Well, I am at it again! I read a newspaper article from Seattle that profiled a program in which the public schools provided some services to homeschooling families in the area. Foolishly, I went to the discussion board for the article. Naturally the discussions used the article as a starting point for discussions about a lot of concerns regarding homeschooling. One such discussion was about standards and whether "amateurs" could teach their children properly. In other words, the concern is about credentials for teaching.
I couldn't help it--I just spent about 2 hours crafting an essay in response. It that forum, it is probably pearls before...well, it is probably politically incorrect to finish that sentence, but you know what I mean! :) Here is an abbreviated version of what I said:
About Educational Standards:
There has been much discussion about standards. I hold a public school teaching license (Secondary Science/Math/Social Studies and K-12 Special Education).I taught public school for 10 years. In my experience, the standards we are required to teach to are often vague, poorly stated, or so numerous that they cannot be met in the 180-day school year. I served on an advisory board for the science standards in my state when I was teaching genetics at the university level. I learned that the development of standards is often a political process in which it was more important to use politically correct jargon and to make sure not to offend anyone than it was to make sure that our students graduate with the content knowledge and skills necessary to function in an increasingly "flat world."
Am I against the very concept of standards? Not at all. The standards that I use to educate my son are higher than those of the public schools in which I taught. I demand that he can not only read and report back what what he reads (decoding and comprehension), but that he gains the background to ask questions about what he reads and compare the ideas in a particular piece of writing to other ideas that he knows about. I am educating my son to participate in the "great conversation" that is Western Civilization, and to appreciate how his life and his ideas are part of something much greater than himself; something that preceded his stay on the planet and that will continue after he is gone. My issue with the current standards movement is not that standards are bad. It is that standards ought to proceed from an integrated set of ideas about what education is and what it ought to accomplish. I do not see that in the standards that are being promulgated in my state at this time, and I do not believe that that the the current emphasis on testing can solve our current educational problems because the standards upon which they are based do not rest on a solid foundation of a well thought out set of ideas. I have many other concerns about NCLB that are tangential to this conversation about standards, but that is another discussion.
Are parents amateurs if they do not hold teaching credentials?
Most of the parents I know who are homeschooling their children are college educated people who have at least a BA or BS in their field. That is what is required of a public school teacher. The courses in education that I took focused primarily on classroom management, discipline, the legal responsibilities of a teacher, testing and other topics of importance to someone who is going to need to teach and manage large groups of other people's children. These skills are not terribly important in the situation of homeschooling because the parent is not managing large groups of other people's children. In this case, the concern about "amateur" v. "professional" is like comparing apples to oranges because the situations are not the same. The characteristics that made me a "good teacher" in the sense of being someone who could organize and convey information in a way that students could understand were not taught to me in any school of education. Rather, they came from my content knowledge, my experience and the experiences shared with me by veteran teachers. Much of what it takes to be a good teacher in this sense comes from the ability to observe a child and learn what it is that he (or she!) needs in order to learn. When I was teaching, parents were often my best source of information about the children I taught, because they knew their child intimately.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There it is!
No photos, no anecdotes, today!
Tomorrow I will be more chatty! Today, I just had to put my thoughts down--somewhere!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Still Snowing!
Snowstorm number three!
Are we done, yet?
It started snowing on Thursday, December 28 at about 3:30 PM and it has not stopped since that time. The whole state of New Mexico is closed!
According to NOAA and the National Weather Service, a slow-moving storm with a lot of moisture in it stalled over the Sandia Mountains this morning. We had gotten 30" at our house by this morning--and it is still snowing. Above is our truck, parked at the top of the driveway and completely buried!
To the right is a picture of snow falling on the rain guage last night. I like the effect of the flash on the snowflakes. There is also a "ghost" just above the guage, a drop of melting snow on the lense just as the picture was taken.
Last night, we heard that I-40 westbound was open for a little while but it was closed before our daughter could even think of going into town.
was breaking the trail for everyone? Actually, she is a greyhound-dalmatian cross. She does not have an undercoat, so she gets cold faster than Lily, and is usually ready to come in after about 30 minutes. Lily, on the other hand, being a hound-shepherd cross, has a thick undercoat and could probably play in the snow all day without getting cold.
Are we done, yet?It started snowing on Thursday, December 28 at about 3:30 PM and it has not stopped since that time. The whole state of New Mexico is closed!
