You probably didn’t realize it, but National Tie One On Day is here. Slipped up on you again, didn’t it? In fact, today, November 26, 2008, will mark the third annual observance of this event, celebrated each year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
EllynAnne Geisel, author of The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort
p(left caption). EllynAnne Geisel
On National Tie One On Day, Geisel encourages us to pause in the preparation of our Turkey Day bounty and wrap a small loaf of bread or other baked offering in an apron, along with a note of encouragement tucked in the pocket; then ‘tie one on’ (an apron, of course) and deliver the bundle to a neighbor, friend or family member who is in need of physical or spiritual sustenance. According to EllynAnne, no matter which direction you walk out of your own front door, someone who is deserving of a hug is close by.
Geisel says she first got the idea for Tie One On Day when she kept hearing people grousing and complaining about how much work they had to do to prepare for the holidays. ‘I looked at all the foods I was getting ready to prepare for the next day’s Thanksgiving feast, and I thought about how lucky we were. Then I thought of a neighbor of mine who had had some recent sadness in her life, so I wrapped up a little part of our bounty in an apron, tied my apron on and brought it over to her. Inside the bundle was a little note that said ‘I hope this makes your day just a little happier.’ It was just that simple,’ she says. And that was the start of it. You can learn more about it at her Apron Memories website.
p(right caption). Blueberry Coconut Pound Cake Muffins
Food suggestions: Just about any
baked goodies
Some of the foods Geisel recommends for Tie One On Day are…just about any baked goods. ‘I’m an easy baker,’ she laughs. ‘Refrigerated pie crusts changed my life.’ A couple of her favorite things to give are Lovely Lemon Bread and Blueberry Coconut Pound Cake Muffins, which you can now find in our Food Channel library. ‘I have found that some of the best recipes are the ones printed on the back of the package of your main ingredient. They’ve already done all the testing and everything,’ Geisel says.
It’s been a 9-year ‘apron journey’ for Geisel. In addition to the two books she has written on the fabric icon, she has collected people’s apron stories over the years and weaved them into a traveling museum exhibit. Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American Recollections, is on exhibit through January 9 at the Grace Museum in Abilene, Texas. The exhibit includes aprons gathered from all over the country, and the stories behind them. Geisel mentions one woman who said pulling on her grandmother’s apron—putting her arms though it and pulling it tight at the waist—is like getting a hug from her grandma.
Know someone who needs a bit of cheering up right now? Bring them a little bundle from your holiday abundance and ‘tie one one’ today. EllynAnne Geisel guarantees you’ll be cheered up, too.
