Wednesday, March 21, 2012

~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.


4 comments:

  1. You and your hankies! :-)

    I LOVE that photo of you! If that isn't a spitting image of your grandkids I don't know what is. Wow!

    You're going to have to bring photo albums some time so I can see them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahhh, thank you.
      I look at that little girl in the photo....and I smile.
      I remember her, she was funny and silly and......oh wait that's me NOW. But boy time flies.

      Delete
  2. This is one of my favorites! It makes me think of my own grandmother as well. What an adorable little girl in the black and white photo!
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my goodness, I just love embroidered handkerchiefs! I have a few of them, and I just love to look at them! hehe! :)

    ReplyDelete

I truly appreciate each and every comment. If you have any questions, I will answer them here, so make sure to check back.