It's been over a year since I last wrote! I have been writing, but mostly video making, taking care of the house, traveling a bit, facebook time, way too much, and now I got an iphone so I am playing on that!
Today I will donate blood, so one for humanity. I am still quite involved with LBMA and have enjoyed that very much. My writing blog chops are lazy.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Thursday, April 7, 2011
How about some gefilte fish
A matzoh company is now following me on Twitter. I hope they're not disappointed. I did buy some matzoh today, though not theirs. Hmmmm
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Passover
A dear friend who attended my sister's funeral told me, "I just love Jewish things." Apparently, not only did the funeral impress her, the inherent Jewishness of the whole thing really touched her. I said to her, "Oh, I will have s Seder next spring." And as the calendar days have ticked away, the time has come. I texted her, "Passover at my house?" "Oh goody," was the reply.
I have not given a Seder in 22 years, and that one was the simplest of services with our Sonny Boy's God Parents, non Jews, too. It was then I learned that many Christian Churches give Seders because The Last Supper was a Seder. Our 4 month old Sonny Boy sat snuggled on his God Mother's lap as I lead the service. We read through the Haggadah, as I picked and chose my favorite parts, giving a thumbnail sketch of the Jews' life and escape from Egypt.
There was no Pesach preparation of the kitchen by scrubbing every inch of counter space, refrigerator, microwave, counters or sink. No extra laundering of tablecloths, no digging out the Passover dishes, silverware and utensils. I didn't start from scratch with the food in the frig or the cupboards. I didn't check the medicine cabinet. I didn't get rid of one crumb of chometz (non kosher ingestibles). There was no blessing before the search for chometz, no burning of the chometz, no worrying about chometz.
This year will be the same. In years passed, when I helped my mother prepare for Passover, I thought it was definitely symbolic of the slavery in Egypt. There is a way to avoid all of the work, go away for the week. I did that once with my mother and step dad. We went to Israel and had an honest to goodness Seder in Jerusalem. The service was so quick with all Hebrew, no arguing whether hard boiled eggs are really a legitimate Karpas (appetizer) no Hebrew then English. The matzoh balls were the kind that were so hard, when I went to slice it with my spoon, I thought it would catapult to the other side of the room.
In my lifetime there have always been 2 nights of Seders. I learned from my step dad that Passover has only one night in Israel because it's in the correct time zone, and there's no guessing exactly when the proper phase of the moon strikes. Which, by the way is how all Jewish holidays are discerned, by the phases of the moon.
So far, I have found a 30 minute Seder Haggadah, polished brass candle holders, and asked my cousin to sing songs and prayers for me in Hebrew to put on my ipod to play at the Seder. Two weeks and counting.
I have not given a Seder in 22 years, and that one was the simplest of services with our Sonny Boy's God Parents, non Jews, too. It was then I learned that many Christian Churches give Seders because The Last Supper was a Seder. Our 4 month old Sonny Boy sat snuggled on his God Mother's lap as I lead the service. We read through the Haggadah, as I picked and chose my favorite parts, giving a thumbnail sketch of the Jews' life and escape from Egypt.
There was no Pesach preparation of the kitchen by scrubbing every inch of counter space, refrigerator, microwave, counters or sink. No extra laundering of tablecloths, no digging out the Passover dishes, silverware and utensils. I didn't start from scratch with the food in the frig or the cupboards. I didn't check the medicine cabinet. I didn't get rid of one crumb of chometz (non kosher ingestibles). There was no blessing before the search for chometz, no burning of the chometz, no worrying about chometz.
This year will be the same. In years passed, when I helped my mother prepare for Passover, I thought it was definitely symbolic of the slavery in Egypt. There is a way to avoid all of the work, go away for the week. I did that once with my mother and step dad. We went to Israel and had an honest to goodness Seder in Jerusalem. The service was so quick with all Hebrew, no arguing whether hard boiled eggs are really a legitimate Karpas (appetizer) no Hebrew then English. The matzoh balls were the kind that were so hard, when I went to slice it with my spoon, I thought it would catapult to the other side of the room.
