Loads of Fun

We're back in the laundry room again today. There's an antique store/coffee shop in Hancock that's going out of business at the end of this month. They're normally closed all winter, but they won't be opening up again. That makes us sad, as the owners are great fun to talk to and they make the best homemade scones we've ever had - sweet, moist and soft like a cookie. We're going to miss them - the owners and the scones.

Their business is in a beautiful old Victorian house. They had planned to sell the house and antique inventory to someone who wanted to continue the business, but the deal fell through; so they decided to liquidate their inventory and sell the house as a home. When we stopped there last month, the furniture was marked 65% off and everything else was 75% off. OK, it was time to pick up an antique iron for the laundry room. 75% off, c'mon!

This is an antique "sad iron" with a detachable handle. Why is it sad? "Sad" is an Old English word for "solid," and this little gal certainly is solid. . . and heavy.

The idea was to heat the iron on the stove, and the heat combined with the heavy weight of the iron would press out the wrinkles in your fabric. Did you know that a woman patented the first sad iron with a point on each end? Up until that time, they only had a point on one end. And she also came up with the idea of a detachable handle. 

They were sold in sets with 3 irons and 1 handle, so 2 irons could be heating on the stove while you were ironing with the 3rd. No more twiddling your fingers while the iron was reheating. Brilliant, huh?

Well, my sad iron needed some company. She would have been sad to sit on the shelf all by herself. I opened up Microsoft Publisher and designed a sign - modifying some ideas I found on the Internet - printed it on burlap - and slapped it in a frame.

The sad iron and the sign were still sad, so I pulled Grandma's antique sock darner out of the china cabinet.

3 things - better than 2. Odd - better than even.

Stay tuned for more fun in the laundry room.

All is well in the Keweenaw.