One Fly Wing

My Aunt Leevella was an obsessive housekeeper. So was her sister Irene. Ask any old timer on the island. Both women were island legends for cleanliness. My father swore that Leevella backed the screws out of her kitchen cabinets so she could clean behind them.

Irene and Leevella also had a reputation for making sure their husbands helped with the chores.

My Uncle Marvin (Leevella's husband) once told me what he wanted for a tombstone -- a washing machine with a mop and a broom crossed in front of it.

Irene's husband, "Old Kelly," as he was called, was once describing his housecleaning to the men gathered at the docks on Silver Lake. Irene had gone off the island, and had instructed Kelly to tackle the spring housecleaning.

"Well, how did it go?" one of the fishermen asked.

Kelly's reply: "I found one fly wing."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of windmills on Ocracoke. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012113.htm.