Jesus' Anger

LUKE 19:45-46
I have to back up for a minute in the progression through Luke as I realized I forgot to include a very interesting bit of historical clarification. This is when Jesus cast out those who were selling in the Temple. When we know how things really worked, then we can see why Jesus reacted with such violence to the money changes and sellers of animals. Again it is William Barclay who provides these historical insights.

First, let us look at the money changers. Every make Jew had to pay a Temple tax every year of half a shekel ... it must be remembered that it was equal to nearly two days' pay for a working man. A month before the Passover, booths were set up in all the towns and villages and it could be paid there; but by far the greater part was actually paid by the pilgrims in Jerusalem when they came to the Passover Feast. In Palestine all kinds of currencies were in circulation, and, for ordinary purposes, they were all -- Greek, Roman Tyrian, Syrian, Egyptian -- equally valid. But this tax had to be paid either in exactly half shekels of the sanctuary or in ordinary Galilean shekels. This is where the money changers came in. To change a coin of exact value they charged one maah, [1/6 of a shekel]. If a larger coin was tendered a charge of one maah was made for the requisite half shekel and of another Maah for the giving of change ... it was an imposition on poor people who could least of all afford it.

Second, let us look at the sellers of animals. Almost every visit to the Temple involved its sacrifice. Victims could be bought outside at very reasonable prices; but the Temple authorities had appointed inspectors, for a victim must be without spot or blemish. It was, therefore, far safer to buy victims from the booths officially set up in the Temple. But there were times when a pair of doves would cost over fifteen times inside the Temple as they did outside. Again it was a deliberately planned victimization of the poor pilgrims, nothing more than legalized robbery. Worse, these Temple shops were known as the booths of Annas and were the property of the family of the High Priest. That is why Jesus was brought first before Annas when he was arrested (John 18:13). Annas was delighted to gloat over this man who had struck such a blow at his evil monopoly.

A Favorite Poem

I'm not fond of most poetry and the sort I do like is either funny or tells a story, which probably is akin to admiring Elvis painted on black velvet. Nonetheless, I muster courage to offer a favorite.

MY RULES
If you want to marry me, here's what you'll have to do:
You must learn how to make a perfect chicken-dumpling stew.
And you must sew my holey socks,
And soothe my troubled mind,
And develop the knack for scratching my back,
And keep my shoes spotlessly shined.
And while I rest you must rake up the leaves,
And when it is hailing and snowing
You must shovel the walk ... and be still when I talk,
And -- hey -- where are you going?

Shel Silverstein

The Sadducees' Question, Part II

LUKE 20:27-40
So now that we know that the Sadducees believed that Mosaic law says nothing about resurrection, it is easy to see that they hoped to make a fool of Jesus with their question of the wife who married the seven brother in turn. The Ignatius Study Bible states Jesus' response in a nutshell.

Jesus deals with his objectors on their own terms: first, by denying that marriage exists in the next life and, second, by deliberately citing the Mosaic law against them. The burning bush episode shows that Yaweh identified himself with the patriarchs long after their death (Ex 3:6). If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still with God, then life must endure beyond death and a future resurrection is implied in the Pentateuch.

William Barclay makes an important point about what we learn about Jesus in this session.

It may well be that we find this an arid passage. It deals with burning questions of the time by means of arguments which a rabbi would find completely convincing but which are not convincing to the modern mind. But out of this very aridity there emerges a great truth for anyone who teaches or who wishes to commend Christianity to his fellows. Jesus used arguments that the people he was arguing with could understand. He talked to them in their own language; he met them on their own ground; and that is precisely why the common people heard him gladly.

It occurred to me that this also is why when God speaks to someone individually it is often in a way that only that person can understand. It might not seem significant to anyone else but that is because God's message is tailored specifically for each person.

