Grandma’s Apron

Do you recall Grandma’s big apron;
That covered her clear from her waist to her feet?
With long apron strings so convenient for tying
With waist large or small, it was ever so neat.
Oh, the multiple uses of Grandma’s big apron,
Wiping the tears or a boy’s “runny” nose;
How do we manage with these modern contraptions
With crocheted fol-do-rols and fluffy big bows?
How well I remember my Grandma’s big apron,
Of its many uses modern kids couldn’t guess;
For wiping the tears when one fell by the wayside,
Or held comfortably wrapped while we took a short rest.
How often I’d see her come in from the garden,
Her apron full of good things she had found;
Perhaps it was string beans or maybe some carrots,
Or a nice mess of radishes fresh from the ground.
She would gather the chicks so downy and yellow,
When the crafty old hen had hid out their nest,
And carry them safely in her roomy big apron,
To their new little home where they settled to rest.
How it made a nice wrap and kept so warm
Had we ventured out without a warm jacket,
Off came Grandma’s apron, to keep us from harm.
I could write on and on about Grandma’s big apron,
In my mind’s eye I can picture it yet;
Full of chips for the stove or apples from the orchard,
She watched out for her loved ones,
That I ne’er can forget.
If Grandma should see what we call an apron,
With no nine inch cross stitching, no voluminous folds,
She’d be just as surprised as the young folks are nowadays,
To learn of the things that her apron could hold.
Or along toward evening I’d see her out looking,
Around near the wood pile or the old cider kegs,
And when she came in with apron a-bulging,
She had busily and happily gathered the eggs.
Many is the day when we were out walking.

I finished off with a Grandpa story :

“Granddad was reminiscing about the good old days…”When I were a lad, me mother would send me down to t’corner shop wi’ a shilling, and I’d come back wi’ five pounds o’ potatoes, two loaves o’bread, three pints o’ milk, a pound o’ cheese, a packet o’ tea, an’ ‘alf a dozen eggs. Yer can’t do that now. Too many bloody security cameras.”

Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas, Jann