Man irons his face

From the Archives of all things Ironing - Ironing in the News

We've heard of Life imitating Art, Well, here is a story where Life imitates a Joke so much so it is hard to believe.

The joke goes something like this -

A man arrives at the emergency presenting with ear burns. The doctor says "How did you burn that ear ?" The man answers that the phone rang and he put the iron to his ear to answer it. "So how did you burn the other ear ?" says the doctor. "Calling for an ambulance" answered the man.

Published by Mail Online UK,  Metro UK and news.com.au, the story is about Tomas Paczkowski who was determined to show his other half he was able to juggle several jobs at once when he accidentally ironed his face after mistaking it for the telephone.

Thomas irons his face and then gets a black eye from running into a door.

Mr Paczkowski from Elbag, Poland - wanted to show his wife Lila that he was a dab hand at chores around the home.

He said: 'I decided to do the ironing while she was out at work, just to prove a point.

'She always complained at me for not doing the housework so I thought I would do the ironing to save her a job and prove to her that I'm not as useless around the house as she thinks.

'Women are always going on about multi-tasking, so I set up the iron, opened a beer and put the boxing on the telly,' he added.

'It all started out well and I was beginning to think it wasn't that difficult at all. I put up the ironing board in front of the television and started ironing my shirts. The first few went ok.

But Tomasz, 32, added: 'Trouble was, I then got so involved in the boxing that I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing. 

'So when the phone rang I picked up the iron by mistake

and pressed it to my ear.

'I really don't know how I could make such a silly mistake. But I guess it proves men are not able to multitask as well as many women can.

'My wife always watches the soaps when she does the ironing and never has any problems.'

But Tomas added insult to injury when he sprinted to put cold water on the burn - and ran straight into the bathroom door.
'That gave me a black eye so now I look more like I've been in a boxing match instead of just watching one,' he added.

'The pain was incredible. It has also been quite embarrassing to tell everyone how the accident happened, but most people have been very understanding but many of my friends find the whole thing very funny.

'I really don't know how it happened. I was just so engrossed in the television.'

Doctors say he will make a full recovery from the burns - but Tomasz says he's off housework for ever.

'It's harder than it looks. I really respect what my wife does now.'

12 12 12

12th of the 12th of the 12th. To many, today is a significant date. The beginning of the end, a time for renewal, of spiritual awakening. To some, just another date.

At Osca, this day marks a very exciting moment, for we have received the first delivery of an Ironing table ordered directly from the manufacturer in England. No longer dependent on the available choice and stock in Melbourne, finding the right table for our future Franchisees and confirming supply is a significant step as another component of the Osca Ironing Franchise Development is put in place.

To celebrate the day, 12 inspirational quotes from 12 inspirational people.

Steve Jobs

an American entrepreneur, founder of Apple

 

"We don't get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent.

Because this is Our Life.

 

Life is brief and then you die you know?

 

And we've all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damned good. It better be worth it." 

 

 

Spryte Loriano

the founder of the Manifest Foundation

 

“Every great story on the planet happened when someone decided not to give up,

but kept going no matter what.”

 

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

an American essayist, lecturer, and poet

 

"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn."

 

Barak Obama

president of the United States of America

 

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

We are the change that we seek.”

 

 

Oscar Wilde

an Irish writer and poet

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

 

 

Christopher Columbus

an explorer and navigator

 

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.“

 

 

Jonathan Swift
an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist

“May you live all the days of your life.”

 

 

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
an Indian politician and statesman

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure.

There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

 

 

Nicholas Sparks
an American writer and novelist - Author of The Notebook

“We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn.

It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence.

It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy.

It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other

can sit without speaking.

This is the great paradox.”

 

 

Rick Riordan
an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series

 

“Humans see what they want to see.”

 

 

Wayne W. Dwyer
an American self-help author and motivational speaker.

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”

 

 

Eckhart Tolle

german born, canadian author of The Power of Now

“You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold.

That is how important you are!”

History of ironing boards

From the Archives of All things Ironing - History of the Ironing board.

The earliest known ironing boards were used by the Vikings in the 9th century.

 

Glass Smoother and Whalebone Ironing Board

Whale meat, blubber, and bones were rare and valuable North Atlantic resources. The refined lady of the house who owned this item would have used it, along with the weight made of imported glass, to smooth her linen.

