Clean Sheets

It’s hard to top the feeling of bliss I feel every time I crawl into bed between clean sheets.  I don’t quite understand why I get such a thrill out of it, but it makes me downright giddy.

In the summertime, there’s nothing like the feel and smell of cotton sheets that have been flapping in the wind to dry.  I can tell the difference when nature has done the drying, or the dryer’s been hard at work.  Although in wintertime, when I don’t have nature’s option, the fact I can switch from cotton to flannel sheets is a huge comfort.  In fact, I think flannel sheets are best dried in the dryer anyway so they supply me with that little extra softness –a tiny warm hug – I need on cold nights when I curl up in bed.

I love it when the Northwest weather cooperates enough that I can hang the sheets out to dry, and this past summer has been stellar, in that regard.  My son is not as thrilled, however, particularly when I also hang out the bath towels.  He doesn’t appreciate the sandpaper quality the sun and wind add to our otherwise plush towels.  It may be good to scratch an itch, but it’s a rude wake up call early in the morning.

One day last fall I overheard Kaleb in the bathroom drying off after his shower.  He made a large “Ahhhh” sound, followed by an exuberant squeal of “DRYER SEASON!”   I had to ask him later what he meant by “dryer season” and he said, “You know, when the towels get soft again because they’ve been dried in the dryer. “  Each “season” obviously has its benefits.  Towels are better in winter - sheets are best in summer.

An elderly woman I know talked about what life has been like since she’s become a widow.  There were many adjustments to make and life was a little more difficult, she said, but she did find one bright spot in it all.  She said she now sleeps on one side of the bed one week, then switches over to the other side the next week, so she only has to change the sheets every other week.  

I love fresh sheets so much I wish I had the energy to change them each and every day.  I guess if I did, that simple pleasure of the feel of crisp sheets might become too routine and get lost on me.  As it is, at least once a week I get the thrill of wrapping myself up in fresh clean luxury.

At our house, we don’t have to look outside the window to know that Fall has arrived, we know just by the feel of sheets and bath towels against our skin.  Summer is over and Dryer Season is upon us.