Clean, Green and Serene

Arlene Blackman Yolles ♦ June 6, 2023 ♦ 3 Comments

It’s Springtime in Connecticut!  The trees are budding, flowers blooming, birds singing and I got my beach locker ready for use, storing towels and chairs as well as anything else I might want down there.  But, wait, I forgot another harbinger of spring … drying clothes outside!

Luckily, my property provides me with a lovely spot to put the drying rack. It doesn’t obstruct anyone’s view and nobody should mind it in their sight.  You see, my neighbors are deceased. A lovely cemetery abuts our property on two sides, providing peace and, yes, quiet.  In fact, walking through the cemetery is one of my favorite activities and will be the subject of my next post.

If you think that hanging clothes is low on the intelligence and exercise scale, think again.  First, I use an old shopping cart (remember those?) to wheel the laundry basket to the top of my house (you may remember I live in an earth-sheltered house, grass on the roof.)  Then, I carefully choose where to hang everything taking into consideration size, its ultimate storage, and, most importantly, balance.  The activity is relaxing and calming.

I hang the small stuff on the inside, gradually placing larger and heavier stuff on the outside.  If I hang a flat sheet on one side, I’ll hang its partner, the fitted sheet, on the other side for symmetry and balance. 

When done, I stand back and admire my work.  The colors are pleasing to my eye.  Using no electricity pleases my wallet and sense of “being green.”

In two hours of a sunny, slightly breezy day, the clothes are dry.  Since all t-shirts are together, they end up together in the basket, ready to be put away.  Similarly for socks, towels, etc. 

And of course, you get that nice fresh “outdoorsy” smell to the clean laundry!