Yesterday a young lady I attended high school with mentioned how difficult it was to find a wisk broom. I had to chuckle at the story she told. She related how the cashier, a young man, remarked he had never seen one without a pole. She had a picture of a wisk broom, made from corn, and he obviously was thinking about a broom. Kids today. I jokingly asked if anyone knew where I could get the top for a sprinkle bottle. That sparked a little more discussion. I did find out they are available on E-Bay. You can get anything on E-Bay. I was surprised to learn that there are those that collect them. I shouldn't have been people collect everything.
Remembering that sprinkle bottle brought other memories to mind. I recall my mother ironing the clothes. After the washing was done and the clothes brought in from the clothesline that process began. The ironing board was taken out of the closet and set up. Mom did her ironing in our dining room. The iron had to be plugged in so the board was positioned just right. Clothes hangers were gathered from all the closets. The basket full of items to be pressed sat on the floor. With my Mom that was just about everything. It was an all day affair.
I can hear the creak of the ironing board as Mom pressed down on that iron. I can smell the warmth. If I close my eyes and concentrate the whole scene can be relived. For some reason it always seems like summer. Maybe that is because that is when I was home, the rest of the year I was in school. I remember the sound of that sprinkle bottle too. Following that sound would be the smell of steam. Sometimes Mom wet a cloth to put over whatever it was that she was pressing.
I wonder how many home today even have an ironing board. I have an iron but no board. We just use the kitchen table when necessary. Mom had a drying rack too, for socks and unmentionables.That could be found in the bath or above the floor furnace. It was one of those wooden things that folded up. You could get your fingers pinched in that thing pretty easily ! It was a also a little wobbly.
I also remember Mom using Niagara spray starch. It came in a tall can and sat on the end of the board. Mom said that stuff sure was convenient. A modern marvel even. Before that starching had to be done following the washing in a separate tub. It would sometimes leave a white residue on the clothes though and gum up the iron. Mom would get mad when that happened. Then she had to clean the iron. A little brillo usually did the trick and rubbing it with waxed paper. It worked best when the iron was hot but it was not without its' hazards.
All of that was many years ago. Thinking about it it is somehow comforting. It was a piece of home. I remember that with a fondness, of course I wasn't doing the ironing so Mom may have a different viewpoint ! I just remember having those fresh pressed clothes in my closet. Pants with sharp creases and shirt collars and cuffs starched. Mom took pride in her ironing abilities. Ah but that was another time, in another place. A simple thing for a simpler time. A simple thing my grandchildren will know nothing about. There is something special about putting on a shirt hot off the ironing board.. Now that is a memory.
Remembering that sprinkle bottle brought other memories to mind. I recall my mother ironing the clothes. After the washing was done and the clothes brought in from the clothesline that process began. The ironing board was taken out of the closet and set up. Mom did her ironing in our dining room. The iron had to be plugged in so the board was positioned just right. Clothes hangers were gathered from all the closets. The basket full of items to be pressed sat on the floor. With my Mom that was just about everything. It was an all day affair.
I can hear the creak of the ironing board as Mom pressed down on that iron. I can smell the warmth. If I close my eyes and concentrate the whole scene can be relived. For some reason it always seems like summer. Maybe that is because that is when I was home, the rest of the year I was in school. I remember the sound of that sprinkle bottle too. Following that sound would be the smell of steam. Sometimes Mom wet a cloth to put over whatever it was that she was pressing.
I wonder how many home today even have an ironing board. I have an iron but no board. We just use the kitchen table when necessary. Mom had a drying rack too, for socks and unmentionables.That could be found in the bath or above the floor furnace. It was one of those wooden things that folded up. You could get your fingers pinched in that thing pretty easily ! It was a also a little wobbly.
I also remember Mom using Niagara spray starch. It came in a tall can and sat on the end of the board. Mom said that stuff sure was convenient. A modern marvel even. Before that starching had to be done following the washing in a separate tub. It would sometimes leave a white residue on the clothes though and gum up the iron. Mom would get mad when that happened. Then she had to clean the iron. A little brillo usually did the trick and rubbing it with waxed paper. It worked best when the iron was hot but it was not without its' hazards.
All of that was many years ago. Thinking about it it is somehow comforting. It was a piece of home. I remember that with a fondness, of course I wasn't doing the ironing so Mom may have a different viewpoint ! I just remember having those fresh pressed clothes in my closet. Pants with sharp creases and shirt collars and cuffs starched. Mom took pride in her ironing abilities. Ah but that was another time, in another place. A simple thing for a simpler time. A simple thing my grandchildren will know nothing about. There is something special about putting on a shirt hot off the ironing board.. Now that is a memory.
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