One recent sunny June day, I hauled all the curtains off my windows and threw them into the washing machine to rid them of the dust and grunge that had accumulated during the long, closed-in winter months. I carried them, along with a basket of clothespins, outside to hang on the clothesline.

Washing curtains is one of my favorite rituals of spring and impending summer, better than the arrival of robins or the moment I discover that the peonies are up.

As I hang curtains to dry, I tune my ears to all the sights and sounds that were absent during the freezing months – the breeze stirring the new leaves on the maple, the whistle of the cardinals, the call of the phoebes building a nest in the eaves and the sudden buzz of a bee as it bumbles away on some sweet errand.

I note, too, the myriad shades of green washing the neighborhood, the blaze of yellow contributed by the last of the daffodils, the softer yellow of the forsythia, the pink-white clouds pasted against the powder blue sky, the flash of red of the resident cardinals high in the silver maple.

I inhale the earthy scent of newly mown grass, the smell of clean white curtains shivering in a sudden breeze which bears the tang of the Penobscot, slightly salty and damp, with a hint of something mossy.

The curtains – all 11 pairs – aren’t anything special, merely white sheets I cut into rectangles and hemmed to fit the windows of my house. I have no patience with anything that might call itself a “window treatment” requiring linings, pulleys, halyards and hardware. No, I want curtains I can wash, curtains that will drape easily over the wrought-iron hooks affixed to the woodwork, curtains that don’t overpower small rooms with a need to be noticed, curtains that will flap happily in the spring air.

While the curtains are on the line I wash the windows. Even that simple task gives me a sense of accomplishment and contentment. I feel akin to the phoebes busily feathering their nest in the eaves.

Making curtains from sheets is easy to do. One full-size sheet will make a pair. Cut the sheet lengthwise down the middle. Use the wide hem for the bottom of the curtain – one less hem to sew. Measure the window to figure out how long the curtain needs to be and add 4 inches for the curtain rod pocket. Cut the sheet to measure the length you want it, plus the 4 inches. Hem the sides of the curtain panel. Turn down the top 4 inches, turn the raw edge under and stitch across to form the rod pocket. I use tension rods for hanging the curtains, fitting them inside the window casing. This gives a homey look to the rooms and is in keeping with the colonial style of my little house.

When the curtains are dry, smelling of sunshine and wind, I bring them back inside and hang them up again. I don’t bother to iron them. What few wrinkles there are will disappear, enveloped by the folds formed when I pull each panel back to drape it over the hooks.

Washing and hanging out clean curtains to dry is one of life’s simple, in the moment, backyard pleasures. Try it. You’ll like it.

Snippets

. “Bead One, Pray Too: A Guide to Making and Using Prayer Beads” by Kimberly Winston is the story of prayer beads from the religions of the world. In the book she describes their use, history and the prayers to be said with them. She gives instructions on how to make prayer beads to fit one’s personal faith traditions. The book is published by Church Publishing, the official publisher of worship materials for the Episcopal Church.

Chapters include “The Catholic Rosary,” “The Anglican Rosary,” “Praying with Prayer Beads” and “Making Your Own Rosaries.”

She offers advice about the kinds of beads to choose for making rosaries, selecting the right tools and instructions for basic and more complex rosaries.

Beading has become a very popular craft, one of the fastest-growing trends in the crafting market, according to a survey by Craftrends. “Bead One, Pray Too” is a fine and inspirational book to add to a beader’s library. To learn more about the book call local bookstores or libraries, or visit www.kimberlywinston.com.

. Want to learn more about growing your own yarn from the grass up? Visit www.mainesheepbreeders.net for a schedule of workshops related to open farm tours, sheep health, shearing, wool handling and other subjects. Also, to find a link to Starting with Sheep in Maine, visit www.umaine.edu.umext/MaineNewFarm/Sheep.sheep.htm.

. Learn rug-hooking techniques with Julie Mattison and Chris Sherman, owners of Sears Rug Hooking, 1-5 p.m. Friday, July 11, at the Searsport Marine Museum. Visit www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org for more information.

. A display of quilts and quilted items is planned as part of Bridgewater’s Sesquicentennial celebration, July 24-26.

The show, “Quilts Old and New,” will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at the Bridgewater Free Baptist Church.

The quilt show committee invites residents of Bridgewater, Blaine, Mars Hill and Monticello to lend new or vintage quilts, wall hangings, quilted apparel and quilted bags for the show. The committee is planning a display rich in history, which includes contemporary quilted items.

Registration forms for quilt entries are available at the Bridgewater, Monticello, Blaine and Mars Hill town offices, the Walter T.A. Hansen Memorial Library in Mars Hill and at www.bridgewatermaine.gov.

Those who wish to lend quilts for the show may drop them off noon-3 p.m. Thursday, July 24, at the home of Debbie Taylor, 20 Tannery St., Bridgewater; or 5-7 p.m. at the church. Quilts also may be dropped off 7-10 a.m. Friday, July 25, at the church.

For more information or to make special arrangements to enter a quilt for display, call Reta Hersey at 425-4492.

ahamlin@bangordailynews.net