SUNSHINE, CLOTHESLINE

Before I leave to take Tom to class at UT Martin this morning, I hope to have every item of bedding off my bed and out on the clothesline. This is one of those times when I really love having a front-loading washer - I can even run the bedspread and pillows through the machine. Shoot, if I could figure out a way, I'd cram the mattress in the washer and give it a whirl, too!

I love this sunshine. And, I love linens dried in the sunshine on the clothesline. After last night's storms, everything smells so fresh outside...can't wait to bring that smell inside!

A friend wrote in her weekly newspaper column recently about how the return of spring weather gives us the itch to do a little extra cleaning. Seems a fairly common phenomenon. However, as I get older, I find that I'm a little less eager to empty the cabinets and closets and give them the thorough scrubbing they need. Wouldn't it be great if instead of the old-fashioned, tedious, back-breaking method of cleaning cabinets, we could just pull them off the wall, cram them into a cabinet-washer, and push a button? Better yet, wouldn't it be lovely if we could just turn the entire house inside-out, hose it down, and let the spring sunshine do its amazing magic?! Now that would be some spring cleaning I could really get into...

Currently, I am very blessed to have several fantastic helpers come spring cleaning time. Tall helpers, who can reach way up in the cabinets. Shorter helpers, who can more easily tackle lower shelves and cabinets. Big strong helpers, who can pull out appliances and who can haul boxes in and out of the attic. When all of my children are grown and have moved away from home, I may have to resign myself to living in squalor - I don't think I could do this job without them.

Well, the washer just beeped...time to take another load of laundry out to soak up the sunshine. Mmmm!