Verbalism Buffet

A Tall Order

2012-01-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

My first post of the new year and... I'm going to whine and complain.
Here goes.
Why oh why can't waiters and waitresses listen to their customers and not take things personally.
Last night Les and I went to a popular Italian chain restaurant for dinner. I have a big sensitivity to garlic. I can't say I'm allergic to it because I don't turn purple and go into anaphylatic shock, but lets just say it doesn't make nice with my intestinal tract. And some times are worse than others. Now that I've lived with it for over 20 years I can tolerate much more than in the beginning, but I still have to be careful. I can hear the chatter now - why would you go to an Italian restaurant in the first place. Italy's national flag has a garlic clove on it. (Well it should!) I like pasta. Just not covered in garlic tomato sauce.

I ordered the create your own pasta plate. First order of business, ask which sauce has the least amount of garlic. Our waitress although not thrilled with the question politely tells me the basic tomato sauce would be my best bet. Okay. Cool. So I place my order. Capinelli with tomato sauce on the side. Add roasted mushrooms and red peppers. I fill out the little order sheet from the pad and say in my finest English, I'm very(emphasis on very) sensitive to garlic. Think I mentioned it twice in my ordering. Sauce on the side. Ms Waitress tells me no problem and scurries away.
One square of rosemary bread later she brings my dish. Capinelli smothered in tomato sauce with mushrooms and peppers. It looked great. But not what I ordered. Now the fun begins. With my first word being one of apology I remind her that I needed the sauce on the side because - say it with me now - I'm very sensitive to garlic. She then gets offended and tells me she didn't hear me say, "sauce on the side". I've been through this with countless waiting staff at countless places. I know the drill. I calmly state that I did mention it and my dish is wisked off to the kitchen folk for I really hope is just a re-do without added ingredients if you catch my drift.
Les and I try to keep our interaction with our waitress light and breezy and although we could clearly see she was annoied with us, knew her tip depended on a civil ending to our dining experience. We smiled, she smiled.
I ate half of my bowl still tasting that tell tell flavor of garlic and boxed up the rest. And yes I know I may be paranoid - but just because I am paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
Fast forward to today.
I'm preparing my leftovers. Capinelli, peppers and mushrooms in one container, sauce in another. I pull out the mushrooms and peppers and go for the pasta leaving the sauce in its separate container. Nuked and ready to eat, I notice a small white chunk of something. Must be the grated cheese. But
grated cheese smushes when you squeeze it. This didn't. It looked like garlic, it felt like garlic. Yup, a small chunk of ...garlic. From the sauce? Were the veggies roasted with garlic? Who's to know. But here's my beef. Is it so hard for a waitress or waiter to listen to their customers? When someone makes it very clear that they can't tolerate an ingredient, is it so hard to note on the order ticket this little bit of information so that the cooks see how to prepare a dish? Is it so hard to realize it's nothing personal. It's a serving staff's position to accommodate a customer within reason. Especially if said customer is polite and articulate and has a valid reason for their request.
I know there are customers from hell out there who make life miserable for the underpaid serving community. But there are those of us who enjoy eating out but have to be careful. We don't want to make life hard and we really mean nothing personal.
Is this too tall an order to fill?

Walmart and Growing Grass

2011-10-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here at my computer, fingers poised and ready. Time for a new blog. Uh, time for a new blog. I'm wracking my brain for that first sentence. The one that launches into the joys and pains of my life and everyone wants to read it and wants everyone else to read it too. But I don't have five absolutely darling little kids living at home doing absolutely darling things. Yeah I know I could go on and on about the Grands... And my trip to Walmart doesn't count as a field trip does it? So here's the dilemma. Nuthin's happened to warrant that prize winning blog. My cats haven't done anything cute for days.
And hairballs in hubster's shoes wouldn't be cute anyway. The High Holy days are over, and even though the sukkah is still up, we don't eat in it anymore. The weather is steady and pleasant - no major storms to report, or floods to clean up. Could this be the calm before the storm?? Nah.
So here's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
I got up this morning, ate breakfast - a scrambled egg with mushrooms. Brushed my teeth and fixed my hair. Went to Wal-Mart.

