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For the past 3 months we’ve been without a clothes dryer. Ours threw in the towel right after the holidays. Most likely due to excessive wear and tear! Man, for four people, we sure do a lot of laundry!

When we purchased our washer and dryer, we went with a cool little European combo… supposedly extremely energy efficient and environmentally responsible. Uh huh.

‘Supposedly’ doesn’t last all that long. ‘Supposedly’ needs a European repair person to fix it, too!

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been in the cards right to spend a mortgage payment on having a foreign-dryer-repair-person come over to offer life-saving care to our little tumbler.

Alas, I need to hang our clothes.

At first, it seemed like an inconvenience of astronomical proportions! I mean, it’s one thing to ‘choose’ to hang your clothes on the line… when the weather is nice… when you’ve got the time, etc. But to HAVE to hang your clothes - even when it’s frigid or raining… when you’re in a hurry… now that’s a pain.

That was around the same time that I realized I had become a spoiled brat!

I recalled thinking the same prima-donna-like thoughts around the time our microwave kicked the bucket. I thought, “Hey, we’ve made it three years without a stinkin’ microwave now… I can make it without a stinkin’ dryer!”

I rationalized that a microwave has a negative impact on our health, so working around it and going without its perceived conveniences was actually a blessing. I figured that going without a dryer would be a blessing for our energy bills and the environment as a whole. (Gotta’ look for that glass being half full!)

Of course, it was also the dead of winter in Michigan… the image of freshly laundered clothes blowing in the sunny breeze was a pipe dream! Nope, on laundry day(s) our house looked like an oddly arranged second hand clothing store - clothes hung on any available rod or hook for drying!

I would silently repeat to myself, “We’re so blessed to have these clothes… we’re so blessed to have these clothes… I appreciate these clothes… ” Even so, ever once in awhile, I’d still sneak up on my dryer to see if it magically started working while I wasn’t looking!

You can’t imagine how happy I am that warmer spring weather is finally here! I think the clothesline is simply the greatest invention!

My neighbors think I’m nuts. “Why do you always look so happy to be hanging laundry?!”

I love it (now)! It’s a few minutes outside that I probably wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. I’ve heard beautiful bird calls and witnessed many awe-inspiring scenes of nature. I’ve chatted with neighbors more than ever. I’ve been able to overhear my children playing in their imaginary roles when they didn’t think I was listening.

Of course, it’s also rather interesting that laundry has become somehow more efficient: I don’t do it almost everyday like I used to (I need to wait for sunny days now!), and I don’t seem to do as much of it. No, I’m not just throwing away clothes once we’ve worn them! I think the whole process has just made us realize how wasteful we were being, both with our time and resources.

It has been fabulous! I’m not sure I’ll feel this way come November, if we still don’t have a dryer… but for now, it’s great! Hanging clothes on the line has forced me to slow down my sometimes crazed pace of life and just relax. Yes, it has actually become relaxing! I love the simplicity of it. I love the time to think.

I always end up thinking about my mom. How much I miss her, yes. But even more than that, I think about happy childhood memories and the beautiful life she created for our family. I’m inspired to be the type of mom she was… to create that simple, loving beauty for my children.

I think about all the time that mom and I spent hanging clothes on the line together. Little did I know then that we were doing much more than laundry… we were creating a beautiful life rich with loving memories!

Dr. Colleen Trombley (”Dr Mom Online”) is a leading expert in Natural Health & Wellness. Discover why the healthiest, busiest women turn to Dr. Mom for practical tips regarding healthy lifestyle, nutrition, fitness & exercise, diet & weight loss, raising healthy kids, effective stress management, and more. Request your FREE special report revealing Dr. Mom’s personal formula for success, “The Wellness Formula” at healthy living advice