I remember aprons; do you? I don't think our kids know what an apron is anymore. The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect her dress, but the apron did so much more. It served as a pot holder for removing hot pans from the oven, and to wipe her brow when the weather was almost as hot as that old woodstove. When the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped the apron around her arms. 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. Wood chips and kindling were brought into the kitchen in an apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, it 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. And aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. When dinner was ready, Grandma waved her apron from the porch, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to eat.

It will be a long time before someone invents something as useful and versatile as the old-fashioned apron.