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| This isn't my grandmother, but it could have been! She always wore an apron, as did my mom. |
I don't think most kids today know what an apron is. The principle use of Mom's or Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. They didn't have Tide HE pods. They get everything out of my clothes!
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. Now you can't make children cry....they would phone social services and report you!
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. Chicken coop, didn't they have Costco?
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.. Kids would never know company was in the house unless the wi-fi disconnected and they came out of their room to ask why!
And when the weather was cold, she wrapped it around her arms. Turn up the thermostat.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. I have gas and if it gets too hot, I turn on the air conditioner.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. I stopped buying chips. Too high in carbs.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. We organic recycle.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. I get apples without bruises at Costco in a bag, or if I really want lots they also sell them in nice boxes.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. I like dust, it makes my house look lived in.
When dinner was ready, she walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. Dinner is ready in our house when the smoke alarm goes off. It makes everyone come to the table real fast!
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.
I have an apron that was made by my mother-in-law. It has cross stitching on it and I treasure it.
