What would Ma do?

cross back linen apron on Food52. Photo by James Ransom, courtesy of Food52.com

For the past week or so, we have been reading By The Shores Of Silver Lake, part 5 of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series. Mary, the oldest daughter, is now blind thanks to scarlet fever but still sews her own quilts and never complains, the family has just given each other beautiful handmade Christmas gifts and baked sour dough biscuits for surprise visitors whilst dancing to Pa’s fiddle and singing songs that can be heard across the desolate prairie.

It all sounds too good to be true. Plus Ma wouldn’t want to burst into tears because she couldn’t manage to extract the burnt out light bulb from her Viking stove hood.

In order to channel the spirit of the indomitable Caroline Ingalls, which I am desperately in need of as I ready our house for it’s annual summer rental, I am thinking perhaps I need to start wearing an apron. And right about now, I am feeling this Japanese inspired cross linen number from Food52. Now mind you, it’s a bit different from the calico aprons Ma tended to sport, but it is 2015, and as I’ve often looked toward Japan for gift inspiration of late (see garden clippers and the hori hori knife from earlier posts), I see no need to change direction now.

Especially when I need every moment to purge, clean, sort and organize so that our place can be in perfect condition… just in time for us to leave it in the hands of others.

And now I guess I’ll call the electrician to help me with these bulbs…