WENDY'S DIARY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 60, 16 August 1940, Page 42

WENDY'S DIARY

SUNDAY Awoke early with a fit of blues. Beautiful day, so why are women so silly as to get depressed? Decided to go riding. Left two boys asleep, and their father snoring. Put on old slacks and woollen jumper, caught Ginger, and thoroughly enjoyed a mad gallop along the beach. Returned feeling wonderfully refreshed to find my small sonny-boys dressed, and P- with breakfast readybaked cheese on toast, my favourite breakfast dish. Wrote letters and made potato scones for dinner.

MONDAY Set to work and winter-cleaned living room. Enamelled grate a bright crimson, electric heater a deep cream. It looked quite effective standing inside the grate. Moved the settee and arm-chairs into new positions, making the room look a new place-a poor woman’s only resource against monotony. Two boys came running in wanting me to go for a walk, but I said I was too busy, and gave them an orange each. An orange in the bush works wonders. Vacuum-cleaner over carpet and rugs, and finally placed a

bowl of bronze chrysanthemums on our dark oak table, TUESDAY Raining, so decided to sew. Turned on heater in sewing-room, and energetically got to work. Made up a pair of deep shaded blue velvet cushion covers. Wished there was a kindergarten close by, as my two boys worried me nearly all morning. Gave them each a pair of old scissors and a fashion book and they were no more trouble, They just sat out in the sun-porch all morning cutting out pictures for their scrap-books, while I made a sweet striped silk shirt-blouse for myself. WEDNESDAY Baking day. Made a date and wheatmeal loaf, marshmallow fingers, and a big brown sponge sandwich which is P-’s favourite. Filled it with mock cream, and sprinkled the top with icingsugar. But appearances in cakes are deceptive. Before the electric range got cold I wiped over all with a damp cloth, rubbing off the discoloured places. Have found this saves much time later. THURSDAY Held a bush " sewing-bee" afternoon, although we did more talking than sewing. Was shown a new way of doing the lovely long and short stitch work. Start-

ing from outside of pattern, you work in a small stem-stitch all around the edge, gradually shading and filling in the design, and working in towards the centre. Quite thrilled over the grapeleaf design I shaded. Even P- admired it when I came home. FRIDAY Baby Bill’s birthday. Had a small party in the afternoon-plenty of jellies, whipped cream and salads, with little decorated butterfly sponges. Placed bonbons beside each child’s plate. Party a great success, and table really did look pretty. All the visitors admired it. SATURDAY Another beautiful day, in fact too good to be inside, so I left lunch cooking, went outside and transplanted a border of Viola plants: Celestial Queen, a lovely big sky blue, and Winter Sun, a deep yellow. Should make an effective border for beds of double stock. Forked around polyanthus and tulip beds. After lunch all went for a walk along the bush-fringed road. Thought to myself as I walked along how peaceful everything was, with fantails flitting about among the tree-ferns, and the occasional whirr of a bush pigeon. I just couldn’t realise that the outside world was at war. Do we ever realise what troubles are until they hit our own homes? (Gillespie’s Beach)