Leah Country

2011-07-12T09:25:00.002-04:00

I cant seem to give up on Leah Country. I have begun a new blog Far Beyond Rubies and am hoping that it will be a place I can teach and most of all learn. But this blog seems to have so much of my heart. I have been off of the blog for over a year but hope to be able to come back and share the new developments in my life. Thanks to all of you who followed over the years. Leah

I have been Sewing

2009-08-30T23:27:00.002-04:00

I have forgotten my lost art of sewing and after today debating wether I like still doing it. Well I can honestly say it is always great therapy. I have made new patterns today for myself and my youngest daughter. Can I tell you I missed it so much. The last time I sewed was almost a year ago. I moved in my new house and saw my sewing machine collecting dust. Lo and behold today I had the fever. I must have cut out 6 outfits and also fudged a pattern for my youngest. I made her an outfit and had such a blast sharing with her. She chose her fabric and also her little
iron-ons :) I will be posting her outfit in a couple of days and let me know what ya think. Shalom Leah.

"Earth Song" Please Watch!!!

2009-07-22T21:59:00.001-04:00

I would have to say this is Micheal's Greatest Contribution to the World.

"Earth Song"

What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things
That you said we were to gain...
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores?

Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah

What have we done to the world
Look what we've done
What about all the peace
That you pledge your only son...
What about flowering fields
Is there a time
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores

Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah

I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far

Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah
Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah

Hey, what about yesterday
(What about us)
What about the seas
(What about us)
The heavens are falling down
(What about us)
I can't even breathe
(What about us)
What about apathy
(What about us)
I need you
(What about us)
What about nature's worth
(ooo, ooo)
It's our planet's womb
(What about us)
What about animals
(What about it)
We've turned kingdoms to dust
(What about us)
What about elephants
(What about us)
Have we lost their trust
(What about us)
What about crying whales
(What about us)
We're ravaging the seas
(What about us)
What about forest trails
(ooo, ooo)
Burnt despite our pleas
(What about us)
What about the holy land
(What about it)
Torn apart by creed
(What about us)
What about the common man
(What about us)
Can't we set him free
(What about us)
What about children dying
(What about us)
Can't you hear them cry
(What about us)
Where did we go wrong
(ooo, ooo)
Someone tell me why
(What about us)
What about babies
(What about it)
What about the days
(What about us)
What about all their joy
(What about us)
What about the man
(What about us)
What about the crying man
(What about us)
What about Abraham
(What was us)
What about death again
(ooo, ooo)
Do we give a damn

Aaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaah

We take it all for granted...

2009-07-03T01:28:00.004-04:00

It's not until things are gone that we realize that we take things for granted. Even if they are gone for just a moment. As everyone who knows me personally know the situation my husband and I face.
Tonight has been a repeat of many nights.
The Dr.s told my beloved that he would be paralyzed by the age of 35.
Well they were wrong.
He is 36 and still walking.
But what brings me to this?
Tonight has been a repeat of many nights.
Tonight I had to put the children to bed.
Tonight I had to help my husband to bed.
Tonight I had to get his drink of juice.
Tonight I had to help him undress.
Tonight I had to try and bring curculation to his legs.
Tonight I will be alone in my room because he cannot go up the stairs.
I am not writing for pity or a miracle.
I write for prayers to give me strength to help him.
Strength to endure this even if it is only for a moment.
It is when this happens when you think of the silly things that we take for granted on a daily basis like our evening walks.
Him running with the children or rollerblading.
Our loved ones should not be taken for granted and if they are we need to ask ourselves do we really love them properly?
Why do we have to wait until things are going wrong that we have to reflect?
Why does Hashem have to constantly give us a wake up call?
Why can we not just stand back and see all the glory and real beauty in our lives.
We are abundant with blessings.
I thank Hashem for reminding me.
I thank Hashem that he gave me such a wonderful husband and father for my children.
This is a tribute to him not when it is too late. But just in time.
I am my beloved and my beloved is mine.
What does that really mean?
I don't see it as an ownership of one to the other.
I see it as a connecton between two people that is unbreakable.
We feel what they feel.
We see what they see.
We love what they love.
We are united as one being.
We are what they are.
I think that Hashem knew this can happen between two beings We and our spouses but most importantly Hashem with Us.
He feels what we feel.
He see what we see.
He loves what we Love.
He is united to us as One.
He is what we are.
Hashem feel,see,love, and be my beloved with myself and my beloved.
Most of all Hashem give me stregth to not take you or my beloved for granted.

Step by Step Tai Chi Segment 1

2009-06-22T23:35:00.000-04:00

Step by Step Tai Chi - Segment 1

Losing oneself at home

2009-06-22T23:25:00.002-04:00

I have realized that the house is a never ending job. today was difficult. I have been so busy just trying to keep up with it all I tend to lose myself and my focus. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what we are trying to do we lose the goal which is the goal of learning and living for something greater than ourselves. this week has been a really large eye opener for me and I am hoping not to just get back ontrack but to stay on track. wish me luck...Leah

just say yes...

2009-05-02T23:40:00.003-04:00

I have been really thinking about life and free spirit. There are many things that i would like to share but for some reason in our minds we always seem to come up with the answer no...i am too busy...not right now...but this shabbat was different. let em go back to last shabbat. Last shabbat I spent i in the hospital. For a year now I have been dealing with this terrible pain in my abdomen and have found every excuse as to not get it checked out. i don't have money for another bill. I don't have insurance. And with this one word of no I suffered for a year in pain unable to enjoy a meal. something so simple as a meal with my family always ended in pain. I would have to leave the able and sit upstairs and not just the physical pain that it has caused me but also the pain of not being able to participate in anything. Mama can you play with me...no honey i don't feel well, mama can you read to me...no i don't feel well, mama..no..mam...no...
Well last week I could bear the pain no more. I decided on Thursday to go to the emergency room and have myself checked out. Well, it turned out to be a hernia and i had surgery Friday morning and spent my shabbat in the hospital. It was a sad shabbat at home and my family spent it very lonely. i was honored as to how much i was missed. But this past week i have been noticing how many times i say no. how many times in my life that I pass life with such a negative attitude and answer. How much I have missed out on because i just didn't give myself the opportunity to have a free spirit to be spontaneous or absurd every now and again. Simple things in life can mean so much if we just give ourselves the opportunity to just say yes my dear i will play with you. Yes my beloved i will go on that walk. Yes tell me about your day. Yes i want that new trinket. But most of all Yes Hashem I want to talk. I want to be a free spirit and live. I just don't want to be another person just existing. I want to live life and know that I have impacted all of those whom I love. when my time has come what will they say when i am gone. will they mourn the loss for me or for themselves. My grandfather was in his 90's when he passed away 6 years ago. But the beauty of his passing was not that we felt bad for him. we mourned for our loss of not having his jokes that he always had to share or the way he smiled. It truly was our loss to see him go. Although he was ready to go and lived a long and full life. His was complete but he left ours empty. What will we live behind. do we really know what our children and family and friends think? Have we really impacted them? or did we just do our job and wait for the end. this past shabbat was so beautiful. my oldest daughter and I stayed up until 2 am laughing and talking and just being ourselves. It was like a slumber party. There really isn't anything that she could tell me that would disappoint me or take away those precious moments. But it is those moments that are real. When people can see the real you and feel blessed that you are in their lives. Just say yes to life ...you won't regret it.

My own homeschooling ideas

2009-01-21T23:12:00.002-05:00

I have decided to make some of my own curriculum of resources that I use from online for homeschoolers who sway towards charlotte mason and also I am going to give a few ideas of what I use. I f anyone has any links that might be helpful lease let me know and I will check them out. I have noticed that there are not a lot of jewsih resources already made. I myself have already made several workbooks etc for my children with good ol' microsoft word and a traceable font.

La Parranda

2009-01-11T08:53:00.003-05:00

In my former life there was a tradition we carried for many years which you don't see anymore and that is the beauty of a parranda. A Parranda is a group of people who get together and go from house to house and play music waiting for someone to open the door. They were to be fed and given much drink (preferably rum LOL)

Navidad is the best of Puerto Rican culture. Nowhere else are the holiday's celebrated like in Borinquen. Navidad is the time of tradition, aguinaldos, décimas, y de ser jíbaro Puertorriqueño

But where does that have place in my new life of being a jew? I decided to have my parranda at whatever the cost. I loaded my children and headed to the house of the one person I knew could appreciate the parranda. My dear sisters house.

I can tell you that it was wonderful.

Scary Reality

2009-01-06T11:57:00.003-05:00

This is scary because people think these things happened 70 or 100 or maybe 400 years ago but the message is today and very much the same. Hashem help us make Teshuva and help us defeat our enemies.

Zahar Claims Victory, Calls to Kill Jewish Children
by Maayana Miskin
(IsraelNN.com) Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Az-Zahar claimed victory for Hamas on Monday, saying Hamas had succeeded in “destroying Israel's sense of security” with its rocket attacks. Zahar made his proclamation in video footage sent from a secret hideout, where he is taking shelter in order to avoid being targeted in an IAF strike. Other Hamas leaders have gone into hiding as well.
Zahar directed his message to Hamas' troops, and promised them victory over the IDF. “We must be patient until we are victorious, Allah will help us,” he said. Hundreds of Hamas terrorists have been killed since the “Cast Lead” operation began last week, including 100 since the start of Israel's ground operation, and several of the group's senior leaders have been assassinated. Dozens have been taken prisoner as well.
The Hamas leader called to murder Israelis and Jews worldwide, including children. “The Israelis have sentenced their children to death... They have legitimized the killing of their people all over the world,” he said. Hamas' platform calls for all Jews to convert to Islam or be killed, based on an Islamic saying (Hadith), and the group has not refrained from targeting children in the past.
Hamas will destroy synagogues and Jewish schools as well, Zahar said, just as Israel destroyed mosques in Gaza. Israel bombed several mosques used to store rockets and ammunition.
Zahar suggested Hamas was prepared to seek a ceasefire, saying Hamas would discuss “whatever is good for our people.” He issued a list of demands, saying any ceasefire must include a complete end to IDF counterterrorism activities, Hamas control of the Gaza coast and the opening of Israeli crossings.
Israel has not offered Hamas a ceasefire, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert recently said operations in Gaza would continue “until we achieve our goals.”

Sledding, Snowball fights and 11 years of Marriage.