According to NOAA and the National Weather Service, a slow-moving storm with a lot of moisture in it stalled over the Sandia Mountains this morning. We had gotten 30" at our house by this morning--and it is still snowing. Above is our truck, parked at the top of the driveway and completely buried!
To the right is a picture of snow falling on the rain guage last night. I like the effect of the flash on the snowflakes. There is also a "ghost" just above the guage, a drop of melting snow on the lense just as the picture was taken. Last night, we heard that I-40 westbound was open for a little while but it was closed before our daughter could even think of going into town.
We took a walk with the dogs this morning. My DH shoveled a path to the top of the driveway--but the county had not plowed since Friday morning, so we had to break a trail on our cul-de-sac to Via Sedillo Road. There, a lone 4-wheel-drive pick-up had driven down the road and we were able to walk in his tire-tracks. The dogs love the snow!
To the left is a picture of a fence with about 18" of snow on the top rail. The rest of the snow had fallen off behind the fence. Cedro Peak can be seen in the distance.
News Flash!! The neighbors are outside using their snowblower to make a path to the road! Awesome!! I will have to make them some cookies!
Here is a view of Via Sedillo heading north toward I-40 (and Old Route 66), both of which were closed yesterday and are still closed today! You can see the tracks of the neighbor's lone pick-up in the middle of the virgin snow. These are the tracks we were walking in. The ridge of Sedillo Hill is visible, but the Sandias behind it are hidden by clouds and falling snow.
This is awesome! (Just so long as we have clear weather next week for the Bar Mitzvah.
To the right is a picture of our daughter's car.
To the left is a picture of a fence with about 18" of snow on the top rail. The rest of the snow had fallen off behind the fence. Cedro Peak can be seen in the distance. News Flash!! The neighbors are outside using their snowblower to make a path to the road! Awesome!! I will have to make them some cookies!
Here is a view of Via Sedillo heading north toward I-40 (and Old Route 66), both of which were closed yesterday and are still closed today! You can see the tracks of the neighbor's lone pick-up in the middle of the virgin snow. These are the tracks we were walking in. The ridge of Sedillo Hill is visible, but the Sandias behind it are hidden by clouds and falling snow.
This is awesome! (Just so long as we have clear weather next week for the Bar Mitzvah.
To the right is a picture of our daughter's car.She parked it at the end of our cul-de-sac on
Thurdsay evening. By this morning, ML's car was buried under all the snow we got.
Beyond the barricade is the National Forest land. We saw some people heading that way with their cross-country skis this morning. N. wants to learn to snowboard and DH and I are thinking of getting some snowshoes. Oh, I do hope we are out of the drought! This is like the New Mexico winters I remember from the '80's.
Here is a picture of our house taken this morning. You can see how heavy the snow is from the tree in the right foreground. This storm brought a lot more snow than the Hannukah snowstorm. The snow was also wet and heavy, whereas the Hannukah snow was light and there was more wind and drifting that happened. There are no drifts with this snow; it is deep everywhere. There are deeper patches where it fell on top of the snow that had not melted from Hannukah.
To the right is a picture of the snow against and on top of our retaining fence. It filled up the basketball net--I wonder how you calculate those points! The trees in our yard there are weighted down by the snow. Every now and then, the snow slides off and makes what N. called "a mini-snow explosion!" It is no fun being under one when it happens. Snow down the back, snow in the face...definitely a "snow bomb!"
This is "lively Lily." She loves the snow so much that last week when ML lost the leash,
she took the kids on a merry chase into the National forest. (At least, Lily was merry! The kids weren't counting on a three mile walk in deep snow). Getting her to hold still long enough to snap a good picture was difficult, but I just kept snapping away--the joy of a digital camera--until we got a good picture.
Thurdsay evening. By this morning, ML's car was buried under all the snow we got.
Beyond the barricade is the National Forest land. We saw some people heading that way with their cross-country skis this morning. N. wants to learn to snowboard and DH and I are thinking of getting some snowshoes. Oh, I do hope we are out of the drought! This is like the New Mexico winters I remember from the '80's.
Here is a picture of our house taken this morning. You can see how heavy the snow is from the tree in the right foreground. This storm brought a lot more snow than the Hannukah snowstorm. The snow was also wet and heavy, whereas the Hannukah snow was light and there was more wind and drifting that happened. There are no drifts with this snow; it is deep everywhere. There are deeper patches where it fell on top of the snow that had not melted from Hannukah.
