Monday, February 08, 2010

Monday Musings



Thanks for entering the contest for the book - I'll do the drawing on Friday. It's not to late to go to the previous post and sign up. It is very exciting to be back in the public domain - it has been frustrating to have to be private.

Thank you also for welcoming Kristen back into the world of blogging at her new site, Jeremiah 29:11. It would be great if you'd go over there and become a Follower!




Remember making an apron in Home Ec? I loved Home Ec - I was blessed to have both sewing and cooking, one semester of each, for 3 years. I am sad that that it's become a seemingly unnecessary part of curriculum these days.


I had some great home ec teachers - I was a quick learner, so I got to do extra projects, including some pretty advanced knitting. I still had my first apron until just recently, when it was in complete shreds.

One year DC gave me a very interesting Christmas gift - a pattern, fabric, lace, and buttons to make a very fancy apron. I was impressed that he went to such an effort to get something I would enjoy making and using. I have two young nieces who are making aprons for themselves and as gifts - I am glad the younger women are discovering aprons.




All these thoughts have gone through my mind since I got this story in an e-mail:

I don't think our kids know what an apron is. (Note - my grandkids do, because they like to use my old ones as big girl "bibs").

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath. Because she only had a few,it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

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.

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.


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 menfolks 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.

REMEMBER:

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

They 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.




Just for fun - enjoy this picture of Grandpa and Emma - can you tell how nuts they are about each other?





The weight loss journey is going well - I can hardly wait to weigh a week from Saturday.



See you Friday!


15 comments:

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

hello hon! I love that darling photo!

Hootin Anni said...

Awwwwwwww, I so love the photo of Grandpa and Emma. That is without a doubt the epitome of a picture paints a 1000 words [or however the saying goes.]

Yes, yes....me too. I loved everything about home-ec!!

And Dawn, I posted that post you just visited last night...it was posted early...today's my birthday.


THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING MY BIRTHDAY SO VERY SPECIAL WITH YOUR WARM, LOVING BIRTHDAY WISHES!!! You made my day.

Susan said...

We were just talking about aprons last night as we cooked the first King's Kitchen meal!!!

Unknown said...

I enjoyed reading about all the uses of an apron. I do have an apron, at least I used to, now I'm wondering if I still have it or not. I made it when I took a sewing class about 15 years ago. I never used it, so I bet it did get simplified at some point.

Cute picture of DC and Emma!

Carole Burant said...

Right after I comment on here I'll go over to Kristen's to welcome her back to blogging:-)

Oh yes, I so loved Home Ec when I was in school...that's where I first learned how to make up a bed properly, how to hem pants properly, how to make an apron (yes!), etc. I remember my gran always having an apron on and I really do think the only time she didn't have one on was when she went to church. I was thinking of that when reading the email you received, about today's world having a fit at the thought of all the germs on that apron! lol

Love that picture of Grandpa and Emma, so very precious. xoxo

Robin said...

What a great essay about aprons! I never have stopped to think about how many useful functions they had. It's fun that they are having a sort of "revival" but it probably won't last.
Your picture is so sweet - there's nothing like a grandpa and his grandgirl!
I'm so glad you are public again too!

Needled Mom said...

Yeah!!!!! I am soooo glad that you are public again, Dawn.

I loved your post on the aprons. They have made such a comeback and I love all the cute patterns out there for them. Yes, the apron had such a vital roll in lives and it was fun to read about it. I think that I received three aprons at my bridal showers so many years ago.

Such a cute picture of the two of them!!!!! Welcome back!

Gigi said...

Dawn, it's all fixed now and I'm receiving notification of your new posts - hooray!!!! Welcome back to the public domain and I'm so glad Kristin is blogging too...I'm heading there next! Always love having another blog to visit!

I never took Home Ec - it wasn't offered in my "progressive" Catholic high school. They were too busy prepping their students to be captains of industry ;)

Bless my Mom's heart - she tried to teach me to sew, but I sooooooo did NOT get that gene. I always told my Mom she double dipped and got my share in that department. It is just not where my talents lie - I can't even get a button to stay on after I take needle and tread to it. My Sweet Hubby used to do the sewing in this house after my Mom's eyesight got to where she could no longer do it for me! Oh well...I guess that's why I have a good tailor shop that get's my business now.

I love aprons...love them!!! But I don't make them, I buy them ;) I would not be able to wear anything I made. Except maybe on Halloween! And probably not even then now that I think about it...

nancygrayce said...

You brought to mind some of my favorite memories of my grandma! She always wore an apron.....I'm going to start wearing one for that dusting thing!!! Love the picture!!!

But.......I did NOT like Home Ec and never could learn to sew. My daddy actually laid out my pattern for my home project one year because it just baffled me! If he would have sewed the pieces together for me, I would have been so happy!

nannykim said...

I am glad to say that I still use aprons; my daughter does / and my little granddaughter does!! Thrilling ;-).

I just ordered one of Lynn Austin's books from the library, but they didn't have the one you mentioned.

nannykim said...

I ordered , A Woman's Place. I figured I can find out about the series online or whatever. The problem with series is the library doesn't usually tell you all the books in the series. AND my library has the series scattered around at branch libraries so you have to order them!! YIKES!!

Linda said...

I think I need to get a few aprons. My Mom always wears one and has made a couple for me that I've carefully put away because I don't want to ruin them!

Diane@Diane's Place said...

I still occasionally use an apron, but not often these days, though I do keep a few and have made many of them over the years.

Love the pic of the besotted Grandpa and Granddaughter. :o)

First thing I did was add your feed to my Bloglines again! I'm so glad to see you go public again with the blog!

grammy said...

sweet apron memories
I did not enjoy making my apron in 4-H
I will have to post that story someday (o:
Cute picture (o:
Glad you like Castle...we also like the Mentalist

Midlife Mom said...

Loved this post! Brought back so many memories of my mom and grandmother in their aprons. I wear an apron on Christmas and Thanksgving as I have my good clothes on and don't want to spill gravy on them! lol! Miss T has an apron that she wears here when cooking, I don't know where it came from but it's way too small for me and just a little too big for her. Her other grammie made all the grands their own aprons with their names on them even the boys and they use them when they finger paint.

Good job on your weight loss, I'm jealous! haha! I have hardly eaten anything for a week due to the stomach bug but I don't think I have lost an ounce! Waaaaaaaaa!

Will go sign up to be a follower on Kristen's new blog and so glad you are public now! Yeah!