Trials and tribulations of Georgepa and t... - PSP Association

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Trials and tribulations of Georgepa and the ironing board

Georgepa profile image
30 Replies

As you are probably aware by now we are snowed in , in Devon and I am also snowed under with a pile of ironing waiting to be done and today seems like a good opportunity to tackle it .Now don't get me wrong ,I can iron , my mother taught me the basics before I went to college . I am the man who perfected the technique of ironing three shirts at the same time . Careful positioning allowed collars and down to the second button on the shirt front to be done in one go (this was for winter months when a jersey covered the rest , as my mother used to say " what the eye doesn't see the heart won't grieve ". I think she applied that principal to her private life but that's another story and not one to be told here ). Anyway back to the ironing , before my wife became ill , we used to share the ironing , I did mine she did hers . When she became ill she would visibly blanche when I had to take on hers , fortunately that didn't last long as one of Veronica's carers was an ironing ace - I christened her the Queen of the ironing board - she ironed everything including socks (who irons socks for heavens sake ) . Once done it was all folded and looked as though it had just been taken out of the cellophane wrapper the item originally came in .But now that has come to an end and I am back doing it myself . One thing Veronica and I shared in common was a dislike of of ironing fitted sheets , we used to hide them in each others pile hoping against hope the other person would do them . I think there is only one thing worse than fitted sheets and that is a vallance . If you manage to iron it in the first place which is nigh on impossible then folding it afterwards is definitely impossible . You need a room the size of a football pitch and every time you move one bit another bit changes position . We did have them on the spare room beds but I have now confined them to the darkest recesses of the linen cupboard never to see day light again . But back to the fitted sheets , I hate them with a vengeance even more than my boxer shorts which I also struggle with . Do you remember those lampshade popular in the 1950's which looked rather like concertina bellows ? Well that's how my boxers look after ironing , I have knife edge creases where no self-respecting gentleman should have creases . Where was I , yes fitted sheets . Duvet covers and ordinary sheets ,a doddle , just fold them into squares and lean very heavily on the iron - fitted sheets are in a class of their own .However I try to iron them I can never get them right , folding them at the end totally defeats me . I have even been reduced to ironing on the bed but that doesn't work either.I suspect the only answer is to let them join the vallances and buy new single sheets but not today . Today I will wrestle with them , I will indulge in a certain amount of anglo saxon language and prey that the snow melts so that I can go out and ignore the rest of the ironing although come to think of it I will need those boxer shorts .

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Georgepa
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30 Replies
NanBabs profile image
NanBabs

Thank you Georgepa, your trials and tribulations have made me smile ! A welcome respite.

xx

Satt2015 profile image
Satt2015

You do make me laugh Georgepa!!

Hope the snow clears up soon

Do what I do fold everything neatly when hanging up to dry, the iron need never come out again, lol x

doglington profile image
doglington

I know you live in Devon, George , but ironing boxer shorts ! For heaven's sake - just fold. I bet your mother didn't iron boxer shorts. Unless she thought they might be seen !

You can look on You Tube and watch a video showing how to iron fitted sheets ! [ I know - don't ask ]

Love, Jean xx

Georgepa profile image
Georgepa in reply to doglington

Boxer shorts weren’t invented in those days. Trouble is I dry mine over the cooker (Aga type thing) and they go all crinkly- definitely need ironing

raincitygirl profile image
raincitygirl in reply to doglington

I would only look that up if I needed to beat myself up even more! Like, maybe for Lent? 😉

doglington profile image
doglington in reply to raincitygirl

I know. Sad, isnt it ?

Heady profile image
Heady

WHY would you iron fitted sheets? Once they have stretched out on the mattress all creases disappear. Anyway, once you get into bed you immediately put them back!!!

Lots of love

Anne

Marie_14 profile image
Marie_14 in reply to Heady

Anne I am with you on this!! Someone else suggested using a tumble dryer...no creases! Means no ironing!! Will now have visions of George going to the shops in his perfectly ironed boxers!! 😂

Marie x

raincitygirl profile image
raincitygirl in reply to Heady

Oh, I'm having fun with this one!.. Do you know I ironed a fitted sheet once when it was ON the bed? LOL...

Georgepa profile image
Georgepa

Yes but they are not nice and crisp - ironing does something and there is nothing nicer than getting into bed with freshly ironed sheets .

Baileyboo profile image
Baileyboo in reply to Georgepa

Oh Georgepa

You are a lost cause. I despise ironing and have tried all ways to avoid it.

I ironed every single item apart from underwear and socks. I drove Les to despair as he didn't see the point in ironing bedding as it just gets crumpled when you get into bed anyway.

Since losing Les I hardly iron anything any more. I hang items on clothes hangers and pray for sunshine and wind. It really cuts down the ironing pile. Not so easy in winter but today has been a good drying day. I could have snapped my fingers off when I did it but the wind worked it's magic for towels.

The sad thing in all of this is I didn't do it when Les was here.

I miss that man more than words can say and he is probably looking down saying "why did she never listen". The truth is I don't wear many of my clothes that might need ironing anymore as Les isn't here to spend valuable time with and I appear to have put my life on hold for now. Stupid, I know. The freezing weather doesn't encourage me to go out.

