J's Fantastic Flying Visit

This post is at least week late.  (This seems to be a pattern for me lately.)

My sister, J, came to visit two weekends ago!  We had so much fun that I pretty much got worn out and a cough, so I didn't blog last week.  I think one thing I've learned these last few days is that I need to start posts a few days ahead of publishing, so that I feel a bit ahead of the game instead of playing catch up.  We will see how well I have learned this lesson in the coming weeks.

But back to J's visit!

She came to meet J-man and read him books.  Please note that Mimi takes off J-man's socks when he comes to visit because we have hardwood floors and socks are too slippery.  You're welcome, J-man.

And J came to play games like Mexican Train.  On a glass table.  So that J-man can play, too.

This really was pretty cute.  And I don't think I say that just because I'm his Mimi.

J-man playing Mexican Train

J came to explore Soulard Market for coffee and spices and a sirloin roast and then to eat cannoli at Amaghetti's.

She came to have my mom's Sunday Roast Beef dinner...except it wasn't really my mom's Sunday Roast Beef dinner.  Because we roasted the beef to medium rare.  G and J both determined that this sirloin roast was too good to risk over cooking it, which might be akin to my mom's method. And the green beans had sweet peppers rather than onions and bacon grease - although there's nothing wrong with green beans cooked in onions and bacon grease, if you don't count health issues, that is.  But the mashed potatoes and fruit salad were my mom's Sunday Roast Beef dinner potatoes and fruit salad.  Plus it was cooked with almost ALL of the sisterhood!  We missed you, W, but I'm counting this as our first cooking sisterhood for 2014!

I didn't get a picture of our version of this cake, but if you're not anti-cake mix, this is a really good recipe that is also quite easy!  Irish Cream Celebration Cake

But the "main" reason J came was to finally receive her birthday present from last year.  I didn't want to send it to her.  I wanted her to read it.  I wanted to hear her read it.  I wanted to hear the story go from black and white...

....to color in J's voice.

And as I expected, she brought tears to my eyes.

If you are not familiar with this book, please let me introduce you.  I was not familiar with it myself, but when I ran across The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce, I immediately knew that I wanted J to have this book and to read it to me.  You can see the Oscar winning short film of this book by clicking here on You Tube, and it is very well done and most enjoyable.  But I can tell you this. It isn't the same as hearing the book read by your one and only big sister.  The climax line, "Everyone's story matters", while implied in the short film, just doesn't come through in quite the same way.

But I suppose part of that is the magic that happens when your older sister is J.

And that joy is mine alone these days.  I can't wait to see you again, J!  And yes, I want another reading.  So please plan on it.