Grandma's Apron

Grandma's Apron

The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath but, along with that, it served as a holder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears and, on occasion, even used for cleaning out their 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, Grandma's apron was an ideal hiding place for shy children and when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms to keep herself warm. That big old apron 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, it 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 apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch and waved her apron and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields for dinner. It will be a long time before anyone invents something that will replace Grandma's apron, in fact, probably nothing ever will.

Author Unknown