SINGING IN THE RAIN

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE


When we moved into our house, I was tickled pink to find it came with an 
old-fashioned clothesline nested in a hideout out of sight.I'm a line-drying
believer, and I think there is nothing that smells better than sleeping in sheets that have been line-dried.
Thus, every year when Summer comes, I lay off my dryer and returned to the
tried-and-true combination of sun and wind to dry my clothing. I guess you
will think I am a bit corny, but I enjoy hanging the laundry out. It's energy
saving, good exercise, and last but not least, it reminds me of my grandma.
When I was a little girl, on laundry day my job was to tote the wash out to the line and then hold out the wooden pegs to her. So, during warm Summer months I am glad to follow in her footsteps. I have also noticed that
watching towels, teatowels, fitted sheets and quilt covers flap gently in the
sea breeze has a soothing effect on busy bees !

Unfortunately it seems that this Summer I 'll have to find another way to
calm down and relax...
Indeed, I keep putting off laundry day because the last load has been struggling against drizzle and downpours, dripping sadly during bright
intervals, and curling around the line to test the wind, for what seems to be ages.

The heatwave has smashed records, and all over the country the temperatures
have soared to 40 degrees. Some French locations have even chalked up 
all-time records ! Dogdays ? Yes, a topical issue everywhere but in 
Finistère ! I wish I had bought a large umbrella, or even better, a typical yellow oilskin instead of my long-awaited parasol !! The latter is standing
proudly on the terrace, taunting me mercilessly !

Anyway, I try to remain optimistic and look on the bright side :
I won't have to water new trees, shrubs and flowers ! Every cloud has a silver
lining, so in the meantime I'm singing in the rain ,and if it keeps raining, 
I'll register for a tap dance class and I'll ask my friends to call me Ginger !
( I won't wait until Get a Differrent Name Day which falls on February 13th !