2008-12-16T22:59:00.006-05:00

Well I must say that my day has ended beautifully. I think of how things were a year ago and B'H' Things have changed so much. Today for the first time in in our marriage of 11 years my beloved and I took the children to a hill that is about a block from our home. It was late and in homeschooling there are no snow days. But they beauty is being spontaneous and just doing things without a thought. We bundled the children and ourselves and headed for the hill. It first began with a snowball, the a snow man, and jumped into sledding. No I am not talking about just my children I speak of my beloved and myself.
Marriage is hard and long and tough. But...it has its moments that can never be forgotten.
There is a song by Sheryl Crow that states "we can live lifetimes in a single day" how true it is. I remember the suffering that my beloved and I have gone through and the pain and sweat and literally blood and tears.
How far we have come and grown.
Today we lived a lifetime. Today we laughed, smiled and played in a way that I don't think we have ever done. As I look at marriages around me and watch them fall apart for reasons I cant seem to fathom anymore. I cannot understand how people can live together for years and still be with a stranger.
Why?
What does one want?
The question is what should one give?
Many people know my story and know how my beloved and I have struggled.
I do not claim to have the perfect marriage.
But it is perfect for me.
He is perfect for me.
I didn't repair my marriage. I began a new one but with the same man.
I don't remember what happened the last 11 years. It seems so long ago as if it were a different life. I look back and see different people so foreign to me.
Who was my beloved?
Who was I?
Can a person truly get past the pain of the past?
My husband asked me how did I do it?
How did I forgive and continue?
The only answer I gave him is forgive what?
I don't acknowledge yesterday. It is gone and I will never have to deal with it again.
Rebbe Nachman says that start anew at this very moment as if you did not do anything wrong and it is so true with everything.
There truly is peace in forgiveness. Not just for the person you are forgiving but more so for yourself.
Every day I am married anew with my beloved and yes we have disagreements and petty arguments. But it is a new one. This is a new day to love and share and grow and learn.

But I would say the secret is being a family. Not just living in a home and having separate lives. This is including the children. But being a family, talking, sharing, laughing, and yes having a snowball fight. Go down the hill with a sled and race with your children, Make a snowman or build a fort with your beloved. Because time passes quickly and you may never have that opportunity again,

I know you may think well you don't know my husband or wife. you don't know what I have been through but reality is, is that that statement is irrelevant. If your beloved is your sou correction then learn from your beloved. The good and the negative traits. There is something to be learned and the sooner you learn it the sooner your marriage can grow. And then you can have a snowball fight!

Ahh who knows I may be wrong...may be..maybe not.

Shalom, Leah

Snowy Day

2008-12-16T15:37:00.004-05:00

Well it is snowing here in Lancaster County and can I tell you it is beautiful. I sit looking out my window and dream of what I am going to be doing this spring. I plan to make my garden. But what I am looking forward to is sitting next to my warn fake fireplace LOL and crochet a few more much need kippas. School for once is going smoothly and can you believe I am not behind this year. That's a first LOL. But all is well in Leah Country. I am planning on getting my gardening supplies early this year. also getting the much needed supplies to build the children their sandbox. Although we are on a very tight budget I am managing to take a few dollars a week and get started on getting the much needed items for the spring. Well have to go my husband is placing more shelves in the school room to help me reorganize it. Shalom Aleichem, Leah

Chayei Sarah

2008-11-20T19:56:00.004-05:00

I found it interesting about this weeks Parsha that when Isaac's Mother had passed away is when they sent Eliezer to look for a wife for him. I wonder why was it at that time? Rivka had the same gift as Sara did. The gift of having the Shekinah over her tent and also the fact that her candles went from Shabbat to Shabbat. Plus many more...
Where am I going for with this. Well am I a woman good enough for my son. Does my son deserve a woman like me?
Could it be the opposite. Maybe he deserves a better woman than myself.
I know what type of person I am, my past and present mistakes.
So am I the type of woman at the moment that I would want for my son.
It is at this moment that I cling to Hashem and pray and beg that I would be a better mother and better wife so that my son would look for that in a wife.
Unfortunately at this moment I must say G-d forbid he have a wife as I am. I would want better for him. But Rivka like Sara. She had the fear of Hashem and truly adored Hashem and served Hashem Thank G-d that my son is still too young to even think about marriage.
It gives me a little (not much) time to get myself together and show him of what to look for in a wife and also a mother for his children.

Man I have a lot fo Work .

But the beauty is the awareness to strive and do better and be better not just for my children but for my beloved husband who tolerates so much of me.
Just thought I would share this little insight.

Tired Today

2008-11-19T21:45:00.003-05:00

Well it has been a long day and maybe even a little bit sad for me. I was doing laundry which believe it or not I like doing. But as I sat there folding my clothes a sadness came over me. Right now I am not working I am kind of taking a break. But the reality set in on the fact that my being a homemaker is only temporary and that makes me sad. I have always loved the idea of being home and raising the children. Homeschooling and also learning. But sad...soon this will be over and I will have to go back to work. So the beauty of being on a time limit is knowing that whatever time you have it must be invested in the children. Every moment is a lesson for me to teach them something knew. Our homeschool curriculum is a mix mosh of so many things but they are things that are very valuable. Woman who are at home need to cherish the time they have because time is very short and so much to teach them. Ahhh if I only had more time to teach them more. B' zerat Hashem my stay with them will be longer.
:( Leah

Home & Hashem

2008-11-11T08:14:00.003-05:00

Well we are finally here and believe it or not it has been a journey and a half. My husband and I have been looking for a house to buy and on a very tight time limit. We were told September 11th that I was no longer employed with my company and had til November 10th to move. So the looking began. We looked and looked and put bids in and to no avail nothing panned out. I had told my husband I will not go to the city. I dot want to live there I want to be in the country or the outskirts of the city.
Funny, when time is running out you start settling for just about anything. But then we saw this house. It was not in area and my husband and I were like NO WAY!!! I am not raising my children there. My niece was my real estate agent and to humour her we went in and saw it.
To our surprise it was actually the nicest house we had gone to see and 15 thousand cheaper than what we were looking for.
Now that we found the house we had to place the bid. Mind you my brother was the one purchasing the house and he is an investor. So the typical down payment of 8-10% was out of the question. At first they said 10% is fine. Then 2 weeks later they said sorry it was raised to 15 % down payment. We we sad but thought well no problem we can do that. Then they lender calls again and states the underwriter will not do it for 15% we need 35% down.
At this point time is running out. What can I do, Where can I get the money.
All looked hopeless. My brother was discouraged and giving up. He called me and said the deal went bad you have to think of another place to go. I'm sorry.
It was a week before I had to leave my apartment and I had no where to go. I had no money because all of it was tied up for a house. I began to cry out
Abba, let not your little children be left in the street. Let no one say that Hashem allowed his children to be left in the street. This home is your decision and not mine. Let everyone say that the only way Leah received this house was by no other way than a miracle.
3 days before I had to leave I receive a call from my brother. He said Sis are you packed?I said yeah I am ready to go. I don't know where I am going but I am ready. He tells me that he has drawn all the money out the he has and is paying for my house in full and I will need to pay him back.
Toda Abba. Not only did I get the house it was paid in full. That is truly a miracle.
So my brother tells me Hashem loves you because he placed in my in my head everywhere I can pull money out of to buy this house for you.
Can I tell you after all was said and done my brother had exactly what he needed to buy the house. That is Abba making the miracle.
The point is that sometimes Abba waits until the last minute to show you that He is in control of the Universe.
After all was said and done No one could say it was our effort. It truly was Hashem who gave me home and used my dear brother to do.
I truly am blessed and renewed and thanking Hashem for his Miracles.

Hello Can You hear Me?

2008-10-29T14:56:00.003-04:00

Well it is 10 days and counting and still no answer as to whether or not we have the house. The first house we went and looked and and it fell through. Also because of the market percentage went up and up for the deposit and now another comes in about credit.

MAN ALIVE!!! How many more things can come up in 2 months. Our family has been sick and discouraged yet I still cling on. I cant tell you how many ibuprofen I have popped due to this and the anxiety level being in an all time high.

Fears, worries creep in....Abba what is going on ...hello...can you hear me?

Disappointment after disappointment seems to stream out.

Where will we go? What will we do?

We have been down every road to make this happen and it keeps getting blocked. As it stands now my family and I do not have a home.

I laugh at people who tell me don't stress and don't worry.

That is easy to say when your home is not being taken out from under your feet.

That is easy when you have a job to go to in the AM.

That is easy when life seems good and then as usual we tend to forget the one who allowed us to go through this.

Am I upset...yes

Am I angry....YES...

Am I under control...no.....no....no

This is the time of realizing how small we are and how big He is.

This is the time when you realized He has the cards and has always had the cards.

This is when we realize that he only lets us peek once in a while to let us have that boost of confidence.

Only to be humbled and realized we only peeked at was is His.

I don't expect people to understand what I am writing about.

I can barely explain it myself. The realization of Him having all control and myself not having any control except for the decision as to whether or not I choose to cry out to Him.

I cry...Hello...Can You Hear Me Abba?

It matters not the outcome at this point because the only reality is, is that I control nothing and am very small and He is very Big and I so much need to feel comfort from Him right now...

But if He doesn't allow this to happen Toda Abba....I still seek for you and cry out to you.

Teshuva

2008-10-03T00:47:00.001-04:00

???

2008-10-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

Q: Is one permitted to ride in an airplane on the Sabbath?
A: Yes, as long as your seat belt remains fastened. In this case, it is considered that you are not riding, you are wearing the plane.

Posting Again

2008-10-02T23:04:00.002-04:00

For those of you who think I may have fell off the face of the earth I have not I am alive and well. I plan to do more blogging now that I have the free time to do so. Keep an eye out for some of my stuff I am planning on blogging a lot more now that I am home with the children. Shalom and Many Blessings to those who have stayed waiting for my next piece of work LOL

Shalom Leah

Home

2008-10-02T23:01:00.000-04:00

Well things haven't been great lately and even though this is a time to reflect going into the high holy days it is very difficult. Although I do not write a lot about myself and personal life I can only think to vent out. I lost my job and now I am in the process of being forced out of my apartment. Unfortunately that came with the job. I try to look at this as a test. Why? Because that is exactly what it is. A test. The test is not only about pass or fail but also about endurance. I always hear that ridiculous lie that Hashem does not give you more than you can handle. But, that is the biggest lie I have ever heard in my life. Of course he gives us more than we can handle because what would be the point if we got through it with out Him....He has to give us more because it is at that point that we call upon the mercy of Hashem to open our eyes to the things we have done wrong and make it right. Atonement for my sins? Maybe. But that is ok because I know that even though it seems that all is lost I have the joy of knowing that I am not alone. Hashem is with me and blessed me with a family that stands by my side even if we end up living in a cardboard box. So do I want pity? No save it for someone who really needs it. I need support of family and friends that I am so blessed to have that stands by me in the worst of it all. You know who you are that walk with me and have walked with me for years. I don't want this to be a poor Leah and her family. Say tehillim because you know that Hashem can work a miracle and in the end of it all no one can say it as because of their hands but because of the tehillim that went to the feet of Hashem and He heard them. Well, thanks for listening. Shalom, Leah

I'll take it off your hands Mama

2008-08-05T09:45:00.002-04:00

I was lying in bed when my 5 year old daughter strolls into the room with a bear that looks like a monkey. My older daughter had won it on a trip to Hershey park for me. As she walks in with a look of disgust holding the monkey bear she says to me.."Mama do you want this?" I said to her "Yes, why do you ask that?" She proceeded to tell me that it was an ugly bear and that it's arms were too short and the color is all wrong. Why would I want an ugly monkey such as this, She continued her look of disgust.

