This weekend was Juneteenth and Father's Day, but I did little to commemorate either.
Instead, I took Sarah to Camp. Jacob came with. Turned out to be a lovely if whirlwind weekend. Here are some highlights I'd like to remember:
General observations, it comes as no surprise that roadtrips are much more fun when shared. I found myself grateful that Jacob opted to join us on this trip at several points along the trip. Aside from the flexibility of having another driver in the car, he was an easygoing passenger, a faithful navigator, and he cheerfully joined Sarah and me as we played car games both traditional and made up along the drive.
( Read more...Collapse )I found some notes I jotted down on paper from over Sukkot reflecting back on a string of positive experiences from this year's High Holidays I did not want to forget.
Good thing I did — as I read through them today, feeling kind of down, I thought "oh YEAH! I'd forgotten this or that." So in the interest of not having to keep track of a piece of paper, I'm transcribing here:
- Singing Kol Nidre to Dad on Erev Yom Kippur. At our shul we started a tradition last year of having three different people sing through the Kol Nidre. Even over Zoom and socially distant, we continued that tradition this year, broadcasting from our sacred space. As I drove home from shul, I thought of my father, 91, stuck at home alone for this entire pandemic, who may not even be keeping track of the calendar enough to know tonight's Yom Kippur. In a spur of a moment decision, I pulled into the Fresh Market parking lot, called him, and when he answered, explained that I was driving home from services, and that I had sung the Kol Nidrei, and asked if he would like for me to sing it to him. He said yes, and I did. I sang it better than I recall singing it in all my rehearsals, and definitely better than I did over the Zoom. When I finished, he was quiet for a moment and when he spoke, I could hear in his voice how moved he was. He said (I'm paraphrasing) "you have no idea... when you called I was in a pit and now I'm on a cloud... you absolutely transported me... I'm floating... thank you."
- Sukkot — In many ways it's been a year devoid of the traditional Jewish moments in time I've been accustomed to having. Zoom based events are just not the same. SO I decided this year, come hell or high water, I was building a sukkah. Only problem is our porch was a wreck, and we had no schach. SO for the first: I cleared all the brush, swept, and moved all the outdoor furniture that was suitable only for the junkyard to one side. For the second: I scoured the internet found cheap natural reed fencing at Home Depot along with some wood garden trellis for extra support. Every member of the family contributed to the putting up and taking down of the Sukkah this year, and it was lovely! In additional to our standard decorations, Hillel bought some LED rope lights to run around the perimeter AND we even got to enjoy guests thanks to the Chevrei Sukkah Hop, a thoroughly enjoyable brunch with our friend Joel Shurkin, and a chill relaxing visit from the Perlows hanging out around our new ....
- Fire pit! Before Sukkot, and after I cleaned off the deck, I finally broke down and purchased a fire pit for the family. It was $99, and came with a mesh cover and fire poker. <Gollum>I loves it, precious!</Gollum> Enjoyed several evenings around it with the family roasting hot dogs, marshmallows and just enjoying the flicker of the flames. Sitting in front of a warm campfire is very much a happy place for me and I'm grateful for every evening spent there.
- In other news, on October 6, we got a new addition to our household, a weimeraner-pitt mix we named Tango (though there were several great names in the running: Hazel, Disco, and HereKittyKitty among the favorite alternate names) Tango's name comes from Hillel's plane, whose callsign is N-4554T (November four five five four Tango), and because Hillel brought the dog to us courtesy of one of his Pilots and Paws rescue flights.
- Simchat Torah was a socially-distant outdoor occasion at the Myerberg and it turned out to be SUCH lovely, joyful, silly fun! I did not go in expecting much, but I left the evening with a smile on my face and a lightening of my heart. Highlights include:
— While doing "the wave" Jacob exclaiming "Religion!" (you probably had to be there, but it absolutely cracked us up)
— Africa playing loudly by a passing car
— Steinig-Eisners holding up silly toys and stuffed visual aids to the reading of creation. Personal favorite: the giant Angry Bird
— Singing and dancing to the retooled Y.M.C.A led by Jeff Amdur
— PERFECT weather
— AMAZING HUGE comit/meteor streaking across the sky at the end of services!
