joyful paws

Laundry Therapy

Posted by Barbara Techel

Yesterday while corresponding with a gal via email who is working on a press release for my husband John, she added a personal note about how she was getting ready to hang some wash out on the line.

I emailed her back and said, “We have something in common. I love to hang my wash out on the line too. I find it so therapeutic!”

She immediately wrote back and said, “I can’t believe I finally found someone else who says this is therapeutic. When I say this to other people their eyes glaze over not understanding what I mean.”

I chuckled to myself picturing those that don’t understand this simple pleasure. Or perhaps they look at it as a chore – I don’t know. But I do love to hang out laundry on the line in the fresh air. What a treat it has been to already be doing this in March in Wisconsin!  It is almost 75 degrees here today.

Every time I take my basket of clean wash out to the line I think of my grandma. I used to love to “help” her when I was little as she too, hung her wash on the line. I especially was fascinated by how she would always sprinkle the sheets with water, roll them up and put them in the freezer.  I guess that helped get the wrinkles out.  The gal I was emailing with said her grandma used to iron the sheets, which she couldn’t understand either. I will say I think that is kinda ridiculous – but then again, who knows, maybe that was their therapy. Who am I to judge?

But hanging my wash out brings me joy – silly perhaps – but I don’t care. I love it. I think it’s a combination of  warm memories, soaking up the sun, the wind in my hair, the smell of laundry fresh off the line, and just the simplicity of it all that makes me feel so relaxed and happy. And I love when I head back to the house and see little Frankie waiting for me at the patio door – her eyes half closed enjoying the fresh air and sun too.

Do you have a household or other chore that you consider your therapy?  I’d love to hear about it!  This could be interesting.

PS:  I hate dusting.

FYI:  I had fun playing with the photo I took of my laundry on the line by using a photo editing program called PicMonkey.

 

Accepting Change

Posted by Barbara Techel

As I was getting dressed this morning -a little after 7 a.m., I heard some rumbling of trucks. I glanced out the front window to see the moving trucks pull up to my neighbors home. Tears filled my eyes.

These are my favorite neighbors. He is in his late 70s and she is in her mid 50s. They are genuinely nice, kind people. It’s not like John and I hung out with them – but they have been very supportive of John and I — hiring John’s company to put an addition on the back of their home and she was very supportive of helping me launch my first children’s book.  She would also invite me over when her husband’s daughter was in town and we’d have a few drinks. Or on a warm day, I’d walk over just to chat with them if I saw them outside.

Because they are both retired I see them come and go during the day —I have a birds eye view from my studio window. Being home, most often alone in my writing studio, it made me feel safe and part of the world to see them leaving or returning.  Or I’d see them outside during the day working on something.

Maybe it sounds strange to say they made me feel safe – but it’s true. I just liked knowing they were always there. All the other neighbors work outside their homes. I kept praying something would change – that they wouldn’t move. But alas, looks like that will not be the case. I realized today I must accept this change —that things will be fine.  But I sure shall miss them.  The new neighbor will be a single man who is not often home as he is a racer and is gone around the country racing often.

I kinda think I’m being a bit too sentimental about all this – but then I remind myself that being sentimental is a gift. I just only wish it could have persuaded them to stay. <GRIN>

 

What Is Normal?

Posted by Barbara Techel

While I was cooking dinner last night my husband, John was talking about how his crew will now be working steadily once again (he own’s and operates a remodeling construction business). Business is picking up once again, and with the exceptionally nice weather we are having here in Wisconsin, jobs he booked during the winter, they are getting a jump start on because of the warmer weather.

I chuckled and said, “What is normal?”  We often say that when we catch ourselves commenting on something being “back to normal.” Is there really a normal? I’ve come to believe there is not. At first that was hard to deal with. When things are not as we think they should be it can throw us off- making us feel insecure, unsafe, uncomfortable, or fearful.

But I’ve learned to roll a lot better with whatever normal is or isn’t.  John’s business really helped me with that. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs with his business – and still do now and then – but I’m much better at keeping my faith and trusting we will be provided for.  Then everything I went through with Frankie taught me that if you cling to things being normal, you’ll never learn new things or grow and evolve. When you are “normal” I don’t think you can build character. John and I often joke we are truly quite the characters!  But you know what? We kinda like it that way.

So no normal here at the Techel Homestead.  Just a dog on wheels, two middle-aged characters, and a yellow Lab that sits like a donkey. Life is good and not normal.