Ironing boxer shorts does seem extreme but you have to soften them some how when drying indoors. Roll on the spring and summer.

Love and hugs

Pat

raincitygirl profile image
raincitygirl in reply to Baileyboo

Pat, I hope Les is looking down on you and smiling...:-)

Baileyboo profile image
Baileyboo in reply to raincitygirl

Hi raincitygirl

I hope he is too. I miss him more than words can say. I am selfish in that I want him back so much but without PSP.

His suffering is over and mine has begun. Life is cruel and nobody knows what PSP is until the diagnosis and then the fight begins. No one deserves such a cruel illness.

Love

Pat

raincitygirl profile image
raincitygirl in reply to Baileyboo

Amen to that Pat.

Hugs

Nanny857 profile image
Nanny857 in reply to Georgepa

I'm with you on this one Georgepa. Love getting into bed with freshly ironed bedclothes. Lovely sunny morning here today with a slight breeze so got sheets and pillow cases out on the line. All ironed before lunch time. Now duvet cover waiting to be ironed but it can wait until tomorrow. Hope the snow clears soon for you. Nanny857xx

Marie_14 profile image
Marie_14 in reply to Georgepa

So why when I was a newly wed did I iron everything in sight? Including G's socks!! Everyone told me I was mad so I stopped! Ditto with the towels! I do agree sheets are nice when ironed but can't say I have noticed the difference when they are tumble dried!! 😁. Had to tell you above as I have been thinking of ironing all day! Thanks friend! 😂

Marie x

Brenive profile image
Brenive

Lay the fitted sheet on a big table , fold in the corners and then flatten out the edges and fold in , then fold the sides to the middle, finish by folding the top to the bottom and press it , easy... best thing treat your self to a steam press I've had one since 1991.best thing I ever bought, would rush out and get another straight away if any thing happed to it ,,,, and you would have no problem press you boxer's lay them on the board and pull the ironing plate down ( do 4 or 5 pairs at a time ). Job done......Brenda xxx ..ps , I only do my Ironing once every 3 weeks. The press make light work of this horrible job..

Yvonneandgeorge profile image
Yvonneandgeorge

George you made me laugh, I just fold mine sometimes run the iron over the top, agree with you Anne they don’t really need ironing. George get yourself a tumble dryer when you take things out, most things don’t need ironing. Our get a cleaner and get her to do it xxxxx love your posts George. Xxxx

Georgepa profile image
Georgepa in reply to Yvonneandgeorge

Got a tumble dryer just not the same

Oh my George you are a rare gem,Ironing in itself is a rarity.if it needs Ironing I don't buy.Hang the sheets with weights in the pockets.

Thanks for the morning smile.

Dee

Jingles243 profile image
Jingles243 in reply to

Sheets with pockets, where. Do you buy those please ? ! ! ! Jingles x

Kevin_1 profile image
Kevin_1

Hi George

At last someone has come out over ironing!

I am so like you on this!

I try to persuade myself that the creases will drop out with body heat.

I have even misted shirts with water before putting them on and so went ut into the world both damp and creased.

Made me chuckle and Liz would cringe if I did her ironing. I could never work out why ;)

Thanks for the lovely post.

Lovely read.

Brought a smile.

Wishing you warm sun and a good planting.

Kevin

:)

raincitygirl profile image
raincitygirl

You mean y'all don't just roll fitted sheets into a ball and stuff them into the cupboard?? ..and I still complain about too much housework! 😜

Tippyleaf profile image
Tippyleaf

George I love your posts😊 thank you for bringing a smile to my day.

I hate ironing and remember as a poor student doing agency baby sitting they paid you extra if you would iron too. One session was enough to tell me the financial compensation was not worth the pain!!

Hope your snow is soon away and the spring back to Devon

Love Tippy

Jingles243 profile image
Jingles243

Morning Georgepa thanks for making everyone laugh and offer hints over your ironing problems - I now buy 'fitted valances' with a slightly gathered frill, dry them over the airer (no garden facilities where we now live) and then just iron the side of the valance frill that shows as you enter the room. Know what you mean about freshly crisp sheets but somethings have to 'go' in life, hand everything carefully and hardly anything needs ironing ! ! ! Keep up making us smile please. Jingles x

Great!

For a lot of time I did not laugh so much with a written message.

Thanks a lot.

Hug.

Luis

cameoboy11 profile image
cameoboy11

Brillant Once again !! Made me smile again thanks Jo x

Pantopete profile image
Pantopete

So funny Georgepa. Keep us all smiling. Peter.

Katiebow profile image
Katiebow

Dear George thanks for the image of you slaving away at the ironing board. I gave up on ironing a couple of years ago, used to iron everything and always hated the process. I feel liberated that I have let it go and the iron rarely sees the light of day now. I used to think I could never put a sheet or duvet cover on without being ironed and now I don't give a fig.

Love Kate xxx

Georgepa profile image
Georgepa

Not good enough Kate , think of it as being therapeutic . Take your anger and frustration out on some items and lovingly caress with the iron others . Yes ,what a load of rubbish the answer is to find some else to do it for you😊loveGeorgepa xx

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