For Those Who Remember Grandma's Aprons

I received this in an email the other day, and I know I have seen it before. But this time there was a couple of sewing patterns with this "History of the Apron" story which took me back. There was also a picture of a woman wearing one of the aprons like my grandma Spencer use to wear over her calico house dress. She always wore dresses, even when she was canning and standing over the hot stove or oven, and I am pretty sure I never saw her wear pants of any kind. In my Thanksgiving poem I wrote last year which I posted then, I mentioned my grandma wearing her apron and this just seems like a fitting story to post especially this time of the year (during the holidays). There was alot of baking and candy making going on during this time all those years ago and it seemed like women were never without an apron. I remember my step-grandma, Mary and my great-grandmas also wearing their aprons. I usually don't wear an apron, but it sure would save on my clothes if I did, especially with the splashes from the stove while cooking, etc. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. "The History of Apron: 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 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: Grandma used to set her 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".

November - A Thankful Kind of a Month

November means the close of another year coming soon upon us. Once November hits, we have already experienced the changing of the leaves on all the different trees around us, and the color of the moon when it changes to the harvest color. It's when the little squirrels and chipmunks start to collect and hide their food they will need for the winter and start disappearing to their winter homes. The beauty that all this entails is beyond description to me. Even though November means the beginning of colder weather, and the transition of going from nice and warm to nice and cold, and that it is the end of another college football season and the time we start getting ready for the busy holiday season, it is still a favorite time of year to me. November is also a month of thanksgiving. I am so humbled by some of the things I have read about the word "thanks", and the giving of it to those who deserve it and those who deserve to give it. I have read on Facebook what some of my FB Friends have posted on why they are thankful this month. I have been lax in doing so but am going to give it a try here. First I am thankful for my mother and all that she continues to teach me even when she doesn't know she is doing it. I am thankful that I still have her to talk to and confide in even if it's about things she doesn't really want to hear. Just being able to tell her certain things gives me relief because I don't feel comfortable telling other people about those things. When I tell her something that I don't want anybody else to know, she keeps it quiet until I tell her I have told somebody else. She has been such an example of strength to me in so many ways. There is so much about my Mom that I am thankful for. Second of all, I am thankful for my family. Everybody has trials and tribulations to deal with at some point in ones life. My children have had their's at one time or another along with my husband. Granted, ..... there are other's in this world whose problems are much greater than our's and sometimes we all have to remind each other of that. But that is what brings us closer together when we need it. My family, everyone of them have been such a blessing to me. My grand daughter brought a brighter light in to my life when she was born in to this world. I thank God everyday for the blessing she has been to me. To my children and in-law children, my husband, my sisters and my sister-in-laws, my mother, my mother-in-law, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my niece's and nephews and ALL my friends,....Thank you for all you do to make every day of my life days that I would not trade for anything. I am thankful for still breathing and being able to wake up in the morning no matter how stressful of a day I know I am going to be enduring. At least I am here to endure it, and that is what matters most. I have found out that life is about risk and sticking your neck out to try and better your situation. And even though everybody doesn't agree with the risk one is taking, the important thing is the word 'try'. If you don't try, it will not happen. I am very thankful that as I have grown older, I have been witness to just that all around me. I am thankful for the "turtle" and all that I have learned from it's example. I know that when I was a younger person, I liked to listen to the story about the tortoise and the hare and how the turtle just kept plugging away, not looking like he was going to make it anywhere, much less get to the finish line. I still love the story. In fact, I pull different stories up about the "turtle" often because of one speech that was given at an oil and gas conference I had attended while working for BLM and going to Billings, MT to attend it in the late 90's. The speech on the first day of the conference was given by the Lt. Governor (Judy Martz) at that time. She had such a profound impact on me when she told us the story of why she had been wearing a turtle pin on her lapel everyday since a certain time in her life. She gave us an example of why she was telling this story which had everything to do with the fact that a turtle doesn't get anywhere without sticking it's neck out. I have collected some turtles over the years, including a zipper pull, knick-knacks, a necklace, a sterling silver turtle ring, etc., etc. And now, my latest turtle item is a huge ring with different colored stones in it. It is so big that it will be hard to wear,.....BUT, it represents so many things to me. So here is another of my "thankfuls",...to my hubby, Dave. Thank you for buying this gaudy looking ring, something that you do not like yourself, but at the same time you know what it means to me. And 'thankyou' Judy, for bringing the 'turtle' in to my life. I am thankful for having my job at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is no secret how stressful the job is, but it is what gets me out of bed everyday, and a reason to appreciate what I do have. Another very important part of my job is our "Veterans" by helping them and showing them the appreciation that every single one of them deserves to get from me and everybody else that works at the VA. I am also very thankful for Dad and the example he was to so many, especially his children and grand-children and their families. Even tho' he has passed on, like my niece Kadie once said in her comment to one of my blog posts about him, "he lives on in each of us and that the beautiful thing is we will meet again!" This coming Thanksgiving will be the third one without him, but my Dad will forever be in my heart, and for that I am so very thankful. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

IT'S A CONTEST - GIVE IT A TRY ON DEENIE'S SPACE!

