Day 3 (and 4th night)

What a day! I would have written this last night (it's about yesterday) but I had to go to sleep at some point....

3rd day (and night of 4th)

While Rena attended preschool, I had talk with Rebbetzin Ellis. It was so good to talk with her, as always. One of the Chabad rebbetzins sat down to talk with me, too, which I also enjoyed.

I had a really good prayer session that morning, too. I even tried meditation later; it got me all relaxed.

Back at Grammy and Grampy's house, Rena and I incredibly saw another "rainbow" on the wall! (See previous post.)

Later, I put the Maccabeats' awesome Chanukah music video on Grammy and Grampy's huge TV in the TV room, several times. (Yes, it has access to YouTube.) Rena and I danced wildly and joyfully to it until we were all tired out! :) While dancing (and singing to the song) I was thinking, life is awesome! :)

We attended her school's Chanukah party that evening. OMG, I LOVE Chanukah! :) The kids performed some songs for their families. They were soooo cute, especially Rena!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) I'm not even saying that because of my clear bias, being her mommy- One of the teachers came up to me afterward and exclaimed about her performance. (She said later that Rena was the star! :) ) She really did a wonderful job, singing the songs, doing hand motions, and even breaking out into spontaneous dances! :) Now that's nachas! :) The latkes served tasted just like the ones I grew up. (See my first post in Foodiscovery for why that was so special to me.) There was lighting of a giant menorah and a special guest came to do it: someone dressed up in a penguin costume! The kids were delighted! :) They all got to dance with him afterward. Also there was a bouncy-house for the kids that looked like a giant dreidle, and face painting. I felt so wonderful at the party, so connected with all my people all over the world celebrating this holiday about the triumphant survival of Torah Judaism despite attempts to suppress it. I'm so proud to be Jewish, proud to be a part of this wonderful people who are so strong in standing up for God's truth, to outlast all the nations that try to crush it.

As if that weren't enough excitement for the day, I received a very touching email from one of my new friends here in Winnipeg. A public thank you for being such a good friend! :) (You know who you are.)

Chanukah, Day 1! :)

YAY, I'm SO happy an eight-day holiday has started! :)

It began on Motzai Shabbat (Saturday night). Though gift-given is not a traditional aspect of Chanukah observance (kids used to receive a small amount of money, or "gelt" in Yiddish), it's been incorporated in modern times due to the influence of a popular non-Jewish holiday that occurs around this time. I think it's wonderful to include gift-giving as part of Chanukah festivities. I know I loved receiving a gift each night of Chanukah. Anyway....This year, Grammy picked out a bunch of wonderful toys for Rena. Last night, after the menorah was lit, Rena got a very special Elmo toy called Baby Sniffles Elmo. It's a baby Elmo that wears a diaper, carries a "tissue," and sneezes. He perpetually has a cold. It's perfect for her because she loves Elmo and also loves to pretend that her stuffed animals are sick so she can "heal" them. I could totally see her becoming a doctor, dentist, nurse, or something when she grows up.

We just stayed at Grammy and Grampy's house all day due to the weather. Rena and I were playing as usual when we spotted two of the most beautiful "rainbows" on a wall, evidently due to light being refracted through the glass barrier next to the staircase. Wow, we could actually see all the rainbow colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (Roy g biv). As if that weren't enough, after the light shifted and those "rainbows" faded, we saw another on the opposite wall! I thought this one was even more beautiful than the other two! The rainbow colors on this one were very bright! Wow, we saw three "rainbows" today....That must be a sign of something really good to come! :) Perhaps they represent my family....Or something. Whatever the case, thank you, God, for showing me such beauty today! :)

Soon after the rainbow sightings, Rena's Aunt Elaine dropped by for a quick visit and to give Rena a gift. It's a really awesome drawing toy called Stencil and Learn Studio. Now she doesn't need an iPad to practice tracing letters.... (Btw, I do think it's cool that I can hand my three-year-old daughter the iPad with the cover still closed, and she knows how to open it, turn it on, unlock it, and find the app she wants to use; and she's proficient at tapping and dragging. For most apps that she likes, I encourage her to do what she can herself because there are so many apps designed for preschool-aged kids, with activities such as letter-tracing, puzzles, ebooks....)

Rena received her second night's gift before the first day was technically over so I'll include it here, too: A Dora the Explorer Singing Star Microphone! :) She loves it, of course, since she's obsessed with Dora.

