Christmas Gift ! The History of "Apron"

I received a really darling bib style apron from Edith, my sister-in-law, at our Christmas Party! In the pocket I also found a matching pot holder and a poem about the history of aprons. My daughter, posted all the photo's & fun we all had.. and ask me to post the poem that was in my apron. So here goes....

The History of "Aprons" 
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I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principal use of Grandma's apron wast to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons 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 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 of perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood where 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 folks 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 the "old-time apron" that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her home 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...

I really do enjoy reading this, it brought so many memories of my childhood growing up with my grandmother's & how they used their aprons. I remember apple peeling that my grandmother would give me while we where waiting for a pie to bake. And so many tears wiped from my eyes when some one would hurt my feelings. I will wear this lovely  apron that Edith made me with pride of knowing that I will be there for my grand-children in the same way when needed. God Bless the hands of a seamstress for there is joy to be had by many! Thank-you, so very much Edith. May God Bless..love you, Bea.