The Great Napkin Project

The reason a dog has so many friends is that his tail ways instead of his tongue.
-unknown

The great napkin project has been going on in the evenings around here. What does that mean??? Well see it is like this, I have a bazillion, I mean two bazillion lovely napkins, mostly linen, in wonderful condition, inherited from my mother and mother in law. They were both Air Force officers wives who traveled the world and managed to collect two bazillion linen napkins and the table cloths that went with them. I got an insane idea about a year ago that I should wash, iron and organize the whole lot of them. That is as far as it got...an idea..... They have been sitting in two giant laundry baskets waiting for me to iron, starch and enshrine them properly. UNTIL THIS WEEK. Here is the conversation with my friend Suzanne.

Sunday night phone rings..
Suz "Hey what are you doin?"
Me "You won't believe it"
Suz "What"
Me "Remember all those napkins? Well, I have been ironing them since 11:30 am...and it is now 9 pm"
Suz "You gotta be kidding"
Me: "Nope, and I have watched the WHOLE, HBO series on John Adams" (I just love that Abigail)
Suz: "Have you lost your mind"
Me: "Well no, but I know a lot about the founding fathers"
Suz: "You don't have time to iron NAPKINS"
Me: "I know, I know"
Suz: "This is like saying I think I'll paint the house while it is burning to the ground"
Me: "I know, I know"
Suz: "Just put the blasted things in a laundry basket and stuff it in the closet"
Me: "I did that and they have been haunting me"
Suz: "How many napkins"
Me: "Hundreds"
Suz: "Are you finished?"
Me: "Nope"
Suz: "Get the laundry basket like I told you...this is ridiculous..." "Don't you have enough to do without dealing with napkins????"
Me: "I've gone to far to turn back now"
Suz: "Stubborn"
Me: "I know, I know...."
Me: "Gotta go...I just burned my finger on the iron"

I finished the napkins ironing each evening this week. They are pressed and starched and ready for service. My mom would be so happy that they are being cared for. Do you think my girls will do this? Does anyone even value this kind of stuff anymore? I would take a picture of them but I left my camera in the classroom of A Scarlet Thread. I will be back there in the morning to teach and retrieve my camera..will send photo next post. From now on I'm sticking with ironing only when it pertains to quilting.

If you come to my house I will serve you tea, or coffee, or water, or wine or whatever.... and you will get a lovely napkin. But can you wash it and press it before you leave????