#BlogExodus #ExodusGram 5773

I love love love love Passover.
It's one of my favorite holidays.

I love the preparation that goes into this one special week of the year.
And I love the spiritual nature of completely changing the way that we eat for one week. I relish the way that it makes us so consciously aware of each morsel that we place in our mouths. I am inspired by the themes of the holiday that give us so much personal food for thought. (Yes, pun intended!)

Last year, I tried out a new way to interpret the preparation for Passover, with #BlogExodus and #Exodusgram.

I thought it was great, and I know that others did too.

So here is this year's #blogExodus and #Exodusgram theme list:

Feel free to grab this image and use it on your own blog to mark your posts.

So what is this really about? #BlogExodus is really what you want to make of it. I've provided topics for the first 14 days of the month of Nisan. What you do with it is up to you -- write a blog post, tweet, Facebook, tumblr, or something that I haven't even thought of yet! Use the hashtag to share your post (I put it into the title). It's a great way to kickstart a blog or rejuvenate your languishing blog or just get yourself ready for the holiday of Passover! I will, again, be posting my #blogExodus posts over at rabbiphyllis.blogspot.com and I will tweet them out at @imabima. There aren't any rules, so maybe you don't like the order of the topics? Maybe you want to write on only a few of them? It doesn't matter. It is what you make of it.

#Exodusgram is a little more interpretive. While I love Instagram (I'm imabima, of course), I know some people don't. So maybe you want to share Exodus-themed photos via Facebook, Twitter, tumblr, Pinterest or....whatever! My #Exodusgram posts will go up on Instagram and then be shared to my tumblr, imabima.tumblr.com. Whatever you do, don't forget to tag with #Exodusgram so we can all share.

The themes are really up for your own interpretation. I was thinking broadly and openly about what makes Passover special and interesting to me. I hope it will translate into creative and inspirational posts from all of us!

Are you going to play along? Leave me a comment here or send me a tweet or just...play along!
At some point in the middle, I will probably do a "roundup" post and I will retweet all the #BlogExodus and #Exodusgram posts through Twitter via @imabima. If I miss your posts, let me know so I can go back and be inspired by what YOU have to say!

*Yes, I know that I put the Shabbat dates there. I don't blog/tweet/Facebook on Shabbat but I will post on Fridays before Shabbat and on Saturdays after Shabbat is over. You can, of course, do it any way you like!

2013: Opening Thoughts

Some updates, some thoughts, some future-thinking...

First things first:
Things are going well in Cancerland.
Sam rang the bell to signify the official "end of treatment" and we are breathing a little easier.

In other, unrelated news:

There's a new trend in "new year's resolutions" - choosing one word to inspire the upcoming year.

I like it. Because, like Calvin, I'm in no need of repair:

Ha.
Right.

So I've given this a lot of thought over the last few weeks. See how it's taken me until the 10th day of the year to even write the post?

I've decided that my One Word for 2013 is going to be COURAGE.

It's not that I want to banish fear from my life, since courage is often associated with fearlessness. On the contrary. I think that true courage is embracing the fear, holding on tightly to it, and running with it. The word courageous is bandied about to refer to people who do amazing things - but often even they themselves will say that they were filled with fear during those moments of courage.

But they kept going.

And since it seemed a little too complex to use "Not-Paralyzed-By-Fear-of-Unknown/Change/New/Different/Hard" - I figured I could shorten it up to COURAGE.

So what am I going to do with all that courage?
Hmm. That's a good question. I often feel that I get stuck in a routine, that I work on something that "works" and so I don't want to change it. I know that I look for new ideas, new plans, new projects ... but many of them get lost in words like busy, tired, overwhelmed....and I think that a lot of that is really just a list of secret names for fear. So I'm hoping to use my One Word to push back against those words that I use, and peel them back...and find some new courage.

There might be some new projects, and there might not. There might be some new ideas, and there might not. Maybe "new" is just a mask for fear of continuing with things the way they are. So maybe it works both ways.