I asked her," What do you think I should do with it?"

"Well," she replied," I think you should give it to me....."

Chaplin

2008-07-21T08:55:00.005-04:00

Can I tell you what a fanatic I have become of Charlie Chaplin?I just saw his movie limelight and man can I tell you I love it. Take a look into the past and learn about the beauty of it's humor and art.

Table Ballet

2008-06-02T23:34:00.003-04:00

Chag Sameach Pesach

2008-04-16T15:48:00.005-04:00

I had to laugh when I saw this enjoy. BTW this is not to promote to do pesach any different I just enjoyed the humour.

Talis

2008-04-15T17:30:00.002-04:00

Talis

One Shabbat a man spilled grape juice on his talit.The very next day he brought it to the cleaners.
When the time came to pick it up, he was stunned see the bill for $50.

"Fifty dollars!" he shouted. "To clean one little talit?"

"Do you have any idea how long it took me to get out all those little knots!" the dry-cleaner replied.

Search for Chametz Quickly

2008-04-15T17:09:00.004-04:00

Path to Freedom

2008-04-15T14:05:00.002-04:00

Make a difference 1

2008-04-14T18:32:00.005-04:00

I took a drive to the Salvation Army and I bought cloth napkins. When we have Shabbat it is easy to just go get paper napkins and be done with it. But I decided to make a small change and go and get the napkins. Less garbage on our landfills...

25 Steps You Can Take Today

2008-04-06T18:30:00.001-04:00

25 Ways to be More Self Reliant Today
By Marye Audet

Why Self Reliance?
Self reliant living has always been an important skill. From the Pilgrims to our grandparents that lived through the depression and World War 2 the ability to survive and thrive during times of intense hardship can mean the difference between life and death, freedom and slavery. Sometimes we become self reliant because we want to and sometimes because we have to. It is, in my opinion, better to be self reliant before we are forced to. There is nothing in this world that is guaranteed. Things change rapidly. Stock markets rise and they crash, you may have a job today and yet be unemployed tomorrow. It stands to reason that the more independent you can be, the better off you are and the better quality of life you will have overall.

25 Steps You Can Take Today
Becoming independent is not an overnight thing but everything starts somewhere and this is no different. The small steps you take today can change your life, even save your life, further down the road.
1. Come up with a plan to get out of debt. This really isn't that hard. Put up the credit cards and don't use them. Begin to pay an extra five dollars on your lowest balance, more if you can. When that balance is paid off add the amount you had been paying to your next lowest balance, and so on. When you can pay more by all means DO! Debt costs you money. If you really want to see how much it is costing you add up your finance charges every month. $50? $100? what could you be doing with that money?
2. Learn one homemaking skill a month. Sewing, knitting, and crocheting would be my top suggestions and then from their move to soap making and spinning. With these skills you can clothe your family or even make a little money.
3. Make simplicity a habit. When you need to get your nails done, get your hair done, have the newest technology the lack of these things will leave a huge void in your life. If you create a life without things you don't miss them when they are gone! Learn to enjoy an evening board game with the family rather than dvd's or video games.
4. Invest in books. No matter what happens if you have books available you can find the information you need. If the Internet goes down, if power goes off, you won't be able to get your information from your computer however if you have a good collection of books; reference and good literature, you will always have both entertainment and instruction. You can homeschool your kids pretty thoroughly with only a good set of encyclopedias.
5. Learn cooking skills. Bread baking, canning, making sour dough starter, and even making things like wine and vinegar are useful abilities.
6. Invest in reusable personal items like cloth diapers and cloth feminine hygeine products.
7. Plan a vegetable garden. It doesn't have to be extensive. Good things to plant would be:
green beans
lettuces
spinach
broccoli
beets
tomatoes
peas
okra
eggplant
peppers
zucchini
squash
cucumbers
There are, of course many other vegetables to try but these are the most reliable and prolific for the beginner.
8. Plant herbs. Culinary herbs should include basil, oregano, dill, lavender (mixed use), mint (also mixed use), rosemary, sage, and cilantro. But don't stop at culinary herbs, there are many herbs that make important medicinal teas. Lavender is soothing, mint calms a queasy tummy. Alfalfa cleanses the blood stream and lymph system.
9. Plant fruit. Not everyone has the space for an orchard but there are new varieties of miniature and dwarf trees that stay five feet tall or less and yet produce fruit. Usually you need two varieties of each fruit tree for proper pollination. By planting fruit trees as landscaping you will have s guaranteed supply of fruit in hard times. Strawberries, black berries, and grapes are other good choices.
10. Consider bee keeping as a fun hobby and a way to ensure that your sweet tooth gets fed.
11. Consider dairy goats. Depending on where you live you can keep a couple of does for far less than you will pay for milk. If your space is very limited consider Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats. They are about the size of a Golden Retriever or Lab and are sweet tempered with good milk production on minimal feed. You can even use the large Igloo dog houses as shelter for them.
12. Chickens can provide eggs and meat. If you keep a rooster or two you can ensure your ability to continue to produce both eggs and meat as long as necessary by breeding the chickens and allowing them to hatch their eggs. Chickens, if allowed to free range, need little in the way of supplemental foods.
13. Pick up hand tools. Battery operated and electric drills and saws are great normally but what if the grid goes down and you need to fix something? Not only do I have hand saws of various types but I also have my dad's old hand plane, auger, post hole diggers and other tools that you can pick up for pennies at garage sales.
14. Have a plan. This sounds easy but few people do it. Spend a few minutes thinking about what would happen in a financial crisis, national emergency, or weather related emergency. List some things you would need, plan what steps you would take.
15. Have a first aid kit handy and learn about homeopathics and herbs. These were used for centuries before antibiotics and have a place in home health care today. Colloidal silver can be used as eye drops, nose drops, ear drops, external antibiotic and an internal antibiotic. Keep a reference where you can get it quickly.
16. Buy a hunting rifle and learn to use it safely. There may come a time when that adorable rabbit that nibbles the clover in your backyard may make an excellent stew.
17. Learn to forage for wild foods.
18. Change your mentality about money. Working a 9-5 job is only one way to make an income. There are many more from tutoring, selling produce and eggs, to cleaning houses, mowing lawns, and blogging.
19. Start a reference library. Books that have instruction in important survival skills are a great investment.
20. Keep some MRIs handy, about 1-2 weeks worth per person. This will give you time, in an emergency, to come up with a plan to feed your family.
21. Install a wood stove. Whether it is in the den or somewhere else a wood stove will provide heat and cooking surface if need be.
22. Exercise. Keeping yourself healthy will enable you to be strong in times of stress.
23. Keep some cash at home. 500.00 is a good start. If something happens you have cash to use as you need to.
24. Learn about alternative energy and begin moving toward solar power panels.
25. Have a well drilled that can be utilized without an electric pump.
By doing these things you can feel confident in your ability to lead your family through hard times with a minimal discomfort.

The Wise Demise of Plastic Bags

2008-04-03T15:25:00.003-04:00

The Wise Demise of Plastic Bags
June/July 2007 By Megan Phelps

It’s not unusual for consumers to reconsider a familiar product and wonder “Was this a bad idea?” Hazardous products may face a recall, declining sales, or in some cases, an outright ban. It's happened to a wide range of consumer products including dangerous toys and medications with harmful side effects. Environmentally damaging products that have been phased out include leaded gasoline, many pesticides and ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

In recent months, several initiatives have banned some familiar, but wasteful, products because there are now greener options available. Here's a rundown of which products are being banned and the better options that are replacing them.
PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS
Where: San Francisco and Leaf Rapids, Canada, recently banned plastic grocery bags made from petroleum.
Why: The bags are hard to recycle, they're made from petroleum, and on the coast they often blow into the water, where they're an eyesore, and hazardous to marine life if ingested.
Complications: San Francisco hopes stores will stock biodegradable plastic bags, but they are more expensive than petroleum-based plastic (6 to 10 cents each, instead of 1 cent each). Paper bags may not be an eco-friendly alternative. They consume forest resources (if not made from recycled paper) and making them creates pollution.
Best Alternatives: There’s a clear consensus on this issue: Reusable bags are the best. Consider using a whole set of canvas bags for your grocery shopping.

INCANDESCENT BULBS
Where: Australia will phase out the incandescent light bulb by 2010, and Ontario by 2012. Similiar initiatives are proposed for California, New Jersey and the European Union.
Why: Incandescent bulbs consume about three times as much electricity as compact-fluorescent light bulbs, so they create much more carbon dioxide pollution.

Complications: Compact fluorescents do have a downside: They contain tiny amounts of mercury, so instead of throwing them out, they should be recycled or taken to your city’s hazardous waste collection point.

Best Alternatives: Despite their mercury content, compact fluorescents are still considered much more eco-friendly than incandescent bulbs by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Energy Star programs, and they're perhaps the easiest way to cut your electric bills and reduce your carbon footprint. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are another good, emerging alternative. They contain no mercury, are already more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and are expected to become much more efficient over the next few years.

STYROFOAM "TO-GO" FOOD BOXES
Where: 100 cities in the United States have banned some form of polystyrene (or Styrofoam) food containers including San Francisco, Oakland, Calif., and Portland, Ore.
Why: They're hard to recycle, not biodegradable and made from petroleum. They blow into waterways where, like plastic bags, they're an eyesore and dangerous to marine life. Hazardous chemicals are used to make them.
Complications: The best alternatives aren't clear. Paper or cardboard containers are better than Styrofoam, but still consume forest resources (if not made from recycled paper), and cause pollution during their manufacture.
Best Alternatives: Recycled paper or cardboard containers, or aluminum foil, which can be recycled.

Change 2

2008-04-02T07:52:00.002-04:00

ENERGY-EFFICIENT LIGHTING
One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to reduce your energy use and costs is to replace regular incandescent light bulbs with superefficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). While CFLs cost more upfront, they last up to 10,000 hours — 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs — and use 66 percent less energy. You can buy CFLs at just about any hardware or retail store.

Change 1

2008-04-01T21:48:00.001-04:00

Save the world G-d gave us with a little bit of change

SAVE MONEY, BUY LESS
Energy is consumed in the manufacturing and transport of everything you buy. A good way to reduce the amount of energy you use is simply to buy less. Before making a purchase ask yourself if you really need it. Can you borrow or rent? Can you find the item secondhand?

Guaranteed

2008-04-01T14:01:00.002-04:00

Dedicated to my Soul Sister who is a gypsy like me

Eddie Vedder - Guaranteed lyrics

On bended knee is no way to be free

lifting up an empty cup I ask silently

that all my destinations will accept the one that's me

so I can breath

Circles they grow and they swallow people whole

half their lives they say goodnight to wive's they'll never know

got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul

so it goes...

Don't come closer or I'll have to go

Holding me like gravity are places that pull

If ever there was someone to keep me at home

It would be you...

