Tikkun Olam

I have no time! I have no time! We've kashered the kitchen (I made it!) and will be eating food on Pesachdike dishes cooked in Pesachdike pots this Shabbat Hagadol. But Toodles' room which I use as an office is not yet ready-- I am now in the process of sorting, organizing, filing, and shredding my mess. Then I have to do the furniture and vacuum, and clean the bathrooms, etc. So I really don't have time to post, but I got this video and it was so cute I couldn't resist (I don't know why the pic is not visible, but as far as I am aware, the link works-just click in the center.) Just think: Our lives are so much more meaningful after having the answer to this question:

First, I hope you clicked on the title link in my last post; it went to a blog on Telecomweb about daylight saving time (the title pun was that writer's, not mine!). In (click on link here:) more pressing matters , because I put off cleaning for Pesach until today, I am in a panic, since my original 'plan' was to be pesachdike by Shabbat Hagadol. Don't know if that will happen now. I thought it would be easier with the kids not home, and maybe it is, to a degree: they're not here to mess things up! But on the other hand, I've been using my daughter Toodles' room as an office, with my computer, a new computer desk, with two sets of those new plastic file drawers on either side of it. And, worse--I confess--I've been eating at my computer (shh-hh-don't tell anyone.). So it's not the kids' mess I have to clean up, but my own. And they are not here to help me, to boot. It's just my husband and I by our little lonesomes, to do all the work, ...

(I know, I know; lately I'm behind in everything; this topic is a bit old...) I am not ready for Daylight Saving Time.* It's not supposed to start until Pesach, for gosh sakes. And even then, I'm not ready for it. I don't believe it saves much energy, if at all. Did anybody even figure in the amount of electricity used in the early morning, when it's dark --and add those numbers into the equation? I mean, here you are, getting up when it's pitch black outside, feeling your way around the bathroom and closet, hoping you'll (ahem) 'hit the mark', and then not end up (horrors) wearing the green and orange polka-dotted shirt with the blue and brown plaid skirt (didn't mention pants, 'cause nobody wears blue and brown plaid pants.) And another thing, the thought of having to !@#$%!! change that clock at the top of my blog to correspond correctly to Yerushalayim time (they won't go to sha'ot ha-kayitz until the last Friday before April 2nd...

In my previous post I began a Caption Contest for phive (5) phamily photos. Unfortunately, I inadvertently left one out, and to avoid being vilified for favoritism (or just plain forgetfulness) by said family member, I am adding it to this post (see photo at right.). Meanwhile, I only see one (1) comment with caption suggestions, so as they say, DON'T ALL VOLUNTEER AT ONCE (I actually received another suggestion, but it was sent to the wrong place, so I'm waiting for it to be posted here in "comments" in order to consider it.). So, scroll down to my previous post, and go for it! And please include this pic in your entries.

My Purim was wonderful, considering I was here and kids were there (you know where I mean.). But because of all the preparations, hard work--hey, I actually had to watch while my husband stood for six hours over a hot stove with a huge pot of boiling 375 degree oil, making our Famous Fried Purim Stars . Do you even know how difficult that is? watching, I mean-- and lack of time I wasn't able to post before Purim, so I am posting after. Which is even better because I have some photos to show you (of my crazy family, bet you didn't have a clue they were so gorgeous, baruch Hashem) which mean a lot to me. The family, that is. This Purim was especially good because my husband and I had an opportunity to help a family (in addition to the mitzvah of matanot le-evyonim) who needed some help, even though it took some time and was out of our way; we are thankful Hashem gave us this opportunity... I am now going to do a copycat thing here, take a cue from fellow blogger LakewoodVenter (...

This is a comment I saw on a video of Netzer Hazani commemorating one year since the hitnatkut (so-called 'disengagement'): "The poor child, caught with the stolen bag of candies, cried when the good father plucked out a single sweet and charitably handed it to the shop owner." Stolen? Really? From the "shop owner?" OK, let's forget about it belonging to the Jews (Jews = rightful 'shop owner') from the days of the Bible, shall we? Of course you really meant to say, "captured from the arab aggressors in 1967 ," didn't you? - which according to laws of engagement belong to the victor. So what did the victor do? He built it up into communities, beautified it, grew vegetables, greenhouses, creating a thriving economy and tried to live there in peace for thirty plus years, only requesting to be left alone in peace, by the so-called religion of peace . Now, we have returned [our] land to the enemy (who had invaded us) as a gesture of go...

(hat tip: my London connection, M---) Jewish Buddhist Haiku to be read with a straight face: If there is no self, whose arthritis is this? Be here now. Be someplace else later. I s that so complicated? Drink tea and nourish life. With the first sip ... joy. With the second ... satisfaction. With the third, peace. With the fourth, a danish. Wherever you go, there you are. Your luggage is another story. Accept misfortune as a blessing. Do not wish for perfect health, Or a life without problems. What would you talk about? The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single "oy." There is no escaping karma: In a previous life, you never called, you never wrote, you never visited. And whose fault was that? Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkes. The Tao does not speak. The Tao does not blame. The Tao does not take sides. The Tao has no expectations. The Tao demands nothing of others. The Tao is not Jewish. Breathe in. Breathe out...