Modern Inconveniences

Amazing how much joy I get out of the mundane, remedial "chores" of this lifestyle.

I thought I would miss my dishwasher and my washer/dryer, and I do. But honestly, line-drying the clothes and washing the dishes by hand is something, I'm sure, that people all over the nicest parts of the nicest cities in the world do everyday, and it really isn't that bad. Especially when I open my windows and listen to the sounds of sweet giggles and playing girls coming from the garden. Or sometimes, if we're really lucky, our Portuguese neighbor will sit outside and sing while he plays his guitar. He's a Coldplay fan and throws in the occasional Jason Mraz billboard hit, but I digress... Truthfully, though, something deep inside the human spirit finds some sort of unexplainable feeling of rest in work of this kind.

Laundry-- I especially love the smell of clean laundry over here. If our house wasn't furnished with a washer I would be sitting in a corner crying somewhere, but washing is the HARD part -- air-drying isn't half bad! In some ways it's a little fun... especially when good-smelling laundry is draped over hot radiators inside and it makes the whole house smell clean! :)

I thought that living without the conveniences of life would be torturous for one, such as myself, who has become accustomed to having these luxuries. Drive-thru windows, owning a car to go to and from places and being able to carry heavy loads back home in the trunk, dishwashers, washers, dryers, sink disposals... All of these short-cuts that were a regular part of my daily life. I was sure by now I would be missing my army of home appliances and all the extra time they helped to provide me with.

Surprisingly, I'm surviving. :) And I think that this season of life, like all others, will provide several opportunities for me to learn -- through work -- rather than convenience. There is no one more vulnerable or more susceptible to learning a lesson than one who is placed outside their comfort zone. And that's me. OUTSIDE the zone. But yet something about this lifestyle and the slower pace of it all really resonates with me. There's immense satisfaction in pulling dry laundry off the line and clean dishes from the drying rack. (Why is that?) There's a primal feeling of security in watching fruits ripening in the garden and in spotting several other varieties of fruit in our neighbors' gardens while peering over the fence, because then it gives a reason to go knock on the door and introduce ourselves. ("We have apples... you have grapes! How about a trade?") Perhaps it's just the feeling of settling in or the feeling of growing familiar with our new surroundings and our new way of life... Not exactly sure which, but it's truly a beautiful beginning to the season.



Julia having a biscuit on the patio while she "helped" me. (By the way, biscuits are not just what they call cookies, as I thought before. They're a certain kind of cookie-ish treat, and they're addictive!! All but the name... they're actually called "digestives biscuits." Odd name for such a good snack!) We're all hooked. Must start looking into shipping some of these to the States.)