Hah – did you think I was going to write about relationship issues that needed ironing out? NOPE! Though some may have things to iron out, life here is pretty darn good these days!
Does anyone iron anymore besides me? Well, that actually was a topic of conversation amongst some of the moms and myself before one of Emma’s basketball games this summer. Apparently, some do and some (quite adamantly, both of my children amongst them) do not. I am amongst those that do. Since I don’t use the dryer (preferring to hang our laundry on a clothesline and a clothes rack) I find there are some things that look better without wrinkles, and I also just find ironing rather relaxing.
As I often do while ironing, today I thought back to when my mother first taught me HOW to iron. We started off with pillow cases and my fathers handkerchiefs. Dave says his mother also ironed sheets and his fathers boxer shorts! (Although recently I have come to understand some people feeling the need to iron sheets – the edges just don’t seem to lay right, no matter how I try to smooth them out while hanging on the line! And from what I recall, the dryer is no better.) But I hold myself back from that craziness. LOL
Today I ironed several cotton blouses and lots of handkerchiefs. Using tissues to blow my nose started making me cough a few years ago – must be something with the fibers that started bothering me? But whatever, hankies are in use daily these days. And while they don’t NEED to be ironed, why not? Doing so brings back happy childhood memories and again, I find ironing relaxing.
I also bought some iron-on patches while we were shopping today. I have a pair of (oh so very old and worn so much they are so very soft and comfortable) jeans that I don’t want to throw away! They are in danger of literally falling apart at the seams, so I ironed on a few more patches to make them last a bit longer. They don’t make jeans like they used to!!
But all this got me thinking that while ironing seems to relax the fibers and remove the wrinkles from the cloth beneath the iron, it also relaxes me enough to remove the wrinkles in my thoughts… iron out my thoughts, and keeps me calm.
Hope you find your calm today.
Sending peace and love,
Kathi
Our Life in Reflection 
I can’t say ironing relaxes me, but I can say I do it from time to time, especially since retiring where I don’t want to take the time to take and retrieve shirts at the dry cleaner. Your descriptions of learning to iron match my own. Your grandmother had a “mangle” a machine with a curved metal hot pad and a padded round roller. It made doing sheets a lot easier. And of course, I mostly remember the backyard clothes line. I am a dryer user these days myself.
Thanks for bringing up the old memories. Made me smile!
Love,
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