Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Apron Memories

I received this in a email from my DIL's mom today. It brought back many a loving memory of my beloved Grandma and my Aunt Cora, who was in all sense of the word, a grandmother to me. Each morning, they put on their house dress, cotton stockings and a bib type apron to cover the dress. They used their new aprons on Sunday until they were needed for everyday use. These ladies used these aprons exactly like it says.........and all these years later I remember the smell of starch in them when I was grabbed for a hug.

The History of 'APRONS'

I don't think our kids today even know what an
apron is, so let me explain.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was, of course, 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.

Folks would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - except love.


I would love to give credit to the author but I do not know who it was so all I can do is say thank you for bringing those two ladies to mind on a windy April day. I miss them both.

5 comments:

Amelia said...

What a wonderful recollection of apron jobs. I was thinking this morning as I looked in one of the lower cabinets and spotted an apron I made from fabric left from a dress I made for 4-H. This was somewhere between 1957 and 1959 when I made the dress...so not much later in making the apron. Yes, I have worn it some - but not a lot. I don't wear one much at all. Do you?

ZONE F DG TEAM said...

I have an apron I won in a blog giveaway, but admittedly it rarely gets worn as I find the upper part fits funny.

I do have a pattern for a half apron which I have all intents on making.

I am soooo bad at wiping my hands on the clothes when baking or cooking.

Belvie said...

Thanks for posting that. Brings to mind fond memories of my paternal grandmother and her spinster sister. I love them both dearly....and they were "apron gals". Forgot about them being starched until you mentioned it. Seems they ironed almost everything.

homegrownsongwritersalabama said...

I love this story! I wear bib aprons but do not put them to that many uses. My granddaughter, MaryJustice, has her own white bib-apron that hangs on a magnetic hook on the end of my refrigerator. I love it when on Summer mornings she comes in the back door, heads for her apron and asks, "What do you want for breakfast, Grandmother." She started wearing this apron when she was around 6...she is now 14.

Kristie said...

Such a wonderful story! Reminds me of the story of my great grandmother! She was never seen without her apron. She said that as long as she could remember her mother had made her wear one as a child. She said the she just did not feel completely dressed without her apron. In the end when she was very sick she asked to be buried in her apron....and she was. Of course this was all way before my time but it is the story that I have been told.
Kristie