Building Empires with Dishes and Other Chores

           My mom loved to iron when she was a girl.  She grew up in a day before permanent press and I was still in school when the iron didn’t seem so important as during the years prior.  

I don’t know why my mom loved ironing – although it had gone from “love” to “I don’t mind” over the years.  I loathe ironing.  Really HATE it in fact.  I always end up burning myself.  Whatever I’m ironing ends up with at least two creases where they needn’t be.  Other than the ironing part, I don’t mind laundry – sorting, washing, drying and folding. I don’t especially enjoy putting clothes away. 

            When I was younger my mom taught Patrick and I how to do the “dishing” chore.  We first learned to dry and then put away and then she taught us how to wash by hand and finally unloading and loading the dishwasher.  I seemed to make dishes a bigger chore for my mom before I learned the “put away” step.  Instead of grouping dishes together I would create elaborate displays – often running out of table room before my masterpiece had finished.  NOBODY liked putting dishes away after I had dried them. 

certainly not the greatest picture but to provide a visual 
-though not as elaborate as my from childhood

            My least favorite chore is vacuuming or sweeping the floor.  They don’t call it “chore” for nothing.  Vacuum refuses to suck or gets clogged up.  There is always a wrestling match involved.  The vacuum frustrates me.  It seems the heavier they are the better they are at doing their job.  And that wears me out.

Sweeping into the dustpan – forget it.  There is always a trail.  ALWAYS.  And after I mop I have loosened up even more stuff to sweep.  At least mops, brooms and vacuum cleaners have evolved over the years.  

Even irons.  Oh, what a joy it must have been to be a pioneer!

Homographs

Same Spelling, Same Pronunciation

Bark is the outside surface found on the trunk of a tree.

Many dogs produce a sound called a bark whenever someone approaches his territory

To court someone is the same as dating.

A court is a place where legal actions take place.

Both basketball courts and tennis courts consist of an area with marks and nets which contribute to a sport.

A courtyard is the area or space between buildings that surround it

To flush a toilet means your sending the water in the bowl into the sewer.  A flush in poker means your cards are in sequence.  

Iron is a source found in meat, some vegetables, and beans.  We need iron in our diets. 

Sometimes when working out, people will refer to lifting weights as pumping iron.

Some water pumps are made of iron - or were.

When we press our clothes, we use an iron. 
Some golf clubs are referred to as irons.

Being kind to someone is treating that person with respect. Kind is also another word for sort or type.

Maroon is a reddish-brown color that some may pass off as purple.

Maroon is a feeling of abandonment or being deserted. If my car runs out of gas when I am on a desolate road in the middle of nowhere, I feel marooned.

I just recently learned that maroon is a British term for fireworks associated with signals.

I may point my finger to indicate direction or item.  Children will often point to the words as they read them.

A point is a tip such as a pencil or a mountain.

Sometimes point can mean the highlight of a statement.  Do you get my point?

When I am looking for fruits and vegetables in the supermarket, I will find them in the produce section.  Another produce means to create something like a movie.

Punch is a drink made from fruit.  It has a different meaning from hitting something (or someone) with my fist.  Punch is also a hole made by a tool such as an awl or a hole punch

Relish is a condiment made from chopped pickles.  Relish is also treasured enjoyment.  I relish the thought of celebrating life with my family.

A type represents an assortment or class of interest or sameness.  To type means hitting the letters on your keyboard with assigned fingers.

Yarn is a heavy thread that is used to knit blankets and crochet sweaters and such.  To tell a yarn is to exaggerate a tale.