Thursday, November 12, 2015

Laundry

Well, it looks like I'm going to have to be patient. Healing with this treatment is a slow process. My neurologist showed me her data and I saw a rapid reduction in migraine frequency, upto 50%, in the first three months. So I'm going to take it easy. Sleep when I need to. Sit out on my porch and rest and relax and read. Write when I can. Hang out clothes. The sunshine is back.

I love hanging out clothes. There's nothing fresher than sleeping in sheets with the faint scent of grass and flowers or pulling out a sweater for the winter with a hint of summer in it. Over the years, I've had several types of lines both indoors and outdoors, some rigged up by myself, others bought. So here's a little summary. And lest you think laundry is too mundane a topic, it has sparked several short stories and poems, two of which have been published (in Highlights and Ladybug)! So never underestimate the joy in the mundane.

Free-standing drying racks from Walmart or Amazon are a must when we have torrential downpours.

Umbrella style. Pardon the terrible quality of the photo. I took a quick picture of an old photo, but you get the idea.


My favorite is one with multiple retractable lines -- this is great both for indoors and outdoors. These are the most cost-efficient and space-efficient ones.


 
The one we have now on our porch is expensive. We didn't have a place to bolt the retractable line so I wanted Michael to make one with brackets but he didn't have time so he went in search online and bought the Versaline. I love it. It's exactly as I wanted. And no running up and down the stairs if there's an afternoon squall. Nor getting bit by mosquitos outside. The porch is perfect. You can see the free-standing drying rack in the corner in a previous post.

Not only is it wonderful to hang out clothes, but it saves a lot of energy. Dryers are costly. Ours also makes a horrid whining noise, so I use it minimally. 

I also enjoy being outdoors and of course, no post about laundry can be complete without the mention of a gem of a book by Kathleen Norris. The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and Women's Work.

Enjoy!

7 comments:

Johnell said...

My mom loves to hang dry her clothes too. She has an umbrella line. What memories. Hope you feel better soon.

Unknown said...

Feel better, and enjoy the sun-kissed laundry.

Mirka Breen said...

When my stepmother from Israel came to visit she insisted on not having her wash machine dried. My husband got a rope and made a makeshift clothesline. He said our backyard became "Sicily." (maybe his code word for old world?)I must say your post reminded me of "Sicily."
May your treatment in all its facets continue to make you better.

Yanting Gueh said...

I love the smell of sun and grass in my clothes, too. Enjoy the sunshine, Vijaya, and hope the pain will ease even more, even quicker.

Molly/Cece said...

I like to dry my clothes in a lint free dryer. I love the smell of sun and grass, but grass is my major trigger for asthma. I do not love attempting to cough up a lung. That said I do have wonderful memories with my grandmother hanging out and taking in clothes. I also love the rhythm of homemaking. Something very comforting about it.

I'm glad you have an effective treatment for your migraines. I had more than usual this month (5), usually I have one. It turned out I cracked a tooth in half. Now I am getting a crown, making me a real live princess.

I know this is a little rambling. Just visiting. ;)M

Vijaya said...

Thank you all for the good wishes and prayers. I am getting better ... today is a new day and it's good. Isn't it amazing how evocative our memories can be! Such a simple thing.

Mirka, I like your husband's code word!
Molly, so sorry you've had a harder month. I know what this means, slowing down even more. Hang in there. Praying for you. And yes to the comforting rhythms of homemaking. I love how you put it.

Jenni said...

I'm so glad you've found something to help with your migraines. I don't hang out my laundry, but I have found memories of running through the drying laundry as a kid. We often used the drying rack for pin-the-tail on the donkey. Glad you are taking it easy. I'm sure that will help!