• Best Thing Ever,  Confessions,  I've Got Mad Skillz,  Jew Stuff,  Jim Has Mad Skillz,  We Are An Awesome Couple

    When Good Stalking Leads To A Great Marriage

    December 29, 2010

    Once a month, our temple’s Friday night services include Birthday and Anniversary blessings. It’s a really great tradition, and there’s something about having the rabbi and cantor give a blessing for the upcoming year (being witnessed by the congregation, of course!) that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Jim and I do our best to, as he says, “Go get our blessing” every year, and we did just that two weeks ago. At this part of the service, the rabbi calls all couples who are celebrating a wedding anniversary up to the bimah. As you can imagine, December is not one of the more popular months for weddings, and…

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  • Blessings,  Jew Stuff,  Proud Moments

    Simple Gifts

    December 17, 2010

    My sister, upon seeing the title of this one, will think that this post is about one of my favorite songs, which is “Simple Gifts”. The older boy used to play it when he was in middle school orchestra, and then the younger boy learned it on the guitar. I adore it, and he rarely plays it for me anymore. Don’t know the song? Since I haven’t yet caught my kid playing it on camera yet, here’s my second favorite version. But this post isn’t about that. As a second grade religious school teacher, I sometimes receive gifts at Hanukkah or at the end of the year. It’s not necessary,…

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  • Jew Stuff,  Roxie

    Another Hanukkah Tradition Lives On…

    December 3, 2010

    My dog is not stupid. In fact, the way her brain works, I wouldn’t be surprised if she has a whole other life that I don’t know about: maybe a doggie husband, a couple of puppies? I got an unexpected reminder of how smart she really is today, when she carried on her sixth annual Hanukkah tradition of locating the gelt* (chocolate coins**) I had hidden (from her), and eating them, but not before she took off the wrappers. (Do you know how difficult it is for a human to take those wrappers off sometimes???) Here’s the deal. I had the gelt in a Target bag (YES! Target sells gelt…

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  • Do I Really Want My Readers To Know This?,  Jew Stuff

    Happy Hanukkah…Sigh.

    December 1, 2010

    Most of my readers know from previous posts that I normally despise decorating for holidays. One of my very first posts when I started blogging more than three years ago (that’s about two decades in Blog Years) was about how pitiful my Halloween decorations were/are. I just don’t get into it. I’m a creature of habit, and though it is Scrooge-like, I don’t like the “messiness” of scads of decorations making my already normal daily mess even messier. Get it? Except on Hanukkah. Hanukkah! Wow! I used to collect menorahs actively and now have about twenty-ish of them. I also have lots of dreidels, wall hangings, votive candle holders, dishes,…

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  • Jew Stuff,  Too Funny To Ignore

    Effects of the Technology Age

    October 3, 2010

    I spend Sunday mornings during the school year teaching a second grade religious school class of fifteen students at our temple. Today, we were talking about the First Commandent (“I am the Lord, your G-d”), and I began a discussion asking what my students wonder about G-d. Some of the points brought up for discussion: 1. Is G-d a “he” or a “she”?2. Is G-d a person?3. If G-d is supposed to be everywhere, is he/she everywhere at once, or does he/she just stop in everywhere from time to time? (My favorite!!) After discussing these topics for just a couple of minutes, I asked my class if there is a…

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