Time Takers

Dear loyal blog readers, if there are any of you left, I apologize for the long absence.  Normally the first half of the year goes by slowly for me, but this year I have barely blinked and already it is the middle of March.  Wow!  I guess I haven't been writing for awhile because I have lacked inspiration.  I need some sort of a schedule or series to keep me writing, but I have yet to find something that works for me.  I am going to make an effort to write a bit more regularly.  I'll try!  I have decided to do a short series on our life here in Peru. 

When I wonder where the time goes, I look back at my day and feel as if I haven't accomplished much.  I usually manage to feed the family, do the laundry and finish homeschooling for the day.  But that is about all I can get done.  Part of that, I have decided, is that some things just take longer to do here in Peru.  So that is what my series will focus on.  Little things that I have to do each day (or almost every day), that I didn't have to do in the United States.  The little chores that take up a few minutes here, or a few second there, but all added together help fill up my day.  I'll call them "Time Takers." 

So my first time taker will deal with laundry.  Why not start with the dirty laundry, right?  :-)  We have a small patio here where we have our washing machine and 3 short clothes lines.  I feel blessed that the Lord provided us with a washer, because there are sooo many people here in Peru that have to wash their clothes by hand.  Talk about taking a lot of time!  Truly I am so thankful to have a washing machine.  So that isn't a problem, but what I don't have is a dryer.  Here in Peru, not many people do have dryers.  The weather is pretty warm most of the year, and clothes can easily air dry.  Most people have clothes lines on the roof of their house or in a patio (like us).  Since I have only 3 short lines, I have to do laundry every single day in order for it to fit.  In the US I used to do 5 or 6 loads of laundry all in one day, and I could get it all done.  Here, however, I only have room to hang and dry one load per day, and even at that I have to be pretty creative with my use of clothesline space. Although hanging clothes on the line is a job that I enjoy, it definitely takes more time than throwing a load of laundry in the dryer.  But I enjoy it because I feel that at least in some tiny way I am doing my bit to save energy, save the planet, save money, etc., etc. 

Our patio - where we do laundry, store bikes, hang up clothes,
and whatever else we need to use it for.

So it isn't much, but that is my first post of the Time Takers series - hanging my laundry on the clothesline. 

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

Eph. 5:15-17 (ESV)

May we all use our time wisely.