Ironing......

Until I was 13, I had never ironed nor particularly watched the chore being performed. Most of that time, we lived in WestPac on Navy bases and had maids. Three days before we were to board our MSTS (read Military Sea Transport Service) ship for 21 days from Manila to San Fransisco...my Mom tried to ride my bike to the O'Club for a party. She fell and broke her ankle and was put in a walking cast. There was good news and bad news with that. The good news was that we got one of the staterooms with a bathtub and we got to take tea with the Captain one day. The bad news was that Mom couldn't stand up for long so I was assigned washing and ironing duties. The laundry for dependents was four decks down, the ironing board was too high and the iron was wicked heavy, and the room was oh so hot. After my first session down there, I went to the fantail and threw my crinolines overboard. I think another lady helped me figure out the washing machine and dryer. It was awful, awful....