The Country Girl Inside Me

Several weeks ago our laundry pump stopped working. Located in the basement, this small piece of machinery that moves waste-water from the washing machine up to the septic tank, did not move anything, any more. ... I delayed calling the plumber, wanting to empty and clean the sink, where the water collects, before it is sent on its merry way. His assessment-visit, weeks later, only delayed fixing the problem. I was not an emergency. Others were ahead of me. That was OK with me. I had waited. ... By now, I'd been without a washing machine for over a month. Waiting a bit longer was no big deal. ... (The sump pump, the other 'pump' in the basement is a constant reminder of its true intent: to keep outside water at bay, at all times. If it  malfunctions, it makes the laundry pump look good.) 

I thought of our dogs and realized they deserved better than this. I had been running out of towels, clean bedding and scatter rugs for them. (Their outdoor play area, topped with straw, was a muddy surface now, with recent rains.) Clean towels etc. were always a necessity for our animals to protect the carpeting, and to wipe them down whenever it rained, snowed or when 'mysterious' matter appeared on them. (It soon dawned on me that the washing machine was not broken. Its companion was.) Laundry could still be done, albeit, with a different approach. ... I would be the substitute laundry pump, for as long as necessary. ...  A gorgeous sunny day, with soft breezes, greeted me the next morning, perfect for drying clothes outside. ... The time had come to revert to the country girl inside me and begin the task of carrying and emptying pails of water to the upstairs bathroom. ... With an average of 8-10 pails per load, I began my early morning jaunt, up and down. ...I washed four loads that afternoon. It was an exhilarating respite from my normal routine. ... Later that day, I watched as the dogs began to sniff, roll and stomp on their freshly washed/air-dried beds, in the room they called home. ... It hadn't been that clean for weeks, they must have been thinking. (“Thanks mommy.”)

Nearly 40 pails of water had been disposed of with great vigor that day. I felt refreshed and my bones, muscles and ligaments received a good workout. ... Strength and attitude are everything. This current laundry pump fiasco reminded me of another time-years ago - when I had to carry water upstairs to the bathroom to dispose of water. ... Our septic system, then, was old and could only handle one load of wash per day. We lived in a town, on the verge of installing sewers, so upgrading, beforehand, was a waste of time and money. Our sons were toddlers then and were the impetus to do the one important load per day, until we moved, years later!

Electricity costs more in the country. Switching to an 'approved' fireplace insert - 25 years ago - resulted in significant savings in our heating budget. We now buy firewood and the momsey has split it, stacked it and keeps the home fires burning, with it, especially, during the freezing temperatures of winter. Going without electricity, on many occasions, for long periods of time, serves to remind me that full time camping could become routine, in the future. 'Showering' with bottled water served as a reminder that anything was possible. Baking a carrot cake on the barbecue required new problem solving techniques not asked of me previously. A new age had dawned. ...When the things we take for granted are taken away from us, even momentarily, it is then we realize how important they were, all along. It is then that the country girl appears to whisper that modern day conveniences have disappeared because circumstances have been altered.

Our first house was a simple little structure on a 'floating' foundation-(no basement)-with a small bathroom, containing an aluminum shower stall. There was nothing glamorous here. ... But it was ours, as 'down to earth' as it could possibly be. (I was teaching full time, then.) Washing laundry was done in the kitchen with a movable, hand operated appliance. One or two items per 'load' was all it could handle. ... Still it was an improvement. Going to the laundromat had lost its appeal. ...When the laundry pump is working, all is well, for now. ... Having cleaned up a few basement messes, over the years, serves to remind me that 'chaos' can happen, without warning. The 'country girl' inside is there to clean, scrub, carry water, wood, cook, - the camping way, when the unthinkable, the unimaginable happens. Touching base with ourselves, in a basic way, reminds us that we're OK and everything else will be, too, eventually. We adapt because we must.

The luxuries of modern life: running water, electricity, and appliances all serve to remind us how fortunate we are, especially, when they cease functioning - for a moment or two. For me, the good things in life can be as simple as clean laundry and  fresh water. That is what the country girl inside tells me, over and over again.