Everyone I come across in cages they bought

they think of me and my wandering

but I'm never what they thought

got my indignation but I'm pure in all my thoughts

I'm alive...

Wind in my hair, I feel part of everywhere

underneath my being is a road that disappeared

late at night I hear the trees

they're singing with the dead

overhead...

Leave it to me as I find a way to be

consider me a satelite for ever orbiting

I knew all the rules but the rules did not know me

guaranteed...

Society

2008-04-01T13:57:00.001-04:00

The beauty of our Society is decaying through lack of wisdom spirituality and simplicity

New Beginnings

2008-03-04T20:22:00.003-05:00

Well it has been some time since I have written but if I don't have anything to write about then I do not feel the sense of writing. Life has thrown me a curve ball and sometimes I do not know which direction to take. But the interesting thing is that my beloved husband has been such a blessing to me and such a guide it is incredible to believe that this is the man that after ten years still has so much to teach me. His optimism is beautiful his courage and sile is always a blessing to me. I just wanted to thank hashem for always giving us a new beggining every day.

Coquito

2007-12-31T08:50:00.000-05:00

Coquito
3 cans coconut milk
3 cans cream of coconut
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 bottle Bacardi rum
1½ cup water
Cinnamon sticks
Mix all ingredients in the blender except cinnamon sticks. Taste and more rum if you like it stronger. You need to add the water because it will get thicker later in the fridge. Pour into a gallon and refrigerate well. Make ahead for richer flavor. Place 3 cinnamon sticks in gallon for taste.

Interactive Homeschooling

2007-12-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

Spin & Spell

Word Scramble

Math Help

Here is a link for an interactive online games for children

Rosh Kodesh Pt.3

2007-12-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

Rosh Kodesh Pt.3

This Shiurim are from Beverly Hills Chabad

Rosh Kodesh Pt.2

2007-12-17T09:49:00.000-05:00

Rosh Kodesh Pt.2

This Shiurim are from Beverly Hills Chabad

Rosh Kodesh Pt.1

2007-12-17T09:35:00.001-05:00

Rosh Kodesh Pt. 1

This Shiurim are from Beverly Hills Chabad

The Mile Marker By: Leah

2007-12-06T10:08:00.000-05:00

There once was a young sick man that had a wounded heart. He had a dream about a great Tzaddik living in a town far away who was a great healer. When he woke up he realized that he must follow his dream and head to the town .
He had decided to leave his family and friends and everything familiar to him to go on this journey that would bring him to a great Tzaddik . His Mother was ready to say goodbye when she said one final thing to him. "My Son please remember stay on the road. Never leave the road because on the road you will see mile markers and that will tell you if you are going in the right direction and how far you have to go.
When he first began his journey he was excited to know that he was finally going to be healed of his ailment. He trudge for miles in pain to get to the town where the Tzaddik was. When he first left it was bright and shiny and warm. But as soon as he left the comfort and familiar town he noticed that the sun was setting and it was dark and cold.
He finally saw a mile marker but the amount of miles that were written on it were worn from time.
It was getting darker and darker so he decided to stop for the night.
He was not prepared for this so he began to pray." Abba I have listened to my dream and here I am in the dark and cold and far from my home and far from where I am going. But the trip is long and hard. I need strength to keep going"
In the darkness his heart filled with fear. He could hear noises all around him. He decided to make a fire. When there was enough light around him he realized that the noise came from he saw a field mouse rustling for food.
He fell asleep and dreamed of a Mother walking with a child. The child tripped and fell down and was crying. The young man went to pick up the child and the mother said "No... do not pick up the child. How will he reach for me if I pick him up right from the beginning.?"
He awoke and began his journey again. The road began to get more run down and worn out. He had been walking for hours and finally he came upon another marker. Once again he knew he was in the right direction but the miles were also worn off of this marker.
He decided to take a rest and eat . He saw some dark clouds in the distance. It looked like a thunderstorm was approaching. There was nowhere on the road to take cover from it. Off the road he saw another road that was shiny and bright. but there were no mile markers.
He remembered the words of his mother. Do not go off of the road. There he sat and the thunder and rain poured down over him. Once again he cried. "Abba, I have listened to my dream and I still do not see the town anywhere in site."
This went on for days. He traveled and walked for hundreds of miles only seeing markers and not seeing the town.
At one point he was almost attacked by wild dogs. He ran out of food. Everything terrible that could happen did happen. Finally he came to a little town he asked and pleaded for help but no one would help him. When finally a kind person came to him. He said "You look hungry boy...come to my home and I will feed you and you can rest. By this point the young man had completely forgot why he had even headed out on the journey for.
He slept for days. When he awoke he saw the man sitting by the fire learning. He asked are you the Rabbi to the town? He said no. Well thank you for helping me but I must be back on my journey. I had a dream that a great Tzaddik would be able to heal my of my ailment. I have been very sick and I have been on a long journey. I need to get back on the road and follow the markers. It will lead me to the great Tzaddik.
At that point the man looked at him. There are no more mile markers. You have reached the end of the road.
The young man asked, Well where is the great Tzaddik do you not have one in your town. The kind man looked at him. Did you follow the mile markers? The young man replied yes I did. But what does that have to do with the great Tzaddik? He isn't even here who will heal my heart? The kind man said he is here. The young man looked puzzled. Where? You said he wasn't here.
The kind man said, "well he wasn't here until you got here. You see the journey you took to get here is a journey that many try but never accomplish. Only those who walk this path and do not leave the road make it here. But many leave the road and get lost out there in the world of despair.But you stayed even when you didn't even remember why you were here. Your heart is fine. Had you had a bad heart you would have never made it. So you see you have become the great Tzaddik that you were searching for. The mile markers were all the Great Rabbi's that looked over you reminding you to stay on the road. The Road is the Torah which you have to follow to become a Great Tzaddik.

Kosher-Milk & Meat Pt.1

2007-12-06T09:50:00.000-05:00

Milk & Meat Pt.1

This Audio Shiurim is by Beverly Hills Chabad

Binding to the Tzaddik

2007-12-06T09:49:00.001-05:00

In Reading that I have been doing I have always heard people about binding themselves to a Tzaddik. I usually would in my mind argue the idea. But as I have been learning more and more how true this saying is. We all need guidance of some sort. Even the greatest people to have walked needed guidance. As i learn more I accept the fact that only those who think they know everything do not neeed anything. And even the strangest peopple or people who you would not expect can guide you.
I heard a story about a Rebbe who went to Yerushalayim and he came to a place where chidlren were playing. He asked them which way could he get in. The child told him there are 2 ways. The short and the long way and the long and the short way. The Rebbe thought to himself what does that mean? ANd went on his way. He decided to take the short and long way. When he got there he realized that he could not pass because there were thorns and thistles in the way. He went back and asked the child what do you mean the long and short way and short and long way? I could not get in. The child said, "I did not lie. There are 2 way. The short and long way is that to get to your destination was quick but you could not enter. The way long and short way is a longer distance to travel but you can enter.
EMET!!!
I have been on my road for almost 10 years of returning and everytime that I am almost there an obstacle comes in my way. I realized that I want to take the short and long way. But Hashem Blessed be He wants me to take the long and short way. It may be 10 more years until I finally get to my destination but the beauty is is that in the end I will get in.
Where do the Tzadik's come in? These are the mile markers on the road that lead us in the right direction. These are the ones who are showing us the way to get there. Although the road may be long if it wasn't for mile markers we would not know how far it is for the destination.

Hannukah

2007-11-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

Can I tell you how happy and excited I am for this holiday. This is a time for Hashem to reveal himself and also to reveal to us who we are and what he wants from us. This is a time of when Hashem was hidden. There was war everywhere and we as Jews could stand up and fight for our Torah.
What a beautiful idea. We go to war for land, loved ones, and our concept of freedom. But this is different. We go to War for Hashem. I am not talking about a physical War. I am talking about a spiritual one. I am talking about taking up arms(Torah) and fighting with our Yetzer and realizing we are seperated from the world. Hashem has chosen you to fight in his army.
What weapons do we have. we have Torah & Mitzvot. We bandage ourselves with Chesed and Ahava.
Many people thnk of the miracle of Hanukah was the oil burning for 8 days. Yes that truly was a miracle but not the only one. We fought a war for Hashem and the few won over the many. The Jews removed themselves from assimilation and took their place under Hashem as his children. As represenatives of His Torah. What bigger miracle is there than Teshuva. To return to Hashem from the influences of the world and keep yourself seperate.
Truly Hashem is good and loving and faithful "Blessed be He!"

Criticism

2007-11-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

I know there are times when we feel that we have the right to criticise our children. But I have learned that there is no point at any time when we are able to criticize out children because the damage is irreparable. We have been blessed with this beautiful gift of a child and think that as they get older they can handle the rejection of society so we decide to become that voice. How wrong we are to take that approach. We can look for logical ways to sit here and justify why we criticize. But lets not leave it at just our children that are younger let's look at them when they are grown. We can easily justify that snapping at them and telling them how disappointed we are or what ever it is. Let's look out our spouses the ones that we are quickly to devour with unkind words and criticism. I fight with this on a daily basis for I feel that I can justify my actions because my own stresses and nothing is further from the truth.
Our Little children need to grow in an environment where there is love and respect and kind words. Then to our surprise the children are fighting with each other and we wonder why would you treat you brother or sister like that. Where did they learn it from? You guessed it right there at home with Mom and Dad.
Woman how do you expect your daughter to marry. Think of the example you have set and then ask yourself again. I have taught my daughter to be strong and independent. I look back and regret. I taught to be independent not a team player. Marriage and Family is a team. Not an independent entity.
She is older now and soon will be smitten and in love and ready to marry. What am I giving her husband? Will he be disappointed on what I have set before past the pretty eyes and smile. Does he have a woman who will love him and embrace him and give him a home of Shalom Bayit?
Will my Boys grow up to be men who cherish and respect and honor their wives. Or will they throw a tantrum the minute things do not go their way? Or feel hey have the right to be mean because of what they feel hey deserve in life.
Oh Hashem have mercy on us all and for the sake of the future of Israel may other Mother's have the same plea as myself. Gaurd them, Love them, Cherish them. Do not criticize your family because what comes out of your mouth IS what comes to pass. G-d Forbid.
Speak good things and speak kindly and nurture them with love and gentleness.

Have Faith

2007-11-02T08:59:00.000-04:00

My brother

2007-11-02T08:35:00.000-04:00

Hey Bro now you can't say that I didnt write something about you :)
I was talking to my brother last night and we spoke about a very touchy subject. Our Mother. Our mother's health is deteriorating little by little. Anymore she is in the hospital several times a month. My reactions to my fears seem to always follow the same pattern.
I get angry at everybody. I tend to pass judgement and blame and I know in my heart it is not right.
Well I have to thank my brother because he showed me that compassion is better than anger and trying to understand people is also better.
It is my natural instinct to to retaliate pain with anger. To cover it up because I feel as though that is showing strength. But to see my brother so sensitive and soft in his heart truly was a humbling experience for me. What can I say except that I hope that I can be more like that. I hope that before I speak a word I can stop and think and try to understand.
When I grow up I want to be more like my brother. BTW I am not going to mention my age teehee.

