Bon Appetit!

I am fortunate to be the type of person who requires very little to be happy, content, entertained, moved or amused.  As such, yesterday will go down as one of my favorite days - for a variety of reasons.

I am between jobs right now.  I wrapped up my career, albeit a short one, with the radio station last Friday and won't start at the hospital before next Thursday.  This has afforded me this entire week off.  And it's been a productive one. 

Yesterday, I spent the entire day, 11:00 until 6:30, with my buddies Cathy & Linda.  I couldn't think of a better way to spend a day...

We met for an early lunch here:

There was eating and chatting and catching up on what we'd been up to...  frustrations with life in general were shared, rejoicing in accomplishments brought about ohhhss and ahhss and laughter, always a lot of laughter.  I love these women to the deepest core of my soul - truly...

And after lunch, we hit this:

Where we saw this:

(Cathy and Linda)

(Cathy and Me)

I LOVED this movie - loved it.  I had a grin on my face the entire time - except for maybe a total of 5 minutes where there were some "soft spots" that made me a little sad (i.e. a tender moment between "Julia" (Meryl) and "Paul" (Stanley) where they were sorely reminded of their inability to have children - which I didn't know about them).  While I suppose this was literally a film about cooking, I thought it was more about relationships, specifically the marriage between a man and woman.  And if Paul Child were like this in real life - - - WOW, what a guy.  I think he truly adored Julia...I wonder what that feels like...

After the movie, we were ready for dessert...take a look at these little beauties...

That's a turtle cheesecake on the right (full size) and one of the little mini desserts Johnny Carinos offers for $2.00 on the left (Chocolate Moulten Cake)!  A perfect way to top off a super sweet movie...CHOCOLATE!

None of us knows what the future holds and I don't doubt that that's a good thing.  But I have to say that I can't help but hold out some hope that my life's path will take me to Eurpoe one day.  As much as I want to see different cultures and architecture and people in general, I want to eat the food!  Really good food.  And food brings fellowship, it brings conversation, it brings contentment - at least when it's served at a table with everyone participating (hello American families eating from a sack).  

So please let me know when you're coming to visit.  Because I promise you this, friends, we will eat and we will eat well and we will enjoy dessert and we will chat and we will laugh and maybe even exchange a recipe or two - and we will have made a memory around my table.

I applaude all involved in the making of this film.  It just goes to prove that special effects aren't needed, there doesn't need to be gore and terror at the turn of every corner and their certainly doesn't need to be nudity and groping going on...

All you need is bread, good wine, a frying pan and butter...lots of butter.

Bon Appetit!