Whatever it is - I'm hoping that this One Word will guide me. I might update you on what's going on with it. I might not. I'm still not sure how it will play out...and I think I'm okay with that uncertainty. I do tend to be fearful of not-knowing....so today's moment of courage is living in this uncertainty of what might be.

So as we jump into 2013 with both feet...what's your word?

36 Reasons to Say Shehecheyanu

It just so happens that 36 days from Thursday is my 36th birthday.

Thirty-six is a really important Jewish number. You've probably heard of the way that the number 18 is special for Jews, right? The Hebrew letters that are used to illustrate the number 18 spell "chai," which means "life." Thirty-six? Double-life. It doesn't get any better than that. (Until you're 72...)

I've been musing for a while about the proper bloggy way to celebrate my 36th birthday. I've run through many different ideas, and finally, with the help of my dear friend, Anne, came up with this.

36 Reasons to Say Shehecheyanu.

Shehecheyanu is the blessing that is said for a joyous occasion, for the first time you do something (ever, or just in a season - the first time you EVER ski is a shehecheyanu moment. If you're a regular skier, you might say shehecheyanu for returning to the slopes at the beginning of the season. I have no idea why I chose skiing as my example, since I don't!)

Can I do it? Can I find 36 different, legitimate reasons to say shehecheyanu over the next 36 days?

I'm going to try. I started making a list of "firsts" - some are easy, like trying new recipes. Some are harder, like trying new experiences, or teaching or learning something new.

Since I don't blog on Shabbat, I'm going to set up something different for those days. I'm going to write about personal memories for the Saturday posts (they will go up after Shabbat is over!), so as not to have to look for something new to do on Shabbat!

It starts Thursday....so please join me on my 36 day journey. Leave me your suggestions (totally clean and appropriate, of course) of experiences and "new" things that I can do in the next 36 days! I'd love to hear your ideas.

(P.S. I thought of doing a tzedakah push for my birthday. I have decided not to this year. There have been so many gifts made in honor of Sam and our family over the last six months...I am sure that I will come to you all with a big, beautiful project in the future. I am so blessed in so many ways, and there are so many opportunities that I will be blessed to share with you in the future.)

#BlogExodus and #Exodusgram Update!

What a fun project this is turning out to be!

I was hopeful that #BlogExodus would inspire some new bloggers or some "retired" bloggers out of retirement....and it has!

Here are some of the BlogExodus posts I've seen so far... (titles are blog titles, not post titles!)
(Follow #BlogExodus on Twitter for other posts that I may have missed)

Sh'ma Koleinu
TorahBlahnik
Davka.org
The Table
Jane the Writer Writes
A Good Question!
Cookie Crumbs
RavIma
Under a Tree in Oconomowoc
Blessed Little Bird
oh, I almost forgot my own posts!
Thoughts from Rabbi Phyllis 

Are you posting for #BlogExodus and I missed it? Let me know in a comment!

And, very cool, I'm really enjoying the different ways that people are interpreting #Exodusgram, the photo project.

You can see some of them here, using Webstagram and others at a Twitter search for #Exodusgram.
Make sure to check out the Bible Belt Balabusta's creative Lego Exodusgram pics!
(It is much trickier to link to other people's pics, so I'm going to have to get you to go click around to see them. Trust me, it's worth it. Very cool.)

Are you doing Exodusgram and I've missed it? Help me out!

Here are some of my Exodusgram pics.... (which you can follow on Instagram or my Tumblr)

Learn and Teach (Day 3)

The Narrow Places of Mitzrayim (Day 1)

Chametz (Day 2)

 Remember, there aren't any rules....so if you haven't started, there's still time to join in! (Feel free to rearrange the order of the days to suit yourself!)

#BlogExodus and #Exodusgram

There's always a lot to get done to prepare for the holiday of Pesach.
Not only do we have to get our homes ready for the week of leaven-free dining, there's an important spiritual aspect to preparing ourselves for the experience of the Exodus.

Luckily, there are a couple of weeks prior to Passover in which to get ready!

