Jewish Musings, Friday 2/10

[lee058]

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!

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well. My part of VA had some snow, but thank goodness, no black ice on the roads. This morning, the wind chill was 12 degrees, brr! I am grateful for heat in my house and car, and that I do not live somewhere where it gets REALLY cold or that has a lot of snow.

For today's topic, how about if we talk about the future? Yesterday we talked about past changes; let's discuss changes that we can make that will affect our lives, health, families, etc., in the future. Is there something that you want to do but are afraid to try? Do you need help to figure out what is holding you back, or what you might need to make that change? Let's see what our group can come up with.

For me, I want to work harder on getting healthier. I take my medications, I see my various doctors and listen to what they say better than I used to (as I mentioned yesterday), and I have been trying to eat more healthily --- and I have been losing weight these past few months. However, I have a very long way to go. Shopping at Wegmans is a big help in planning what my family and I will eat, as it is a wonderful supermarket. I also like shopping at the new Asian supermarket that opened up recently near me. I need to eat more vegetables and fewer empty carbs (as I have said many times). I've been working on this, but I need to do more and keep it up. One thing I can do is to plan my family's meals better. There are millions of resources available online (not least of which is talking things over here), and I need to take more advantage of them. I can do this. I feel good that I am showing more initiative.

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

[lee058]

Where is everybody?

[hollygail]

Hi, Lee. You're not alone here...

Yesterday, they laid the flooring in the kitchen, laundry room and downstairs bathroom, moved the fridge back into the kitchen and reconnected the stove, washer and dryer, and toilet. YAY!!! What a difference! I don't even look into the dining room / living room (front half of the house; that flooring is due to arrive next week).

Tonight is erev Tu b'Shvat (which is tomorrow). I'm making a barley salad to bring to the oneg tonight (the Ritual Committee of which I am a member is bringing foods made from the 7 species in honor of Tu b'Shvat). And tomorrow is the Song of the Sea (from the Torah reading; after the Israelites cross through the Sea of Reeds and step onto dry land, they sing an 18-verse song of praise/thanks to God, verse 11 of which is Mi chamocha ba-eilim Adonai, mi kamocha nedar bakodesh, nora t'hilot, osei feleh, which is part of the daily and Shabbat morning and evening services). There's a small Renewal chavurah in this part of San Diego County that I go to when I can, and I try my very best not to miss services on Shabbat Beshallach so I can hear this one woman (Judith) chant the entire Song of the Sea in a special melody (that is neither regular Torah trop nor the special "traditional" melody for Song of the Sea). I'm going tomorrow! Can't wait to hear her!

And tonight, my rabbi's mother (who lives in or near Washington, DC) is the featured speaker. She's on the board (or whatever it's called) of Neve Shalom (and I never remember the other half of its name) in Israel, the community where Jews and Arabs live and work together in peace (I've known about the place for about 30 years). She's shorter than my rabbi who is shorter than I am (and I'm 5'2") and she's a firecracker! I'm crazy about her (she comes once or twice a year to visit her DD, DSiL, and the grandkids here, and doesn't skip services!).

Future: I'm having some difficulty separating the growing political trend in my country from my personal life. I've been wearing a safety pin since the day after the election in November, and a couple of days ago, a friend (from my Tuesday/Thursday exercise class) came in wearing a dog tag that says "#RESIST" (that a friend of hers made) and I bought one from her (and have been wearing it this week). I've been signing petitions every time I turn around, asking my elected officials to protect Medicare, to vote against accepting the terrible nominees for various posts in government, to support ethics (you are aware, I hope, that Conway, during an official interview yesterday, encouraged Americans to buy Ivanka Trump brand clothing, right?), things of that nature. This is not the kind of USA I envisioned growing old in...

[savtele]

Boker Tov All! Yesterday, on the way home, my car overheated. In the biggest rainstorm of the world. I called the tow-truck, called John, and the couple whose house I broke down in front of kindly opened their gate & let us park in their driveway while we waited for the tow-truck.

Changes for the future: I believe I need to make sure I "carry on" with the changes I have already made. It's easy to backslide. Something happens, there's a snowstorm, you hurt yourself or have surgery & suddenly the momentum is broken. I need a plan for when I have my eye surgery, so I don't do that!

Also - future AND present plan - (regarding Holly's last paragraph, above) I am determined to continue to:
1. Limit my input of news. My tendency is to watch more and more - like that will make it better, somehow.
2. Limit my outrage. Yes, everything he does is equally outrageous, but I cannot afford to be equally outraged 24/7. I will either stroke out or burn out by next month. So I am relying on the rest of my fellow Liberals, Democrats, Independents & Libertarians to pick up the slack. There are millions of us!

Lee - I have enjoyed this very thoughtful week! Together we are learning how to manage all the changes to which we are subject!

Shabbat Shalom!

[louise]

I too need to carry through with the changes I have been making. Most important for me is to separate myself from what is going on around me in that how I take care of myself needs to be about me and not about extraneous things. Yesterday, expensive food program or not, I was working from home because of the snowstorm and nibbled my way through a lot of "extras". Can't explain it. Can't continue like that. Back on track today.

[happysavta]

Don't you think it was outrageous of Macy's decision to drop Ivanka's clothing line from all their stores just because her last name is Trump and they don't agree with her father's politics? She's a really gifted designer. I love her line, and I'm a tailor's daughter. She has wonderful detail and style, excellent fabrics and sewing. It's classy stuff and not wildly overpriced. Given the facts, bravo to Conway for telling people to buy Ivanka's line.

[lee058]

Thanks everybody; it's been a great week! Have a peaceful evening, Lee

[peachymom1]

Hi everyone, re the Macy's meshugas, the quality of Ivanka's merchandise is irrelevant, IMO. Macy's made a business decision, period. If Trump can't accept that without acting like a crybaby, he's a poor businessman indeed.

Re Conway's comments, she was out of line and should have been disciplined, IMO. She's lucky she still has a job. She turns my stomach. Blech!

On to more pleasant things. I'm reading Torah tomorrow morning, not the Song of the Sea, but right before that. I really enjoy hearing the Song of the Sea, and I'll be thinking of you, Holly, when I hear it tomorrow.

Thanks for a thought provoking week, Lee!