Or, as Maya says: Happy new year's Eve"
La Multi Ani gagicelor si gagiilor!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Brian was here
A surprise, short, very good visit...Maya and him had a good ol' time - she said she's no longer shy of him. But he forgot to pick his present, so if you read this...
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The Longest Night
We ate, waited till 1:08 when the solstice came, did a dark/light ceremony and even found some presents Santa left in the darkness. The cake is "torta de gradinita" - called here Black Forrest - which I decided to make the Solstice tradition. It's huge, but I am half way through already!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Winter solstice in the garden
Maya's teachers showed up, lots of kids roasting clementines on the fire (Maya created a new trend) and singing and magic
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Happy Halcyon Days!
Reminding everyone that for the following two weeks, while the light of day is at its shortest and no storms at sea interfere with the halcyon hatching their eggs on the sea, all should be peaceful and the least energy should be spent on anything throughout the world
(the words appearing in a different color are links to more on Halcyon days)
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Happy Hanukah!
And an offering from Cati:
'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHANUKAH... OY! WHAT A SHOCK! SOMEBODY OUTSIDE WAS PICKING OUR LOCK!
AND THERE AT THE DOOR STOOD A 'ZAYDA' IN BLUE- AND HE WORE ON HIS KUPP A BLUE YARMULKA, TOO!
HIS PUNIM WAS SHAIN- EVERYBODY WOULD LOVE IT! 'ROUND HIS NECK HUNG A CHAIN WITH A GOLD MOGEN DOVID!
HE WORE SILKEN TSITZES BENEATH HIS WOOL VEST, AND A SMALL FLAG OF ISRAEL WAS DRAPED ON HIS CHEST!
HE SAID: "I'M NO BURGLAR, SO PLEASE DON'T BE NERVOUS. I'M THE SPIRIT OF CHANUKAH, HERE AT OUR SERVICE!"
"MENCHEN ALL CALL ME 'REB' SHALOM SHAPIRO! WITHOUT ME, THIS YOM-TOV MIGHT NEED A NEW 'HERO!'"
"I VISIT ALL YIDLACH, AND BRING - KINNAHORRA- GOOD FORTUNE AS BRIGHT AS A GLOWING MENORAH!"
"ICH SHLEPP LOTS OF BLESSINGS AND CHANUKAH GELT, AND JOYS THAT ARE TAKKA THE BEST IN DER VELT!"
"IF YOU KNOW NICE MENCHEN, I'LL VISIT THEM QUICK, AND I'LL BRING THEM GEZUNT AND A HOUSEFUL OF GLICK!"
SO WE SENT HIM TO YOUR HOUSE, AND SHOOK HANDS AND PARTED. HE SHOUTED, "SHALOM!" OUT THE DOORWAY HE DARTED!
HE RAN TO A WAGON WITH HORSES AHEAD. HE FED THEM SOME BAGELS, AND HERE'S WHAT HE SAID:
"LET'S GO, MOISH AND MENDEL! MAKE QUICK, MOE AND YUSSLE! PLEASE GIVE A RUSH, MALKAH! HEY, HYMIE, PLEASE HUSTLE!"
THEN THEY RACED LIKE THE WIND! AND THEY GALLOPED SO SHNELL, ALL HIS CLOTHING BLEW OFF, AND HIS GATKES AS WELL!
SOON HE WAS SO KALT THAT HIS TUSHIE TURNED BLUISH HE MOANED AND HE HOLLERED IN ENGLISH AND JEWISH!
SO, DON'T ACT EMBARRASSED, AND PLEASE DON'T BE RUDE WHEN THAT FROSTBITTEN ZAYDA ARRIVES IN THE NUDE!
QUICK! WRAP HIM IN BLANKETS! DON'T BEAT 'ROUND THE BUSH'! AND TIE A HOT WATER BAG ON HIS COLD TUSH!
QUICK! FEED HIM SOME CHICHEN SOUP HEISS AS CAN BE! AND GIVE HIM SOME SHNAPPS AND A GLEZ'L HOT TEA!
'CAUSE HE BRINGS YOU A HOUSEFUL OF CHANUKAH WISHES AS WARM AND GESHMOCK AS PLATE OF HOT KNISHES!
AND HE BRINGS THEM FROM OUR HOUSE SO FRIENDLY AND BRIGHT, SO YOUR HOUSE WILL KEEP GLOWING WITH CHANUKAH LIGHT.
