The History of Aprons

The History of Aprons

(from Facebook)

The apron second from the left was my mother's.

I don't think most kids today know what an apron is. The principle use of Mom's or Grandma's apron was 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'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, she 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, she walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk 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.

REMEMBER:

Moms and Grandmas used to set 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.

Primary Pumpkin Decorating Activity

Decorating pumpkins was our activity on October 22nd with the Primary boys.  It was a nice day to do it on tables set up in our backyard.  Each boy brought their own pumpkin to decorate, and they could also choose a small gourd from our garden.    

(back) Isaac Tanner, Carter King, Wyatt Finlinson, Alex Voorhees; (front) Charlie Teuscher, Alex Hutchings, Kaelon Jorgenson, Owen Memmott, and Corwin Richardson

 Pumpkins and gourds from our garden added to our front entrance. 

Celebrations with Family in October

House decorated for Autumn and Halloween.

Went with Sarah to their ward's Trunk or Treat.

Anna and Sarah as characters from Harry Potter

with Derek in a wig. - October 20

There was a variety of soups from which to choose.

Sarah and Grant

Anna and Paul

The Trick-or-Treaters enjoyed stopping at the Lontine's trunk for their treat.  Each child took hold of the magic wand to raise up a pumpkin before getting a treat from the pumpkin bowl.

Sarah held the candy bowl, and Derek was in position nearby.

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Marla rode back with us from South Dakota on Friday, October 20th; and the next day there was a baby shower for Haley in our home.

Baby Shower for Haley

 Saturday, October 20, 10:00 - 12:00

 Ready for the shower to begin.

 A nice brunch was served.

Sarah reading the answers for the Dr. Seuss quiz.

 The shower theme was Books, and attendees shared a message on a book they gave.  My gift was a set of five Dr. Seuss books, and my special message was written on a gift card.

Haley looking at some of the other books she was given.

 One of the pretty quilts this baby will have among the many other nice gifts unwrapped for all to enjoy seeing.

 Anna and Rebecca 

Haley with three friends from BYU who came a distance for the shower (Saint George, California, and Georgia, I think).

Haley with Tyler's mother

Narene, Marla, Haley, Maren, Sarah, and Anna 

Shannon, Amy, and Haley

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Jacob's Missionary Farewell

Sunday, October 22nd, we went to Layton to hear Elder Jacob's talk in their church, after which we were invited to Doug and Shannon's home for a nice brunch with Jacob's family and friends. 

Jacob called to serve in the Brazil Santos Mission.

Jacob with Shannon and her mother and siblings

Jacob with Sam and me

Sarah, Marla, Anna, and Maren

Marla had come to Utah with us when we returned from South Dakota on Friday so she could be here for Haley's baby shower on Saturday.  Then on Sunday Beth took Marla and us to Layton to attend Jacob's farewell and brunch at Doug and Shannon's.  Marla then left for the airport to fly home that afternoon.

Prior to this Sunday, Jacob had begun his mission with an in-home training experience, which has become a common process.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Beth's Annual Donut Activity

Beth has continued on with a tradition I started in St. Johns of deep frying and glazing Spudnut donuts for friends and neighbors in October.  I had done mine for Halloween, but it works better for Beth to do it as a Family Home Evening prior to Halloween.

(Beth, Rebecca, and Megan)

October Visits and Views, Part 4

Martin Heritage Center

It was nice of Joyce to open the Heritage Center for Sam and me to enjoy seeing the exhibits.  She went back to the store while we had a private viewing before returning the key to her.

This corn sheller is part of the farm display.  (Sam)

When Sam and I had originally set up the displays in the school room years ago, we noticed the band uniform had Doug's name inside.  

The wrestler uniform had been Scott's and included leggings.

On, Wisconsin is the music for the BCHS school song.  I had donated this sheet music to the Heritage Center, which had belonged to my family.  Laura Hough, whose name is on it, was a family friend.

Harold Ireland, Sam's dad, had owned these chaps and spurs that were donated to the Heritage Center.  The photo is of Sam's grandparents, Howard and Mary Ireland.

Original photo of Sam's dad, 1929.

Carpenter's plane that had belonged to Sam's dad.

The desk had belonged to Harold Ireland, Sam's dad.

The telephone on the wall is like the one we had in our home at Mission.  It was not a private line, and we knew someone was calling us when we heard 2 long rings plus 1 short ring.

Authentic Native American buckskin clothing that the school bought for Homecoming royalty to wear.  All of our family were part of the Homecoming royalty during their high school years, but I don't know if any of us wore any of these particular ones.  I know the year I was the Warrior Princess the beaded buckskin dress was borrowed from Pine Ridge.

The apron 2nd from the left was Margaret Nelson's, my mother.

The kitchen area brings back a memory of when my mother as the Home Extension Agent had held demonstrations here when this building was owned by LaCreek Electric.

This Memory Walk has a brick with my parent's names and one with Sam's parent's names.

 * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kids in the Kitchen

This is a photo I took of Tauna's "Kids in the Kitchen" class she now teaches in Martin Grade School each week - one class for all 4th graders and another class for the 5th graders.  The day I visited she had Bonnie Page demonstrate making pumpkin pies.  The children rolled out the crust for their small individual pie pan, added the prepared and seasoned "squash" filling to their individual pie crust, fluted the crust edges, and then the pies were baked in the school ovens.  The kids enjoyed the small baked trimmings sprinkled with cinnamon sugar while waiting for the pies to finish baking.  When school was out, the children were given their pie to take home.    

* * * * * * * * * * * *

This is the small two-bedroom home my parents bought when we moved from Mission and lived there until moving to Utah when my parents retired.  It didn't seem so small for my parents and me!  There is a nice size backyard where we had a lawn, a garden and the trees included a black walnut tree.

This photo of Brent was included in the recent copy of the Bennett County Booster's "Days Gone By" for 40 years ago - October 13, 1983.

A photo of a picture Brent & Tauna have of the farm.  Our former home and now theirs is hidden by the trees at the upper left.

Here is a photo I took showing part of the house where many happy memories were made and we are pleased are continuing to be made.

October Visits and Views, Part 3

October Visits and Views, Part 3

Sam and Brent

They couldn't combine the first two days we were at the farm because the ground was too wet from the nice rain.  Sam enjoyed his good visits with Brent during that time as well as later when the ground was okay for combining.

Photos taken with my iPhone on my walk at the farm:

Martin on the horizon seen during my walk to the calving shed.

Calving shed in the distance.

Granaries seen past the silage pit.

Photo taken from the other side of the granaries.

Silage pit with tires holding down the cover.

The cool car still in the "graveyard."

The Marines who came for the Garrett Hodson funeral stayed in the home where Steve Strain stays when he is at the farm helping Brent.

Photos Sam took with his iPhone:

The big tractor and grain cart getting ready to dump into the bagger pulled by the little tractor.

The bag with the combine and pickup behind it.

The 120-foot sprayer getting winterized.

Tractor and grain cart.

I always love the sunsets at the farm.