I hate washing!  I hate doing it (I admire you Bettina).  I hate putting it away even more (I admire you too Aileen).  I remember reading Buddhism for Mothers and there was something about being mindful as you hung the clothes out on the line.  It resonated with me.   And I TRY … I really do.  As I stand at the line impatiently, I stop, and say to myself, isn’t it a lovely day … aren’t I lucky to be standing here in the sunshine hanging out the washing. It does help, sort of … but not really.

On the other hand I do LIKE THE THINGS I USE when dealing with the washing.  I have a great triangle corner washing basket in the laundry.  And I like that.

I have an excellent washing trolley under my clothesline.  It is rusty and old and I got it from the lady across the road who was getting rid of it.  Whenever I use it I admire it.

And I have a super old metal chair that I plan to do up one day, and on top sits a lovely and functional tin for my pegs.  Whenever I look at the chair I think about how great it is going to be.

And then I have a red currant bush that grows underneath my clothesline (I like that), and some mosaic paving I did before I had children, and some lovely salvias, lavender and rosemary that cheer me up with their colours and perfume as I brush past.

ooh, a memory of my lovely cat apple

this chair is going to be great one day!

how could I resist this trolley?

And I have a number of washing baskets that I love.  I just counted them, and I have 6 old cane baskets that I have collected here and there, sometimes at op shops, sometimes at second hand shops, sometimes from the side of the road.

It’s hard to imagine how we ran out of baskets the other day!?

Washing and I are not friends.  But I like all the trimmings.