Daily 8

I found a new web site when I clicked on the link to "eight things to buy at the dollar store". As you  know, I'm a big fan of the Dollar Tree and I already knew all of the article's tips. This site, The Daily 8, seems to think the number 8 is the exact right number to have on many lists.

So here's my Daily 8 for today:


1. Coffee
2. Doctor appointment (check up)
3. Nail appointment (silver for New Years)
4. Check my social media (cut back on this!)
5. Maj Jong (Tuesday regular game)
6. Pack for Cruise
7. Check on sick friends
8. Keep Calm and Carry On

;-)

Around The Corner, Part Deux

With the New Year only two days away, I am putting aside yesterday's reflection on 2015 and turning my sights to plans for next year.

Three cruises await, one sans hubby with my Sisterhood friends. That will definitely be something different but I usually surprise myself by actually doing pretty well on my own. I try to make "alone" time a time of quiet musings and introspection.  I am also hoping to cement budding friendships and have fun.

Of course, my Bat Mitzvah in September will be a Big Deal. Not for the attention and the little celebration but because it will infuse in me a personal sense of great accomplishment. I am indeed proud of myself.

Resolutions? Not many. To keep happy and healthy. To enjoy the fabulous place we are lucky enough to live in and the people in our lives. To practice gratitude everyday. To smile at beautiful memories.

;-) 

Around The Corner

...lies 2016.

It cannot come soon enough. This year, 2015, was marked with abundant goodness but also twinged with pain. Some pain was literal like my three month toothache and its accompanying severe infection that seemingly defied multiple root canals and massive doses of antibiotics. An attempt to beautify myself also slightly misfired but thankfully I appear to be getting better, at least cosmetically.

The house fared the best this year. It received a beautiful new antique rug in the dining room and a big new walk-in pantry in the kitchen. A lovely round rug lies under the kitchen table and hubby made several landscape improvements. A new pocket door separates the guest quarters from the rest of the house. Plus a new security system is in transit and a big cuddly blanket is on the living room sofa.

Socially, our life was a happy whirl thanks to old friends, Havurah Negila, hubby's new poker group, our Royal Oak neighbors and Temple Shalom. We are ending the year with a cruise with friends and even Christmas and Chanukah, normally times of strange melancholy, were the best ones we ever had.

It was a special year for me spiritually. I learned to read Hebrew (with vowels!) and am well on my way to acing my Bat Mitzvah next September. I expanded my Jewish learning thanks to teachers Sara, Larry, Rabbi Yossi and my own hubby.

Yet it was also a year of quiet contemplation on life and death, on love and loss, and on the beauty and faith and wisdom that comes with growing older... 

Moon River

Andy Williams singing Moon River sent more chills down my spine in the 1960s than all the Beatles and Rolling Stones songs put together. 

I knew that when I married I would want my hubby to be my "Huckleberry friend", as in:

Two drifters, off to see the world, there's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend, my Huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me...

And that's why I chose Moon River for our first married dance together.

RIP Andy Williams.  Thank you for sharing your beautiful, haunting voice with us.

Angels

A few years ago, Angels were all the rage. There were books about Angels in our everyday life and little statues for home use were everywhere.

Do I believe?  I do.

A few years ago our then-Rabbi told me that Angels do not exist in Judaism. After I pointed out a whole lot of references from our Torah (think Abraham and Jacob) - including a beautiful passage from my childhood prayer book that my father read to me every night and the fact that one of our Temple's stained glass windows depicted an Angel - he relented.

I believe our Angels today come in human form. They are not perfect people but they are entrusted by God with a mission or a message to give us at just the right time. A phone call. A hug. An invitation when when we are lonely. 

A sign that all is right with the world...

In A Funk Update

Five weeks ago I wrote that I was suffering from a funk-ish mood and was verging on depression. Deep down I truly know that bad days come and go and the that the-sun-will-come-out-tomorrow. It's a little tough when things are going badly but if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other the path gets less bumpy and we can walk out of the forest.

So where am I today?  The market and our retirement nest egg have recovered and the prospect of me ending up a bag lady is once again off the radar hahaha. I feel a little better about my looks or maybe I have just accepted that what-will-be-will-be (gee I am chock full of time-tested affirmations today). And most amazing, I feel that after several months of daily devotion to my Bat Mitzvah workbook, I am finally doing better, maybe even OK.

