Who comes up with this stuff?

Someday I will figure out what starts a "meme" - like, do people sit around and think up this stuff!?

Reiza tagged me for this photo meme, and so here goes...

The rules are:

1. Open the 4th file where you store your photos
2. Pick the 4th picture
3. Explain the photo
4. Pass the challenge on to 4 other bloggers

(Leora did this too, by the way)

Anyway, this was a little complicated. I have a lot of folders. So I started by looking in my Pictures folder, and the fourth folder down actually happened to be "Family Pics" which is where I store almost all of my pictures. Score! Then I went down four, and it was 2007...and the fourth folder in there was Yael at 6 days old...and the fourth picture was a little naked tushy...which was not appropriate for this very family-friendly blog, not to mention that I have to draw a line somewhere! So I went back up a few levels and decided that I would go with the fourth folder in the current year's pictures (yes, I'm ridiculously organized about my photos), which happened to be from the end of January, a sunny day in the snow:






Pretty self-explanatory, isn't it...?

Also funny, because just last week I finally finished putting a Shutterfly album together that I began last Fall...Sukkot through Lag B'Omer...so I just recently looked at these pictures!

Okay, I know I'm supposed to tag 4 people but I'm so bad at that...so if you're reading, consider yourself tagged!

Oh my goodness, I just figured out who comes up with these memes - people who are trying to procrastinate on their holiday preparations!!! I knew it!!!

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

Jewish Mommy Meme - Community ROCKS

It's so great to find other Jewish moms blogging out there. The Homeshuler has created her own Jewish Mommy Meme and tagged me! So here goes...

1. Challah – home baked or bought?
I love to bake challah and I have some great recipes, but usually we eat the one that comes home from school with my preschoolers. It's a school fundraiser (I think) and it's easy. Easy is good right now. I do love a good home-baked challah...

2. Favorite shabbat meal:
My favorite meal is whatever I can prepare in advance for my family to eat while I'm getting ready or already at services. We have 6:30pm services each week and my kids are too young to make it. So I usually prepare dinner in advance and get it all ready to go, with directions for the completion of the preparation! One of our recent favorite meals are these Quorn cutlets....they are very yummy. (We are vegetarian in our house, so no chicken....)

3. Any creative shabbat rituals?
We have a tie-dyed challah cover....the kids wear their kippot and sing the brachot, usually with the Abba...when my oldest was really young, we decided that the only day for TV watching was Shabbat. While this may seem like a backwards plan for some of my more frum readers, it made sense to me. The idea of Shabbat is to set it apart and make it special. This was the point of the TV gig. (Side note, whenever he went to my parents, they'd let him watch TV all the time, coining the phrase "it's always Shabbat at Bubbie and Zeyde's.") This was a big problem when we visted my frum relatives and had to explain that on Shabbat they DON'T watch TV. But I think that's another post. Anyway, eventually he figured out that the TV works on other days and the whole Shabbat/TV thing ended. I have a lot of visions for great Shabbat ideas but in general I just find myself saying things like "dessert? sure, it's Shabbat..." and that seems to work.

4. Shul? With or without the kids? (yes, I know some of you are rabbis)
Usually for Tot Shabbat, which is just their speed. Plus they're at the synagogue all the time. I'm trying to get my oldest to services on a more regular basis - now that he can read English and Hebrew, I think it's important. For myself, obviously, I'm there a lot. A LOT.

5. Traditionally shomer shabbat? If not, what’s your definition/style?
Not "traditionally" but happily observant of Shabbat. At the moment my biggest Shabbat observance is no Facebook, no Twitter, and no blogging...but I do use the phone/drive/etc. I've always said that the idea of shomer, meaning "guard" is about making sure we're aware that it's Shabbat and making it special. See answers to the above question.

6. Favorite shabbat story/book
How Yussel Caught the Gefilte Fish.

Love it.

I probably have 20 other favorites. But this is the top of the list! (With my oldest, we read Shai's Shabbat Walk every week. But we've progressed...)

