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Housekeeping

One of the silver linings of throwing a party besides the party itself is getting things cleaned that otherwise wouldn’t be. Having removed the toaster, the coffeemaker and the rest of the daily items that line the marble countertops, it was time for their semi annual cleaning and bulletproofing. So piece by piece I started last night after Tin went to bed. And then as is evident for the change in me these days, I…

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Sonnet (With Children)

Sonnet (With Children) My love is like a deep and placid lake… Not now, sweetie, Daddy’s busy, OK? OK: my love’s a deep and peaceful lake… Here, Daddy can fix it. All better. Now go play. Um, my love, yes—a rose that blooms in spring… You tell her Daddy says she has to share. My love’s… My love’s a lake that blooms—no, that springs… On the wall?! Her what?! No, wait—I’ll be right there. OK—love,…

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New Orleans is my drug

I was coming back from the doctor listening to WWOZ and an Australian singer songwriter was on and her voice was so beautiful. She said that when she first came here she knew she wanted to come back and write music here because it was so different from Sydney and the music is so real here. The DJ talked about how the music in New Orleans is about truth and it is music that is…

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How to teach kids to appreciate gifts

Ahh, the agony and ecstasy of motherhood. Tin loves his presents when they are what he wants, and when they’re not he is an ogre. So we were moving into a downward spiral of him having consequences and losing the trains for a day that he wants and not getting the presents he doesn’t want because of his attitude. One more opportunity to remind myself that he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know and that…

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Teach your children well, and for the others?

You take any Wednesday and figure out what you are going to do with it. My morning started with going into Tin’s nursery like many Jewish mothers do and presenting Hanukkah to the uninitiated. It’s not about presents, it’s about telling history and remembering. The story of Judah Maccabee and the liberation of Jewish belief. It doesn’t really translate to nursery kids but it is nonetheless the story. I then came home and worked on…

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Let there be light and friends

A friend wrote me this morning saying, “Thanks! You throw the best parties!” Now that is what I’d like inscribed on my tombstone. Last night, we reveled in the joy of the Festival of Lights, the 4th night of Hanukkah with loved ones gathered around. The table was spread with some favorites – white fish salad, egg salad with bowfin caviar on top, latkes and apple sauce with sour cream, challah, vegan brownies and kugelhopf…

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The gift horse

Never look a gift horse in the mouth – because here I was bragging about the weather and now a cold front is fast descending from the north and my head is cold along with the entire rest of me. Shouldn’t have said a word, but there it is and now whatyagonnado? Coats, boots, hat, and gloves.

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Hug a bald woman day

I was in Rouse’s and passed an African American woman in the aisle talking on the phone, she said, “Hold up! You look fantastic, fabulous. Wait, can I hug you. Yes, I want to hug you.” So I stopped and she gave me a bear hug and another African American woman was trying to get through and I said, after turning away, “Love fest on Aisle 9.” She said, “Nothing wrong with that.” And so…

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