Only my sister and people who know both of us will fully grasp the hilarity of the picture to your right. Trust me, she will not find this picture offensive in the least. In fact, she'll email or Facebook me her approval, because Heaven forfend she should ever actually comment on her brother's blog no matter how much he hints, nags or goads. She's as stubborn as our Hungarian grandmother. Then again, I'm as stubborn as our German mother.
So, double good news for the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday. Sis and the BIL are heading North and Uncle P has a 3-day work week followed by a 5-day weekend! Mom and the BIL are no doubt preparing for what they call our 'secret language,' though truth be told, for as much as the brat and I have in common, we have just as much not. Of course, our differences are secondary to both of us. We argue, like all siblings (we had a mini-argument on the phone today) but make no mistake -- we would defend one another with our lives.
We have always laughed together far more than we've been cross with one another, and I'd say that ratio continues to grow toward the laughing as we get older. And truth be told, there are plenty of things that she and I share with no one else in the world: Phrases; quotes; sounds; jokes and bits of nonsense that never fail to make us laugh, often to the consternation of those around us, who sadly have no idea why we're crying or bent over in laughter-induced abdominal pain. And make no mistake, many of those folks have known both of us for many years and still have no idea why we find something as hilarious as we do.
And honestly, we like it that way.
Whether it's down in Florida (yes, I know) or here in PA, I'll never say 'no' to spending time with my little sister. She's pretty great. I hope you and your siblings (if you have them) are as close as my sister and I are. The next three days will be torture...
Uncle P's sister sent me this photo today. She visits as many cake sites as I do horror and movie sites, so I don't know where she found it. It's probably the single most epic win cake of all time. Just look at it. The Black Knight; a Knight Who Says 'Ni;' the Killer Rabbit and the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, all perfectly rendered in a cake I couldn't bear to eat, but just want to bask in its glory. This was NOT an inexpensive cake and I wish I had the money it cost just to pay some bills, let alone buy an insanely amazing custom cake. To be honest, she sent it in an email titled "awesome python cake." I was was actually expecting a picture of a snake cake. Imagine my delight at being so wrong.
But this post isn't really about cake. Nor is it about how my sister and I communicate, because she knew this particular cake, in conjunction with her recent guest post, would get me to a topic I don't think I've ever fully addressed: Monty Python Movies. Oh, I may have made passing comments or comparisons or minor references here and there. But I don't think I ever posted anything devoted solely to the British insaniacs and their influence on my personal take on life. But I'm going to talk about the movies, first. And one at a time, every now and then. Starting with favorite and ending with my least. And what better place to start with the group's first feature length film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Directed by the Terrys (Gilliam and Jones), and co-written by all six of them, Holy Grail is a brilliantly nonsensical take on the Arthurian legends, loaded with bad puns, repeating themes ("I'm not dead yet!") and preposterous situations in a world completely populated by morons, lunatics and cartoon monsters. Not everything works (the three-headed giant is kind of lame as is the movie's anti-climatic non-ending) but there is far more gold than pyrite in this movie and no matter how many times I've seen it or how many lines I can quote from it or how easily I can manage to work a quote into a conversation with either or both people who will get it and people who won't, it still makes me laugh like an idiot after more than 45 years. I think it's because, like Carroll, the six Pythons understood that not only was nonsense funny, it was even funnier when applied as satire.
Holy Grail covers the gamut of what every movie should include:
A Plague:
Religion:
Sex:
Logic:
"Who are you, that are so wise in the ways of science?" Genius!
Denial:
Arranged Marriage (and Musicals):
History:
(It's even funnier in Spanish!)
So many more moments and comments and quotable scenes. Too much to go on and on about. Proof that nonsense can be as funny to adults as it is to kids, especially when applied so pointedly satirical, Monty Python and the Holy Grail not only cemented the troupe's cult status (especially here in the U.S.*) but paved the way for more daring satire (if not always as successfully) in their future films.
If you don't know Python or (like many) think you hate Python, you may want to start with the Broadway Cast recording of "Spamalot," Eric Idle's musical adaptation. Yes, many things are very different from the movie and it's funnier of you know and love the movie but it's as gentle an intro to Python as you can get. Then watch Holy Grail.
Of course, the movie is also one of several very special shared movie experiences for Sis and I. And to some extent, Dad (who swears that at the matinee he attended alone, a very confused old lady got up and left after the first twenty minutes). One of the many things that bond my sister and I so closely are the movies we saw together as kids. I like to think I taught her how to watch movies. I know she helped me to remember how do that and still enjoy them. That and the fact that she loves nonsense as much as I do, helps.
*I know plenty of Brits who don't get Python or our obsession for them. Their loss.
When I was asked to guest blog, my first thought was HOW COOL!! Then my second thought was "What the heck am I going to write about?" So I thought about the infinite things I could write about and listed them out.
