Ruminations from the Temple

Well, Padawan said it was a good thing to get away in the midst of the moedim ...I think I agree.  *smile*  So, away we went to Quinault with Netanya's hubby, Jimmy Everything.  And a lovely time it is!  We started off with a nice little hike along a nature trail, then met to check into the beautiful turn-of-the-century lodge right on the shores of the stunning Lake Quinault.  What a treat! Friday evening means lighting the Shabbat candles and relaxing - how wonderful! { click if you are unable to see the slideshow above } Fun facts to know and tell your friends: The Casa Mia pizza place in Hoquiam doesn't have the yummy potato pizza.  I know...bummer. Sometimes, an air mattress just doesn't take as long as expected to blow up. A gollywopper is a loving term for crane fly.  Who knew? You can hear Jimmy Everything laugh from the fire pit down on the beach all the way in your room. More fun facts about Quinault Lodge . Shabbat Shalom...

so thankful for the moedim ... I'm thankful for a good weekend spent with good friends! I'm thankful for cozy mornings with coffee and my cats purring right beside me. I'm thankful when things turn out well. I'm thankful that Barb was able to heat the pool prior to us using it for ritual immersions. I'm thankful that those close to me are willing to love. I'm thankful for a week of full-living. I'm thankful for times of sitting together and singing worships songs. I'm thankful for yummy pizza when I'm starving. (Yes, I was really starving!) I'm thankful that it's the start of hunting season, which means my hubby gets some much needed time off. I'm grateful I was able to rearrange my schedule to go to an urgent doctor appointment with a friend this week. I'm grateful to be needed. I'm grateful for my hubby's best friend, Scott. I'm grateful we found so many boxes - yay liquor stores!! I'm ...

lady , n ., a woman who is refined, polite, and well-spoken. I'm in my mid-forties.  I am a babe of the 60's, gawky 'tween of the 70's and came into my time of young adulthood in the 80's.  I suppose you could say that none of those time periods spoke authoritatively of what it meant to be a lady.  Perhaps the 60's, but I was certainly too young to pay heed, I'm sure. I always thought of my mother as a lady.  And her mother, as well.  There are others I have known to be ladies; my friend Cherrie at the large church I attended for a while is a lovely and poised lady.  As was my beautiful co-worker, Ann, who was originally from West Virginia.  Oh, and another young woman, who was absolutely stunning, that worked with me at the mall - she was from North Carolina, and most definitely a lady.  I have a good friend in Louisiana that I most certainly consider a lady; and she has quite a few lady-like friends, as well.  Which brings up a point;...

Listen for the shofar. Listen for it - it calls to us on a deep, spiritual level. As it resonates throughout your being; close your eyes and listen. Listen for it to herald things that are new. A new year. New friends. New commitments. New beginnings. Listen for the ancient sound, which calls us to lift our voices in praise and rejoicing before our LORD. Hear it's timeless voice as it calls us to repent and prepare ourselves for Yom Kippur. Listen as it calls you to repair that which is broken and strengthen that which is weak. Hear it echo through the ages, through our history, through your memories. Hear the blasts, different and distinct, calling us to pay heed, gather and feast. ADONAI said to Moshe, "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar .  Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and brin...

Commemorate , v , to serve as a memorial or reminder;  to honor the memory of by some observance. ******************** In most synagogues, you will find a yartzeit board .  This board holds the names of deceased loved ones, family members, and honored parents of members of the community. It serves as a reminder of our heritage, as well as a remembrance of the anniversary of their passing.  Every year, at the anniversary, family members honor the memory of their loved one by standing yartzeit to recite the Kaddish at the end of the Shabbat liturgy service. I was both honored and touched to be able to place the names of my beloved mother and grandmother upon the board at my synagogue yesterday. Words will never describe the impact and legacy these two woman left behind. They are both with me still, every day...even as their names stand in memoriam on this board. l'dor v'dor... In all generations we will declare your greatness and to all eternity we will sanctif...

Grief is a reaction to a major loss. It is most often an unhappy and painful emotion. There can be five stages of grief. These reactions might not occur in a specific order, and can (at times) occur together. Not everyone experiences all of these emotions: Denial, disbelief, numbness Anger, blaming others Bargaining (with G-d) Depressed mood, sadness, and crying Acceptance, coming to terms People who are grieving may have crying spells, some trouble sleeping, and lack of productivity at work. It may take a year or longer to overcome strong feelings of grief, and to accept the loss. Grief should not be prevented because it is a healthy response to loss. Instead, it should be respected. Those who are grieving should have support to help them through the process. It has been a hard year since I got the phone call, no doubt.  And yes, I miss her every single day. Just knowing that I cannot be in her presence is enough to put the squeeze on my heart and emotions. And, it has ...