In my lifetime there have always been 2 nights of Seders. I learned from my step dad that Passover has only one night in Israel because it's in the correct time zone, and there's no guessing exactly when the proper phase of the moon strikes. Which, by the way is how all Jewish holidays are discerned, by the phases of the moon.
So far, I have found a 30 minute Seder Haggadah, polished brass candle holders, and asked my cousin to sing songs and prayers for me in Hebrew to put on my ipod to play at the Seder. Two weeks and counting.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Failure Rules?
Anticipation is the word that comes to me when the new season of American Idol starts up. This year especially, what with Simon gone and all. I really like the change. Steven Tyler, as strange looking as he is, and Jennifer Lopez are really enjoyable. Plus there were subtle changes in the tryouts that made for entertaining watching. I guess you could say I am an American Idol fan.
One of the best things to me about American Idol during the "live" part of the show, is the lack of hatred/pettiness/dissent/vulgarity/confrontation between contestants that can be found on some other reality type shows. (Well, omitting the Simon and Paula thing.) Unfortunately, during all the shows that lead up to the "Live" shows, the producers choose to put a lot of the emotionally embarrassing stuff in. It's especially profuse during Hollywood Week. When the camera lingers on someone in emotional melt down I scoff at the TV, "Quit your blubbering."
There's one irksome contestant, a skinny, unsightly young woman, that the camera just kept focusing on. Her trials and tribulations were the magnet for so much camera time, I kept wondering why? Why? When it was time for her solo, I thought she botched it so terribly that, Thank God, that would be the end of her. I was so wrong. When she was in a room of contestants that were either in or out, there she was in her neurotic glory alongside some of my favorites. NOOOOO!
Either they were out, or she was in! Reality TV sucks sometimes.
It made me think of my other favorite "Reality" shows. The powers that be think that watching people fail makes for good tv watching, i.e., great ratings. Do we as humans watching humans really love failure? Does watching losers makes us feel superior, and when the one outstanding last man standing wins, it makes it that much sweeter? What is their reasoning?
I know when I am watching the elimination judging on Project Runway, and one of the contestants is nice and the other is a bitch or worse, the nice one gets kicked off.
I know this has to be the producer's choice. Not only that, the challenges are so tough, they seem to incubate distress and failure. I don't watch Survivor, just the name alone implies it's gonna be a bumpy ride and everyone is going for it.
But Top Chef and Project Runway should be about creativity and implementation, not survivor skills. But that doesn't stop the producers from selecting the most excruciating challenges. Why can't they give the contestants and extra few hours to create and execute perfection? I think because they love failure. Too bad.
American Idol has its sight set on the perfect failure. That scrawny young woman.
Her buggy eyes, withered face and scraggly hair over rule her voice. I barely remember what she sounds like. And I am highly suspicious of why in the hell she was chosen with so many gracious, talented, good looking young contestants. I hope she isn't the thorn in my American Idol side the whole season. Yikes!
One of the best things to me about American Idol during the "live" part of the show, is the lack of hatred/pettiness/dissent/vulgarity/confrontation between contestants that can be found on some other reality type shows. (Well, omitting the Simon and Paula thing.) Unfortunately, during all the shows that lead up to the "Live" shows, the producers choose to put a lot of the emotionally embarrassing stuff in. It's especially profuse during Hollywood Week. When the camera lingers on someone in emotional melt down I scoff at the TV, "Quit your blubbering."
There's one irksome contestant, a skinny, unsightly young woman, that the camera just kept focusing on. Her trials and tribulations were the magnet for so much camera time, I kept wondering why? Why? When it was time for her solo, I thought she botched it so terribly that, Thank God, that would be the end of her. I was so wrong. When she was in a room of contestants that were either in or out, there she was in her neurotic glory alongside some of my favorites. NOOOOO!