A few years ago, I participated in Tweet the Exodus. It was one of the most fun online projects I've ever participated in! I'm not sure we could reprise it even if we wanted to!

So onto new and different projects.

This year, I'm inviting YOU to join me (yes, you. The person reading this post...friend, family, colleague, blogger, reader...) in two projects during the first part of the month of Nisan, the month in which Passover falls. You can do one or both...or just jump in at your whim!

The first is #BlogExodus. This is pretty simple. I've provided topics for each of the first 14 days of the month of Nisan...just write a blog post about that topic on the assigned day! Use the hashtag to share your post, even in your title. This might be a great way to kickstart your blog (are you new at it?) and it might be a great way to get yourself ready for the themes and ideas of the holiday! I've decided to post my #BlogExodus posts over at rabbiphyllis.blogspot.com - my "rabbi" blog. (But I'll tweet them at @imabima!) If you don't blog, and want to participate, maybe you want to tweet the topics, or use your Facebook posts to explore these themes...

The second is a little more...blurry. Or...open to interpretation. I'm totally into Instagram (I'm imabima, of course) on my iPhone. I have noticed all sorts of fun daily challenges on Instagram, and I've decided that I'm going to take photos related to these themes. I think this will be far more challenging than merely writing about the themes and I'm hoping that it is a fun challenge. Also, if you don't have a blog or don't feel like writing...take a picture instead! (And you don't have to use Instagram to share your photos, you can share them on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr (I'll admit, I have one but I don't use it, any ideas?)...whatever makes you happy!) Whatever you do, don't forget to tag it with #Exodusgram so we can all share.

The themes are totally up for your own interpretation! I tried to think broadly about what the general themes of Pesach are, and how they would translate into blog posts, photos, etc.

Feel free to grab the picture above and share it....and use it in your posts, etc.

Are you going to play along? Let me know! Leave me a comment here, send me a tweet, or send up a signal fire...
(And yes, I know that some of the dates are Shabbat. I don't blog/tweet/Facebook on Shabbat but I will post after Shabbat is over. I'm good with that....you can do it any way you like.)

Seeking Inspiration?

There's a story about the Baal Shem Tov, the great teacher and rabbi. He once went into a grand synagogue, filled with the people of a community. At the end of the services, he said, "this shul is filled with prayer." The people began to fill with pride, they were so proud of their synagogue, and so proud of the obvious praise of the Baal Shem Tov. 
Then he began to fling the windows and doors wide open. "This shul is so filled with prayer, nothing can leave this room. They are all stuck here. Not one prayer rises to heaven."


Have you ever felt that way? Like there are so many words and ideas and thoughts floating around that you're just trapped and stuck?

I am feeling that way lately.

There are so many books I want to read, magazines to peruse, blogs and online articles and Facebook posts to consume, movies to see, television shows to watch, YouTube videos to check out, pictures to take, craft projects to try, recipes to cook, pins to click on....(all in the hours after the kids go to bed, of course!) (I don't even have the energy to link all those words...)

There's so much noise.
It's so good.
I like noise.
After all, I have four kids.

But for some reason, in the last few weeks, it has all seemed to be too much.

Fear of Missing Out. It's the new disease. What if I miss the pins, the posts, the words, the movies, the shows, the books, the....whatever.

I'm sure the solution is to step. away. from. the. computer.

But I'm not quite ready. I'm not quite sure what I'm willing...ready....interested in giving up.
I'm just thinking about it.

So I think I'm seeking inspiration...
...but perhaps I'm seeking something else.

The other day on Facebook, I posted "seeking inspiration."

I have no idea what I was looking for.

I have some great friends who gave me good things to think about.
I think partly that I was hoping someone would give me some really good blog post topics. That might be part of it. I'm taking in so much information and, in case you haven't noticed, I haven't posted a lot lately...so there's a lot going in, and...like the shul that the Baal Shem Tov was visiting, there hasn't been much of an outlet.


Well, anyway, here I am...seeking inspiration.

In case you need a little inspiration....

Help? Leave your thoughts in the comments...

