Time never stands still.
It’s always on the move.
And with time. Times change.
As do the meaning of words.
Up until the end of the 1950’s, women with stars in their eyes dreamt of marrying their high school sweetheart. Having a memorable honeymoon. And then coming back to reality to start a new life as a ‘homemaker’.
It was a role in life that many women aspired to be.
These were the women who kept their families together. Teaching their children manners. Keeping sibling rivalry under control.
And just spending time with their children.
Watching them grow up. Watching them become responsible adults. Also watching them leave home. With sadness at losing them. But with pride. Knowing they did their best to make sure their children will make a positive contribution to society at large.
As wives. And mothers. They cleaned. And cooked. Did the laundry. Ironed the clothes. And if well organised, still had time to play bridge. Go shopping with friends. Or spend some quiet time reading a book.
As well as being a superb hostess to gatherings of friends. And family.
Their husbands went out to work to do the hard yakka to earn the money that put food on the table. Paid the rent. Afforded the family car.
Many of these men felt like they were on a treadmill. Holding down jobs they didn’t like. But knowing they had little choice if they were to eat.
Financially maintaining the family was their job.
Neither one completely loved what they did. But it was not only a romantic union. But an economic union. Which maintained the family unit. And each depended on the other to pull their weight in the relationship.
Fast forward to today.
If you mention the words ‘homemaker’. ‘Domestic chores’. ‘Housewife’. To most young women. You’d better stand back. Because they will spat out a response similar to . . . “Not me. I will never be that kind of woman”.
In 1996, my partner, Victor Pleshev, the architect who designed the Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover for his mother. To help her with her ironing when she was recovering from a stroke, and I were invited to exhibit at the Town Hall Bridal Fair in Sydney NSW.
The exhibition space was glamourous. Love songs were in constant rotation as background music. Gowns. Jewellery. Flowers. Travel destinations. Were all on display.
It reeked of romance. And enchantment.
And then there was us.
The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover.
What a shock this occasion was for all of us.
The prospective bride and groom.
And me. And Victor.
A mature couple. With no children. Who had no idea that times had changed.
And that young women were renouncing domesticity with the same vigour as those fleeing countries with the Ebola virus.
As soon as a couple came upon our exhibit, all decked out in our signature glamorous presentation, complete with vases of elaborate floral arrangements (by me!) the prospective bride would point to us, and tell her prospective husband that under no circumstances was she going to be doing the ironing. Or ANY housework!
Standing next to us on one occasion when we were chastised for being ‘work’ was one of the organisers. A beautifully groomed woman in her 40’s.
She shook her head. And said “All they’re interested in these days is dressing up. And eating cake!”
The battle lines were being drawn.
And from what we could see, there were no soldiers volunteering for the side marked ‘domestic bliss’.
There is an art to creating a home. And there is pride in being a ‘homemaker’.
I’m both a business woman. And a ‘homemaker’.
My busy business, The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover And Other Goodies, is full on. Every day.
But.
I also love creating a space where my partner and I feel safe from the pressures of the outside world.
Where we can disagree with each other without fear. And when the chips are down. Become united at the hip. And act as one when fending off foes.
While sharing – by no means equally – the burden of keeping a home in pristine condition.
I dust and polish. Scrub the kitchen. Pretty everything up. Am chief chef as I cook dinner most nights. Am laundress. Chief ironer of the cloth napkins. Pillow cases. Tea towels.
Victor’s a floor man. He vacuums. Mops.
Keeps the shower in pristine condition.
And most times, he irons his clothes. And mine. He’s just better at it.
He also fixes the pumps. Cleans the gutters. Brings in the firewood. Is busboy by clearing the table. And washing the dishes. Makes breakfast. Hunts down leaks in the roof. Makes dinner if I’m still working at 7pm. Washes the windows. And maintains the lawn in our hectare of garden.
We garden together. Cut wood together. Go shopping together. And worry about our pets together.
And. Having chosen well the man in your life. Who not only pitches in and helps. But appreciates what you do. As you appreciate what he does.
Being a homemaker becomes an art. And a calling. And a home with a dedicated ‘homemaker’ is usually a happy home.
Isn’t that something worth striving for?
Your thoughts? Email me at the bottom of this post.
~Carol Jones, Ironing Diva❤
PS. This Ironing Diva loves leading an elegant life. Because. I have a lovely man at my side. Who never lets me down.
PPS. I am not only an Ironing Diva. But as one friend says, I am ‘The Queen’ when it comes to ironing.
I Am The Purveyor Of The Tantrum Free Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover And Other Goodies
Made with love and care in RURAL Australia by men and women who have a disability.
It’s not for everyone.
But it’s definitely for you if you’re fussy about the cover you iron on.
And if you love to support Australian made.
And want to put something back into the community when you make a purchase.
The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover cover has more than 350,000 customers in 29 countries. Because it lives up to its name. It ‘Fitz Like A Glove™’ every time you iron.
And these are the ‘Other Goodies’
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Have a question? Email me at the bottom of this post.
Or phone me, Carol Jones, in rural Australia on 02 63 588 511.
Photos of my rural property are courtesy of me, Ironing Diva – who is also known as Paddock Paparazzi – and taken at sunrise every morning.
Sky High Mr Hooded Robin. In Wistful Mode. On A Greyish Morning.
PS. And I have a fabulous newsletter ‘A Smidgen Of Gossip’. This is what a subscriber says about it. “Carol. Just had some time to read it and found that it is, as with everything you do, rather wonderful. A great read. W” You can subscribe to it by clicking this link. It’s FREE! This is not a lifetime commitment. You can Unsubscribe at any time. Don’t miss out. Click this link now!
A Songlark Fluffs Its Feathers At The Farm Gate.