Dressed up mind you. No jammy pants or short shorts for me. Ooooo now that's a scary thought... Came home, wrote a blog and will soon prepare Shabbat dinner - stuffed bell peppers and cottage cheese. Oh wait... a hummingbird just drank from the feeder...
So in honor of my life at the moment, grab that someone special, and those lawn chairs. Find a comfy place in the grass - and watch it grow.

Yom Kippur

2011-10-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've dipped my apples in honey for a sweet new year. Then I threw bread into the river to cast off all that nasty accumulated sin. Now tonight, another leg of the journey - the Kol Nidre service. All Vows. This time we stand, beat our chest and renounce all - and I mean all the vows one could ever think of.
Here's a text of the prayer. http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/6577/jewish/Text-of-Al-Chet.htm As you can see nothing is left to the imagination.
It looks long and tedious and for most people over the top. It's easy to smugly sniff, " I haven't committed THAT sin and never would. And granted that's probably true. And it's also easy to say, " and besides, Yeshua(Jesus) already forgave me and I can come to Him any time I want. And that's true too. But sometimes it takes a little prompt to fire up the remembrance. Sometimes we do things that we justify as "their fault" or "it was really nothing at all".
I suppose the whole process could be viewed as a spiritual Mayo Clinic. That complete physical that we all dread. The one where they leave no place untouched and sometimes it's quite uncomfortable, what with the poking and prodding. And we dread when we hear that phrase, "how long have you had this?" Especially when we didn't know we had "this" in the first place.
Or, "oh that...I just thought it was a...(list of nonthreatening excuses).
There's something quite impowering and freeing when we all stand together beating our chest about the same thing. Very private in a public sort of way. Here we are confessing some pretty ugly stuff and right next to you, Mr or Miss perfect is doing the same thing. Lets face it, we're all a pretty guilty bunch and we need to stand in our communities and agree that we all need help. We all need forgiveness. All of us. Together. It's when we try to do it alone that we get in trouble.
And so tonight I'll stand with my community, unified. Tomorrow I'll fast with my community - stomachs growling - together.
More about that feeling of forgiveness and cleansing and a full stomach in a few days.

Shoes and Socks

2011-10-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today is a turning point. I've retired my sandals for the year. It's time for shoes and socks ~ and long sleeve tops, and soups. I will use my oven too.
I always look forward to that turning point in the year. The sky is gray and there's a cool breeze wafting in through my dining room window. I'm not ready to close it quite yet. I will when the rain comes ~ but not until then.

I search for the colors of fall. Today as I drove down a street in our neighborhood I found them. There's a row of trees that show off sooner than the rest. They make me smile and I do a little happy dance right there in the driver side of my car.
So tonight we'll celebrate with a big bowl of beef bone broth, potatoes and carrots, fresh warm french bread and a large glass of fresh spiced apple cider. And for desert ~ pumpkin pudding.
Can a warm slice of apple pie be far behind?

Tashlich

2011-10-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

With a pocket full of bread, I make my way to the river. It is slow going as I pick my way among the river rocks and shells. Although its only 1pm, the sun is already demanding and its uncomfortable.

Tashlich - to cast off. The first day of Rosh Hashana is set aside to rid oneself of sin. Its the beginning of the High Holy days. Each year we're challenged to examine - take inventory. Time to search for those buried sins, right the wrongs, repair the breeches, restore what's been damaged. Time for appologies, forgiveness, restitution. Uncomfortable stuff. But necessary as we head into a new year - free and clear. And so we find bodies of water to cast stones or bread into. We act out a spiritual principle in a physical way. An object lession.

I listen to the words of Yeshua's close friend John as he reminds me - If we claim not to have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, then, since He is trustworthy and just, He will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing.(1John 1:8-9)

I have a promise I can take with me. And then the call from the shofar blast. Time to take action.

At the river's edge I watch the sparkling water. It becons me to reach into my pocket. The first piece of bread - into the water. It floats away from me. Confessing and releasing and cleansing. One by one - piece by piece. And then one last scoop for those crumbs. Little irritations, hurtful words, unnecessary thoughts - a final soul cleaning.

With a fresh and grateful heart I make my way back to others who have lightened their own souls. One last community prayer. The laughter of little ones as they splash in the refreshing water. One more rock to skip. Back to the routine of the day.

Celebration

2011-09-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

The turkey is roasting, the sweet and sour red cabbage - done. All that's left is the dressing, mashed potatoes and baked acorn squash. Oh and the gravy.

