Laundry Love

We spent the middle part of the long weekend up in Maine with my sister and her family, welcoming the newest members of our clan. It was a special sort of celebration, as it wasn't a baby or even a puppy Meg added to our family...it was a new washer/dryer! Now this might not be a big deal for some families. But for us, it's an occasion worthy of wine, toasts, and hours spent reminiscing about past laundry exploits (broken machines, bleach catastrophes, failed attempts to stretch ruined wool sweaters back into shape...) while looking excitedly toward the future. So much laundry, so little time!

We're laundry geeks. It's genetic. It started with my mother, who has always dealt with stress by gathering the biggest pile of dirty clothes she can find and bringing order from the chaos. My sister and I share in this delight, so much so that Steve and I brought a comforter, THAT DOG'S bed, two sets of sheets, and a load of whites from Cambridge all the way to Maine to help mark this important moment with her.

THAT NIECE (aka "Sparkle Girl") has inherited this love. She came running up to me when we arrived on Saturday, breathless with excitement, exclaiming: "Aunt Trish, I have something WONDERFUL to tell you!" Waving full-on jazz hands to emphasize the fabulosity of the coming news, she told me, "I found a new Barbie toy at Target...and it's a Washing Machine and Dryer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Her eyes were wide with awe. "It even comes with an ironing board," she told me a few minutes later. We shared a moment of spellbound wonder, imagining how much fun we will someday have helping Barbie wash, dry & iron her clothes. (I refrained from pointing out that Barbie's Dry-Cleaning Drop-Off seems more likely). It was a special moment :)

Sometimes it's the little things that make life memorable.