Monday, January 31, 2005

wins the prize

not the type of prize
I'd want
but
a record-breaking night
the longest ever
I think
it ever took
to get home
from work

over two hours
for a twenty minute
door-to-door

one hour waiting, freezing
in Beit El
no rides north

then finally
a ride to Ofra
then got the
free bus to Shiloh
one problem,
one minor problem
it was via Maaleh Levona and Eli

and the driver
yelled at me
called me "mefuneket"
spoiled
when I told him
he should have warned me
or I never would have gotten in

he yelled at me
the weak creep
he doesn't have the guts
to work and travel like I do

I told him to keep quiet
and cut it out
and he said:
"If you have problems at home, lady
keep it there."
Wow! Was that guy projecting

wonder what he's running away from

but, Baruch Hashem,
a young man
drove me up the hill
straight to my door

there are gentlemen
in this world

Halleluya!

new hobby?

Maybe I should start a new hobby? I'm still traumatized and haven't finished pulling out the bad stitches in my needlepoint. On Shabbat I met someone who crochets her hats; ok, some are nicer than others. The problem is that she does them in a couple of days and has over 70, and I don't need to collect more clothes, hats, etc. Though I bought more stuff just last week, including, shh--don't let my husband know--two more hats! But they're gorgeous!

The crocheting is getting more tempting as I read Moze, who actually thinks, or hopes, the Moetzet Yesha crowd would ever accept me, even if I hadn't spent all that money on electrolysis. I just hope that I can hold onto my teaching job, or I'll have to hustle and try to make money off of my writing. I tried The Jerusalem Post, but they weren't very interested, told me I could submit and wait five days for a decision and then after being rejected, submit the articles some place else.

I guess I could crochet for my daughter and granddaughter, but forget about kippot, too small and strains the eyes. I would really like to oil paint, but you can't carry that around in a pocketbook. I've been keeping my camera handy, the film one. I must get my "baby" to teach me how to do more than just shoot with the digital.

No idea what I'm doing today. Yesterday the school secretary called asking if I'd teach, even though it's not my day. She never confirmed, and no one was there to answer the phone in the afternoon.

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Ever After

I wasn't home all day today. Late afternoon I visited a friend, who, for her own reasons was not at the demonstration. We decided to see a movie; how did we live pre-vcr's? She asked me to choose between two films, both based on children's stories, "Hook" and "Ever After," Peter Pan or Cinderella. I hadn't seen the Cinderella one, so that's what we chose.

The basic Cinderella story always reminds me of King David. He was the "Cinderella" of his family, a very prestigious family, that expected to produce the king from the Yehuda tribe, but David was kept away and made into a servant, a shepherd. When Shmuel came to their home to annoint Saul's successor he was presented with the sons, but he knew that none of them was the right one. They didn't have to fit into a glass slipper, but whatever the sign was to be, it wasn't there. He kept badgering until they admitted that there was another, that runty redhead.

David was finally brought to the prophet, who just knew that the next king had been found.

The movie alleges to show the "true story" as told by a great-great granddaughter. The screenplay's a riot with some great lines, especially those said by Anjelica Huston, whose movements and posture make her the perfect actress to play Martha Graham. Drew Barrymore plays Cinderella, though she doesn't have the classic fairy princess beauty I'd picture, she does a great job at giving the role the energy demanded in the script. Early on she has lines that sound straight out of Kohelet.

Definitely a royally wonderful way to spend the evening.

finally, continuing Psalms and Ecclesiastes 25-1

It helps to have a Bible handy.

Part 1 ended with "There's a fine line between laziness and being satisfied with the minimum."

T'hilim 34, 10
Yirei Hashem are those who work hard, revere/love/fear G-d
"yiru," Pronounced as if no alef
Look/fear same letters
Seeing something brings an intellectual comprehension that gives the fear of G-d. The final resul is a proper comprehension. Truly seeing, comprehending is fearing G-d. People who go against G-d are punished.

Now Kohelet, Ecclesiastes 5, 7 connected to what we learned in t'hilim
This pasook (sentence) describes a situation like the anarchy we have today. The oppression of the poor and the supression of justice and right...
A terrible situation and people ask where's G-d.
On Shabbat we heard Tzvi Hendel, the Ichud Le'umi Kneset member from Gush Katif, talk about the constant miracles and lives saved despite the bombs. There are miracles, and G-d is working hard.
But there are things, apparently that we have to fix. The tzedek and mishpat are our responsiblities. Justice, law, righteousness.
The situation makes people lose faith in G-d. Personally, I haven't lost my faith in G-d, but I don't trust human judgement.