Tonight's meal compliments of Rosh Hashana, Shabbat and a change in the weather - autumn time. Celebration time.

And there is much to celebrate. It's a new year. 5772 according to the Jewish calendar. Shana tova umetukah. A good and sweet year. New beginnings.

Well, let me back up a little. Actually Autumn came early this year. September 1st to be exact. All 6 pounds 7 ounces of her. Perfect. Tiny. Beautiful. And quite a surprise. You see her due date was September 23rd - the first day of fall. But G~d in His mercy and compassion saw to it that she was to be delivered safely. So you can see why it's a time of celebration.

Tonight Les will pronounce the blessing over the bread and the wine as well as spend some time in thanksgiving.

Bless ADONAI, my soul! Everything in me, bless His holy name! Bless ADONAI, my soul, and forget none of His benefits! He forgives all your offenses, He heals all your diseases, He redeems your life from the pit, He surrounds you with grace and compassion, He contents you with good as long as you live, so that your youth is renewed like an eagle's.~Psalm 103~

2011-09-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in my livingroom listening to Craig Taubman - waiting for sundown so I can light my candles and begin the wonderful 24 hour period of Shabbat. It's been a busy week. Today was a full day. I am ready to rest.

And I ponder - why are so many resistant to receiving the gift of Shabbat or Sabbath given by G~d? I've heard all the reasons and excuses. I just scratch my head.

Not long ago I was one of those who fell into bed exhaused on Friday night, got up on Saturday with a full schedule, ran full tilt all day only to stay up too late because there was always one more thing to get done. Then came Sunday. Up for church and all the obligations waiting for me there. By Sunday night I bemoaned the obvious realization that Monday was too close for comfort and with it another long week ahead.

Is this really how our Creator meant it to be? He rested. And He told us to rest too.

I just don't buy the "Jesus is our day of rest." Well yes, Yeshua did provide rest for my searching soul. But my spirit needs my body and my mind to stop long enough so I can remember. How can He renew my mind and restore my body if I can't even sit down long enough to allow Him a moment of my time?

For most of us it's just easier to take a pill or gulp another Starbucks and keep going. Ouch. I'm stepping on toes here aren't I?

Well, no more cooking, cleaning, shopping, bill paying, worrying (did I mention I give myself permission to put that on hold too?) until Saturday around 8 pm. Time to light those candles.

Spontaneous Worship

2011-01-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

"Worship was so good today." It's a phrase used by many in the community of Believers. But what does that mean? The worship team played all your favorites? You got warm tingles? You felt good? You connected with G~d? When I was on the worship team at a church I once attended, that's exactly what good worship was.

Can one get warm tingles, feel good or get connected by sitting in a room of silence? Can one get healed or delivered if there is no driving beat or repetitious phrase that the Presence of G~d is there?

I've been doing some Youtube surfing lately, typing in spontaneous worship. Interesting what I am finding. It's all pretty much the same no matter which group or person is singing. I watch the crowds in each video. Most are dark environments with mood lights and they all look the same, moving to the music the same no matter which venue. And I wonder - where's the spontaneity? Could there be songs where everyone is declaring from scripture (those songs are out there - just outdated) the majesty of our G~d, who He is and not what we expect from Him? And is twenty minutes of "spontaneity" necessary? Could it just be that you could slip any phrase into the mix ten minutes into the set and no one would notice? Could someone begin a beautiful haunting melody with a driving beat "I want only You, I want only You and slide in, "I want a PBJ, I want a PBJ without many noticing? Would the beat go on?

Is this just another music trend or is this truly a move of the Spirit? Was this a move of the Spirit for the first person or band but everyone else sees how cool it is and needs to keep things at their service trendy?

In Hebrew the word for worship and service is the same - avodah.

Let me just leave you with this. Could we be turning worship into something more or less than what G~d intends?

Blankets and Seasons

2010-12-31T13:58:00.000-08:00

It was a tough year, but I made it !!!

And thus ends 2010.

Like Solomon I have looked back and taken inventory. This is the sum of it.

