{36 reasons} Running Away

Remember my new shoes?
I gave them their first workout.

I love that Tricia wanted my first running experience to be in a beautiful place.

She took me to the OpenLands Lakeshore Preserve, which happens to be a total of 1.2 miles from my house. And I had no idea it was there. It was spectacular.

(In all fairness, this preserve area just opened in the last few years, I think. But still....have I been under a rock!?)

First we walked through a large ravine, and along the lake, until we came to the running trail. Including the walk out there and back, we covered about 3 miles.

A little pre-run photography

We walked some, we ran some.
I am planning to use an app to help me train (run-walk-run) but it was so great to have a friend out there who was patient and kind, who is a serious runner but didn't mind having me huff and puff alongside her.

Starting a new endeavor is hard. My legs hurt and when she talked about running UP the hills...I cringed but also imagined myself, someday, also running up those hills. Maybe it was just a beautiful day, maybe I have some kind of "runner's high"...but I'm already planning my next run. Even if I only go a little ways.

Blessed are You, O God, Ruler of the world, who created my body to move and function, who created beautiful places to see and feel and breathe, and who has brought me to this day.

{36 reasons} Independent Pancakes

The other morning, David asked for pancakes.

I love to cook. I love to make breakfast (after all, my Pinterest meal boards are called "My Favorite Meal" and "Not Breakfast"). But I thought this was a perfect opportunity to start him on cooking things other than baked goods.

And so I used the simplest pancake recipe I've ever made, to which Rebecca introduced me.

And I stepped back. Pretty much gave directions and let him do all the work.

And guess what?
He made pancakes.

Now he can even make dinner. Because everyone loves breakfast for dinner, right?

I'm aiming for total self-sufficiency...

Blessed are You, O God, Ruler of the world, who has given us skills and has enabled us to pass them onto our children, and who has helped to balance dependence and independence as our children grow, and who has brought me to this day.

{36 reasons} Memories of My Bat Mitzvah

Remembering my Bat Mitzvah...as I turn 36...it seems like an entire lifetime ago that I was called to the Torah for the first time. So much has changed, as it should.

Not to mention the glasses.

Blessed are You, O God, Ruler of the World, who has created us as creatures of memory, who has stored those memories in our minds to help us to see where we've been and where we are going, and who has brought me to this day.

{36 reasons} I Love Books

I thought about doing "36 things I love" for the days leading up to my birthday. I figured I could write half the posts about books. Clearly, that didn't seem to be such a great idea.

But today I am here to give you a whole bunch of book reviews. Because as much as I love books, I might even love free books more. And one of my favorite parts of blogging is the book review offers. Every so often, they pop up in my email. More often when I'm actually better about doing the reviews. Sometimes...I get a little behind. So here I am today to remedy the situation, and write reviews for a bunch of books that have been hovering on my nightstand and mocking me in their un-reviewed state.

Next Year in Israel by Sarah Bridgeton - This is a young-adult novel about a high school girl who has been bullied for a long time. Following an unsuccessful suicide attempt, she heads off to a year-in-Israel program. She's a relatively uninterested Jew, but is looking forward to a fresh start in a new place where no one knows her. This was a pretty good book. I kept asking myself if it would have been the same if she had gone off to a year-in-France program - did the Jewish aspect matter? I think that the story and the bullying/acceptance issues that Becca faces are quite universal. And at $2.99 on Amazon, this is a good one for that new Kindle you're hoping to get for Chanukah.

Sown in Tears by Beverly Magid - In this story, Leah survives a pogrom with her two young children. As she rebuilds her life as a widow, she finds herself tangled up with the local Russian commander as well as the growing Communist/worker movement. I was very taken with Leah's story and found the book to be an engrossing read, but some of her actions and ideas seemed a little too modern for the day. Would a young woman in her situation have been as bold as Leah? That was the question I kept asking myself...but I concluded that she did what she had to do...and that is not limited by historical situation. I was a teensy bit disappointed by the abrupt ending - maybe there will be a sequel! (This one is actually a great deal on Kindle, too!)

Fire in the Ashes by Jonathan Kozol - I have not read all of Jonathan Kozol's books, but I know that I should. This is actually a continuation of two of his other books, which I have not (yet) read. It is so clear that Kozol is totally committed and connected to these children, and it shows in the way he tells their stories. Much of his writing is just a record of their communication, but it is so plain that he has opened the door for them to open their hearts and minds to him. I can only hope to have such connections with former students as he does! It's so much more than that, though. Books like this should be mandatory reading. The inequality....oy. It's painful to read but also inspiring...

Sipping From the Nile by Jean Naggar - Jean was born in Egypt, into a family and life of privilege and delight...I loved seeing the pictures and reading the descriptions of life in Cairo and other exotic spots, but I did find some of the story to be a little confusing. (The family tree was well-used to keep track!) In so many ways, the location doesn't matter. Stories of immigrants who have to leave everything behind always leave me with a feeling of such gratitude. To pack it all up and just...leave. Wow. (And, another good deal on Kindle, people.)

