Listening: Dar Williams, The Honesty Room (1993/1995). I got this for $2 on clearance at the One True Church: Half-Price Books. I'm not actually a very big fan of Williams or of this type of 1990's "girl music", but I needed this as a keepsake. She was the first concert I saw when I got to college and there are a couple of songs on here that I think are very good even if, stylistically, they are not really my thing (I recognize that what I like and what is good are not always the same). "The Babysitter's Here", in particular, I think is a small miracle of lyrical economy: So much is said in such a seemingly simple song. Additionally, the child's perspective and the character of the babysitter and what the song tells the (presumably older and wiser) listener that the child and babysitter don't understand yet, are astonishingly well-balanced.
For me, there are two things going on here:
1) The issue of choices in relationships and the meaning of love. If Tom loved her, he wouldn't make her choose between marriage and education/self-improvement/her aspirations. That she asks the child not to "go with a guy who would make you choose" suggests to me that she does want both. An older listener would probably tell Tom to stuff it, but the babysitter is young and smitten and we know that decisions like that are difficult when you don't have the life experience to envision long-term options, especially in an era that was still getting its sea legs where opportunities for women were concerned.
Equally interesting although not really the point:
2) The treatment of women (and minorities) by "liberated" minds. That's not to criticize liberated minds, but how often do we see examples of prejudices surfacing in people who ought to know better?
This could be diverted, too, to the attitude towards women and minorities in the hippie movement. From the lyrics and the fact that Williams was born in 1967, we can guess this takes place in the early 1970's. For all its talk of love and peace and acceptance, the hippie movement often didn't do well by minorities and women. Tom is at least a wannabe radical who wears a flag on the butt of his old jeans, but he still expects his girlfriend to drop everything and follow his wishes.
The movie mentioned might be Fantastic Voyage (1966).
This could be diverted, too, to the attitude towards women and minorities in the hippie movement. From the lyrics and the fact that Williams was born in 1967, we can guess this takes place in the early 1970's. For all its talk of love and peace and acceptance, the hippie movement often didn't do well by minorities and women. Tom is at least a wannabe radical who wears a flag on the butt of his old jeans, but he still expects his girlfriend to drop everything and follow his wishes.
The movie mentioned might be Fantastic Voyage (1966).
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I hope everyone had a pleasant, happy, and hopefully restful Thanksgiving. My brother and sister-in-law were down for the long weekend. We had to juggle cats in shifts but otherwise, things went well.
There was antiquing to be done. My brother was looking for examples of plates to use as teaching aids in his archaeology classes (he needed to find the same pattern on a new and an older plate. He went home with two eras of Blue Willow).
We had to pass on this phenomental midcentury cabinet bar:
I found a Royal Doulton Sealyham terrier hiding in a large collection of wirehaired fox terriers, for $6.
I did not buy the 1970's cake keeper, but I love the butterfly:
So, we have a quilt pattern in the background, and a full Christmas tree scene in the front, and it's the entire front of a sweater. Even better, it was horrible, hard, cotton yarn. Wow, do I hate cotton yarn. This sucker had it all.
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We went to the Renaissance Festival. Even if you're not a RenFest type, if you spend any time at all in Texas this is one of the things you're obligated to do once. It's really too many people for any of us but the people watching is unbeatable, and the raptor guy was there. It's seriously worth the whole trip just for the raptor guy. Who wouldn't want her picture taken with a screech owl?
Easily the most adorable deadly predator on Earth.
And I'm still working on Christmas knitting. I'm getting impatient for that holiday just so I can stop keeping secrets, already.
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