Well Worth The Wait

"Life is always a matter of waiting for the right moment to act." -Paul Coelho

Welcome to the family, kids! We're glad you're finally here. 

What if I told you that our dryer died over the summer and we just now got around to replacing it.

Okay, wait. There's more.

Don't worry, little wooden rack. Your sweet low-tech self will always have a place in my heart. 

What if I told you that the summer during which said dryer died was actually the summer of 2020?

Oh, the shame. 

But really, I need to say that life without a dryer is not so bad. Our Asian travels have taught us that an entire continent (I'm making that up but certainly a lot of people) go without dryers all the time and are no worse for the wear.

In lieu of mechanized heat and tumbling action, we've been drying our clothes all these years on wood drying racks. One of our four models poses above in its resting mode; when in action, it stands about four feet tall and holds a full load of wash. During warm weather (so like six weeks in late summer) we carry the racks of clothes outside to dry in the sun; during the rest of the year, we stand them near heating vents upstairs. In times of desperate need, we crank up a box fan or two and stand them nearby.

And honestly, this system has worded surprisingly well. 

But alas. I'm desperate for the snap of a bed sheet fresh from the dryer, the soft snuggle of a machine-dried towel, the firm fibers of a cotton t-shirt that has been dried just past the point of dampness and will hang in the closet in a perfect wrinkle-free state. I also would not be mad about a washer that does not leak..

So we finally decided it was time to take out that second mortgage and pull the trigger.

For tonight's first load in the new machines, I'm running a half-dozen so-called "dog towels;" cast-off bath towels used to rub down my furry friend after rainy walks, or laid on the floor as impromptu beds for the soggy pup. Not only will they be washed hard and dried to fluffy perfection, but the fuzzy balls of stray dog hair will end up in the lint tray where they belong, instead of clinging insidiously to the air-dried fabric.

So yes, for all the fun of our Little House on the Prairie years of air-dried laundry, I am ready to re-enter the age of the Industrial Revolution with my new washer and dryer. 

I am certain they will prove to be well worth the wait.