Thoughts After a Funeral

Tom and I went to a funeral on Friday. It was an especially sad occasion. One of Rose's friends had her mother die suddenly the weekend before. She left behind her husband and their four children, of whom Rose's friend is the oldest at 14. This is the third funeral I have attended in my life. My parents are not religious and three of my grandparents were in their charge when they died, so no observance was made of their passing. One funeral was that of my mother's mother and was really a memorial service more than anything. The second funeral was that of Tom's father and it was glorious in the fullness of tradition with a rosary the night before, visitation, and an open casket funeral. I have rarely found anything so satisfying on so many levels. It doesn't sound proper but you probably know what I mean when I say that it was a wonderful funeral. The funeral on Friday had no rosary or open casket but was also wonderful as a celebration of this mother's life. I was left with two new "funeral observations" afterward.

First, understandably, the Gospel reading was about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Both our priest and the guest speaker mentioned something that had never occurred to me as a lesson from this passage. When Lazarus comes forth from the tomb he is covered with the winding cloths. Jesus tells Mary and Martha to unbind him, to set him free, and to feed him. This is an illustration of what happens after we die. Jesus meets us and we are set free from all that bound us in our earthly life. So simple but I just never looked at it this way. It was particularly apt in this mother's case but there is no one who would not enjoy such a welcome.

Second, as I sang "On Eagles Wings" I started thinking about Tom's mother. She had me pick the readings and songs for his father's funeral, "Nothing from after Vatican II" (no "On Eagles Wings" for him). Ok, I converted only 4 years ago but I knew what she meant. Then she told me to keep the notes and use them for her funeral whenever it should be.

I began contemplating what I would want to happen during my funeral. First of all, no songs later than the 1900's. Have everyone recite the St. Michael prayer before the final benediction (Rose's idea, she was thinking these sorts of thoughts also). Sing the "Ode to Joy" as everyone leaves. Definitely have everyone go to the house for an old fashioned wake, or is that held the night before? Then who would I have speak? Not a family member, that is too hard for them. I thought maybe my best friend, Joan, would be good. She knows me like no other in many ways.

I told Tom about all these ideas on the way to work afterward. He didn't like thinking about it. I think it was because he strongly identified with the plight of the widowed father who now would have to carry on, "One day at a time," as he told us, raising his children alone. For me it was a more academic idea. I found I wasn't the only one like that. When I told Joan my idea, it started a flurry of back and forth emails that detailed what we'd like and what we'd say in tribute of each other. Then she told me about a great PBS special she'd seen recently about dying at home. She's going to rent it and we'll watch it together.

I thought it was interesting that we got pulled into the details so easily. Maybe its because we are both planners. Maybe its a girl thing. Maybe its because we both have seen the power of a good funeral. I'm not sure. But it is interesting.

Attitude is Everything ... Again

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but Bishop Lynch High School continues to impress. A friend of Rose's had her mother die last weekend. It is a very sad situation and everyone is much shocked. However, it is during this time when BL's care and support of their students really shines.

Hannah had a friend in the same tragic circumstances last year. That was when we discovered that whenever there is such a tragedy the school goes all out to make sure that student is supported.

The funeral is announced on BL Live a few days in advance; a bus is provided to transport students; extra time is given on homework to anyone who attends so they have time to make it up; the head of the school, administration, and many teachers always go. In this instance, as Rose's friend is a freshman and school just began last week, the school also had a couple of teachers go to every freshman class and explain the procedure so the students wouldn't hesitate to attend. Rose said her French teacher asked who would be gone on Friday (Rose and her friend are in the same class) and then said she'd be gone as well to support her. What a caring and supportive environment.

I shouldn't be surprised but this extra effort is not the sort of thing I have been led to expect by our society in general. This is why we pay the tuition for this particular private school. Yes, the academics are wonderful, but its the culture that we value. This school actively supports a living Catholic culture of caring for each other ... and by living it they reinforce it for their students. Our children will not always be in such a supportive environment but what a blessing that they have it now.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

THE DRESDEN FILES SERIES by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden--Wizard
Lost items found. Paranormal investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don't play too well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a--well, whatever.

