Cooking Babies
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No, no, no!  I haven’t actually cooked any babies.  I haven’t even threatened to cook any babies.  But when I looked at the pictures I gathered for this tale, it was the first thing that popped into my mind, and as hard as I’ve tried, nothing else will take its place.  I have a very stubborn mind.

This tale started taking form about a month ago, when a columnist for a local newspaper called me.

“I’m doing a story about family Christmas traditions and you’re always good for a story,” she said.

“Hmmm,” I thought to myself, “what do you suppose she means by that?”

She proceeded to interview me for several minutes and asked if there was anything funny or silly that I did or had done.  Do you know how hard it is to think of things on the spot like that?  All I could come up with is the tradition I tried to start back in the year 2000, with one of the babies in the family.  I thought we could do it with each baby in the family and have a series of photos like this.

I thought it was funny

When the parents of the baby caught me, I was ordered to cease and desist.   What the heck?  The baby was clearly enjoying herself!  They proceeded to churn out two more babies and will no longer leave me alone in the room with a baby and turkey platter.  What’s up with that?

I happened to mention this little family disagreement to friends in France, and it turns out they do have a family tradition of posing their children in and on cookware.

they even bring out the carving tools

even toddlers are posed

I'm sorry, but I find this hilarious

The last photo was taken back in 1978, so their tradition goes way back, long before I thought of it.  Great minds think alike, and it explains why we've been friends with these folks for decades.

If that reporter calls next year, I’ll tell her about the inflatable Christmas trees I hang from the ceiling.  They’re a much less touchy subject where the family is concerned.