G-d wants us to do things, not out of fear of punishment. WE're not like other religions that control people through fear of "hell-fire" etc.
G-d wants us to understand, to do things not because of a fear of punishment.
We must use our minds to understand the ways of G-d. Don't be surprised by/at the facts, what's going on, reality. Don't lose faith. Dont' demand, expect perfection.
G-d sees things differently. Reminded me of what I told to a student who thought I should have chastised his friend the way I did to him. I told him that I have other ways of dealing with __.
In principle, G-d does not give out immediate punishment, (nor reward.) It gives people a chance to change, do tshuva.

8- "The advantage of land is supreme; even a king is indebted to the soil." What timing. considering the politics going on. A king is dependent on his land. What sick perverse thinking is going on in Sharon's mind? And all the leftists, like a national anerexia; they're trying to die, commit suicide. One can't survive without land, agriculture, industry.
(I discovered that I had done my needlepoint in the wrong direction and lost the train of the talk as I tried to take it apart.)
land gives the food or we're destroyed. (Tzvi Hendel told us of the massive agricultural industry in Gush Katif.)

9-Who ever loves money will never be satisfied.. It's good to want "more" but not to make it the main aim in life.
kinah, jealousy, can be used in the right proportions for the good, if it insprires someone to work harder and not be lazy. We must use it to establish self-knowledge, to improve oneself, or it can be bad. It's up to us.

Use all your talents throughout your life, different times, different talents. Everyone's different. Some work harder so they can give more to others.
Everyone should be held to a different standard according to his own abilities and needs. Don't compare.

That's it for this week, or actually last week.
Shavua tov, Have a good week.





quoted

I know that I'm in the minority in terms of Yesha supporters when I say that I won't be going to tonight's demonstration. And now, Arutz 7 readers won't expect me to be there.

It really does bother me that I don't trust the Israeli government, nor its judicial system. I feel like I'm a lone voice, crying out in the wilderness. It's a comfort to hear from people who agree, but...

Honestly I do hope that there is a large enough turn-out so that nobody can ignore that masses, the majority of Israelis, are against giving our land to terrorists. And yes, Gush Katif and Northern Shomron are all part of Eretz Yisrael. And remember, if G-d forbid we fail, our precious country will just be chopped up more and more.

You can't be a little bit pregnant. The baby is formed, before the "belly" shows.

Sharks aren't satisfied with a finger; it just whets their appetites.

Thank You

I did it
Actually it worked
.
Let's see if I can do it again. Twice in one post, linking the post that got the first. Ooh, what fun. But please tell me, do people really learn this by heart? Where are these codes stored, if the braincells are overloaded?


Thanks to the very patient and tolerant fellow-blogger who coached me through this great crises to learn an essential skill.

misc. Update and last chance

I haven't been on for two days, longest break since I started, I think. We were in Jerusalem for a Tekuma Shabbat in the Peace Hotel, the Shalom, in Bayit V'Gan. I remember it being built. Our Jerusalem apartment was on Rechov Bayit V'Gan facing east. The hotel has certainly aged. Friday night during the first course, liquid began pouring down from the ceiling onto tables near ours. At first it seemed more humorous than anything else. That was until the unfortunate diners realized what the liquid was. To be "polite" let's just say that a sewer pipe leaked "yuch" in the Peace Hotel on the supporters of Tekuma, the religious party in the Ichud Leumi, National Union.

As soon as they realized the seriousness of the "iru'ah," event, there was a "pinu'i," withdrawal, as the Arab waiters cheerfully carried our tables out of the sewer. In typical Jewish fashion the jokes were hysterical, and in typical Jewish fashion, most of us resumed our meals.

The theme of the Shabbat was "tikshoret," the media. I'm sure that this was not the type of report nor event envisioned.

***
Last week, me-ander was given lots of links/publicity in the Hevel Hevelim. I have no idea who's hosting it this week. It would be nice if the organizer would at least announce things on the Israel Blogger list.