My gratitude meter is UP. I have so much to look forward to and be thankful for. 

Life is Good.

;-)

Nostalgia

We put in a new pantry in the kitchen. It's gorgeous.

I got to chose the pantry door and the flooring. I picked a decidedly old-fashioned motif etched on the frosted glass door. It goes well with my other furnishings which is a good thing since the kitchen is visible from almost everywhere in our open-style home.

I knew I'd never get the pantry floor to match the existing tile so I decided to get something completely different. My thoughts drifted to the bathroom floor in our first apartment (built circa 1925) - those ubiquitous small hexagon white tiles that seemed to be the only tile flooring offered for several decades. Still to be found almost everywhere, only now they are labelled "vintage".  You guessed it, that's my new pantry floor.

Hubby suggested we get a step stool for the pantry to reach the high shelves. Again my thoughts wandered to our first apartment when my mother-in-law insisted that a Cosco chair with fold out steps was a necessity and gave us one for a gift. Oh yes, they too are still available (from the same company!), now labelled "retro" and oh yes, they have it in a beautiful shade of deep red. You guessed it, that's my new step stool.

It occurred to me that the "new" dishes I purchased for this home are also vintage - Franciscan Apple (see blog entry). Hmm, I am thinking that I am perhaps slipping into a nostalgic haze where I seek comforting tangible goods from bygone times. 

OK, I can live with that!

;-)

Back To The Future Day

Well, it doesn't look like the Cubs will win the World Series this year although they have come closer than they have in a long while. A lot of the other things envisioned by the 1985 movie are also still waiting. But things certainly have changed for me since 1985.

My career was still in its infancy in 1985 and now I am a contented retiree. I don't obsess about finances or my weight nearly as much (they seemed to be my driving forces in 1985) as both are stable and in good shape. I don't worry about where to live or getting more stuff or feeling the need to compete for well, anything.

I still love my hubby and we still have big fun. We have more friends than ever and thankfully, our health is good (poo poo poo). I love where we live and our pretty house. Our "problems" are little (actually minuscule). 

Yes, Back To The Future Day turned out pretty well. 

I wouldn't go back thirty years even with a time machine... except to spend more time with my parents and BFF...

;-)

Be Still

I turned off the TV. I shut down the noise and listened to the quiet.  I calmed my mind. 

I erased thoughts of housework, problems, money and schedules. I gave myself permission to skip the concert at the Temple tonight, the craft fair, reading the next book club selection and the birthday party. 

I pretended I am retired in Tennessee and rocking on my front porch. I folded up the paper without reading it.

I sipped my coffee. I refused to obsess about things out of my control.

My motto for today: Be Still and Know That I Am.

Happiness!  And Peace...

Gift

My Sisterhood Cruise roommate and friend is celebrating 16 Cancer free years!  Her doting husband is throwing her a party but because she has been under-the-weather lately (nothing to do with cancer, Thank God). It's going to be short, only an hour. Never fear, he said, there will be platters upon platters of all kinds of tasty food. Don't eat all day and make no dinner plans he cautioned.

My friend Maxie asked me at services last night what I am giving her for a gift. I said it was something from the heart, a personal possession.

When my BFF was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 1996 at the age of 45 I bought us matching Patricia Locke breast cancer pins. She loved hers!  I guessed she would as we were both huge fans of Patricia Locke jewelry. 

My BFF fought her cancer bravely and when she passed away in June 2006, she was cancer free. Her death was caused by medical malpractice and radiation poisoning, not cancer. As you know, Dear Diary, we were "besties" for 40 years and I still miss her everyday and always will.

Tonight I am giving my pin to my new friend to celebrate her own victory. I hope she likes it and wears it as proudly as Sheryl, my angel, did.

My Sukkot Sermon

Last night I gave the sermon at the Friday night services. As promised, I am posting it here.

I got a bit verklempt at the end and kind of faltered. It was hard to get out the last couple of lines.

Everyone seemed to like it (again, I think its greatest attribute was that it was short). I hope Dad was listening and that I made him proud.

Our Temple "Sermonator" Marlene asked me to speak about Abundance because this week is Sukkot, or Sukkas as I learned it, the joyous festival that celebrates the Great Abundance that fills our lives. Jews forsake their normal dwelling places to eat, and even sleep, in humble sukkahs. This contrast reminds us of All Our Blessings and the open night sky makes us feel closer to God.