Rena's excitement is infectious! :) I almost felt as if I were a kid receiving gifts again!

A TV Day

Rena was getting over a cold so she was allowed to chill and watch a lot of TV today. We were delighted to see an expanded version of one of our favorite stories that she has, Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers, about a boy who finds a penguin. At first he thinks the penguin is lost but in the end he comes to realize that the penguin is just lonely and wants to be his friend and to stay with him. Powerful story.

Also, after not being able to get it to work for awhile, we are again able to use Netflix on Grammy and Grampy's huge TV! Turns out the remote just needed a new battery. Rena loves to be able to pick her favorite shows at any time. Normally we limit her TV viewing to two shows per day (except Shabbat since observant Jews do not use electronic devices on Shabbat) and never after dinner but we let her watch one show after dinner just this once: Go Diego Go. (It had been a long time since she'd seen it because it is not shown on the little kids' channel that she watches, Treehouse.) Her other favorite show is Dora the Explorer, as you probably gathered if you read this post that mentions her October birthday party. Dora and Diego are cousins and appear in each other's shows. If Rena has to watch TV, at least these characters are good role models for kids to follow. Diego rescues animals, and Dora goes out of her way to be kind and helpful. Rena thinks Dora and her friends and family are Jewish. She has a set of small figurines of Dora and other characters from the show, and she once set up a Shabbat dinner for them with some of her toy food.

So grateful for today!

-I spent hours replying to an email from a shul friend. (I'd actually received the email last night but it was technically today already by the time I finished.) I am so blown away with the love and kindness of this community!
-I got to speak with Rebbetzin Ellis today after she dropped off her kids at school, mostly to tell her how I was doing. She also informed me that someone with whom the Ellises had connected me for a potential job opportunity had told her that I'm a "beautiful person." See above "blown away" sentence.
-The head of the school had me do a really cool job: today, in addition to my usual library help. I learned how to use a lamination machine to laminate pages of a book that was just printed on a computer page by page. I guess the author didn't get it published but she sent the printout to the Chabad school here. It's a beautiful book for kids about Jews in Israel during Temple times, how they grew their own food and proudly did mitzvot and went to the beit hamikdash to thank God for all that He gave them. It described how olive oil was made and then used to light the menorah in the beit hamikdash.
-One of the rebbetzins of the Chabad center did some work at the front desk today and played nice Jewish music while working. I got to chat with her a bit. At one point, when I was not near her, she went to find me because she had a thank-you card for the gift we'd given her son at his recent birthday party. The card had a cute drawing that he'd made in addition to words of thanks (most likely written by his mommy).
-At one point today I wandered around the Chabad center just drinking in the holiness of the place.
-One of the rebbetzins of the Chabad center who has usually been giving us a ride lately did not have time today so Rena and I stayed for awhile to look at books in the library. When we were ready to go, all prepared to head home on foot, the Rebbetzin who'd been working with music said she was going soon and could give us a ride. While we were waiting to go, I spotted a pair of lost mittens and got all excited at the chance to do the mitzvah (good deed/commandment) of returning a lost object. The Rebbetzin had gone to a different room for a moment, and when she returned, I asked her where the lost-and-found was. She took one look at those mittens and realized that they belonged to one of her kids! So I actually got to return them to the family of the owner. When she dropped us off and we thanked her profusely (see "blown away" sentence again), she said she was glad to be able to give people rides. I told her I'd heard that giving people rides is actually considere to be part of the mitzvah of providing hospitality. She said that her mitzvah should be in the merit of the Land of Israel. I added that my earlier mitzvah of returning lost objects should also be in Israel's merit.
-Could this day get any better?! Upon returning home I checked email and was surprised to see a reply to an email I'd written to the husband of a friend in Israel who, in his words, "doesn't do email." I was overjoyed to see that my friend herself replied! Thank God, her family is safe and sound.
-I feel like clarity regarding a difficult situation in which I find myself is imminent. I know that God will make happen what is good for my family. God knows what is best for us, better than we ourselves know, and I know that sometimes what we think is best for us is not actually what is best for us, and vice versa. I will do my effort to the best of my ability and pray to God, knowing that He is there for me.