Far from being the unkempt barbarians of popular imagination, Vikings were extremely fastidious for their time.

Later, in Europe, it became common for people to iron their clothes on the kitchen table, or on a flat piece of board resting between two chairs.  This practice spread to North America and by the early 19th century there was plenty of advice in housekeeping books about what size an ironing table should be, what it should be made of, and what sort of blanket or cloth it should be covered with.

About the same time, several ironing boards started appearing on the market but there is some controversy over who actually invented the ironing board.

 

Vandenburg & Harvey Patent

Vandenburg & Harvey Patent

 

 

On the 16th of February 1858, W.Vandenburg and J.Harvey patented an ironing table that facilitated pressing sleeves and pant legs.



About three years later Isaac Ronnie Bord of Georgetown, Delaware, took out a patent for an adjustable flat horizontal surface for the pressing of undergarments, garments and bed linen.

 

S A Mort Patent

Miss S A Mort obtained a patent for the first truly folding ironing board in 1866.The invention also included a removable press board used for sleeves.

 

Sarah Boone Ironing board

In 1892 Sarah Boone obtained a patent in the United States for improvements to the ironing board, the forerunner of the modern folding ironing board with a narrow, curved shape, designed to make it easy to iron shirts.


 

Manufacturers quickly caught on to the notion of offering ironing boards ready-made by the late nineteenth century. By about 1898, the ironing board came equipped with legs that could be taken down and enabled the board to be set up anywhere. These early manufactured ironing boards were of wood that was supposed to resist warping although they still warped.

 

Wooden Ironing board

This wooden ironing board was made by S. J. Bailey, Inc. in Peru, Indiana, for Sears Roebuck & Co. 

 

New improvements arrived with the use of iron and soon ironing boards had metal-top boards. However, despite painting, the tables still buckled under the heat of the iron. The J. R. Clark Company of Minneapolis began using mesh which permitted steam to escape and prevent buckling and rusting.

Ironing board diagram.

By 1940, all-metal collapsible ironing boards with tubular legs became common. The basic design of the home ironing board has changed little since then.

 

While researching this article, I learned that there is a new ironing board that has won the 2012 Australian International Design Awards. The Hills Orbit ironing board. According to the Hills website,  the new ironing board is full of world first innovations, the Orbit takes the hassle out of housework. 

Hills Orbit

Remarkably similar in construction to the 1940 (72 year old) model wouldn't you say? Although to be fair, there are some nifty ideas and obviously the designers have gone to great length to incorporate many innovative features not found on the average domestic ironing table.

Hills Orbit

As hand ironing moves from the domestic to the commercial environment, the evolution continues.

Magpie ironing table

This ironing table has a temperature regulated heating element incorporated into the table top and a foot operated fan assisted vacuum to draw the steam away from an ironed garment.

Veit Varioline

Weighing in at over 130 kg, the Veit Varioline boasts a suction and blowing table, an iron rest, swivelarm with a sleever and even its own lighting system.

Sources

Smithsonian

about inventors

google patents

oldandinteresting

google image search

hills

Steve Martin Ironing

From the archives of All things Ironing - Humour - Steve Martin ironing

Here is another quirky, ironing related picture from our archive of pictures of famous people ironing.


Steve Martin Ironing

For someone who irons for a living and loves cats, this is a pretty funny image. I wonder how Steve Martin managed to keep a straight face while ironing his hand.

"Extra starch on the collar please." 



Image source

Osca Ironing - Stain procedures

About Osca Ironing - Osca Stain Procedures

A page from the Osca Ironers Handbook -

Osca Stain Procedures.

A When you notice an article in a customer's basket that has a stain on it.

1 Stop Ironing.
2 Check Customer Card for any customer 'Stain Instructions' .
· Follow customer instructions.
if there are no customer instructions :
· Seek advice from the Osca Office.
· Follow advice given and proceed as instructed.
3 Write a 'Stain Advice Note' to the customer. Bag or fold garment separately and attach note.
4 Continue Ironing.

B When a stain is caused while ironing.