Quote 1

2007-11-01T08:31:00.001-04:00

Man's world consists only of the present.
Whatever you can do to serve God, do immediately and determinedly without delay.
Chayey Moharan #431

I want my Rights!!!

2007-11-01T08:05:00.000-04:00

We live in a society where everyone is screaming for their rights. America is the Land of Freedom. But I was at a class and my Rabbi was speaking about something that literally blew my mind.
He sat at the table and said there are no such things as woman's rights....there is no such thing as equal rights...there is no such thing as animal rights.
I thought to myself WHAT?? NO RIGHTS? You mean to tell me that I do not have any rights? Are you serious?
I was beginning to get a little upset because I am one who believes in all these things. I am the one who wants to fight for the underdog and save the world. I am the one who wants to be treated the same as everyone else.
I have no rights?
He continued to speak and stated there are no rights....only obligation.
WHOA!!!!
We are obligated to treat each other equally..we are obligated to treat woman with respect and dignity...we are obligated to treat them animals with compassion.
If this world ran on it's obligations there would not be this search for a falsehood of freedom.
Rights and freedom are a man made concept to walk away from real responsibility and obligation to each other and everything around us. That is my opinion.
Define freedom in your own mind. Define Rights...when you really think about it there really is no such thing. When you think about the cruelties of man kind to each other and animals these are people who walk away from their obligations and the victims demand rights. When they should have just been treated well (by obligation) in the first place.
Torah teaches us that we should treat other people the same way we should treat ourselves.
That is our Obligation ... so I will tell you as the Rabbi told me you have no rights... only obligation

Simcha Torah

2007-10-07T14:06:00.000-04:00

Can I tell you this is truly my favorite holiday.
I sit in the shul watching the men holding the torah and singing and dancing but this year was a little difference. Every year I go to shul without my beloved and the joy was seeing him there with all the other men just dancing with his son's and singing. Lifting them up onto his shoulders and dancing. My Son was in his glory smiling from ear to ear with his abba.
The men dressed up and dancing and holding the torah and holding onto it with such pride and delight...there truly is nothing in the world more beautiful than that. I do not know these men personally but the delight in their faces and the pride, it blows your mind. I could not see my husband but a tzaddik. I could not see my sons just little tzaddikim.
I didnt see men jumping like crazy I saw righteous men. I dont know them and maybe will really never get to know them who they are what they do how they treat people. But I saw their Neshama's that night. I saw men who loved to dance before Hashem and show off the torah as the treasure that it is. For the whole world to see.

Time Out

2007-09-29T22:56:00.000-04:00

Funny thing happened this weekend . My beloved and I talked about time out. Time out for ourselves to clear our heads and also to regain our focus. But after talking with him Hashem truly touched my heart.
Many married people look for extra curricular activities and really when we look at them those time out moments they really are an escape. An escape from our lives.
Now don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with doing things outside of the home but we need to really check our hearts and ask ourselves why do we need this?
I had to ask my beloved and explain to him. I don't want time out. I am married and there really is no such thing as time out except when we are to do Hitbodedut.
That is not time out that is time with Hashem. That truly should be the only thing that takes us away from our beloved.
I have realized over the years when I needed time out I really needed time away and an escape.
I am married... I have children. I don't need time out... I need time in. Time in with Abba Blesses be He.

Sukkot

2007-09-25T19:38:00.000-04:00

Sukkot in a Nutshell

For forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert prior to their entry into the Holy Land, miraculous "clouds of glory" surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Ever since, we remember G-d's kindness and reaffirm our trust in His providence by dwelling in a sukkah--a hut of temporary construction with a roof covering of branches--for the duration of the Sukkot festival (Tishrei 15-21). For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the sukkah and otherwise regard it as our home.

Taken from Chabad.org

The dangers and discomfort of the desert...Truly this is a time when I reflect and think about those things. I pray...pray and pray some more. Sometimes I feel as though I cannot pray enough for I so beg Hashem to protect me from the discomforts of the desert. What is a desert like? It is place that only a special kind of being can survive in. If it were not for Hashem we could not have survived the desert. It truly shows that if not for Hashem we cannot survive anything.
It was just a thought...

Hard Lesson to Learn Teshuva

2007-09-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

It truly has been a very hard week of teshuva but the beauty of it is that there is teshuva. Every year I seem to learn more and more about myself and what I need to do to improve. For years I have been battling anger. The tendency of taking things to heart and blowing up. But this year Hashem truly is working on me and I on myself. Many things that would normally get me going I seem to have been having different ways of dealing with them. My beloved truly is tested as well. It is times like these when I really feel as though I have failed Hashem and know that there is so much for me to learn I feel like the child posted above. I truly feel like a child and ask Tati why? what more can I do tati to change? I ball up and cry like a child. But the wonderful thing is that Tati brings me to this point. My dear Abba blessed be He brings me to the point of tears and repentance. Trult this is a time of Awe. I feel that sometimes there is no change for me and then I change. Maybe just a little but I feel the change.

Toda Abba

Answer

2007-09-18T17:45:00.000-04:00

Dedicated to Ahuvi

Title: Sarah McLachlan - Answer Lyrics

I will be the answer
At the end of the line
I will be there for you
While you take the time
In the burning of uncertainty
I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance
If you can't look down
If it takes my whole life
I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worth it
Worth it in the end
Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out
You'll still be burning so bright
Cast me gently
Into morning
For the night has been unkind
Take me to aPlace so holy
That I can wash this from my mind
The memory of choosing not to fight
If it takes my whole life
I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worth it
Worth it in the end'
Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all burned out
You'll still be burning so bright
Cast me gently
Into morning
For the night has been unkind

For Philly Farm

2007-09-17T15:00:00.001-04:00

I found this site and I actually I saw a lot of cute things on it. Check it out. You might like the concept of some of the things that she knits.

Tikkunknits

Outside influences in our Home

2007-09-17T09:50:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we had family over and it probably was one of the hardest weekends I have had in a long time. Sometimes we do not think about the people we allow in our homes wether they are family or not. This person whom I care for and love deeply has a tendency of needing way too much attention than I am able to give.

Mother's I beg please be careful on who and whom you allow into your home.

Do not get me wrong I am all into having guests and families in my home over for dinner and etc...

But when that person seems to be coming in and invading precious time that should be devoted to our family is when we need to take a step back and really evaluate why we are allowing this person to do this.

I have spent many years of my life helping other people to the point that I did not have anything left for my own family. It took me a long time to realize but family MUST come first.

My weekend consisted of entertaining and talking meanwhile my children sat next to me waiting patiently just to give me a hug and a kiss. Or maybe just wanted to tell me something that really had no reason behind it. But because I was too busy entertaining I could not comply.

We need to make sure that when we have guests that they see a parent who is willing to tear themselves from their entertainment and give their complete attention to their families.

I was dissapointed in the fact that I allowed them to take that time away from children.

Our children need us...Let me say say this again OUR CHILDREN NEED US.

When we entertain we put that guest as our focus and then irritation begins. Because we are trying so hard to please them that we make opur own families unhappy. This is NOT SHALOM BAYIT!!

So what did I do. I made a point to stop my entertaining and focus on my family and set the example for them to realize that nothing to me is more important (outside of Hashem) than stopping and looking at my children and devoting that time. These people are not more important than my family. And Although it is nice to ahve company but it is not nice to exclude our children because we think they needs us more at that time.

G-d forbid that anyone would come over my children or husband. They need me. I can be a friend but I cannot allow anyone to invade my Shalom Bayit.

I need to show these people that there is Shalom Bayit and that my house will run they way it would normally run whether they are there or not.

it was hard but I was determined. There is plenty of time after the children have gone to bed to entertain.

Can I tell you my weekend didnt end so bad. This person complimented me on my children and my manner with them. That was the little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

Welcome Home

2007-09-11T11:16:00.000-04:00

Well it a has been a long 2 months since my beloved is gone and Todah Abba he is coming home this evening. I as well as the children are excited. We are planning a big dinner and cake and ice cream to Welcome Daddy home. He is truly ready to come home and as our phone conversations became more and more saddened from our separation from each other the beauty is the countdown until he gets here. Bezerat Hashem this day will fly by and we will have a great reunion.

The Pen is Mightier than the Paddle

2007-09-04T22:10:00.000-04:00

I have been debating sometime on methods of discipline. It has been a long journey and large struggle for me.
My oldest Daughter is 20 years old and then there is a 12 year gap between her and my other children.
I was so used to having one child and then all of the sudden here came 3 of them back to back.
My younger ones are aged 8,7,4.
It is hard when you feel like you are being bombarded by the children and sometimes I would think that they take turns.
But I wrote a Ruv and the words he gave me were priceless. Love them and do not be violent.
Violent....Here I have the webster's dictionary meaning of the word violent.

Main Entry: vi·o·lent
1 : marked by extreme force or sudden intense activity
2 a : notably furious or vehement
b : EXTREME, INTENSE
3 : caused by force : not natural
4 a : emotionally agitated to the point of loss of self-control >
b : prone to commit acts of violence

I can say although I do not abuse my children but when one looks at the meaning of violent it broke my heart that my words and actions toward them may seem violent.
I have used force or intense activity when I restrain them when I just cant get control of them.
I have showed them anger maybe even fury when I grab my head and hold on for dear life and my son runs screaming as he grabs his brother to save and says...Run she is gonna blow..
I have been extreme and intense when I exxagerate their behaviour and compare them to what I believe the ideal child should be.
And can I tell you how many times I have been agitated to the point of loss of self control and start yelling around the house.

This truly has been an eye opener.
But...today I thought to myself I will not react or speak violently.(Loud)
So I received a phone call at work about the boys behaviour and I was ready for it. So I walked the whole center court to get to them and when I got there the fear in their eyes as to say "OH MAN WE are gonna get it....."
I sat them at the table and I spoke to them and explained to them the dangers of what they were doing. Als o the sadness of their disobedience.
I then proceeded to tell them that they were going to write what they did wrong 100 times on a paper. I will not...
Can I tell you it worked like a charm. I walked away stress free and they had time to think...
And the most beautiful thing was that they received what they did wrong because to write it a hundred times makes them think about what they did. I went back to work and an hour later my oldest daughter called me and they were done.
I came home and did my routine and then when it came time for bed my boys ran up to me and hugged me and said Mama we will not do that bad thing. It really taught us a lesson. We Love you and now we want to do our blessings before bed.
Baruch Hashem I may go through a lot of paper but the beauty is I wont go through a lot of aggravation.
Don't get me wrong I am a firm disciplinarian but sometimes we need to back up and make them think and an hour of writing a mistake may help it sink in. They write ot over and have a positive affirmation of what they are NOT going to do.
Them sitting there quiet also helps us reflect on ourselves and keep us calm which keeps a calm home.
That is what Shalom Bayit is about.

