Hands Down Great Cooks--160 Aprons say so!

You never know when you make a small contribution to a conversation what can happen! That is how I felt Saturday as adult volunteers put the finishing touches on the 160 aprons for the cafeteria workers in Metro Nashville Public Schools with school gardens.

How did I get into the business of producing aprons? It was the outgrowth of a comment I made at a Nashville School Garden Network meeting. It went something like this, "I don't want our cafeteria ladies to view those of us in the school garden as the enemy. I think sometimes they feel we are saying that they are not doing a good job because the food they serve is not up to the healthiest standards. It isn't their fault. They do all that they can to make our lunches palatable. I think we need to acknowledge them in some way. Everyone needs to know that they are wonderful once-in-a-while."

The next thing I knew I was hand-lettering aprons all last week "Hands Down -- Great Cook"and on Friday -- every kindergartner in the Westmeade came through the library to put their hand prints on those aprons! They hung drying across the computers, over the book shelves and on chairs. The library looked like one of those homes that the wealthy close for the season covering the furniture with sheets!


In the overall scheme of things -- this may not do a lot of good. But hopefully it will warm some hearts as the cafeteria ladies head home for the summer break!