the clothes pegs had been plain wooden ones when they were bought, but Kati had coloured then with crayones,pencils and progressively,as she mastered each medium.It had started one day when Grandpa said that as a young man be had been a children art teacher. The funny look that came over Grandma's face only encouraged Grandpa to go on about primary colours , warm and cool colours,
complementary and opposite colours. He finished by reaching for the nearest object to hand on which to demonstrate his skill. That day the clothes pegs had been right beside him.
The moveable stairs reflected Kati's height.Now,at the age of nine,she needed only the first step to reach the line. But Kati liked to climb up so that she was higher than the clothes line. She would move her arms like a music conductor, like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia.
The clothes danced to the song of the wind, and the moves were always new. Sometimes the sun was low in the sky before she finished
talking in the clothes.
In the all-purpose room known as "Grandma's office", the washtubs waited in a line. Kati had to sort the clothes and place them in the correct tub Grandma's clothes, Grandpa's clothes, Kati clothes, each in their own tub. The pillowslip and sheets,