Did you read the article in the Wall Street Journal about the resurgence of the clotheslines in America? Apparently, there’s a controversy about residents who want to go green by hanging their laundry out to dry despite subdivision regulations banning such an activity because it makes the neighborhood look “too urban.” Interestingly, according to the September 18 article, clothes dryers use 6% of the electricity consumed by U.S. households – a pretty significant portion. They are third in the energy hog category, following refrigerators and lighting.

Maybe it’s time to think about going back to some of the basics.

Has energy conservation been on your mind? Here in the Delinsky household, both of us switched to hybrid cars earlier this year. It took a little while to get used to the silence upon start-up and the whirring sound when you decelerate and come to a stop, but it didn’t take any time to get used to better mileage. We also got a new furnace this spring – better mileage there, too, so to speak.

Most importantly, we recycle in a big way. I wish I could say that the initiative was wholly ours, but in fact our town demanded it. Every last piece of plastic or glass earns a special place in the recycle bin. And paper! Think of the paper I use in my job! There used to be mountains of it – until conservation mentality set in. Now, rather than print out at the end of each work day, I back up to a CD. I’ve cut my paper use by nearly 75%. And the remaining 25%?

It’s off to the dump. No, we don’t put our trash or recycling out for pickup. Here in suburban New England, we take a ritualistic trip to the dump every week. All of us do it. The dump is actually set up pretty efficiently and it is a gathering place of sorts. Before every election, if you want to meet the local candidates, just visit the dump on a weekend and they’ll be there!

BTW, going back to the clothesline issue, my agent and I refer to it in another regard, one that relates to my books. We talk about the “clothesline phenomenon,” whereby women, historically, were able to meet and chat with other women while hanging clothes to dry outside. We maintain that book groups (like the one in Coast Road) and knitting groups (like the one in Family Tree) are simply the modern incarnation of the “clothesline phenomenon,” and these these and other gatherings of women have cropped up because we’re hungry for this elemental companionship.

What do you think? Would you vote to bring the clothesline back?