I first saw this series mentioned at Scattershot Direct and couldn't resist. I love funny dialogue, mysteries, and good modern/urban fantasy. This covers it all. Harry is the archetypal tough talking, wise cracking PI with a heart of gold that gets him into trouble every time. One of Harry's skills is the ability to alienate almost everyone from his friend on the police force to the Wizard's Council. I especially like the couple of books where Harry works with Michael, a Templar Knight, who not only swings a wicked holy sword but spends most of his time shaking his head over Harry's lack of faith in God.

Most importantly, Jim Butcher has the ability to ratchet the pace up to the point where you just can't quit reading, as I have discovered to my dismay every night for the past two weeks. These books are like popcorn ... light, easy to digest and hard to put down. I'm almost done with the fifth book and then what will I do? Book 6 isn't at the bookstore yet and the library doesn't plan to order it. Being a good Catholic girl, I'll guess I'll just have to offer it up until it does come in.

The Sadducees' Question, Part I

LUKE 20:27-40
The Sadducees suddenly appear after Jesus has silenced the Sanhedrin. They ask Jesus what seems like a ridiculous question about a woman whose husband dies and is then married in turn to each of his seven brothers as they die one by one. Their question is who the woman will be married to in heaven. William Barclay points out that this question depends on two things. First, it depends on the Mosaic regulations about marriage and, second, it depends on what the Sadducees believe. Really the question only seems silly because we don't know where the Sadducees were coming from. Barclay outlines the differences between the Pharisees and Sadducees so we have a clear frame of reference.

(a) The Pharisees were entirely a religious body. They had no political ambitions and were content with any government which allowed them to carry out the ceremonial law. The Sadducees were few but very wealthy. The priests and the aristocrats were nearly all Sadducees. They were the governing class; and they were largely collaborationist with Rome, being unwilling to risk losing their wealth, their comfort and their place.

(b) the Pharisees accepted the scriptures plus all the thousand detailed regulations and rules of the oral and ceremonial law ... The Sadducees accepted only the written laws of the Old Testament; and in the Old Testament they stressed only the law of Moses and set no store on the prophetic books.

(c) The Pharisees believed in the resurrection from the dead and in angels and spirits. The Sadducees held that there was no resurrection from the dead and that there were no angels or spirits.

(d) the Pharisees believed in fate; and that a man's life was planned and ordered by God. The Sadducees believed in unrestricted free will.

(e) the Pharisees believed in and hoped for the coming of the Messiah; the Sadducees did not. For them the coming of the Messiah would have been a disturbance of their carefully ordered lives.

Two Great Chinese Cookbooks

When I was first out of college and had that heady experience of running the kitchen for myself, I'd never really had any Chinese food. My gourmet parents didn't cotton to all the chopping that they'd have to do for any sort of Asian cooking. All I needed was one time at a fairly authentic Chinese restaurant and I was hooked. Naturally, I turned to books...

THE KEY TO CHINESE COOKING by Irene Kuo
Irene Kuo has been called the Julia Child of Chinese cooking and she deserves the title. This is the cookbook I used to teach myself Chinese cooking and it has every technique I have ever seen mentioned in any other Asian cookbook. Kuo writes so clearly that there is not much need for illustration, although there are some when describing cutting techniques and ingredients. More importantly, she has a love for her craft that comes through clearly and makes you understand why various techniques even matter. There is a plethora of recipes, many of which are amazingly simple to yield such authentic results. She rightly points out that there is much more than stir-frying to Chinese food and proceeds to instruct in red-cooking, shallow frying, and much more that adds timing flexibility many may not expect from Chinese cooking. Many of the recipes are very simple but the flavor is authentic. If you've ever been interested in Chinese cooking this is the only cookbook you'll ever need.

