Heads Up! Clothespin Alert!

I'm not much of a domestic diva. True, I am a stay at home mom and I most of my life is spent doing housework and making home cooked meals and cleaning house. I love that we're able to live on one income. I love that I can spend my hours laboring for my family and volunteering I've always had a thing for hanging laundry on the line. I love the way they smell when you take them in - like sunshine and the warm breeze. I love the way they look when they're hanging there - the textures and colors and shapes. Just look at these! I took these pictures last year!

I always thought it would be neat to make a quilt that looked like clothes hanging on a clothesline, using fabric from old clothes - favorite clothes of mine, or clothes my children grew out of. Wouldn't that be neat? If only I was a good quilter...

Anyhow...today turned out to be a sunny day. Not like the past few rainy days. I thought it would be perfect to hang out some clothes. I have been meaning to dig out my clothespins and see if I can squeeze them, since I've been diagnosed with MS. I've had a sneaking suspicion that my hands are not strong enough. I've been afraid to try, because there have been so many things I have not been able to do. If I couldn't squeeze the clothespins...well, I didn't know if I could take the disappointment. I've been handling things pretty well, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't bug me every time I found out I couldn't do something anymore that I could do before. And, I knew this one thing means alot to me!

So, this morning I knew I couldn't put it off any longer. I went into my laundry room closet and got out my clothespin holder. I tried one, and it wouldn't budge. I felt the tears rising up, but figured that maybe, just maybe there would be another that would be easier to squeeze. I tried another, and another...pretty soon I had tried the whole bag full and none would open far enough to get over a clothesline. Shoot! My disappointment turned to anger. This was a new emotion for me...I usually am not an angry person!

Poor Aaron, my teenage son, was just waking up and was walking down the hall. His room is right next to the laundry room. He was walking down the hall, and the bag of clothespins just missed his nose by an inch or two as it sailed from the laundry room into the bathroom across the hall. He did a double take and looked into the laundry room where he saw a very angry mom - very out of character for me - and he was pretty confused. He said, "Mom? What's going on?" I burst into tears and said "Nothing! I just wanted to throw a bag of clothespins!" And, I ran into my bedroom.

Just then, Mike came in on the scene. He thought Aaron and I were arguing - another thing that was out of character for me - and asked Aaron about it. Aaron was still clueless, so Mike came into our room, where I was bawling my eyes out. Mike was totally taken aback and asked what was going on. I explained and I think he just didn't know what to do. Poor guy. Then, he had a great idea. There are those clothespins that you push onto the clothesline. I don't know if I have the strength to do it, but now I'm determined! I WILL hang clothes on the clothesline again - mark my words!!! Mike and I were joking...he's an engineer by trade, and he joked that maybe he can rig up a machine that could use an air compressor. Imagine our neighbors seeing me use a high-powered rig like that to squeeze my clothespins! I'll be the talk of the town!!! lol!

So, I've been shopping all day - I've been to Target, Walmart, TJ Maxx, Home Depot, Menards, Department Stores...I can't find them! Everyone has the spring-loaded clothespins, but not the old-fashioned kind you just push onto the clothesline - you know the kind I mean?

If any of you are shopping, and you see them somewhere, especially if they're at a store we may have here in the Midwest, could you please let me know where you see them? I would love to hang my laundry. I really would! Thanks so much!!! You guys are the best!!!

And, in case you're wondering, I'm over my pity party and I'm on to being a determined person again. And, a happy one, too. :)