rebecca_in_blue | Entries tagged with hanukkah

Yes, that's what greeted me when I arrived at the temple early Friday afternoon to help with the latke fry. 50 pounds of potatoes! I never got an exact poundage on the onions, but there were a lot of them, too. The temple kitchen was something of a frenzy with so many people peeling, chopping, mixing, frying, and flipping. It was literally a hot mess, and it was roasting! There were several frying pans and griddles on, so 5-6 people could fry all latkes at once. We cranked up the A/C and threw open all the doors and windows to try to cool the place, but it wasn't very cold outside. I was cooking latkes for something like two hours! I had to wear my Praise Cheeses! shirt to sweat over the stove in and change into a nicer top later. (Last year's Hanukkah latke dinner is here.)

Even for Hanukkah, there was a BIG turnout, but fortunately, we had enough latkes and brisket for everyone. I ate all I could hold. I really love latkes. One day I want to trying making them outside of temple. I mentioned to my mom wanting to make some latkes at her house during Hanukkah (she has a griddle, food processor, and bigger kitchen) but she didn't seem to like that idea. Oh, well.

This was a very stressful weekend. I'm glad it's almost over. And...
9 DAYS MORE TILL LES MISERABLES!

Current Mood: stressed
Current Music: Hinei Ma Tov, Tor Hyams (This Is Chanukah)

Big Brothers Big Sisters hosted a free pizza party at Mr. Gatti's yesterday evening, and y'all know I can't say no to free food, so I took Briana. We actually both had a fun time. We each got a free buffet and drinks; I ate all the pizza, dessert pizza, breadsticks, mac and cheese, and cucumber slices I could hold, and I tried a new kind of pizza with barbecue sauce, chicken, and onions (it was yummy).

BBBS was also giving all the kids five dollars worth of tokens to play in Gatti-Land. I thought Briana might not want to do it, because she's older than a lot of kids in the program, but she said, "You're never too old for Gatti-Land!" so we went there after we stuffed ourselves. We played basketball and a few other games with another really nice Big & Little Sister; the girl to Briana's school, and she and her sister had been matched together for four years -- wow. Briana won way more tickets than I ever did and spent them on candy and a heart-shaped tube of glittery lip-gloss.

So I missed seeing yesterday's new NCIS episode "live," but I ~~stayed too late and~~ watched it online as soon as I got home from Gatti's. My notes run a little long because I honestly don't think I could find one thing to dislike about this episode! It was priceless!

( A list of things to love about 10x09 "The Devil's Trifecta" )

Happy 5th night of Hanukkah! Sara has been trying to direct my present-opening so that I get open one present a night. So far I've gotten new ponytail-holders and new lights for my bike (both things I needed) and a CD of Hanukkah songs!

P.S. I think I finally finished the mat of plarn I've been crocheting! Which is hard to believe after working on it for six months. I do most of my crocheting while watching movies/TV, and Sara just said: "God forbid you sit here for one minute without eating or plarning or eating your plarn or plarning your food!" Ha!

Current Mood: still lol'ing!
Current Music: Sara watching Real Housewives

Our non-Christmas tree has been a bit sparsely-decorated since I upgraded from a 4' to a 6'. Last year, I bought a glittery red key from the antique store as a new ornament. This year, I made an ornament out my mom's old skate key. Grandma held onto it for all these years, and I found it at my aunt's house when I went over there to do my laundry this morning. God only knows why Grandma kept it, but then, she could never throw anything away.

Skate keys were used to put on old metal roller skates. (If you've ever read The Catcher in the Rye, there's a scene where Phoebe uses a skate key to put on her roller skates.) This one is at least 45 years old. My Grandma and Aunt Carla told me Mom used to spend hours skating up and down the sidewalk. It's almost impossible for me to imagine her that young.