***
On a completely different note, I think that today is the last day for voting for best blog. In recent days, many people have visited the site due to the fact that me-ander is a nominee. I hope some of you will return, even if you didn't give me a vote, and of course it would be nice to get some votes, even if I'm last in the polling. I haven't checked recently. Ignorance is bliss, or just more bearable than seeing those pathetic numbers, but I'm used to being in the minority.

What has really amazed me is the agreement I've gotten from my musing against today's demonstration. You can read it on Shiloh Musings.

And if you want to vote for me; I appear in a number of categories for both blogs, here's the link.

Thanks, and Shavua Tov.

http://www.israellycool.com/blog/JIBAwards2004

Friday, January 28, 2005

just like I learned in Kohelet, Ecclesiastes

Yesterday I promised someone I would do something, and I didn't say bli neder, so I must do it now.

A Mincha Story, Ladies' style

Yesterday I was in Jerusalem after work. I thought I'd doven mincha when traveling, but I couldn't. Suddenly I realized that the sun was about to set; last minutes to doven mincha. I was in the Geula neighborhood of Jerusaelem, a very religious one, and men were calling other men to join a mincha minyon, but women weren't included. The clock was ticking, and there wasn't even a quiet place I could just stand and doven. I kept walking, and the clock ticked. Suddenly I remembered a hat store that once saved me, less than two years ago, erev rosh chodesh Sivan, when my daughter was over-due with Hallelie, and I was wearing a new straw hat, and it started to rain, that terribly dirty last rain, like squeezing the final liquid out of a dirty rag. I had to do something to save my hat, buy a tichel, scarf.

I remembered a hat store on Rechov Strauss, near Nivi'im and went there. They were very sweet and sold me a scarf and gave me two bags to protect the hat. So that's where I went. I walked in and asked if I could doven mincha there. No problem; I found a suitable spot, dovened, thanked the saleswoman, told her the old story. She remembered me. I looked at the hats, gorgeous, irresistble, reasonable prices. I bought one.

...and then I promised that I would write about her store in my blog.

Shabbat Shalom

ps If you go there, please say the mincha lady sent you.

misc.

first, I don't know if I'll have time until Sunday to continue with my report on T'hilim, Psalms, Kohelet, Ecclesiastes. Sorry

Finally replaced the antenna that fell off my cell phone; hope I didn't make myself sick using it without the antenna. apparently the antenna filters out some of the radiation. I asked in a few "Orange" stores, but they don't supply it and told me to go very "out of my way" to the service centers. But Wed. when I asked in the Malcha mall store, they gave me an address in Geula, near town. So a day later, I got it. Not too expensive, but quick, polite service.

I walked a few miles around town. And that was after my strenguous exercise class, and then I danced at a wedding. The band was great, irresistable. And now I'm trying to open my eyes and get my fingers unstuck to write a musing that has been driving my brain crazy. Why I won't be at this Sunday's giant rally.

Shabbat Shalom!

Thursday, January 27, 2005

failed again

failed again with this link business
time to do something
fun, easy and relaxing
like trying to teach English
to some teenage boys
on a Thursday afternoon

I'm no wimp
just a linkin' lunkhead

really losing it

A couple of my wonderful readers have been trying to help me learn to link without giving the whole address, and I've copied, pasted, deleted, pasted etc from various htmls or whatever they're called, and I keep getting error messages that I'm missing something.

I feel retarded.

But for the good news, I've had a couple of very impressive requests from people who want to use my musings, including someone who wants to translate them for his site. Ok, so people are more interested in my social and political commentary than my blogging technique. I can live with it.

And I haven't checked how I'm doing in the polls. Does anyone know?

Must correct tests and get ready for my exercise class. It's funny to think that our teacher used to be a tv star and "personal train" beauty queens. Now she has us; though she looks great!

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

T'hilim, Psalms, Kohelet, Ecclesiastes 25-1

Just a reminder--refer to the text to fully understand my notes, and I'm sorry if I'm not clear enough. You can ask questions via the comments. I meant the recording of my notes to be interactive.

