Tis the time to be frugal! Our economy is riding through tough times. Recently my daughter found this ironing board that belonged to a rural woman long since passed away. It is a tribute to this original owner's frugality. It has a language of its own -- to be read by the observer.
The language is symbolized by an ironing board worn over many years use. She had fourteen children. The marks of her hot iron, one you would heat up on the stove, no electric cords, are seen on the end of the top of the ironing board -- right where you would set a hot iron when you were ironing clothes. But her true frugality is symbolized by the 1919 KY license plate that she had affixed over the end of the board -- that had become thin and black from constant wear and iron heat -- thus making it usable for many more years.Waste not -- want not. An old adage portrayed by this early 1900s ironing board -- a hint from our past of how we can slide through this economic storm.
Barbara, What a wonderful tribute to our heritage, to the time-honored notion of "waste not, want not" and to offer proof that "things" have a language of their own if we just look.
ReplyDeleteI like FOLKWAYS NOTEBOOK.
Terry Thornton
Fulton, Mississippi
HILL COUNTRY OF MONROE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI
Awesome find! Loved your analogy to a woman's long ago frugality and what is needed today to weather this economic storm. The stories that this board could tell!
ReplyDeleteTerry, Yes to your comment that "things" have a message. I certainly appreciated your nice comments on my ironing board post. I read many of your cemetery posts and have always been interested in cemeteries as I feel they have such stories to tell. Barbara
ReplyDeleteDarcy, We can learn so much from our past. Thanks for your interesting comment. Barbara
ReplyDeleteI love it, what a cool item to hang onto. I have a love affair for old irioning boards. Mary
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