Mrs-M
5-29-12, 1:23pm
Anyone else feel the wonder, the warmth, the appeal, of simple/frugal living? I'm not talking the savings attached to such (albeit, the savings are nice, and important), but rather, the way of the practice, as in all the things we do (and use) to make simple and frugal happen, and the way it emanates such an intense esthetic charm... a feel good value like nothing else does?
Let me give you an example. Take electric clothes-drying for instance. I find something so "blah" about drying laundry in an electric tumble dryer. Like a robot, you put the clothes/washables inside, close the door, select a time/heat setting, push the ON button, and walkaway. When drying is complete, you return, pull-out the dried laundry, fold it, and put it away...
Clothesline drying on the other-hand is exciting IMO! And it's so esthetically pleasing, too, gazing at all the freshly laundered goodness, swaying, whipping, and dancing-away in the wind/breeze! But the part I enjoy most about clothesline drying, is the hanging process itself. (The lead-up to).
Laundry basket in hand, clothespins, too... take up position beside/under line, and while holding pin between lips, snap item with a whip-like-crack! There! Wrinkles out, nice and straight, ready for pinning. Fold-over/overlap one side/corner (of item) over blue coloured, vinyl-coated line, tack in place with pin, repeat other side...
There's a rhythm that takes place, happens... freeing ones mind of all the days rigors and stresses and events, even if it is for only a short-time. Nonetheless, it provides a mindful-rest, a period of relaxation, even meditation, hanging laundry...
I know whenever I hang laundry, I loose myself in the moment. Life stops and stands still. All sounds and noises cease to exist, other than the spinning and squeaking sounds that emit from the old pulleys, the same pulleys that have seen hundreds (possible thousands) of rounds of line-spending and line-pulling, and then there's the energy harvested within the pins. Not only have my two hands touched them and worked them, my daughters have also cast their spell on them, and as for the old collection of pins I found on the internet, the ones I posted a picture of a couple of months back, well, who knows the number of hands that graced those over the years (prior to me owning them), applying them (again and again) with loving care...
There's ironing, too. For some (I know), irons and ironing boards are the things of what nightmares are made of, sending cold-shivers running up and down spines and images of freakish thoughts, but for me, seeing my ironing board standing proud in the corner, iron resting on top, I see warm cozy comfort. Like the delightful scent of sweet-smelling potpourri, my iron and board draw me in just the same. I see my iron and board, as a homey element, an extension of me (and my ways), and, what I stand for and live for... something I care to never be without... It's who I am.
It's fun looking at this from a different perspective, an outside perspective, one that I can honestly say, I, myself, tend to overlook and forget about (all too often), far too often for my liking, when I'm engrossed in my daily-work. So many things we do from day-to-day, we take for granted, and think nothing of the uniqueness and splendor that radiates from such time-honoured methods and ways...
Feel free to share you reflection(s) related to your own feel good, esthetic happiness, that results from doing things, anything, something, the old-fashioned way.
Let me give you an example. Take electric clothes-drying for instance. I find something so "blah" about drying laundry in an electric tumble dryer. Like a robot, you put the clothes/washables inside, close the door, select a time/heat setting, push the ON button, and walkaway. When drying is complete, you return, pull-out the dried laundry, fold it, and put it away...
Clothesline drying on the other-hand is exciting IMO! And it's so esthetically pleasing, too, gazing at all the freshly laundered goodness, swaying, whipping, and dancing-away in the wind/breeze! But the part I enjoy most about clothesline drying, is the hanging process itself. (The lead-up to).
Laundry basket in hand, clothespins, too... take up position beside/under line, and while holding pin between lips, snap item with a whip-like-crack! There! Wrinkles out, nice and straight, ready for pinning. Fold-over/overlap one side/corner (of item) over blue coloured, vinyl-coated line, tack in place with pin, repeat other side...
There's a rhythm that takes place, happens... freeing ones mind of all the days rigors and stresses and events, even if it is for only a short-time. Nonetheless, it provides a mindful-rest, a period of relaxation, even meditation, hanging laundry...
I know whenever I hang laundry, I loose myself in the moment. Life stops and stands still. All sounds and noises cease to exist, other than the spinning and squeaking sounds that emit from the old pulleys, the same pulleys that have seen hundreds (possible thousands) of rounds of line-spending and line-pulling, and then there's the energy harvested within the pins. Not only have my two hands touched them and worked them, my daughters have also cast their spell on them, and as for the old collection of pins I found on the internet, the ones I posted a picture of a couple of months back, well, who knows the number of hands that graced those over the years (prior to me owning them), applying them (again and again) with loving care...
There's ironing, too. For some (I know), irons and ironing boards are the things of what nightmares are made of, sending cold-shivers running up and down spines and images of freakish thoughts, but for me, seeing my ironing board standing proud in the corner, iron resting on top, I see warm cozy comfort. Like the delightful scent of sweet-smelling potpourri, my iron and board draw me in just the same. I see my iron and board, as a homey element, an extension of me (and my ways), and, what I stand for and live for... something I care to never be without... It's who I am.
It's fun looking at this from a different perspective, an outside perspective, one that I can honestly say, I, myself, tend to overlook and forget about (all too often), far too often for my liking, when I'm engrossed in my daily-work. So many things we do from day-to-day, we take for granted, and think nothing of the uniqueness and splendor that radiates from such time-honoured methods and ways...
Feel free to share you reflection(s) related to your own feel good, esthetic happiness, that results from doing things, anything, something, the old-fashioned way.