Psalms 34, 9
We're still discussing litome, taste. I'm still convinced it's like kinestitic learning, but Ibn Ezra, Radk and ? say it's intellectual.
First we must understand the ways of G-d. If a person only goes by emotion, he must also have intellectual understanding of how G-d runs the world.
yichaseh bo, lachsot baHashem taking refuge in G-d.
Dvarim, Deuteronomy, 8, 17-20 Remember, G-d gives energy, strength, power, talents and we mustn't waste it. G-d gives as he promised to our forefathers, but if we abandom Him, we will be punished. We must remember that everything we have is from G-d. G-d gives according to what we do.
G-d was pushed away from this world by Adam, the first man, but our forefathers brought Him back, and it's our job to keep Him here with us.
G-d created enough food, but there are those who waste it, that's why there's starvation. It's not G-d's fault. Hoarding is a waste; it shows lack of faith.

10 kidushav people who manage with the minimum. ra'av those who revere G-d. There's a very fine line between laziness and being satisfied with a minimum.

Sorry, but I'm really too tired to continue tonight.

cycles

bli eyin haraa, I'll start the update about what I learned in T'hilim and Kohelet either later tonight or tomorrow; sorry about the delay. And you notice that I started with bli neder, because that's what we were taught, afterwards is too late.

There are all sorts of cycles. When I was little, my parents didn't have much money, and there wasn't much money for clothes. I remember getting clothes that I had to grow into, and by the time I did, they looked awful; I had worn them out. When my kids were little, I had little money, and there wasn't much to buy here in Israel. By then my parents were financially comfortable, and my mother really enjoyed haunting the better children's clothing shops and getting things on sale for "next year."
And where was I today? Shopping for Hallelie at the sales for "next year." Children's clothes here are now gorgeous and reasonably priced. And I can afford to buy them, Baruch Hashem.

Could you, please, do me a favor?

As I mentioned, there's that competition, and I seem to be trailing in all categories, so if it wouldn't be too much an inconvenience, I'd greatly apreciate a vote, just one per 24 hours. More than one a day, and voting rights are taken away, but it would be nice to know that I'm not the most unpopular nominee in all those categories. I hate to whine, and I promise not to look, until maybe tonight.

Please....
http://www.israellycool.com/blog/JIBAwards2004
ps ...and while you're at it, don't forget my sister blog, Shiloh Musings...
Thank you

link field-lunk head

I definitely feel dumb. Still can't figure out exactly what this link field business is. I do know what a link is. I even learned how to add links to my blog sidebar and even set up someone else's, as if I was a real expert.

Blogger instructions mention "appropriate place." Rather vague and subjective.

There is a linking trick I do want to learn. It's how to link without showing the whole address. For instance, in my previous post, I refer to an old post of mine. How can I do it by just having a previous word in the new text highlighted as the link to the old one?

Or, if you've visited Rachel Ann's "Hevel Hevelim," and you see that she has highlighted words as the links to other people's posts, including a few of mine. Thank you, Rachel Ann. If I knew how to do it, "Hevel Hevelim" would have had been the link. http://willowgreen.mu.nu/archives/064141.php Since I'm a blogger lunk head, I had to copy the entire address.

I'm sure that it can't be so difficult, since everyone knows how but me, and I'm not that stupid. Or am I?

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

lost it

You know that I "tremp," hitch to work, and I even enjoy it at times and make light
of it.

Sometimes it's easier, and sometimes harder, but I can handle it. That is usually.

Today I must admit that I "lost it." First, I didn't need to get to work at my usual time, which on a typical Tuesday means that I leave my house around 12:15 in order to teach at 2:40, a twenty minute trip if driving straight, door to door. And if your math's quick you see that I normally give myself almost two and a half hours. But you must understand that even the days when I teach at 1:45, I leave the same time, because there aren't any buses leaving Shiloh after the 12:20, which sometimes comes after 1pm until the one that comes 4:15 at the earliest. And those are the "dead" hours for rides, too.

So, when I was told that I didn't have to teach until 3:35, I expected difficulties. I left my house just after 2, and after a "reasonable wait," I got a ride to Ofra. I waited there a while, and then a "yellow" bus carrying school kids stopped and said he was going towards Jerusalem. Usually these drivers are nice, so I asked if he'd let me off at "Tzomet Ha-Tee," Givat Asaf, the turnoff to Beit El. "What do you think I am, your private taxi service?" shouted the driver at me. I was in shock, but I answered really fast: "If I had a private taxi, I wouldn't be asking you. Egged won't take me. Do you really think I like doing this? I don't have a choice; it's demeaning." I guess he wasn't expecting such an answer, and he asked me where I was going. When I said "Beit El," you could see, as they say in Hebrew, "ha'asimon nafal;" he understood. There is no public transportation between Ofra and Beit El; I had no choice, and he wasn't nice. He told me to get in.

