Ten! Ah ah ah ah!

On my way to Worcester yesterday Erin texted me that Jerry Nelson had passed away.  I read a few months ago that he was in failing health, and that he had pretty much retired from puppeteering except for the vocal work of Count Von Count.

When I was rattling off to Ricky all the characters Jerry Nelson played, he was amazed.  Sherlock Hemlock, Camilla, Gobo, Emmitt Otter, Robin, Fozzie's mom, The Amazing Mumford, Floyd Pepper, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Uncle Deadly... I could just list roles, but that'd be boring.

Here's him as Count Von Count, along with Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog.



And here's a video I found of Jerry Nelson singing When The River Meets The Sea at Jim Henson's memorial service in 1990 with another Muppeteer, Louise Gold.   Try to keep a dry eye at this one:

One more thing from Julia Child

The Huffington Post shared some of their favorite quotes from Julia Child, so I decided to follow suit and share some of my favorites from their list.

I think careful cooking is love, don't you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who's close to you is about as nice a Valentine as you can give.

Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.

Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed. Eh bien, tant pis. Usually one's cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, then the cook must simply grit her teeth and bear it with a smile, and learn from her mistakes.

And my favorite, which makes me think of Tim Duffy:

The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appetit.  

Happy Birthday, Julia Child!

It's Julia Child's 100th birthday today!  My first job out of college was for public television, and I remember getting goosebumps standing on the stage where The French Chef was shot.  You could see the pipes for her kitchen in a corner!  When they tore down those offices, moved across town, and sold the land to a local college (years after I had worked there) I remember feeling melancholy that her studio was gone in turn.

Anyways, I feel like so many people are inspired by her, so it would feel done and disingenuous to talk about it here.  She did a lot for French cooking, and making it accessible, she did a lot for women in television and in a field that was dominantly menfolk.  And she did a lot for those cooks who when a mushroom or chicken falls out of the pot and no one's home, dusting it off and putting it right back in the pot and pretending it never happened.

I mean, that's never happened to me.  I don't know what you're talking about.

I found this clever video that has a variety of clips of her through the ages, and it felt appropriate today.  There are many more clips on youtube, which I'd recommend checking out.

The wedding cardigan

Photo credit:  LovelyGirls

My wedding is a long time away (as this is a public blog, I am not sharing the exact date here) and minimal plans have been made.  We've booked the venue, the DJ, and the photographer.  I have a loose idea of colors.  I realized it probably makes sense to forgo my dessert bar for just a cake (more on that later).  I have a bridal party and a good friend to officiate.  I know the men folk won't be renting tuxes and just wearing suits.  I have a first and last song.  I'm probably not tossing my bouquet.  And then it trails off.

The other thing I have realized I want is a wedding cardigan.  My friend Michnya has teased me for years (actually he's been teasing me about cardigans for a decade, I'm realizing, and feeling a little old and removed from college) that I own a ridiculous amount of cardigans.  Doing a quick count in my head... I have at least 10.  Maybe more.  I wear a cardigan at least 5 of the 7 days a week, including in the summertime when it's frigid in the AC.

Since I am getting married in a colder month, I've decided I want a cardigan. Originally I was thinking of knitting a wedding wrap for myself, and I may, but I'm also worried about running out of time with the other crafty projects I'm planning to do for the wedding.  So I may just resort to buying a wedding cardigan.

Yes, I get it.  You're thinking "what the hell is a wedding cardigan and why would you want to cover up that much on your wedding?"  First off, a wedding cardigan is a cardigan you wear at your wedding.  Duh.

A cardigan feels very me.  I like the practicality of knowing that if I get chilly I have something waiting for me to throw on.  I also like the modesty of something to throw on as well.  And it feels classic, like the color navy blue or a string of pearls.  I realize I'm making myself sound like a prude, but I promise that I am not.

I've found many photos online of beautiful brides in cardigans, and it makes me more sure of this.  The following article from LovelyGirls Weddings + Events shows many fine examples of this.  I've had the photo of the bride and groom lying together in the grass saved on my computer for quite some time*.  It's truly lovely.

Photo credit:  J Crew

The Jackie Cardigan from J Crew (pictured above) is great.  It's reasonably priced and comes in beautiful colors every season.  I am digging it in blue for my something blue, too.  How cute would it be to walk down the aisle wearing a sweet cardigan?!  It's also not as warm as cashmere, so I won't sweat during the ceremony.  And also, it's not almost $200 for a sweater like J Crew cashmere tends to be.

I'll keep browsing for a nice wedding cardigan as the months progress.  I also need to find a dress first so I know if a cardigan would look good or weird with it.  I will keep you posted!




*Full disclosure:  I've had it saved on my desktop at work months before Ricky and I were even engaged.  A girl can dream, right?!

Ticky Tacky

If you watch Weeds (I do not) you probably recognize the song as the theme song.  I recently stumbled upon this song, and I'm in love.  The simple style, Malvina Reynold's voice, and the lyrics... all of it.  I've been listening to it on a loop for a few days now.




Also, I wish that when I grow old that I could look like her.