A Confession to Make

I have a confession to make: I used the dryer the other night. Not because I really wanted to, but because at the time it seemed like I had no choice. I have my brother’s cats with me while he’s in school because he can’t have them there. They’re nice cats and they get along well with my animals, but one really, really likes to mark his territory. Not on the floor thank goodness –but on any handy pile of fabric. I’ve been unable to break him of it despite trying. So, I keep him locked out of the bedrooms and the laundry room and keep the couch cushions on end when I’m not using them. That’s not as big a sacrifice as it seems –I rarely set on the couch unless I’m watching a movie, and that isn’t often. That works out well. But the other night he somehow got into my bedroom and you guessed it –he peed on my bed. I didn’t discover this until I was about to crawl into bed about ten thirty –and what’s worse, I had just changed the sheets earlier that evening. Since I only have two pairs of sheets, this was obviously not good. Being sleepy I did the only thing I could think to do –threw the sheets in the washer and then dried them. Finally, I put the fresh sheets on the (cleaned) bed about eleven thirty and went to sleep.
Now, why am I confessing this? Because I think it points out the ways we’ve been taught to do things and highlights one of the arguments against change. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say that they just can’t do things any differently because it would be impossible or too difficult. Laundry is a case in point. I’ve heard a lot of people say they would never give up their washer and dryer come hell or high water. Now, I just don’t think dryers are necessary. (Washers are another story; I’ll give up every appliance in my house voluntarily if I get to keep the washer –even a communal washer –but if push comes to shove, even that’s negotiable.) That’s what the sun is for. Line-dried clothes may be stiffer, but they smell so much better. What else could I have done? I could have thrown the sheets in the washer, and laid a blanket over my bed for the night, and used another to cover with. Inconvenient? Yes. Difficult? Not really. Impossible? Certainly not. Sometimes eco-friendly alternatives just require a little bit of thought. Hard to do at eleven pm, but not impossible. ;-)
We’re getting rain here today. If it dries out later I’m going to go transplant some herbs. Otherwise, I’ll be stuck working here in the house today. Which means, among other things, cleaning my much neglected bathroom. Can’t you tell how thrilled I am at the prospect?