EASY FAMILY RECIPES FROM A CHINESE-AMERICAN CHILDHOOD by Ken Hom
This is another favorite that shows how simple and easy Chinese cooking can be. Ken Hom gives some of the recipes that his working mother used to put together 4-course meals in an hour, night after night when he was growing up in Chicago's Chinatown. He worked in his uncle's restaurant and also gives us a lot of recipes for those long-time American favorites ... both the restaurant menu version (for Americans) and the "secret menu" version (for Chinese patrons). Hom has been teaching cooking for a long time and it shows. These are very accessible and will please everyone in your family. Believe me, if Hannah likes these meals, then anyone will!

The Entry of the King

LUKE 19:28-40
In the Gospel of John Bible Study I attended this summer, it was made very clear that Jesus often deliberately provoked confrontation with the Pharisees. Other than a few obvious examples such as driving the moneychangers from the Temple, I never really thought of Jesus in those terms. But time and again Jesus takes it to the Pharisees in ways that they simply cannot ignore.

Here is another such time. Jesus enters Jerusalem on a colt. We so often look at this scene for all the other significance familiar to us, but William Barclay points out just what message this had for the Jews of that time. It was an act of defiance that no one could fail to understand. Even in this moment, however, Jesus was telling everyone something more ... that the Messiah was a king of peace. He gave them chance after chance to get the point but they closed their eyes to it. We must hope that seeing all these examples leaves us with our eyes just a little wider open.

We have to note certain things about this entry into Jerusalem.

(i) It was carefully planned. It was no sudden, impulsive action. Jesus did not leave things until the last moment. He had his arrangement with the owners of the colt. The Lord needs it was a password chosen long ago.

(ii) It was an act of glorious defiance and of superlative courage. By this time there was a price on Jesus' head (John 11:57). It would have been natural that, if he must go into Jerusalem at all, he should have slipped in unseen and hidden away in some secret place in the back streets. But he entered in such a way as to focus the whole lime-light upon himself and to occupy the center of the stage.

(iii) It was a deliberate claim to be king, a deliberate fulfilling of the picture in Zechariah 9:9. But even in this Jesus underlined the kind of kingship which he claimed. The ass in Palestine was not the lowly beast that it is in this country. It was noble. Only in war did kings ride upon a horse; when they came in peace they came upon an ass. So Jesus by this action came as a king of love and peace, and not as the conquering military hero whom the mob expected and awaited.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

And now we end our month-long celebration of Hannah's 16th birthday (trip to San Francisco, etc.) with the actual event itself. I know she'll appreciate the sidebar quote that was chosen specially for her. Happy birthday, Hannah!

Back to School ... for the Whole Family

Hannah and Rose sure are taking some interesting classes this year and we're hearing all about them. I'd forgotten that not only do we wind up discussing teachers and classmates but the actual subjects being studied. Quelle surprise! Well, my French is rusty but it won't be for long because Rose is coming home and practicing her one or two sentences with me after every class. We were treated to the story of one teacher's attempts to get his students to think for themselves and question the status quo (World History). This fell on unappreciative ears as Rose is schooled in that daily at home and didn't necessarily agree with the teacher's bent. However, she can look on it as an interesting sociology experiment happening in front of her eyes.

Hannah and I discussed an alternative theory for the disappearance of Roanoke colony this morning (AP American History). Last night, she gave Tom and I a short review of Socrates and his encounter with the Delphi Oracle. Socrates was then contrasted and compared to excerpts of a bestseller named Sophie's World which the teacher said was horribly written but accurately represented some philosophical ideas. Hannah approved neither of the writing nor whichever idea was being presented in the excerpt. Her Ancient Philosophy teacher is going to be pleased if Hannah's name gets drawn out of the hat to be one of the four students discussing the readings for the day.

There's certainly going to be a high level of conversation going on around here for a while!

Ingredient Alert

Don't you hate it when you read about some wonderful new food, try it, and then love it? You'd think that I'd quit trying these new, usually expensive treats but nooooooo, I fall for it every time ... and then I'm hooked. Here are the latest "must tries" I've found at the Central Market.

