Julie and Julia

Ok, I'm going to jump on the Julie and Julia band wagon. Sweety and I went last weekend to see it and we had a wonderful time. This movie is great! Everyone in the audience was laughing and thoroughly enjoying themselves. I highly recommend it. I give it a Five Scotties rating!

This is my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Actually, I had given it to my daughter, but I have borrowed it back. There is a chicken dish in the movie I would like to attempt to duplicate. It was a gift from a friend and she wrote such a nice inscription in the front. Problem was, once I opened the book, there were a number of pages out of sequence and missing. The publisher had me return it and they sent me a new one. Fine, but now the sentiment isn't there anymore.

Notice the copyright of my copy? Yes, I've had it for years. I used to watch Julia's cooking show religiously. Sadly, her cooking prowess didn't rub off on me, but to this day I love to watch cooking shows. Sorta like, "oh, that is what the kitchen is for!" Tee Hee!


Watching the movie, I had no idea there was such an intricate and complex story behind the book. The years of disappointment and perseverance that it took to get it published is amazing. It got me to thinking. Every book that you read, every movie that you watch, every quilt pattern that you buy has a story behind it. Someone has had a dream of creating something worthwhile and they have put the effort into seeing that dream to fruition. In fact, sometimes the story behind the story is more interesting than the finished product itself.


What should we do? Well, for one thing, when I find an author whose books I enjoy, I write them a quick email and tell them. I have done this numerous times with authors and they always (always!) write me back and thank me. Most all of today's authors have web sites (and blogs) and have contact information. Artists (like the rest of us) all like to be appreciated and what they have done validated. Besides, it's the polite thing to do.

So go out and see the movie and then hop on over to Julie Powell's blog and say hello. Or finish that book you've been reading and let the author know how much you enjoyed it. Or just tell someone in your life that they mean something to you and you appreciate all you do. It's the easiest way I know to make yourself feel good, too.