“Everything is perfect but there is a lot of room for improvement”
–Shunryn Suzuki
Getting started.
Sure it was the middle of the winter in North Carolina but we were determined to lessen our impact of the environment. So there was no time to wait. Tonya every ready to go the local DIY store was gone before I could retract my consent. After all the temperature was in the low 30’s in the morning hours of January 2009.
Prior to our formal commitment, we had determined the perfect location in the yard, a semi-private place, tucked between the deck and the swing on the edge of the yard. It would be totally out of sight for the couple, that live to our right and on the left it was well below the kitchen window view of the mother and daughter who have lived in that house for more than 40 years. The line would hang over the lawn and in summer the giant oak tree would provide us, the participants, some shade from the bright hot sun.
So on to our next important decision, permanent placement or retractable line? Why would this be important you’re thinking, right? Well, we are to very visual women the aesthetics’ could make or break this project for us. We didn’t want to turn our beautiful yard with its many flowerbeds and garden spots into a utility room. We projected the distance of our laundry – how much space would it take to hang 3 to 4 washed loads, about the number we do each week. We measured the distance from the swing to the deck support beams. We figured it would take three lines. Knowing that and holding to the idea of keeping this space looking inviting we elected for the retractable. We later talked with others who line dry and learned that birds and squirrels become frequent visitors to permanent lines and the can become unwelcome guests. The retractable, allows for an element of surprise keeping them establishing a perch on your fresh laundry.
With these decisions in mind and a pinky-swear to lessen our impact on the environment by line-dry our laundry for 52 weeks, Tonya went to Lowe’s Home Improvement, where she bought 3-60ft retractable lines, two bags of wooden clothespins and an extra laundry basket. I sorted the laundry and started the first load. That is how this whole thing got started.
Andrea Angelo