Yays from the past few days! :)

Thursday: On the way to swimming lessons with Rena, with snow on the ground and the sun shining brightly, we passed snowy yards that sparkled! It was so beautiful! :) I thought about how the co,or white represents purity and how great it is that God sends whiteness to cover the ground in winter! :

Friday: Rena was so excited for Shabbat to start! :) She loves grape juice but she was especially excited to go to shul (Yiddish term used for synagogue though it literally means school) because  we had to miss it last week. She couldn't wait to see Rebbetzin Ellis! :) (A Rebbetzin is the rabbi's wife so we call Rabbi Ellis' wife Rebbetzin Ellis. As that's quite a mouthful for a Little Bean I just have her say Mrs. Ellis.) Also we told her that Daddy would be doing Torah reading in shul.

Shabbat: Rena stole the spotlight while Daddy was reading the Torah. Need I say more? :) She wanted to play with the yad (the pointer used to read the Torah in synagogues; literally means hand in Hebrew because the end of it is shaped like a little hand) so he had to use the tzitzit (fringes) on the tallit (prayer shawl) he was wearing. (Touching the words with hands is forbidden as they are holy words- they are the word of God!)

Motsai Shabbat (Saturday night, after Shabbat is over)- I was just listening to Jewish Music Stream. (Its website is http://jewishmusicstream.com/ but I listen via their iPad app.) They played the best song ever- Hang Up the Phone by Lipa Schmeltzer. I just Googled it and discovered there's a music video that goes with it....I'll have to check that out another time as I have to keep quiet now. Goodnight and shavua tov! :)

Lots of Thanks to God

Thank you, God. My daughter Rena is alive and very healthy with all her basic needs met easily, daily: food, clothing, and shelter. And since I'm her mommy, thank you as well for providing me all those things so Rena has a healthy mommy to take care of her. Thanks also for providing a good Jewish community for us, including but not limited to: Chabad Torah Tots preschool, Herzlia synagogue, the JCC, and the JCFS. You have definitely sent me many angels to help along the way, especially Rabbi and Rebbetzin Ellis (from the synagogue). Thanks for giving me hugs via a special friend who gives great hugs whenever I see her (often). (And thanks to her too for giving me te gret hugs but I don't know if she'll see this.)

Gratitude even for bad things...

I'm so grateful to have had many opportunities to atone for my sins in this world instead of having to wait for punishment in the World to Come....

Swimming lessons! :)

Rena and I had our first mommy-and-me swim class today at the Rady JCC, the Jewish community center here in Winnipeg. She was begging for her swimming lessons ever since I told her she was registered for the class (after having offered her a choice between that and gymnastics). We had a wonderful day! Yes, I mean "day"- the class itself is just a half hour long but Rena did not want to stop swimming! (The lifeguards didn't mind us staying beyond class time.)

The kids' pool has two little water slides (one of which Rena promptly went down multiple times while waiting for the class to start), just regular playground equipment but the bottoms are inside the pool and contain water. It's connected to the adult pool via a passageway under a bridge. There is also a ledge shaped like a horseshoe for jumping into the water.

Skills we learned in the class included blowing bubbles in the water, floating (front and back), kicking legs in the water (also front and back), and jumping into the water (a skill with which Rena was already well acquainted). The teacher played some games to help put those who were not yet comfortable in the water at ease. One game, Simon Says, encouraged the kids to put different body parts in the water, and others helped get kids to jump into the water. Rena loved Simon Says but was not at all interested in the jumping games- she just jumped into my arms. :) There was just one daddy doing the class (mommy-and-me, I've noticed, is a limiting terminology; a better term I've seen used is parent/child but that's also limiting because there are lso grandmas who participate) with his child. Rena suddenly went over to him in the water and gave him a kiss on his shoulder. At the end of class we were told we could play with pool toys in a large bin. Rena, being the sweety-pie that she is, took out almost all the balls and toy boats and tossed them into the water for all the kids; she had me take care of those she couldn't reach and even had me empty the bin entirely by removing the few random toys that we saw all the way at the bottom of the bin.