Either they were out, or she was in! Reality TV sucks sometimes.
It made me think of my other favorite "Reality" shows. The powers that be think that watching people fail makes for good tv watching, i.e., great ratings. Do we as humans watching humans really love failure? Does watching losers makes us feel superior, and when the one outstanding last man standing wins, it makes it that much sweeter? What is their reasoning?
I know when I am watching the elimination judging on Project Runway, and one of the contestants is nice and the other is a bitch or worse, the nice one gets kicked off.
I know this has to be the producer's choice. Not only that, the challenges are so tough, they seem to incubate distress and failure. I don't watch Survivor, just the name alone implies it's gonna be a bumpy ride and everyone is going for it.
But Top Chef and Project Runway should be about creativity and implementation, not survivor skills. But that doesn't stop the producers from selecting the most excruciating challenges. Why can't they give the contestants and extra few hours to create and execute perfection? I think because they love failure. Too bad.
American Idol has its sight set on the perfect failure. That scrawny young woman.
Her buggy eyes, withered face and scraggly hair over rule her voice. I barely remember what she sounds like. And I am highly suspicious of why in the hell she was chosen with so many gracious, talented, good looking young contestants. I hope she isn't the thorn in my American Idol side the whole season. Yikes!
Friday, January 21, 2011
A Different Kind of Jewelry
As friends and family have learned, my mother in law has moved in with us. Believe it or not, this was my idea. I have said to myself and sometimes to other folks when the subject has come up, that I would have her here if that's what Hubby wanted. Well, that time has come.
She is very tiny and frail, having come to us from the hospital because she had a bout with pneumonia. Before that she lived by herself quite successfully on the independent side of a retirement community. We, coincidentally, were on the verge of moving her over to the assisted side because of certain age related memory issues. Now, mind you, she had started on medication to help her memory, but she would forget to take it, so...we had that, and some other goofy oddities that needed to be tended. She is 92.
So, on and off since she has been in our home, we have had honest conversations about her dying and her wishes about her remains. Since I have known her, the choice has always been cremation.
While I was rubbing her feet, I told her how my choice is to be turned into a diamond. I had heard about this idea several years ago, and I Googled it, and it has stuck! I even bought the heart shaped glass container I would like my diamond to sit in. No real muss or fuss, just put it on a nice windowsill somewhere and I will quietly shine when the sun hits. (Hopefully it will shine. I'm not quite sure of the quality a human body's ashes will make, but I think it's worth a try.)
Well, maybe it was the ecstatic joy of having her feet rubbed, but she got a big smile when I told her that could be done, and she said, "That sounds fun!" I agree.
She is very tiny and frail, having come to us from the hospital because she had a bout with pneumonia. Before that she lived by herself quite successfully on the independent side of a retirement community. We, coincidentally, were on the verge of moving her over to the assisted side because of certain age related memory issues. Now, mind you, she had started on medication to help her memory, but she would forget to take it, so...we had that, and some other goofy oddities that needed to be tended. She is 92.
So, on and off since she has been in our home, we have had honest conversations about her dying and her wishes about her remains. Since I have known her, the choice has always been cremation.
While I was rubbing her feet, I told her how my choice is to be turned into a diamond. I had heard about this idea several years ago, and I Googled it, and it has stuck! I even bought the heart shaped glass container I would like my diamond to sit in. No real muss or fuss, just put it on a nice windowsill somewhere and I will quietly shine when the sun hits. (Hopefully it will shine. I'm not quite sure of the quality a human body's ashes will make, but I think it's worth a try.)