Back in 1965 the Byrds sang these words and everyone whether they knew it or not memorized Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ~

1 For everything there is a season, a right time for every intention under heaven 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to discard, 7 a time to tear and a time to sew, a time to keep silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Yes everyone walks through seasons. No one gets a special notice saying they are exempt from falls and winters and can bask in spring and summer their entire life. Even tropical paradise has hurricanes and tsunamis.

So what does one do when the winds keep blowing and the temperature doesn't warm up? Grab another blanket!

Blankets have come in all sizes and colors for me.

Hugs

Email messages

Phone calls

Vacations

Weddings

Birthday parties

Family

Friends

Scripture

Liturgy

Sermons

Prayers

I have no idea what 2011 will hold. I may have to bundle up awhile longer, or I may be headed into a sweet spring, but this one thing I know. My Heavenly Father has an endless supply of blankets that He will provide. And when spring and summer come again, I have a keepsake cabinet that I will store all my blankets in.

If you find yourself in one of those seasons where you need a blanket, I pray for you someone to reach in their cabinet and pull out one of their prized blankets to share. And if you know someone who looks like the chill of winter is upon them - give them one of yours.

See you all in 2011.

On The Other Side of the Door

2010-11-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

On November 4, 2010 Rabbi Richard “Rube” Rubinstein was ushered into the Presence of his Messiah. He is now on the other side of the door while we wait on this side. In his last few days I think he, according to his wife, was allowed to crack that door open and peek inside for when he regained consciousness between those times of sleep, his eyes had that, “I’ve seen and heard something most amazing” look about them.

I will miss him. He was not only a Rabbi (teacher), but a mentor and a friend. He believed in my son when others only saw confusion. He accepted my daughter as one of his own even though she continues to worship elsewhere. He saw beyond circumstance. He listened. He listened beyond the words and into the heart.

I remember him holding court as it were during oneg. He’d set a chair off to the side and wait. And if you weren’t the first to pull another chair alongside his first, you waited and watched for the next opportunity along with the others who did the same. Most of the time someone would have to make him a plate of food or grab a bagel with cream cheese and take it to him. And then when you talked, his eyes were not roaming the crowd hoping to catch that “important” person. You were that important person. You had his attention. If you told him something sad, his eyes would cloud over as his heart met yours. If something you said was worthy of a laugh, his head would tilt back and he’d let out with a hardy robust “ha, ha, ha” – straight from the heart.

A few things I learned from Rabbi Rube –

Care for animals. He knew they were important to G~d by the instructions in Torah that He set forth.

Conducting one’s life as a Jew is a sacred trust. Do it well.

Passion and meekness go hand in hand.

Waiting in prayer creates anticipation.

Anything can be redeemed.

Dying with grace and dignity is a beautiful thing.

A few days ago I was in the home of the Rebbetzin surrounded by the family both blood and synagogue sitting shivah as is our custom. I was given the sweet privilege of rocking one of Rabbi’s almost three month old twin granddaughters to sleep. One of the ladies of our shul observed this, got up from the couch and whispered to me,"how appropriate – you’re holding Rube’s grandchild, while he is now holding yours.”

I’m sure Abba allowed Rube to hear that remark too. And we both smiled.

A Very Hard Journey

2010-11-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

I am walking a road that one never expects to walk. This journey will be long - life long.
Roads like this many times begin with a phone call. Just a routine phone call in the middle of the day.
My phone call came just like that. I did indeed expect a phone call that day coming upon one month ago. I expected an excited, “we’re ready, come on over to the house”, phone call. But instead the voice was anxious, bordering panic beckoning me to rush to the hospital where my daughter and son-in-love had gone. It was the beginning of rush hour. My house was on the other side of town. The freeway was crowded. Lots of stops. I in fact abandoned the freeway for surface streets. At least I was moving toward my destination. And all the while I prayed and dug deep inside my spirit for a glint of hope.
But the prayer was answered differently. I was given courage and strength.
My sweet grandson, Rhys Michael, passed from his mother’s womb into eternity just a few hours before his birth.
And I did cry out and ask why. I still do. But I am content to know that I may never know why. Just the knowledge that my Heavenly Father holds me a little closer when I ask, is comfort.
These are the things I am learning as I walk this rocky path.
My Heavenly Abba will never let me go. And He will never let my daughter and son-in-love go either. I have seen in them, as well as my husband and I strength that comes from somewhere else. From His Hand.
Comfort comes in different ways than we would like or think we need.
I’m learning that for a grandparent there is not the support out there that is offered to grieving parents. We take on the role of caregiver. We watch as our children hurt so very deeply and this is a boo boo that we can’t kiss away. So we do what we can, and offer what we can to the point of exhaustion.
We come home to mailboxes filled with ads and bills but no cards of sympathy. To empty refrigerators, too tired to shop after a full day of back to work stress. We answer the questions that everyone wants to know but would never ask the grieving parents.
There is support out there for those grieving pets, but not for grandparents. Crazy huh?
But this I have learned. There are those out there who are praying and remembering and thinking. They still blanket us with prayers of comfort in the privacy of their own homes and hearts.
I had this brought home to me two Saturdays ago as I went to my synagogue.
All I had to do was walk in and I had several embracing me, listening to me, allowing me to cry. “ You’ve been on my mind all week.”
Those are sweet words.
And so I’ll continue to walk. I am weary.
Within this year of 2010 I have either directly or indirectly with family and friends, walked this path of grief 12 times.
There is no merit badge for this one. Just the realization that G~d’s grace is sufficient. And that brings me comfort.