Somehow we spent a couple hours swimming after that with just a two-second snack break. We observed a class for mommies with babies that might have been w after aerobics or something. The mommies would hold the babies for part of the class, and other times they had the babies in little floats. It was sooo cute! :) At one point I pretended to be a shark while Rena played  a fish, and the "shark" went chasing and chomping after the "fish." She said it tickled. :)

I hadn't brought a lunch for us because I hadn't expected to stay so late and we were both really hungry, so I took Rena to the little kosher restaurant there, Shmoozers, for lunch as a special treat. Why not, to celebrate her first swimming lessons? I said clearly that it was a special treat and that from now on we would bring lunch from home (Grammy and Grampy's house). We got a huge taco salad, and a salmon and red pepper quiche that came with a piece of garlic toast and a side salad. All the food was delicious! :) Also we ran into Rabbi and Rebbetzin Ellis while we were there. Thank you, Rabbi Ellis, for again being so helpful with discussing my questions and concerns, and thank you, Rebbetzin Ellis, for the update on you-know-what.

We can't wait for next Thursday! :)

Buy Shabbat candles online and help me support my family at the same time.....

I just signed up to be an affiliate of Judaism.com, a website that sells Judaica. I have not purchased anything from there myself but Chabad.org seems to have some sort of relationship with it, or at least endorse it. If you click here to buy Shabbat candles, you get your Shabbat candles and I get 10% commission to help me support my family! :) That's how it's supposed to work. Please let me know if you do this so I can make sure I'm doing it correctly. Thanks!

Already getting ready for Chanukah....

I was showing Rena some Jewish music videos, and we came across an old favorite that she watched and danced to over and over last Chanukah: Candlelight by the Maccabeats. Here it is:

A good spot for work! :)

I'm sitting on a comfy couch in a flower shop with all sorts of gorgeous flowers and other beautiful items for sale. The friendly salesperson gave an enthusiastic, "Go for it!" when I walked in and asked if I could sit here. I don't feel at all awkward sitting here in the store without buying something. 

Wow, a lot of catching up to do!

I can't believe it's been months since I've written here! Things have been super-crazy! This post will be divided by month.

June:

Thanks to my parents for schlepping to visit us in Seattle though Rena and I would be going to visit them in Cincinnati anyway AND we were in the process of packing up our stuff to be stored (as we were moving out of the apartment).

Thanks to my Seattle friend and her family for hosting my parents, Rena, and me for the weekend between moving out of the apartment and our flight to Cincinnati. We had a lovely time!

July:

Woo-hoo, Rena and I had a wonderful time visiting her Bubby and Zeida (my parents) in Cincinnati! :) I'm so glad they were able to spend so much time together, AND I finally got to sort through my old stuff and get rid of most of it! :)

August:

Yay, Rena and I successfully made it through customs without me even having to pull out my signed, notarized letter authorizing me to take her to Canada by myself and landed in Winnipeg to be reunited with Daddy after a month away from him! :) I'm so grateful that there was nothing really tying us to Seattle so we had the option to just stay here instead of returning to Seattle. I appreciate my mind's ability to hold onto good memories such as those from our time in Seattle and look forward to more good times here in Winnipeg! :)

September:

Rena started preschool at Chabad's Torah Tots Preschool. I'm so grateful that there's a religious preschool here that's comparable to MMSC in Seattle. (Preschool was the only possible reason to return to Seattle but obviously that wasn't an issue.) A fellow preschool mom invited the three of us to her house for a Shabbat lunch. She said she and her family attended Herzliyah for shul so we went there that day though we'd been attending the Chabad shul (which is in the same building as the preschool). There we found her leading a kids' program in a well-stocked playroom...and it turned out that she and her husband are actually the rabbi and rebbitzin of the shul! :) They're really nice and go out of their way to help us feel comfortable in the community. Thank you, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Ellis! Thank you also, Rebbetzin Ellis, for all the time you've spent helping me out with you-know-what. (Sorry, folks, no details here.) Especially during the Jewish holiday season! Speaking of which, Rena has had such a great time at shul for the holidays! :) She really loved the birthday party for the world held on Rosh Hashana! :)

Oh yeah, one more thing: On Facebook, in a group called "Tanach Stidy Group," I saw a post about an upcoming contest called the International Bible Contest. I'd heard of this contest for high school students but apparently this is the first adult version to be held in decades. I managed to sign up before the deadline. I will be chilled about it and just try my best without worrying about winning.

October:

So far, the current month has seen Rena's birthday party and more partying at shul for Simchat Torah. Also before the dancing we went to my husband's old friends for dinner. The theme for the birthday party was Dora the Explorer: Muffins in paper holders printed with Dora and other characters in the show and topped with candy Dora heads, napkins printed with characters, and lots of Dora-themed gifts. The shul had fun dancing and ice cream! :)

Goodnight!