A few years ago a Facebook friend posted one of those quizzes that promises to tell you about yourself.  This one asked “Is your glass half full or half empty?”

My friend’s sister quickly replied:  “Glass?? What glass? Did everybody get a glass?? I didn’t get a glass!”   Haha

I did not have to take the quiz to get my answer. I wrote: “My cup runneth over and I never forget it”.

What I know about abundance I learned from my father whose Yartzeit happens to be this week.

Although he was a Yeshiva  Boker, a learned man, my father did not feel the calling to be a Rabbi or Cantor. He was content to lead the prayers, sing, and blow the Shofar on the High Holidays.

Dad worked in a jewelry store six full days a week. Wednesday was his one day off.  He would pick me up from school for lunch between his many errands.  We feasted on canned sardines, bananas and sour cream, and maybe a kichel from the Jewish bakery.

All the time I was growing up, my father and mother never had the same day off, except for Christmas, when we had our once a year breakfast of lox and smoked fish. They never went out to eat, or to a movie.

When my folks finally retired, they bought a one bedroom, second floor walkup condo in Kings Point in Delray Beach Florida.  Kings Point was a precursor in concept to The Villages, except it was almost 100% Jewish.  

Oh how happy they were!  No more cold winters waiting at bus stops!  They had a clothes dryer instead of a line strung in the basement, and cable TV!!  They had time to run errands, or read, or take a nap.  They took an exercise class called Slimnastics, ate the $1.99 breakfast special every day at the Bagel Tree, and lounged by the pool.

Best of all, my father could finally go to the synagogue as much as he wanted. He could show off his tremendous knowledge and beautiful voice, and he quickly became a Big Macker. When he passed away, the entire congregation came to mourn.

If you asked him, my Father would say he was the richest man in the world.

Khag Sukkot Sameach!  Abundant Blessings to all of us! And Shabbat Shalom!

Try Harder

Don't you love it when a you find a small product that makes life easier? So at Big Lots a few months ago I found a few bottles of WINDEX TOUCH-UP WITH GLADE ORCHARD APPLE CINNAMON SCENT MULTI-SURFACE CLEANER and decided to give it a try. Apple Cinnamon is my favorite scent (for the kitchen anyway) and red is my kitchen's accent color. And glass cleaner is used several times daily on the counters.

What a cool little product.  It looks good by the sink and smells terrific and best of all it is super fast to use. Just press down on its top and you have just the exact right amount of cleaner to do the job (a tiny bit).  Alas, there are two drawbacks. It's hard to find and expensive. Amazon and eBay want around $7.00 each! No way am I paying that to wipe the counter.

And of course the smart folks at Windex made it impossible to refill it. Or so I thought. I googled "refill Windex Touch-up multi-surface cleaner" and found an instructional video on you tube. Basically the instructions were "try harder" and you will get the thingy open. 

Have I mentioned that I have been bummed in several areas of my blessed, glorious life lately? So much so that I have even not felt the urge to write to you, Dear Diary?  Well, I am taking the words of the video to heart and am going to Try Harder. I will master my Bat Mitzvah book and start taking my vitamins again and work on my looks a bit more. In other words, maybe all I needed was a Touch-Up!

;-)

In A Funk

That is me, I am in a Funk mood and verging on depression.  


I find myself disliking ALL the Republican candidates and definitely Hillary and even though I can respect Bernie, I am certainly no socialist. But that's not all...

The market is down and with it a small but significant percentage of our Retirement Nest Egg.  I hate being in the market at all but have so far not summoned the courage to ask hubby to move his 401K and IRA assets to CDs paying 1%. But that's not all...

I find myself loathing what I see in the mirror. OK I guess I am OK (or better) compared to other ladies my age but this has of late been of little consolation. But that's not all...

I am frustrated and mad at myself at my inability to read Hebrew fluently even though I am diligently studying and practicing every day. OK so I am getting better. But it is so hard going. I am not happy that I have to do the whole Saturday service plus the Torah portion and Haftorah in Hebrew while everyone else had only to read about a page of Torah or Haftorah for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. If that was all I had to do my Bat Mitzvah would be next week (OK maybe in a month).

OK, I guess that's all.  

Oh, except that I ate all the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream while hubby has been out of town. Good thing he comes back tomorrow...

;-)

Catching Up Part Two

Last night's Philharmonic concert was pretty good, especially because it featured Pops and not the classical music that reminds me of practicing the piano in my youth. 

