So, about that laundry…

 I have to smile this morning about the “No answers; just get me results, please.” piece I wrote yesterday.  I just finished a second load of laundry this morning… more thankful than ever for the washing machine and dryer.  The delightful smell of fresh clean laundry is to be filling our home.  I couldn’t remember exactly when Wes bought me the Maytag Neptune frontloader washer and dryer set that replaced the former washer & dryer when he determined that he had repaired the former set for the last time.  I could not recall exactly when it was purchased… I  had the manual for the set, but I didn’t have the paperwork from the purchase — so I didn’t know just how long I’ve been enjoying that set.

What a fun time we had looking through photos this morning.  O my, you know, time really flies!  I know I say that quite often, but somehow, reviewing all the different photos this morning, the reality was astounding to me.  I was amazed at the number of events, important milestones and special family times we’ve experienced in the last four years.  Finally we isolated the week we must have gotten the new set bcz we saw a photo of someone sitting on the old dryer at one point and a few weeks later another photo showed someone standing near the new set.  Wow… that was a lot of laundry ago… at least 4000 loads.  And to think: sometimes I balk at having to do one load.

I  fondly recall the year we lived on Orcas Island — we only had two small boys at the time.  There was no washer or dryer in the old farmhouse we rented.  It was a marvelous adventure living there.  In the kitchen was an wood cookstove and there was an enormous fenced garden in the yard with fruit trees surrounding the house.  Sometime I’ll share about that garden… and sitting on ladders eating cherries for breakfast.

I had a washboard which I used in the large old bathtub in the bathroom.  I quickly became pretty adept at using the washboard and hand washing the laundry each day… the little boys would watch as I would mix the soap and washing soda, scrub the clothes and then swirl the clothes around to rinse them all in clean, fresh water.   In time I gained strength and speed at hand washing, wringing and hanging out the laundry each day.   I had written out Proverbs 31.10-31 and taped it to the knotty pine wall of the bathroom… in time, I memorized that and other passages of Scripture.

I remember the nights bringing in the laundry from the line — the sun didn’t set there until well after ten in the summer.  It was an amazing time.  It’s times like those that make me appreciate all the ways God has led me and all the many ways in which He has provided for our family through the years.

This morning as I was doing the laundry, I was sharing with a couple of our boys — those memories that were so sweet to me.  It’s been a long, long time since I had to do laundry in the bathtub as a matter of necessity.

And between loads this morning, Wes came downstairs and told me that the Maytag repair man would be out tomorrow to fix the washing machine. that. broke. last. night. after. I. wrote. about. laundry.  ;0)

So, my aerobic exercise program that began this morning has been going very nicely. 🙂  The dryer is filled with freshly washed laundry and another load is all clean, all wrung out and waiting in the bathtub to be put in the dryer.  Only one more load and the laundry will be done for the day.  I have been laughing about this so much.

I told Hannah that I had *just* written about laundry and the importance of just doing it just yesterday.  She smiled and said, “Mama, don’t write about me today, okay?  I’m doing just fine.”

Okay.  So… today I’m continuing to study and write in preparation for a retreat workshop next weekend and for tonight’s teaching at a Titus 2 meeting.  Both pertain to marriage.  Tonight’s a ‘to love their husband’ talk.  I know I’m going to be tested.  While I’ve been typing this, I’m appreciating the sound of tumbling of levi’s snaps and buckles of overalls in the dryer, the lovely scent of lavender coming from the damp clothes in the bathtub…

… and believe me, I am filled with thanks and am feeling very humbled by the gift of a spectacular bouquet of roses and lilies that was just now delivered to my door.