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I think most of us have written a list of things we'd like to accomplish in our lives.

Back in 2003, my first list was inspired by the website www.2dobeforeidie.com.  2007 brought us the term "Bucket list" and one of my favorite bloggers Mighty Girl calls hers a Life List.

My list has seen many incarnations.  Today's lives on Pinterest, you can probably hunt it down there if you'd like to have a look.  It is silly (Tie John Elway's shoes), sentimental (Write letters, like I used to), over ambitious (Kiss an elephant) and everything in between.

I've had my sites set on accomplishing a few of my list items this summer and one of my most simple list items was a pleasure to tackle:

Hang my clothes on the line. 

Why did I want to hang my clothes on the line?  Clothes on the line are so beautiful.  The practice of hanging clothes relaxes me and reminds me of my grandma.  And using electricity to dry clothes when I have a breeze outside that will make them smell amazing and dry them for FREE, is maybe a little wasteful.

So one day this June, the children and I got into our sneakers and walked to our neighborhood supermarket.  At the market we procured the supplies to create our very own clothesline.  Simple clothesline specific rope and wooden clothes pins. The line strung up between the fence and tree as soon as we arrived back home. 

Then, underpants and all, we clipped it to the line. 

Our double line can accommodate a single load of laundry perfectly.  Summer warmth and breezes dry a load in about 45 minutes in our dry climate.  A perfectly peaceful pace.  Easy enough to wash a load or two per day, fold and put away before you even have time to let it pile up again.

 

But, I'll admit, it didn't last long.  The heat came, and brought with it my laziness, and swimming days, and worrying about the automatic sprinklers.  Suddenly the dryer didn't seem so silly after all.  I haven't hung a load out in quite some time, I'm ashamed to admit.  I do a better job of over-complicating my life than I do of simplifying it.  That's the whole truth.

But writing this post has inspired me.  How about a fresh start?  There are plenty of warm days left this month and next.  I commit to myself that I'll hang at least another load or two before the winter comes.  This is me, simplifying, then de-simplifying, then re-simplifying.  Lather. Rinse. Repeat.