7. no seventh question – time to rest.
If you're a Jewish mommy and you read this blog, I tag you!

(See how neatly I did that? I always leave someone out... :-) )

Books you may have forgotten...

I do love books.
But this meme is pretty darn silly.

Still, I've now been tagged for it *twice*! So here goes...

The closest book is: Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace.

(Before you fall out of your chair laughing, let me tell you that this series of books, if you've never heard of them before, are awesome. I loved them when I was a kid and I'm now in the joyful process of sharing with my son. This is the third in the series, and the girls get older and the series even concludes with a married Betsy, so it's not like some of those other books where the girls never grow up. AND its set in a small town in Minnesota so I always felt very close to home.)

Here are the rules:

* Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.
* Open the book to page 123.
* Find the 5th sentence.
* Post the next 3 sentences.
* Tag 5 people.

They saw a cloud of dust and heard the thud of hoofs. A team of glossy white horses flashed into view. They were driven by a coachman who wore a plug hat like a coachman in a parade. A glittering open carriage swayed along the narrow street. Betsy, Tacy, and Tib glimpsed a white beard...a black veil. Here were Mr. Meecham and his daughter!
(I might have given you a couple of extra sentences there...sorry.)

I'm not sure what the purpose of this meme is but I hope, in this case, that it inspires you to go out to your nearest library and check out the Betsy-Tacy books. They are great, the first one is short and they get progressively longer. Perfect for reading aloud to your kids (or reading yourself)!

While you're at it, also look at...
All of a Kind Family
The Melendy Quartet
The Hundred Dresses
Little House on the Prairie (who could forget these, but still)
and of course, my all-time, love it love it love it favorite:
Anne of Green Gables.

Okay...so I tag:
Amy, Carissa, FrumeSarah, Harry (might give him something to post on), and EzerK...
but if you want to play along, feel free. (And if I've tagged you and you don't wanna, I'm cool with that too. I must admit, I read all your blogs but can't remember if you guys have done this one.)

8 Things About Me...8 Things I Love About Elul

Okay, so I was tagged by my friend Marci (check out her blog!) to do this 8 things meme...

8 random things about me. So here goes:

1. I didn't go to kindergarten.

2. I am so excited that The Biggest Loser is coming back on television very soon.

3. I haven't slept through the night in 6 months and 2 weeks.

4. I enjoy updating my facebook from my blackberry. Geeky, I know.

5. I hate wrinkly laundry and sometimes I'll rewash it if it doesn't get folded in time.

6. I am somewhat obsessed with the weather and knowing exactly what temperature it's going to be during the day.

7. I am on my second go-round with Weight Watchers and so far I've lost about 20 lbs. Only 20 to go!

8. I have a hard time coming up with interesting facts about me.

Since I can't just leave it at 8 things about me (so self-centered?), I thought I'd also share

8 things that I love about the month of Elul:

1. I love the anticipation!

2. My favorite service of the whole year is Selichot, the Saturday evening before Rosh HaShanah when we say penitential prayers late at night. It's beautiful and meditative and I just love it.

3. I think it's so cool that the initials of the phrase "ani l'dodi v'dodi li" (I am my beloved and my beloved is mine) are the letters that spell the word Elul. I think if I could go back and do my wedding all over again, I'd get married during Elul. Or Sukkot. But that's another post.

4. What am I going to make for a Shana Tova gift for our friends and family? (Do I send gifts to David's new teacher, who I don't think is Jewish?) I love the planning.

5. I enjoy anticipating seeing the people who really do only show up at the synagogue once a year. Sometimes it's young couples that I've married, or older people who don't come around much...I look forward to seeing their faces in the seats!

6. The Haftarot are great during this month.

7. Everyone understands when I explain what I do and that I'm very busy this time of year. It's been described to me once as my "tax season." Which I think is great -- taxing our souls!

8. I like knowing that all over the world, Jews are counting down the days....

And that's me!