A "small gathering" for my birthday at the Chinese Buffet is now up to 32 people. Luckily, the manager at the restaurant is able to set aside a whole section for us as their little room will be too small. I have not had a "party" this size in well, NEVER. I think I could have had even more attendees but I tried to keep the "guest list" down.

Maj Jong is on for three times this week - today at the Rec Center with my weekly group, tomorrow at friends (good to be out of the house as the poker guys are meeting here tomorrow night) and on Friday at my house with the neighborhood ladies. I have stocked the larder with snacks featuring empty calories and diet drinks.

Sunday night we are invited to Erev Rosh Hashanah dinner at my friend Addy's house. We went there last year and it was scrumptious and a lot of fun.

The book club will meet at my house on Monday.  Luckily it is after Rosh Hashonah services. I am hosting because mine is the book selection for the month.  I chose Lacy Eye by Jessica Treadway and I hope everyone liked it as it is the first time I have made a selection for the group.

No Bat Mitzvah class this Sunday because of the Holidays. I am bummed because I need all the help I can get. Doing the entire Saturday morning service in Hebrew plus the Torah and Haftorah portions is such a daunting endeavor that I wonder if I am being "punished" for "coercing" the Bat Mitzvah coach into helping me when he wanted to take some time off. 

Well, this is Tuesday and I can tackle the items on my To Do list that I couldn't yesterday because of Labor Day.  Better get going...

;-)

Catching Up

Harv and Vi's new house!

Wow Dear Diary, I feel like I haven't written in a long time but it's only been about 10 days. Life sure has been busy.

Harvey and Vi came for a week and guess what!  They bought a house here in The Villages! We must have looked at 25 houses but in the end, they got the most beautiful one. It has great features and I am (almost) jealous hahaha. I can't wait to have "real" family here with us at least half the year, even though our wonderful friends are truly just like family. But Harv and hubby go back all the way, way way way back. Something really special there.

I am still plugging away at my Hebrew. Hubby took a short break from coaching me by making Harv listen to me read and correct me when I messed up. They sound exactly the same when they tell me what I did wrong.

Friday night after Harv and Vi left we tiredly limped to services. Good thing because 1) it was my Mother's Yartzeit and 2) the Torah portion was Ki Tavo which will be my own Torah portion (hopefully) next year at my Bat Mitzvah. I also got to hear Marlene H. give a great sermon on Ki Tavo which I have now decided is a most excellent Torah portion with lots of potential for my own yet-to-be-written speech.

As a small barter for getting a copy of Marlene's sermon, she nudgied me into giving the October 2nd sermon for Sukkot.  Make it about ABUNDANCE she said, and so I did.  I tried to keep it at 4 minutes like my last sermon as that seems to be very much appreciated. I will send you my sermon, Dear Diary, after I give it.  I don't want anyone to accidentally read it before then and spoil my Big Moment ;-)

Last night we went to my friend Rita's gathering of like minded Conservative Jewish political junkies. Big fun and I got to tell everyone about my experience hearing Ben Carson speak. I asked that we start meeting monthly or bi-monthly as it is OK to meet quarterly three out of every four years but election year is Hot Hot Hot. Everyone seems to agree so I am looking forward to more spirited discussions and Hillary bashing.

I had a long list of To Do's this morning but I realized that it's Labor Day and I can't do items 2 (call bank), 3 (call synagogue office) or 5 (call Doctor about ordering next Prolia shot).

Tonight we are going to The Villages Philharmonic. I dislike classical music but hubby was gung ho. Lots of friends going though so it should be fun.

Believe it or not I have just touched the highlights of my week.  Will catch up more soon.

;-)

Heaven

Last night I played Maj with good friends. I actually won one of the two games that had winners. On the way home, my friend confided that on their first night in The Villages, as she and her husband lay on their bed, she asked him "Have we died? Are we in Heaven?"  I told her I understood completely and that I feel my life now is my reward for a lifetime of hard work.

In a few minutes I'm going to leave to volunteer at the Temple. I'll be selling gift cards to the Hadassah members who are meeting this morning.  Later this afternoon a gal pal and I will be seeing that new chick flick at the movies. I guess I can take that one because on Saturday we'll be seeing the new action flick "No Way Out" with still other good friends. I will always opt for action flicks over chick flicks hahaha.

