“Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us”
We have clouds again, and it’s chillier than it has been, but today is perfectly still, not a branch is moving. The day will feel warmer. In the front garden, tulips have bloomed and more of them have budded but are still shut so tightly I can’t tell what colors they are. I thought the squirrels, those spawns of Satan, had eaten all the bulbs just after they were planted as I remember the holes in the garden where I suspected the tulip bulbs had been planted. I was happily surprised to see how many have survived. My lawn is high, time for mowing high.
I still have an iron. It was a house warming gift 34 years ago when I bought my house, and I actually used it. I’d wait until I had several blouses needing ironing then I’d set up the board in here and watch TV as I ironed. I used a spray bottle on the pesky wrinkles and spray starch on the linens. I have no idea the last time I used it, but its time is coming. For my August trip, I bought some new clothes which need touching up so I’m going to haul the board out of the cellar and fire up that iron. In Ghana, I didn’t do my laundry-I paid for it to be done. It was hand washed in a bucket then ironed. The iron was black metal, tall and had a v shape. Under its cover, the inside was empty so it could be filled with charcoal to produce the heat. I figured it was probably just like the ones pioneers used on all those petticoats. The charcoal iron worked as perfectly as my electric one did. It just took longer to get hot. I never wore anything wrinkled, even with hand wringing and a bucket.
I haven’t thought about that iron in years. I find it especially amazing when one memory leads to uncovering another long hidden in the nooks and crannies of what I call my memory drawers.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings Both comments and pings are currently closed.
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
April 30, 2011 at 12:14 pm
It has been a nice day over here. Lots of sunshine (even if clouds now slowly covers the sky) and just the right strength of the wind. I´ve been chipping wood with my new wood chipper and then I have spread the chips on a ground cloth around my pond. Well only half around because I didn´t have enough ground cloth 🙂
Ironing is the only household chore I really like :-)I don´t have that many things to iron these days but I was really good at ironing shirts back in the days 🙂
Have a great day now!
Christer.
April 30, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Christer,
It was a hit or miss day today with a bit of sun every now and then. It was in the high 50’s all day.
I never minded ironing all that much, but I really don’t miss it. I prefer to get the clothes minus wrinkles right out of the dryer.
The long sleeves always gave me trouble.
April 30, 2011 at 2:47 pm
Hi Kat,
Cloudy and cool up here.
I hate ironing. I have an iron and a board but I only use it to steam block knitted lace shawls. For my clothes, I use the spray wrinkle release. A boon to humankind that stuff is. It travels well in a suitcase, too.
I knit and I know how to prep a fleece and spin it into wool. I do this because it pleases me to do it. If I had to do it in order to clothe myself, I would move to someplace warm and lush with foliage and clothe myself in leaves. 😀
April 30, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Hi Caryn,
Same here most of the day though the sun peeked out a few times in the afternoon.
I can’t even remember the last time I ironed. Two of my shirts have to be ironed even right from the dryer so I bring them to the cleaners for ironing. I have no problem spending the money!
I’d be right with you-choosing just the right leaves!
April 30, 2011 at 4:05 pm
I sat watching TV while my sisters ironed all the shirts and blouses. My Mother taught them how, so it became a weekly chore. Mom was off reading books.
April 30, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Z&Me,
My mother did the ironing as well. We really didn’t have any chores as kids. She did teach me to iron blouses before I left for college.
April 30, 2011 at 8:55 pm
My mother, god bless her, taught me to iron before I went into the Army. I seldom do it anymore though it’s still my job to iron my own clothes – Sandy’s got more than enough of her own to do. PermaPress has stopped a lot of my ironing chores,,,,, retirement’s taken care of the rest. I’ve always loved to turn my sleeves inside out and iron a reverse crease into them. Classy, Unique, and Easy.
May 1, 2011 at 10:35 am
John,
I figure our mothers wanted us to be prepared for the big world and ironing was among the skills we’d need to survive.
I never thought about a reverse crease. Now you have me curious.