldn’t find the price online, although they did include a list of newspapers that contained ads & coupons–just my luck, my recycling’s been picked up already.
• There are various chances to help clean out the Erie Canal parks and trails this weekend.  There are several other park clean-ups, too, to kick off your Earth Day celebration.

Friday, April 16th

• It’s Art Night Schenectady from 5-9 pm, including free admission to Schenectady Museum from 5-7 pm.
• Journey Through the Body, an interactive health education program for kids is at Colonie Center.  At 5 pm, Channel 13 will broadcast the news live from there.  Journey will continue Saturday as well.
• Albany Poets kick off the 2010 Albany Word Fest with a Youth Open Mic at 5 pm at UAG Gallery.
• Fantastic Mr. Fox will be showing at 7 pm at the East Greenbush Library. Free popcorn (bay-bee!)
• There’s a star watch at Grafton Lake State Park at 8 pm, but it’s got Saturday listed as a rain date, so I’d call to confirm.

Saturday, April 17th

• The Children’s Museum at Saratoga and others will be participating in Saratoga Earth Day 2010 all day.
• All day, Siena College presents A Day of Living History II:  From the Front Lines to the Front Lawn.  It’s free.
• Journey Through the Body, an interactive health education program for kids is at Colonie Center.
• All day, you can help clean up Papscanee Island Nature Preserve in Rensselaer County.  Call 270-2888 for more information.
• From 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, help clean out spring trails at Moreau Lake State Park.
• Union College is holding a Rube Goldberg Contest starting at 9:40 am.  Heard about this one from the folks at All Over Albany.
• From 10 am to noon, take a Spring Hike at Thacher.  Call to register and confirm conditions.
• At Five Rivers, learn about Gardening for Wildlife at 10 am or go on a Pussywillow Hunt at 2 pm.
• There’s a free Holistic Health Fair at the Hyatt Hotel in Malta.  It’s from 10 am to 4 pm.  Call 371-4800 for details.
• There are planetarium shows at 11 am and 1 pm at the Henry Hudson Planetarium.
• At Schenectady Museum, they’ll be talking about rain for Little Wonders of Science from 10:30-11:30 am.  It’s for preschoolers, and it’s free, but you should call to register–free book while supplies last.
• It’s Family Fun Weekend at the New York State Museum.  The theme is Spring has Sprung, and activities fun from 1-4 pm.  Free.
• At Up Yonda Farm, learn about our Natural Heritage at 1 pm.  $4/non-member.
• RPI’s Symphony Orchestra & RPI’s Concert Choir have a free classical concert at 2 pm at EMPAC Concert Hall.
• There are Earth Day activities at the Albany Public Library Children’s Room from 2-3 pm.
• 6th graders and up can make & take a craft at the teen table at the Behlehem Public Library from 2-4:30 pm.
• There’s a Spring Fling Dress Up Dance in Malta from 6-7:30 pm for kids 4-10 with their adult escort.  Sign up ahead of time.
• At 7 pm, there’s Amsterdamage, a wrestling match at the Amsterdam Elks Lodge.  For the life of me I couldn’t get onto the website for more information, but I’ve been told that I need more testosterone in my posts, so there you go.  May I remind you that I recently recommended a marathon dodgeball game and an auto show?  So, suck on that, boys.
• The Albany JCC is holding their annual Teen Dance for Jewish teens beginning at 8:30 pm.  Free.

Sunday, April 18th

• There’s a Costume Bowl-athon at Sportsmans Bowl to benefit Schenectady Habitat for Humanity.  There are two shifts, both in the afternoon, and you can register or sponsor someone online.
• It’s Family Fun Weekend at the New York State Museum.  The theme is Spring has Sprung, and activities fun from 1-4 pm.  Free.
• They’ll be doing Nature Journaling at 1 pm at the Albany Pine Bush.  This activity is for kids 8 and up.
• There’s a Piano & Vocal Recital at 2:30 pm at the Schenectady Public Library.
• The New York Theatre Ballet presents Sleeping Beauty at The Egg at 3 pm.

Okay, it’s been a busy day, so I’m a little behind schedule and the weekend post is in process, but here’s what I’ve got for Friday so far to get you started.