Comfort, conviction and Christmas

2010-10-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Has it really been a full year since I last posted? I guess I'm not a very good blogger am I?

Oh I've written several blogs in the past year - in the early morning hours when my brain was tired of counting sheep. But we haven't developed the technology to transfer brain waves to computers so...

This latest attempt however came about compliments of Facebook.

Someone posted a half-hearted comment meant only to register a thumbs up "like", but someone else actually posted another half-hearted response. Silly me. I just had to respond to said responder which started a dialog worthy of a forum. But like most, ended with the proverbial, "I don't want to take the time to back up my convictions with evidence. And more importantly, I don't want to take your statements seriously. You believe what you want and I'll believe my way and we can hold hands and sing We Are The World."

Yes that's a bit snarky. But I found it interesting that the original poster and another of like mind responder were clearly not interested in the "other side". They were happy and after all this was Facebook where we only "like" things we write to each other.

And so - this is not Facebook. This is MY blog, MY turf and I can share MY own ridiculous opinions. And hopefully someone will read it and either agree or disagree. But at least here I can state MY two cents worth.

Let's start with the first word of my title - comfort.

We're all comfortable with our own beliefs. We need to be or else they wouldn't be our beliefs. But sometimes we get too comfortable with them. We forget they define us to others and to G~d. (Yes I'm using that funny space instead of "o". If you want to know why - ask me!)

Most of the time we come by our beliefs by osmosis, or parents or friends or books someone recommended, that we haven't read yet but know it will change our lives. Some people actually take the time to find out why they believe what they believe, but usually in Christendom or Judaism it's what someone else told them.

Now I'm going to get personal. So those of you who don't want your beliefs challenged, gulp down that last swig of coffee and switch to Facebook.

The third word in my title - Christmas. And while we’re at it lets really up the antae and throw in Easter.

Where did they come from? The Bible you say with that pursed lip shake of the head. Did they?

Is there a scripture that says, "Lo (verses always start with Lo when it has to do with Christmas) it came about on Christmas morning that shepherds found the Babe... (you get the point).

Sorry. Do a word search and Christmas ain't there.

Know what comes up when you do the search with Easter. You actually get a verse. Really! But only in King James.

Act 12:4 "And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternion of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people."

But before you do the happy dance, it's the Greek word (pascha) for the Hebrew word (pesach) Passover.

Now I could go into a long diatribe about the birth of Christmas and Easter - who started them - the whole nine yards. But like my Facebook friend said (and I paraphrase), "yeah I know about that but I don't care." And here I quote, "In my case, my conscience has no problems with Christmas or Easter."

There's an awful lot of people on death row that would tell you their conscience has no problem with what they did to get them to "Hotel DR."

Now I come to the middle word in the title. Comfort. Let's face it, we need to be comfortable. We hate it when someone comes and has the audacity to mess with our comfort. Especially religious comfort. I’m sure the people back when Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the rest of the minor prophets, had they been of Facebook, would have said the same things as now. I have no problems with worshipping in the high places not designated by G~d. After all, it doesn’t matter where we worship - it’s who we worship. However the end of the story for these fine folks wasn’t pretty. G~d did care. Very much.

