Jewish Musings, Fri/Shabbat, Jan 6

[louise]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:

Angelika
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting - you are welcome to do that but you are also welcome to chime in!

[louise]

I got a recipe email today touting a “revealing” healthy main dish inspired by Parsha Vayigash. I clicked on it and it was chicken rolled up around a mushroom filling. (if you are not familiar with it, in this week's parsha Joseph reveals to his brothers who he is) Hm-m-m – kind of a stretch. Anyhow, there’s this part in this week’s reading when Joseph instructs his brothers that when Pharaoh asks “What is your occupation?” they should say that they breed livestock rather than that they are shepherds, ostensibly because shepherds were not held in high esteem by the Egyptians (according to Joseph). But when they are asked, they tell Pharaoh they are shepherds and Pharaoh is fine with that – in fact he offers them the best land and to supervise his own livestock. There are different ways to go here – maybe about staying true to yourself or about Joseph having become a “city boy” but what catches my attention today is the general question “What do you do?” This is often taken to mean “What do you do for a living?” and may even have become cocktail party shorthand for “Who are you?" It can be seen as an invitation to talk about yourself. In our group, we have some recent retirees, some that work as homemakers, some that are way bigger than their occupations, and so on. The question “What do you do?” is certainly not limited to what you do for a living. For some of you I would be more likely to wonder “What don’t you do?” This is no doubt on my mind because I am not only turning 69 but am working for a company that is floundering. I need to have a grip on who I am and what I do that is separate from my job.

Moving on to both aging and Shabbat here’s a little something from Abraham Joshua Heschel:

In Old Age They Remain Fruitful*
One who lives with a sense for the Presence knows that to get older does not mean to lose time but rather to gain time. And also, that in all of one’s deeds, a person’s chief task is to sanctify time. All it takes to sanctify time is God, a soul, and a moment. And the three are always there.

*Psalm 92 ends with: The righteous flourish like the date palm….In old age they remain fruitful, still fresh and bountiful, proclaiming: Adonai is upright, my rock in whom there is no flaw.

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well. Today I am feeling good; it didn't snow or ice up last night, and I am happy about that. We are supposed to get some snow tomorrow though, but it should be cleared up by the time DS and I go out to his work party. Have I mentioned that? I can't remember if I told you that his workplace is having its annual party tomorrow night with dinner and music. I'm looking forward to it. We took a practice drive to the venue yesterday and found an easier route than Google Maps suggested. I'm very glad that we did that.

Today's reading reminds me of my mom. She is so wonderful, and I am fortunate to have her in my life. For someone her age (96!!!), she is remarkably alert, interested in life, and caring. It is important to both of us that we talk every day. I love her very much.

Re the "what do you do?" question: I hate that. As a long-time SAHM with a son with Asperger's, I had the choice of being too revealing in my answer or of having to deal with other people's stereotypes of SAHMs. Now, thank goodness, I rarely get asked questions like this.

I'll check back later. Have a peaceful day, Lee

[hollygail]

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫
♫♪♫♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪
♫♪♫♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪
♫♪♫♪ Happy Birthday, dear Angelika ♫♪♫♪♫
♫♪♫♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪
♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

Hope you had a great day!

Holly

[savtele]

Boker Tov All! Louise, I have enjoyed this week! Very timely thoughts of a man on the cusp of changes in his life - as are both you and I, and all of us, really. Change happens - we don't know how or why, but that is the real only constant for us!

I'm sitting here with my 1st cup of coffee. I'm tired of this arctic blast we are going through right now. My son came over & looked at the tree that is leaning - he will take it down when the weather gets a little warmer. I hate losing a mature tree that has shaded the back door so nicely all these years - kept us cooler in summer & ice-free right at the door in winter. But if it were to fall in a storm, our house/deck is at risk. sooooooo...

What do I do? Many things. Sometimes I look up antique items for value/price ideas. Sometimes I write, sing, play, or knit/crochet (creative). Sometimes I pray, connect, feel my soul expand (spiritual). And sometimes I reflect - and it all comes together in who I am!

The sun is coming up over the mountains on a clear, cold morning. My swim bag is ready (how crazy is that! It's 14 degrees outside!) I need to go bundle up!

Shabbat Shalom, ladies!

[gazelle18]

People ask me all the time what do I do now that I am retired. I don't really like that question, because it sounds a bit like they cannot believe that a retired person can be actively engaged in life for her entire day. I generally answer that in my retirement years, I am making up for the times when I worked and didn't have the time to do something I wanted to do.

Retirement was a little hard for me psychologically, since I had always identified as a lawyer. It was who I was. But I can now happily say that I love retirement and am happy that I made the decision when I did.

Shabbat shalom to all!
Thanks for a great week, Louise

[happysavta]

Shabbat Shalom, everyone.