If you would told me at any point leading up to yesterday that I would reach a place in my life where I'd meet someone who wanted to hire me to sing and play ukelele during their son's Havdallah Bar Mitzvah service, there's no way I would believe it. If you would have told me that the Bar Mitzvah was in Florida and that the gig included transportation and lodging on the beach, you would have to pick my jaw up off the floor.
And yet here I am!
Sur-freaking-real.
Busy weekend! Friday we had chavurah at the Pearlman-Evans house. Saturday Erez & Sarah's wedding (beautiful affair, may their marriage be strong, happy, and prosperous). Sunday Sarah and Sydney's party at XP Laser Sport (thankfully went off mostly without a hitch, and we donated the gifts the girls collected to Paul's Place). Whew!
Bouncing around. (shock)
In preparation for Chavurah, I modified a recipe I found for peppermint patties to make a delightful assortment of sweets. Spearment, Peppermint, Berry and Orange Spice. The best part was making them, assembly line style, with Hillel and Sarah. Hillel on my left popping the candies into the chocolate, me scooping them out of the chocolate with a fork, and Sarah sprinkling on the topping. Crushed peppermint, or heart sprinkles, or green sanding sugar. It was a beautiful moment to me; simple, and perhaps mundane, but there was something so delightfully extraordinary in the ordinary.
Perhaps because it's *not* ordinary.
So much of our family time is spent together alone. Alone toegether. Each of us on our respective devices, watching YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Reading, or doing homework. It was just SO nice to do someting "real" with a tangible (and tasty) product, and to do it as a team. The only thing that could have made it better is if the rest of the kids had been involved as well.
( Read more...Collapse )We didn't do the traditional Jewmas thing of movies and Chinese food today.
The Chinese food thing we did yesterday, and the movie thing we'll do tomorrow (seeing the much anticipated Star Wars VII)
Today, thanks to the need to transport a table, which meant making room in my very messy van for said table, Hillel and I wound up spending most of the afternoon fully detailing my van.
Oh. My. Goodness. Was it a ton of work.
But you know what else it was? Surprisingly enjoyable. The kids were inside playing, while Hillel and I worked in the garage. I was so grateful for the excuse to clean the van, and even more grateful that I A) didn't have to do it alone and B) had a cleaning buddy who did not at all begrudge spending HOURS helping me to get my van the cleanest it's been since we bought it more than 6 years ago.
Couldn't ask for a better gift today!
The Chinese food thing we did yesterday, and the movie thing we'll do tomorrow (seeing the much anticipated Star Wars VII)
Today, thanks to the need to transport a table, which meant making room in my very messy van for said table, Hillel and I wound up spending most of the afternoon fully detailing my van.
Oh. My. Goodness. Was it a ton of work.
But you know what else it was? Surprisingly enjoyable. The kids were inside playing, while Hillel and I worked in the garage. I was so grateful for the excuse to clean the van, and even more grateful that I A) didn't have to do it alone and B) had a cleaning buddy who did not at all begrudge spending HOURS helping me to get my van the cleanest it's been since we bought it more than 6 years ago.
Couldn't ask for a better gift today!
Got a new Job this past Wednesday. It came almost out of nowhere. Very fast. And suddenly I'm no longer a (woefully underpaid) preschool teacher. I'll miss teaching at the preschool. I'll miss the kids, and my colleagues. I'll miss getting to see my own kids in the halls as they go to and from classes/lunch/recess. But this job is a good thing. I'm grateful as hell to get it.
It will be a HUGE adjustment going from part-time at the preschool to full-time down in the city. I'm nervous about the transition, and worried I won't be able to balance the work/home thing. I've always respect parents with full time out-of-the-home jobs, and the challenges they face. Now I get to experience it first-hand.
The kids are home on break for the next couple of weeks. I'm sad I won't be home to spend most of it with them, but it will be good to have the buffer between starting work, and having to work a full work-week while figuring out transportation for the kids' school.
It's strange to be the only one up in the house. I got up a little after 6, and and everyone else is still snug in their beds. It's kind of a nice piece of quiet.
Glad I took a few moments to jot down thoughts. Now it's time to grab breakfast and head out. May this be the start of good things for my family, and for me.