New Blogger on the Block: @Abba_Sababa

I am so excited to welcome my husband, Michael, to the blogosphere.

Check out the Abba Sababa, won't you?

I'm so proud of him!
And hey...he even joined Twitter. Now that's some serious technological progress!

We're a two-blog family!

Congregational Blogging Workshop #URJBiennial

This is one of the presentations I will be giving, with JaneTheWriter, at the URJ Biennial this week.

Congregational Blogging for Beginners at the URJ Biennial

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Keeping me up at night...

Have you found Pinterest yet?

If you haven't, just stop reading right now.

Seriously.

You don't need it.

This is not the website you are looking for...

Pinterest is my new favorite time-suck place to find cool things.

I'm sure that my calorie count has gone up since finding Pinterest since I see pretty food.

But sometimes you learn interesting things, like this one:

Source: kellyneil.com via Marja on Pinterest

How cool is that?

It almost makes up for things like this:

Source: veryculinary.com via Phyllis on Pinterest

Yum.

And there are all sorts of funny things like this one:

Source: ashleys-heartoflife.blogspot.com via Phyllis on Pinterest

What have you found on Pinterest?

I {heart} 23 Tishrei

The 23rd of Tishri is the day after Simchat Torah. The day after Sukkot ends. The day after the chagim are over for this year. There are no holidays until Thanksgiving.

(There are, in my family, four birthdays coming up in the next eight weeks. But that's a different story. And a different post.)

So it's time for me to return to regular blogging.

Or, just putting up pictures and hoping that you don't notice my lack of posts because of how cute my kids are.

This guy is 10 months old. He now has one little tooth.

Oh, and he can walk. At least 10 steps in a row. The other kids get so darn excited when he does it that he falls down from the delight in their excitement. Eventually everyone will get over it, right?

Check out this handsome devil. These are his "handsome clothes" (his words) that he wore for the holidays...he is doing so well with kindergarten, I'm so impressed. Every day he comes home with a new Spanish word (he's in a dual-language program) and he can count to 40 in Spanish. Plus, he's a total comedian.

My pony-tailed girl-child has a million ideas every day. She wants to keep wearing her flip-flops even though it's really too cold and she refuses to wear a coat. She "reads" books out loud in her own foreign language and she tells stories in the shower. "Character" does not even begin to describe her and she is soaking everything up all around her every day.

Anyone for a haircut? Not this kid, who is so proud of his funky messy hairdo. No amount of bribery seems to be working to get him to contemplate a new look. Good thing he is very handsome even without a comb. He came home from the first week of school with the joyous announcement that fourth graders can take out "as many books as they want" from the school library. (Previous grades, obviously, had a limit.) He is testing this rule as often and as much as possible.

So that's what's going on in our family. How's your post-holiday life going?

I'm doing #BlogElul

Dear friends, in case you haven't seen too much of me this week over here at Ima on and off the Bima, it's because I'm working hard on #BlogElul over at my other blog, Thoughts from Rabbi Phyllis (really creative title, no?).

I'm blogging almost daily over there for the whole month of Elul, the Hebrew month that precedes Rosh HaShanah. I won't be abandoning this blog (I have a number of book and DVD reviews coming up, bli neder) but I will be putting up a lot of content over there too.

So...feel free to follow me on Twitter to catch all my posts, and all the other folks who are doing #BlogElul as well.

If you'd like to subscribe to Thoughts from Rabbi Phyllis (free! so why not!?), click to subscribe in a reader or subscribe via email.

How are ya....

Dear Blog,
I miss you. How are you? I hope you're doing well in what appears to be my absence.
I do expect to see you again very shortly. Posts are ruminating in my head, begging to be written.
But many other things seem to be getting in my way. A few of them are due in the next 10 days, so I'm expecting to be back here after that.
In addition, I'm working on convincing the little guy that I'm not an all-night diner.
But how can you really resist this face?

So...dear Blog, Shabbat Shalom. Let's have lunch soon, k?
Love,
the Ima

What's Coming Up in 2011?