So, my Mom is having a contest on her Blog to see who can come up with the best or funniest.opinion about her Thanksgiving background. If you want to participate and possibly when a prize go to her link. It is: http://ns21931.blogspot.com/ or you can go over to my sidebar and click on "Deenie's Space". Whitey and Sioux have already made their opinion known and put it in the comment section on Mom's Blog. See if anybody can out-do their's. And remember, the winner will be posted there on Mom's Blog Sunday evening (Nov. 22nd), and will win the PRIZE! Good luck to all of you! MOM IS THE JUDGE! No bribery is allowed. Let's make this fun for her! Let's try and get everybody involved. Thanks to all of you! And Good Luck!

November is "BIG" Birthday Month!

November is a very big birthday month for the "Spencer" side of the family.

I wanted to wish my daughter, Ashley a very Happy Birthday today. Not only was she born on November 11th, but she was born on Veterans Day. She will always be "my little girl" no matter how old she gets. I am so thankful every day for her. Happy Birthday Ashley,....your Mom and Dad love you very much!

Happy Birthday to my oldest son, Christopher. He was born on November 14th and I still remember the day of his birth as if it were yesterday,....it's been 36 years worth of yesterdays! It is hard to believe how fast time goes by. He was always a very good baby and always so easy for me, as a new mom at the time to care for and love. I was on top of the world when he came in to our lives. He was my parents first grandson, and Dave's parents first grandchild. We love him a lot and am very proud of him in so many ways. Love you Christopher!

At this time I want to wish Stephanie, my first niece a Happy Birthday once again. Her birthday was a week ago today. She is teaching in China, so of course we don't get to see her very often. All our love goes to her all the way over there. I'm still confused as to the time difference tho'. I guess she needs to educate her ole' aunt a little bit.

Also my two younger sisters share the month of November for their birthdays. Denice on the 7th and Clydene on the 22nd. Cheryl, Mom and I were down in Grand Junction this past Saturday which was Denice's birthday. Mom had called her while we were still on the road and sang Happy Birthday to her. Later on that night after leaving Aunt Florene's, she called us on the phone and told Mom that Marilyn Monroe had called her to sing to her. Mom had a hard time convincing Denice that it was her that had called and sang to her and not Marilyn. Denice was on her GPS up in Wisconsin trying to direct us back to our hotel in Grand Junction from Clifton. It was a lot of fun talking to her. Happy Birthday NeeNee! Love you a lot!

And to my youngest sister, Clydene (Whitey), I hope you have a grand day on your "Day" and a very Happy one at that. With the loving family that you have, I know they will make sure your birthday is a very special one. And "may your special day be filled with memories and flowers, friendship and happy hours". Love you little Sis!

Happy Birthday to Tracy on the 15th (my second niece) and Jase on the 23rd (my first nephew). They both live in Montana and I don't get to see them very often, but I would like to wish them a very Happy Birthday and to let them both know that your Aunt NaNa loves you very much!

HALLOWEEN POEM FOR HR

THREE DAYS AFTER I WROTE MY POEM TO GO WITH THE TREATS I TOOK TO WORK, ONE OF THE OTHER LADIES ON THE COMMITTEE ASKED IF I WOULD WRITE A POEM TO READ TO STAFF WHILE THE PRIZES WERE BEING HIDDEN FOR THE 'HAUNTED HALLOWEEN HUNT'. BELOW THE POEM IS THE 'HAUNTED GRAVEYARD DIP' I MADE AS MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE POT LUCK WE HAD.

All Hallow's Eve

2009

By: Janette Sprankle

Up on Foothill Drive in our fair city,

There is a group of folks that are scary but witty.

At the VA in a building frightenly occupied by HR,

Some might say they are acting very bizarre!

Throughout the year HRL&E is pretty normal,

But Halloween time we're all pretty ABNORMAL!

And watch out if you dare to come inside,

There won't be very many places to hide.

You may get scared as your teeth start to chatter,

You'll be so afraid you won't know what's the matter!

It might be those ghosts and goblins a lurking,

You can be sure they're in a huddle and probably smirking!

There are scary things that might give you a fright,

That's the way it is in HR on this scary night,

In our haunted hallway, run fast and watch out!

For there is haunting and daunting all about.

The bats are flying and flapping their wings,

The noises they're making will make you scream!

The spiders are climbing and giving us chills,

And ghosts that are swirling, they're getting their thrills!

Of course there are pumpkins straight from the patch,

And witches galore,....it's YOU they want to catch!

It's Halloween and time to have fun for a while,

The costumes we've worn are sure to make us smile.

So now that you're here come and enjoy,

Who knows, you may find a Halloween toy!

Haunted Graveyard Dip