Black is the color of my true love's hair

The only live performance of her singing is from 1958. It was grainy and difficult to follow.      

                                                     

Joan Baez has had an amazing career.  Her voice—that incredible soprano voice—rang out as a voice of our generation.  There are too many roads to take down this topic, the wide genre of her songs.  Instead, the one song that rings clearest in my memory is “Black is the color…”

A question niggles in my brain:  What is it about the color black that pervades the design world?

Why are TV remotes black? Is it possible that Sony or RCA want us to lose the remotes in the dark recesses of sofa cushions knowing that the black remotes will remain hidden?

 

Why are many purse linings black, or nearly black?  Is it possible that, by making the linings dark, little items (nail clippers, lipstick, lip-gloss) will disappear, thus requiring further purchases?

 

Why do fancy dress events involve black/dark suits and dresses?  The ‘little black dress’: Why is it the important dress in the closet?  

For that matter, why do members of the Clergy wear black cassocks, black suits, black nun habits, etc.?  Why?  

In the beginning two questions, the color black perhaps denotes dignity and stylishness.  In the last question, maybe the color black indicates a desire to shed worldly attachments. Just guessing here...

Teenagers seem to go through an ‘all-black-Goth’ stage.  Black hair, black clothing, coal-black eye make-up—this is supposed to shout out to the world that they are individuals making a statement.  

Oddly, when they are all together, they appear to be wearing uniforms.

Spies, burglars, movie villains, and Harry Potter characters all are dressed in black.  The Adams family—stylish black clothing.  Matrix—really cool black clothing. 

Enough of this rant.

Anyway, enjoy this song.

I wrote this in 2013, and came across it recently. Why, I don't know. The underlined words are from Wednesday words challenge that I fitted into this homage to black, and to Joan Baez.

The Last of Us: Pedro Pascal

Obyren Martell, readying for a fateful battle with the "Mountain".

Today I cut my final tie to the Game of Thrones series.  

My "Stark"  tee is going into the Goodwill bag.  My "dragon" tee went long ago.  I had socks too, but they are lost in sock hell.

It was inevitable.  One can only hold onto the love and fascination of such an elaborate show for so long.

I will still, however, love Pedro Pascal. He was cocky, his costumes were amazing.  Now,he is the Mandalorian, and he has all the attitude needed.  

  

Whoever the costume designers were, they did some amazing things in this series.  

 

 The Mandalorian, in a Star Wars saga

 

 The Last of Us takes place in a dystopian society.  Rough times. 

  Are there any movies or series that finished that you recall?  Any actor who has transferred to another role? What actor stands out as a reason to watch him/her in a new role?

 

Note to bloggers: I have been having a hard time getting my comments to show, unless I okay cookies.  Somehow I will overcome.

I've Been Robbed!

Erin in one of her creations. All her costumes are accurate to the time period.  The skirt alone weighed nearly ten pounds!

Recently, my daughter Erin and family attended the Renaissance Faire near Pasadena, California.  In years past, Erin had been an active member of the Guild which provided an Elizabethan presence, complete with all degrees of nobility.  Normally, Erin and Brian would have been clothed in expensive and accurate costumes she has created over the years.

  

Sunshine's first Faire in her mother's arms

The problems were that Bright Eyes and Sunshine have outgrown their old costumes.

 

Erin, Sunshine, Brian, and Bright Eyes

They went to the Faire as tourists, in shorts and sandals and lathered in sunscreen.  The girls wore tattered fairy wings left over from Halloween, and they had a grand time, the best Erin could remember.  

Freedom from the heavy costumes and the burden of being in character allowed them to explore, experience, run, and play.  

Freedom—aaahhhh.

At the end of the day, they arrived home drenched in sweat and caked in dust-turned-mud.  Erin took the girls in through the garage, stripped them down, and threw the damp clothes straight into the washer.

Bright Eyes is a modest 8 ½ year-old.  She wrapped a large shirt around herself, and ran up to the bath tub. 

But Sunshine, oh 7 year-old Sunshine.  She was born nude and would live her entire life as a nudist, if given the chance.  She stripped down and streaked through the house.  She ran into Daddy at the foot of the stairs, only then realizing that she was naked.

Sunshine smiled big, threw her arms open wide, and exclaimed, “I’ve been robbed!”  Giggling, she raced up the stairs to join her sister in the tub.

Robbed, in deed.

Freedom: aaahhhhhh!

The Dancer Is a Child

Satellite view of Ireland

From the first slip jig of the day to the last reel at the end, one fact was abundantly clear:  every competitor in this Irish Dance Feis (Fesh) was still a kid. 

Oh, each one gave their best to stand tall and be mature. 

Their toe points were perfect.  The arms were straight.  Knees straight on the kicks.  1 2 3 4 5 6 7, Hop 2 3, Hop 2 3, Back you go 4 5 6 7, Hop 2 3 and Hop 2 3. 

Wigs are now required as dancers move up the ranks—curly crazy wigs that bounce to accentuate the dance.  The dance schools each have their own school color and design.  It can be blue with red pleats, the Celtic designs in bold embroidery, white with orange pleats, or any of many variations.  The shoes are either soft shoe or hard shoe.  The white socks are held in place up to the calf with sock glue.

This is a long way from the surge of Irish dance of Riverdance fame.  

For an article that compares the past to the present click here.  You will see the before and after photos of Irish dancing!

Many words could be written about how something simple and pure morphs into a huge business in the world of dance with rules and regulations, expense (one “worn only twice” solo dress was for sale: $1,200) and dedication.  They won’t be written here.

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After the dancers finish and the dance costumes carefully put away, the dancers are children.  The shoes are packed, and flip flops replace them.  Tee shirts and shorts don’t glitter, and the wigs are off with a pony tail in their place.   

They stand before the wall with the results numbers.  There is both joy and disappointment.  One little girl (in the beginners 1, under 8 yrs. competitions) searched for the scores for her dances.  There she was:  a 3^rd place, another 3^rd place, oh and a 2^nd place.  Oh, Mommy, there I am!  I got a 1^st place!! 

That little face lifted to her mother, those sparkling eyes, and a huge smile say that the dancers are still kids-- kids who want a hug and then go to get some ice cream, and maybe a movie.