Harvey and Vi arrive Sunday for a great week of house hunting (it will be great to have them here in TV during winters and away from the Chicago cold) and shmoozing.  The guest rooms are ready!

Next month, after the Holidays, a local contractor will be building a pantry in the kitchen (we have the perfect set-up for one) with the frosted pantry door I've always coveted.  He's also going to put in a pocket door that will separate our "guest suite" from the hallway.  The original plans for the house called for one; I guess the original owners actually had to opt out of putting it in.

OK I know the market has been down lately and hubby's 401K/IRA has suffered a setback.  I, of course, with my great investment acumen, have only invested in fixed return CDs and after 45 plus years of investing, hubby's more aggressive investments have fared just about the same as my more conservative choices. Not to worry, I am completely confident in our future.

Yes, I do believe my friend was right.  This IS Heaven! (poo poo poo)

;-)

My Goal

My new and exciting (at least to me) goal is to be a Bat Mitzvah.  Every since the idea (preposterous!!) first entered my brain it has grown and grown and now it is firmly entrenched.  Failure is not an option. 

To assist my efforts, I have enlisted (coerced) the help of the Temple Bat Mitzvah coach, Larry, who although desperately wanting and needing to take a few years (maybe forever) off after coaching 14 B'nei Mitzvah wanna-be's at one time, agreed to help me. Our second lesson is today.

Larry provided me with a white notebook of the entire Saturday morning service which I am supposed to read and chant in Hebrew. Later will come the Torah and Haftorah portions. I have asked for the portions that I would have read at my "normal" Bat Mitzvah age.

Also forced to help me is hubby. I read from the notebook and he corrects me. If I had to do it on my own I'm sure I would be reinforcing incorrect pronunciations.

My third helper is my study buddy, Mirelle. I admire her because in the same timeframe I had to learn the Hebrew vowels (I already knew the alphabet) she has mastered both the letters AND the vowels. I of course use the term "mastered" liberally as we are both at about the same level. 

Our other study buddy is unfortunately battling some health setbacks. It is her goal to be Bat Mitzvah'd along with her two granddaughters who are studying (remotely) with her.  I hope she makes it.

Having a goal like this at my (advanced) age is challenging to say the least. I am praying I'll get by with a little help from my friends!

;-)

When I Get Old

I'm reading a new book called The New Neighbor. The main character is a 90 year old woman. Very unusual.

The author has done a good job portraying her. She still has her wits about her and rallies against her failing abilities, her need for her cane and her aches and pains. Her eyesight is obviously still good as she is a voracious reader, consuming five mystery novels a week from the local library, and she can spot her new neighbor across her lakefront property. Although she has lived alone all her adult life and is fiercely independent, loneliness is her secret, seldom admitted, pain. Most interesting is that although she can see herself doing it, she cannot help but be a bit cantankerous, guilt inducing, and stereotypically o-l-d.

The book is OK, but not all that consuming. Yet it got me thinking about what I'll be like at 90. I certainly doubt that I'll be living alone on a secluded mountaintop in Tennessee like our heroine. I'm guessing I will opt for a genteel, gracious retirement home with high tea and Sunday brunches and movie nights. The lady that sold us our house just wrote that she has chosen exactly such a place, The Historic Chamberlain, for her last years. I looked it up and it seems to fit her style and personality perfectly. 

As long as my future home has an ample selection of mysteries I'll be OK...

;-)

Blast From The Past

A former staffer wrote me yesterday and brought me up to date on the state of my former place of employment, specifically the IT Department. Since I retired 3 1/2 years ago, my employer has made a $775,000. purchase to replace what I consider the crowning achievement of my 30 plus year career in application development: an integrated system to support some of the organization's most vital functions.. Apparently the newly purchased system is a humongous disaster.

I searched my memory bank for the specifics of what such a system would have to replace and the tremendous amount of organization and leadership its implementation would entail. I remembered how carefully I planned for my extremely lower cost version (about $100,000) of the same applications. 

I could not help but feel a little proud that I did such a good job on my own system. Perhaps my system was not perfect but I definitely did a thorough job of researching the requirements and it certainly met or exceeded the needs of its users.

I did so ____ the challenges of my former life. I can't seem to find the right word. "Enjoy" is not quite right, neither is "hate" or "fear". I would not go back to work for any amount of money. But somewhere deep inside of me lurks the desire to jump in and fix whatever is wrong. 

I know I could. Wink Wink.