It will be a HUGE adjustment going from part-time at the preschool to full-time down in the city. I'm nervous about the transition, and worried I won't be able to balance the work/home thing. I've always respect parents with full time out-of-the-home jobs, and the challenges they face. Now I get to experience it first-hand.
The kids are home on break for the next couple of weeks. I'm sad I won't be home to spend most of it with them, but it will be good to have the buffer between starting work, and having to work a full work-week while figuring out transportation for the kids' school.
It's strange to be the only one up in the house. I got up a little after 6, and and everyone else is still snug in their beds. It's kind of a nice piece of quiet.
Glad I took a few moments to jot down thoughts. Now it's time to grab breakfast and head out. May this be the start of good things for my family, and for me.
I sit here tonight with a profound feeling of gratitude. What a beautiful, meaningful day. Jacob was fantastic. He didn't miss a beat. Well, OK, there was that one little moment he started the Shema while facing the wrong way, but aside from that, pure awesomeness. I am so damn proud of him.
I'm grateful that despite all the last minute craziness that seemed to fall from the sky in the days leading up to the Bar Mitzvah, everything turned out well. We had plenty of food, despite sudden last minute panic that we'd have an influx of unanticipated congregants, eager to welcome our new Rabbi to her first official Shabbat with us. And though Friday afternoon, I'd discovered to my panic'd dismay that I'd accidentally left my VISA at my computer at home when there was ZERO time for me to drive back and retrieve the card before the caterer closed for Shabbat, I was able to pay for our catered evening meals thanks to Dad's Sapphire VISA, which I'd put in my wallet so I could take care of some purchases for him. (whew!)
I'm grateful for all the help we had along the way, from friends and family, congregation and community. They ROCK! There were so many hands involved in making today successful I'm afraid to mention names because I'm convinced I'll leave out someone important.
Some highlights of the day in no particular order:
I got tremendous joy from greeting all of our friends and family. I'm not generally a party person. Being an introvert, crowds can feel draining to me after a time. But today, I was energized by each and every interaction. I loved greeting everyone with hugs and kisses and taking time to chat. It was easy. Effortless. I wonder if that's what extroverts feel like all the time.
That moment when one of our Torah readers discovered, today, that he'd learned the wrong Torah portion! And our recently retired Rabbi Reisner, was able to pinch hit and read the portion. What a moment! As bad as I felt for our friend, I was happy Rabbi Reisner was able to participate in the service in an overt and meaningful way. .
That moment when Jacob stood before the Torah scrolls and started Ein Kamocha.... I thought to myself: "Ok Jeanne. There are no pictures, no video, so you'd better take a deep breath, and be fully present and take this all in so it will live strong in your memory. Pay attention." And I did. And as I allowed myself to really soak in the moment, I started to cry.
That moment when Jacob finished the blessings after his Haftorah and stood with a big GOOFY cheeseball grin on his face as he pointed at his open mouth while the congregation showered him with candy!
That moment when Hillel and I read the fabulous speech Hillel wrote for Jacob (I wish I could say I helped, but aside from deciding who said what, it was all him!) It just felt good, and natural, and right. And even though I worried it was kind of long, many people came up to each of us afterward to say how much they enjoyed it, and how inspiring and meaningful they found it.
Those moments in Jacob's dvar where the listeners laughed in the right places.
All those moments of eye contact with assorted friends and family through the service with smiles, nods, blown kisses, and happy shining eyes.
Such love. Such joy. May everyone have lives filled with moments like this. I am grateful. So so grateful.
I'm grateful that despite all the last minute craziness that seemed to fall from the sky in the days leading up to the Bar Mitzvah, everything turned out well. We had plenty of food, despite sudden last minute panic that we'd have an influx of unanticipated congregants, eager to welcome our new Rabbi to her first official Shabbat with us. And though Friday afternoon, I'd discovered to my panic'd dismay that I'd accidentally left my VISA at my computer at home when there was ZERO time for me to drive back and retrieve the card before the caterer closed for Shabbat, I was able to pay for our catered evening meals thanks to Dad's Sapphire VISA, which I'd put in my wallet so I could take care of some purchases for him. (whew!)
