Limericks and Haiku on Facebook

For those who don't have or just aren't into their facebook accounts, this may seem rather silly, but I've been having fun recently composing, sharing and enjoying simple rhymes, limericks and haikus on facebook with friends and family.

I remember falling in love with the simple discipline of a haiku, which is a three line poem of 5/7/5 syllables, no rhyme, originally Japanese. The Japanese may traditionally write about nature, but on facebook I write about coffee:

Morning alarm rang
got up, turned on computer
made coffee waiting

Quite often when I wake up I just don't have the energy to write complete sentences, certainly not until well into my second giant mug of coffee, so the haiku is just perfect for getting across what I want to communicate.

Two facebook friends who share a name but not a generation, one a cousin and the other a neighbor, then began replying with limericks. I'm very impressed by their literary writing genius, and this morning I finally came up with a relatively good one:

Do you start your day with coffee?
How do you make it please tell me.
Do you need it to perk
to get nice and alert?
Or is instant all it needs to be?

It combines our favorite topic, coffee, with the basic limerick. Of course, it's not perfect, but I wrote it for facebook, not for a school assignment.

In the summer, there's a rule
when it's open, I go to the pool
Luckily for me it's near
So no need to fear
And the water's not too cool

Sometimes I pick other topics, but I don't use the traditional sexual innuendos most people think are limericks. This is all for fun, suiting my life and describing it for my fb friends. On with my day...

A Day With The Grandkids at the Bloomfield Science Museum

I spent the day with the grandkids, the big ones at Jerusalem's  Bloomfield Science Museum. I hadn't been there for over twenty years. I was there only once when it was new and I brought my sons. It looked nothing like my memories of it. It was full of kids who seemed to be having a great time.

Entrance per child five years and older is ns60, so it adds up very quickly, but the workshops are included in the price. My oldest grandchildren twelve and ten, both girls, didn't have a good time at all. They mostly sat around waiting to leave. The almost eight year old boy seemed to like it a bit more, but he also sat around too much. After my son rescued them and took them off to other places of enjoyment, I spent the rest of the day there with the almost five year old girl who had a blast. Davka, she was the one who got in for free!

Here are some photos:

Most Recent Havel Havelim on Shiloh Musings

Sorry, but I didn't cross-post it here. You can find and read, comment and share the very latest Havel Havelim, the two weeks to Rosh Hashanah edition on Shiloh Musings.

You may have guessed that I'm beginning to freak out about it, though it's just a two day holiday, not a three day one. The big complication is that it's (Rosh Hashannah) is on a Sunday night, meaning that it jumps into the week before we have time to recover from Shabbat.

Am I the only one freaking out?

Beer, Glorious Beer

This may be a shocker for some, but I think that I like beer more than wine. I don't buy beer for drinking at home, because my husband can't stand it. We drink wine during Shabbat meals, and it has been decades since I've bought any juices. I consider juice to be just sugar-water, which we certainly do not need. I like my fruit fresh and crunchy.

When I eat out, especially with my kids, I usually have beer, and I've started asking for beer at the bars at weddings, rather than wine. I don't like dry wines, and the semi-dries are too sweet. But beer usually hits the spot.

Photo by Mike at the Beer Tasting

I've become more opinionated about beers ever since Doug has been including me in his beer tasting panels. In the latest one we gave our 2¢ two cents about amber beers. The beers we get to taste at Doug's tastings are all Israeli and all from the smaller, less well-known microbreweries.

I like many of them more than I like the regular commercial beers. Recently I, no doubt, amused some young bartenders at a wedding by choosing my beer by their relative colors. They were davka ambers, and since I liked the darker ones at the tasting more than the lighter colored ones then, I figured that it would be the same. Of course I was right.

With all the panelists and all the beers we took our time. The beers were divided into to "blind tasting" groups, and the panel was split into two sessions. I helped serve and organize the beers for the second tasting and was assisted by a professional bartender, who unlike yours truly, knows how to pour beer properly.


After tasting the beers and filling out the forms, we sat around discussing the merits of the different beers. Hmm... Maybe I should start buying beer for Shabbat, but not the mass produced ones.

Ladies, Make Plans for Tefilat Chana!

It would be a shame to miss it!

It will be on Wednesday, 25th of Ellul, 5775, September 9, 2015.

This year there will be two amazing shiurim, talks/lectures. From 7-8pm by Shani Taragin in English and then from 8-9 by Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi in Hebrew. And also this year, there will be tours of Tel Shiloh in English from 5pm.

Tefillat Chana 5774, 2014

This is your chance, ladies, to doven at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, the holy place where the Prophetess Chana prayed thousands of years ago. For travel information call 02-5789111/22.