;-)

Bingo

The Temple's biggest fundraiser is Bingo. And today Bingo starts again after a brief summer hiatus. I am back volunteering in the kitchen, an active job I find infinitely preferable to sitting at a table or walking the floor selling cards and other paraphernalia. Today I'll be helping my friend Mrs.Goldberg slice veggies and make sandwiches and boil giant hot dogs and maybe make taco salad or mac & cheese. I am great at taking direction and also washing pots and pans.

Tonight our neighbors the Johnsons have suggested we all play, so after my stint at volunteering, we'll be participating,  Last time we played together hubby won $500! The Temple is known throughout the area by the Bingo aficionados for giving out the best and biggest prizes. Folks come from pretty far away to play at the Temple and they remember the dates of our Jewish holidays (no Bingo) better than I do.

It's the best way to spend one's day, or even one's whole life: a little work, a little play, some friends and socializing, a little bit of a good deed, and perhaps a chance to be a winner or at least have fun trying. 

BINGO!

Justice Justice

Justice, Justice, Shall You Pursue (Deuteronomy 16:18 - 21:9)

It's a central tenet of Judaism and the centerpiece of next week's Parsha. The phrase is proudly displayed on many a Jewish lawyer's office walls. Its meaning includes the principles of impartiality, not taking bribes, balance and equality. 

It is also often interpreted  as "charity" or tzedakah. But tzedakah goes beyond a simple, spontaneous act of goodwill. Tzedakah is an attempt to even up one's own blessings with those less fortunate, in other words, to make the world a little more fair, more just. 

Now we all know, life is not fair. Some folks are happily married for 50 plus years; some know multiple divorces and heartbreak. Some of us live long, productive lives; some are struck down in mid-stride. One person flounders in business while another flourishes in just the right position. 

We cannot make the whole world right, but we must try. It is an obligation, not a choice, in Judaism. 

Someone once asked me why so many Jews are Democrats. Surely our collective desire for upward mobility and business success, our interest in economics (think Greenspan and Yellen), the legal profession (think Dershowitz and Shapiro) and Wall Street would make us lean right, no? I believe our long time status as the world's oppressed, the underdogs, the scrappy come-from-behind pluggers, along with our deep-seated commitment to Heal The World, makes us identify more with the party that at least claims to represent the downtrodden best.

Justice, Justice, Shall You Pursue...

You're Fired!

Enough is enough. I've seen enough of you, Donald Trump. 

Whoever you are, you cannot get my attention (much less my vote) by insulting war heroes, journalists, other public figures, people you don't like, or even Rosie O'Donnell. 

Like I do for all candidates that peak my interest, I took out your latest book Time To Get Tough  (2011) and kept an open mind. So don't say I did not give you a fair chance. 

I wish it were different and we could have an honest, independent candidate to get stuff done. But hopefully we will and it won't be you. 

More policy and less aggrandizing and people bashing and I may reconsider. Meanwhile, You're Fired!

Alaskan Bush People

I'm hooked on this show. It has no sex, no murders, no aliens and definitely no culinary masterpieces. What it does have is a ton of heart.

A large, self reliant family that actually like each other and want to live together away from the rest of the world. Folks who need little, take little from the world, keep their promises, help each other succeed and work harder than I have ever worked at any 9 to 5 job. 

The most interesting thing about the Browns - other than how they manage without cell phones, electricity, TV, computers, appliances, the public school system and WalMart - is the family dynamic. Each member of the family seems to have an amazing individual skill that completes a whole, functioning unit. Noah is the family engineer and tinkerer who can make a meat smoker, hot tub, generator, shower and clothes dryer out of scrap parts from the junkyard. Gabe is the go-to guy for brute strength. Snowbird is the best shot and best chance for bagging a deer. Bam is the stable, steady voice of reason. Matt is the funster. Bear is the one best in tune with nature and is able to smell out water sources. Ami is the mother, the nurturer and home schooler. Billy is the father and Alpha Male, the leader of the pack and the Chief Decider.

I love the Browns and I love joining their 'Wolf Pack" for each new episode.

Howl On!

Roatan

We are just back from a wonderful cruise around the Caribbean. This trip included a new-to-us Port of Call, Roatan, Honduras. The shopping area outside the port was beautiful, inviting - and cheap! - so we decided to hire a taxi and an English speaking driver to give us a three hour tour of the island.