Well, maybe it was the ecstatic joy of having her feet rubbed, but she got a big smile when I told her that could be done, and she said, "That sounds fun!" I agree.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Never Enough Jewelry
Hubby's wedding ring has been sitting in my jewelry box for about 22 years. We've been married almost 23 years. He doesn't like jewelry. It doesn't bother me that he doesn't wear it, I don't even think of it. He is so attached to me as his wife, I am completely secure in that respect. But, I cleaned out my jewelry box not long ago, and found unwanted, unused, broken gold, GOLD, GOLD ...the rage in getting cash cash cash, or in the case of my little local jewelry store, trade- in power for new Jewelry! I drool at that big chunk of gold that he doesn't wear. I wonder secretly, how much could I get for this golden delight?
I gently talk about his ring that has been sitting, unused, for lo these many years. He says he'll get it sized so he can wear it. I say, "but you'll take it off and leave it somewhere."
"No I won't," he says adamantly. "Hubby, you hate jewelry. You never wear a watch, and if you do, you leave it on your desk, in a restaurant, in your car, never does it stay on your wrist a full working day." He suddenly catches on. "You cannot have MY ring to turn into more jewelry."
Damn. That was really fast. "Wouldn't it be nice if I turned it into something that can be seen and appreciated instead of wasting away in a dark jewelry box?"
He immediately goes to get the ring.
"You don't even know where it is," I say. After rustling around in his top drawer for awhile he demands, "Where is it?"
In my jewelry box. He finds it and tries to slip it on his ring finger. It doesn't work, so he puts it on his pinky and says, "I'm going to wear it always, just like this."
"Babe, you'll loose it."
Then, in the midst of our sacred marital bedroom, he tells me, "You can't have my ring to get more jewelry; you have enough jewelry."
I said with complete astonishment , "Never, ever say that to a woman, never!" We did break out in laughter, but I was shocked and mortified. I told him, "telling me something like that is telling you that you've watched enough football!" He acted like he didn't understand the analogy.
But, I know he did.
I gently talk about his ring that has been sitting, unused, for lo these many years. He says he'll get it sized so he can wear it. I say, "but you'll take it off and leave it somewhere."
"No I won't," he says adamantly. "Hubby, you hate jewelry. You never wear a watch, and if you do, you leave it on your desk, in a restaurant, in your car, never does it stay on your wrist a full working day." He suddenly catches on. "You cannot have MY ring to turn into more jewelry."
Damn. That was really fast. "Wouldn't it be nice if I turned it into something that can be seen and appreciated instead of wasting away in a dark jewelry box?"
He immediately goes to get the ring.
"You don't even know where it is," I say. After rustling around in his top drawer for awhile he demands, "Where is it?"
In my jewelry box. He finds it and tries to slip it on his ring finger. It doesn't work, so he puts it on his pinky and says, "I'm going to wear it always, just like this."
"Babe, you'll loose it."
Then, in the midst of our sacred marital bedroom, he tells me, "You can't have my ring to get more jewelry; you have enough jewelry."
I said with complete astonishment , "Never, ever say that to a woman, never!" We did break out in laughter, but I was shocked and mortified. I told him, "telling me something like that is telling you that you've watched enough football!" He acted like he didn't understand the analogy.
But, I know he did.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Adrift at Sea
When I first started working on a cruise ship in 1982, I heard a joke from one of the crew. "What's the difference between a prison and a cruise ship? A ship can sink."
I wonder if that's how the passengers and crew of Carnival's Splendor feel since they've been adrift at sea, and now slowly being pushed by tug boats into the port of San Diego.
Not too long ago, on our Mediterranean cruise, something happened to the engine and we lost power for about 8 hours. The captain dropped the anchor, we were close to shore, so that was reassuring, the emergency generator ran several pieces of equipment, like the refrigerators, one of the elevators, and the crew went out of their way to please us. The outage went right before we left for the evening meal, so as they informed us there would be no hot food, we said, "oh bring us a cheese plate." Voila. "How about some shrimp cocktail." "A little pate?" And of course, the wine was flowing freely.
Later that night we went to another couple's stateroom and opened a bottle of champagne. They had a flashlight. I always bring flashlights when I travel now.
