Turkeys:
Babies:
[Photos by brother JJ]
Well the Thanksgiving celebration at Plume Gables is now over! We popped everyone on their respective planes yesterday and waved them all farewell (or see you soon). There were moments, in the past six days, when I thought my home would literally burst at the seams, but as it turns out, they built houses very well in the year of 1908 in Pocatello, Idaho. Plume Gables held and is perhaps stronger for the experience of holding 18 people, 2 tiny twin babies, one crazy five year old, 43 pounds of turkey, a whopping batch of mashed potatoes and candied yams, stuffing, cranberry sauce and relish, buns (rolls), a gorgeous salad, blueberry cheesecake, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. I was incredibly remiss in hardly picking my camera up more than once over the course of the week but RW’s dad managed to snap this shot of RW and I holding the new, twin baby boys, Caden and Bryce, in the living room under Julia’s supervision!
He also managed to catch a snapshot of Penelope cleaning up a baby carrier (I’ll let you guess at what she was eating…ew).
And I snapped these shots of Julia at our local park, acting like a sass and sliding with exceptional style.
Julia is our only niece and our goddaughter. We love her to bits and were fortunate enough to have her sleep over at The Gables nearly every night the family was in town. She’s hilarious and we didn’t have to send her to bed without her dinner once!
I will say this, after hanging on to those baby boys on and off over a period of six days, I have realized that I am really NOT ready to have a kid of my own. I like to have them lent to me with a due date, like an enjoyable library book. When I go to turn it in, after reading it cover to cover, I miss the story quite a lot but am glad to have room on my bedside table once more. Caden and Bryce are beautiful boys, they smell like babies, they feel like babies, they make baby sounds, they like to be cuddled, they like to squeeze your pointer fingers with their tiny hands, they like to be tickled, they sometimes cry and they make mighty poops (just ask RW). We’ll miss having them around and were SO glad to finally meet them!
Lastly, RW and I saw Julie & Julia last night.
I know we’re a bit late in seeing this movie but we really value the dollar and often wait for films to hit the cheap theater in town. If we like it enough, we’ll go see it twice and blow a total of $8 on the engaging piece of flickage! WAHOO!
Anyway, we both loved it. The details that appealed to me most about J & J are the following:
1. I adore Meryl Streep. I’ll watch anything she’s in. Over and over again.
2. Obviously, Julia Child appeals to my eccentric sensibilities and makes me feel more comfortable about the breadth of my shoulders.
3. It was very good for me to watch blogger/aspiring cook/cubicle worker, Julie, have meltdowns, feel utter elation when realizing that people were indeed reading her blog, learning what lines NOT to cross with her blogging, witnessing the portrayal of a real life and the pursuit of being published, success and failure in the kitchen, and the tasting of the fruit of her labor (each time she sat down and took a taste of a successful meal, she savored it and said YUM). I felt like I was watching myself and suddenly I knew that I’m not the only blogger out there with specific dreams who suffers from utter meltdowns, utter victories and a whole lot of lesson learning along the way. Whew. What a relief!
4. Don’t tell RW that I can read his mind, but I think he’s going to get me Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Christmas. YEE HAW! Or perhaps I should say: Bon appétit!
Cheesy cheesy. I know.
Anyway, if you haven’t seen it yet, you probably should, not to sound bossy or anything.
Righto, I’m off to do a bit of work out in yonder studio.
I have missed you all and hope you are having a wonderful Sunday! It’s bright and sunny in
Pocatello today and I can feel a little hop and a skip in my heart.
Love to you all,
Quillianna
PS Did I convey to you, well enough, that I LOVE the family I married into?
Because I do.
Very much.
Hey much younger (than me) babe;) Y'all look like you had an awesome time. Yay. Glad you had a great thanksgiving…with Turkey and all the trimmings and babies to boot! Your niece/god-daughter is lovely! Wasn't "Julie and Julia" delightful? I saw it awhile back and it inspired me to pull out my old, and well-used version of her French Cuisine cookbook. The boeuf bourguignon recipe is one of the best around!
Talk to you soon.
Glad you had a wonderful thanksgiving. I still cannot believe how many you were hosting!!!
So you too loved Julie and Julia…hmmm? Something must be wrong with me. I loved Julia, I appreciate very much the real Julia, but NO to Julie. And, you Miss Quiliiana, IMHO, are different than Julie in one big way…you create your own, not redo the masters' work. I was put off by that a lot.
Anyhoo…good to hear from you.
xx
What a wonderful thanksgiving day you had with very special people. I am positive that they are just as happy that you married into their family as you are. I have not seen Julie and Julia but it is at the top of my list when we return to Arizona on Wednesday. Hugs and peace, Sally
LOVE the family pics, thanks for posting. What a fun and beautiful family!
I saw the movie (rental) "Julie and Julia" just two weekends ago and enjoyed it immensely for many reasons *smile. I also have Mastering the Art of French Cooking…so far only I haven't even used it but I love the thought of using it ;-). Glad you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Good food shared with family-looks like a joyful time. Hope that Nothern wind carries you home in time to catch your sister's new baby. Wishing you the merriest.
Must rent Julie & Julia, and then walk around the house speaking like Julia Child until my hubby threatens death. Maybe I'll rent it tomorrow. Good times…
Sounds like you had a great family reunion. Babies can be intimidating, especially in pairs, even when they're as cute as can be. I'm waiting for Julie and Julia to be released on Netflix(9 more days, wheee!). That is definitely a good cookbook to have (although she tends to do the complicated version of things).
