All Washed Up

When Western Illinois' weather went from "the freezer to the frying pan", I finally met my breaking point.

I could not stand one more day of walking into my "someday" dining room to see the clothesline full of clothes that were now starting to smell musty and dank after hanging for just a few hours with a fan rotating on the line at full speed.

So did I break down and beg hubby for a new electric dryer?

Sorta....but not really.

Instead, I begged hubby to let me purchase a 1980s Hotpoint from a used furniture store for $75 and some change that I used my lunch hour to haul home. (Hubby then heroically and sneakily hefted the thing out of our van, up the stairs from the backyard and into our makeshift laundry room by himself and then installed it for me while I was working...he's an awesome guy....heart*heart*heart)

A little over 24 hours later and my inner zen and peace with life hath been restored.

I'm glad that we spent the last five months hang-drying our clothes, for it has given me an enormous sense of appreciation for something as simple as a machine that cooks your wet undies.

I know that many families have hung their clothes thru the years and many still do it today. I also believe that those families are, for the most part, living in houses that are not 110 years old AND under renovation. Therefore, the dust and dirt that acquires in the average household is probably quadrupled here, if not more so. Additionally, there may be outdoor clotheslines available for those ridiculously hot and humid days, where Mother Nature acts as both fabric refresher and air dryer. We are not so lucky in that our yard has too many trees and too many birds. Gosh, now I sound like I'm justifying myself...it's an old dryer, for Pete's sake!

But I have my dad's sense of pride when it comes to wimping out.

I don't think this is "wimping out", though. I think it's more of a coming to terms with allergens and realizing that this is a battle I can't win without an ally.

Oh, and our socks and jammies truly smell completely fresh and clean and free of lint and cat hair for the first time since November...(sobbing tears of joy)

Now....maybe it's time for an oven....