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Quote by Catherine Anderson

Work

Sweet Nothings

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Author

Catherine Anderson
Catherine Anderson

Catherine Anderson, born on December 22, 1948, is a talented writer whose works span various literary genres, including novels, poetry, and drama. Anderson's writing is known for its profound emotion and rich imagination, which has won her a dedicated following among readers. more

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“I wish you could have seen the kitchen when I was done: It looked like a hurricane had blown right in the door! But I cleaned it all up, and when Mother came home the whole house smelled warm and spicy, Bing Crosby was singing "White Christmas" on the radio, I was wearing a clean apron, and she called me her "little homemaker." What would you think about tomato mincemeat cookies? I bet no one else will think of that!”

“What's the point of getting educated if you're going to end up stuck as a housewife?" Jane's heard that one before. Some people find it hard to accept that housework is preferable to inflexible deadlines and bosses with no respect for personal boundaries. But after spending too many late nights making slides for men who talked shit about her in the break room, she's glad she's left that life behind. "Because I get to spend half my day shopping and watching TV.”

“Harriet Nelson was my idol when I was growing up. She was everything I wanted to become-- a wife, a mother, and a homemaker. I watched The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet every week on television, reverently noting Harriet's clever way with her husband and sons, her calm demeanor, how she dressed up each day to stay at home taking care of her family. I loved how they worshipped her. And I coveted her apron. My own mother was an amazing woman; long before it was the norm, she had a college degree, worked full time, and raised six children. She enjoyed her career and was successful at it, but as far as I was concerned, the job I wanted was Harriet's.”

“Why would you want to work when you don't have to? "At some point, you have to do things for yourself," Jane says to Mei. "You'll understand once you've been worked like a dog and can't even keep track of which days you've showered." ... Mei takes this in. "It's so weird. You get good grades in high school so you can get into a good college. Then you go to a good college so you can get a good job. I thought that was the endgame." Jane laughs. "That's the endgame of your youth. Then you start learning all those things you were working so hard for don't actually make you happy...”

“Marrying left your maiden name disused. Its five light sounds no longer mean your face, Your voice, and all your variants of grace; For since you were so thankfully confused By law with someone else, you cannot be Semantically the same as that young beauty: It was of her that these two words were used. Now it's a phrase applicable to no one, Lying just where you left it, scattered through Old lists, old programmes, a school prize or two Packets of letters tied with tartan ribbon - Then is it scentless, weightless, strengthless, wholly Untruthful? Try whispering it slowly. No, it means you. Or, since you're past and gone, It means what we feel now about you then: How beautiful you were, and near, and young, So vivid, you might still be there among Those first few days, unfingermarked again. So your old name shelters our faithfulness, Instead of losing shape and meaning less With your depreciating luggage laden. - Maiden Name”