Happy pegging in Canada

My 8 year old son took this photo of me with my new clothesline. Even he enjoys pinning up the clothes on the line and helping me take them done.

"Wild white washing waves at the sky..." (Shirley Hughes)

Proud owner of a new clothesline

I'm so excited to have finally installed a clothesline in my backyard this summer. There's something meditative when you hang out clothes to dry, and something amazing when you know you are helping the environment as well.

Documentary about the Clothesline!

I'd like to tell you about a project I submitted to American Express Members Project. It's called "Hanging Out in America" and with your support it could get funding from American Express. To nominate this project for potential funding, please go to Hanging Out in America

http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/1ZWKBF

Members Project brings people together to make a difference in the world. It's simple. People go online to share ideas for projects — and ultimately vote on which projects will share $2.5 million in funding from American Express.

The final paragraph of the outline is incomplete (I used too many words! I got cut off.) Here's the full story behind the "Inspiration":
This idea began to percolate after a friend visited her father in Florida. Upon returning from the beach with heavy wet beach towels, her father tossed them in the dryer. My friend asked why the towels weren’t put on a clothesline, and she was told that clotheslines were not allowed in their housing community. This led us to explore different housing associations and their rules such as “no composting” and “no solar panels” A little research and a fantastic resource called "Project Laundry List" helped us discover that of the 300,000 condos and housing associations many strictly prohibit the use of outdoor clotheslines saying it “lowers property value” and is an “eyesore”. We started to ask what is important here- not offending our neighbors with laundry or saving energy? These simple environmental solutions, especially in the warm southern sates, were such a no-brainer that even school children could understand their importance. The clothesline used to mean community, and by training the youth to lead the way, everyone will be Hanging Out in America again.

Show Your Support & Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested,..... we need as many votes as we can get!!

AND THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laundry Is Meant to be Seen and Not Heard

From The Washington Post, “Of all the office buildings downtown, Washington Square is perhaps the oddest place for an underwear-art [hung on a clothesline] controversy: One of its tenants is Victoria's Secret. The lingerie store, under renovation until fall, is just a few feet from where [the] installation once stood. Victoria's Secret is known for its racy window displays of scantily clad mannequins.” Nevertheless, lawyers got involved and an experienced artist, Joyce Zipperer, was forced to remove the exhibit. Dr. Helen Caldicott, a Project Laundry List Advisory Board member and Australian activist, is fond of saying, “A strange brand of American prudery has made it impossible for some people to conserve energy and money by using a clothesline.” Indeed, that is why Project Laundry List awarded her our Laundry Hero distinction this week.

Today I received an email message from a new supporter that read, “My husband does not like to see someone else's clothes hanging in their yards. We live in a controlled community where beauty - landscape is a big aspect of keeping the property value. My husband argues that in order to allow people to hang out their clothes we all have to have our yards fenced, so no one get to see anything. I grew up hanging my clothes out (not in this country) so for me not being able to do it, it is a bit difficult to understand. I believe that even hanging out just what is not private would help a lot with the fact of saving energy. I mean we can hang out pants, t-shirts, sheets, towels, etc that will certainly reduce energy consumption and would make our clothes last for longer. I think that there is nothing more beautiful than our Planet, and if we have to sacrifice some comfort in order to preserve it for future generations we have to do it, and do it now. Thank you for this great initiative. Good luck.”

The work of changing the American aesthetic is critical. Elsewhere, people accept the ancient and venerable practice of hanging clothes outside in the sun as a part of everyday life. It is true that prior to Ronald Reagan’s first trip to China an edict was sent out that bamboo shafts with laundry were not to be stuck out the window on the days of his visit, so that he would think China was a more modern country. Only about 5% of Italians own a clothes dryer. In Australia, the Hills Hoist has brand name recognition akin to Kleenex (er, facial tissue). Even in the European Union’s most dryer-owning nation (The Netherlands), only an estimated 61% of volks owned a dryer in 2005.

Back Home In Indiana

A few weeks of travel, and I am back home in Indiana where I will spend the Winter. I will learn to be crative when hanging out laundry. Maybe that is the key...let's do things differently!

I was at school today when friend of mine had to run home to get her son's soccer uniform out of the dryer. "Why the dryer?" I asked her. "Why didn't you hang out your laundry this morning?"
Several other teachers were standing around and teased me about hanging out a line at school, the teachers and students could use it to dry the clothes that they forgot to dry at home.

Maybe they shouldn't tempt me with this idea? Or maybe I should think about a clothesline as an example for the kids. We could fill it with school tee-shirts or lost and found jackets. They usually just accumulate on a back table somewhere.

Anyway, back I am with my clothesline in my yard...full of laundry today. More news to follow.

Lou Ann Homan
Indiana/Ocracoke

proposal to set-up clothes lines in condo

Hi peggers,

I live in co-housing -> see the web page in the link above.  we tend to be a very pro-environment group of neighbors.  Many of us bike to work.  we have a condo assoc. meeting every month.  At the last meeting I raised the issue of setting up a clothes line.  It was not well received, except by a few neighbors around the table.  the main objection is aesthetics.  i must admit there is some credence to the argument since we have very little open space all of which is in the front of the building.  the only backyard space is through one of the units.  that space does not get much sunlight.  so most likely the clothes line(s) would have to go in the front.  

My mission is to persuade the nay sayers by preparing and presenting a full on proposal for our community to buck the trend and start hanging our clothes out to dry.   I looked over your web site and found many resource.  I liked the ten reasons list.  I guess I am looking for moral support.  the arguments are strongly against this proposal and I feel defeated already.

thanks, evelyn

Just One....

Just One.... a phrase that holds way more impact then we give it credit for. Sometimes, in our lazy stupor, Just One is equivalent to lifting a 100 pound weight. We know we can do it but for some reason it's just so hard. We fight the resistance of our body. There are excuses that flow out of our mouths that rival the best debaters. "I don't have time" "Why do I have to work so hard when other people aren't even trying" "Is it really going to matter?" "It's Just One thing, who really cares?".

I admit that I'm not always one of the most Earth friendly people. At times, I put plastic in the trash, I use my dryer when it's sunny outside, I leave the TV on when I leave the room. I'm lazy.

Is it commendable to do Just One thing a day? I think so. It's a start. When Just One thing becomes comfortable and habit then it's time for Just Two and so on. Could you imagine the impact it would have if everyone in the world did Just One thing to make the planet a better place each day?

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population the world's population as of July 2008 is 6.684 billion. Except for infants every one of those people can do their part. Even the smallest child can be taught to recycle, can help hang clothes. If every one of those people recycled Just One can or Just One piece of paper or hung Just One load of laundry can you imagine the impact that would have?

Take the pressure off and do Just One good thing for the planet today. Pass it on......