Freaking awesome week! :)

First off, apologies- I've been letting this blog languish. But I just have to start it up again. Here are the highlights from this week. 1. On Wednesday, I had the BEST time hanging with my friend Chana visiting from New York!!!!! I must also mention that a miracle happened to me that day having to do with taking a bus. Sorry, no details here as I want to keep it private. Suffice it to say that I had a strong feeling that God really wanted me to meet up with her. Anyway, we had so much fun. We went window shopping and chatted for hours. (I bought a couple things but they were items I'd been wanting to get.) 2. Hubby and I made an AWESOME new friend today!!!!! A bunch of people gathered for the last Shabbat meal. It was really chilled and conducive to meeting new people and talking. We really hit it off. We chatted for a lot of the time, and she said she really likes us!

I love Wednesdays! :)

It's my day of yoga with a friend! :)

My crockpot chicken stew that I made up for Shabbat lunch was freaking awesome! :) I think it might quite possibly be the best meal I've ever eaten! :) (Loose) recipe coming shortly in my Foodiscovery blog.

Rena was playing with her laptop computer toy today (though it was Shabbat). Its voice asked the question, "What's your favorite toy?" She answered, "Dada." I got such a kick out of that. She loves playing with her daddy! :) It asked, "Is there a special place you like to visit?" Rena could not say her answer clearly, but I'm almost positive she said, "Israel." She hasn't actually been there yet, but I talk about it a lot, and for sure she's also learned about it in preschool. :)

I had a beautifully spiritual moment while lying on the couch and looking out the window at a tree. This bare tree is a wonderful example of fractal geometry, and I was admiring it and thinking about the amazingness of God's creations. Then I was thinking that it was a perfect visual example of choices in one's life and all the possible outcomes that could follow from different choices. Then I was thinking about how the tree has roots and how important it is for me to stick to my roots, basically meaning the values that I learned in childhood, especially Judaism. I realized that I can make different choices while still sticking to my roots, and that, though different outcomes will follow depending on my choices, if I stick to my roots I will raise myself up high to the heavens (I.e. becoming what God wants of me) like the branches on the tree. There is no one right path for me but my decisions and outcome will be good as long as I stick to my roots.

Rena napped for hours today so I let her stay up late for havdallah, the short ceremony to mark the end of Shabbat that Rena loves because there's a candle involved. Lately we'd been waiting until Sunday morning so she could go to bed at bedtime on Saturdays before Shabbat is over but still join us for havdallah, but we often forgot to do it at all (and it just doesn't feel the same when it's done on Sunday morning as it does on Saturday night). So, Rena really enjoyed havdallah this week. (We were also considering going to a party tonight but she was too cranky and tired when it got to be past her bedtime. So, I didn't have to take her out in the rain.)

I love my freshly washed laundry! :) I did a load tonight after Shabbat and put lots of peppermint Dr. Bronner's Castile soap in with the detergent. The clothes came out smelling all pepperminty! :)

Early finish

I finished cooking for Shabbat early so I have time to chill before Shabbat! :)

Shabbat shalom! :)

So glad Rena slept in today!

I was exhausted so I was glad that I got to sleep in, too! :)

Awesome morning so far! :)

1. Someone gave us a new old stroller rain cover so we don't have to buy a new one! :) The one we had before ripped.

2. As Rena and I were coming into the building, the head of school was making a special announcement that one of the teachers had gotten engaged! :) (Not one of Rena's teachers but it's always good news to hear about someone getting engaged.)

3. The internet is working here again! :) It was broken on Monday.

4. I'm having a nice Facebook chat catching up with my friend Raquel! :)

I LOVE our clean apartment! :)

Thanks so much to our cleaners from Green Cleaning Seattle! :) Everything is so shiny and smells good! :)

Yay, hubby! :)

Thanks for doing a load of dishes! :)

Thanks to our building manager...

...for changing the batteries for the smoke detector in Rena's bedroom! No more incessant beeping! :)

What I need, when I need it

Wow! I received in my email the following forward from my awesome favorite cousin. I'd been feeling depressed. Hubby did a wonderful job cheering me up mostly but seeing this message really made me smile. It's just what I need at this time.
 
 


PRAY THIS EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT!!

IT WILL ONLY TAKE A MINUTE.

I contemplated not doing this, but as I read it....

I understood Hashem to say,

'You need a miracle tomorrow'

so here goes...