1 Stop Ironing.
· Determine the origin of the stain.
2a If the stain can be easily laundered.
for example
- soap, bleach, deodorant or other particle residue that browns when touched with a hot iron.
- rust or other particle build-up stain from inside the iron water chamber.
- excess starch.
Check Customer Card for any customer 'Stain instructions'.
· Follow customer instructions.
· Where applicable, launder the garment.
if there are no customer instructions :
· Seek advice from Osca Office or Contact the customer for instructions.
· Follow advice given and proceed as instructed.
- Launder the garment
or
- hang or fold item back into customer basket.
2b If the stain can notbe easily laundered.
for example
- cross stain
Stop everything.
· Seek advice from Osca Office or Contact the customer for instructions.
· Follow advice given and proceed as instructed.
- hang or fold item back into customer basket.
3 Write a 'Stain Advice Note' to the customer. Bag or fold garment separately and attach note.
4 Continue Ironing.

Louis-Leopold Boilly 1761 - 1845

From the archives of All things Ironing - Irons in oils.



Louis-Léopold Boilly Self Portrait (1761 - 1845)

Louis-Léopold Boilly (5 July 1761 – 4 January 1845) was a French painter and draftsman. A gifted creator of popular portrait paintings, he also produced a vast number of genre paintings vividly documenting French middle-class social life.

Young Woman Ironing, 1800

Boilly was born in La Bassée in northern France, the son of a local wood sculptor. A self-taught painter, Boilly began his career at a very young age, producing his first works at the age of twelve or thirteen.

 

In 1774 he began to show his work to the Austin friars of Douai who were evidently impressed: within three years, the bishop of Arras invited the young man to work and study in his bishopric. While there, he produced a cascade of paintings – some three hundred small works of portraiture. He received instruction in trompe l'oeil painting from Dominique Doncre (1743–1820) before moving to Paris around 1787.

Boilly was a popular and celebrated artist of his time. He was awarded a medal by the Parisian Salon in 1804 for his work The Arrival of a Mail-coach in the Courtyard of the Messageries. In 1833 he was decorated as a chevalier of the nation's highest order, the Legion d'Honneur.

At the height of the French Revolution in 1794, Boilly was condemned by the Committee of Public Safety for the erotic undertones of his work. This offence was remedied by an eleventh-hour discovery in his home of the more patriotic Triumph of Marat (now in the Musée des Beaux Arts, Lille) which saved him from serious penalties.

 

Triumph of Marat, 1792

Boilly died in Paris on 4 January 1845. His youngest son, Alphonse Boilly (1801–1867), was a professional engraver who apprenticed in New York with Asher Brown Durand.

End of the World

From the archives of All things Ironing - Humour

By now, we have all heard that the world as we know it is about to end in a few short weeks.

Here is a unique opportunity for you to own your own

"I Survived the End of the World"

Osca t-shirt.

Order this t-shirt now and if the world ends on December 21, 2012, we will give you your money back. That's right, according to the Mayan prophecies, this t-shirt can be yours, completely free.

On the other hand, if the world doesn't end, you can proudly wear this garment and call your self a true visionary, a sage and a prophet who foretold the future before it happened.

Only $25.00 incl postage
Available only in Australia

while stocks last.

Place your order before the end of November 2012 and your t-shirt will be delivered before the world ends so you can proudly wear it the very next day. Please include your mailing address and size.

click here to order your t-shirt

A mailing address for your payment will be provided when we confirm your order.
Your order will be dispatched when payment is received.

 $$$ MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE $$$

If the world ends on the 21st of December 2012, we will happily refund your money.

Vinegar in the Laundry

While there are many references to Vinegar as the Green Stain Removal alternative, it is important to only use only Distilled or Brewed white vinegar.

 

The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener, a static cling reducer and attacks mold and mildew.

 

1926 Skipping Girl Vinegar advertisement

 

Here are some ways Vinegar is useful in the laundry and in removal of stains.

 

Eliminate manufacturing chemicals from new clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the water.

 

Remove scorch marks and coffee stains from clothes by applying undiluted white vinegar to the stain.

 

Wool and silks take on a yellow tint over time. Fill a bucket with 1 pint of warm water and add a tablespoon of vinegar.

Prevent lint from clinging to clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the wash cycle.

To remove soap residue that makes black clothes look dull use white distilled vinegar in your final rinse.

Get stained white socks and dingy dishcloths white again. Add 1 cup white distilled vinegar to a large pot of water, bring it to a rolling boil and drop in the articles. Let soak overnight.

