Clothesline for dummies

Last week, I loaded the clothesline and headed out on errands/lunch. I came home to the clothesline on the ground and the clean clothes slightly damp.... Yes, after approx 7 years, it gave up and split. The next day, I was in the hardware store so I picked up some new line. Today, Hubby and I got the clothesline threaded through the wheels and all attached. One problem, the join is at the top. Big mistake... You can't have a wheelie-thingamajig to hold the clothesline together so that it doesn't drag the clothes on the ground. Oops. So I took all the laundry that was on the line and tried to take the connector off and reattach it on the lower section. No can do. My grip strength is lacking in that regard. Lovely. Must now let laundry sag until it is dry and then after supper, get Hubby to help. Lesson learned. For posterity: I need 150 feet of clothesline.

French as a second language

This past week, I had the privilege of watching my son in grade 1 perform in a mini play in French class. What a wonderful experience! The kids were really engaged and seemed to be enjoying what they were doing. He is now incorporating the text from the play in everyday conversation!

On the other hand, it was a bittersweet experience because the school board recently announced that the are cutting the French as a second language program for the early primary years. My son will not have French class at school now until grade 4. Whatever he has learned this year will be a faint memory by that time. What bothers me most about this change is that the parents were never consulted. Yes the board had a right to cut the program seeing as it was optional. However, a poll of the parents may have been in order. Instead we got a blurb in the newsletter explaining that since other boards don't teach French in the primary grades, they were cutting the program. My immediate response was: "If all your friends are jumping off a bridge, will you jump off as well?".