Happy second night of Hanukkah! PBS is broadcasting the (several hours long) 25th anniversary concert of Les Miserables tonight, and I'm watching it right now. SQUEE! I love this version of Les Mis. It stars my very favorite Valjean and Fantine, Alfie Boe and Lea Salonga -- and, unfortunately, one of the Jonas Brothers as Marius. :\

Current Mood: Xmas shopping online
Current Music: Bring Him Home, Alfie Boe

I don't think I've ever been so happy to have a Shabbat service over with as I was last night! I still can't quite believe that I actually conducted a decent service as lay leader at my temple. I wasn't planning on posting anything about it, but it was kinda a "Shehekianu" moment for me, so here are some notes.

Of course, the evening had some bumps in it. For perhaps the first time in the two years I've been attending this temple, I arrived there early to set up. Only to find the whole place was locked! Apparently I arrived too early, and beat even Sassy Jewish Grandfather #2, who has the keys. So I called him, told him to get his butt over there ("I just to kennel my dogs first") and waited in the dark courtyard for about ten minutes until he pulled up. Other bumps were that I made at least one mistake that I noticed (asked the congregation to stand up when they were supposed to sit down) and probably a few others that I didn't. Also, the bimah was freakin' sweltering! I'd never stood up there for very long before, and I don't know if it was me or the bright lights or how nervous I was, but I was sweating like a Baptist preacher! Ugh!

For the most part, I read straight from the siddur, without ever raising my head to look at everyone, lest I panic and clam up, but I did try to give it a few personal touches, too. In the space allotted for a sermon, I played Matisyahu's Hanukkah song "Miracle" from my iPod speaker, then I blathered incoherently about faith and miracles. I talked a little about the connection between the Maccabees and the Mi Chamocha before we sang the song, and before the Kaddish, in addition to the names on our yartzheit list, I read the names of a few Jewish sailors, soldiers, and Marines who were killed during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. (An idea I got from summer camp, where they read the names of the Israeli athletes killed in Munich at the Shabbat service during the Olympics.)

To unwind from all that, Sara and I spent the evening at Mom's house, watching Star Trek episodes with Adam. Have you ever heard a funnier exchange than:
Picard: Good Lord, didn't anybody here build ships in bottles when they were boys?
Warf: I did not play with toys.
Data: I was never a boy.
O'Brien: I did, sir.
Picard: Thank you, Mr. O'Brien.

Tonight was the first night of Hanukkah, and I didn't do anything except light the first candle by myself. But I hope to open presents and maybe even try cooking latkes another night.

Happy Hanukkah!

Current Mood: mellow
Current Music: Cake Latkes, David & The High Spirits

Rebecca's been up to her elbows in latkes for the past two days! Yesterday morning, a hodge-podge of folks from the temple got together at Sassy Jewish Grandparents #1's house to fry some up. This was my first time making latkes, and who knew it was so much WORK? We peeled and chopped a small mountain of potatoes and onions (the job of peeling onions went to Paul, the only one of us who didn't cry!), mixed the batter, fried the latkes, and had drops of hot oil splatter onto the stove, the counters, the floor, and US! Still, it was fun.

When they were finally done, we ate a few, but most of them we delivered to eldery/ill members of our temple who weren't able to attend the latke dinner there tonight. I delivered to two old couples I'd never met before, and it made me feel pretty good to spread some holiday cheer. The second old lady was so surprised and kept exclaiming, "Latkes?! For me?! Oh, thank you!" One of my favorite Jewish songs is Debbie Friedman's "L'chi Lach." The chorus ends, On your journey, I will bless you / And you will be a blessing, l'chi lach. Being part of this temple has been such a blessing to me, but it's not often I feel like I get to be a blessing back. I just have so little to offer.

I also brought a plate of latkes to Grandma. The weather was horrible yesterday morning, but just as I started making my deliveries, the rain stopped and the sun came out. I was in a neighborhood with lots of ditches, and they were all full of rainwater and looked like the most beautiful little streams sparkling in the sunlight. I almost crashed Muse Watson staring at them!

