Tikkun Olam

What a wonderful Sukkot is has been. We worked so hard in preparations before the chag, which paid off and culminated in davening with great kavanah and meaningful, happy festive meals in our Sukkah with good friends and acquaintences. Our sukkah was especially "HOLEY" this year: as my husband and friend (thank you, Y.) took the plywood boards apart they discovered yet another 'squirrel hole' (see photo)filled with fluff as padding, which my husband discarded. That made hole number three, second largest in size to the two we found last year. As we did last year, we covered the biggest, longest jagged hole with a picture of the Gedolim. We covered the small one with a creatively-done yellow paper chicken with a moveable head representing kapparot that was made years ago by my youngest (which of course explains why she is in Officer Training Course today. Such talent.). To cover the newest and largest hole, we were racking our brains when I came up with the p...

I'm also on a diet. I am half-heartedly trying to lose x number of pounds (kilos, for my Israeli friends and family. Actually, my weight sounds a lot better in kilos. . . ). I say "half-heartedly," not because my heart isn't in it--it is--but rather because ( על חטא שחטאתי לפניך ...) I enjoy food. And also eating it. I'm not a gourmet, but probably (alas) more of a. . . gourmand . I said it. And now the whole world knows (or, only that tiny little portion who reads this blog; not so bad, really. . . ) And to my utter dismay, just when I am finally back down to where I was just before Pesach , of all things-- Shavuot has to come up. All of a sudden! You'd think that I'd be prepared, I've been counting the Omer so diligently since Pesach-yes, with a bracha (-eat yer hearts out) But I'm not. I am not prepared to pass over (heh heh, 'pass over,' get it?) cheese cake and spinach cheese quiche and milchig noodle kugel and ice cream with ...