So grateful for a wonderful and busy weekend. I'm grateful that we got to enjoy a fun erev Shabbat. I'm grateful for a restful Shabbat absolutely FULL of great study and laughter. I'm grateful to be able to help feed the homeless in downtown Tacoma. I'm grateful that Padawan and I got to troop the Fair - it didn't rain too bad. I'm grateful to have been able to be with friends for an awesome Lincoln Brewster concert - what fun! I'm grateful for my fabulous dentist office - I love all my friends there! I'm grateful for my sister. I'm grateful for packages that come quickly in the mail. I'm grateful for little fun speakers that hook to my iPod. Well, I'm not grateful for a sore throat, but I am grateful for ibuprofen and emergen-c. I'm grateful that my boys do their chores. I'm grateful to have found the book that Morgan needs for her studies this year. I'm grateful for recorded canting. I'm grateful...

art by takeru-san Behind is stormy chaos, the type of destruction that changes a soul. The storm rages still, except now there is nothing I can do. Ahead is light...and hope.  Hope of a future.  Hope of healing and health.  Hope of normalcy. Behind is broken relationship, pain and heartbreak. Ahead is understanding, teaching and learning. Behind is where memories live, fraught with ghostly voices that replay scenes like a videotape on a constant loop.  The good mixed with the bad, discord and harmony in a vicious mix. Ahead is such potential - shared laughter, righteousness and relationship. Behind remains shattered vows, promises and defenses trashed and taken for granted. Look back, then turn, wrap the cloak tightly about, and take the necessary steps in the right direction. For we all know that reliving the past gets us nowhere. May the LORD bless the road ahead.

  incommodious , adj ., inconvenient or uncomfortable,  as by not affording sufficient space. Well, those beautiful Nordstrom stores are more than 20 feet wide now, that's for sure! Nordstrom is far and away my favorite place to shop.  Not because the prices are so good, or because I always find what I want there, but because, well...it smells good.  The employees are kind and helpful.  The store restaurant has good food and excellent service.  And, somehow, the atmosphere and attitude at Nordstrom makes me feel good about myself.  That fact alone makes it my favorite store EVER. Fun facts to know and tell your friends about Nordstrom: Nordstrom was my daughter's first word. When I was a small girl, Nordstrom was the only place Mom would buy my shoes. I got my Nordy's charge card when I graduated high school in 1983.  The number was crazy low and I quickly memorized it (I'm sure I wasn't the only one!).  This made it incredibly eas...

So grateful for fun photos that capture life as it happens! I'm grateful for time spent singing with my friend Cherrie. I'm grateful that when I fell on the stage (oops!) I only went down on one knee. I'm grateful for good worship music (this seems to be a regular grateful for me!) I'm grateful for a good time talking about Scripture on Shabbat. I'm grateful for those who like my cooking. I'm grateful for cats that like to curl up in my lap. I'm grateful for fluoride-free toothpaste and mouthwash. I'm grateful that Morgan had a great time at the Fair. I'm grateful for the 5-mile drive at Point Defiance Park. I'm grateful for good conversation and even better friends. I'm grateful for a healthy congregation, a good shepherd and a place to be. I'm grateful for a close and personal relationship with my teens. I'm grateful for chances to get everyone in the minivan and take a day trip. I'm grateful for ga...

So many ghosts to visit, so many memories to sort through. It was almost one year ago, right after the shock of my mother's passing, that my dearest friends and I visited this beautiful place . To get away. To sort through emotions. To simply be together. It is on these rocks that memories still linger. The ghosts enjoyed the visit, I'm sure. click HERE for larger slideshow Morgan came away with this stunning photo, as well. I love it. me and my girl photo credit: Lisa Landry

No.  The answer, for me, is no.  I don't like confrontation or conflict, so I'm not naturally inclined to debate.  It has been my experience that most debates, either while involved or as a spectator, turn personal in a red-hot hurry.  This violates one of my steadfast life rules; I will not personally attack or state negative judgments that will end up in another person's mental 'recording'. I certainly don't want to be attacked, either; therefore, debating has not been my forte or choice. I also strongly believe that everyone has a right to their opinion and I will wholeheartedly respect that, even if I don't agree. However, it would seem that I am in the situation more and more frequently where I am debating issues; of Scripture, of halachah, of life philosophy. To that end, I clearly see that I need to know more about debating other than the fact that I dislike my past experiences.  You, too?  I found this article in my google surfing, and thought it...