GREEK YOGURT DRIZZLED WITH HONEY
Fage is a brand of authentic Greek yogurt that comes in 0%, 2% and full fat. The Dallas Morning News food section highlighted Fage's packaging of yogurt with Greek honey that you can drizzle on top. Well, I was at least smart enough to buy the yogurt separately and drizzle it with my own honey. Fage's package has a very small amount of yogurt for the same price as their regular 7 ounce package ($1.99 - ouch!). I got the full fat yogurt (in for a penny, in for a pound) and what a treat it was. It is as thick as sour cream with a slight tang. Drizzled with honey it is luscious. I can't afford the price ... or the fat ... very often but, believe me, I'm gonna get this as often as I can. Next up is to try the lower fat versions.

SMART CHICKEN
All birds are raised on a 100% natural diet and cooled individually with purified, cold air. This process also preserves the quality of the meat. That's the technical mumbo jumbo. What I noticed was less fat, intense flavor, and firm texture that retained moistness. This is one great chicken. Naturally, you don't get this without a price but I used to pay a lot for organic chickens that didn't come up to these standards. I was sucked into trying it by a woman who practically forced it on me, swearing by the quality. Now I'm pushing it just like that woman at the store. It is habit forming. You have been warned!

Satan's Subtlety Versus Jesus' Liberation

Two Standards: A Prayerful Meditation clearly points out the two ways that Satan and Jesus use to enter our hearts.

Satan lures us so subtly that we don't realize what is happening to us, until we wake up one day, shocked at how far we have drifted from our noble starting point.

Not only that, Satan uses our success to create in us a gradual attraction to worldly recognition and honors.

...The strategy of Jesus is diametrically opposed to the strategy of Satan. Instead of leading us to attachments to worldly possessions, pleasures, and honors, Jesus seeks to liberate us from these attachments.

Moreover, he seeks to liberate us from them to the point that -- with the help of God's grace -- we are ready to choose or accept suffering and humiliations, rather than comfort and honor, providing they lead us closer to God and to greater service to God's Kingdom.

This simplicity of this two page meditation belies the importance of the message. It is just the sort of thing that I need to be reminded of over and over again. Via Catholicism, holiness and spirituality.

Can't Get It Out of My Head

BULLY by Sugarbomb

I never would have heard of this band except that Kelly and Jennifer, the bass player and his wife, are great friends of ours. Well, we're lucky on two counts because this is a great CD even without the friendship factor.

Bully is a great, hard-driving pop album with intelligent, tongue-in-cheek lyrics (that quality put me strongly in mind of Astro Lounge by Smash Mouth). You can pick out bits that sound like other bands (most notably the Beatles and Queen) but they are woven together to make Sugarbomb's own unique, infinitely listenable sound. The songs have great hooks and won't leave your head for days ... which must be why I have been listening to it at work, in the car, and, well, everywhere.

Sugarbomb never made another CD because the album release, which was poised to make them the darlings of the rock world including MTV features, was set for the day which we all know now as September 11. Needless to say, that threw a crimp in the works, and the band members went on to other projects.

As Rose said, "I'm glad that it didn't work out for the band because otherwise we wouldn't know Kelly and Jennifer but on the other hand ... I really wish they'd made another CD." Precisely.

A Familiar View of Divorce

LUKE 16:14-18
Jesus tells the Pharisees about the unchangeable nature of the law, "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the law to become invalid." As an example, he then tells them that anyone who divorces their spouse and marries another is committing adultery. The historical perspective on this is especially interesting because I never realized that divorce back then was so easy ... at least for the man ... and that it was endangering family life altogether. Sound familiar? William Barclay explains.

As an illustration of law that would never pass away Jesus took the law of chastity. This very definite statement of Jesus must be read against the contemporary background of Jewish life. The Jew glorified fidelity and chastity ... A Jew must surrender his life rather than commit idolatry, murder or adultery.