I did, and I was so upset that I couldn't even raise my eyes to look for a seat. I just stood there; it wouldn't take long, and then I could get off. Suddenly I heard a voice behind me: "Giveret, shvi kaan." "Mrs., sit here, please." I looked and saw a man holding a boy in his lap. I thanked him and sat.

I was so shaken by the nastiness of it all that I was afraid that I'd find it impossible to teach. But, Baruch Hashem, I was ok. It was only when I was "tremping" home that I felt myself getting upset again.

I hope that by writing this out, I can calm down.

in suspense

still don't know
and it's time to leave
sort of
just tremping
thumbing for a ride
but secretary said
call before leaving
students
may just
disappear
after getting
report cards

so I'm in suspense
home, or the thumb
onto the future
generation

kids are very independent nowadays

Listening

smooth sounds
of Glenn Miller
don't make them
like they used to

that has been
the sounds
listening to
the last few days

have a special
cassette for dovening
and another I put on
in my bedroom for falling asleep

different music
for different tasks

old '50's early '60's
for moving fast
burn those calories

bought Carmen
one year
to clean for Pesach

the music
of my youth and teens
restores energy

not the words
rhythm, sounds

jumping in my chair

now ready to slide on the ice
if there was any
or just slink to the kitchen

good energy from
Diaspora Yeshiva
great mood from Frankie
Beatles, fun memories
dreamy bands

must force myself up
nothing like
listening to good, old sounds

more cheerful now
must take advantage

voting update-

trailing in all polls
oh, well

Monday, January 24, 2005

fruit fondu

ok
truth be told
the fruit
was dipped in the
chocolate fondu
and it was good
though
not enough rum

next time
must add more
when her back is turned

ladies' Tu B'Shvat evening
lots of laughs
and too many calories

but we ate fruit
dipped
yummy...

SOS TIME TO VOTE!

voting
now
for best Jewish and Israeli blogs
me-ander
and
Shiloh Musings
are in a number of categories

sank, like dragged by a tidal wave

just
innocently checking
and discovered
that
sidebar sank
or was dragged away
by a tidal wave

blog news

Both me-ander and shiloh musings were nominated, so please keep checking for updates.

http://www.israellycool.com/blog/JIBAwards2004/_archives/2005/1/23/272940.html

Heveil Hevelim, the weekly "review" of blogs to visit is now up on willow green. She put two meanderings up. Thank you, Rachel Ann. There are many other interesting blogs linked, a nice variety. The Jewish blogworld is quite a vibrant society.

Welcome to the newcomers to me-ander.

http://willowgreen.mu.nu/archives/064141.php

Sunday, January 23, 2005

when just a little=all you can

I once read an article about fundraising, that said that statistics show that when a schnorer letter asks one to "just give as much as you can" the returns are better than if the prospective donor sees set sums.

People who advise others on how to help people stress that it's sometimes the very small things that make the difference. Once shouldn't think that only the major help counts. Recently I read in a few places that it's better to give small amounts of tzedaka (charity) to many than all to one.

Helping others takes many forms. It's no secret that I "tremp," hitchhike to and from work. There's no "proper" transportation between Shiloh and Beit El. Sometimes a few seconds can be the difference between a ride and waiting out in the rain, cold, strong sun, aching back for much longer than anyone, especially me would want. Just tonight, as I was walking from the yeshiva to the "stop," a car stopped and offered me a lift. They were off to a much further Beit El neighborhood. It would only take me about three minutes to walk, but with this feeling that "every second counts," I accepted their kind offer, and a second after getting out, there was a ride to Ofra, that I would have missed, if I hadn't had that short ride.

So, the lesson to all of us is to just do anything, no matter how small, for others.

