ARTISTIC THINGS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 221, 7 December 1927, Page 6

ARTISTIC THINGS

ROMANCE IN HOUSEWORK Although there is no fantasy about housework, yet a love for the artistic things in life may have its part in the home and work of the ordinary, practical housewife. There is romance in having a pretty picture—even if it be an advertising calendar—on the kitchen wall; a few flowering plants in the kitchen window; a few hardy perennials beside the kitchen door, and a shady tree near where the birds make music and give lessons in practical housekeeping. Trees and birds and flowers in skimmer ar& a pleasing landscape view in winter, rightfully belong to the kitchen side of the house, and now and then we may find a spare hour or two to improve and beautify these additions to our humble surroundings. A vinecovered porch is a most attractive addition to the kitchen in which a woman must spend so many hours of the day. If there is a chair or stool many restful moments may be spent in the porch, for here the worker may shell peas, pare apples, prepare vegetables for meals or canning, and at the same time have a brief respite from the stove heat and atmosphere of toil. In winter a cosy rocker, or cushioned chair, a book or magazine within reach, or a basket of knitting-work, all these go to the making of a cheery, homelike kitchen, a place that entices rather than repels. In this way we can get away from the idea that kitchen w r ork is drudgery.