And today, I spent the evening in the temple kitchen, helping make enough brisket, latkes, green bean casserole, and challah bread for our whole congregation! Our temple hosts an annual dinner on the Shabbat during Hanukkah and invites everyone to bring their menorahs and light them together. My mom gave me my own little menorah on the first night of Hanukkah this year, and it was a lot smaller and plainer than the others there, but I like it. And I loved eating and talking with everyone over the candlelight. But boy, am I exhausted after all that cooking and eating! Think I better sign off and crash into bed.

P.S. My mom called while I was typing this entry. When I mentioned that I'd brought Grandma some latkes, she asked, "How was she? Was she weak? Was she tired?" Then she complained about how badly our other relatives are taking care of her. Ugh. Way to kill the holiday spirit there, Mom.

Current Mood: can't...keep...eyes...open...
Current Music: Fa-la-la-la-LATKES!

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Sov, Alicia Jo Rabins

On the last Thursday before Hanukkah, in the final days of 2011, three things I am thankful for:

Warmer weather has returned, at least for now. This week has been very warm and wet. I'm not crazy about the wet part, but I prefer it to being cold.
A lovely virtual Hanukkah card from kew121 (thanks, Kew!) and an old-fashioned paper card from Grandma and Aunt Carla. Theirs was actually a Christmas card, but Aunt Carla wrote on the side, "Happy Hannukah! I hope I spelt that right." She didn't, not that I'm going to point that out to her. I can remember how to spell it by comparing it to my name. Hanukkah: one N, two Ks; Rebecca: one B, two Cs.
The Christmas lights in my neighborhood. I love seeing all of them when I ride my bike to and from temple.

Three things I'm looking forward to:

Making my trademark holiday treats, bacon & eggs candy, this weekend.
~~Forcing~~ convincing Adam to see the "A Charlie Brown Christmas" display downtown with me. Now if I could just find someone to see the gingerbread houses with me.
Cooking latkes with Sassy Jewish Grandmother #2 (at our temple, next Friday) and Sassy Jewish Grandmother #1 (at her house, date to be determined). I had my first latkes at our temple's Hanukkah dinner last year, and they were so delicious that I could've eaten my weight in them! But they were in such high demand that I only got a few.

Three things I can't believe:

In just a few short weeks, 2012 will be here!
Season 9 of NCIS is already halfway over!
As recently as October, Grandma was just fine.

I'm determined to get my Christmas shopping finished before Hanukkah, and the fanfic I'm currently writing finished before Christmas.

Current Mood: hungry
Current Music: Sable whining

At services last Friday, our rabbi and temple president had arranged for a group from a local church to visit. One of my cousins happened to be among them, and to my utter mortification, I didn't even recognize her! She actually had to tell me who she was. In my defense, I hadn't seen her since Easter, and it can throw you when you see somebody you know in a place you didn't expect.

This morning, there was another session of the temple's Sunday school (the one Rebecca somehow got roped into teaching) and to my surprise, it was fun for both me and the kids. The other teachers and I showed them a movie about Hanukkah and helped them with a craft project where we made menorahs and edible dreidels. I brought several of my cute, colorful little dreidels (which you can see here) for them to play with, and they were a BIG hit - so much so that I was worried I wouldn't get them back! We decided to save the chocolate gelt for when Hanukkah is actually here, so instead the kids played with Hershey Kisses.

Still, it's hard not to feel out of my league there. The other teachers all have so much more experience with kids, and their Hebrew/knowledge of Judaism in general is way better than mine. I've never formally studied Hebrew and haven't even been officially Jewish for six months! But I'm secretly terrified that if I don't push myself to try new experiences, I'll end a mean, bitter old lady like the temple secretary (whom all the kids - and me - are scared of).

I came home with a bag of marshmallows leftover from the edible dreidels, and Sara said, "What's that? Marshmallows made from the blood of the Christian children you killed?"