You never know when Hashem is going to bless you!!

Good things happen when you least expect them to !!!!!!!!

Change the number in the subject box when you forward it by adding one!!!


Hashem,Hashem, I thank You for this day,

I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning.

I'm blessed because You are a forgiving G-d and an understanding G-d.

You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me.

Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to You. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm.

Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude.

Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over.

And give me the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.

I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart.

Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others.


Keep me strong that I may help the weak...

Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.


I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way.

I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood.

I pray for those who don't know You intimately.

I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others.


I pray for those that don't believe.

But I thank You that I believe that Hashem Yisborach changes people and G-d changes things.

I pray for all my sisters and brothers.

For each and every family member in their households.

I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes; that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than G-d.

Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight.


I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees it.

Amein!


If you prayed this prayer, change the number in the subject box before forwarding the message
so people can see how many other people have done so.


Just repeat this phrase and see how G-d moves!!

Hashem, I love You and I need You, come into my heart, please.

Pass this message to 10 people except you and me. You will receive a miracle tomorrow.
Don't ignore this and G-d will bless you.

Know that you are already blessed by the person who sent this to you.

Secret

I can't give any details, but hubby did something AWESOME today that made me jump for joy, dance, and cheer! :)

In other news, I waited to get frozen kosher organic chickens brought to me from the back freezer at QFC, instead of just grabbing the non-organic that was on the shelves. And I got four of them, so we're all set for the next few weeks! :)

Rena's first dance class! :)

Rena and I had a great time at the dancing tots class at All That Dance! :) It was a great beginner dance class because it incorporated basic dancing concept into the class and also the use of musical instruments and objects like scarves and a parachute to play/dance with. One wall of the room is mirrored all the way, which Rena loved, of course. :)

Yoga! :)

Today, while our kids were in school, I attended Power Yoga at Lakeview Yoga with a friend! :) It had been several years since I'd done yoga. Though my body struggled to shape itself into the moves, many of them came back to my mind. I think I could get good at it if I do this weekly. Also chatting with my friend before and after was very nice! :) (Not during, though, because there's no talking allowed during the class.) Thanks to my friend for inviting me to do yoga with her, and thanks to the wonderful teacher! :) I've written a recommendation on the Facebook Page for Lakeview Yoga.

Upon picking up Rena from school, I was delighted to hear that her preschool class had held a birthday party for trees to celebrate the Jewish holiday Tu B'Shvat, which I think of as the Jewish Arbor Day. The teachers provided for snack the Seven Species for which the Land of Israel is noted, the tree in their classroom "wore" a crown, and the kids sang Happy Birthday to it. Haha, I didn't even know there was a tree inside their classroom. (There's one in their playground.) I'll have to look for it next time. (I didn't get to look because pickup is from the playground rather than the classroom, unless it's raining, and it wasn't raining at pickup time.)

So grateful to Whole Foods...

...for refilling the self-grind organic almond butter! :) I'm glad I opted not to get the jarred stuff yesterday because self-grind is tastier, less expensive, and fun to watch! :)

I need to post here....

....It's been a long time since I've felt like writing a yay. And you know what ended up happening? I got really depressed yesterday. I need to write here. Feel free to send me a Facebook message reminding me to write one. It's that serious.

Anyway, today I want to publicly thank my husband, mother in law, and father law for their kind concern yesterday and in recent days. You know what I'm talking about. No public details, please. I was a bad daughter-in-law by getting upset and not responding. To the latter: I've heard and understand your idea and will call you later today when Rena is in bed. Thank you both for putting up with me and my refusal to answer while depressed. And thank you hubby for making me call you mom! You know that always makes me feel better.

Also I want to say how glad I am that the really cold season here is short. The weather was beautiful today! :)

Thanks to hubby for taking Rena to school today.

Ok, I guess that's good for now.

Snow! :)

It's so beautiful! :)

Rena and I took a walk in the Seattle snow today. She of course doesn't remember snow from last year, and anyway it's much better here because it stays white the next day! :) She was filled with wonder- What is this wet, cold stuff?!

Oops again....

Well, I'd fallen out of the habit of writing here daily but I just wanted to publicly thank my Seattle in-laws for giving us a crockpot. We did not see them since before Chanukah as my Winnipeg in-laws were in town, so this was their Chanukah gift. We will begin using it just for Shabbat but eventually I want to use it during the week as well to make meal prep easier.