Arlene Park Arnold/ Aprons and Dishes

Mother was an apron wearer.  She would have never considered buying one.  They were always homemade.  Her mother, Grandma Park always wore an apron.  Mother wore one when she cooked, Grandma wore one most of the time.  She wore the 1930-40 types, tiny print, calico, big straps, big pockets, and lots of cover up.  Mother wore half aprons gathered at the waist and tied in the back with a great big bow.  She loved gingham, so most of them were checked, and some were trimmed in rick rack.  After she passed away Robin and I  took a couple of aprons.  Most were stained, worn, and very used.  I love those aprons and carefully put them away for safekeeping.  Mother taught me well.  I am an wearer of aprons and so is my sister.  When I cook, the first thing I look for is my apron.  I have never figured out why a women would not want to wear an apron in the kitchen.  I am a messy cook. I spill, I splatter, and I wipe.  My clothes very rarely get stained and I can pop off my apron and I am ready to go out of the house.  I have non-apron friends who always change clothes to "something clean" before they leave their home.  Why don't they just wear an apron?  Mother was one of the tidiest cooks I have ever been around.  She could make a fantastic meal with several courses and not have a messy kitchen.  When I was at home, she taught me to "clean as you go".  She would put hot sudsy water in the sink and when she finished a preparation, she would put it in the water.  She could never understand women who left their bowls or pans to harden, when it is just as easy to put them in water and avoid all the scrubbing later. That way she said, "Water does most of the work".  She was a staunch believer in doing dishes right after a meal.  I have no memory of Mother's kitchen ever having meal preparation or dishes from a meal left in the sink or on the counter top or stove.  She taught her daughters that the "made beds and doing dishes" were the secrets to keeping a good house.  I remember her saying that a woman can do other things to keep an organized house, but if they don't start with beds and dishes they are just fooling themselves.