One of the reasons I tend to fall back on humor is that when I’m sincere I always feel like Eddie Haskell, which then makes me self-conscious. Remember Eddie Haskell from “Leave It To Beaver?” (Thank you Nick at Nite for recycling all those old shows; it allows us to say “of course I remember!” and still pass ourselves off as 35.) This Eddie Haskell is not just inside my head. Many times over the years magazine and book editors have drawn red lines through a lot of my sentences that reeked of Haskellian smarm. I confessed this problem to one editor and we developed a code. When he would edit me, he sometimes would write EH in the margin if, well, you know.
So it’s with great trepidation that I say how you fellow sister bloggers, you Live Like Julia-ettes, are blowing me away with your insights, writing, and generosity toward me, the project, and yourselves. You seriously rock, every last one of you.
Also, you’re looking very lovely today.
This week:
Lois Alter Mark over at Midlife at the Oasis, and a proud non-cook (when her kids were small they used to ask what the Food Man was bringing for dinner) gave Rule #9: Make the World Your Oyster (Stew) a vigorous work out. She took her midlife self to a big blogger conference where she hurled herself far, far outside her comfort zone and had a great, life-changing time, even though she is not a dewy-eyed twentysomething blogess. Channeling Julia, Lois thought nothing of hogging the spotlight a little.
Test-driving Rule #9 was also the aim of Amy Vansant, writer-in-chief at Kid Free Living, (“Voted Funniest Non-Mom Blog by a bunch of moms I got really drunk”). Writing is her pearl, she says. One she’s lost and found a number of times. Her Julia-inspired news flash: it really IS never too late; and sometimes later is better.
Want a master class on whim-following? The world’s most charming vegan, Trista Cornelius, ventures to VegFest (one can only imagine) and delves into what it’s like to follow whims both large and small. In both cases she was rewarded for her efforts.
Debra Burke (Rule #7: Solve the Problem in Front of You) poses a great question: it’s one thing for us to try to live like Julia, what would Julia do if she had to live like us. (“Would she be popping Valium and sliding home to sprawl on the sofa?”) Hee-larious, Debra.
Finally, Shanna Schad at Pineapple & Coconut gets her Rule #10 on (Every Woman Should Have a Blow Torch), and makes some stupendous Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. Shanna also grew up in Santa Barbara, where Julia spent her last years, and used to run into Julia at the grocery store or on the beach.
Some serious blow torch action going on here. I could eat every last one of these.
And over on the Twitters:
I love this Julia Child “advice”: All you need is a kitchen & a bedroom. http://t.co/UGeP3yZzJT Via @Karbohemia @bryancallen #livelikejulia
— Susan Gloss (@susangloss) September 25, 2013
Pear-raspberry hand pies. #LiveLikeJulia pic.twitter.com/j5CtnKoIxX
— Deb Nies (@MadisonMusings) September 22, 2013
I probably shouldn’t have used those words, but there they are. http://t.co/kclZ5A9Xfb #LiveLikeJulia
— deb (@iwritedeb) September 20, 2013
First whim for #livelikejulia is #flyfishing the Umpqua. Relishing the wild beauty of Oregon & learning new things. pic.twitter.com/gb6xjOYFf5
— Kerry Newberry (@kerrynewberry) September 15, 2013
@karbohemia – wonder what Julia would make of this? Introducing Kale to the French http://t.co/cm4xAdaNlN #LiveLikeJulia
— Bridget Quinn (@bquinnterest) September 23, 2013
A genius has learned to live with the errors of her ways and rejoice in her stellar qualities. I will try to…. #Livelikejulia
— Camille Cole (@CamilleLaPlume) September 25, 2013
Hey, you forgot to mention that I am over at The Crab Chronicles cooking like Julia this week. Everyone in my house is happy, even with the leftovers! Yesterday’s Tarte Tatin made me want to lick the dish clean and made my son so happy he cleaned up the kitchen for me!
Thanks for sharing these links. Midlife at the Oasis inspired me and answered a question I’ve been pondering. What would Julia be like if she were alive today? (Say somewhere in her 40s-50s.) Midlife at the Oasis is it! So vivacious and bold!
I also appreciated reading the career history of Kid-Free Living. People can look so successful, as if they’ve known exactly what to do at every turn in their career, but in reality, it’s an adventurous and winding path. Kid-Free Living gives me hope that it all works out beautifully.
Hurrah for the LiveLikeJulia project! [Is it too late to do a LiveLikeO’Keeffee? LiveLikeCoco? …Although living like Coco might be dangerous … : )