Cleaning House

2007-09-03T23:05:00.000-04:00

I have been contemplating spring cleaning. But for some odd reason I always end up doing it in the fall. It is not until you get in the mood and really start breaking through all the mess is when you think to yourself at what point did I lose control over my home.
It truly was a relief when I finished the children's bedroom and realized that after 6 hours or organizing and cleaning the room looks and feels the way a child's room should.
Next thing you know I was getting their clothes out and preparing for the next day. That is a first for me.
I am not a morning person but I am a night person and I realized that instead of stressing myself out about getting up earlier I should jsut be wiser with me time at night. so tonight I cleaned prepped clothes and even did some learning lol.
Wow am I tired
But it is in this baby step that I realized that I am gaining control of my home and not letting go this time.
Grrr matey I am going to run a tight ship.
Have a peaceful night

It was the Devil

2007-08-30T18:53:00.000-04:00

Through my life I have heard of so many things of the devil getting in the way. To me this is a cop out for a person who does not want to take the responsiblity of the fight we have within ourselves. We blame the devil, our spouse our children the dog down the street...you name it a person can pass the buck on it.

I have been doing some soul searching and this is the month to do it in. The month of Elul.Last night I was reading an article and it was very enlightening.It was talking about all things come from Hashem.

All things...... The argument from yuor spouse,the disagreement from your co-worker, the car next to you that just beeped and gave a polite hand gesture when you were turning to slow. Or maybe the old lady that drives so slow in front of us as we impatiently say mean things about her, What about that rebellious child who is trying our patience and hitting that last nerve?

Good... Bad... it all comes from Hashem.

That is such a deep and profound concept.

Everything comes from him and not from your spouse or from you sister or brother or neighbor or children......All things come from Hashem.

I know many times I get aggrevated and think about how the other person is to blame.

But what a relief to come to the point when you realize that everything they are doing is coming from the Great One Blessed be He.

To know that Hashem loves you so much that He is purposely trying you so that you can learn and grow and come closer to Him.

It is such a relief to know that I dont have to take it personal anymore.

I dont have to have bitterness or guilt or anger or resentment or hold a grudge because ultimatly everything that happens to me from someone else is From my Abba.

Baruch Hashem...I truly am loved by my Abba.

The Shema

2007-08-21T21:38:00.000-04:00

“And you shall teach them to your children, and you shall talk about them. When you sit in your house and when you go on your way, when you lie down and when you get up.”

I have realized that through the Shema alone stands the idea of homeschooling. I was thinking about maybe sending my children off to a good Jewish school about an hour and a half away becuase I thought to myself they may be better qualified.
As I read the Shema and thought about the words in it and meditated on it. I was only reassured about my decision to homeschool. It doesnt just maen the religious aspects of my childrens life but in every aspect every part of the day.
In their education their child rearing their torah learning. In every thing about their education.
Some people may look at me and think she is off her rocker. But I truly believe that this is the Message Hashem wanted. We have them such a short time. Hopw can we be sure that they are getting the proper teachings?
Yeshiva will be there when they grow up and I am sure they will learn what they need to know but in the mean time I am the teacher and will do my best to teach them when I sit, when I go on my way, when I lie down and when I get up.

Women and her friends (Speaking about the Husband)

2007-08-20T19:37:00.000-04:00

I must say that I myself have been guilty of this terrible act. As you noticed I have placed some lessons about speaking evil. But the one thing that woman have a tendency of doing and sometimes not even realizing is the speech concerning her husband.
We go to our friends with our problems and I have noticed on countless amount of times when I ask them if they confronted their husband and spoke to them they say Oh he never listens to me and I ahve said it a thousand times to him. And complain til the cows come home with a bitter taste in their mouths.
They continue to go and tell the same story to all their friends and place themselves as a victim in the circumstance.
But, my question is did you go to the only true friend you have concerning your husband?
Did you go to Hashem and pour your heart out and ask why is he doing this or help him? Have you broken your heart to Hashem concerning this? Have you cried out to him from the depths of you soul?
You see it is easy to go to a girlfriend and talk about your husband. You can offend and most likely he will never find out. But that friend goes to another and another and one does not know the damage one is causing to one's spouse. The negativity that one speaks about one's husband is a thing that you will see come to flourish. You speak it enough and it will come to pass.
But if you go to Hashem and complain about him I guarantee He will not stand for you talking about His son that way. He will ask you what have you done to help him correct this problem. Hashem knows the whole story. We are not victims to Him. We are just as guilty.
I have been trying to speak only positive things about my beloved. And if any negative come up I talk to my Father and Best friend and Tell him why is this happening and what do I need to learn from it.
You see we are the mirror of them. We are a reflection of our beloved. So before you go off and complain to your friends look in the mirror and talk to Hashem and ask Him to show you what it is you must learn and do not...DO NOT go and tell other people who are outside of your home unless it is someone qualified to give you
a. the proper advice according to Torah ( Biblical)
b. the proper spiritual advice
That should always be the last resort. If you have gone to Hashem and He has led you this way then good. But first, go to Hashem and tell Him about it not your girlfriends.

Aleph Bet for Children

2007-08-20T19:36:00.000-04:00

An Honorable Son

2007-08-15T10:12:00.000-04:00

My dear son has been going through a few things lately. He has been struggling with video games. But to my surprise he came to me this morning and decided that he did not want to play video games anymore. He normally helps out here in the complex by earning a couple of dollars fro picking up trash. Well he got his trash bag ready and headed out. He said I want to work I don't want to play games anymore. If I decide I want to buy some gifts I cannot do that if I am playing games. He also told me that playing the games dishonors his parents because he knows in his heart that we do not want him to play video games.
WOW where did that come from. I would so much like to take the credit for that but he truly is an honorable son. He came to it all on his own and I am so proud of him. He begins his classes tonight with the Rabbi and can I tell you there is a change in him. He says mama it almost time for me to become a man. I sit here with tears in my eyes and cannot believe that this little boy who a few weeks ago has literally changed overnight. He is becoming a man and so desires in his heart to be a tzaddik. This lesson was not about him learning something but about me learning something. If my son who is so young is already learning his boundaries so must I learn mine.

Sew Shopping Bags

2007-08-15T08:57:00.001-04:00

Help save our enviroment
How to Sew a Fabric Shopping Bag
Copyright © 2006 Silver Seams.com
It seems that every time I turn around, I'm being handed another silly plastic shopping bag. I have lots of places to recycle them (reuse them, actually) - the library takes them, etc., I still get tired of dealing with them. Invariable, I collect several bags stuffed with other bags before I remember to take them to the library, and that's just wrong.I know a lot of people carry their own tote bags, and I have a couple of them, but I often end up with five or six bags' worth of groceries, and tote bags aren't that convenient to load. So I looked more closely at one of the ubiquitous plastic bags here at Silver Seams World Headquarters, and realized it would be really, really easy to sew.A serger (overlocker, for non-USAns) helps here, but isn't necessary.Take a piece of fabric, 37 1/2" wide by 21 1/2" long. Fold it in half long-ways, and stitch the side closed. I assume 1/4" seams here, but it's not critical. If you sewed it right sides together (RST), turn it now... but you can just leave the seam inside the fold. These are utilitarian, not beautiful.Now fold in the sides slightly over 3". Now is where you'd tuck that seam in, but it doesn't matter.Now sew across the bottom. This seam goes on the outside, no doubt about it. If you're using a conventional machine, you might want to zigzag stitch the seam allowance to cut down on fraying.Then cut the bag opening out. You'll want to catch the inside fold too, otherwise your handle won't have a hole in it.It's probably best to finish the raw edges of the handle area first, before sewing the "shoulder" seams of the handles. You can use an overlock stitch, zig-zag stitch (multiple times is best) or go all-out and put bias tape on them. Then, keeping the folds in place (you're sewing through four layers), stitch across the handle seams. You may want to open up the handles, press the seam allowance to one side, and sew it down. This seam takes a lot of weight, remember.If you want to get really fancy, you can sew "buttonholes" and thread your bags onto the metal arms just like the plastic bags go, but that's four buttonholes (don't buttonhole-stitch your handles closed!) when you could just hang the bag on the handles instead.All done... now when they ask "Paper or plastic?" you can answer "Fabric!"
For Pics Click Here

PVC Pipe greenhouse

2007-08-15T08:53:00.000-04:00

I found this link for a pvc pipe greenhouse

It is easy to make and inexpensive.

If you have the space go for it!

Challah

2007-08-14T10:07:00.001-04:00

Dissolve 2 packages yeast.

In a separate bowl, mix 2 eggs with 1/2 cup raw sugar. Mix in 1/2 cup oil.

Add yeast to egg mixture. Add up to 1 Tbsp. salt to mixture.

Alternate 8 cups flour and 2 cups warm water into mixture.

Knead.

Place in oiled bowl (oil all sides of dough) and cover with a towel - place in warm oven (150 degrees F for 1 minute then turn off) until dough has doubled (approximately 1 1/2 hour).

Punch dough down - let sit for 15 minutes.

Remove a piece of the dough for the "challah" (see note below).

Shape the challah (makes 4 batches) and place on lightly greased cookie sheets, loaf pans, or pie pans.

Let the dough raise a second time in oven (150 degree F for 1 minute and then off) for 45 minutes.

If desired, beaten egg yolks, agave nectar along with sesame or poppy seeds, can be spread on top of the dough before baking.

After second raise, back in oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top.

"Challah"

It is traditional to pinch off a piece of dough, the size of an olive, before shaping the dough. This is called "separating the challah." The separated challah is symbolic of the first portion which the Israelites were taxed to give the High Priests. The following blessing is said as the challah is separated: "Blessed art Thou O Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who hath sanctified us by His Commandment, and hath commanded us to separate challah."

The Shabbat Queen applying it daily

2007-08-14T10:06:00.001-04:00

I must say I was looking over this past Shabbat (Sabbath) and it came to mind that Shabbat is always reffered to as the Queen. We woman are also reffered to as a Queen. How is the Sabbath similar to the woman? We work all week and when Erev Shabbat comes we begin the preparation. We cook and clean and prepare and do everything to make us look beautiful. We calm down and rest and learn and also love. We focus on Hashem and also our families. We visit people in our community and also pray constantly.Then we enter into a rest. 24 hours and the world stops for us as we come close to Hashem.

It dawned upon that we should always apply the things we do on shabbat on a daily basis. The things we do in preperation for Shabbat we should do daily. The things we do on Shabbat we should do daily.

Don't get me wrong I am not trying to add more on your list ladies. I am speaking of the spiritual aspect.

Everything we do in preparation for Shabbat is a spiritual thing. We Pray we sing we laugh we learn we love. There is a calmness about Shabbat that we need to bring into the rest of the week.

Our families seek that rest in us during the week. But, because of life's obstacles we tend to lose our way.

So how do we bring Shabbat into our daily lives.

