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 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 old 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 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 old apron could
dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready,
Grandma walked out on 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 that
old-time apron that served so many purposes.

~Author Unknown~