A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013


I was reading Ernestine's post this morning about ironing.http://myjourneytomindfulness.blogspot.com/ It brought back a memory of mine from the 1950's. It was Saturday, and I was sitting in the dentist's chair... having my teeth checked. Dr Blackman, came into the room and started to talk to me about what I liked to do on my free time. I had those cotton rolls in my mouth, so I was having trouble answering. He sat down and began to clean my teeth. "Do you like to iron?" he said nonchalantly . I nodded my head, yes. He said that he knew that we lived in the same neighborhood and told me about his new babies....twin girls. He went on to tell me that his wife was trying to get adjusted to having the two girls and keeping up her housework. They needed help. He asked if I would like to come over every other day, after school, and do their ironing? It would be such a help to them and he would pay me 35 cents an hour.I told him that I would do it, if I could have time off when school activities interfered.I took the job...my first paying job.  I remember the first time I ironed for them...a full basket that I got done in an hour. Everything from his underwear to sheets and dish towels...lots of baby clothes...my favorite things to iron. What I didn't realize was that along with the ironing they were grooming me for a babysitting job. I stayed beyond my hour many days to play with the babies. They grew used to me being there and would giggle and coo when I came around. I started helping out with their care...it was so much fun to help with these babies. I had a baby brother at  home...so I was used to doing things with new babies.People heard about my "job" and started asking me to babysit for them.  I was starting to have quite a lot of baby sitting jobs in the neighborhood. I could have baby sitting  jobs everyday, if I wanted. One day his wife said that she wanted to go to the store...would I watch the girls? I jumped at the chance. This turned out well, so I was starting to take care of them more and more. This ironing job went on for about a year and then she could take over. I was taking care of the girls almost every week. The only bad thing about the job was that he was a dentist and didn't have any candy or junk food for me. Only fruit in the refrigerator. Later on, I got busy in high school and stopped baby sitting for people. The Doctor's wife died a couple of years ago and I signed the guest book in the paper. One of the twins emailed me...and we wrote of old times. She remembered me. Now, years and years later...I think back to those days and find that I wasn't truthful when he said..."Do you like to iron?" I really didn't like it all that well. When my mom heard what I was going to do, she said, "It's like pulling teeth to get you to iron here at home...do you know what you have signed on to do?" Well, all I can say is the grass has always been greener on the other side. Through this ironing job...I learned to love ironing and became  quite proficient at it. Today we don't iron as much as years ago, but when I began quilting it all came back. There is a lot of ironing in quilting and I have to say that I loved that part of it. My question...do you still iron?
Balisha

11 comments:

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Balisha, thank you - yesterday and I am tired of looking at the Christmas cloths and it is soon to be Spring. Enjoyed my time at
the ironing board. Always brings back many memories. Starched shirts for son and husband and frilly dresses for my girls and all the household items - I loved it...and can smell the starch cooking :)

Blondie's Journal said...

This is such a sweet, sweet story! You really have that ability to create a scene with your writing.

My mom used to take in ironing, with 7 children the extra income was great. I can still smell the scent of starch and watching how meticulous she was.

The most ironing I do now is napkins and place mats when they come out of the dryer. Hubby takes his shirts to the cleaners. Once in awhile I iron a dress shirt for one of my boys and they think I am SO very talented! ;-D

XO,
Jane

Diana LaMarre said...

I like to iron only when I am making quilt blocks.......not so much if it's clothing.

Diana LaMarre said...

forgot to add that I have one of those irons you pictured. I use it as a door stop. :) I cannot imagine actually ironing with it!!

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

What a great story. Love how you transitioned to baby sitting. I iron occasionally. So few clothes need ironed these days.

Judy said...

I love to iron!

Babajeza said...

I don't iron but hang the clothes onto the line carefully. I iron summer dresses. And of course use the iron when I sew. Great story. I didn't like baby sitting but doing housework or mending when I was a teenager. :-)

Margie's Musings said...

Not if I can keep from it. I ironed for several friends when Scott was a baby. At that time it was $1.25 a dozen. I used the money to but clothes for Leslie who was so tiny it was hard to find anything at Penney's or Sears that she could wear.

debra @ homespun said...

Iron clothes for work every day :)

And when piecing for a quilt project, yes...

HA ! I even STARCHED something this morning before going to work...a set of basted hexagons :)

Sharon said...

I learned to iron as a little girl, started with pillow cases. I remember my mom 'sprinkling' water on my dad's shirts, rolling them up and keeping them in the refrigerator as she ironed one at a time. I still iron many of our clothes - makes collars, cuffs, and hems look neater - curtains, napkins, quilting projects, etc. I like to iron. I find it relaxing.

Anonymous said...

Love your picture of the antique iron. I just purchased one not too long ago to use as a door stop! I remember ironing with one similar with my Grandma.

I do not iron much, except for sewing. Clothes come out pretty nice from the dryer, except for a few cotton things.

I do like the look of my husbands freshly starched pressed shirts though!