We saw incredible beaches, the funky-fun West End hippie/tourist area, multi-multi-million dollar homes, one room shacks where whole families live, the mall (suited for American tastes - there are 15,000 Americans and Canadians living on Roatan), the "downtown" commercial districts, and plenty of local attractions. The best part? The driver's story...

Our driver's English was good because he lived in the USA for nine years. From the Honduras mainland he tried three times between the ages of 14 and 18 to enter America illegally from Mexico. His third attempt was successful because he spent seven months in Mexico learning how. He rode the underside of a train, covered in oil and finally entered from Nuevo Laredo. From there he made it to San Antonio, then to Georgia where he had friends. He eventually met an American girl (she spoke no Spanish and he spoke no English at first), married, had two children - a boy and a girl - and worked as a house painter. One day ICE came and he was deported back to Honduras. The money he had sent his mother and sister over the years was gone (on bad things). That was five years ago.

In spite of having an attorney and American citizens for a wife and children, having been an illegal in the country has prevented him from returning legally. He is still hopeful he will be able to return legally soon. He sees his wife on her rare visits to Roatan and when he can, Skypes with his children. He said his wife and her family have been very supportive. Meanwhile, back on the Honduras mainland (I'm never going there!), his sister and two nieces were murdered (they were up to no good I think) and his mother passed away.

There is a lot of talk about illegal immigration these days. Hearing a real story from a real person made me stop and think a little more about it. 

I will not forget Roatan any time soon...

I'm A Frog

Here in The Villages we have Snowbirds - folks who come here for a few months every year to escape the harsh winters Up North.  We also have Snowflakes who come and visit for a few days or a week and disappear for a long stretch. But I am a Frog - I plan to be here until I croak!

Frogs are characterized by those of us who feel each day in TV is a vacation and each sunrise and sunset marks the start and end of a beautiful day in a perfect place. I think of this time and this place as my reward for a lifetime of hard work and worry and not screwing up too badly hahaha.

So I will sit here on my beloved lily pad and happily cackle joyful noises along with my other Frog friends.

Until I croak...

;-)

Feel The Bern

As a political junkie and also a Member of the Tribe I cannot help but pay attention to a Jew who is running for President. I've been reading all I can about Bernie Sanders and although I would never describe myself as a Socialist, there's a lot to like.

I do support many of his positions. Universal Health care with a single payer system (not ObamaCare) like they have in Canada and every other developed nation. A living minimum wage, preferably tied to inflation. Marriage equality. No to the TPP (have we forgotten NAFTA and the giant sucking sound it made as jobs were swept overseas?) Repeal of the Citizens United verdict by the Supreme Court which allows corporations and unions to spend unlimited funds on ads and other political tools which call for the defeat of individual candidates (that is, buy elections). No to gun control. No to a President beholden to foreign interests, lobbyists and rich donors. 

I'd like a President who has the courage of his convictions, whose opinions have not "evolved" with changing polling data. I admire Sanders' NO vote on the Iraq war. I even like that he has been true to the ideals of my (aging hippie) generation's vision for the future: live modestly, move to the country, work for the poor and underrepresented. I am happy that his name is not Bush or Clinton.

Here in Florida, we cannot vote in the primary to choose a Presidential candidate of either party unless we are a registered voter for that party. So I thoughtfully made the decision to change my voter registration to Democrat so I can vote for Bernie. My form to the Marion County Supervisor of Elections will be sent off tomorrow morning.

It's my Bern Notice!

;-) 

Blackout

Sometimes I pick up up a book and in a page or two I know I will not be setting it down until it's finished. Such a book is Blackout: Remembering The Things I Drank To Forget by Sarah Hepola.

It was less than 24 hours ago that I picked up this new release at the library and it was only a few minutes ago that I read the last page. I saw it mentioned in book reviews in the paper and in a magazine and much to my surprise, the library had it on the shelf with no holds.

I cannot truly relate to addiction to alcohol or cigarettes and I have never been more than a few pounds overweight. Yet I found this one woman's journey through a labyrinth of self destructive behaviors compelling. There but for the Grace of God. 

A wonderful life is the result of knowing what you really want/need and not sabotaging yourself.  Easier said than done, I know.  Temptations abound and the siren call of "who cares" and "why not" are hard to resist.

Kudos to Sarah who took a step at a time and helped herself to a better life. 