 

Before washing a mustard stain, dab with white distilled vinegar.

Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

Remove perspiration odor and stains on clothing, as well as those left by deodorants, by spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine.

Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.

Remove musky smells from cotton clothes by sprinkling them lightly with white distilled vinegar and then pressing them.

Remove smoky odors from clothes by filling the bathtub with very hot water and 1 cup white distilled vinegar. Hang the garments above the steaming water and shut the door so the steam can penetrate the fibers.

Get water and salt stains off shoes and boots by wiping them down with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and water.

 

Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse.

Remove soap scum and clean the hoses of your washing machine with white distilled vinegar.

Periodically run the machine with only a cup of white distilled vinegar in it—nothing else added to the wash cycle.

Bring out bright colors by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Fluff up wool or acrylic sweaters (hand- or machine-washed) and rid them of soap smell with 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar in the last rinse water.



Cornwell's White Vinegar



Vinegar is also usefull in caring for your Iron.

 

Keep the steam iron clean and in good working order by getting rid of mineral deposits in steam vents and spray nozzles. Fill the water chamber with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and distilled water. Set it in an upright position and let it steam for about 5 minutes. When the iron is cool, rinse the tank with water, refill and shake water through the vents onto an old cloth. Test before using.

Remove scorch marks from an iron by rubbing it with a warmed-up solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and salt. If that doesn’t work, use a cloth dampened with full-strength white distilled vinegar.

 

These links were checked at the time of publishing and found to be accurate.

 

The New Homemaker Frugal Living ehow Eco Mum Integro foods 1001 Uses for Distilled Vinegar Ask Men National Geographic Green Living

Happy Habits

How does one define happiness ? What exactly is it and how do we achieve it. An article on the Inc. webpage written by Geoffrey James goes someway to explaining this elusive goal with suggestions of how to go about it. There are three key points the author makes.

 

Happiness is the only true measure of personal success.

 

Making other people happy is the highest expression of success.

 

It is almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself.

Happy Osca

Minor changes in your daily routine can have a major effect in your life and career. With that in mind, here are nine small adjustments that most people can make to their daily routine that will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life.



1. Start each day with expectation.

If there's any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: "something wonderful is going to happen today." Guess what? You're probably right.

2. Take time to plan and prioritize.

The most common source of stress is the perception that you've got too much work to do.  Rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.

3. Give a gift to everyone you meet.

I'm not talking about a formal, wrapped-up present. Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod. And never pass beggars without leaving them something. Peace of mind is worth the spare change.

4. Deflect partisan conversations.

Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control. When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: "Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt."

5. Assume people have good intentions.

 

Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing evil motives to other people's weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.

6. Eat high quality food slowly.

Sometimes we can't avoid scarfing something quick to keep us up and running. Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor it.

7. Let go of your results.

The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen.

8. Turn off "background" TV.

Many households leave their TVs on as "background noise" while they're doing other things. The entire point of broadcast TV is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you'll buy more stuff. Why subliminally program yourself to be a mindless consumer?

9. End each day with gratitude.

Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.

Deconstruction of an Iron

From the archives of All things Ironing - How is an Iron Constructed.

 

The information in this article is drawn from an Iron manufacturer's Iron Construction manual and various websites. Links to images and related websites are located at the bottom of this article. 

 

Raw Materials

Irons are made primarily of plastic and metal. The materials often comes to the factory in the form of plastic resins, aluminum ingots, and steel sheets.

The metal is used to make the sole plate, thermostat and other internal mechanisms. Plastics are used to make the exterior and handle, as well as the water tank. Certain components, like the spring for the thermostat, cord, plug, and related connections are usually outsourced by iron companies.

Iron

The Manufacturing Process

Each sub-assembly of the iron is produced, most often on separate, automated production lines. Then the iron is assembled.

Sole plate

1 The sole plate is cast from molten aluminum in a mold that already includes the steam holes.

2 The sole plate is then polished, coated with a variety of non-stick materials including teflon.

3 To polish the plate, an automated belt sander uses bands of abrasive to polish and buff the plate. The finish required determines which grade of abrasive is used.

4 An automated spray-painting machine applies non-stick coating. After application, the sole plate is baked in an automated industrial process.