Sara and I are reading Children in the Holocaust and World War II: Their Secret Diaries. It's been very good. Anne Frank is easily the most famous Holocaust diarist known here, but in Israel and some European countries, there are others who are just as well-known. Eva Heyman's diary has been the hardest for me to read so far. Sara read one that mentioned the Anschluss and asked me what it was. I tried to explain it by reminding her that it was referenced in The Sound of Music.

Sara: Uncle Max was screwed at the end of that movie, wasn't he?
Me: Uncle Max? Why?
Sara: 'Cause he was a Jew.
Me: Uncle Max wasn't a Jew. Hello, if he was a Jew, why didn't he leave Austria with the von Trapp family?
Sara: Maybe he didn't know what was going to happen.
Me: Uncle Max was not trash stupid, and he was not a Jew.
Sara: Hello, "I'll miss the money I could've made"? That's how you know he's a Jew.
{Something occured to me later about Uncle Max: Jewish? No. But gay? Possibly, and that also would've left him screwed at the end of the movie.}

P.S. God bless the radio stations that are still playing regular, non-Christmas music! I think the only Christmas song left that I'm not sick of is "Christmastime Is Here."

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Sara watching TV

Rebecca has taken some good-natured teasing from folks at her temple for putting up a Chris -- uh, I mean, a holiday tree. It probably didn't help that I accidentally called it a Christmas tree in front of Sassy Jewish Grandfather #2. (It just slips out!) I figure since Sara is a heathen, we live in an interfaith apartment, and therefore we can have a tree. Besides, it's not like anyone can throw me out of the religion for having a tree; the beit din told me when I converted that no one can throw me out. So, the Jews are stuck with me!

I have, however, tried to play down Christmas and put the focus more on Hanukkah. I put up a tree, but I got rid of our few religious ornaments (and I'll admit, I did with a heavy heart - I have fond memories of those). I got rid of my old Christmas-themed stocking and bought a more generic one that just has doves and the word peace. After services today, I bought several dreidels from our temple gift shop. The temple secretary bought a big bulk pack of dreidels from here and re-sold them for very reasonable prices. They are the most adorable little painted wooden dreidels!

Best of all, I found my dad's old Hanukkah mug in a drawer! I had forgotten he even had it. I gave it for him for Christmas 2001, ten years ago. My dad wasn't Jewish, but back in high school, I used to buy all my friends (all two of them!) cookies for Christmas. One year, the cookie shop was giving away free mugs to people who spent a certain amount, and I got a choice between a red-and-green or blue-and-white one. This was just before I started wearing glasses, so the blue-and-white mug was just a blur I assumed to be a generic winter scene. Later I saw the dreidels and menorahs. Looking back now, I can't believe the cookie shop was giving these away for free. It is such a big, beautiful, painted ceramic mug. It means so much to me to have it. Update: You can see my dreidels and my dad's Hanukkah mug here!

P.S. I had to watch a video on YouTube to learn how to play the dreidel game. The guy in the video said, "There's really no skill involved." I hope I can find some folks to play it with me.

Current Mood: exhausted
Current Music: A-Soulin' - Peter, Paul & Mary (I still love certain Xmas songs)

Hanukkah is later than usual this year, so it actually will fall during Christmas. I think this will make celebrating it a bit easier. I'm not sure what I'm going to do in future years when it falls at a totally different time of December. But I'll jump off that bridge when I come to it.

On a related note, I've finally come up with a list of things I want this year. (Although I'm not even sure why I bothered, since two people have already bought me gifts, and I don't remember either of them ever asking me what I wanted. Yeah, I have a great feeling about that.)

