~Hankie Panky~

Yoo Hoo.................

 Throughout recent history we can find pictures and references to women and their hankies.

I have always had a fondness for hankies. I adored my Grandmother on my Mother's side, (the only Grandmother I ever knew), and so I adored everything about her. She loved hankies.......I loved hankies.

Hankies were my introduction to ironing. Back then, you ironed everything!

My Grandmother ironed: hankies, pillowcases, and my endless parade of dresses with all their little details.

My favorite dress

So I learned about hankies while learning to iron. I did have to stand on a little stool to have the proper height. But I thought it was all great fun. And of course you couldn't just iron them any old way.....oh no....there was a 'certain' way that things had to be done, mind you.

So I used the 'sprinkler bottle ( does any one remember these?)

just like Grandma showed me, and I took great pride in ironing all the hankies for her and my Grandfather.

It must have been then, that I fell in love with these little scraps of cloth. Monogrammed, or with bits of embroidery in the corners. Flowers and a touch of lace here or there.

I must have tucked this memory away in the back of my mind somewhere, to be brought out years later. Now, I am the Grandmother, who has all the pretty hankies. I am very sensitive to 'scents' and 'perfumes', so more often than not, I find my eyes watering a little while sitting in church, or some other confined space. My allergies usually cause my eyes to tear up.  But I always have a lovely hankie tucked into my purse for just such an occasion.

And the added benefit to that is,  I cannot help but be reminded of  MY HISTORY with hankies and the love of a wonderful woman in my life.