5 To coat with another metal, the external metal cover is created by an automated stamp press. The resulting cover is either pressed or riveted onto the sole plate, through a smaller machine press.

Examples of soleplate types

soleplate - explained

soleplate - diagram

soleplate - steam holes

soleplate - stainless steel

soleplate - panasonic 360

soleplate - sunbeam Verve



soleplate - rowenta

Thermostat

6 In an injection mold, a small metal post is cast.

7 A spring is mounted onto the metal post. This spring is a bimetallic switch made of two different metals with divergent linear thermal coefficients bonded together. The spring actually controls the iron's temperature.

8 Power contacts are attached to the end of the spring, which let the electricity through so the iron can be heated. This whole process is generally automated.

iron thermostat

iron thermostat diagram

Water tank

9 In a two-part injection mold, heated plastic is inserted to make upper and lower sections of the tank. Several openings on the tank are created as part of the mold.

10 The mold is put under pressure, cooled, and released as a one-part tank.

11 Other parts for the tank (pump, internal chamber, piston, buttons, and other parts) are created by similar injection molding processes.

12 On an automated assembly line, the parts are put together, with each of the other parts put onto the water tank.

Housing

13 In an injection mold, heated plastic is inserted into a mold under pressure, cooled, and released.

Handle

14 In an injection mold, heated plastic is inserted into a mold under pressure, cooled, and released.

Assembly

When all the parts are manufactured, the iron is assembled on an automated assembly line.

15 The sole plate is the first part on the assembly line. The thermostat is either screwed onto the plate, or welded to the plate by a robot.

16 To the sole plate-thermostat subassembly, the water tank is put in place. It is secured on an automated line with screws or other industrial fasteners.

17 The handle and body are attached over the sole plate, thermostat and water tank, and fixed by screws. Sometimes this process is automated, but it also can be done manually.

18 The electrical cord is the last piece to be added. Sometimes this process is automated, but it also can be done manually.

19 After an automated testing process, the irons are inspected by hand.

20 Completed irons are packed into indidual boxes with instructions and other documents by hand. (For some companies, this is an automated process.)

21 The individual boxes are placed in shipping cartons or master packs for distribution to warehouses.

Quality Control

Before the manufacturing process begins, all the raw materials are sample checked for consistency. As each subassembly of the iron is manufactured, the pieces are checked for correct functionality.
During the assembly process, an iron is removed from the production line and taken apart by an independent department to look for errors. Any mistakes result in the whole batch of irons being checked and corrected if necessary. After the product is assembled, a worker also checks the iron for electrical functionality and water integrity.

Byproducts/Waste

Any excess metal or plastic from the molding process is reused in the process, if possible. Anything that is unable to be used is recycled.

The Future

The most obvious improvements on the iron probably will be to the sole plate. Better coatings will probably be invented that are more resistant to damage from zippers or other protrusions on garments and reduce drag over fabric. These improvements might be in the form of better alloys or better nonstick coatings. Internal mechanisms that better control heat and steam also will continue to evolve.

research links & image sources :
freepatentsonline
panasonic 360
advantech
artofmanliness 
alibaba 
brighthubengineering

Bon Voyage Sue

About Osca - Sue is off on a Pacific Cruise and a well deserved break.

Those in the know, know that Sue has been with Osca for over a decade, contributing her unique talents, boundless energy and an amazing dedication to Osca and the service we provide our clients.

Right now, Sue is somewhere in the Pacific, hopefully lounging on a deckchair, sipping a cool drink enjoying the sunshine and the trappings of a leisurely cruise.

"Enjoy your time Sue, you deserve it."

Phyllis Diller (1917- 2012)

From the archives of All things Ironing - Phyllis Diller (July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012)

Sadly, Phyllis Diller died today, aged 95.

We remember Phyllis for her zany sense of humor, being the only quoted comedian to venture into the world of ironing.

Phyllis Diller (1917-2012)

"The only time I ever enjoyed ironing was the day I accidentally got gin in the steam iron."

Phyllis Diller

"I buried a lot of my ironing in the back yard."

Phyllis Diller

"I'm eighteen years behind in my ironing."

Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller was an American actress and stand up comedian, although she would probably prefer comedienne.

 

Phyllis created a stage character of an eccentric, wild-haired, zany housewife who made self-deprecating jokes about her age and appearance, her terrible cooking, and a husband named "Fang". We will miss her.