A Holy Place

I took this on vacation in 2014.
Mikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue
Willemstad Curacao
dedicated 1732

After my resounding success and subsequent good feelings from my little sermon at Temple last week, I decided I might like to try it again. So I asked Marlene (sermon scheduler and all around ritual guru) if I might get on the schedule again. But this time, I asked for the specific Torah portion I would like to tackle.

We had a general Congregational meeting last January and I was astounded that there was so much push back on the idea of hiring a Rabbi for our growing 750 member Temple. Apparently the prospect of spending an additional $40 or $50 a person each YEAR caused a tremendous among of angst.  If you believed the nay sayers, this would cause an undue financial burden on many of our retirees (who by the way never seem to skimp at the golf courses, restaurants or cruise lines). 

So I asked for this particular Parsha which Marlene tells me will be our topic on February 12, 2016.  I have already written my commentary and I hope it may inspire a few folks to reconsider their priorities, if only just a little bit.

Here it is:

We recently received a bill for our Temple dues for our upcoming third year of membership. And because we are still relatively new to the Villages and Temple Shalom, the bill included the third of five easy payments for the Building Fund.

 

This week’s Parsha tells of the very first Building Fund.  It’s called “Contributions for the Sanctuary” and it goes like this:

 

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.  And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, goatskins, fine wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting for the priestly garments and for the breastpiece. And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 

 

Debbie Friedman, the beloved genius of modern Jewish music, wrote a haunting ballad about this Torah portion.  Here are some of her words:

 

These are the gifts that we bring

      that we may build a holy place.

 This is the spirit that we bring

      that we may build a holy place.

 

These are the colors of our dreams

     we bring to make a holy place.

 This is the weaving of our lives

     we bring to make a holy place.

These are the prayers that we bring
    that we may make a holy place.
These are the visions that we seek
    that we may build this holy place.

Whenever we travel to faraway places with strange sounding names, or even just to a small nearby town, what do we see that excites us the most?  Opulent churches? Quaint shopping districts? Gourmet restaurants?

 

For me, it’s seeing a very old building with a humble Star of David above its door.  For there, in what might be the most unlikely of places, a group of Jews came together, pooled their perhaps meager resources, and with love and devotion, built a holy place to call their own.  In the poorest of towns and under the harshest of circumstances, our ancestors built shuls, supported a learned teacher or rabbi, and procured a Torah.

 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if hundreds or even thousands of years from now, a wandering Jew found Temple Shalom and thought – here, in this improbable place, in Oxford Florida, surrounded by a hundred churches, a group of Jews  wrote checks to the Building Fund and built a spiritual home, a holy place, and filled it with beauty and friendship and light?

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Who knows? Perhaps we will have a Rabbi at Temple Shalom by next February and my little sermon will just remain here...

File and Suspend

I will be turning 66 in a few months which happens to be my "normal" retirement age for collecting Social Security benefits. This date will allow me to collect on hubby's benefits until I turn 70 when I can claim my own absolute maximum amount.  The technique is called "file and suspend" which is what hubby will do today when we visit the Social Security office. He also wants to collect the maximum at age 70 which is still a few years away.

Of course getting even half of hubby's benefits "early" will be nice but like every other rite-of-passage I've experienced since turning 60, it's strangely melancholy. I am, indeed, getting old.

A joyful cruise is on the near horizon and I packed a pair of white denim shorts. I am still debating about them - didn't I just read that I am too old for shorter shorts? I tried to find a longer pair with a more forgiving stretchy waistband yesterday but no luck. So the old pair remains in the suitcase. 

Maj Jong. A planned retirement community. A pension. Lazy days filled with medical appointments and activities with other seniors. And now, Social Security checks.

Doesn't sound that bad, does it?  I can cope!

;-)

Inside Out

I saw the Disney Pixar movie Inside Out last week when Scott and family were visiting.  I got to peek inside Riley's head and meet Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger. 

Of course I am already acquainted with these guys because they also live in my head.  I also have quite a few more memory pods than Riley does, me being at least 6 times her age.

Anger, Fear and Disgust are certainly not as powerful as they used to be and Joy has definitely emerged as my most powerful emotion. But just like in the movie and inside Riley's head, I find my happiest memories are morphing into more of a combination of Joy and Sadness. Our happiest memories do become a little bittersweet when they include people who are now gone or when we remember we will never again be that young or beautiful. 

And just like in the movie, that's OK.

;-)