And I love your blog.
i love meryl streep too. she is probably one of my favorites. i wanted to see this movie when it came out, but never went cause there was no way the husband was going. but, i got to see it on my flight from florida to california! i loved it.
and i also went and saw the fantastic mr. fox today…she does the mama fox voice in the movie. it was pretty cute.
glad to see you had a good thanksgiving. i couldnt imagine hosting so many people. we had two friends over, who brought some amazing russian dishes.
Runs: Oh yes. I'll be trying the boeuf bourguignon sometime very soon (I wonder if I can substitute elk steak for beef steaks???).
MLJ: I can't believe it either! There were so many people in this little house it was shocking!
Nothing is wrong with you:) Watching the struggles of a blogger was what I related to the most when it came to the character of Julie.
By the way, what is IMHO?
TBA: You SHOULD see it, just for the hilarity of Meryl Streep if anything!!!
Akamilby: And I'm sure your family is just as wonderful!!! Especially that little tater tot you have in your arms:)
Joyful: YOU HAVE IT BUT YOU HAVEN'T USED IT????????????? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Strap on some pearls and get to the kitchen. Pronto!
Susie: I'm hoping I get home in time for my sister's baby as well! Thanks for the merry wishes! XO
Alicia: Thanks sweets! And I agree with the intimidation. Two babies is a whole lot of babies…
JessicaJane: Fantastic Mister Fox!!! Want to see so badly! Russian dishes!!! Want to eat so badly! XOXO
STILL haven't seen J&J, but fully intend to. i also love meryl streep, and i also sometimes like to know i'm not the only one with uber-broad shoulders ;). those babies look adorable, and i love that your god-daughter is named julia (my sister's name which i'm sure you remember) – not all that common. anyway, so glad you had a great time, the family looks/sounds like a lot of fun! talk soon
xoxo
Hey Jillian. OF COURSE you can substitute. I've done it with moose! So long as it's well dried/cure-salted in advance it usually works out great. And, I'm SURE you and RW know all about that! I did an amazing potatoe casserole last night. I'll send you the recipe. It's amazing (and easy)…
xo…moi
Tis the season to EAT!!!
Jorday: We really will talk soon! FACE TO FACE!!! Can't wait to see you in S'toon!
Runs: Whew! Glad to hear it! I'm entirely boycotting store bought meat at this junction in life (with the exception of 25 pound turkeys) and would prefer to use our harvest.
LMAO…what? You and RW can't GROW a 25+ pound turkey?
Okay…back to work and then hospital.
Also, a further response to MLJ:
I think you're right.
I thought it was a bit ridiculous that Julie wound up being published just for cooking another person's recipes for an entire year. The part that interested me more was witnessing the success and failure of a character and how that person reacted to public limelight as well as internet attention. I totally related to her occasional melt downs and feelings of being overwhelmed; her reactions to negative/hateful comments (which I'm slowly learning how to deal with) and everything else that comes with making a personal life public. I totally agree with you when it comes to copying another person's life work!!! I can't understand why people want their work to look like, read like or generally BE like the work of anyone else!!!????!!!! Rip off "artists" are mind boggling for me. And you are right, to reward someone for simply copying the life work of another person does seem ridiculous.
I hear what you're saying and happen to agree with your point and I wanted to let you know!!!
Hi "Plume",
Thank you for visiting me (my blog)…
I am in the same spot with having babies. I love to be with them but I also love to give them back. My cat is quite enough most days.
Your Thanksgiving sounds/reads wonderful.
I was wondering where in Canada are you from?
🙂
a
your funny~ I want to see that movie also, I'm like you and would rather wait to see movies at the cheap theatre (3.50) or on dvd. I just took my kids to see New Moon and got all the extras I kid you not about $60. later!!! jeez no wonder I never go to the movies!!
…it's official…you've cooked a 25lb turkey…and more…for the in~laws…amidst cuddly twin babes…a poop eating hound…a nifty niece…under one roof…looking like a goddess…& having FUN to boot…you celebrated Thanksgiving…in true Plume style…XOXO
PS:…gotta see Miss Meryl in Out of Africa & The Deer Hunter…if you haven't already…oh my…oh yes…
Crow: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan!
Fashionably: YIKES! $60??? And to be frank, wasn't New Moon rather disappointing?
NMC: OUT OF AFRICA. I quote that movie more than any other. By the way, Meryl looks amazing in a fancy fur coat, hunting cap, and a break-action shotgun…my kind of lady.
Hello, Turkey Girl!
A small envelope flies to you and I loved your blog: twin babies might be enough to scare ME off of the baby wagon and that's saying a lot, considering that I see babies and feel a symphony playing in my womb. Sigh – 32…. what can ya do?
Love you,
A
Ahhh Jillian. Remarkable. "Out of Africa"….a favourite novel by Baroness Karen Von Blixen-Finecke…AND a favourite movie.
Meryl Streep's voice ringing at the beginning and ending of that movie—reading the first lines of Von Blixen's novel…rings in my heart and in my ears….
"I had a farm in Africa…at the foot of the Ngong (n'ong-ong) Hills"…
So much of Africa can be such a magical place…and east Africa especially…from Mombassa to Nairobi, Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater and Wildlife Conservation area…
*sigh*
One of my brothers lived there for some years…mostly in Tanzanzia, just outside of Dar es Salaam.
Just…brought back memories…
I can hear the voice of South African, Johnny Clegg with Juluka singing Scatterlings of Africa…
Must fly…home for a few changes of clothes…and now back to the hospital.
What a splendid thanksgiving celebration! I've been dying to see that movie.. and now I won't be able to put it off any longer.
(also, to note, IMHO = in my humble opinion ^_^)
I am in the midst of reading J&J and loving it. While driving to Atlanta for my turkey I picked up "My Life in France" (book on tape), Julias life while in France with her hubby! Now I'm hooked. (But I did purchase The Silver Palate for myself yesterday.) Can't wait to see the movie!