Can you find me in this pic?

So we went last night and joined 60,000 other New Yorkers on Central Park's Great Lawn to enjoy the New York Philharmonic as it presented a wonderful program including the 1812 Overture and some lively selections by John Phillip Sousa.

My husband was a bit annoyed at the level of noise and talking during the program. This interested me. I tried to explain to him when he complained, "What are they here for?" that indeed they were NOT attending solely for the music, but rather for a lovely picnic on the lawn and comeraderie among friends with some added free background music. We wondered whether the more serious music afficionados might not be sitting closer up to the stage.

In any case, we had a wonderful time - a yummy picnic - beautiful music - and AWESOME fireworks at the end of the program.

I highly recommend one of the many future programs for anybody who is interested.

8 Days and Counting....

It is now less than 8 days until my Jen, my baby, is off to sleepaway camp for the very first time.
When I sent my children off to Yeshiva and Seminary, they always got a stack of "plane letters" from loved ones to take with them and keep them company on the lonely flight to their destination.
Since Jen will be on a bus with nobody she knows on the way up to camp, I thought some "bus letters" would be in order.
Following is the reminder email I sent out to all the relevant siblings/loved ones....
Care to place bets on how many letters we end up with and how many more reminders need to be sent??!?
"OK everybody,
We're getting close to JOTC-Day (Jen off to camp) and whether that elicits a "woo hoo", an "awwww" or any other reaction that I may or may not to know about, consider this your Bus Letter (a.k.a. plane letter) reminder email.
Now I know I associate with a bunch of procrastinators, but trust me on this folks.... these letters don't write themselves and they're not as easy as they look! For those of you who have been beneficiaries of plane letters in the past, think back to how much they meant to you and get moving!!! I'd like to have them in hand by this Sunday so that I can pack them up for her in due time. For those truly lazy in the bunch - if you email them to me, I will gladly print them out and put them in an envelope for you :) .
For those enterprising spouses - feel free to join in if you're so inclined.....
For those of you who have just too much fun with this project, another email will follow shorty with her camp address and fax info.
Thanks in advance,Mommy
P.S. I love you too"

Feast or Famine...

Marrying off two children and a mother all in a span of eight months has an impact on the size of one's Shabbos table. I'm even finding it difficult to adjust to weekday night dinners. Leftovers abound. I just don't know how to cook for four. Last Friday night we were THREE!! It was a challenge to say the least.
Well, this week, we are making up for it. Lunch will be 14. Time to "angle" the table.

Hey... There's no diploma in that big thing they gave you...!!

I can remember as if it were yesterday, Erica's high school graduation. It was about an hour after the recessional. She had already changed out of her gown. We had all enjoyed the post graduation refreshments offered to family and friends. Erica looked at us pleadingly and said, "Let's stay just a few minutes longer, please....as soon as I leave this hall, it's all over".

It was such a poignant thought. High school was the "safe zone" that she knew. Once that safety net was removed, what was ahead of her - the unknown - loomed large. She had chosen her seminary, but beyond that, her future was uncertain.

Yesterday's graduation was a totally different scenario. Seminary is a distant memory. Erica's future is now such a wonderous landscape before her. She has a field of study that she loves, a husband she ADORES, and a most miraculous little life on the way. She was not at all hesitant after all the pomp and circumstance to remove her graduation gown and step forward into her future with her friends and family beside her.

We cheered. We cried. We celebrated. May life always be so rosy!!!

This space is reserved....

Nothing much to say here, except that this spot is reserved for my "Erica's Graduation" post. I'm so excited that I'm holding the spot. Please stay tuned. Tomorrow is the big day.

Memorial Day Update

Well, my grand plans for another Memorial Day boat trip never materialized, but Avram and I decided instead to walk across the George Washington Bridge. It was a perfect day for it. We went to the Ft. Lee Historical Park Overlook once we got across and I even came home with souveniers! (Don't get too excited.... one blister on each foot....). I work out at the gym four days a week and at home every day (well... nearly) and one little trek from New York to New Jersey and my knees are shot, my feet are blistered.... boy, I'm feeling old!!!

You don't have to roll in the mud with pigs

I want to work on becoming one of those people who, when faced with a pile of manure someone shovelled on to his backyard, sees it as an opportunity to plant a vegetable garden.
I don't think I'll ever be an optimist but I suppose I'd settle for a hopeful realist.
There will always be people shovelling manure. I don't want to throw it back - I want to grow enough tomatoes to share with the whole neighborhood.

Still Counting with the Bracha!

