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...