1. I finally sorted out the washing line in the back garden so we could dry clothes outside, an absolute necessity at the moment as it’s so hot and we only have a condenser dryer. Of course I’m also happy about less energy usage.
There was a zen-like peace in pulling the clothes out into the basket, resting it on my hip as I walked barefoot into the garden, and pegging up each item. Then smelling that lovely fresh air dried clean clothes smell when I brought them in. I normally hate clothes washing which is why FP does it, and I think I now know why I hate it. Shoving clothes in one machine then pulling them out and shoving them in another is too much work. Not work in the sense of it being hard, but just drudgery, something to quickly get out of the way in between dirty clothes and clean clothes. There’s no connection to the act, it’s mindless and robotic. There’s no connection to the earth, we’re just imprisoned in brick boxes. But outside, there’s the sun and the wind and the earth underfoot.
No doubt there would be those who would argue in favour of dryers given this, and I hear ya! I wouldn’t give up the dryer (at least so far, but I do grown more “hippyfied” as time progresses!). However, there’s something to be said for slowing down and finding the joy in something so mundane.
2. On Sunday, G spent almost all day playing out on the street, only two others were out, unlike Saturday. There was time in a back garden in a paddling pool, G came back for swimming shorts and a towel on the request of the mum. So unlike my naked/dry in the sun philosophy! So FP hung out on the sofa with a book and I hung out online picking up some more home ed ideas. Until you have a child you can have no idea of the disruption caused by one child just being in the same house, all the time! G is 4, he doesn’t need us to do too much for him, he can occupy himself, but there are probably only, at the most, 15 minute stretches where there isn’t some disturbance, it may only last a few seconds, but it’s there. The pure, unadulterated joy of loooong stretches of time, in the actual day time, with no disruptions, is almost magical.
3. Wildflowers. They are my new delight. I’ve never actually been that enamoured of regular flowers. I don’t actually know why, they just don’t do much for me. But wildflowers, or what I believe some people term weeds (shocking!), interest me. I just love an English meadow, all long, untamed grasses, and large and small dots of colour. They sprount up so fast and easily and are not high maintenance. You can sit down in a park and glance down and see tiny tiny flowers. You can let your beige rock gravel sprout bright green shoots, and then wait for joyous colour. I like them because they’re wild and tenacious and subversive. With no effort our boring same colour grass at the same length lawn has become a carpet of dandelions then patches of clover, and more. It gets mowed, it has to, peer pressure and a landlady and all that, but it gets its day.
The one thing I miss about living in England is putting the washing on the line. I too found it so meditative and peaceful! Here I put it on racks on the balcony, but it’s not the same – I totally understand!