All Things Old are New Again

My grandmother would be so proud. My dear Donnie put up a clothesline!

I’ve been wanting one for a while, if for no other reason than to take colorful pics like this:

I love the “cha-ching!” ringing in my mind over the money we’ll save on electricity.  Of course, here in the south, not using the clothes dryer saves money two ways — the electricity needed to run the machine, plus the break the air conditioner gets from not having to fight against the heat churned out by the dryer during the long, hot summer.

I also love the fresh, clean smell of air-dried clothing!

And I hear the sun is great for getting stains out of clothes, particularly cloth diapers. (Which, as you can see, we are still using, and probably will be for a while since Jonah’s reaction to the potty is to scream “NOPE!” and run away, or ask to “Pee-pee on da potteee?” but then sit for one second, just a ruse to get us to let him wash his hands. But that child’s potty training is another blog post entirely.)

I’m finding that I really enjoy hanging the clothes out. It’s a good excuse to get outside for a while and adds a little more physical activity into the day. It’s always peaceful and quiet, and today the most beautiful pale blue butterfly kept dancing in the grass around my feet.

You might think it’s cheesy, but I get kind of sentimental when I’m using my clothesline. I love how these frugal, back-to-nature things connect me to my ancestors and women around the world.

Clotheslines.

Cloth diapers.

Breastfeeding.

Baking from scratch.

It all just feels warm and fuzzy and all “Little House on the Prairie”-ish to me.

Can’t you just hear the laundry, softly flapping in the breeze?