Tefillat Chana 5774, 2014

If We Can Grow Grapes in Shiloh, then it is The Best Place for Vinyards

I must admit that my husband and I are the worst gardeners in the world. I used to do some gardening and even schlepped home and planted gorgeous rose bushes, all shades but red. Way back when, I planted trees and flowers, too. But in recent years, nada, nothing. Our rose bushes are a thorny nightmare, and the rest of the "garden" makes the forest primeval look cultivated and landscaped.

There are two exceptions, a large olive tree planted by the community (Shiloh)before we built our house and our vineyard, which was planned and planted with the help of some neighbors many (about 25) years ago.

Every year we, and some neighbors, enjoy the riches of our fruitful vineyard. And it is 100% clear that this is due to Gd, and Gd only, because we really don't do anything but enjoy it. Our grapes are more than organic; they are Gifts from Gd.

grapes from our vineyard 

Agricultural experts and archaeologists here are discovering how many rich this area once was in terms of grape-growing. At the כנס שילה Kennes Shiloh Conference we saw more newly discovered ancient vats and heard Professor Shivi Drori speak of the numerous ancient grapes that had grown here and are being discovered all over Israel. Local wines were big business, because wine was a daily drink.

And it's very obvious that if we can grow grapes, they must really be growing "wild."

Wabi Sabi, Imperfectly Perfect, 52 Frames

This week's 52 Frames  theme/challenge was a strange one. I had never heard of the term before, but once I understood that it was to make us photograph the beauty of imperfection, I decided to photograph an old, well-lived face.

The first person I asked was an elderly man who works at Rami Levy, Sha'ar Binyamin. I think he's the only one working there older than I am! He thought I was crazy, but he agreed to be photographed.

I took a few photos, each with different lighting. Contrary to my usual custom of of not using (cancelling) the flash, I saw that he needed it on between the place he sat and his hat which put his upper face into a shadow. And once I chose the photo I cropped it. Yes, I've learned a lot by taking on the 52 Frames challenges.

Opticians give Good Service

A couple of years ago my cousin and I spent close to an hour waiting for our glasses to be repaired at an optician in a Tempe, Arizona mall. Neither of us had bought our glasses there nor live in the area, but we received full and excellent service for free. I also remember my parents getting their glasses repaired in Jerusalem for the same zero charge.

There's an optician in the Sha'ar Binyamin Industrial Zone/Shopping Center which also gives wonderful service, and from what I hear from others does a great job with making glasses. A few months ago, I got to Sha'ar Binyamin to work at Yafiz and realized that my lenses were just too dirty to give me decent vision. I walked in, explained the problem and was given the necessary equipment to clean them. A few weeks after that I went into the Halpern's in Center 1 with the same request, and the clerk cleaned just the outer side of the lens which didn't do me much good.

After Shabbat when I went on the computer I discovered that the screw in my relatively new computer glasses was out, so I brought the broken glasses to the Sha'ar Binyamin optician when at work yesterday. Within a minute the lovely worker had them repaired, no charge.

They have a nice selection of frames and is a very convenient option for those in the area who need prescription glasses or good sunglasses. And there's also an optician in Shiloh which is highly praised and recommended. It's good to know that nowadays one doesn't have to go the nearby cities for things like glasses.

Oops! Ellul Already!! Havel Havelim-Kosher Cooking Carnival Combo

Cross-posted on Shiloh Musings...

We're a week into the Jewish Month of Ellul, which means that in three weeks it'll be Rosh Hashannah, and a week after that's over it's Yom Kippur and a few days after that we have the Succot Holiday which ends with Simchat Torah.

Yes, for Jews of all stripes there's lots to do and lots to think about. And for Jewish bloggers there should be lots to blog about, so please send me links to the posts, OK?

Havel Havelim is the long-running weekly international Jewish blog carnival, which had been started many years ago (by modern internet standards) by Soccer Dad, who no longer blogs. It floats from blog to blog, and we keep it organized on our facebook page. If you'd like to host one, please let us know, and it's yours! I'm always willing to help newbies. Hosting isn't hard and it's a good way to get your blog better known and know others.
The Kosher Cooking Carnival is  the monthly (in theory--appearing on or around Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the Jewish Month,) blog carnival I began a number of years ago on the specific topic of kosher food. It can include posts about every aspect from Halacha, Jewish Law, to recipes, customs, kosher cookbooks and restaurants. You can also volunteer to host an edition; we also have a facebook page.
To guarantee your post's inclusion in one of the blog carnivals, please send me the link, with a short blurb describing it, to shilohmuse@gmail.com and ither HH or KCC as subject, thanks. If there will be a different host, I'll just forward it. Since Havel Havelim is weekly, please send the link before Shabbat your time, thanks. I not only include links sent to me, but I also look for others.

Remember, that you don't have to be a blogger to read, comment and share the posts on Havel Havelim or the Kosher Cooking Carnival.

Tzedek, Tzeddek, that's right!!

