The Clothesline and its Pleasures

The dryer has quit. This dryer was a gift from friends when our previous dryer quit some time ago. It had been sitting unused in their basement and they were generous enough to give it to us when we needed one. We have gotten a lot of use out of it... but it isn't working right now. Actually, I think it just needs a heating element. Maybe we can replace that when the weather turns cool.

For right now we are hanging things out on the line! I love it! It feels so good in the mornings to go out and hang clothes, the warm sun shining on the backs of my shoulders. I get tan and the laundry gets done at the same time!

This week has been rainy, and that changes our laundry plans considerably. On Monday, we washed all the dirty laundry in the house, knowing it was the last day we'd be able to hang clothes out for a while. Then we took a laundry hiatus for four days. Today looks sunnier, so hopefully we can get more done. One load from earlier in the week was overlooked and has been hiding out in the washer for several days. I re-laudered it last night when I discovered it, and hope to get it out on the line today, along with whatever else needs washing. The whole laundry room has been collecting things and is going to need a straightening as we work today.

Hanging clothes on the line is one job here that I really enjoy. Besides the sun, I feel the breezes, and listen to the birds, which are everywhere around me. Sometimes they perch on the TV antenna up onthe roof and sing while I work on laundry. It's great!

The Fourth!

We had such a good day celebrating the fourth!

We did what we usually do on this holiday...

In the morning, we went to the parade. There is something fun about a small town parade that you don't get at the bigger ones. You probably know someone in the parade, and even if you don't the person next to you does. It's probably your neighbor.

There were fire trucks with screaming sirens, and cute little faces waving out the windows.

There were children everywhere dressed in the colors of our flag, looking sweet and festive, running and collecting candies thrown out from the parade.

Some even brought bags for collecting!

And there were the fifes and drums! This little girl took her job as sign-carrier very seriously.

She was so cute!

There were the sounds of the parade:

loud sirens blasting our eardrums; a local blue-grass band; the fifes and drums;

horse hooves clopping; chattering conversations.

And there were the smells:

Something sweet like candy, fresh horse dung,

heavy exhaust fumes from antique cars, and coffee.

When the parade was done, we went to the Arts and Crafts fair. It is very cool that the Township pays for all this fun stuff for us to enjoy on the Fourth! Wow!

Sweet Girl tried the Bungee bounce and loved it!! Being not yet full sized, she got stuck hanging there once and we were laughing so hard, all four of us telling her what to do -- full of advice, and yet not one of us moving to help the girl! (We didn't know if it was OK or if only the "qualified professionals" were allowed to help her.) It was really funny, and she was smiling the whole time.

She did some flips forward and backward and I was pretty impressed! It was her first time.

We got airbrush tattoos (she: a sunshine on her arm, me: a butterfly on the back of my shoulder) and we tried some spin art.

Even the dogs were dressed up for the day!

In the afternoon, we had a cookout at our house....

Family and friends (my son wore his colonial clothes),

Grandgirls here...

and Grandgirls there

Precious Grandgirls everywhere!

All dressed in Red, White and Blue.

Watermelon...

And water balloons...

Bocce ball and horse shoes... good times, good neighbors, friends and people we love.

One good day.

I was so tired at the end of it... didn't know if I'd be able to stay awake at church the next day!

But I did.

What a great day. I love celebrating the Fourth here!