With an Iron Fist
My Grandma is quite a character. She's a little, 4-foot 10-inch, white-haired lady who doesn't take nothin' from nobody. She only dishes it out. We don't always see eye to eye as I don't easily "take it" from anyone either.
Once, when I was a teenager, I called after missing a Friday. She pretended not to recognize my voice and then asked, "What's the matter? You don't have five minutes for your Grandma?"
"Nope," I said. "I guess not." That did not go over too well. But I don't respond well to negative criticism.
When I was first married, I tried to iron Air's Shabbos shirts; it took 20 minutes per shirt, and it wasn't done very well. I quickly gave up any hopes of ironing. Fast forward a few years later, and it seemed to me that all of my maternity clothes were denim. I broke out the old iron and ironing board and spent an entire afternoon in the living room watching an old Frank Sinatra musical and ironing. I got a sudden rush of nostalgia for my Grandma and I called her in Florida. "I'm ironing and watching AMC, just like you!"
"I'll bet you're not as good at it as I am." Thanks, G. The truth is, nobody is as good at ironing as my Grandma. Those creases are terrified of her. They straighten up just when she gets near them. She used to iron my grandpa's boxers, his PJ's and their linen among all the other clothes. Also, manicures, hairdressing and setting, and massages have nothing on ironing as far as "therapy" for my Grandma. Any time we hear she's been ironing, we know someone's in trouble. Ironing gives you time to think without distractions. I don't think she irons as much as she used to, but I know she misses it.
On Mother's Day I bought myself an Israeli iron and board. I needed to iron out some hem creases in N's dresses and in my own summer shirts. And it's ridiculous to keep sending clothes out to be pressed. I took me only five minutes an item to iron, but I'm finding myself walking around the house looking for more creased stuff. It really is relaxing. Who knew?
Once, when I was a teenager, I called after missing a Friday. She pretended not to recognize my voice and then asked, "What's the matter? You don't have five minutes for your Grandma?"
"Nope," I said. "I guess not." That did not go over too well. But I don't respond well to negative criticism.
When I was first married, I tried to iron Air's Shabbos shirts; it took 20 minutes per shirt, and it wasn't done very well. I quickly gave up any hopes of ironing. Fast forward a few years later, and it seemed to me that all of my maternity clothes were denim. I broke out the old iron and ironing board and spent an entire afternoon in the living room watching an old Frank Sinatra musical and ironing. I got a sudden rush of nostalgia for my Grandma and I called her in Florida. "I'm ironing and watching AMC, just like you!"
"I'll bet you're not as good at it as I am." Thanks, G. The truth is, nobody is as good at ironing as my Grandma. Those creases are terrified of her. They straighten up just when she gets near them. She used to iron my grandpa's boxers, his PJ's and their linen among all the other clothes. Also, manicures, hairdressing and setting, and massages have nothing on ironing as far as "therapy" for my Grandma. Any time we hear she's been ironing, we know someone's in trouble. Ironing gives you time to think without distractions. I don't think she irons as much as she used to, but I know she misses it.
On Mother's Day I bought myself an Israeli iron and board. I needed to iron out some hem creases in N's dresses and in my own summer shirts. And it's ridiculous to keep sending clothes out to be pressed. I took me only five minutes an item to iron, but I'm finding myself walking around the house looking for more creased stuff. It really is relaxing. Who knew?
posted by Veev at 11:03 AM
2 Comments:
You get it from me also. I do my best thinking when I'm ironing. I venture to say that I don't know if most of my friends even know how to use an iron. It's definitely "old fashioned", but like many old fashioned things, it's quite therapeutic.
I wish someone would have bought my wife an iron for Mothers Day
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