First are posts sent to me, then mine and last will be some I've found. Responsibility for content is that of the writer, not mine. Jewish bloggers are a heterogeneous group of people with a wide variety of opinions. If we didn't have opinions, we wouldn't have anything to blog about. If you'd like to be included or have a favorite blog you think should be in it, then don't be shy; send me a link. In the meantime, enjoy:

Yael Shahar, two very interesting posts: Book Review: The Disappearance of God by Richard Elliot Friedman, The Disappearance of God follows the gradual decrease of the divine presence in the Biblical writings—from the unquestioned guide of the Patriarchs, to the distant but still accessible voice of the Prophets, to the absent Deity of Esther. What is the meaning of this trend, and what does it portend for our day? Jewish Book Blog Carnival As we enter the month of Elul, A Damaged Mirror Blog hosts the Jewish Book Blog Carnival, a monthly event where bloggers who write about Jewish books can meet, read, and comment on each others’ posts.

Drew Kaplan,  “The Joy of Text” Features a Discussion on Speaking With One’s Children About Sex and Features Guest Dr. Joy Ladin to Discuss Changing Genders
Ben-Tzion Spitz, Lions of Judah, The Bible itself as well as subsequent Rabbinic commentators have mixed feelings regarding a monarchy. On one hand it seems to be a command that the nation of Israel should have a king. On the other hand, it seems that a monarchy may only be established if the nation desires one.
RJS, Yesterday a Nefesh B'Nefesh charter flight landed with 232 new Olim, immigrants to Israel. Of that number, 59 were young people who came to volunteer, to serve in the IDF as lone soldiers. It was so impressive that I had to share a few of those photos in Israellycool. Living the Dream. Last week I wrote about 75 Torah scrolls dedicated at the Kotel. However, I found there was more to the story. As thousands were waiting for the program to begin, over by the Kotel in the Women's Section, a small elite group was gathered. I saw them and photographed the historic moment. Torah: Bond for Eternity
This was sent by the blogger's mother who also blogs. On Food, Sociology, and Green Beans in Olive Oil And from the "older generation," DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT TIL IT’S GONE
Jacob Richman, Welcome Home to the New Olim and photos at the airport,  3 Year Jewish Holiday Calendar (5576-5778 / 2015-2018)
I was at the 4th Shiloh Conference, which was wonderful!! Don't miss next year's! Photos From the 4th Shiloh Conference כנס שילה
On Shiloh Musings, among dozens of other topics, I wrote about two revolutions happening right now. The New "American Revolution," 2015/2016 and Shabbat Revolution in Israel
Jerusalem's open air market, Machane Yehuda also has some great restaurants Fish Meal in the "Shuk."
We were in Efrat and it sure has grown. Grand Bus Tour of Efrat
And here are a few interesting blog posts and articles.

Berkeley Couple Welcomes Shabbat Guests for 25 Years
Carter To Seek Cancer Treatment In Gaza: ‘No Jewish MDs There’
Today's Mitzvot
#BlogElul 6: Know
Four Year Aliyah Anniversary
Twenty-Three Years Ago...Today
If it were my parent...
Poetry, Please; Moroccan Fish Balls
Armenian Stuffed Grape Leaves
Just when you think you miss Walmart...
ZA'ATAR BAKED SALMON
Ashdod Beer Festival -- August 19-20
After Yesterday, Cooler-Yet-Warmer News

Enjoy and comment and share the posts.

Caption This!

I haven't done one of these "Caption This!" posts for years, but I can't think of a better use for this photo. So, let's see what you can say about it. Post in comments, thanks.

Photos From the 4th Shiloh Conference כנס שילה

Here is a selection of photos from yesterday's 4th Shiloh Conference כנס שילה totally out of sequence. I hope that doesn't bother you too much.

The next big event at Shiloh Hakeduma will be Tefilat Chana with Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi as main speaker.

It will be 9-9-2015 Thursday from 4pm.

Tel Shiloh and the Shiloh Conference #4

This week I'll be at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh twice; at least that's the plan.

Since next Rosh Chodesh is Rosh Hashana, we will have our
next Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers on Rosh Chodesh
Cheshvan, Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 8:30am.

I was there Sunday morning for my monthly Rosh Chodesh Women's Prayers, and I'm planning on going this afternoon for the fourth כנס שילה Kennes Shiloh, Shiloh Conference. I've been organizing women's Rosh Chodesh prayers at Tel Shiloh for a number of years. Shiloh, the site of the Biblical Mishkan, Tabernacle is a traditional place for prayer since Biblical days. It is where Chana prayed for a son, and her son Samuel the Prophet was the leader who anointed the first two kings, Saul and David, and ended the anarchic time of the Judges.

Yes, it's in Hebrew. It's starts at 3pm with tours of the tel, and after that there are lectures until the evening. Call the office of Shiloh Hakeduma for details, 02-5789111/2. If you understand spoken Hebrew, you will really enjoy it.

My Rosh Chodesh Women. At the Shiloh Conference there will be greater crowds.