Tikkun Olam

This is modified and reprinted from my comment on GodolHador's blog where he questions his beliefs. I didn't have the patience to 'doctor it up' so it may be a little disjointed and out of context: "What IS a good [belief] system, then? Maybe, human beings are not able to take the fact (if it IS a fact) that we are an accident on this planet, that existence is accidental and unplanned, and that there is 'no one driving the bus'. I personally, am NOT able to take that theory. I prefer to believe in my Judaism, even while being aware, that there are lots of questions with as yet unknowable answers. So, I continue to hope. And meanwhile, I have the opportunity to create a wonderful life for my family, with beautiful rituals and beautiful holidays, with elevating songs and niggunim which instill in them (I hope. In some of them, at least)an other-worldly feeling of Kedushah, of something OUT THERE beyond themselves. Of a good purpose for living. And you never k...

Well, toodles was still bored (same long class, I guess) and also drew this. It is a design of the name of my youngest baby granddaughter. I hope you like it. I think toodles should study graphic design. What do you think?!

Isn't this a beauty?? My middle granddaughter's name is Noa, and my daughter toodles was (ahem) bored in class one day and drew this. Just had to post it!

I am posting again, but for sad reasons...I just found out from my husband who is still back in our home state, that a friend of ours was just diagnosed with leukemia, caused by the chemotherapy from his first cancer which was treated. His name is Michael Yitzhak ben Esther Vikhneh (pronounced " VEEKH-neh"). Please let's all say Tehillim for him. That is all we can do now. When I get back home, I will see if I qualify to donate blood - he needs blood & platelets. He will be getting a bone marrow transplant. oiy. Why is it that since I left, more people seem to need Tehillim said for them? I am suddenly getting names and more names. Didn't want to post for these reasons. As they say, ' rak li-smachot '...

As The Sabra requested I am posting a special post just for this kallah , who was diagnosed with (nebach) a brain tumor a month before her chatunah . Her name is Chana bas Rasha Zelda , and may she have a Refuah Shlemah and the z'chut to go to her own wedding!! For more info and which Tehlillim to say, click on the link above to The Sabra's blog. For this, I find a minute (while baby is napping...or at least, she's supposed to be...)!

That being said (see previous post), I have to announce that this might be my last post for a while. I just don't have the heshek; I think I'm getting a little depressed...blogging is taking up too much of my time and it is not appreciated by certain people, nor is it being 'paid for', so there is no point in it. I know I should strive to be 'b'simcha tamid' like RealJewsDanceandSing advocates in his blog . Maybe this is my own personal nisayon . Anyway, right after Lag B'Omer I am flying out of state after initially cancelling my trip (due to illness) to visit my daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, and I won't have frequent access to the computer. It was a surprise and an honor to realize that people were actually reading what I wrote sometimes, and was an honor to get your comments and to read your blogs and comment there as well. I will miss it (and all of you)... Again, thank you for being there.

Anonym00kie posed a question on one of her posts. Why do we blog? I was thinking of the same question myself; why did I start blogging? It started by accident: I wanted to post a comment on a friend's blog ( I had never read a blog before, believe it or not) and I discovered that I have to register. That's it in a nutshell (why is it always a 'nutshell'? why can't it be, say, a pea-pod?). Once I had the address, I discovered that I needed to express myself. There were ideas and theories and passions which I needed to air. Then, once I started, I couldn't stop. It was as if a plug had been unstoppered, and all (most) (actually, some) of my pent-up feelings and thoughts came spewing, er, pouring out. I agree somewhat with Mookie's idea that the breakdown of the family is a contributing factor, especially the extended family. Surrounded by aunts, uncles, grandparents, a child could often find one someone who would listen. A blog is like an online diary; it...