Saturday, September 6, 2008

Remember Grandma's Apron...?

I don't think kids today 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.

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 or pecans 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.

Back then... Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Today...her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

Today's generation would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron, but I never heard about anyone catching anything from an Apron.

Now how about we get some fresh coffee...straight from Grandma's stove?

9 comments:

blondie said...

Morning Jim,
Once again, you've brought back lots of memories.
My Mother wore an apron over her dress, never pants.
And I could picture many of those scenes you described quite well.
Nice thoughts to start the day.
Thanks for the coffee too!
blondie :))

Anonymous said...

AH, THE APRON. i HAVE AN OLD-FASHIONED BONNET, BUT DO I HAVE AN APRON? ANOTHER APRON WAS ALWAYS CLOSE AT HAND TO PUT ON IF COMPANY
CAME AND THE FIRST SHOWED TOO MANY SIGNS OF THE DAYS CHORES. THE APRONS WERE ALWAYS IRONED, TOO, WEREN'T THEY?

HermitJim said...

Hey Blondie...so many of the old memories we almost forget, then something happens to remind us. Aprons seem to me to be one of those things that were so practical, yet disappeared with so many other useful things thanks to the beast we call progress.

Oh well...such is life! Thanks for stopping by!

Anonymous said...

That's funny...the other day I was cooking bacon and got grease splatters on my shirt and thought I need to get an apron...

HermitJim said...

Hey Patmck...thanks for stopping by. Funny how some things come full circle. Products that seemed too old fashioned suddenly make sense again.

A good example is the BBQ apron and the way it has stayed around.

Thanks again...

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post!! Ties in with my memories if yesterday. And so very well expressed!! Love you, Mom

HermitJim said...

Hey Mom...thanks for the visit. I know that you can remember better than some the Aunts and all with their aprons.

Pretty handy items, if you ask me.

Noki said...

I wish I had the kind of happy memories you have. But I'm doing my best to make sure my own daughter has some of her own for later.

HermitJim said...

Hey Ashley...thanks for the visit. I'm sure that if you just keep working on it, she will have some great memories to pass on.

See ya later...