The Sound of Laundry

I found myself dialing in on the hum and rhythm of my washer and dryer this morning. It's such a familiar, ordinary sound in the home, but it's funny how many thoughts the sounds are bringing up today. When the washing machine is running . . . it gives me the feeling of buckling down for the day, it tells me that it's time to get to work. When the washing machine and the dryer are both humming, I feel like I'm making progress. And then when it's silent, it's calling me back in for the unloading and reloading. I guess all that humming and whirring is the sound of "work." And though I mostly hate laundry, and have honestly let it ruin my day more than once, there is something about the warmness of the laundry room and the good smell of detergent, dryer sheets, and clean clothes that makes it all more bearable.

Evening In My Neighborhood

I love my neighborhood in the summer right around the 4 to 5 o'clock hours. That's when many of the working neighbors start arriving home . . . the potato chip delivery truck takes its place in the driveway next door, vans with ladders on top and company logos painted on their sides pull into other driveways up and down the street. And within minutes the quiet, green neighborhood that has rested all day wakes up. Garage doors are opened, lawnmowers are started, grills are open and lit. And with those sounds comes the smells of fresh-mowed grass and the smell of charcoal and grilling burgers. Barking dogs come bursting out of open patio doors to get their first chance to run through their yards all day. Neighbors wave a "hello" from across the street as they open and close mailbox doors. I like this time of day. It's familiar and normal. It feels like home.