Tuesday, March 31, 2015

#BlogExodus: Celebrate

As readers of this blog know, I’m sort of blue this week.  Nonetheless, I’m trying to find little moments to celebrate.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

#BlogExodus: Bitter

I just finished reading Jennifer Weiner’s article in today's paper about seders past and present, and how she’s the one in her family now in charge of the annual event.

In 2010, at 77, my mom was still the one in charge of our seders.  She’d been having some health issues so I went out to New Jersey the day before, Sunday, March 28, to help finish the preparations.  When I arrived, the table was already set, the soup and the matzah balls were made, and the brisket was in the crockpot.  I assembled some relish trays, chopped apples for charoset, and followed a recipe she’d clipped from the newspaper for a tri-colored gefilte fish loaf.  Before long, that, too, was covered with Saran and squished in the overflowing fridge, in the kitchen that smelled – as it did every year at this season – like Pesach.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

#BlogExodus: To Rise....Or Not

Growing up, my sister and I learned the importance of rising to the occasion – to meet the challenges we faced, to deal with difficult or unexpected situations, and to do what was needed, even if it wasn't  what we’d planned or anticipated. 

Friday, March 27, 2015

#BlogExodus: Tell (and Ask)

Like the butcher, I backed into the meat grinder this week and got a little behind in my work.  [Groan….] As a result, I’m telling a story that I should have told yesterday – not only because yesterday’s #BlogExodus prompt was “tell,” but, more important, because it’s a story that demands to be told.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

#BlogExodus: Hide

Any ideas I might have about today's #BlogExodus post are hiding from me.  Or perhaps I am hiding from them. 

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

#BlogExodus: Grow the Business?

I’m somewhat of a purist and as such, I don’t appreciate the use of “grow” when its direct object is other than something in the natural world – flowers, fur, or corn, for example.  “Grow the business” sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Luckily, I’m not alone in my dislike.

Monday, March 23, 2015

#BlogExodus: Cleanse

Yesterday turned out to be such a lazy Sunday -- truly a blessing -- that tonight is laundry night. Thankfully, there are plenty of machines right in the basement that are great at cleaning and drying my clothes. 

Sunday, March 22, 2015

#BlogExodus: Baffled by “Bless”

I’m a little bit baffled about the meaning of the word “bless.”  Nothing Merriam-Webster says about it strikes me as particularly Jewish.  Same with the online OED.

On the other hand – and not surprisingly – the explanation offered by ReformJudaism.org resonates with me:  “Throughout Jewish history, the deepest feelings and longings of the soul have been given expression in the form of blessings (brachot) for nearly every occasion, both ordinary and extraordinary, and a liturgy for both daily and sacred times.”

Saturday, March 21, 2015

#BlogExodus: A Roundup of Beginnings

Although it may seem odd to begin with a roundup, today, 1 Nisan, presents a confluence of beginnings.

Not only is it the first of the month of Nisan and the first full day of spring, it also is Shabbat Ha-Chodesh, which marks the beginning of one of the four new years on the Hebrew calendar. This day begins the liturgical year as was referenced in the Rosh Chodesh parashah we read this morning:  “God spoke to Moses and Aaron when they were in Egypt and said, ‘This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you’” (Exodus 12:1-2).  The liturgical year ties all Jewish festivals to the Exodus from Egypt so its beginning now -- less than two weeks before Passover -- is most apt. 

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Ten Good Things About Today

10. It was sunny all day.

9.  Even with oversleeping, I made it to the office by 9:10 a.m.

8.  I didn't have time for breakfast at home, so I'm planning on oatmeal for dinner.

7.  There was a check in the mail. (Thanks, Mellon.  Too bad I wasn't visiting you tonight.  We'd have had a great time watching the game at the CONSOL Energy Center.)

Monday, March 16, 2015

#RhodiaPaperProject: Yet Again, 90g is the Winner

Now that the #RhodiaPaperProject happens ever other week, I think I anticipate the arrival of paper samples twice as much.  I was glad to receive Week 14 samples in the mail a few days ago and to try out various inks on them this evening.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

The Shiva Orchid

Nearly five years ago, when we were sitting shiva for my mother, one of my sister's friends from The Frick Collection came by with a beautiful orchid.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Use Your Manners

As the MTA ramps up its etiquette campaign on subways and buses, here are a few suggestions for things New Yorkers can do, not only to make the commute more pleasant, but to enhance life in our city as well.

  1. Smile.
  2. Greet the doorman.
  3. Hold the door.
  4. Remove your backpack on the subway.  
  5. Keep right -- on the road, on the sidewalk, and on the staircase. 
  6. Wipe down the treadmill when you're finished.