House No. 72: Outside the Home
black and white ink or finely corrugated cardboard
10 in. x 10 in.black and white ink or finely corrugated cardboard
072/365; 03/13/11
A few years ago, when a new couple moved into the neighborhood and a few of us were stopping by individually to welcome them into the area, a couple of friends of mine and I were asked by the new lady of the house if we worked outside the home.
This question lead to peals of laughter amongst those of us who were asked, a catch phrase for our lexicon, and an attempt at hosting for the woman a welcoming dinner dressed in 1960's attire. A dinner to which she never showed up, I might add. Perhaps she was not one to venture outside the home. We enjoyed our nut-encrusted cheese ball in our pearls, sweater sets, and aprons without her. The couple moved to NoVa.
Anyway, the term, while amusing and archaic, is one that I appreciate because it acknowledges that there is plenty of work to be done within the home and that keeping a home has value.
It was this term that inspired my house today, which I masked off before working the drawing outside of the form of the house. And now I must go work within the home before the weekend catches up with me. I have some scrubbing to do and a catbox that needs zen gardening.
Today's post makes me think of this:
Oh my gosh...I laughed all over again reading your post. Work indeed! I could do with a lot less work inside the home. Ha-ha. And she never appreciated the extent to which we were willing to entertain her. So sad. I wonder if she's venturing out in NoVa...
ReplyDeleteI just remembered that we also went out dancing that night after dinner. It was the night we came up with fake names for when we got hit on and tiny Carolyn got sandwiched by the playas. Those were the days.
ReplyDeleteShe sure missed a good cheeseball.
Such a complicated topic for women today. The party sounds fun though!
ReplyDeleteThat's right! We went out dancing and Christine developed smokers cough from all the second hand smoke. Didn't we leave early because of the health hazard? If I remember correctly, you developed a similar cough in sympathy so Christine wouldn't have to accept the entire burden of making us leave. (Lightweights!) xo
ReplyDeleteCough Razzles. It's a very real condition. ;)
ReplyDeleteJohannah: It is a complicated topic. It's one of the reasons that I wanted to work on this project this year. Home in general is a complicated topic, but for women, it has so many thorny issues!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story to go with your art!
ReplyDeleteYou know, as a "stay-at-home-mom" (another lame phrase), this is another reminder that we need better shorthand phrases to describe what we do! I hate it when people ask if I "work". Yes, I work. But that's not what they're asking. They want to know if I have paid employment at a job unrelated to my family life.
ReplyDeleteNext time you want to host an event with sweater sets and cheeseballs, call me! I have a set of pearls and nowhere to wear them. ;)