Road to Valor: True Story of WWII Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation by Aili and Andres McConnor - I did not expect this book to be enjoyable. After all, it's about biking...a sport that I engage in only when the bikes are stationary. Who knew!? I had no idea that this guy even existed. It's a great story about a national hero of Italy, a cyclist, who not only won the Tour de France but saved a family of Jews in the process. It's totally readable and a compelling story. This is a good one for the cyclist in your house, but also for people like me who don't even own a bike helmet. These are the stories that we need to keep telling. There are so many stories that haven't yet been told...

Hot Mamalah: The Ultimate Gude for Every Woman in the Tribe by Lisa Klug - I love irreverence and silliness. And this book has both. I'm not a huge fan of stereotype-based humor, though, but I tried to see through it to the irony and "coolness" of making fun of one's self...which this book has in abundance. I did giggle at "The Best Places to Nail a Husband" because "All of Jerusalem" was on the list and I might have, in fact, met my husband in that favorite city. Much of it made me laugh out loud, a lot of it made me cringe...and it's the perfect book to read out loud with a group of friends hanging around the table at camp late at night. I will make sure to pack it! (oh, and make sure to read Rebecca's review of this one too.)

Blessed are You, O God, who has given me a love of books and reading, and who has created authors and writers to fill the pages with inspiring words that help me to immerse myself in faraway lands and stories, and who has brought me to this day.

Disclosure: I received free review copies of each of these books but was not in any other way compensated.

Leave me a comment telling me which of the last four books sounds most interesting to you and I will send it your way! (The first two were Kindle reads, so I can't exactly drop them at the post office.)

{36 reasons} Teaching Each Other

I imagined that I might teach each of my children something new during this project.

But yesterday they taught each other.

Look, it's not all flowers and hearts in my house...my kids bicker and complain and annoy each other.

But when they get along?
It is so so so sweet.

Sam sat down next to Yael at the piano and offered to teach her to play his lesson - "Old McDonald Had a Song." You'll be surprised to know that it's based on the original. She agreed.

And he taught her. He pointed for her fingers, he instructed her, and he did so in his best "teacher voice."

It was awesome.

A few minutes later they were nipping at each other like puppies.

But aha....I have a permanent memory of that moment. And of each moment when they act like my dream-vision of loving siblings. When they snuggle together, play together, tell stories together, share together....it's not all hearts and flowers in my house.

But when it is? I am so grateful.

Blessed are You, O God, who has given my children siblings with whom to fight and play, and who has given them the desire to spend time together and love each other, and who has brought me to this day.

{36 reasons} Mitzvah Baking

One of my plans for Tuesdays during this project was to try out new recipes.
Except...yesterday, my kids came home with a flyer about a project that our school and community are doing to honor the local military servicemen and women. They wanted desserts.

And of course, David says, "so, what are we going to make?"

How does a mama say no to that?!
I guided him to choose our tried-and-true brownie recipe*, pointing out that we know how it comes out and how much it will yield.

And so we baked brownies tonight. Two large batches. David did a lot of the work.

At first I wasn't even going to write about this. Does it fit as a "shehecheyanu moment"? I might be thinking a little loosely here, but there were many pieces of it that gave me pause for blessing.

1. David automatically assumed that we would participate in this kind of philanthropic event.
2. We had all the supplies on hand in our well-stocked pantry.
3. David has the skills and ability to put together a brownie recipe.
4. I was able to teach him new skills in the baking process.

Blessed are You, O God, who gives us the ability to give in so many ways, who fills our lives with plenty and allows us to share it, who gives me the joy of sharing my passions with my children, and who has brought me to this day.

*Tried-and-True Favorite Sommer Brownie Recipe is the "On The Fence Brownies" from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. The link takes you to a recipe on their blog that is almost the same - with the addition of espresso powder. I don't use the espresso.

{36 Reasons} Re-Routing

Today I took a new route to work.

It might seem like a simple thing. After all, I've been driving from the same house to the same synagogue for 7 years (that's how long we've lived in this house. I'm actually celebrating my 10th year at the synagogue!). But today I got a little lost.

On purpose.

Part of this project is, in my mind, teaching an old dog new tricks. Not to call myself old (or a dog), but I wanted to shake things up just a teensy bit. Nothing crazy, mind you.

But a new route to work? Just right.

Today I drove down a street I'd never taken, and I kept going. I took a right turn instead of a left turn and I just drove around, headed in the right general direction, until I came to the main road.

I wasn't in the car that much longer than usual. But I paid attention. Usually I drive and don't look around much. After all, I've seen it all many many times before. Sure, I look carefully when the fall foliage is at its brightest, and I adore looking at trees covered in snow (well, for the first 2 minutes of winter)...but basically? It's just my usual drive.

So today....I paid attention. I drove a new way. It was almost like a meditation, looking around and thinking curiously about the homes, the streets, the different path. I didn't just drive to work. I thought about how grateful I am that I have the ability to go to work, work that I love, work that inspires and fulfills me. All that, just from a change of scenery.

Blessed are You, O God, who creates different routes and pathways, and who helps me to see that which is usually the same in a different way, and for bringing me to this day.