drying dishes

I used to detest washing and drying dishes. Now I tolerate it quite well, although I would be thrilled if someone were to sneak into our house and install a dishwasher. There is something nice about the rhythm of washing up after a meal, and how it brings things full circle from when the food began to be prepared, that makes it satisfying. Ah, the cyclical nature of housework. There's always more.

We're tickled to have some wonderful friends of ours here with us for a few days. They have a two year old, and she and Phillip get along famously, for the most part. They're the kind of friends who are just nice to be around, you know? There's none of that anxiety about the state of the house or other peripheral things when they're here. I'm learning that that's something significant for me.

After a beautiful meal of food we bought at the farmer's market this morning, doing dishes with the fabulous friends we shared it with is quite lovely indeed.