Friday, March 25, 2011

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 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 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 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.



I received this in an email and just had to share it.  I love this.  I have one of my Grandmother's aprons hanging in my dining room where I store my treasures.

We called my grandmother Mammar (pronounced Mammer).  This was my dad's mother.  She was a great cook.  My sister and I used to play Avon at her house in Hazel, Kentucky.  I miss Mammar.  She wore an apron.


Sunday, March 20, 2011

Spring has sprung




We spent the day outdoors today.  We rode the four wheelers around the backyard.  Hubby cranked up his bike and put a few miles on it then washed his truck.  I piddled in the garage and straightened it up a little, hung several loads of clothes on the clothesline.  I even turned the air conditioner on for a few hours!

I'm back to school tomorrow.  Unfortunately I didn't get as much accomplished as I had hoped.  I finished one project, wrote one short paper and did a little research on one of the other papers I need to write.

The Dr removed one polyp during the colonoscopy and did other biopsies so I'm waiting on those results.  He didn't think it would be anything to worry about but I will feel much better after the results confirm that.

Hope you all have a great week!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart

This is a great little book that one of my classes used a few semesters ago.  It isn't a self-help book, nor is it a text book.  It's just a great little book to read.  It's written by Dr. Gordon Livingston and it details 30 things we should know.

One of my favorites is "Our greatest strengths are our greatest weaknesses".  This one rings true for me personally.

It's true, I have certain personality characteristics that that some may lovingly refer to as obsessive.  I don't consider myself a perfectionist but I do wants things I do completed in a specific way.  Take my homework for instance.  Anything less than an A simply WILL NOT DO.  It drives me to the brink of insanity just thinking about a B.

When I am making a special dish or creating one of the boy's birthday cakes




It has to be JUST right.

It's too bad I'm not so obsessive with spring cleaning.  It's a standing joke in my family that I am a terrible "housekeeper".  Wait a minute... stop thinking that thought you're thinking...  now if company unexpectedly drops by the house is usually clean enough that I don't have to stop them at the door to tell them the house is under quarantine for the dreaded lily-livered chicken snout pox but my baseboards are dusty, there are crumbs on the table from breakfast, and the beds are unmade.

However, my dear little sister's house is so clean you could literally eat off the floor.  Really, you could, if you so desired.  She has ALWAYS been like that.  I can remember her as a little girl with banana curls actually [GASP] asking Mom what she could clean.  Holy Lysol!  Can you imagine???

Needless to say, I prefer to spend my time wallowing in my dust with my nose in a book.  She used to get so mad when I would curl up with a book. 

The moral of today's blog is a simple one.  Don't let your perfectionistic tendencies  wear you down.  Take a breath and realize it is ok if I get a B, it is ok if you can play tic tac toe in the dust on your baseboards - as long as you are happy.

Friday, March 11, 2011

I'm on SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!

What a semester.  I am on a well deserved spring break. 

I am not going to Florida.

I am not going on a Cruise.

I am not going on vacation.

I am staying home.  I am writing (or starting) several papers.  One I'm really looking forward to - Administration of  mental health services in rural areas.

I am having lunch with friends.  At least once.

I am working on a service learning project - Nature Deficit Disorder.

I am having a colonoscopy - and yes the prep is terrible.

I am cleaning my house.

I am hanging my clothes outdoors to dry.

I am laughing and playing.

I will sleep late at least once.

I will take pictures.


So, pretend you're on vacation and tell me what YOU would do!


Sunday, March 6, 2011

Naps come quicker when you're thicker in the middle

Are you a genuine antique person?

Fill in the blanks on these questions from old T.V. shows:

1.  Captain Kangaroo's sidekick was _______?

2.  Hey Poncho . . . Hey ______?

3.  The Grouch on Howdy Doody was _________?

4.  "Here he comes to save the day.  That means that ______  _________ is on the way!?



How many did you get right?



Answers:
1.  Mr. Green Jeans
2.  Cisco
3.  Mr. Bluster
4.  Mighty Mouse


Have a happy week!








Saturday, March 5, 2011

And the winner is . . .

KrippledWarrior!!

Congratulations!  You've won a digital copy of my family cookbook's appetizer section. 

Several people did guess that it was a seed pod, but only you correctly named the Rose of Sharon pod.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Contest with a prize... Can you guess what this is?


To the winner goes the spoils.

Ok, I'm doing my first giveaway, folks, so get ready!!

For all those that guess correctly what the above picture is
their name will go into the pot for a drawing . . .




of




a




digital copy of my family cookbook's
appetizer section.


Happy guessing!