It's only the day after Rosh Chodesh and I miss the music already! Now bear in mind that yekkes only "hold" from Rosh Chodesh Iyar until Rosh Chodesh Sivan, not including Rosh Chodesh itself....

On the bright side though, I'm still "earning my cheesecake" and counting with the brocho. This is due, in no small part to the daily sefirah reminder email which I leave as "unread" until I have made the brocho each evening. If you don't get this free subscription I highly recommend it!

Jewish Logic

(Another one sent to me by Ricki....)
Moshe is waiting on the platform at the station. He notices a Jewish man standing nearby and asks him for the time. But the man ignores him. Moshe then asks him again, and the man responds in the same way. Frustrated, Moshe asks 'Excuse me, but I've asked you for the time twice, why are you ignoring me' Suddenly, the man looks up and says, 'We're both waiting for the train, if I answer you, then when we get on the train you will come and sit next to me, we will probably start talking, and I may invite you to my house for Shabbat, there you will meet my daughter, you will probably like her, you may eventually want to marry her, and to be honest with you, WHY WOULD I WANT A SON IN LAW WHO CAN'T AFFORD A WATCH?'

Just when I decided to get back on my diet....

I find this article!!!!

Who of us hasn't walked past a cinnabon store in an airport, outside a movie theatre, or anywhere else for that matter and experienced that pavlovian response? Our mouths water. The scent has an overall calming effect on our entire bodies.

Now, up until yesterday, I always rationalized that this heavenly smell must surely be better than the flavor ever could be.... and yet, just once I would love to test the theory out {grin}. But at 1100 calories a bun and 56 grams of fat and my fresh diet resolve, I am very torn.

Can't things become kosher when I'm HAPPY with my weight???!?

Joey's Purim Grammen

Once again, he outdid himself.

Special Pesach Offer -- Make Your Reservation Now While Space Still Available!!

I cannot take credit for this. It was forwarded to my by Ricki, but I find it absolutely FABULOUS.

Your Family Presents…
PESACH IN YOUR HOME

COME SPEND PESACH 5768
WITH YOUR FAMILY

Celebrating over 3,000 years of Pesach with Jewish families…

For the entire Pesach:
Ø Gebrokts/Non Genrokts- depending on your family custom
Ø Hand/Machine matzah- depending on your family custom
Ø Private sedorim with your spouse and children
Ø Highly stimulating family-oriented discussions upon request
Ø Daf Yomi and other shiurim with your Rav in your shul
Ø Shul stocked with seforim
Ø Warm friendly neighbors and friends for your children to play with
Ø Sumptuous gourmet meals
Ø Dancing and singing at every meal
Ø Chol Hamoed trips – to discuss and decide with entire family
Ø All food cooked under the strict supervision of Mommy
Ø Inspiring divrei Torah and nachas from your children

MBD, Shweky, Gabay, Lipa, and Dachs
Rabbis Alter & Erps
Rabbis Frand & Krohn
Available on tape/CD the entire Chol Hamoed

Fulfill the mitzvah of Sippur Yetzias Mitzryaim properly-
Tell your children the story of the exodus from Egypt without all the distractions of hotels
Special Chinuch program: Let your children witness your mesiras nefesh to prepare for this beloved Yom Tov

Abba/Totty/Dad, Mommy/Ima, Kinderlach/Children
Will be joining us for the ENTIRE Yom Tov
Special guest appearances by BUBBY and Zaydey

So this year when you declare "Kol dichfin yaysay v'yaychol" you won't mean "Whoever can help cover the hotel bill can join us"….

Whether we need it or not....

We are the kind of people, social as we are, who never seem to go away for Shabbos or Yom Tov. We love our home. We love our shul. We love our Kehillah. We also love Oma G., and because of the nature of her illness, if we were to go away, her simchas Shabbos V'Yom Tov would be compromised. So we stay.
And this is probably why, when we once in a blue moon DO go somewhere for Shabbos, we appreciate it so much. I never realized how much of my weekdays, from Monday on, are dedicated to the shopping, preparation and cooking for Shabbos. This whole week has been so relaxing for me. We are going to a family Bar Mitzvah in Bridgeport, CT. I look forward to spending Shabbos with family and friends and coming home to a clean kitchen on Motzoei Shabbos...... oh, yeah, right..... I forgot...... the kids are staying behind at home..... strike that part about the clean kitchen :)

Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here.....

...or they will be in a few hours!
Erica and Moshe, Chana and Michael and the rest of us will finally have our "first Shabbos together".
Don't you just LOVE Shabbos?
:)