I need to learn it, no less than anyone else.

tomato sauce


Hallelie likes to imitate her mother

yesterday
in my house
she took
a tomato
out of the bin

and rubbed it
very hard

on an
upholstered
diningroom chair

sometimes
toddlers
have problems
with minor details

yartzeit

this is what I commented to: http://mozemen.blogspot.com/2005/01/good-yahrzeit.html

Of course a yartzeit can be "good." It's good to remember. Friends of ours (two friends, not typo) were killed over 30 years ago in the Yom Kippur War. We meet at the graves, friends, widow, children, mother, grandchildren, every year, and then we go to a friend's home in Jerusalem and talk and laugh and have a grand old time, like old times. The past few years, since I'm English teaching, it has been hard for me to attend, can't cancel classes in a proper school, so I've missed a few. But this year and last I've managed to get to the "wake," as I call it. and another new custom for me is to have dinner afterwards with one of our friends. Just us two ol' grannys. Very special. Yartzeits can be wonderful. We can't bring the dead back, but we can celebrate life.

fruit

fruit holiday this week
Tu B'Shvat

when I was
a student
in Oakland Jewish Center Hebrew School
we used to
get bags of fruit
dried fruit
very dry fruit
in brown paper bags
raisins and "bukser"

can't remember what else
chewed that dried bukser
with the seeds
to spit out

always bought bukser
for our kids
for Tu B'Shvat
one actually liked it
but we all chewed
and chewed anyway

most years
bought all sorts of fruit
dried, fresh, spoiled, preserved, refrigerated too long
I'd eat and eat
and eat

though
many, like the pineapples
whether fresh or dried and sugared
aren't fruit and aren't native to Israel

this year
not bothering
not buying
just more fructose
fancy word for sugar

but I'll be partying
with fun-loving friends
around a bed-ridden
and who knows
what I'll eat

Saturday, January 22, 2005

cutting and folding

no
I haven't been
reducing the laundry

visited a friend
who was
preparing the
construction
of some
giant paper bird

it's made up of
thousand of papers
cut to a specific size
folded and crafted

taught by
"a filipini"
taking care of
an old lady

all the rage
with the filipinim

I helped cut
the paper rectangles
found the maximum
can be taken
from each sheet of paper
the easiest way

but
after a while
was bored
out of my mind

there must be something better to do
on a Saturday night

something strange

used firefox
instead of explorer
and
me-ander
looked different
strange colored background
footers joined sidebar

a different paralel universe
twilight zone

then,

just to check

I wasn't losing it

re-opened

on explorer

and all's fine,

except this "postscript"

is skipping lines





Friday, January 21, 2005

amazing

so amazing
that
when we decide
that all will
be fine
it is

and how easy
to "spin"
the good

now
time's precious

Shabbat Shalom

talents

not to be
unduly modest
must admit
should have been
an engineer
architect
interior decorator
magician

so proud of myself
for fitting
all the bowls, produce, pots and purchases
in the fridge

Thursday, January 20, 2005

what happened was better than what was planned


we always think
we're so smart
hah!

trekking son
flew out of
South America

thought
he was landing 6am
to be picked up
by my brother before work
and brought to my parents

after 9am their time
I called
"no, landing only at 9, call later"
two hours later
"not yet, call again"

Suddenly, shock, surprise
a vision of their eldest grandson
staggering out of the guestroom

had landed at 6
was brought home
while they slept
he slept, too

much better
since
my mother didn't wake up
early, waiting, worrying

the "mistake"
better than the plan
thank G-d

Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, 18-1

this will make more sense if you refer to a Bible

We're in chapter 4 and quickly reviewed 14-6
There are always changes, rebellions and revolutions. Human nature.
17- "watch your feet." Be careful, what's your purpose, your goal; focus on that. That reminded me of the Dovrat Commission that instead of researching how to improve education, the foundation, fundamentals, they waste their time reconstruction--hevel, norishkeit!
Things can't be easily repaired once you take them apart.

Chapter 5, 1
Careful what you say--G-d's listening. Careful how you critcize, build or destroy. G-d's there, too.
Say bare minimum; look for only the nice things.
2- Sometimes when things look awful, you just have to take a step back; look at it from another angle, and things will look much better.
3- nedarim vows, emotional impulsivity of people. We must watch our words, filter before they leave the mouth. In masechet nedarim it says that by making an oath, we are building a tabernacle straight to G-d and it can't be separated or destroyed.
4- even if you're sure you can fulfill it, it's better to say "bli neder," not a vow, since we don't know if our circumstances will suddenly change.
5-6 before saying anything, think, remember, G-d sees and hears everything.
G-d's in charge.

that's it for this week

Fennel

answering Sara Smile's comment

Fennel, shumar, must be North African, because Tunisians and Moroccans relate to it the way New Yorkers relate to celery, or even better, because they do a lot more with it than what I've seen done to celery. It's crunchy like celery, but a licorice taste, and there are fine leaves like dill, which is shamir in Hebrew.