con'ju'gal ,  adj., of or relating to marriage or the relationship between husband and wife: "conjugal loyalty". It has been my experience that when this word is used, people kinda jump. Conjugal what? Yeah, conjugal visits...in the context of a spouse visiting their incarcerated beloved. (Just as a side note, do incarcerated women get to have conjugal visits with their men?  Or is it just incarcerated men who get to have visits with their wives?  I have no idea...but as usual, have questions.) We may have mixed views about this, right?  Well, it is not my intent to debate the issues of prisoners rights, but simply to put to bed (as it were) the misconception that this rarely used word is some sort of euphemism for sex.  (*gasp* gosh, is that the first time I've used the word sex on this blog??  It may be!)   It would seem that conjugal has anything to do with marital-related issues, not simply marital intimacy. So, here's some examples of ...

Never forget to pray for those left behind to mourn their deep loss. Never forget all those who gave all they had to respond to the unthinkable. Never forget the families torn apart by evil that still abounds. Never forget the children who will never know their fathers lost in the Towers. Never forget our enemies still celebrate our pain and suffering. Never forget what it means to be an American. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands; One nation, under G-d, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. This American will never forget 911.

I will never think  of my beloved mother's death  without remembering  the passing of yours. May her memory be blessed. I'm standing with you today. I will never forget. * * * He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace  upon us and all Israel. v'imru Amein

I'm grateful for sweet, purple flowers in planter boxes... Well, I'm grateful for a Labor Day Monday spent with my most favorite people in the whole world. I'm grateful for fleece when it's not as sunny at the beach as I would have liked. I'm grateful for yummy wrap sandwiches, beach chairs and friends who capture funny pics of me and my teens. great pic, Lis! I'm grateful for respectful debate with intelligent friends. I'm grateful for acceptance. I'm grateful for now, because no one really knows what's gonna happen next. "A real friend knows when to listen, when to stop listening, when to talk, when to stop talking, when to pour wine, and when to stop pouring and just hand over the bottle." I'm grateful for those really cool drink machines in some fast-food restaurants now...you know, the ones that let you make a bazillion different combination of sodas and flavors?  Those makes me smile. I'm grateful for go...

Brave, dauntless, fearless, hardy, intrepid, unfearing... bodacious, bald-faced, brassy, brazen, insolent... even daring and adventuresome - it's our newest Word of the Week :   AUDACIOUS Bertha Knight Landes (October 19, 1868 – November 29, 1943) was the first female mayor of a major American city. Landes served as mayor of Seattle, Washington from 1926 to 1928. She was born in Ware, Massachusetts to Charles Sanford Knight and Cordelia Cutter. Her father, a veteran of the Union Army, moved the family to Worchester in 1873. She attended Indiana University, where she received a degree in history and political science in 1891. After three years of teaching at the Classical High School in Worcester, Massachusetts, she married geologist Henry Landes, with whom she had two children and adopted one. She and her family later moved to Seattle.She served on the Seattle City Council 1922–1926, the last two years as council president, before becoming mayor. She died in Ann Arbor,...

I'm so grateful! I'm grateful for sitting at my craft desk, working on LTCs and watching Star Wars. I'm grateful for friends who check on me faithfully. I'm grateful for vitamin water, canned soup and bagged salad. I'm grateful for a constant filling of the Holy Spirit. I'm grateful for the two young women who were brave enough to have their babies instead of aborting them. I'm grateful for old-fashioned church picnics, good worship music and opportunities to serve. I'm grateful for daily devotionals. I'm grateful for a place to call my own. I'm grateful for the telephone - LORD knows I used it this week! I'm grateful for the motivation to finish a carving project that has been looming. I'm grateful for audiobooks that keep me entertained while carving said project. I'm grateful for Jesse Cook . I'm grateful for my letterboxing friends! They are all so awesome, and they make me feel like a million...

I have a friend who just got engaged to be married. As he was detailing the way he proposed to his beloved, something he said caught my attention. In the course of his adult life, dating and living, he had promised himself that he would only use the actual word love towards the one who he was going to marry. He further explained that it was his thought that people 'throw the word love around carelessly' and that it had a special meaning, one meaning. For him, it was only to be used in speaking to his soon-to-be wife. I can see his point, especially when thinking about dating. I know it happens, all too often, that relationships proceed a little too quickly and emotions peak prompting hasty pronouncements of love and devotion only to be rescinded down the line, after the passion has worn off. Careful and introspective we must be when experiencing and building a new relationship that we don't bite off more than we can chew, so to speak. I agree with my engaged friend -...