Oy - how did it get to be 2011 already?

I have a ton of posts ruminating in my brain, including a 2010 wrapup (it's not too late, right?) and a review of my list of books read in in 2010, along with some reading goals for 2011. I have some recipes, funny stories, and hopefully some stuff about Tu B'Shevat.

Oh, and the baby is almost exactly a month old.

So I haven't fallen off the face of the planet, just busy holding the baby. For a review of maternity leave, read this post from my last one.

Online Nesting

Pregnant women are known for their nesting.

In my case, at the moment it applies to my blog.

Is that weird? Online nesting....I guess I'm a modern gal.

Do you like my new header?

(And yes, it's NaBloPoMo so I'm paying a little extra attention to my blog this month!)

Jewish Book Carnival

Did you see that there's a new Jewish blog carnival in town? The Jewish Book Carnival, in its second edition, came out this week.

I'm excited to tell you that I'll be hosting in January 2011. Can't wait!

Guess I should post some book reviews, too, huh? I'll get right on that :-)

How to Raise a Reader, Revisited

I've talked before about how much my kids love to read.

My oldest is definitely a reader.

He
loves
to read.
All the time.

He does not love to write.
So we've embarked upon a new venture...like mother like son....
a blog.

(It helps that Zeyde offered to pay him 50 cents a post. The kid is making more money blogging than I am!)

If you're interested in being one of David's readers, feel free to drop me a line. He recently complained to me that he doesn't get very many comments. I must admit that I said "join the club, kiddo!"

I'm pretty excited to have another blogger in the house.

...one year ends...another begins...

192 posts.

What have I said?

It's been a year full of history and ordinary life.

Sometimes I was funny. And sometimes I wasn't.

I traveled to Israel.

We celebrated all the holidays but I realize that I didn't blog about all of them in any great detail. Oops.
(We did make these cool eggs for Pesach...)

My kids were, of course, super-cute and funny and entertaining.

We went to camp (and can't wait to go back, of course...)

I read and reviewed a lot of books, and I baked a lot.

{{{Sigh}}} It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone.

And so I continue blogging....I look forward to 2010. I'm sure I'll host Haveil Havalim (I think soon, actually), and I know I'm going to be celebrating holidays and sharing the funny things my kids say and do. I will celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary and I will send my own child off to camp alone for the first time. And who knows what else will come my way during this calendar year?

I feel so lucky and blessed to be Jewish, to have the opportunity not once but twice to consider a new year (technically, there are other Jewish dates that are "new years" but I'm going with the main one, Rosh HaShanah) and to have a chance to rethink, renew, and restart.

So as we begin this secular year, I hope for all of us, for all of you, for my family and for yours, that this year bring peace, health, and blessings. May your dreams be fulfilled and your path be smooth.

May it be a sweet year, a full year, a year of hope and a year of love and life.

I'm Famous!

You may have heard that I went to the URJ Biennial.

So did the JTA.

I'm famous!

Gearing up for NaBloPoMo

I know things have been quiet around here for the last few days. I've decided to take a short break in preparation for NaBloPoMo (oh, and I've started playing FarmVille, which is a ridiculous time-suck. Whose idea was this!? Oh yeah, my husband.)

Marci's going to be playing along, and I am pretty sure Miriam is too.

Anyone else planning on doing it? It's always a fun way to kickstart my creative juices flowing to get a post up every day. Come on....

Things to Read...

While you're procrastinating on writing your sermons...oh wait, is that just me? Well, while you're looking for something to do, here's this week's Haveil Havalim, a weekly roundup of the Jewish-Israeli Blogosphere.

And since I have been too busy lately to remember to submit posts, a roundup of my favorite posts from my own blog in the past few weeks:

Where Yael hid my shoes

Yummy Muffins (ask FrumeSarah, she says so too!)


Welcoming the month of Elul

AND...there's still time to enter my Rosh haShanah Giveaway from Oh Nuts -  you have until September 10th so go click over NOW!!!!

Hope you're having a great Labor Day Weekend!