Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Pressed


The new year is here. For nearly a week it felt like spring but the cold has returned, shrouding the night in ice and mist. The glitter and twinkle has been packed away in old hat boxes and stacked neatly in the attic. Green and red tablecloths nestled in with holly garland and mistletoe. I'm still amazed at the holiday wonderland that slumbers quietly beneath the eves all summer long. Such magic that in a single day the house is transformed with fairy lights and the smell of clove and spice. The excitement builds...gingerbread houses, foamy egg nog, crystal snowflakes hung from the chandelier.
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Perhaps the real wonder is how quickly the Christmas cheer that has surrounded us for nearly two months can be whisked out of sight in mere hours. The house seems to echo a bit.
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Either way, here I stand at my ironing board. The old blue cover frayed and stained at one end from spilled coffee on a hurried morning. Ivory damask with a lovely mossy fern pattern lies piled before me. A new season, a new tablecloth.
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Tiny flakes of white dance past the window as the hiss of the iron fills the room. Steam rises, the pale cloth smoothing beneath the ferrous plate. The heat feels delicious to my cool fingers.
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The rhythmic pass back and forth quiets my scattered mind and I find myself thinking of wrinkles. Sometimes it seems that a significant amount of my time is spent in this quest to eradicate them. Tablecloths and napkins, pants and soft cotton dresses...the crisp white shirts my husband wears to work. Curtains after a wash, the silk scarf I love to wear with my raincoat. The skin about my eyes.
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Who decided the lines resulting from decades of laughter should be injected or sanded or peeled from my face? Does it make me look younger...or just that I haven't a sense of humor? Would the world pause if the napkins had furled edges?
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I've made no new resolutions this year. Being healthy and loving madly seem to cover just about everything for me, but perhaps I will think more about these wrinkles in my life. Perhaps as they are natural and lovely in their sweet crinkly way...perhaps this is a battle I shall concede.
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Happy new year, my friends.

15 comments:

Out on the prairie said...

I haven't replaced the empty area that held the Christmas decorations. It did seem so empty, but I didn't stay around the previous two years so hadn't decorated. Putting stuff away I still found some boxes I forgot were there. Perhaps next year I will remember them. I put my bike where the tree sat in hopes of burning a few cookies off.we had 6 inches of the white stuff last night so I am enjoying the fluffy look until I decide to go out and plow a path in my drive.

Candice said...

Wrinkles are beautiful! I have seen women try to run from their age only to look as if they were caught in a jet stream. Embrace them, I think they remind us of the life we've lived and all the obstacles we were able to overcome to get there.

I love your use of metaphor in this post, just lovely :)
xo
Candice

Alison Agnew said...

Furled is a lovely word...even when used to describe those lines about the eyes. Or maybe especially...

Danielle said...

Your writing is even more amazing every time you post. Great post, however I still don't like the wrinkles around my eyes! LOL
Love ya girl!

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

I gave up ironing napkins a long while ago. Spent over $100 on an eye cream a month or two ago, though. Seemed like a good idea at the time! Cheers.

Bretthead said...

I like putting wrinkles in other people's plans if it results in amusing me (and nobody gets hurt).

Chantel said...

Prairie--can you drape fairy lights over the bike? ;)

Candice--LMAO at "jet stream!" You are so right, they should be badges of honor.

Alison--words mesmerize me at times, have you read the quote on my fb page?

Danielle--smooches darling, and you'll be lovely till the sun don't shine...

Bliss--oh, to have a dollar for everything I've done that "seemed like a good idea at the time!" lol Is it working?? (name, babe, gimme names!)

Awkward--just call you Mayhem. (chuckle)

Carol E Wyer said...

I love the way that yo write. Your poets are almost poetic. I've been considering getting rid of my wrinkles this year but am still unsure about doing it. It would be lovely if we could gently iron them away wouldn't it?
I came by to thank you for your comment on my last post. Getting up and finding comments from people is almost nicer than writing the post. It gives you a real feel of comradry.
Thanks again
Carol

Leslie said...

Oh Chantel... you always make me think... that's a good thing right? I suppose it is until you make me start thinking about the wrinkles around my eyes... thank you for that... *sigh*

Lyndsay Wells said...

Loved this. I knew exactly what you meant when you said the room seemed to echo. And I was there with you at the ironing board.

My face has inexplicably come up with wrinkles on the left hand side where I sleep. Who knew getting older was actually going to happen to me after all ;)

Anonymous said...

Stopping by via the Friday Hops to say hello and to follow.
Have a great day!
http://poshonabudget.com/2010/12/tgif-and-the-weekend.html

Kelly~ Wave of Life Surf Studio said...

Wrinkles add character- to life and faces :) Hi~ I am you newest follower from the blog hop & would love it if you stopped by and returned the love :)

http://waveoflifesurfstudio.blogspot.com/

Retail Therapy Lounge said...

Hello!

Found you on a blog hop and am your newest follower - Would love for you to check out my blog and follow back if you like it.

Check out my "retail therapy" giveaways and enter a few, there are some great products to win.

I also have a fantastic weekly blog hop.

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Carol

Undeserving Grace said...

Stopping by to say hello from todays hop. You bring out the deep thinker in me for sure! Join me at undeserving grace when you have a chance
Have a blessed weekend!
-tara

Mom et al said...

Sometimes it is indeed best to accept and love. I'm a little late, but Happy New Year to you, my friend.