To the right is a picture of the snow against and on top of our retaining fence. It filled up the basketball net--I wonder how you calculate those points! The trees in our yard there are weighted down by the snow. Every now and then, the snow slides off and makes what N. called "a mini-snow explosion!" It is no fun being under one when it happens. Snow down the back, snow in the face...definitely a "snow bomb!"This is "lively Lily." She loves the snow so much that last week when ML lost the leash,
she took the kids on a merry chase into the National forest. (At least, Lily was merry! The kids weren't counting on a three mile walk in deep snow). Getting her to hold still long enough to snap a good picture was difficult, but I just kept snapping away--the joy of a digital camera--until we got a good picture. Below is Zoey. She is not quite as enthusiastic about the snow. Could that be because she
was breaking the trail for everyone? Actually, she is a greyhound-dalmatian cross. She does not have an undercoat, so she gets cold faster than Lily, and is usually ready to come in after about 30 minutes. Lily, on the other hand, being a hound-shepherd cross, has a thick undercoat and could probably play in the snow all day without getting cold. Guess what? The sun has finally broken through at 2:30 MST! We have had about 40 hours of continuous snow, but it looks like the storm has finally moved to the east and we can dig out. I wonder how long it will be until the state gets the freeway open? Once that and Route 66 are clear, the county will plow our roads.
I think the third snowstorm of the 2006 -07 season is coming to end for us.
Stay tuned for pictures of our saintly neighbor, Dave the Dentist, and his labs, ploughing the driveway! Wow--is that?--could it be?--BLUE SKY!
I accidentally downloaded this twice and I cannot figure out how to get rid of it! Cut does nothing!
So Here it is again. Oh, well.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Academic Progress? Real-world Assessment
It's N.'s 13th birthday today!
N. is now starting his 14th trip around the sun and he is now responsible for his own sins--I am off the hook except as an advisor and Jewish Mother.
I, his mother, feel a lot better today than I did 13 years ago! It was a complicated pregnancy and they induced labor so it was a fast and hard ride! But I still remember the joy of greeting my newborn son.
I have been thinking that we have been so caught up in the Bar Mitzvah that we have not done "school" much lately. I was actually getting myself all worried that we are getting "behind." In this our first year of homeschooling, I am still learning to let go of the kind of school organization that one does teaching in an actual school. I think that transfering from the school world view to the homeschool world view may be harder on those of us who have formally taught in school.
So I sat down to write a list of what we have accomplished in the past three weeks:
N. is now starting his 14th trip around the sun and he is now responsible for his own sins--I am off the hook except as an advisor and Jewish Mother.
I, his mother, feel a lot better today than I did 13 years ago! It was a complicated pregnancy and they induced labor so it was a fast and hard ride! But I still remember the joy of greeting my newborn son.
I have been thinking that we have been so caught up in the Bar Mitzvah that we have not done "school" much lately. I was actually getting myself all worried that we are getting "behind." In this our first year of homeschooling, I am still learning to let go of the kind of school organization that one does teaching in an actual school. I think that transfering from the school world view to the homeschool world view may be harder on those of us who have formally taught in school.
So I sat down to write a list of what we have accomplished in the past three weeks:
- checked off the response cards for the Kiddush Luncheon against our guest list
- made hotel reservations for out-of-town guests
- made a list and script for N. to call people whom we want to honor with Aliyah (being called to bless Torah) and other honors.
- made arrangements to host a Shabbat dinner for our out-of-town guests at the hotel (picked menu, added prices, etc.)
- perfected the chanting of N.'s Torah portion from the scroll (no vowels or cantillation marks are in the scroll)
- read N.'s Torah portion for content and meaning
- discussed N.'s portion with the rabbi in order to develop an outline for N.'s D'var Torah (THE SPEECH)
- developed and fleshed out the outline for the D'var Torah (used the computer)
- Used the outline to write the speech (used the computer)
- edited for grammar, spelling, mechanics and content (used the computer)
- began practicing making a speech--gestures, cadence, tone, transitions, etc.
- began practicing chanting N.'s Haftarah
- read N.'s Haftarah for content and meaning
- researched current needs at the animal shelter (internet)
- planned a charity drive to make "take-home" baskets for 12 people who adopt animals at the animal shelter
These activities meet standards in Reading and Language Arts, Foreign Language, Music, Art, Public Performance, Math,Social Studies, Organizational Skills, Computers and Technology, and Community Service Learning. Even better, they meet the criteria for bringing the world into N.'s studies--because all the preparation is for a real event in which N. has to lead a service, give a D'var Torah, do a community service project and plan. Yes, he is being assisted in all of these areas--we call this teaching! According to all the evidence from Gifted Education--the real-world component is the most important for actual learning of skills. The social component is also involved. N. has had to interact with people of all ages by phone and in person. He is practicing social skills important to collaboration with others to accomplish a goal, and social skills that involve anticipating the needs and comfort of guests, as well as appropriate manners for greeting his well-wishers. He is also learning to use formal language and how to conduct himself in a formal setting.