I'm grateful for all the help we had along the way, from friends and family, congregation and community. They ROCK! There were so many hands involved in making today successful I'm afraid to mention names because I'm convinced I'll leave out someone important.
Some highlights of the day in no particular order:
I got tremendous joy from greeting all of our friends and family. I'm not generally a party person. Being an introvert, crowds can feel draining to me after a time. But today, I was energized by each and every interaction. I loved greeting everyone with hugs and kisses and taking time to chat. It was easy. Effortless. I wonder if that's what extroverts feel like all the time.
That moment when one of our Torah readers discovered, today, that he'd learned the wrong Torah portion! And our recently retired Rabbi Reisner, was able to pinch hit and read the portion. What a moment! As bad as I felt for our friend, I was happy Rabbi Reisner was able to participate in the service in an overt and meaningful way. .
That moment when Jacob stood before the Torah scrolls and started Ein Kamocha.... I thought to myself: "Ok Jeanne. There are no pictures, no video, so you'd better take a deep breath, and be fully present and take this all in so it will live strong in your memory. Pay attention." And I did. And as I allowed myself to really soak in the moment, I started to cry.
That moment when Jacob finished the blessings after his Haftorah and stood with a big GOOFY cheeseball grin on his face as he pointed at his open mouth while the congregation showered him with candy!
That moment when Hillel and I read the fabulous speech Hillel wrote for Jacob (I wish I could say I helped, but aside from deciding who said what, it was all him!) It just felt good, and natural, and right. And even though I worried it was kind of long, many people came up to each of us afterward to say how much they enjoyed it, and how inspiring and meaningful they found it.
Those moments in Jacob's dvar where the listeners laughed in the right places.
All those moments of eye contact with assorted friends and family through the service with smiles, nods, blown kisses, and happy shining eyes.
Such love. Such joy. May everyone have lives filled with moments like this. I am grateful. So so grateful.
Today was the funeral of Neely Snyder. Mother of 3. Only 37. So senseless and heartbreaking. I wasn't close with her, but we were always warm and friendly with one another. We weren't close, but close enough I am reeling from her loss. I ache for her husband and children. For her family and friends. For our community. And for everyone that has to face the truth that life is not a given, it is a gift, and we will never how long it will last.
One of the speakers at Neely's funeral shared a midrash about the eyes. The eye has two parts, a white part, and a dark part. Through which part do we see? The pupil. The darkness. Light shines bright in the darkness, and with this tragedy, all of us who mourn her loss, become the lights that shine in the darkness of her loss.
We are the light of community. Her community. Our community. And it shines so bright it hurts my eyes, still red and itchy from tears.
I was so moved, when I clicked to a site set up to bring dinners to the family, to discover that in less than 24 hours after Neely's death, the community, HER community, OUR community rallied, individual by individual, family by family, to bring her husband and children dinner through the beginning of December, and as of this writing, through mid-January. The light shines so bright it hurts.
So many people came to pay their respects, from many intersecting and overlapping communities. I've only ever seen the space more filled on the High Holy days.
I'm grateful to witness and be part of the power of community, and yet, still so damn sad.
One of the speakers at Neely's funeral shared a midrash about the eyes. The eye has two parts, a white part, and a dark part. Through which part do we see? The pupil. The darkness. Light shines bright in the darkness, and with this tragedy, all of us who mourn her loss, become the lights that shine in the darkness of her loss.
We are the light of community. Her community. Our community. And it shines so bright it hurts my eyes, still red and itchy from tears.
I was so moved, when I clicked to a site set up to bring dinners to the family, to discover that in less than 24 hours after Neely's death, the community, HER community, OUR community rallied, individual by individual, family by family, to bring her husband and children dinner through the beginning of December, and as of this writing, through mid-January. The light shines so bright it hurts.
So many people came to pay their respects, from many intersecting and overlapping communities. I've only ever seen the space more filled on the High Holy days.
I'm grateful to witness and be part of the power of community, and yet, still so damn sad.
Today I made strawberry syrup for the first time. It was crazy easy, and SO delicious. 2C strawberries, 1/2C water, 1/2C sugar. Slice strawberries, combine w/ water & sugar in saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, puree, cool, and VOILA!!!
