Bathing with a Loofah
One of the unique things about our accommodations here in Estonia is that we have no clothes dryer in the apartment.  A washer, yes, but no clothes dryer.  My darling companion, who dutifully launders our clothing each week, is forced to air dry our wet clothes on a drying rack.  To aid in this process, she employs an electric fan that is directed to blow air across the wet clothing.  After a few hours

they are dry and ready to fold.  Doing laundry here can take up a lot of time. A side benefit is a lower electric bill each month.  Another, and almost overlooked benefit, is the salon treatment each time we shower.  If you have ever air-dried a bath towel, you will understand that when air-dried, the nap or pile of the towel does not feel like Charmin, but more like a loofa.  You know, the skeletal remains of the luffa fruit that feels like sandpaper on your skin and was meant to remove dry or dead skin from your body.   Yes, that is the loofa I'm talking about.  

Showering and using the towel, fresh from the laundry, can be a rather invigorating and liberating experience (if you think that liberating your skin from your body is a good thing).  I like to think that keeping my skin on is a good thing.  Dear reader, do not think I am complaining.  On the contrary, I've lost 10 pounds already.  Apparently, I have more skin than I actually need.  The downside, however, is that now I'm more sensitive to everything and everybody.  I used to be thick-skinned. 

An Awesome Tradition

In the winter months, the Tallinn Branch has what we affectionately call, Soup Sunday.  Every other week is Soup Sunday.  Immediately after the Sunday block, the chairs and tables are set out and we all enjoy soup together.  Usually there are plates of white and dark bread on the table to go along with the soup.  Different families or individuals provide the soup and ladle it up right in the kitchen.  We're not always too sure what is in the soup, but it tastes wonderful and we get to visit with the members on a less formal setting. 

 

Supping with branch members on Soup Sunday