Everyday pleasures . . . folding the sheets

There are moments when my heart seems full and happy.  
Rituals that result in ordinary life being lived often provide this experience.  A deeply satisfying weekly event involves laundry.  It always happens on Sundays, with rare exceptions.  Sunday is "change the sheets day."  I can't remember when we set Sunday as the day when our sheets would be switched out.  But, it seems to work well.  Sunday is a good time since it's rare that we are rushing off first thing.  

When we rise on Sunday Ron helps me to strip the bed, take the sheets to the washing machine and start the machine doing its work. Then we pull out the new, clean sheets, adjusting if the weather has gotten colder or warmer, and we make the bed, pulling on the fleece blankets and ending with a heavy velvety quilt spread that we've had for years.  The bed is clean and made and ready for the week ahead.

And, as the morning progresses the old sheets are laundered and put in the dryer.  An hour later I am able to take the fragrant sheets from the dryer and fold them for putting away.  And, then comes the moment when I place the folded sheets in the linen closet pictured above.  Just so you don't think I'm TOO fussy you can see that the sheet piles are not perfect.  The shelf above has our super warm winter fleece sheets, one of life's great luxuries.  The bottom shelf holds five sets of jersey cotton sheets.

The moment that I want to celebrate here is the moment that I place the laundered sheets in the closet each week.  That simple action fills me with a wonderful sense of accomplishment, order and peace.  A cycle is complete.  I have done my part in taking care of the objects that serve my life (in this case, the sheets).  The fact that I have several sets of sheets, a working washing machine and dryer, water to wash and electricity to power the machines . . . it's all wonderful.  I am filled with thanksgiving for the everyday miracles of having a warm bed to sleep in, soft sheets to cover me and the strength to do my small part in keeping it all working.   Everyday life is the way.