And I will not need any tests to measure N.'s progress. The successful completion of the Bar Mitzvah Ceremony, the Kiddush Luncheon, and the family Shabbat Dinner on Friday and the family Havdalah and Seudah Shlishi (3rd meal) on Saturday evening will demonstrate N.'s progress without any doubts. This is alternative assessment that schools can only dream about!
I worry too much!
By the way, N. had graciously granted me permission to post his speech--after the Bar Mitzvah. He does not want me to steal his thunder.
Nine days until the Bar Mitzvah! (Breath, Elie, breath)!
It's snowing--again!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
T'fillin: Binding and Unbinding
...But first, the before and after pictures
of the Hannukah Menorot.
To the right is the before picture. You can see the wax built up on them! It could take up to three hours to get this amount of wax off.
This picture to the right is the "after" picture.(I did not have my husbands' antique Menorah in the "before" picture because I had already started cleaning it when we came up with the "Miracle of the Oil" solution. It is in this "after" picture, at the back). Don't they look marvelous? And it took about half the time that I have spent in the past. Call it "a miracle of mineral oil," call it "better living through chemistry," but definitely call it labor-saving.
Now, about T'fillin. They are called phylacteries in Greekified English. Or should that be Anglicized Greek? Anyway,T'fillin are leather boxes on straps that adult Jews bind on their head and arm when they pray. The boxes have compartments in them that contain small scrolls that have the Shema ("Hear, O Israel...) and V'ahavta ("You shall love Adonai your G-d...) written on them. The scrolls are parchment and the verses are written by a scribe.
Here is N. donning his new T'fillin for the very first time in order to pray the morning service.
At his Bar Mitzvah, now less than two weeks away, he will proclaim himself responsible for the commandments as a Jew who can be counted in the minyan (quorum of 10 adult Jews needed to conduct a public service). In preparation for this, he is taking on the commandment of using T'fillin for weekday morning prayer.
Here is N. reciting the V'erastichli ("I will betroth you to me forever..."), while he winds the strap around his middle finger. Using T'fillin is symbolic of binding oneself to the commandments. It is a physical representation of the desire to bind oneself to G-d, Torah, and Israel through the fulfillment of commandments. ...But to me, watching N. bind the T'fillin has another meaning. It means that a phase of his learning is over. He is growing up and he has the knowledge and responsibility to take on certain obligations of his own choosing. More and more, in the coming months and years, my job as his mother will be to "unbind" him from me so that he can take on the commitments that will define him as a man and a Jew. His education will change, too, because more and more my direction or what will be learned will give way to the interests and passions that will lead him to his adult path. Part of me is "shepping naches" (rejoicing in the attainments of another) about his choice to lay T'fillin. Another part of me is hesitating on the edge of this new thing--my boy growing into a man. This part is hard for me as a mother. "Unbinding" my son from my control cannot be too sudden. He still will need direction and discipline for a while yet. But it must happen apace. I cannot stop him from growing up. In some ways, because I am his mother, N. and I have a destiny that is bound together forever. I will always be his mother. He will always be my son. But the nature of that bond is changing. He was my baby boy, but no longer. He was my "little guy," but no longer. And soon he will not be my boy. He will be my son, the man. Thank goodness I have a few more years to "grok" that one!
Monday, December 25, 2006
The Latest Miracle of the Oil
I did get the wax removed from the Menorot (pural for Menorah) yesterday!
As I was scraping wax off of his antique brass Menorah/Music Box (It plays Maoz Tzur), my DH passed by. I told him that I was thinking of using Murphy's Oil Soap because hydrophobic molecules (like fats, oils and wax) cannot be dissolved by water, but can be dissolved by fats. He said:"Hmmm...I'll bet mineral oil would work really well!" I said I thought it would, but I didn't think we had any. DH went off to the garage and a few minutes later he came back with a large bottle of mineral oil! It worked! Oh, it did! It shortened the time incredibly, although I did have to scrape at the big patches, they came off easily! I will post before and after pictures tomorrow--I am too lazy to get up and load the pictures right now--but it was nothing short of miraculous! (My husband's Menorah came out cleaner than it has ever been--he brought it into our marriage with years of wax on it). Chalk another one up to the "Miracle of the (mineral) oil! My DH says that it is "better living through chemistry." All religions have their explanations.
