Dirt Roads and........irons

 

I made the pictures below back in February. See what good little helpers I have around the house? ha ha LOL

I LOVE TO IRON. I know.....weird. So many hate that "chore" but I love it.

So I couldn't resist the cute little ironing board set for Tracie and Amybelle!

My love of ironing goes back to hot hot summer days with my Ma-Maw. I learned to iron by practicing on pillowcases and my Pa-Paw's big white handkerchiefs. The smell of starch filled the porch and ice cold glass bottles of Dr. Pepper were kept near-by, as well as a big glass pitcher of sweet tea. There was no air conditioning and summertime was hot. Fans set in open windows whirred warm air around, giving relief when you were inside.

The radio kept us company, playing Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash,  Dolly Parton,  Barbara Mandrell, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells, and the happy gospel music of the Carter Family, Maybelle Carter and June Carter Cash.

We would take a break in the old porch swing, heavily and thickly padded with soft old handmade quilts.  We would fan with "church fans" and talk about what was for supper--maybe it was crispy pork chops and Ma-Maw's "tater" cakes, made from last night's left-over mashed "taters", oh...those were SO GOOD.  There would be cornbread slathered in sweet butter and a big bowl of black eye peas too.

Or maybe we would talk about the goings-on at the local Fair and who might win a blue ribbon for Apple jelly or be Fair Queen this year.... or something funny Johnny Carson said on last night's show to make us laugh.

Ma-Maw's big heavy clunky old iron wasn't anything like the shiny sleek models of today's irons. But she was quick and efficient with it, turning out freshly pressed shirts and pants with sharp sharp creases down the front.  Back then they even ironed "blue jeans".

Ruffly summer blouses, summer shorts, cotton pedal-pushers and seersucker culottes went from wrinkled messes to smooth and fresh. She even ironed her sheets, nightgowns, and pillowcases.

Now, I draw the line at ironing pillowcases and sheets, LOL. But I have always tried to keep Mr. Front Porch's work shirts crisply pressed. My favorite thing to iron is his short sleeve cotton summer shirts. 

The ironing board has a pretty floral cover.

The little hangers are so cute. And check out that adorable iron!

I had fun making these pictures, and yes, I did get alot of ironing done that day! ha ha LOL

So....do you iron anything anymore? Or do you avoid it? LOL

Father's Day

Father's Day dawned bright and sunny and HOT! 

Here's the picture for June on my John Sloane country calendar:

John Sloane

Off to church, Father's Day

(above, our first sunflower bloom of the summer!)

We visited Beaufort after church

Beaufort is the second oldest city in our State

the seaport city was formally founded in 1711, by the British, but was discovered in 1514

The little city was hopping! Lots of folks out enjoying Father's Day, the sunshine, and the salty air.

Beaufort was a summer retreat for the enormously  wealthy plantation owners, made rich from the Carolina Gold rice, indigo, and the Sea Island cotton, and one of the only towns that the Union soldiers didn't burn down in the Civil War.

Other seaport cities such as Charleston and Georgetown also became wealthy from the plantations and were busy with commerce.

Alot of the big old pretty houses from the plantation era are now inns, Bed and Breakfasts, and restaurants. 

Restaurants were busy and lots to see and do

Enjoying the Waterfront Park and marina

Lots of people out on the water:

There's a nice big playground for kids too

Tracie and Amybelle liked seeing the big bridge, and wanted to go find the swings!

....and we found them.

The Riverside swings are so nice! The perfect place to catch a nice breeze on a hot day

Lots of pretty flowers to see!

So many neat little shops to look at! Let's go window shopping.......

Lots of neat kitchen stuff, and I love that crab platter!

Pretty glass  mermaid

A pretty summer sundress in blue........and a pretty dog.....

ooooops.......make that TWO DOGS! LOL

Waterfront swings, lots of benches, lanes and nooks and crannies to see, and to sit and relax or have a meal or an ice cream

Interesting staircase!!

It was a lovely day in Beaufort. We did alot of walking along the sea wall.... but we spent most of the afternoon relaxing in the swings! Supper was lasagna and I made Mr. Front Porch a cake too.