Inspired by Nature

I found my feathered friends' nest on the ground today.
What a Resourceful Bird.


I could end this post there but my thoughts go on. I wonder why the birdies left it?
Will we have to leave this home that we love someday?

What I love about my neighborhood

This is why I was drawn to and love my neighborhood! People still hang clothes out on the line to dry!! I want one so bad. My Laborsaving devices (2 sets) were supposed to give me more "time"?? Do you think I'm crazy and loosing my mind? But listen, I am discovering that I don't have any more time than my mother and Grandmothers had 3 decades ago before these laborsaving devices were introduced! Well, It's been suggested to me that maybe instead, what I am doing with my time IS "less satisfying." My family and I function on a hurried, busy, overstressed, deadline to deadline type of schedule. Even though we are happy and Id like to say somewhat productive, I have to tell you though, "I AM feeling a little unsatisfied." Maybe "I am" depriving my children of the sweet lessons that I learned at the clothesline with my mamma. Maybe "we do" have too many clothes that we just let the laundry pile up all the while our closets and drawers draw empty. It's easier that way. Maybe my favorite shirt doesn't get worn as much as Id like because now I CAN'T afford the dry cleaner anymore! Whoa.....how did I come so far that I don't even iron. How is my boy ever going to learn that there is nothing more handsome than a young man in his fresh pressed clean white shirt to match the message that he gets to share with the world? Oh the lessons we could learn from the everyday same oh same oh redundant tasks. And the sweet lessons I have learned from my dear mother at the clothesline.
"Hanging laundry on a line is one of life's luxuries. It represents time. Time to be alone. Time to think, even to meditate, accompanied by the repeated actions of hanging clothes-stooping, straightening, lifting, hanging, breathing, watching the clouds. There is a spirituality in the simple, positive actions of this everyday activity." * Little did I know that maybe the walk that I did take this day can inspire me and "reconnect" me with my Mother, my grandmothers, sisters and women over the generations and help me to obtain a more simpler way of life. I miss the country so bad but the lessons from my neighbors clothesline have inspired me once again to bring those more simpler days of my childhood to my children at our "city bungalow!"
Do you hang out your clothes?

*Quote and some additional inspiration has come from a neat book that I found over a year ago at a fabric store. It immediately grabbed me! When I got home from this walk the other day I grabbed the book off the shelf and sat down with it hoping that it would motivate me to get back up and get my laundry done. It has! I highly recommend it for those in the Art of Homekeeping!