NAP- Neighborhood Alliance of Pawtucket

Grandmas' Aprons

Do you remember?

I remember aprons .... do you?
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, 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.



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.

Building Memorable Tradidions

Margaret L. Ingram - The holidays and celebrations are wonderful opportunities to build family memories. And, the good thing is, you can start with any Holiday!
Start off with Happy New Year, New Year in and the old year out, and making of new year resolutions. For some it will be a time to attend private parties, make the rounds of the nightclubs or a town party to celebrate. But for others it is a time to sit home and reflect on the past twelve months and to finalize their list of goals for the new year. Many communities and individuals celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

February is definitely the month for sweethearts, expressing your love through flowers, gifts, candy, or jewelry. If you are "unattached" maybe, it will be a time to show love toward family and friends.

If you are a patriotic person, February lent itself to honoring the presidents birthdays. Some businesses celebrate Presidents Day with sales on merchandise. Depending on where you live, maybe your town will have a special commemorative event honoring the presidents and their heroic deeds.

Then it will be "the ides of March upon you." March has been the month for Easter, but more often it is April. March 17th is for the Irish. Take the day off and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Drinking establishments’ color the drinks green and the party will continue into the wee hours. In 1998 the calendar noted March 30 was Doctor’s Day.

April is a very busy month. It starts with April Fool’s Day and all the practical jokes that follow. Then Good Friday, Passover, Easter, and onto National Secretaries Week/Day.

The month of May is Older Americans’ Month. Other notable days will be Mother’s Day, Armed Forces Day, and Memorial Day. Again in 1998 there was Teacher Appreciation Week and National Hospital Week.

If we honor Mother in May, then mustn’t forget Father in June. June also observes Flag Day.

Now we blast into July and Independence Day. The 4th of July celebrations include a parade, special events, carnivals and lots of food and favorite beverages.

Even though my family finds August a very special month, there are no Holidays. August, however, means celebrating my Mother’s birthday.

School days, golden rule day with reading, writing, and arithmetic begins in early September. Just after observing Labor Day, it is time to get the little darlings off to school. Next is Grandparents Day. Fall begins and a change in weather.

As the winds blow, it might remind us of Columbus Day and the big wind storm in 1962. Where were you?

Again we honor the people in our lives with Boss’s Day, then the Sweetest Day, and finish the month with ghosts and goblins on Halloween. Holidays are just around the corner.

Family gatherings, giving thanks for the blessings, and a feast ‘fit for king’ are all part of Thanksgiving. The turkey gobbler, bread dressing, candied yams, homemade biscuits, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and much more to share with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day.

CELEBRATIONS

What about the celebrations, the events that are not part of the calendar, the fairs, carnivals, reunions, etc.?

During my childhood there was a state fair with the carnival, exhibits, good music, and of course lots of food. Summers usually mean rodeos to enjoy, picnics, and sports.

Other times to join in the celebration mode is races, concerts, dances, and miscellaneous sales.

From the national to the state and local holidays, the family gatherings, and events throughout the year, we have the memories of those times in our lives.