According to my now Tunisian daughter, you should let it sit/marinate in lemon juice and spices, then you eat it. Pre-bisli, it was a nosh. Oy, how nutrition has deteriorated.....

I cut it up in salads, cook, saute, it with the vegetables, Chinese style's great. You can put it in soup. I understand that it's really healthy.

Any other ideas?

artichokes

finally
artichokes
but they don't look good
too open

spotted
the bag
--bought by my husband--
on the kitchen floor

did mayonaise check
discovered the kp mayo
only a spoonful missing

guess we went
a whole summer
sans mayo salads

date long past
not a total loss
nice glass jar

luckily
found out
while doing
shopping list

think of all
the fruits and veggies
met here
for the first time

artichokes
avocados
kiwi
fennel

and my parents are
adventurous
--we ate eggplant!

part 3 of who knows how many 18-1

I should really be in the kitchen, but....

T'hilim, Psalms, 34, 8 (It's worth following with the text)
We have special protection, thank G-d, from G-d. And we should recognize it and thank Him all the time. All of us who have benifited know what I mean, and we hear more miraculous stories on the news, Baruch Hashem. I wish we didn't need that protection, but if we need it, G-d should give us what we need.
Every mitzvah we do gives us a heavenly defender.
Psalms 91, 7 One thousand to the left and 10,000 to the right. G-d takes care of us.

34, 9 ta'amu ur'u taste and look. My immediate reaction was a strong kinestetic learning! That's the physical, participatory learning style. The reason (among the reasons) the British princes and their friends are oblivious to the damage the Nazis did to Britain itself, is that everything was repaired. (I even checked this with a friend of my generation who was raised there.) British youth are not educated in any way of the precarious position their country was in just over 60 years ago. It's not in the curriculum; there are no preserved Blitz landmarks, and entertainment makes a joke out of the war, "Dad's Army."
We have similar problems here. Pre 1967, many Israelis had no idea, no identification, with the ancient, historical, holy cities they had no access to, so they weren't excited about their liberation during the war. And we still have the reprecussions of the same lack of "ta'amu ur'u."
Don't leave it all as theory. To identify one must experience, taste it, feel it, physically. For many a visit to concetration camps gives that. For some of us, just reading's enough.

must get back in the kitchen
next part Kohelet, Ecclesiastes

MAZAL TOV!

MAZAL TOV!
OUR NIECE
JESSICA BRIKS
JUST GOT ENGAGED
TO MICHAEL
Lots of love and mazal tov
to her parents
Debbie and Tzvi Briks
of New Rochelle
once of Ramot

2nd try for part 2 of 18-1 psalms, ecclesiastes


I wrote it up so nicely last night, and then it got swollowed not saved, so here goes:

We're still on T'hilim Psalms 34, 5
King David's telling us that everything's needed and nothing's wasted even/especially prayers. Frequently people get frustrated and depressed when they've prayed for something and didn't get their wish from G-d. There are those who even "lose their faith" because G-d didn't make the miracle they demanded.

A few years ago in a terrorist attack near Shiloh, an Arab terrorist threw a heavy stone on a car and it crushed the skull of the baby inside. For about a week people all over the world prayed for the recovery of Yehuda Chaim ben Batsheva. Then he died of his injuries. So many beautiful, sincere prayers were said; what happened to them?

Not long after, Benny, his father, was contacted by someone abroad. This man told him that his baby son had been seriously ill, and the doctors offered no hope whatsoever. Then miraculously he made a full recovery; his name was Yehuda Chaim ben Batsheva.

Nothing is lost; nothing is wasted. We just don't understand G-d's accounting system.

***

6- You can see on a person's face if he has faith in G-d. There's a radience, a serenity.
7- The poor has no demands, and G-d will rescue him from trouble.

I have to take a break, must get the cooking started.

