When I think of simple, intentional living that includes avoiding debt, reducing purchases and living a more self-sufficient life, I get a picture in my head. Green gardens with chickens roaming free, uncluttered living spaces, and a general air of peace and calm. You’ve all seen those photos in magazines and all over the internet – living “green”, paying off debt, seeking the good life. And it’s a great dream! I’m working on it myself, but sometimes I’m disappointed in how this whole concept plays out in the real world.
The reality is a different picture entirely.
So, this is my laundry room (sort of). I did move the dirty laundry out of the way to make myself appear tidier that I am. I also picked up the wads of lint that were hiding under the dirty laundry.
The plywood is temporarily covering the ginormous hole from the water leak that remained hidden until the floor caved in. We’re replacing flooring paycheck by paycheck (no more debt here).
A loooooong time ago, the washer started making a noise. Not just any noise. Imagine the most ear-splitting, hair-raising, metal grating on metal sound you can possibly imagine and multiply it by 100. That’s the kind of noise I’m talking about. I even blogged about it here and posted pictures of our do-it-yourself washer repair.
In general, the washer has continued to work okay. It tends to forget what it’s doing and shut itself down mid-cycle. That’s alright. I sometimes forget what I’m doing mid-project also. Did I mention that it’s paid for?
The problem is this: you can’t balance it and it’s making the noise again. The dryer (by the door) is level. The washer thinks it’s level in the position that its in now. So, I’ve rigged this simple machine lever to hold the washer in the position that makes it happy. If the washer is happy (and quiet) then I’m happier.
Sometimes the simple life I’m seeking looks pretty crappy. A worn-out (but paid for) washer rigged in a uneven position using a broken broom handle and a vacuum cleaner. You can’t get to the dryer holding an armful of clothes without stepping over the stick. My shins are covered in bruises. If the movement of the washer knock the stick out of place, you have to run down the hall with your hands over your ears and try to get the washer back into it’s “happy place”.
But, today was payday and another $15 went into the new washer fund. I figured out a solution to the problem. We had a homeschool lesson about simple machines. It’s not a pretty picture, but it works.
And by the way, when you let your chickens free-range, they poop on your porch. That’s not so pretty either.
FaithAcre Studio | Kelly Barrow 
My washing machine is recovering from a £57 hairclip, ie there was a hairclip (daughters again…) somewhere in its innards that I couldn’t find, though to be fair I didn’t know I was looking for a hairclip I was looking for the reason why when it tried to spin it sounded like the Terminator in labour (and failed to spin) finally called out the repair man who located said pin and gave me a bill for £57 😦 We live a sort of variation of the standard “green life” insofar as we live in the back of beyond. Yes in summer it is idyllic and we have enough land to grow plenty and have somewhere for the chickens to go so that they don’t poop on the porch, but we are 2 miles from the nearest bus stop (buses once every 30 min)itto pretty much every other convenience. In winter our lane is frequently impassable. So next time you look at one of those magazines just remember that the grass is never greener – just a different shade to yours 🙂
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I love that – Terminator in labor. That’s spot on. My chickens think that they are pets. They hang out on the front porch in hopes that someone will come out and pet them or feed them! Also to drive our basset hound crazy. She sits in guard on the sofa to alert me whenever they get too close. Your place sounds lovely – just far enough from the world as is ours. Thank you for stopping by.
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We used to have a chicken who would come in the cat flap to lay an egg by the kettle and got most upset if anyone including the dogs got in the way. She also frightened the living daylights out of the pc repair man by appearing suddenly on the top of the monitor and peering inquisitively at him!
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I love chickens! They just develop the most intense routines that make no sense to anyone but themselves. They find a spot and that’s that. It’s almost impossible to persuade them otherwise. Mine are currently creating large craters to clean and cool themselves in right in the middle of the pathway leading to the front door.
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I hope your washing machine can’t read… When one breaks down its like they all find out and join in. Yea for 15.00 more towards the washer. We would do it the same way.
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I have to laugh….your simple, intentional living is what we called poverty when I was a kid. You know what though….I sometimes think it was a better life and have been trying to get back to that way of life myself (only without the actual poverty again cause the poverty part sucked).
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Hooray for washer funds! You’ll get there.
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