The Clothesline

A couple of weeks ago, my dryer stopped drying. Since that time I've been hanging clothes on the clothesline to dry. Considering the temperatures have been in the high 90s lately, I dreaded the idea of not being able to stay inside the air conditioned house to dry my family's clothes. But, we do what we need to do. So, each day I hang another load or two of laundry on the line. I have actually come to enjoy this chore.

Hanging laundry on the line does not require me to actually think about what I am doing so I let my mind wander. As I place another clothespin I remember helping my grandmother do laundry when I was a child. With each clothespin comes another memory... not only of past loads of laundry. I remember going with my grandmother to various farms in outlying communities to gather walnuts and sweet potatoes and grapes and everything else under the sun. With each memory, another layer of stress is lifted me. Each layer of stress is replaced with a peace and contentment so many find difficult to obtain in these difficult economic times.

My husband informed me last night that he has a repairman coming to fix the dryer later this week. I think I'm going to miss the clothesline...