But the tragedy was that at this time the marriage bond was on the way to being destroyed. In the eyes of Jewish law a woman was a thing. She could divorce her husband only if he became a leper or an apostate or if he ravished a virgin ...

The matter turned on the interpretation of the phrase some indecency [the qualifier in Mosaic law that allowed a man to divorce his wife] in the Mosaic regulation. The school of Shammai said that meant adultery and adultery alone. The school of Hillel said it could mean "if she spoiled a dish of food; if she spun in the street; if she talked to a strange man"... Human nature being what it is, it was the school of Hillel which prevailed, so that, in the time of Jesus things were so bad that women were refusing to marry at all and family life was in danger.

What Can Stop Six Lanes of Traffic on Northwest Highway?

A dignified mother duck waddling across with her 10 tiny balls of fluff in a straight line behind her, that's what. Adorable and heartwarming. It brightened my whole day so much that I didn't even mind when I discovered the screw stuck in my back tire (thanks to the nice mother behind me in the car park line who pointed it out).

Stepping Into a Fantasy World

THE SECRET COUNTRY TRILOGY by Pamela Dean
The Secret Country
The Hidden Land
The Whim of the Dragon

For the past nine years, cousins Patrick, Ruth, Ellen, Ted, and Laura have played at "The Secret" -- a game full of witches, unicorns, a magic ring and court intrigue. In The Secret, they can imagine anything into reality, and shape destiny. Then the unbelievable happens: by trick or by chance, they find themselves in the Secret Country, their made-up identities now real. They have arrived at the start of their game, with the Country on the edge of war. What was once exciting and wonderful now looms threateningly before them, and no one is sure how to stop it . . . or if they will ever get back home.

This reprinted trilogy is one of the best fantasies ever written. Not only is the story believably written, but Pamela Dean assumes the reader is intelligent enough to handle a complex plot and varied literary allusions. You are kept on your toes along with the main characters who are just barely keeping up as events and people keep changing in ways they never acted out in their "secret."

I have read these time and again and they never fail to please. These may be found in the science fiction/fantasy section although I see they are classified in the "Young Adult" category. Believe me, they are not simple and I really think these were written for adults. The three volumes are really just one long story, with cliffhanger endings, so be sure to read them in order. I was really happy to see they recently have been reprinted. This is my chance to replace my yellowed, brittle copies.

Getting in Touch with the Vatican

ALL THE POPE'S MEN: The Inside Story of How the Vatican Really Thinks by John L. Allen Jr.

Thus when I cover the Vatican, I do not start with the assumption that Church officials are guilty until proven innocent and that the Vatican's motives for any given decision can be assumed to revolve around power and self-interest unless it is shown otherwise. To tell the truth, my experience is that most of the time Vatican officials are trying to make the best calls they can for the common good of the church, based on the information available to them and the political and theological convictions they hold. Once can debate the wisdom of those judgment calls, and I hope this book will provide the tools to do that, but the debate will suffer from fatal confusion unless the challengers appreciate the values Vatican officials are seeking to defend and the logic that led them to particular decisions.

This book is exactly what it says it is, an even-handed attempt to explain how the Vatican's culture: how it thinks, why it reacts as it does, and what typical patterns of behavior can be expected. This is the result of John Allen being on the Vatican beat for years and watching Americans and the Vatican misunderstand each other time and again. Each judges the other from their own cultural vantage point and then jumps to the worst possible conclusion. Allen opens up Vatican thinking by first explaining how the Vatican is set up and then takes us through their psychology, sociology, theology, and the top five myths about the Vatican. He also has special chapters dealing with the Vatican-American misunderstandings over the sexual abuse crisis and the war in Iraq. I skipped all except the summaries for these chapters as by that time I had a good enough understanding that I didn't need to go through everything blow-by-blow.

This may sound dry and boring but Allen provides ample anecdotes and examples to flesh out the details understandably. I found it fascinating and fairly easy to read. If we keep in mind what is explained here about Vatican thinking, there is a much better chance of real communication and understanding ... which will help us all.