We need to make our home's a safe havena nd a place of rest for our families. We need to make sure that when they come home there is nowhere else that they want to be. The calmness nad serenity of the home is a must./ We should take time witht he children to treach them and set the example for them.

Daven Daily...Learn daily...keep negative influences from our

It is not easy we all struggle but... when it comes to our home's and our families after Hashem that needs to be our priority. We can become the women of Valor. The Eishet Chayil.

All I wanted to do was fly

2007-08-13T19:43:00.000-04:00

Shhhhhhh.....

2007-08-13T17:47:00.001-04:00

I have been married for some time now and my beloved all though he is not home at the moment it has given me the opportunity to really reflect on my marriage and my part in it.

In my mind stay the haunting words "your spouse is your soul correction"

Why can't I let this go?

So I made a list of good attributes of my beloved. I also mad e a list of not so good attributes of myself. As I continued on I realized what my first attribute of my husband was. Soft Spoken. And I look over on mine and noticed that my first not so good attribute was Loud.
Can I tell you that hit me like a ton of bricks. WOW!!!
He is soft spoken and I am loud.
I always admired my husband for being so quiet and speaking only what he felt he had to say and nothing more and tried so many times to be more like him.
It has really brought me to an interesting point in my life.
Which brings me to the next point.
It is funny how many times I have friends come to me or complete strangers complain about their beloved.
It is one thing to acknowledge your unhappiness and that it is really your own unhappiness and ahs nothing to do with him( my own issue) But it is another thing to bash him mercillessly as he sits miles away wondering why his ears are ringing.
Do not get me wrong I am guilty as the next person. But that is the point I am guilty.
Our mouths can build or destroy.
I have had people come up to me and say what an honor it is to meet me and I look at them funny. We know your husband and he speaks nothing but highly about you...every single person including family and friends stated they have never heard my beloved say one negative thing about but continues to say all faults are his.
WHAM right in the kisser.
He is my soul correction as much as I am his and the interesting part is that the first thing that Hashem has shown me is my mouth.
How I truly would like to be as my beloved who does not say anything negative about me. It has been a burden in my heart to be more like him. To take the soul correction that Hashem is using him for.

Hopefully I can be an example to my children to only speak when necessary not just necessarily
speak

We have been Simpsonized

2007-08-09T15:43:00.000-04:00

Sitting at their feet

2007-08-09T09:59:00.001-04:00

Growing up in a family in the country where few other Hispanics lived was quite hard for me. Yet the beauty of it was when my Grandfather and Father played their guitars I felt like I traveled hundreds of miles to another place. It has been many years since my grandfather passed away but sometimes I hear a song and I think of them. It is such a joy to remember them playing the guitar while my grandmother is in the kitchen cooking up a feast that everyone's mouth just water's when they smell it. As a child I sat and soaked it in. In today's day and age I had the opportunity for my children to have that even if it was just one time in their life. My father picked up the guitar and we all sat there and listened and enjoyed and I was once again thrown back to my child hood. What a beautiful Heritage I have.
I can never be more proud than I am today. I am a Proud Jewish Hispanic Mother. And I have a culture of beauty and pray that I will bring honor to the old ways and train my children in them.

Do not forget the words of Rav Kaduri

2007-08-08T20:29:00.000-04:00

Kabbalist Urges Jews to Israel Ahead of Upcoming Disasters
by Baruch Gordon

(IsraelNN.com) In a class between the Mincha (afternoon) and Maariv (evening) prayers at his Jerusalem yeshiva seminary, Rabbi Kaduri issued the following call:
”This declaration I find fitting to issue for all of the Jews of the world to hear. It is incumbent upon them to return to the Land of Israel due to terrible natural disasters which threaten the world.In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will bring about great disasters in the countries of the world to sweeten the judgements of the Land of Israel.

I am ordering the publication of this declaration as a warning, so that Jews in the countries of the world will be aware of the impending danger and will come to the Land of Israel for the buliding of the Temple and revelation of our righteous Mashiach (Messiah).”

Israel's Leading Known Kabbalist, Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri Rabbi Kaduri also stated that the upcoming year would be a year of "secret and revelation" in the world. The Jewish year 5766 begins in less than three weeks, with the holiday of Rosh Hashana.The Rabbi explained that the numerical Hebrew abbreviation for 5766, taf, shin, samech, vav gives insight into the nature of the upcoming year. "This will be a year of secret (or sod, from the letter samech) and revelation (or v'giliu from the letter vav). Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio show host Yehoshua Meiri first publicized the declaration on his Hebrew radio show late Tuesday night. Meiri typed out the words of Rabbi Kaduri's declaration and presented them back to the Rabbi who signed on the document.Associates of Rabbi Kaduri were dispatched to communicate the Kabbalistic Elder's call to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon before the latter's departure to the United States later the same night. Meiri says he will publicize the signed declaration after Prime Minister Sharon delivers a speech in the U.S., in which he is expected to call upon the Jews of the Diaspora to make Aliyah (immigrate) to Israel.

Rabbi Kaduri greets the Lubavitcher RebbeDuring a visit in 1990 with the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (of blessed memory), Rabbi Kaduri was told by the Rebbe that he would live to see the coming of the Mashiach.Earlier this Jewish year, Rabbi Kaduri predicted great tragedies in the world. Just two weeks before the devastating tsunami in southeast Asia, Rabbi Kaduri was quoted in the Yediot Acharonot newspaper as saying:
"We are now in the fourth year of what could be the seven-year Redemption period, according to the calculation of the Vilna Gaon. [However.] in the coming three years, uncertainty about the future will hang over our heads, unless we work and strive that the Mashiach be revealed. The Mashiach is already in Israel. Whatever people are sure will not happen, is liable to happen, and whatever we are certain will happen may disappoint us. But in the end, there will be peace throughout the world. The world is mitmatek mehadinim (or becoming sweet from strict justice). Great tragedies in the world are foreseen, that's the thing of the Jews going to the East. But our enemies will not prevail over us in the Land of Israel, 'fear and trembling will fall upon them,' in the power of Torah."Rabbi Kaduri said in the week prior to the interview, "What can save the world from calamities is real repentance by Jews, who must increase acts of kindness towards one another... The cry of the many poor in Israel and the expulsion of Jews from their homes shakes the world... It's not for naught that this place was hit, where many of our compatriots went to look for this-worldly lusts."The month of Elul, which immediately preceeds the Jewish New Year is traditionally a month of teshuva, or repentence by the Jewish people, in anticipation of the judgments that are incurred on the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.Rabbi Kaduri has told his students that the current government will be the last one of the "old era." He is on record as saying that Sharon will be the last prime minister in Israel, and that the new government will already have leadership of the Messianic era.

The New Thelma and Louise

2007-08-08T11:03:00.000-04:00

At the Ortiz Family Reunion these 2 suspects were almost caught attempting to steal the car of a patron there attending. They are armed and dangerous with bubbles. Use caution when approaching may make high pitch screams to disable their apprehenders. If you have information regarding these two please notify your local authorities known as Mama. Thank You for your cooperation.

Why God Gave Women Tears

2007-08-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

A little boy asked his mother"Why are you crying?""Because I'm a woman",
she told him."I don't understand",he said.
His mum just hugged himand said, "And you neverwill"
Later the little boy asked his father,
"Why does mother seem to cry forno reason?"
"All women cry for no reason",was all his dad could say.
The little boy grew up and became a man,still wondering why women cry.
Finally he put in a call to G-d; and when G-d got on the phone, he asked,
"G-d, why do women cry soeasily?"
G-d said:
"When I made the woman she had to be special.
I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of theworld;
yet, gentle enough to give comfortI gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth
and the rejection that many times comes from her children.
I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep goingwhen everyone else gives up,
and take care of herfamily through sickness and fatigue withoutcomplaining.
I gave her the sensitivity to love her children underany and all circumstances,
even when her child hashurt her very badly.
I gave her strength to carry her man through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect hisheart.
I gave her wisdom to know that a good man neverhurts his woman,
but sometimes tests her strengths andher resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.
And finally, I gave her a tear to shed
This is hers exclusively to use whenever it isneeded.
You see:The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears,the figure that she carries, or the way she combs herhair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes,because that is the doorway to her heart - the placewhere love resides.

Raggedy Ann Stories

2007-08-07T16:22:00.000-04:00

Raggedy Ann Stories

by:

Gruelle, John B. (John Barton), 1880-1938

Words

2007-08-07T13:36:00.001-04:00

Words....
the most powerful tool

It can build up
or destroy
Bring confort
or pain
Make a child smile
or make them cry
cause a friend to think
or close their mind
It can cause your love to strive
or give up and walk away
It can make a marriage
or bring it to the brink
It can cause peace between nations
or Wars
It can bring families together
Or seperate them
Just one word can do all of that

What do you words say?
What do they do
What do they bring forth?

Marriage

2007-08-07T11:52:00.000-04:00

I was at my family reunion this weekend and unfortunately without my beloved. My dear brother works diligently everyday. He has never been married and has no children of his own. He is very wealthy but told me how tortured his soul is. Yet, my grandmother was there and was married for 60 years.

What is the secret to this?

The day my grandfather passed away my grandmother cried and said her soul hurted. (Not her heart....her soul)

What does that mean?

I had to sit back and think about this. I go through my day always struggling within my self. I looked at my brother and said we live in a day where people do not love completely. We love with standards and precedence. We look at our spouse and pick apart every flaw and detail.
I will love him if........
I will stay with him if....
But if he doesn't do what I want from him I will leave him
My grandmother never did anything in her life except love completely. .She loved her husband and her children with every ounce of her being and is a lovely wise woman today.
Please click here for that article.
Woman please look at what we are teaching our children.
We expect a certain thing and then if they do not comply we separate. I know for I have been separated before.
Can we sit here and consciously say that we truly love our husbands?
If they do not comply with what your idea is of what a husband should be do you threaten to leave him?
I am not speaking of a dangerous or destructive relationship. Those are ones that one should not even attempt.
But, my beloved was not with me and I could only think of how I felt so lost without him there. I realized that when they are not with you is when you think of the ways you could have done it different so that maybe they would have been there.
My heart breaks when I see marriages fall apart because one person will not bend. When you have 2 people who will not give in and show kindness and love we are showing our children to be numb in a numb society. Eventfully the society will be so numb that the most awful things will become the norm.
Hashem said that the two shall become one (not just in flesh but also in spirit and soul) henceforth our soul mate.
The soul mate is not meant to be perfect. They are our soul correction. They are what make us grow with them and Hashem.
If they did everything we wanted we would still find a flaw. For then we would not grow in Torah! Our families would not excel. Why would we cry out to Hashem if he did everything we wanted? Henceforth there would be no need to cry out to Hashem.
In The Fall Hashem cursed each one. The Man, the Woman, and the Serpent. Look at the curses.

Man Could still cry out to Hashem for need of his Livelihood.

Woman would still cry out to Hashem from her pain and suffering.

The serpent will never cry out for it does not need Hashem. It is separated from Hashem and will eat the dirt and never be able to lift up it's head and cry out to Hashem.