"Thank you for the best times Pyllis. Rest In Peace."

Henry Yuzuru Sugimoto (1900-1990)

From the archives of All things Ironing - Irons in oils.

Henry Yuzuru Sugimoto (1900-1990)

Henry Sugimoto - Susie ironing in room at the interment camp

Henry Yuzuru Sugimoto, an Japanece American artist, teacher and a survivor of Japanese American Internment, born in Wakayama, Japan in 1900 a son of a displaced samurai.

In 1919, he immigrated to the United States and changed his name to Henry. He graduated high school in 1924 and went on to study at California College of Arts and Crafts and the California School of Fine Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute).

In 1928, he went to France to study at the Académie Colarossi in Paris.


In 1932, Sugimoto returned to California where he enbarked on a one-man show at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. The show became the foundation of his professional career.

Sugimoto was living in the United States when the United States declared war on Japan in the Second World War. He was interned with Japanese-Americans in Jerome War Relocation Center from October 1942 through June 1944 and at Rohwer War Relocation Center until August 1945.

David McCosh (1903-1981)

From the archives of All things Ironing - Irons in oils.

David McCosh (1903-1981)

David McCosh - A woman ironing (1931)

David McCosh, an American painter and teacher, was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1903.

In 1922, he first studied art at Coe College and a year later embarked on six years of study at the Art Institute of Chicago, from which he graduated in 1926. In 1927, McCosh won a prestigious John Quincy Adams Fellowship, enabling him to travel and paint in Europe up till 1928.

In 1930, while painting in Oyster Bay, Long Island, McCosh met Anne Kutka, a gifted painter her self. The two were married in New Mexico in July 1934.

In 1932, McCosh began teaching at the Art Institute and at the Stone City Art colony in Iowa and two years later accepted an appointment at the University of Oregon, where he taught painting, drawing, and lithography until his retirement in 1970. McCosh died in Eugene in 1981.

"Learning to paint is learning to see, not to recognise familiar things."

Although McCosh put a lot of energy and thought into teaching, painting was the focus of his life. Despite experimenting with many styles his paintings were based on careful observation. “Learning to paint,” McCosh said, “is learning to see, not to recognize only familiar things.”

Beautiful Victoria

When we are not ironing - Daytrip to Country Victoria.

Every now and then, when the daily grind gets to us, a quick remedy is a day trip to the Victorian countryside.  Kinglake, so devastated during Black Saturday three years ago is just an hour or so drive from the City.  Come through St. Andrews and you might catch a weekend market.  The road to Kinglake here is winding and narrow, but offers magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. 

Kinglake sign

This area was burned to the ground three years ago and the scars are still visible, but between the black stumps, new growth of lush green has erupted as the bush is recovering.

Make sure to stop off at the Kinglake township and visit the local stores. The locals, traders and shop keepers can do with the extra business and appreciate that we remember what they've been through when the fires ripped their lives and community apart.

Kinglake pub

You can't miss the Kinglake pub. It is one of the great "Country Pubs" in the region. The food is of excellent quality and value for money with hearty country style meals. Most of the herbs and veggies used are grown in their own veggie garden. They also offer coffee and cakes all day every day and delicious cooked breakfasts on the weekend.

By now, we can not resist and point the steering wheel down a side road that winds its way to Yea, and then its on to Alexandra and Eildon before the waether turns.



The Cathedral peeking over the hill near Taggerty

Streaks of sunlight filter through an eucalypt plantation

Brewing storm on the horizon

A solitary gum tree lit up briefly before the sun disappeared behind the clouds for the day

Returning through Healsvile, we drive by French's Laundry which burned down on July the 10th this year.

90 years in business and employing 30 people, it was a bit of a blow to Healsville.  Remarkably though, the community has rallied behind devastated owner David Nguyen and his staff, with the Healesville Football Club letting the business use its Don Rd rooms as a headquarters.



Not much remains of French's laundry after it was consumed by fire

French's are now operating from a temporary factory in Hunter Rd, until the owners find a bigger factory to move into.


The folks at French's Laundry have been looking after our customer's linen and large laundry for 20 years, so it is good news to hear they are battling on, saving the 30 jobs and rebuilding. There is that remarkable country spirit again.