I could write about the things I know, such as baking and cake decorating. I could write about the E-commerce shopping channel for which I work. I could write about the thing that makes me a FL dork, in general.
And then I thought that these topics, while interesting to me, would bore the pants off of most people. So what else could I write about with which I feel comfortable? Something I know and feel comfortable sharing with people all over the globe who read this blog, regularly? The answer was quite clear, when I thought about it. I will blog about my brother, Uncle P.
Oh not in the way you think. I want to share with you how special my brother is to me. Most people who have siblings love their brothers and sisters and some may be particularly close to them. But most people I know are not. My brother is 6 years older than me and in many ways that’s never been an issue. Sure there are generational gaps because of obvious things like in the early 80’s I was just beginning high school when my brother was just beginning his adult life.
But for the most part, the age difference has never been an issue in our relationship. It has brought diversity and enough difference to help round each other out. We both love movies, theatre (although he more than me) a good laugh and general silliness. We both love to read and are both a bit of a foodie. But as much as we are alike is just as much as we are different.
Why does all of this matter? Well, I think more than anything because whenever I think of my brother, I can’t help but smile. I have wonderful memories from my childhood that always make me smile because of him.
We have more inside jokes than any two people I know. He is the only person I can make laugh by uttering one word. To give you a bit more insight on how we grew up, I was probably the only girl around the age of 10 that was able to quote Monty Python and actually get most of it.
One very special hing we shared as kids was our love of The Little Rascals (I'm talking about the really old ones, with Spanky as a toddler). We quote them and refer to them often and most people don't have a clue as to what the heck we are talking about. Our mother (and my husband) will tell you that we have our own secret language, which neither of them understands.
I guess what I’m trying to say is if you don’t already know this, Uncle P is a very unique and special individual. With all of his ranting, raving, accomplishments, challenges, opinions and sometimes just plain silliness, you the reader have entered a world via this person that is pretty incredible.
Is it extraordinary? Probably not by some people’s standards but by mine, yes.
I may not say it all the time but I am so proud of my brother for taking risks and for being who he is on his own terms. I love him like no other and always will.
Keep reading because I know you will be not only entertained but slightly enlightened by the shining soul that writes this blog.
So with that, I leave you with a source of some of that silliness and hope it makes you giggle like a fool like I do when I see it and I know he will while watching it.
Uncle P, here. I was torn about posting this piece. I was surprised and a little humbled when I read what my sister had to say but ultimately decided to post it because a) I asked her to write something and b) she did so, beautifully. And speaking of something beautiful, here's a couple of her beautiful cakes:
By now, regular readers know that Uncle P's sister has a side business as a custom cake baker. She makes specialized cakes customized for any event. Among my favorites cakes she's done are a pirate ship with pretzel railings and a camping cake with a pretzel campfire. She's also made gorgeous birthday and wedding cakes, though never a zombie cake. Well, except the one we made together when I was down to visit her in Florida this past April. But more of that, anon.
As if you haven't already guessed from the title and the picture on the right, tonight's post is all about Zombie Cakes and Zombie-themed food.
Of course, Uncle P is hardly surprised by the popularity of these gruesome comestibles. Zombies have never been as popular as they are now. There are Zombie Walks, Zombie Pub Crawls and I'm told there's even a very popular zombie TV series on cable. And what better way to celebrate than with zombie-influenced foods?
This is a watermelon, carved into a brain. Yum!
Here's a raspberry-filled cupcake topped with a candy brain. I may actually attempt this for a Halloween-themed dinner-party with friends next weekend.
I don't know if this jerky is supposed to be made from or intended for Zombies.
Most zombies I know prefer their food raw. I can't see this as a popular product among the living dead...
Here's a brain-shaped cake with a cleaver in it. I suppose that's a good way to divide the tasty treat evenly, though I doubt zombies are particular about portion size.
I'm not sure if this zombie cake is about to perform surgery or oral sex.
Here's another zombie wedding cake. I hope the bride and groom are actually more attractive than this.
Almost finally, here's an adorable (?) Hello Kitty zombie cake. Oh, those wacky Japanese...
Uncle P once dreamed of a job as a special effects make-up artist. That was way back in the 80's when there were tons of jobs to be had with literally hundreds of FX studios. Now, I can design costumes and sets on paper that will make you lose your mind. But my sculpting skills are rather lacking, which is what one needed to make it in the industry, back then. Of course, CGI just about ended the industry, and while there are still a handful of studios producing physical effects, the demand has just about bottomed out. Why do I mention this? Just so you can wrap your heads around how bad a sculptor I am, before you take a look at the zombie cake Uncle P and his sister made last April. Sis baked the cake and provided the icing, fondant and modeling chocolate. Uncle P actually sculpted the figures (more like mangled). It didn't matter, though. Sis and I literally laughed ourselves silly while putting this hot mess together. And now I share it with you, in the hopes you won't think less of me...