Today we did the Jewish thing. CAB (Congregation Albert Brotherhood) put on the first annual Chinese Dinner and a Movie event. About 75 of us showed up to eat Chinese food, shmooze, tell Jewish Chinese food jokes, and watch an Israeli movie.
Some Jewish Humor:
Q: Name three categories of Jewish food?
A: Fleishlig (meat), Milchlig (dairy), and Chinese!
This is the Jewish year 5767. According to the Chinese Calendar it is 4704. What did Jews do for 1063 years without Chinese food?
Twas the night before Christmas, and I, being a Jew,
My girlfriend and me, we had nothing to do!
The Gentiles were home hanging stockings with care,
Secure in their knowledge that St. Nick would be there.
But for us, once the Hannukah candles burned down,
There was nothing but boredom all over town.
Outside the window sat two feet of snow,
With the windchill they said it was 15 below!
And while all I could do was sit there and brood,
My girl saved the night and cried out "CHINESE FOOD!"
In search of a restaurant, "Which one! Let's decide!"
We chose Hunan Chozer* and ventured inside.
Around us sat other Jews, their platters piled high
With the finest of food that money could buy.
--Anonymous
*Chozer is Yiddish for "pig" which is only kosher when prepared in a certified authentic Chinese venue. (Just kidding!).
Oh, and the movie was Ushpizin, a modern retelling of the story of K'tantan. In the movie, a chasidic couple are down on their luck (and infertile) and do not have the money to even buy food and the lulav for the holiday of Sukkot. After praying for a miracle, 1ooo American dollars shows up on their doorstep. They are able to build a Sukkah (booth) and then two troublesome guests show up--former cons--called Eliyahu (Elijah) and Yussef (Joseph). These are the names of two of several Ushpizim--symbolic guests--that are brought into the Sukkah over the holy days. But the couple, Moshe and Mali, have strong faith and they decide that the troubles the Ushpizin bring are a test from the Eternal. So they welcome them. In the end...well you should get the movie from Netfix. It is a very heartwarming movie for everyone about the power of faith. (A Hint: Remember what happened to Abraham and Sarah after they welcomed strangers to their tent?).
A good time was had by all!
Happy December 25th to all, and to all a good-night!
As I was scraping wax off of his antique brass Menorah/Music Box (It plays Maoz Tzur), my DH passed by. I told him that I was thinking of using Murphy's Oil Soap because hydrophobic molecules (like fats, oils and wax) cannot be dissolved by water, but can be dissolved by fats. He said:"Hmmm...I'll bet mineral oil would work really well!" I said I thought it would, but I didn't think we had any. DH went off to the garage and a few minutes later he came back with a large bottle of mineral oil! It worked! Oh, it did! It shortened the time incredibly, although I did have to scrape at the big patches, they came off easily! I will post before and after pictures tomorrow--I am too lazy to get up and load the pictures right now--but it was nothing short of miraculous! (My husband's Menorah came out cleaner than it has ever been--he brought it into our marriage with years of wax on it). Chalk another one up to the "Miracle of the (mineral) oil! My DH says that it is "better living through chemistry." All religions have their explanations.
Today we did the Jewish thing. CAB (Congregation Albert Brotherhood) put on the first annual Chinese Dinner and a Movie event. About 75 of us showed up to eat Chinese food, shmooze, tell Jewish Chinese food jokes, and watch an Israeli movie.
Some Jewish Humor:
Q: Name three categories of Jewish food?
A: Fleishlig (meat), Milchlig (dairy), and Chinese!
This is the Jewish year 5767. According to the Chinese Calendar it is 4704. What did Jews do for 1063 years without Chinese food?
Twas the night before Christmas, and I, being a Jew,
My girlfriend and me, we had nothing to do!
The Gentiles were home hanging stockings with care,
Secure in their knowledge that St. Nick would be there.
But for us, once the Hannukah candles burned down,
There was nothing but boredom all over town.
Outside the window sat two feet of snow,
With the windchill they said it was 15 below!
And while all I could do was sit there and brood,
My girl saved the night and cried out "CHINESE FOOD!"
In search of a restaurant, "Which one! Let's decide!"
We chose Hunan Chozer* and ventured inside.