Why am I making strawberry syrup, because Alexander's birthday is this weekend, and he requested lemon cake with strawberry icing, and I thought I'd try my hand at an icing flavor other than chocolate or vanilla (my standards)
I'm grateful the strawberry sauce was so easy. I'm grateful the base cakes are baked. I'm grateful Alexander was OK with my greatly simplified cake design -- he wanted a swimming pool cake w/ a diving board, and people swimming in it, and I found an adorable swimming cake that's far easier for me to make. Right now, I'm all about the simple.
I didn't have any DWDIDIAs worth posting today. I'm realizing that I do tons of stuff I don't wanna do at some level, but I choose to do anyway. Dishes. Cooking. Getting out of bed.
But my idea behind the DWDIDIAs was really the stuff I procrastinate about. The stuff that accumulates and laughs at me when my back is turned. The monsters of clutter that constantly grow around my desk, kitchen, bedroom, kids' rooms... I'm not a natural organizer. Creative? Absolutely. Naturally organized about it? HA. So it's a constant challenge. Another classic DWDIDIA is making healthy food choices (would much rather taste the chocolate than the fill_in_the_blank) and making time to exercise.
So I didn't do any of that stuff, but I did have a fantastic day full of happy 2 year olds, and magical monsters. Maybe I'll make time to write about it tomorrow, but tonight, getting to sleep is more important to me.
Why am I making strawberry syrup, because Alexander's birthday is this weekend, and he requested lemon cake with strawberry icing, and I thought I'd try my hand at an icing flavor other than chocolate or vanilla (my standards)
I'm grateful the strawberry sauce was so easy. I'm grateful the base cakes are baked. I'm grateful Alexander was OK with my greatly simplified cake design -- he wanted a swimming pool cake w/ a diving board, and people swimming in it, and I found an adorable swimming cake that's far easier for me to make. Right now, I'm all about the simple.
I didn't have any DWDIDIAs worth posting today. I'm realizing that I do tons of stuff I don't wanna do at some level, but I choose to do anyway. Dishes. Cooking. Getting out of bed.
But my idea behind the DWDIDIAs was really the stuff I procrastinate about. The stuff that accumulates and laughs at me when my back is turned. The monsters of clutter that constantly grow around my desk, kitchen, bedroom, kids' rooms... I'm not a natural organizer. Creative? Absolutely. Naturally organized about it? HA. So it's a constant challenge. Another classic DWDIDIA is making healthy food choices (would much rather taste the chocolate than the fill_in_the_blank) and making time to exercise.
So I didn't do any of that stuff, but I did have a fantastic day full of happy 2 year olds, and magical monsters. Maybe I'll make time to write about it tomorrow, but tonight, getting to sleep is more important to me.
I'm grateful for a warm home, warm blankets, mostly dry streets, wool socks, and of course a happy healthy family.
I didn't get around to writing yesterday's Didn'tWannaDoIt because it happened pretty late at night. I was all snuggled in bed, warm under the comforter, enjoying some before bedtime conversation w/ Hillel when I had the thought that Starbeak (our parakeet) might be especially cold this night, since we lowered the thermostat to 66, and her cage is right next to a window. The very last thing I wanted to do was leave my bed. I was warm. I was nodding off. It was late. But I got out of bed to search out a space heater, and when I didn't find one that worked, I layered blankets over the window side of her cage. I can't say I felt really good about it - mostly I was just tired, cranky, and wanted to get back to bed, but now, a day later, I'm glad I did the right thing.
I didn't get around to writing yesterday's Didn'tWannaDoIt because it happened pretty late at night. I was all snuggled in bed, warm under the comforter, enjoying some before bedtime conversation w/ Hillel when I had the thought that Starbeak (our parakeet) might be especially cold this night, since we lowered the thermostat to 66, and her cage is right next to a window. The very last thing I wanted to do was leave my bed. I was warm. I was nodding off. It was late. But I got out of bed to search out a space heater, and when I didn't find one that worked, I layered blankets over the window side of her cage. I can't say I felt really good about it - mostly I was just tired, cranky, and wanted to get back to bed, but now, a day later, I'm glad I did the right thing.
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It's also, frankly, a bit terrifying.…
This seems an unusual time for a school to be hiring. Nice that there was an opening that you didn't have to wait until next September for!