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Haveil Havalim



party time!
or carnival

just learned
that the
in-crowd
of Jewish and Israeli bloggers

party

and I'm invited
you, too

so check the link
and send your favorite
meanders and musings
of this week

and
maybe
someday

the party will be here

http://willowgreen.mu.nu/archives/063740.php

no alarm

alarm didn't alarm again
unreliable
bad news

when
I first awoke
snuggled under the "pooch"
warm feathered blanket
was sure it was
hours early

finally
since couldn't
fall back to sleep
lifted my head
and peeked

almost an hour later
than planned
but time enough

just less time
for writing

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

T'hilim, Psalms, Kohelet, Ecclesiastes 18-1-05


It's a good idea to have a Bible to help follow my notes.

T'hilim 34, 5
The Hebrew verb ldrosh is used. In mondern Hebrew, it's a harsh, agressive word, meaning "to demand." But in the Bible it was gentler, meaning to seak out, to expect G-d.
Everyone can make some sort of contact with G-d to get answers.
magur means terror, fear.
David said that G-d kept him from being a prisoner of his fear.

When G-d told Shmuel the Prophet to go to Beit Lechem and find another king, because Saul was so horrendous, Shmuel answered that he was afraid that Saul would have him killed. G-d got angry at the answer, reminding him that it's only G-d who decides death. Unnecessary, needless fears.

So David reminds us that everything that exists is needed, even the things we don't want or consider useless or bad. There's a use.
In the end it's all good.

more tomorrow, I'm too cold.

why winter?

I feel so
foolish and childish
kvetching about the weather

I know we need
the rain
the water being so valuable

but it's cold
my feet are frozen

just a few
degrees higer
and it could
get just as wet

and more
plants, trees,
food
will grow

just a couple
the world
doesn't have to
totally change

just a drop
or make my feet
stay warm
and my fingers

because I'm
so cold

Daffodils

received
three
then nine
daffodil bulbs
this year

first batch
immediately planted
around
anorexic apple tree

the next around
twin
fraternal kind
willow and almond
stunted and twisted

rather late
in the season
but immediately

and it rained
so soon after
that I take it
as a good sign

keep you posted

reply to Wendy's comment, but for all, of course

sidebar's floating
gave me a scare
I think the weight flux of main body
tips it somehow

took out link2
didn't like
being associated
with porn blogs

weatherpixie's cute
though
mine doesn't
give much info

re:colors, fonts etc
in posts
something called HTML
enables graphics

without it
the blog would
look like
an old
New York Times or even
The Wall Street Journal

very dull
The Wall Street Journal
hardly any pictures

we were once
interviewed
for a week
by one of their reporters

towards the end
daughter #2 (now lawyer)
said: "I don't trust him.
I don't think he's a real reporter.
He doesn't take pictures."

Monday, January 17, 2005

goose bumps

I don't know about you, but I get goose bumps when hearing certain things.

1-during Megilat (the Scroll of) Esther when we hear about customs established then that we do to this day
2-last Shabbat when reading the Maftir (last few lines of the Torah Portion of the Week) when G-d tells us to tell our children how he took us out of slavery, out of Egypt
3-when I read/think of the fact that Joshua arrived in Shiloh with 7 tribes, and 7 families re-established Shiloh as a Jewish city less than 30 years ago
4-when I first heard (and still think about it) the names of the five daughters of Tzlofchad in the Bible. They were "femnists." One of them was Milka, the name my great-grandfather gave his fifth, out of six, daughter.

Do you have any of those "special" moments?

reply to Rachel Ann's comment


Or should it all be disposable, and landfill will be the dishes we had dinner on last year and our kids' clothes they ruined in the playground. You know what they say about death and taxes, at least men say it. But women say dishes, laundry and dust.

You may not realize it, but I used to wash diapers. With a washing machine and being properly organized with diaper pail and all, it wasn't that complicated. But when we were in England for two years I shlepped them to a laundramat, and I was always afraid that someone would complain about what I was putting into the machines.

arts and crafts for the toddler set

last week
my daughter informed me
that
the other savta (granny)
bought stickers
and Hallelie
loved to stick them all over

so I found
stickers with animals
and she stuck them
all over the table
and on the floor, too

so this week
I bought
a package of
folio size oaktag
called "bristol" here
of various colors
and sheets of colored round stickers

but Hallelie
so organized
wanted to
remove the stickers
from the "paper"
and replace them
on their original sheet

so next week
I'll have to try
someting else