The next day, even though the power was back on, we had to spend many hours running a course in the bay to prove to the authorities that we were sea worthy. The kitchen crew brought out all the gear to have a huge barbecue, and we're talking lamb, steak, pork, chicken, lobster, jumbo shrimp. There was caviar and salads and all the desserts you could see for miles. It was a ship of 500 passengers, and an 18 hour delay. We were fine. We missed the day in Monte Carlo, but when we got there at dusk, the captain sailed into the harbor and gave us a little golden- lit tour of the beautiful hills and city of that port. We also got a $1000 refund. Not bad.
I think the experience of a ship with over 4,000 passengers and many inside cabins and many hours at sea without electricity is something other than charming. Free drinks, that's good. But honestly, Pop Tarts and Spam? Canned crab? Oh, I hear croissants. That would just not be the vacation one bargained for. The inside cabin would be the worst. There is emergency lighting in the hallway, so if the door is open, there's some relief. But there's no air flowing at all. The toilets flush, Thank God, but no hot water for a shower. No light to see where anything is.
The cruise ship I worked on many years ago lost power for maybe a minute, and I was in the massage room (ships' masseuse) and it was pitch black. We were adrift. But really, only seconds. The worst thing that happened, and I wonder if this is happening on the Splendor, the enzymes for the "sewage" on the ship became
ineffective, and a few days later most of the ship smelled like the sewer. That was over twenty five years ago, and it was a 40 year old ship at the time. Maybe technology has changed and will save those passengers from further humiliation.
Will these passengers want to take Carnival up on their offer for another free cruise?
I wonder if that's how the passengers and crew of Carnival's Splendor feel since they've been adrift at sea, and now slowly being pushed by tug boats into the port of San Diego.
Not too long ago, on our Mediterranean cruise, something happened to the engine and we lost power for about 8 hours. The captain dropped the anchor, we were close to shore, so that was reassuring, the emergency generator ran several pieces of equipment, like the refrigerators, one of the elevators, and the crew went out of their way to please us. The outage went right before we left for the evening meal, so as they informed us there would be no hot food, we said, "oh bring us a cheese plate." Voila. "How about some shrimp cocktail." "A little pate?" And of course, the wine was flowing freely.
Later that night we went to another couple's stateroom and opened a bottle of champagne. They had a flashlight. I always bring flashlights when I travel now.
The next day, even though the power was back on, we had to spend many hours running a course in the bay to prove to the authorities that we were sea worthy. The kitchen crew brought out all the gear to have a huge barbecue, and we're talking lamb, steak, pork, chicken, lobster, jumbo shrimp. There was caviar and salads and all the desserts you could see for miles. It was a ship of 500 passengers, and an 18 hour delay. We were fine. We missed the day in Monte Carlo, but when we got there at dusk, the captain sailed into the harbor and gave us a little golden- lit tour of the beautiful hills and city of that port. We also got a $1000 refund. Not bad.
I think the experience of a ship with over 4,000 passengers and many inside cabins and many hours at sea without electricity is something other than charming. Free drinks, that's good. But honestly, Pop Tarts and Spam? Canned crab? Oh, I hear croissants. That would just not be the vacation one bargained for. The inside cabin would be the worst. There is emergency lighting in the hallway, so if the door is open, there's some relief. But there's no air flowing at all. The toilets flush, Thank God, but no hot water for a shower. No light to see where anything is.
The cruise ship I worked on many years ago lost power for maybe a minute, and I was in the massage room (ships' masseuse) and it was pitch black. We were adrift. But really, only seconds. The worst thing that happened, and I wonder if this is happening on the Splendor, the enzymes for the "sewage" on the ship became
ineffective, and a few days later most of the ship smelled like the sewer. That was over twenty five years ago, and it was a 40 year old ship at the time. Maybe technology has changed and will save those passengers from further humiliation.
Will these passengers want to take Carnival up on their offer for another free cruise?
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