Friday, April 16th

• It’s Art Night Schenectady from 5-9 pm, including free admission to Schenectady Museum from 5-7 pm.
• Albany Poets kick off the 2010 Albany Word Fest with a Youth Open Mic at 5 pm at UAG Gallery.
• Fantastic Mr. Fox will be showing at 7 pm at the East Greenbush Library. Free popcorn (bay-bee!)

The  Albany Institute of History and Art sent out a link to a survey.  Complete it and you get 4 free passes.  The survey’s a bit involved, but if you haven’t visited this museum because you didn’t want to spend the cash, here’s your big chance.  Great paintings & sculptures!  A mummy!  Colonial America stuff!   Pick a day when there’s a family activity, and you’ve got yourself a nice outing.

Seriously, though.  This is not like going to the NY State Museum or other more kid-oriented places.  It feels like a place for grown-ups, and it can be a little stressful making sure that you’re children don’t touch without, say, shrieking at them accidentally.  That said, there’s a lot of really cool/beautiful stuff, and if you’d like to take your kids to, say, the Met sometime in their childhood, this is a good place to start.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to finish and
we will be giving away four free passes to the
Albany Institute (a $40 value) to those who complete it.
Click here to take survey
The survey ends on Friday, April 23, 2010.

I’m having one of those weeks when every time I go to the grocery store I forget something essential.  So yesterday I had to run to the store for olives for a meal, and I forgot that we were almost out of milk.  Today I thought that we could just stop at Stewarts on our bike ride for milk.  Umm, you can’t actually take two kids on a bike ride to Stewarts on a beautiful day and only buy milk.  Or maybe someone tougher than I could.

And now I am procrastinating, with a dirty bathroom and dinner to cook.  At least I’m not going to be hunched over the computer at 11:30 tonight (knock on wood).

April is poetry month. When I look for various events, I keep stumbling on poetry, so I thought that I’d corral them here in a single post for you.

• This weekend, Albany Poets kick off the 2010 Albany Word Fest with a Youth Open Mic on Friday the 16th at 5 pm at UAG Gallery.
• At Guilderland Public Library, they’re growing a Poet Tree.  Kids and youth can write a poem anytime this month and it will be displayed.
• Bethlehem Public Library has a Go Green! poetry contest.  You can register online, and then winners will be announced at their Poetry Slam on May 1st at 2:30 pm.
• On Sunday, April 18th, they’ll be doing Nature Journaling at Albany Pine Bush including poetry.  This activity is for kids 8 and up.
• The East Greenbush Library is running a Haiku Contest for teens.  The due date is April 22nd.
• At Schenectady Library‘s Family Literacy Day, get Pumped Up for Poetry.  It’s from 2-3 pm on April 25th.
• On April 24th, the Saratoga Springs Barnes & Noble has a storytime devoted to Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire at 11 am.

If your child is not fond of speaking or writing in verse, here are some other creative outlets:

• The National Museum of Dance is opening a new gallery devoted to k-12 student art, and they’re looking for artists.The Guilderland Public Library is running an “A Day in the Life of. . .” photo contest for grades 4 to 10.  Submission deadline is April 30th.  See details.
• Teens will be interviewing senior citizens in May & June in order to write a book of their favorite stories as part of a program with the East Greenbush Library. Contact the library for details.
• There’s a children’s Picture Book Writing Contest for the upcoming Children’s Book Festival.  It’s for grades 4 to 12, and entries must be postmarked by April 23rd.
• Okay, this one doesn’t quite fit the topic, but I think it’s a good idea.  The Guilderland Public Library has a Tween Advisory Board for tweens who want to be involved in the library, and new members are welcome, although you’re supposed to register for meeings.  The next one is May 27th at 4 pm.

I love hanging clothes on the clothesline. First,  saving energy makes me feel virtuous & warm & fuzzy & At One With the Earth.  Not that I’m going to go all radical homemaker on you.  Although, come to think of it, I can also churn butter.

Another thing I like about using the clothesline is that it forces me to have a disciplined routine.  In the winter, I forget to do laundry and then I’ve got a pile of 4 loads to do at once and zero pairs of wearable jeans.  With the clothesline, I know that each morning I need to throw a load of wash in, so that I can have it outside by late morning and dry by dusk.  Hanging the clothes and taking it down is a relaxing, almost meditative task, and it’s an excuse to get outside even when there’s tons to do in the house.  My girls are much more likely to play outside when I’m out there with them, so the clothesline often gets all of us outside when we normally wouldn’t.  And by the time I’m finished, the girls have gotten wrapped up in playing, and they stay outside without me.  I also like folding the clothes as I pull them off the line.  When I use the dryer, I end up with piles of dried laundry that I fold  late at night while watching tv, so it interferes with my lovely vegetative “me” time.   During clothesline season, I can just chill out in the evening (unless I decide to freakishly pursue every summer camp in the area).

