Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Aprons

After one of my busiest years ever, it was a lean Christmas for homemade gifts. I ran out of time long before I ran out of projects. With only enough time to finish one quilt, and make two aprons, I vow I'll start earlier next year.

I thought I'd take a picture of the girls in the aprons, but in my fog-brain state, I forgot that my camera was set to 'video' instead of regular picture.

But the video is likely better anyway because of GG's antics. I had just told her to make a 'big smile' and she did her best:



Don't they look cute (the girls, I mean -- not the aprons!)

Several weeks ago, I received this piece on the 'History of Aprons'. It made me smile (or as GG says, "smyyyyyelll") too...

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that,
it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion
was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs,
fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs
to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came,
those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow,
bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples
that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road,
it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust
in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch,
waved her apron, and the men knew it was time
to come in from the fields to dinner

It will be a long time before someone invents something
that will replace that "old-time apron" that served so many purposes.

1 comment:

Anneliese said...

This funny poem was read at our family gathering (when someone rceived an apron).At the end there was a note saying.. I don't think I ever caught anything from grandma's apron.

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