Although washing a few clothes by hand may be looked upon by some people as a waste of energy,I have found it to be a relaxing and much-needed time for thinking and planning.

     It began in my early family-rearing days of “wash one, wear one”. After discovering the benefits that taking my thoughts away from current difficulties brought solutions to ongoing problems, I continued the process of swishing a blouse or pair of socks through a sudsing and two rinses, the latter of which was flavored with a small amount of a fabric softener.

     It is enjoyable for me to travel back in time where Indian women stood by a stream in Kentucky and pounded their clothing on rocks to enlist a cleaning. Downhill from our Illinois Avenue home, Beargrass Creek wound its way toward the Ohio River.

     Neighborhood children found a cache of arrowheads there and I have often thought that perhaps our home sits where Indian children watched men knap those arrowheads while women carried clothes to the stream.

     An artist gathers inspiration from many sources. Sometimes it is a daydream of arrowheads and sometimes it comes from a sink full of soap bubbles.

     Be careful when you stand near a Kentucky stream. Time may run in both directions and Indians may be watching you.