What the Shoemaker threw at his wife

My mother didn't have a clothes dryer in the 1950's. But she washed and ironed Monsignor Denny's alb every week. And dried it hanging on the line. Then she would sprinkle it with water and wrap it in plastic with the other cotton things to be ironed, and put them in the refrigerator overnight.. On Tuesday mornings she did her ironing. The alb was always the first thing to be ironed.She put newspapers down to keep it clean. It seemed to take her forever. She would iron for a long time and every time she was done with everything she would say to me, "Well, that's what the shoemaker threw at his wife" and she'd look at me and I'd say, "The last?" and she'd laugh and say,"No, the awl." Or I would say "The awl" and she'd laugh and say, "No the last piece." I still can't remember what the shoemaker threw at his wife.Then she would teach me to iron. White T-shirts and white pillowcases. Things needed ironed when they were hung out to dry. I loved to iron. For about 35 years I ironed Jack's work shirts and spray starched them. Always during the soap operas. Then when I went to work in 1998, I started to take them to the cleaners. I still iron T-shirts and jeans for him, because I love to iron. And I use an old wooden ironing board like Mom used to have. I loved watching her live her life. She had beautiful red hair and Monsignor Denny was her cousin. 5th or 6th, and I have proof. We always thought she was exaggerating about that because she just loved that priest. Enough to iron his white robes.

 March 16, 2016
     We three sisters are back together again. Here in Richmond, Virginia. Patty came from California with Lisa and Catharine back in 2002. She and Tom were divorced by then. Peggy just moved here alone from West Topsham, Vermont last December. Phil died in October of 2015 and she didn't want to live on the mountainside by herself. And the cabin had very bad memories for her of his dying. We all miss Phil. He loved with his whole heart. Each one of us.
     So, now we sisters are finding our way back to each other. It's easier than I thought it would be. It's like we know each other as well as anyone on earth and we don't have to work at liking because we love from our past. It's been over 45 years since we spent any time together. But it's so natural to have each other now. Sometimes I feel like that "baby" sister. Sometimes I act like her. I know they still think of me as her. I try to accept that as good luck. Who else gets to be "the baby" when she's old and grey. And we are old now. I wouldn't post our picture of today. But we are healthy, wealthy and wise. And lucky to be together again. I always think of Mom and Dad being so happy that we still love each other. That was their most important message to us.