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Across the Fence:  The History Of An Apron (FOUND AUTHOR)  |
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Cabinprincess
True Blue Farmgirl
682 Posts
Melody June
Athens
TX
USA
682 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 12 2009 : 7:45:12 PM
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I have this on my wall and thought it worth sharing.
THE HISTORY OF APRONS
I don't think our kids know what an apron is.
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.
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.
Send this to those who would know, and love, the story about Grandma's aprons. Or it can be a good history lesson for those that have no idea how the apron played a part in our lives.
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........but love!!
Smiles, Melody June
God's gift to you are your talents, your gift to Him is how you use them. |
Edited by - Cabinprincess on Sep 13 2009 4:17:57 PM |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2009 : 7:54:55 PM
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Love it, I hope you don't mind if I copy that and hang in my Kitchen?
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Cabinprincess
True Blue Farmgirl
682 Posts
Melody June
Athens
TX
USA
682 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2009 : 8:13:51 PM
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Of course not, I just wish I knew who wrote it. I collect vintage aprons and wear them so a family member sent it to me as a gift. It had no name to give credit to.
Smiles, Melody June
God's gift to you are your talents, your gift to Him is how you use them. |
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Autumn Leaves
True Blue Farmgirl
463 Posts
Jennifer
Northern
California
USA
463 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2009 : 8:32:57 PM
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Wow! How beautiful! I just lost my grandma on Easter Sunday this year, made me remember some very special times. She even made me one on her treadle machine when I was small so we could wear them together. What I would give to have that little apron today. Thank-you for the poem.
Jennifer
Never let yesterday use up too much of today - Will Rogers |
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treelady
True Blue Farmgirl
2306 Posts
Julie
Medina
ND
USA
2306 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2009 : 12:49:18 PM
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Thank You for the poem Melody. It made me remember my grandmother and her apron.
Julie
With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2009 : 1:10:15 PM
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FYI, I googled the poem, and every site said author unknown.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Cabinprincess
True Blue Farmgirl
682 Posts
Melody June
Athens
TX
USA
682 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2009 : 4:48:44 PM
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As many know, the Apron History Poem has traveled the Internet for years. My copy that is in my kitchen has been there for a couple of years with no known author. If I had known the original author I would have included it on my copy. I would never knowingly withhold credit where credit is due. So today when I posted a copy of what I have I also made it clear it was not mine just something I had that I was sharing.
With that said I spent the day researching the poem to find out if there could be a true author and this is what I found. The poem I posted is a plagiarized version of what was used at a convention and then hit the Internet. It ended up on a blog site years later and seen by the original author who contacted the blogger as the rightful author. The blogger quickly posted the correction and guiding other to the poet's blog to see the original poem which I'm posting here with the site for the writer.
Grandma's Apron
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-
See her poems on her site:
http://tinatrivett.blogspot.com/
Smiles, Melody June
God's gift to you are your talents, your gift to Him is how you use them. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2009 : 4:55:42 PM
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I am so glad you found the author, I guess I gave up too soon, thanks cause I always want to give credit where credit is due also. I will put up the original in my kitchen with the authors name.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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beekeepersgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1423 Posts
Luanne
Cresco
PA
USA
1423 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2009 : 05:25:26 AM
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I tried to leave a comment, but I don't think mine went through either. Maybe I'm not doing it right! I'm still new to blogging!
Luanne
Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
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crafter
True Blue Farmgirl
2313 Posts
lori
Fort Atkinson
Wisconsin
USA
2313 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2009 : 08:57:47 AM
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Melody,
I LOVE those poems, and I LOVE aprons!! those poems bring back so many wonderful memories of the childhood with my grandmas and mom and their aprons. thank you for sharing!
Lori |
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Cabinprincess
True Blue Farmgirl
682 Posts
Melody June
Athens
TX
USA
682 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2009 : 12:47:02 PM
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I have pictures of both my grandma's in their aprons. My paternal grandma has a special apron just for hanging her clothes out with. The pockets are big to hold her clothes pins in. I have it along with her pins still in the pockets hanging in my kitchen along with her kitchen wearing apron also. She passed when I was only 10 and I still remember going into the laundry room and taking both aprons down from the hook and taking them home with me. Countless memories are in those aprons..
I loved the poem also.
Smiles, Melody June
God's gift to you are your talents, your gift to Him is how you use them. |
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Bonnie Ellis
True Blue Farmgirl
2474 Posts
Bonnie
Minneapolis
Minnesota
USA
2474 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2009 : 1:18:42 PM
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Melody June: thanks for printing that poem. I have been collecting aprons for many years and now I have made a slide program of it. When I deliver the program, I ask beforehand for people to wear an apron. I am making an apron quilt and will put it on the website when I get it photographed it. I saw Mary Jane's collection in Des Moines, Iowa last year and it was wonderful! What fun to put on our sisterhood badge with the chicken wearing an apron.
I'm glad we all love aprons. They bring us together in the sisterhood.
Bonnie Ellis
grandmother and orphan farmgirl |
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Across the Fence: The History Of An Apron (FOUND AUTHOR) |
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The History Of An Apron (FOUND AUTHOR)