Around us sat other Jews, their platters piled high
With the finest of food that money could buy.
--Anonymous
*Chozer is Yiddish for "pig" which is only kosher when prepared in a certified authentic Chinese venue. (Just kidding!).
Oh, and the movie was Ushpizin, a modern retelling of the story of K'tantan. In the movie, a chasidic couple are down on their luck (and infertile) and do not have the money to even buy food and the lulav for the holiday of Sukkot. After praying for a miracle, 1ooo American dollars shows up on their doorstep. They are able to build a Sukkah (booth) and then two troublesome guests show up--former cons--called Eliyahu (Elijah) and Yussef (Joseph). These are the names of two of several Ushpizim--symbolic guests--that are brought into the Sukkah over the holy days. But the couple, Moshe and Mali, have strong faith and they decide that the troubles the Ushpizin bring are a test from the Eternal. So they welcome them. In the end...well you should get the movie from Netfix. It is a very heartwarming movie for everyone about the power of faith. (A Hint: Remember what happened to Abraham and Sarah after they welcomed strangers to their tent?).
A good time was had by all!
Happy December 25th to all, and to all a good-night!
The Latest Miracle of the Oil
I did get the wax removed from the Menorot (pural for Menorah) yesterday!
As I was scraping wax off of his antique brass Menorah/Music Box (It plays Maoz Tzur), my DH passed by. I told him that I was thinking of using Murphy's Oil Soap because hydrophobic molecules (like fats, oils and wax) cannot be dissolved by water, but can be dissolved by fats. He said:"Hmmm...I'll bet mineral oil would work really well!" I said I thought it would, but I didn't think we had any. DH went off to the garage and a few minutes later he came back with a large bottle of mineral oil! It worked! Oh, it did! It shortened the time incredibly, although I did have to scrape at the big patches, they came off easily! I will post before and after pictures tomorrow--I am too lazy to get up and load the pictures right now--but it was nothing short of miraculous! (My husband's Menorah came out cleaner than it has ever been--he brought it into our marriage with years of wax on it). Chalk another one up to the "Miracle of the (mineral) oil! My DH says that it is "better living through chemistry." All religions have their explanations.
Today we did the Jewish thing. CAB (Congregation Albert Brotherhood) put on the first annual Chinese Dinner and a Movie event. About 75 of us showed up to eat Chinese food, shmooze, tell Jewish Chinese food jokes, and watch an Israeli movie.
Some Jewish Humor:
Q: Name three categories of Jewish food?
A: Fleishlig (meat), Milchlig (dairy), and Chinese!
This is the Jewish year 5767. According to the Chinese Calendar it is 4704. What did Jews do for 1063 years without Chinese food?
Twas the night before Christmas, and I, being a Jew,
My girlfriend and me, we had nothing to do!
The Gentiles were home hanging stockings with care,
Secure in their knowledge that St. Nick would be there.
But for us, once the Hannukah candles burned down,
There was nothing but boredom all over town.
Outside the window sat two feet of snow,
With the windchill they said it was 15 below!
And while all I could do was sit there and brood,
My girl saved the night and cried out "CHINESE FOOD!"
In search of a restaurant, "Which one! Let's decide!"
We chose Hunan Chozer* and ventured inside.
Around us sat other Jews, their platters piled high
With the finest of food that money could buy.
--Anonymous
*Chozer is Yiddish for "pig" which is only kosher when prepared in a certified authentic Chinese venue. (Just kidding!).
Oh, and the movie was Ushpizin, a modern retelling of the story of K'tantan. In the movie, a chasidic couple are down on their luck (and infertile) and do not have the money to even buy food and the lulav for the holiday of Sukkot. After praying for a miracle, 1ooo American dollars shows up on their doorstep. They are able to build a Sukkah (booth) and then two troublesome guests show up--former cons--called Eliyahu (Elijah) and Yussef (Joseph). These are the names of two of several Ushpizim--symbolic guests--that are brought into the Sukkah over the holy days. But the couple, Moshe and Mali, have strong faith and they decide that the troubles the Ushpizin bring are a test from the Eternal. So they welcome them. In the end...well you should get the movie from Netfix. It is a very heartwarming movie for everyone about the power of faith. (A Hint: Remember what happened to Abraham and Sarah after they welcomed strangers to their tent?).
A good time was had by all!
Happy December 25th to all, and to all a good-night!
