On Monday, we have a test in our Portuguese A2 class. The profesora always gives us a great deal of preparation for each of the sections of the test, but the final section on every test is to write a letter or, in this case, an email, to a friend in my country of origin, describing what we’ve been doing here in Madeira.
The tense is called Pretérito Perfeito Composto Do Indicativo (Yes, I did have to look that up and Thank God that is not one of the questions on the test)!!! The PPCDI is composed of the word Tenho in first person, meaning “I have” and then a form of the verb that you have been doing. Example: Tenho Tido “I have had” or Tenho Ido “I have gone,” etc.
So, my email was to a good friend in Washington and it told her, my most exciting prose, that I have had Portuguese classes and I have gone to the gym or the pool and I have planted a garden with vegetables, etc.
But tonight was a first! Or a first in a VERY long time. I have ironed clothes (Passei a roupa a ferro)! I’m not kidding! Those of you who know me might fall out of your chairs - the last iron that I bought was at a K-Mart! Not a Walmart, but the long-extinct K-Mart - and I think it cost $10.00. Those of you who know me will not be at all surprised to know that that little yellow iron, which never worked very well, as far as I know anything about ironing, lasted decades - literally until we packed up to move here. I suspect the different electrical setup was not the only reason the little guy went in a yard sale (and sold for $8.00)!
So why was I ironing on the evening of the first day of Primavera? Today was quite hot and sunny and we walked on the seafront promenade all day and I realized that my truly summery clothes had been packed away when we moved in November and now I was in need of summer clothes. Also, tomorrow is St Patrick’s day and I needed to find my green shirt.
Well, after being stashed on a bottom shelf of my closet in a giant duffel bag, things were not looking so great.
As it turns out, our new house came with lots of furnishings, including a pretty nice iron and ironing board1. Fortunately, this was my ironing station:
Normally, I’d have just been sitting out there on the veranda sipping an iced tea or glass of wine and watching the sunset light across the Desertas Islands. But, mission accomplished - my summer wardrobe is looking… ok, maybe not great, but greatly improved from the jumble I found this evening. But I still have not figured out how to fold the ironing board!
Thanks for following
The house also came with a lot of linens - all perfectly pressed. Ironing sheets?? I think not!
A view like that sure takes the drudgery out of ironing. I can feel the warm breeze on my face...
Its fun to hear about your adventures! I am sure you will make peace with the ironing soon!