Rebecca's ~~Christmas~~ Hanukkah List

Plain Beautiful: The Life of Peggy Ann Garner
A Tanakh (also called a Torah or a Jewish Bible) with some sort of commentary. There are many different kinds of Tanakhs out there. I'd like one that's a reasonable physical size. I've seen some at temple that are huge, heavy books that you have to hold with both hands!
A Calvin & Hobbes book that neither Sara nor I has yet. I would really like Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons or Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat.
Converse shoes (also called Chuck Taylors) in non-black colors. If tha description doesn't ring a bell, they're the shoes that look like this. If you know me, you know that these are my default shoes. I call them "AB shoes" and wear them everywhere. I dream of someday having lots of pairs in all different colors. Please note that I would prefer low-cuts, not high-tops, and I wear a size 8. I think the local Dollar Store carries a few different colored pairs for reasonable prices. That brings us to...
A shoe holder. I'd prefer the kind that hangs from a clothes bar. Just don't get me the kind that hangs over a door, please - I have no free door to hang it from!
Dog stickers for a car window. We sell these at my store, both dog and paw print stickers, for very reasonable prices.

Sara insists that I'm a hard person to shop for. I'll add onto this list if more things come to me. A tip for holiday shopping in general: If you buy anything in a store, for heaven's sakes, save your receipts! You'd think most people would already know this, but I'm still pissed at my mom for not only not keeping the receipt for what she gave me last year, but also refusing to tell me where she bought it! Ugh.

Current Mood: lazy
Current Music: 99 Luft Baloons, Nena

Almost every time I turn on the radio now, I hear "Good," by Carrie Underwood. I'm ashamed to say I actually like it, but geez, there's a limit to how much I can take. (Edit: I just googled the lyrics, and it's actually called "Mama's Song." Ugh.) But it is better than the Christmas music that some stations are playing. Today I heard that awful Christmas song by Alvin & the Chipmunks, and even more disturbing, a tweaked version of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" called "Hanukkah and Christmas Hand in Hand." Listening to it was easily the biggest what-the-fuck moment of my day.

Speaking of which, the Hanukkah service at the temple last Friday was really lovely. There was a dinner afterwards, and I ate my first latke and, miraculously, several bites of salad. I never eat healthy foods, especially salads, so it was a big deal. It helped that there was goat cheese in it. Finding goat cheese in salad was like running into an old friend in strange place. I also met an older lady who recognized my last name because she went to school with my Aunt Alison and Uncle George. They live in California and I haven't seen them since 2006, so hearing their names dropped was really random and surprising. When I tell people at the temple my last name, I usually get, "What? Cohen?" — my last name is unusual, Scottish, and not Jewish in the least, but it sounds a lot like Cohen — not, "Oh, I know your Uncle George." What were the odds that we would be seated next to each other? I guess it is a small world.

I have still haven't put up Christmas decorations or a tree. I've done a tiny bit of shopping, but not much. Some years I just can't get into the Christmas spirit, and I think 2010 might be one of those years. I've always hated wintertime, and I still do.

Current Mood: fanfic makes me feel better
Current Music: Shalom Rav, Kol B'Seder

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Rebecca was buried alive under 50 pounds of potatoes!
You're never too old for Gatti-Land... or NCIS!
Rebecca's new/old ornament for 2012...
Now that it's finally over, just two words -- hallelujah and whew!
And Rebecca's hands still smell like onions! Ugh!
Wordless Wednesday: Happy Hanukkah!
There's nothing like a Season 3 episode to make you nostalgic.
This wind is making Rebecca's lips as dry as paper!
But Rebecca has always loved decorating the tree!
At least our store isn't playing Christmas music yet...
Rebecca a essayé d'acheter un livre de cuisine français en anglais, mais...

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on your journey, i will bless you...

...and you will be a blessing

Entries tagged with hanukkah

Rebecca was buried alive under 50 pounds of potatoes!

You're never too old for Gatti-Land... or NCIS!

Rebecca's new/old ornament for 2012...

Now that it's finally over, just two words -- hallelujah and whew!

And Rebecca's hands still smell like onions! Ugh!

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Hanukkah!

There's nothing like a Season 3 episode to make you nostalgic.

This wind is making Rebecca's lips as dry as paper!

But Rebecca has always loved decorating the tree!

At least our store isn't playing Christmas music yet...

Rebecca a essayé d'acheter un livre de cuisine français en anglais, mais...