The Prodigal Son

LUKE 15:11-32
The parable of the Prodigal Son is probably one of the best known stories in the world. It is easy to see why. Every time I read it I get some new insight, usually about myself. In one short story we get the point of view of the repentant sinner, the self righteous man who scorns the sinner and, most of all to my mind, the loving father who understands each all too well and loves them anyway ... God, the Father. Here are some of William Barclay's insights that enriched the meaning further for me.

THE YOUNGER SON
He came home; and, according to the best Greek text, his father never gave him the chance to ask to be a servant. He broke in before that. The robe stands for honor; the ring for authority, for if a man gave to another his signet ring it was the same as giving him the power of attorney; the shoes for a son as opposed to a slave, for children of the family were shod and slaves were not.

THE FATHER
This is not from Barclay as far as I know but from something I read and for which I can't remember the source. No man of dignity ever ran anywhere, certainly not an important man like the father in this parable. This father, however, not only was watching and waiting for his son but actually ran to him, abandoning all dignity in his joy. To me this is one of the greatest moments in the Gospels, picturing God's overwhelming eagerness to bring us home again.

THE OLDER SON
He stands for the self-righteous Pharisees who would rather see a sinner destroyed than saved. Certain things stand out about him.

(i)His attitude shows that his years of obedience to his father had been years of grim duty and not of loving service.

(ii)His attitude is one of utter lack of sympathy. He refers to the prodigal, not as my brother but as your son. ...

(iii)He had a peculiarly nasty mind. There is no mention of harlots until he mentions them. He, no doubt, suspected his brother of the sins he himself would have liked to commit.

Julia and Me

When I heard that Julia Child had died I only had a mild interest. True, I love to cook (and eat!) and the only cookbook of hers that I own, The Way to Cook, is fabulous. However, she's not one of the personalities in which I ever took any interest, she was able to enjoy her life to a grand age, and she died in her sleep. So, good on her, but none of it really mattered to me.

Thinking about it later, though, I realized that I owe more than I knew to Julia. She had tremendous influence over my parents. They were gourmet cooks who delighted in experimenting with new recipes and eagerly read all that was written by Julia Child, James Beard, Craig Claiborne, and other food mavens of the time. In fact, they threw themselves into the gourmet movement with such gusto that we never ate such "common" things as Meat Loaf, Macaroni and Cheese, or Tuna Noodle Casserole. For that, we had to go to my grandparents' house. At home we consumed exotica such as curry, squid or Mexican food. It was a given that my brother would request Chiles Rellenos for his birthday. This was not your typical Kansas kitchen of the 1960s. I grew up with a respect for authentic ingredients and food of all sorts that was engendered by pioneers like Julia Child.

Although my siblings and I all have found our own definite cooking styles, we all share a love for good food and are not afraid of the exotic. My brother can throw together Dolmas with the practiced speed of a Greek housewife. My sister thinks nothing of throwing a party for over a hundred of her husband's co-workers and makes everything by hand. I, myself, have raised children that routinely request Pesto Pizza (with home made crust and pesto) for birthday parties. They then carry on the legacy by pushing it on their friends who will ask if we're having "green pizza" when they come over.

Of course, we are a bit more ecumenical than my parents. Basic American standards like Macaroni and Cheese or Tuna Noodle Casserole do appear in our households. When I think about it, I realize that this too is true to Julia's legacy. When she came to Dallas, one of her favorite restaurants served Tex-Mex and basic Texan food. She told the owner that she always got taken to fancy places when really she enjoyed every kind of food. As long as it was delicious, she never shunned any sort of food ... even Meat Loaf.

More than that, she enjoyed living life to the fullest and she didn't sweat the small stuff, as in the famous incident during the live TV show when she dropped the chicken on the floor, picked it up, and kept on going ... and that is the most important legacy of all. It is one I hope to pass on to my children. So, thank you, Julia. I pray that you are enjoying a heavenly feast now that puts all your earthly ones to shame.