Oh, and on a laundry-related note, the girls have their own little baskets, so once I’ve folded the clothes, they’re in charge of putting them away.  Because that is the part of laundry that I hate most.  It’s a good system, especially if you’re not a super-pristine homemaking type.  Which I am not.

Okay, remember the other day, when I said that I’d written a post and then decided that I couldn’t use it? It’s because it was the story of how I started using the clothesline, and it involves my neighbor, Mary.   I decided that I couldn’t devote another post to her without her permission.  So, I’ve since confessed to her that I have a blog and that she’s been mentioned.  Lucky for me, she says that I can write whatever I want but that she’s unlikely to read it because she’s not big on technology.  So, here’s the story:

Last year, I decided to put the rusted, unsightly old clothesline pole in my backyard to good use by stringing up a new clothesline. I thought that this would be a relatively simple operation.  It turns out that the art of the clothesline is simple to learn but difficult to master.  At least according to Mary.

First, I went out and bought some clothesline and a package of clothes pins and considered myself, you know, pretty done.  Phew!  Good job!  Didn’t occur to me that we’d need a pulley for the other end of our clothesline–it goes straight from the back of our house, and someone had removed the old one.  W installed it, because he is both adorable and handy.  I mean, he might be even more handy than adorable.  But it’s a tough call.  Anyway, W got it set up.

Day 1:

Mary [rapturously]: Oh!  You have a clothesline!  Wonderful, wonderful!  You’ll love it!
Mary’s husband [chuckling]: Now there are two of you in the neighborhood.

Next day:

Mary: Oh, Katie. . . it’s a little bit slack. . . you know, you should probably get one of those gizmos to tighten it up.
Katie: Yes, we realized now.  W’s got one, so it will be up soon.

Shortly afterwards:

Mary [calling from her porch]: Oh, Katie!   I have a little something for you. . . it’s for Mother’s Day, but it’s only a kitsch.  What we used to call a kitsch. . . do you know what I mean?
Katie: Oh, yes.  Like, kitschy.
Mary [handing me a lovely gift basket with poofy tissue paper]: Here.
[Inside the gift bag, a huge bag of clothes pins that are far superior to the ones I'd purchased.  Bigger, sturdier: just better.]

Next time, after W’s tinkered once more:

Mary [looking apologetic]: Oh. . . that’s a little better.  But maybe another kind of rope?
Katie: Yeah, I think we realized that it’s too elastic.  W’s got another one, but he wants to re-do the whole thing, and I . . .
Mary: I know.  These poor men!  You can’t mention it again for a little while.
Katie: Exactly.  I’m driving him crazy.

Next time:

Mary: Ah, that’s it!  It looks great!
Katie: Thanks.  It’s still hanging a little bit in the middle. . .
Mary: You need a spreader!  It will hold the two lines together.  I think I’ve got an extra one. . . .
[a metal spreader, at least 20 years old if it's a day, appears on the back steps.  It is far superior to anything I've seen offered for sale in today's robust clothesline supplies market.]

Next time, with the new rope:

Mary: Oh, perfect!  You’re all set now! [pause]  But, you know, Katie, you want to give your clothes a good shake before you hang them. [She makes two fists and pantomimes one vigorous snap of the imaginary clothes.]

A day or two later, while I am hanging items, and carefully shaking each one first:

Mary [and you can tell that it pains her to say this, but it is for my own good]: Now, for those dress shirts, you might want to hang them up by the bottom.  That way any marks from the clothespins will just be tucked into the pants.

A day or two later, while I am hanging dress shirts upside-down after vigorously shaking them out:

Mary [furrowing brow thoughtfully while inspecting my progress]: You know, Katie, sometimes it helps to just toss them in the dryer for 5 minutes.  Just to, you know, fluff them up a little bit.

Several days later I am hanging clothes on the line:

Mary [calling from her porch]: Oh, Katie!  Excellent!  You’re really getting the hang of it now!

I spend the rest of the day beaming with pride.