As I was scraping wax off of his antique brass Menorah/Music Box (It plays Maoz Tzur), my DH passed by. I told him that I was thinking of using Murphy's Oil Soap because hydrophobic molecules (like fats, oils and wax) cannot be dissolved by water, but can be dissolved by fats. He said:"Hmmm...I'll bet mineral oil would work really well!" I said I thought it would, but I didn't think we had any. DH went off to the garage and a few minutes later he came back with a large bottle of mineral oil! It worked! Oh, it did! It shortened the time incredibly, although I did have to scrape at the big patches, they came off easily! I will post before and after pictures tomorrow--I am too lazy to get up and load the pictures right now--but it was nothing short of miraculous! (My husband's Menorah came out cleaner than it has ever been--he brought it into our marriage with years of wax on it). Chalk another one up to the "Miracle of the (mineral) oil! My DH says that it is "better living through chemistry." All religions have their explanations.
Today we did the Jewish thing. CAB (Congregation Albert Brotherhood) put on the first annual Chinese Dinner and a Movie event. About 75 of us showed up to eat Chinese food, shmooze, tell Jewish Chinese food jokes, and watch an Israeli movie.
Some Jewish Humor:
Q: Name three categories of Jewish food?
A: Fleishlig (meat), Milchlig (dairy), and Chinese!
This is the Jewish year 5767. According to the Chinese Calendar it is 4704. What did Jews do for 1063 years without Chinese food?
Twas the night before Christmas, and I, being a Jew,
My girlfriend and me, we had nothing to do!
The Gentiles were home hanging stockings with care,
Secure in their knowledge that St. Nick would be there.
But for us, once the Hannukah candles burned down,
There was nothing but boredom all over town.
Outside the window sat two feet of snow,
With the windchill they said it was 15 below!
And while all I could do was sit there and brood,
My girl saved the night and cried out "CHINESE FOOD!"
In search of a restaurant, "Which one! Let's decide!"
We chose Hunan Chozer* and ventured inside.
Around us sat other Jews, their platters piled high
With the finest of food that money could buy.
--Anonymous
*Chozer is Yiddish for "pig" which is only kosher when prepared in a certified authentic Chinese venue. (Just kidding!).
Oh, and the movie was Ushpizin, a modern retelling of the story of K'tantan. In the movie, a chasidic couple are down on their luck (and infertile) and do not have the money to even buy food and the lulav for the holiday of Sukkot. After praying for a miracle, 1ooo American dollars shows up on their doorstep. They are able to build a Sukkah (booth) and then two troublesome guests show up--former cons--called Eliyahu (Elijah) and Yussef (Joseph). These are the names of two of several Ushpizim--symbolic guests--that are brought into the Sukkah over the holy days. But the couple, Moshe and Mali, have strong faith and they decide that the troubles the Ushpizin bring are a test from the Eternal. So they welcome them. In the end...well you should get the movie from Netfix. It is a very heartwarming movie for everyone about the power of faith. (A Hint: Remember what happened to Abraham and Sarah after they welcomed strangers to their tent?).
A good time was had by all!
Happy December 25th to all, and to all a good-night!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Movies and Chinese Food
Yesterday, we went into town for a while. My DH and N. had to pass out flyers for N.'s BSA troop's Christmas Tree Recycling Fundraiser. Next week, Henry the Big Red Truck will be pressed into service to pick up Christmas trees, which will be put through a Chipper Machine (I didn't know such things exist). The troop gets $5.00 per tree to do this. We live in rural area, so the troop assigned N. to pass out flyers in a dense neighborhood in town.
I dropped the guys off at the entrance to the subdivision and then I planned to go buy pet supplies and maybe relax at Borders. RELAX! HA! (Those among you who are aware of your surroundings are probably laughing as you realize that this was on December 23!). I couldn't even find a parking place anywhere near Borders. Thank goodness that I don't actually have to shop for Christmas. There are benefits to sitting out the biggest shopping extravaganza of the year. It took me quite some time to get a parking place near Petsmart, but I managed. Petsmart was crowded: They were doing a pet adoption of cats from ACAT and dogs from Watermelon Mountain Ranch. They were also doing pet photos with Santa! The aisles were very crowded. It took me an hour to pick up 40 lbs. of dogfood, 20 lbs. of catfood, 36 oz. of dog greenies, 12 ozs. of cat greenies, and 27 lbs. of cat litter (which I think I left on the bottom of the cart!Darn!).