Okay I’ve taken up enough of your precious time - and away from finding out which politician you resemble.

Will celebrating Christmas and Easter send you to hell? Depends on which church you go to…

My point is this.

Most everybody uses conscience and conviction to justify just about anything they want to do - are comfortable with. But whatever you believe with all conviction, make sure you personally have done a thorough study and search to see where G~d stands with it. And if it’s just a tradition set forth by man to make people comfortable even though G~d has a better way, consider stepping out of the fast moving current long enough to ask Him if it’s the river He wants you in.

Oh and one more thing… cause I don’t know when I’ll blog next and I want you to get your money’s worth…

Since G~d and Jesus are one and the same - when Jesus died on the cross, He didn’t nullify all those things He wrote in the first thousand plus pages of your Bible.

2009-09-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to realize that unless I take charge of my health now, a pharmaceutical company will later. I don't want to be one of those prancing people on the television telling me that if I take their pill I will be happy and independently wealthy and have a great haircut. Unless of course I end up with one of the many side effects that will make me violently ill, cause me to grow a second nose on my forehead which may become congested and might cause me to die.
No, want to use the healing properties that my Creator instilled in my body and the various flora and fauna that He placed on earth to do more than just look pretty and smell good.
Our environment and our lifestyles are killing us and we are like the frog in the pot of water allowing the slow boil to cook us without even realizing it.
We work hard and play hard, never taking a day of rest to replenish our souls and bodies. We eat stuff that has been tested and tweaked so it will look nice in the store and be pleasing to our eyes. We put products on our bodies with ingredients that we also use to maintain our cars.
Oh yeah ... ahem... back to the natural path.
I am discovering that I can make and use natural, stuff from the earth products to keep healthy. Most if not all I give credit to my daughter in law who has taught me to take my health seriously. After all I ain't getting any younger and every peep in a mirror reminds me of that.
Last week I began to sense that dreaded "back to school" cold coming on. This one made my throat scratchy. After playing the, " it's just allergies" mind game I came to my senses and realized I needed to do battle hard and fast. My arsenal consisted of Vitamin C, oil of oregano and elderberry tincture. A large mug of ginger tea became my gun. Three times a day for two days downing the concoction and I'm out of harms way.
Elderberry tincture is easy and inexpensive to make.
Allow me to give you a short lesson so you too can take control of cold and flu season before it takes over you and your family.

This is everything you will need to begin making the tincture.

I get my elderberries at a health food store in bulk. First step is throwing the berries in a measuring cup. Two ounces of berries equals approximately one third cup. For enough tincture to last through cold and flu season, I would suggest 6 ounces of berries.

Next measure out an equal part of vodka. 1/3rd cup of elderberries to 1/3rd cup vodka. You want a high alcohol volume which pulls out the property of the berries and preserves the tincture. I use the cheapest vodka available.

Combine berries and vodka in a clean jar and place in a dark area ( I use my kitchen towel drawer). Give it a shake every day to mix the ingredients.Don't worry if you miss a day. You just want to keep the berries from settling on the bottom. The tincture is ready within 3 months, but the longer it steeps the stronger it will be. By 6 months it has reached it's complete strength level. When the steeping process is done, strain off the berries. I use a small coffee filter within a strainer and let it drain into a spouted measuring cup.

Pour elderberry tincture into a dark colored bottle. It's now ready to use.

I use 25 to 30 drops in a large cup of hot tea morning, noon and night on day one. You can also mix it in cold tea or juice.

The Fair and Traditions

2009-09-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

Summer is just about over. It's been a good summer really. Not too hot and just enough lazy days thrown into the busy ones.

Now the air is getting heavier and the trees are just beginning to show their fall colors. The comic pages feature kids going back to school. Yes winter is not far away.

But no summer should go away without the tradition of ... The State Fair...

I have been going to the fair since I was a little girl back in the old days. The food concessions were manned by families and churches. Rides were a quarter and you could get little green lizards for fifty cents that you pinned to your shirt. Mine by the way lived many years and we named him Mr Peepers.

Times have changed, food is fried and the only things you can pin to your shirt are all the buttons that advertise.

My children grew up at the fair too. We started taking them when they were months old. First they were pushed in a stroller, then we had to work our schedules around school and friends and jobs. And now the strollers hold grand babies.

