Meditation: Not Om . . . but Hiss . . .

I love ironing.  I know, there aren't too many of us out there . . . (maybe there's a blog . . . ).  I use a Rowenta iron, which I've owned for close to 15 years.  I remember how guilty I felt when I bought it all those years ago . . . I think I paid over $100 for it, although now you can find it for considerably less.  It seemed like an outrageous amount of money to pay for an iron, even though I was ironing a lot of shirts every week while the boys were attending Catholic school . . . but I seem to have gotten my money's worth . . .

For me, ironing is a way to relax while still being productive . . . I love the smell of water vapor being released . . . And then, there's the hiss of the iron (set to maximum steam if possible) when it touches the damp fabric . . .  It's a multi-sensory experience!  Some people burn candles or incense when they meditate . . . I use my steam iron . . .

Our Laundry Room is small and does not allow enough space to be able to leave the ironing board unfolded and ready to go.  And, between the lack of convenience and my busy life, I end up taking a lot of stuff to the dry cleaners that I once ironed myself.  But I'm very particular about my tablecloths and napkins, and I haven't found a cleaners nearby that will press them to my satisfaction.  I mean, is it too much to ask that all napkin corners match when folded in half . . . ?

Or that they give me a crease down the middle of the tablecloth and that they fold the tablecloth in half the long way . . . ?  These dry cleaners insist on folding the tablecloth in half the short way, even when I specifically instruct them to crease it the other way . . . I've given up and just press them myself . . .

This is one of the tablecloths that we used on Christmas Eve . . . now nicely pressed and waiting for the next dinner party . . .

A beautiful tablescape begins here . . .

Zen and the Art of Handkerchief Maintenance

I've passed the baton! Er . . . that is, I've passed the iron! My son John just learned how to iron his own handkerchiefs. It might seem like an easy task to iron a square piece of cloth, but ironing is an art, and it's better to start with something simple.

Of all household chores, I like ironing best, although I don't get to do much of it anymore. I began ironing my father's handkerchiefs and the wide inverted pleats of my uniform skirts when I was ten years old.  In Cuba, most of our clothing was made of cotton or linen, fabrics that are cool and comfortable in the tropical climate, but that look horrible if not pressed.

There's nothing like a freshly pressed garment.  Permanent Press, although handy in some instances, just does not leave clothing looking as crisp.  As a teenager, I took over the ironing for my family - especially my father's handkerchiefs.  My father was steadfast in his use of handkerchiefs.  The concept of a paper tissue left him bewildered.  Slowly, however, the number of garments that I was ironing dwindled as polyester took over our lives - and I began working!

Ironing returned to my life when my kids began attending Catholic school.  Their white Oxford button-down shirts needed to be pressed continually.  Those shirts used to take such a beating! White shirts and little boys are not a good combination.  Each of the boys went through a lot of shirts every week - sometimes two a day, one in the morning, and a clean one when they returned to school after lunch. 

I pressed a lot of shirts during those years.  And then I figured since the ironing board was out, I may as well press their jeans, and their polo shirts, and my husbands . . . and on and on . . .

The truth is that I love ironing, especially after I discovered the Rowenta steam iron. Even now, I can feel myself going into a trance the moment I hear the steam hiss.  Ironing is a great way to meditate, and when you are finished, you not only feel your equilibrium restored, you also end up with some nicely pressed clothes.

John did a nice job ironing his handkerchiefs, but the lesson needs to be repeated. You can't learn how to meditate properly with just one try, and you can't perfect a crease without some practice.