PLUS JOY SWEET AS TSUKKER, AND PEACE AND GOOD-CHEER AND EVERYTHING FRAYLACH EACH DAY OF THE YEAR!
AND NONE IN YOUR FAMILY WILL BE A SHLEMAZEL, FOR LIFE WILL BRING EACH OF YOU SIMCHAS AND MAZEL!
AND ALL THROUGH THE FUTURE YOUR HOPES WILL COME TRUE, AND HIMMEL WILL BLESS YOUR MISHPOCHA AND YOU!
'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHANUKAH... OY! WHAT A SHOCK! SOMEBODY OUTSIDE WAS PICKING OUR LOCK!
AND THERE AT THE DOOR STOOD A 'ZAYDA' IN BLUE- AND HE WORE ON HIS KUPP A BLUE YARMULKA, TOO!
HIS PUNIM WAS SHAIN- EVERYBODY WOULD LOVE IT! 'ROUND HIS NECK HUNG A CHAIN WITH A GOLD MOGEN DOVID!
HE WORE SILKEN TSITZES BENEATH HIS WOOL VEST, AND A SMALL FLAG OF ISRAEL WAS DRAPED ON HIS CHEST!
HE SAID: "I'M NO BURGLAR, SO PLEASE DON'T BE NERVOUS. I'M THE SPIRIT OF CHANUKAH, HERE AT OUR SERVICE!"
"MENCHEN ALL CALL ME 'REB' SHALOM SHAPIRO! WITHOUT ME, THIS YOM-TOV MIGHT NEED A NEW 'HERO!'"
"I VISIT ALL YIDLACH, AND BRING - KINNAHORRA- GOOD FORTUNE AS BRIGHT AS A GLOWING MENORAH!"
"ICH SHLEPP LOTS OF BLESSINGS AND CHANUKAH GELT, AND JOYS THAT ARE TAKKA THE BEST IN DER VELT!"
"IF YOU KNOW NICE MENCHEN, I'LL VISIT THEM QUICK, AND I'LL BRING THEM GEZUNT AND A HOUSEFUL OF GLICK!"
SO WE SENT HIM TO YOUR HOUSE, AND SHOOK HANDS AND PARTED. HE SHOUTED, "SHALOM!" OUT THE DOORWAY HE DARTED!
HE RAN TO A WAGON WITH HORSES AHEAD. HE FED THEM SOME BAGELS, AND HERE'S WHAT HE SAID:
"LET'S GO, MOISH AND MENDEL! MAKE QUICK, MOE AND YUSSLE! PLEASE GIVE A RUSH, MALKAH! HEY, HYMIE, PLEASE HUSTLE!"
THEN THEY RACED LIKE THE WIND! AND THEY GALLOPED SO SHNELL, ALL HIS CLOTHING BLEW OFF, AND HIS GATKES AS WELL!
SOON HE WAS SO KALT THAT HIS TUSHIE TURNED BLUISH HE MOANED AND HE HOLLERED IN ENGLISH AND JEWISH!
SO, DON'T ACT EMBARRASSED, AND PLEASE DON'T BE RUDE WHEN THAT FROSTBITTEN ZAYDA ARRIVES IN THE NUDE!
QUICK! WRAP HIM IN BLANKETS! DON'T BEAT 'ROUND THE BUSH'! AND TIE A HOT WATER BAG ON HIS COLD TUSH!
QUICK! FEED HIM SOME CHICHEN SOUP HEISS AS CAN BE! AND GIVE HIM SOME SHNAPPS AND A GLEZ'L HOT TEA!
'CAUSE HE BRINGS YOU A HOUSEFUL OF CHANUKAH WISHES AS WARM AND GESHMOCK AS PLATE OF HOT KNISHES!
AND HE BRINGS THEM FROM OUR HOUSE SO FRIENDLY AND BRIGHT, SO YOUR HOUSE WILL KEEP GLOWING WITH CHANUKAH LIGHT.
PLUS JOY SWEET AS TSUKKER, AND PEACE AND GOOD-CHEER AND EVERYTHING FRAYLACH EACH DAY OF THE YEAR!
AND NONE IN YOUR FAMILY WILL BE A SHLEMAZEL, FOR LIFE WILL BRING EACH OF YOU SIMCHAS AND MAZEL!
AND ALL THROUGH THE FUTURE YOUR HOPES WILL COME TRUE, AND HIMMEL WILL BLESS YOUR MISHPOCHA AND YOU!
