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Modern Machines

Miracle or Menace?

By Julia Rosien

Our clothes aren't as soft as those dried in a dryer, and any dress shirts need to be ironed. I wash every second day to stay ahead of our need for clean clothes. But, dryers can't duplicate that elusive smell of fresh air on clothes and bed sheets. The one-year experiment extended to two and we see no reason to invest in any dryer -- energy efficient or not.

Nothing more beautiful than a line full of clean sheets and a fresh mowed lawn? But, just as I don't want a dryer, I've discovered, I can live without the expense of a lawnmower. Instead, we share one with a neighbor. Since my neighbor doesn't have kids, he stores our communal mower in his backyard shed. My shed, after all, clobbers me with a ski, skateboard, bicycle or hockey stick every time I open the door. We contribute gas, a few batches of home baked cookies and friendship in the dead of winter. My older children mow our lawn and his -- when he lets them.

What other amenities don't we need? I vote to toss the television. But, my kids outvote me on that one. No, not the microwave, it's this mother's little helper at mealtime. It's the difference between a hot supper after a day of kite flying vs. cold cereal. Definitely indispensable. Dishwashers, dryers and lawnmowers aren't indispensable. And we don't have to give up quality of life to live without them.

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