spring cleaning--not cut for my pleasure
Mar. 27th, 2005 10:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
likethebeerI'm working on motivating to do a few things. I'll write down the list when I'm done here.
Yesterday, mda's b-day, we went to his cabin, fired up the wood stove, read a little, and he took a nap. I began reading a book that I finished the same day entitled, Maybe Baby, by Tenaya Darlington. She's a writer for the Isthmus newspaper in Madison.
It was quite good, as can be seen by the fact taht I read a 256 page book in about 5 hours. I had been put off by the subject matter--"Oh, good! A book about a couple whose daughter is having a baby! Gotta love that, give me some more shit dealing w/parenthood, please!" [note: this is not a comment on my friends w/children. This is a comment on me facing the prospect of reading books about people with, or expecting, children. It's just not something I want to go out of my way to read on first glance.]
The 2 main characters, Rusty & Judy, have been married for about 30 years and while they married in the late 60s (or so), they've settled into a marriage that is sort of nightmarish, lacking in any sort of communication. Their 3 children have more or less disappeared, and they still don't really understand why. Then, their daughter Gretchen announces that she's pregnant by her boyfriend Ray (a performance artist), and wants to raise a completely gender-neutral child.
A friend of Gretchen's, in the effort to have gender-neutral names for her children, for example, has named her children after galaxies: M16 and M24.
The book has some really funny moments (like when Judy meets M16 & M24's mother), but it's also sweet and enlightening. Judy & Rusty are so much more than they appear on the outside. They've had thoughts and feelings of surprising sophistication about their spouses, children, and lives. I kept wishing they would just say this stuff to their daughter.
I think I'd like to get this book for my sister, E (who has 2 kids), and for my mom. Yeah, Judy reminds me a little of her; Rusty, a little of my dad, although admitting my dad may have complex thoughts and emotions is difficult for me to do. I'm not at E's level of thinking about him ("The man has no soul!"), but giving him credit for things often leads to trouble.
Yesterday, mda's b-day, we went to his cabin, fired up the wood stove, read a little, and he took a nap. I began reading a book that I finished the same day entitled, Maybe Baby, by Tenaya Darlington. She's a writer for the Isthmus newspaper in Madison.
It was quite good, as can be seen by the fact taht I read a 256 page book in about 5 hours. I had been put off by the subject matter--"Oh, good! A book about a couple whose daughter is having a baby! Gotta love that, give me some more shit dealing w/parenthood, please!" [note: this is not a comment on my friends w/children. This is a comment on me facing the prospect of reading books about people with, or expecting, children. It's just not something I want to go out of my way to read on first glance.]
The 2 main characters, Rusty & Judy, have been married for about 30 years and while they married in the late 60s (or so), they've settled into a marriage that is sort of nightmarish, lacking in any sort of communication. Their 3 children have more or less disappeared, and they still don't really understand why. Then, their daughter Gretchen announces that she's pregnant by her boyfriend Ray (a performance artist), and wants to raise a completely gender-neutral child.
A friend of Gretchen's, in the effort to have gender-neutral names for her children, for example, has named her children after galaxies: M16 and M24.
(to paraphrase the section):
"'We'll finally be able to play Candyland.' She threw her arms up with an enthusiastic flourish.
'What's the matter with Candyland?' Judy asked.
'Well, they're doing an organic fruits version of it.' She smiled warmly....
The book has some really funny moments (like when Judy meets M16 & M24's mother), but it's also sweet and enlightening. Judy & Rusty are so much more than they appear on the outside. They've had thoughts and feelings of surprising sophistication about their spouses, children, and lives. I kept wishing they would just say this stuff to their daughter.
I think I'd like to get this book for my sister, E (who has 2 kids), and for my mom. Yeah, Judy reminds me a little of her; Rusty, a little of my dad, although admitting my dad may have complex thoughts and emotions is difficult for me to do. I'm not at E's level of thinking about him ("The man has no soul!"), but giving him credit for things often leads to trouble.
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no subject
Date: 2005-03-27 07:26 pm (UTC)but then, amy isn't pregnant ...
I don't think ...
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Date: 2005-03-27 07:33 pm (UTC)You might like the book. I could see me & mda as the 2 main characters as well, at least in the future.
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Date: 2005-03-29 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-29 07:34 pm (UTC)