I checked the Borders parking lot again. Cars were even parked in the fire zone! APD must have gotten good revenue there! There were several cars roaming the parking lot waiting for someone to leave. I passed right by and found a small coffee shop with comfortable chairs near the neighborhood where DH and N. were passing out the flyers. Thank goodness I had brought a book. I bought a Chai tea latte and settled in to wait. Any ideas about picking up a few needed items at K-Mart were firmly put down by another customer who told the baristra that she had waited in the express line there for nearly 2 hours.
After I picked up my guys at the other end of the assigned neighborhood (cell phones are a wonderful thing), we needed to go to Lowes to pick a torch kit for our bathtub installation project (pictures forthcoming). Lowes was NOT crowded (everyone appeared to be at Target next door) and there were even a few parking spots big enough for Henry. This was excellent--we needed to consult with someone concerning the types of fittings for the new faucet hardware and we got help immediately. If you need to do home-improvement, do it the weekend before Christmas! Really! Everyone is shopping elsewhere and you will get the home improvement industry's advice all to yourself. We were only in Lowes for about 1.5 hours instead of the usual 3 hours it takes if you need advice. We had the same person help out throughout the Lowes experience, too. And the guy at customer service remembered us between the time we made our return (apparently we needed Moen kit 9997 but they shipped us Moen kit 9999) and our re-order (they expedited this and the hardware will arrive on December 27). It looks like we will have the new bathtub in by 2007 after all!
Today I have to put away the Menorot--and I really am going to get the wax off today! We have no plans to go anywhere that requires parking or going into a retail establishment. We are planning movies and popcorn for tonight.
Sometimes we go to Old Town to see the Luminarias on Christmas Eve, but there is a wicked west wind that is making 30 degrees F feel like 20 degrees F, so we won't go tonight. Tomorrow, we will participate in that great Jewish tradition for December 25--a movie and Chinese food.
I dropped the guys off at the entrance to the subdivision and then I planned to go buy pet supplies and maybe relax at Borders. RELAX! HA! (Those among you who are aware of your surroundings are probably laughing as you realize that this was on December 23!). I couldn't even find a parking place anywhere near Borders. Thank goodness that I don't actually have to shop for Christmas. There are benefits to sitting out the biggest shopping extravaganza of the year. It took me quite some time to get a parking place near Petsmart, but I managed. Petsmart was crowded: They were doing a pet adoption of cats from ACAT and dogs from Watermelon Mountain Ranch. They were also doing pet photos with Santa! The aisles were very crowded. It took me an hour to pick up 40 lbs. of dogfood, 20 lbs. of catfood, 36 oz. of dog greenies, 12 ozs. of cat greenies, and 27 lbs. of cat litter (which I think I left on the bottom of the cart!Darn!).
I checked the Borders parking lot again. Cars were even parked in the fire zone! APD must have gotten good revenue there! There were several cars roaming the parking lot waiting for someone to leave. I passed right by and found a small coffee shop with comfortable chairs near the neighborhood where DH and N. were passing out the flyers. Thank goodness I had brought a book. I bought a Chai tea latte and settled in to wait. Any ideas about picking up a few needed items at K-Mart were firmly put down by another customer who told the baristra that she had waited in the express line there for nearly 2 hours.
After I picked up my guys at the other end of the assigned neighborhood (cell phones are a wonderful thing), we needed to go to Lowes to pick a torch kit for our bathtub installation project (pictures forthcoming). Lowes was NOT crowded (everyone appeared to be at Target next door) and there were even a few parking spots big enough for Henry. This was excellent--we needed to consult with someone concerning the types of fittings for the new faucet hardware and we got help immediately. If you need to do home-improvement, do it the weekend before Christmas! Really! Everyone is shopping elsewhere and you will get the home improvement industry's advice all to yourself. We were only in Lowes for about 1.5 hours instead of the usual 3 hours it takes if you need advice. We had the same person help out throughout the Lowes experience, too. And the guy at customer service remembered us between the time we made our return (apparently we needed Moen kit 9997 but they shipped us Moen kit 9999) and our re-order (they expedited this and the hardware will arrive on December 27). It looks like we will have the new bathtub in by 2007 after all!
Today I have to put away the Menorot--and I really am going to get the wax off today! We have no plans to go anywhere that requires parking or going into a retail establishment. We are planning movies and popcorn for tonight.
Sometimes we go to Old Town to see the Luminarias on Christmas Eve, but there is a wicked west wind that is making 30 degrees F feel like 20 degrees F, so we won't go tonight. Tomorrow, we will participate in that great Jewish tradition for December 25--a movie and Chinese food.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
