I washed the curtains yesterday, and hung them on the line to dry. This morning I ironed them. I hoped to get it done before Mom got up, thinking Mom and a hot iron wouldn't mix well. No such luck, Mom got up when I was about half-way through. She watched me for a little bit, then extended her hand and impatiently said, "Come on!" I realized that she wanted the iron. Keeping the iron down on the surface, I guided her hand to it, then put my hand over hers. We ironed a section of curtain that way. And I had a flashback.
Mom's kitchen, the ironing board set up in the middle of it. Mom's sprinkler bottle with the little blue plastic flower head sitting next to the iron. The fresh, cannot-be-duplicated-no-matter-how-the-dryer-sheet-manufacturers-try smell of laundry just off the line. Me on a stool, Mom standing behind me.
This time, it was her hand over mine, guiding the iron.
10 comments:
Oh, Annie! So sweet.
Nice memory.
Awe... Hug your mom for me, will you?
What a sweet memory....Have a great weekend...
Reading this, I had an ironing flashback, too! When I was in middle school, before my mom went back to work, I would frequently come home from school to find mom ironing and watching General Hospital. Same smell, same sprinkler bottle with the flower head - only hers was yellow.
Beautiful memory.
But I hate ironing and don't do it.
My mom used to sprinkle the wash and put them in the garage refrigerator so that they were ready to iron at any moment. I also remember using a big old ironing machine, I think it was called a WARD, that we ran thru the sheets and pillow cases. I remember sitting 2 or 3 of us sitting at it at a time and probably using the piano bench. Tender moments. Great blog.
Jeez...that makes my eyes well up.
collenmc - we had an Ironrite from the Ironrite Ironer Company. In fact I kept it when we tore down the old house and have it in storage.
Thing scared me to death when I was a little kid.
This is an exquisite moment - but also lovely writing. Thanks.
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