Two Versions of "Grandma's Apron"

"Grandma's Apron . . ."

(shared in church on Mother's Day in Glencoe)

I don't think our kids know what an apron IS....

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 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.

~ Author Unknown

The Original “Grandma’s Apron” Poem

Aprons are making a come-back and are becoming popular again, especially vintage and vintage-style aprons. One woman says this: “There is an apron "pattern" that I treasure far more - my great-grandmother's apron. Nanny always wore aprons at home and most of my memories of her include an apron.”

The following poem describes Nanny's apron perfectly.

It's almost as if it was written for her.

The strings were tied, it was freshly washed, and maybe even pressed. For Grandma,

it was everyday to choose one when she dressed. The simple apron that it was,

you would never think about;the things she used it for, that made it look worn out.

She may have used it to hold some wildflowers that she'd found. Or to hide a crying child's face when a stranger came around.Imagine all the little tears that were wiped with just that cloth.

Or it became a potholder to serve some chicken broth.

She probably carried kindling to stoke the kitchen fire. To hold a load of laundry,

or to wipe the clothesline wire. When canning all her vegetables,

it was used to wipe her brow. You never know, she might have used it to shoo flies from the cow.

She might have carried eggs in from the chicken coop outside. Whatever chore she used it for, she did them all with pride. When Grandma went to heaven, God said she now could rest.

I'm sure the apron that she chose, was her Sunday best. -by Tina Trivett-