Jeff and I shared one towel and then we each had our own quick dry camping towels. Those things are worth their weight in gold when backpacking or living in the tropics. When we had American visitors they often remarked that we didn’t have washclothes. This was true because they got gross and moldy within a couple days. We each had two outfits that we would rotate between until they wore out because body heat was the only good way to thoughly dry clothing and prevent mold.

On a random side note, I also drool when I sleep and my pillow was constantly molding. It got so I would toast my pillow in the little propane oven periodically to keep the mold in check.

I asked the local ladies how they do it and they would just shrug and say they wash and hung up the clothes. There must have been something they weren’t telling me.

Now, back in middle America, I love not having to wash clothing by hand, or worry that it will mold. I still hang-dry in the summer. We live in an area with lots of Amish/Church of the Brothern/Meninite groups that live an odd combination of simple yet modern lives. I can always tell which farmsteads are theirs because of the green doors and the clothes lines that are on a pully system. They usually attached to the house and then extend a fair distance to a two-story foot poll. So the clothing flaps in the wind on a clothes line angling 20 degree up into the air. They must get a better breeze up there. Also kids and animals can’t do any damage.

Ian: Well, in the words of a comment I made this morning: “People! Enough with all this “and we wish you many healthy babies” shit. I appreciate the loving thought behind your words, but you are going to curse me.” Which I can translate into a nice short, “no.”

I’m a big fan of the carriages

Most Standesämter look awfully corporate, sure. But many cities offer to marry at certain special places (like a castle or such), which can make the whole thing nice again.
That is, if the Standesbbeamte cuts short on the bullshit they’re prone to spill.

FAXE system!