As we get older, Joe and I are learning to appreciate the wisdom of bygone days more and more.  We installed an antique pot-bellied wood-burning stove to heat one end of the house.  We’ve been gardening and “putting food by” for use in the winter.  We’ve started our own herd of goats and cattle for meat in the future.  We raise heritage breeds of chickens (and hopefully turkeys again).  In past years, these decisions have been based mostly on lifestyle preferences rather than strictly economics.  But like most people, we’ve begun to look more critically at our finances and unnecessary spending this last year.  We have been especially targeting our electricity bill.  One of the things we’ve decided to try is the old-fashioned clothes line.

I had bought the lines and pins years ago, but we have never gotten around to putting them up.  Joe put up the lines this last weekend and I have been using them whenever it isn’t raining.  It does take longer to do laundry this way, but strangely I’ve found that I almost enjoy doing laundry now.

There is something satisfying and calming about a line of sweet little diapers and clothes dancing in the breeze.