Orphan Socks

How I Solved the Mystery of the Missing Socks

I do laundry differently than just about everyone I've talked to or read about. Everyone in our family has enough underwear, including socks, to last up to ten days. Once a week I wash clothes by people--in other words, I do all of my laundry together on one day, my husband's laundry another day, our children's laundry a third day. I don't gather up all the whites every day and do a load, that involves to much time consuming sorting at the end. I know that when I pull laundry out of the dryer I can take it all into the bedroom of the owner, fold it and put it away quickly. I combine children's laundry as necessary; and when Noble lived at home I did mine and hers together. I do laundry only three or four days each week, two to five loads a day depending on whose I'm doing. I combine some things when I need to, for instance I have only one pair of jeans which I wash when I'm doing my husband's jeans.

Years ago, when I had four little boys at home, I set out to discover why there seemed to be missing socks in every load. I refused to believe that the washer or dryer "ate" them. To solve the mystery I gathered up the boys laundry and mated the socks BEFORE they went into the washer. If any didn't have a mate, I searched until I found it. They hid under beds, under or behind dressers and nightstands, between the sheets of the bed, in closets, and toys boxes. (You know how messy children can be!) After a few months of this I reasoned that no socks were ever lost in the washer or dryer. After I went through that exercise I stopped mating the socks before and set up a small basket near the dryer; when sorting and folding dry laundry I put any orphans in the basket until there are a bunch at which time I mate them up and put them away. Problem solved.

Another thing that helps is that I buy the boys different brands of socks so that I know whose is whose. (Is that grammatically correct? Or just colloquially correct?)

Timing is Everything

When I moved to Iowa I left behind my washer and dryer. TopDad had purchased a used pair when he bought our house here. The whole time I've lived here I've missed mine. Yesterday, exactly a week before we leave on vacation, the dryer died. I think prayer had kept it going this long, as it has always made a horrible screeching noise and was less than efficient in its work. But I didn't want to spend money on a new one or even a newer one until we were further out of debt.

After I discovered it had died, in the midst of drying a load of bath towels, I put my thinking cap on and pondered alternatives. I did hang the towels on a clothes rack in front of an open window with a slight breeze. I applaud all of you who have clothes lines and hang your clothes out in the sunshine and fresh air. I'd love to do that too, but don't have a clothes line, and my husband hasn't consented to put one up yet. So. I looked online for wooden or metal drying racks that I could make do with. The little wimpy ones are $20, and the big metal ones are over $100, and none are the shape and kind I had in mind. I got up from the computer sort of discouraged and wondering what to do.

Then a prompting came to look on Craigslist. I searched "electric dryers" and came up with a whole bunch. The first one that caught my eye was a newer version of the one I left in Utah, for, get this, $50!! I called and told the guy I wanted it, had cash in hand, and would be there in less than an hour. Just that day they had gotten a new washer and dryer installed and they didn't want to just send the old dryer to the landfill. So they put it on Craigslist hoping someone could get further use out of it.

Thank you Lord, for perfect timing!

More Miscellany

Saturday was our community wide yard sale; we participated both with a "stuff" sale and a bake sale fundraiser for Dr. Hair's (I think he needs a new name) brand new high school film club. They made more than I did. How did that happen? But I cleaned out a bunch of stuff, and took the leftovers to the thrift store on Monday, restoring our living room to a useful state. Friday I baked from 9 AM to 9 PM making 5 loaves of white bread, 2 each of banana, pumpkin and poppy seed loaves, a double batch of brownies (from scratch) and a big batch of ginger snaps. The house smelled wonderful! All that didn't sell was brought back inside to fill up the hollow legs around here and give me a week's break from baking.

Sunday we had a wonderful women's meeting at church that helped to unify us and inspire us to do more in strengthening each other and building the Kingdom.

This week I've caught up on lots of things around the house. I had to take time to clean out the drain for the laundry sink, it was clogged and draining slowly. TopDad was too busy to help so I did it all by myself; well with the help of a bottle of drain cleaner, but I did take everything apart and put it back together. Now all the laundry is caught up, you know, sheets and towels and such. The regular stuff goes on forever.

Wednesday I wrote letters and took care of some Relief Society business (church women's group, I'm president). I attended the high school honors night where Dr. Hair and Dandylion both received awards. Both in speech and Dandylion lettered in Academics, he has maintained a 4.0 GPA for at least three consecutive semesters. I know many of the seniors because they are Dr. Hair's friends so it was fun to see them. The art department has their annual art show in the cafeteria so we get to see the student projects. This art teacher is fabulous! Having lived here for four years now, I wish I'd grown up in a small town where the students get so many opportunities to explore and try things. Our youngest sons have really done well here.

Our weather is hot, cool and in between. Last night we had thunderstorms and hail. Today began clear, but clouds have moved in and "tut, tut, it looks like rain." The grass is Irish green, the trees are leafed out and my big lilac bush is in bloom smelling like heaven. I spent some time outside yesterday morning digging out dandelions from the lily of the valley patch on the north-east side of the house. I hope they bloom this year as I love that fragrance too.

 So, how has your week been?

I'm Busy

December is just going to have to a no blog month if I want to get Christmas under the tree.

But here are some quickies:

• Last night I roasted a bone-in chicken breast for dinner; this morning I chopped up the leftovers, added minced onion and celery, salt and pepper and mixed it all together with mayonnaise for some yummy chicken salad to go in a couple of leftover pita pockets for the boys lunches.
• Yesterday I mailed Noble's Christmas to her in three large priority flat-rate boxes because the rate on those boxes is discounted for shipping to military addresses.
• I used the drippings from the roast chicken to add to our cat's food this morning; they love treats like that and it makes their food go further when I can add leftovers to it. Plus all the fat is good for them being outdoors in the cold weather. (When we moved I insisted that the cats reside on the screened porch with a pet door to come and go as they please.)
• I spent some time over at Second Chances by Susan's blog getting great ideas for modest re-fashioning of clothes. She is so talented!
• I gathered all the Christmas wrapping papers and tags and such together in one place! I won't have to buy anymore this year. (or the next or next either!)

Today is bread baking day and boy's laundry day so I'd better get to it.