Category Judaism
Increasing joy
Yesterday marked Rosh Chodesh, the “head of the month”, marking the beginning of Adar I. This year, the shanah meuberet, is a leap year in which the Jewish calendar holds 13 months instead of 12. During this year we gain Adar I, inserted before the regular month of Adar (know this year as Adar II). […]
on hearing silence
Following my fuzzy shepherd, I stepped outside into the wintry back garden. The snow, now in piles and furrows from her excited romping and rolling, brightly reflected white into my eyes. Warm winter white. As I turned my eyes upward I could see only deep bright blue and white fluffy clouds. Icicles dripping and pooled […]
Cleaning chametz- a few months early.
Today I cleaned the kitchen for 3 hours. It was a gentle but thorough cleaning; wrapped in mindfulness. I approached each counter individually and focused on removing all appliances and containers, wiping down the surface and then scrubbing out the dirt. I then dusted off each appliance- the coffee pot, espresso machine, the dish-rack, microwave, […]
Morning Writing
My friend Toni runs a weekly writing group that, at different times, I have tried to attend. Sadly, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve managed to make it across the river and to his home. Thankfully, Toni regularly shares writing prompts through Facebook that, over the years, I’ve dipped into […]
Comfort Choc-ful Pumpkin Loaf + Nutty Quinoa Pancakes
Recipes for Choc-ful Pumpkin Loaf + Nutty Quinoa pancakes follow this entry. I’ve been writing this post since Thursday. I first began working on the content for this post (in my mind and through baking) on Tuesday. It is amazing how much has changed since then and how also this post has changed. Originally I’d […]
Honey cake + Challah
Recipe for Honey Cake follows at the end of the post. This past erev Shabbat I made challah and honey cake because it was also erev Yom Kippur. On Friday after sundown, we entered into 26-hours of fasting and atonement on the holiest day of the year in the Jewish calendar. “For on this day […]
on teshuvah and the things we give up
I am “supposed” to be working this morning. I will get to it. Now, being Shabbat, it is most important for me to spend time self-reflecting. We are in the Ten Days of Repentance, the time beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur. This time is important, an opportunity to practice Teshuvah (literally: “returning” or […]
The irony of missing Shabbat
I miss Shabbat. The irony is that I never really had Shabbat to begin with. I began coming into my understanding of Shabbat in February this year when I spent extended time with my boyfriend, K, and his family. The only time I have truly experienced Shabbat was in February of this year when I […]
dangerous opportunity 