Everything is different but nothing has changed.

Every year we hear, "the fair isn't as good as last year". But every year we find that magical moment that makes us happy we went and ready to do it again next year.

So maybe it isn't the cold $8.50 combo Chinese plate dinner, or the 99 degree concrete. Maybe we can do without watching one more person barking while under hypnosis or the 5 minute firework show at 10pm.

Just maybe it's watching kids squeal with delight on the balloon ride. Perhaps its taking the time away from reality to stroll hand in hand with that special someone through the flower gardens. Or knowing tomorrow it's back to salads while eating fried Twinkies.

We all need traditions. Traditions are good. They keep us on task, give us hope. They help us through the craziness of our changing world.

Soon enough we'll be eating soup and living in sweaters. But today we will see brand new baby calves while we munch away on cotton candy.

2009-08-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Just finished this book earlier this evening. As far as I'm concerned it is a must read for both Jews and Christians.

Benyamin decides he has lost the spark of his Judaism and is going through the motions of his faith without the life. And so he begins a year long adventure into the world of Christianity to see how the "other half" live, hoping it will jump start his own path with G~d and back to his life as a Jew. He visits all kinds of churches and events. And through it all he does rekindle the flame of his faith. I won't tell you more - read the book for yourself.

It's easy to not see the forest for the trees. Easy to fall into the rhythm of religion without even stopping to see how it effects others, how it effects oneself.

But as Benyamin steps back he sees the good, the bad and the ugly about Judaism as a religion. And as he examines Christianity, the same can be said.

Both Jews and Christians can do things because they were brought up doing those things. But why?

How many of us have stepped outside for a moment and looked through the window? Watched what takes place from an outsider's point of view? Would someone look at us as we worship and think we had a screw loose? Could we explain why we do what we do? Would they look at us and wonder why we even bother going through the motions because there is no life?

Those who are Jews can spout tractates and laws with gusto. Those who are Christians can tick off scripture verses and cliches without batting an eye. And yet those watching us from the sidelines either walk away in disgust or amusement. Or they are drawn closer.

In reading this book I have come to realize (oh I knew it before really) that the "other side" is indeed watching. Would they want to venture to my side because what they see is genuine? Could they watch me for awhile and see that it's for real, not something that I put on and take off depending on the moment?

As a Christian - would a year with Moses rekindle your love for Jesus?

As a Jew - would a year with Jesus draw you closer to the G~d of your Fathers?

Best Get Busy Here

2009-01-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

I've had this blog since August and as you can see it ain't much to look at. So I best get busy and share my mind. This won't take long.
It's a beautiful spring day - er- winter day. The trees are confused because it has been pushing 70 degrees for a week now. As much as I like spring and all, I miss the gloomy foggy, rainy days of January. I've made hats and scarves in so many colors and I want to wear them. I like my crockpots of soups and stews. I want winter. Let's hear it for winter.

I guess the kids from Hawaii who are playing in the Inaugural Parade this next week are having a really hard time. You see it has been in the teens in Washington DC. Most of those kids probably have never worn a coat in their lives and now they have to keep moving so they won't get frost bite. I wonder if any have had their lips stick to their horns yet. Now that would be a bummer.

Of summers and roadtrips

2008-08-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

I have to say this summer will go down as the year of the traveler. First it was off to Hawaii with the husband for our 30th anniversary.

His first visit and my second.

The Island gets into your blood and by the time we got back to the states we were humming the music and missing the trade winds. We decided we needed to put a bumper sticker on our car that said, "just got back from Hawaii - go around me". We found the slow lane more to our liking. But no sooner had I unpacked my suitcase and put it back in the closet, it came out again.

My second adventure came as a road trip with a dear friend to Oregon.

Time was spent soaking in the mountain air, green trees, green grass, rivers that actually had water flowing, blackberries. Times to kick back with good friends and comfortable conversation. Driving all day with the reward being a cozy bed and breakfast at journey's end.

And now that the suitcase has been emptied for the second time - it is preparing for yet another trek. For my 4th time I will leave the USA and head for my beloved Land - Israel. This time though I will not be traveling alone. I will take with me two girlfriends from my shul. For one month we will embrace this delightful place. We will walk, climb, taste, feel, touch, hear... experience.

What a way to finish off a summer.