The next time your Husband does not comply with what it is that you want. Thank Hashem that he loved you enough to show that your soul needs correction.

Evaluate why this is happening? It's ok to ask Hashem why? What is Hashem trying to showing me?What is in my husband that I am not seeing in myself? How can I accept with love the soul correction? How can I do better?

Oh Hashem how I love you....How much Hashem loves me to pick this husband for me that would help me to grow. To become a better mother,, wife, friend, nursemaid...etc...

Love your husbands, pray for your husbands and most of all set the examples. Teach your children how much we love our spouses so they in turn will accept the soul correction of their spouse(soul mate)

Shalom

The True Woman of Valor

2007-08-06T07:41:00.000-04:00

This is my grandmother. Words cannot describe her or her character except that she is truly a Woman of Valor. Her age is unsure. She is either 91 or 97. There were no birth certificates given in those days back in Puerto Rico. If I dared to tell you her story I would be here for days. But she truly is the most beautiful woman in the world to me.

I remember as a child when the weekend came it was time to go see my grandmother. I call her Gwela short for Abuelita.(Grandmother)

She worked and tended to her home and her family. Nothing was more important to her than that. She had mastered all of the domestic arts. She was a cook that left not just your stomach satisfied but also lift your spirit.

Dinner was made and there was enough food for an army. She always said it is better to have too much food than too little.

She crochet blankets to sell to help her husband.

Her home was always neat and clean (you could literally eat off of her floor)

She was asked what is the key to her vitality and she said keep working. Tend to your home and keep your garden.

But, the most important thing was to make sure I received the blessing before I left. It is our custom to receive a blessing from the wise so that your life will be blessed.

I will not tell you what the blessing is but just know that after she blessed me I sensed a strength and comfort that came from above.

I truly believed that Hashem heard her and I will be well for the rest of my life.

This is dedicated to my Gwela

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El Cuatro y el Jibaro

2007-08-05T19:21:00.000-04:00

This was my gwelo/abuelo (grandfather) and he also was a a big inspiration in my life he was very sober and at times seemed not so nice but inside him was a passion for his home and his family and his music. I never quite understood him. But now as an adult I can say I at least understand him better now. Te amo mi abuelito que en paz descansa. Although this wasn't my grandpa playing it is very much what he sounded like...sit back drink a puertorican rum and coke and listen.

Plena - Ramito De ...

Raw "Fried" Onion Rings

2007-08-03T11:38:00.000-04:00

Raw "Fried" Onion Rings
1 large sweet or spanish onion cut into rings1st coating
4 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. water Sea salt to taste
2nd coating:1 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup ground unsoaked almonds
1-2 tsp. paprikaSea salt and pepper to season
How to: Take each onion ring, dip it into the 2nd coating, then into the 1st coating and then back into the 2nd coating. Your goal is to get as much of the 2nd coating as possible. Once you have achived that, gently take the the coated onion rings and put them on dehydrator trays (without teflex sheets) and dehydrate the rings for about 10-14 hrs at 105 degrees F. or until crispy. Serve them with a tangy dipping sauce.Tangy Dipping Sauce 1 cup macadamia nuts (soaked for 2-4 hrs)1/2 cup pine nuts1-2 tbs. lemon juice2 tbs. soaked sun dried tomatoes1/2 tsp. cayenne pepperSea salt to tasteAdd everything in heavy duty food processor or a high speed blender and process or blend till smooth and creamy. Add a little water if needed. Scoop out the mixture into a bowl and garnish it with chopped cilantro and diced red bell pepper. Serve aside warm onion rings.

I am my beloved (the Bashert/ Soulmate)

2007-08-02T09:38:00.000-04:00

According to the Talmud, Rav Yehuda taught that 40 days before a male child is conceived, a voice from heaven announces whose daughter he is going to marry, literally a match made in heaven! In Yiddish, this perfect match is called "bashert," a word meaning fate or destiny. The word "bashert" can be used to refer to any kind of fortuitous good match, such as finding the perfect job or the perfect house, but it is usually used to refer to one's soul mate. There are a number of statements in the Talmud that would seem to contradict the idea of bashert, most notably the many bits of advice on choosing a wife. Nevertheless, the idea has a strong hold within the Jewish community: look at any listing of Jewish personal ads and you're bound to find someone "Looking for my bashert."
Finding your bashert doesn't mean that your marriage will be trouble-free. Marriage, like everything worthwhile in life, requires dedication, effort and energy. Even when two people are meant for each other, it is possible for them to ruin their marriage. That is why Judaism allows divorce.
Although the first marriage is bashert, it is still possible to have a good and happy marriage with a second spouse. The Talmud teaches that G-d also arranges second marriages, and a man's second wife is chosen according to his merits.
How do you know if you have found your bashert? Should you hold off on marrying someone for fear that the person you want to marry might not be your bashert, and there might be a better match out there waiting for you? The traditional view is that you cannot know who your bashert is, but once you get married, the person you married is by definition your bashert, so you should not let concerns about finding your bashert discourage you from marrying someone.
And while we're on the subject of G-d arranging marriages, I should share this delightful midrash: it is said that a Roman woman asked a rabbi, if your G-d created the universe in six days, then what has he been doing with his time since then? The rabbi said that G-d has been arranging marriages. The Roman woman scoffed at this, saying that arranging marriages was a simple task, but the rabbi assured her that arranging marriages properly is as difficult as parting the Red Sea. To prove the rabbi wrong, the Roman woman went home and took a thousand male slaves and a thousand female slaves and matched them up in marriages. The next day, the slaves appeared before her, one with a cracked skull, another with a broken leg, another with his eye gouged out, all asking to be released from their marriages. The woman went back to the rabbi and said, "There is no god like your G-d, and your Torah is true."
May Hashem bless my Beloved in his time away from home. We miss him dearly.

Interview with hashem

2007-08-02T09:36:00.000-04:00

"Interview with Hashem"

I dreamed I had an interview with Hashem. "Come in," Hashem said, "So, you would like to interview Me?" "If you have the time," I said. Hashem smiled and said: "My time is eternity and is enough to do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"
"What surprises you most about mankind?"
Hashem answered:
"That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.
That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.
That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.
That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived..."
Hashem's hands took mine and we were silent for while and then I asked...
"As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"
Hashem replied with a smile:
"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them.
What they can do is to let themselves be loved.
To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.
To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis!
To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.
To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.
To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.
To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.
To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally differently.
To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.
To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves. People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer."

Parents Are Too Lenient

2007-08-02T09:34:00.000-04:00

Parents Are Too Lenient
Introduction
Discipline varies as the child matures and gains deeper comprehension of "wrong" and "right". Power struggles between mother and the two-year old in the formof temper tantrums should have eased up as the child now had the verbal maturity to negotiate his emotional needs and does not need to resort to physically aggressive behavior. School age children who have a basic schedule, such as morning routines, school, supper, homework, play and a bedtime hour, thrive emotionally on the "predictability" of the day and are easy to raise. Flexibility can easily be incorporated into structure by allowing children to make "age appropriate" choices, such as deciding which of two dresses may be worn, whether to brush teeth before or after getting undressed, which homework to do first, etc. The key point to remember is that the routine of the day stays the same, but "decision making" on how to carry it out can be implemented by the children. This allows them room to develop their individuality, while providing predictability, a major ingredient of emotional security. Children who lack structure in the routine of the day, due to parental guilt, ignorance or inability to remain consistent with "structure", often find themselves in reverse roles. Instead of the parents controlling the behavior of the child and the routine of the house, the child becomes the power figure that controls the parents and the entire household.

When Parents Are Too Lenient
Giving so much power to a child who does not have the maturity to handle it is like appointing a ten-year old to run for President. Who in their right mind would vote for a ten-year old vs. a mature adult to run the affairs of the country? What would our country look like? What would happen to the armed forces, national budget and crime? Surely, the country would be in a state of chaos in a very short time. Yet, many parents are doing just that, by empowering their children as the experts on authority, structure and limit setting.
To make matters worse, children lose more and more of their self-confidence as the parents allow them more and more freedom. A house devoid of daily routine does not create emotionally healthy children. It is no wonder that under-disciplined children saddled with a poor self-image become easily frustrated and cannot carry out long-term goals. As adults they suffer, having failed to attain the proper skills to delay instant gratification in exchange for long-term gains. Perhaps, most disturbing is the problem of poor adult impulse in areas of controlling anger, invading the physical privacy of others and not taking into account the consequences of doing or taking what is incorrect according to law or religion.

Cameron Rychlak, author of Personality Disorders states,
"Children cannot do everything that adults can do. They cannot foresee and plan as adults can for they lack the experience in living to do so correctly. Some of the most serious childhood anxieties comes from the failure of parents to set limits to a child's impulsive behavior, providing wise guidance and discipline when indicated. A child is not born with self-control; this ability has to be learned...."

Persuasion

2007-08-02T09:33:00.000-04:00

Persuasion by: Jane Austen

Tisha B'Av

2007-07-23T14:30:00.001-04:00

Tisha B'Av - The "ninth day" in the Jewish month of Av, which starts at sundown on the eighth day and concludes at sundown on the ninth day of Av. This is the day when the intensity of the entire three week mourning period reaches its peak (keep reading below for details and use our entire Tisha B'Av Resource Center to learn more).
HISTORY:
According to our sages, many tragic events occurred to our ancestors on this day:
1. The sin of the spies caused Hashem to decree that the Children of Israel who left Egypt would not be permitted to enter the land of Israel;2. The first Temple was destroyed;3. The second Temple was destroyed;4. Betar, the last fortress to hold out against the Romans during the Bar Kochba revolt in the year 135, fell, sealing the fate of the Jewish people.5. One year after the fall of Betar, the Temple area was plowed.6. In 1492, King Ferdinand of Spain issued the expulsion decree, setting Tisha B'Av as the final date by which not a single Jew would be allowed to walk on Spanish soil.7. World War I – which began the downward slide to the Holocaust – began on Tisha B’av.
Prohibitions:
The prohibitions on Tisha B'Av itself are similar to those of Yom Kippur. In addition to not eating or drinking, we are not allowed to wash, anoint oneself or wear leather shoes. In a prohibition more stringent than on Yom Kippur, we are only allowed to study certain portions of the Torah and Talmud on Tisha B'Av.
OBSERVANCES:
The observance of Tisha B'Av begins with the Seudah HaMafseket, the last meal before the fast commences. NOTE: During years when the fast starts on Saturday night we do not have a seuda HaMafseket.Unlike the elaborate feast we have before Yom Kippur, this meal is typically one course, usually consisting of a hard-boiled egg and some bread. Also, this meal is generally not eaten with others to avoid having a Zimmun (quorum for public blessing) at Birchat HaMazon. Zimmun indicates permanence, habit and durability. We avoid the Zimmun because we’d prefer not to make this mournful meal a recurring experience. It is customary to eat this meal seated on the floor or a low stool.
Until Mincha on Tisha B'Av one should try to avoid sitting on a chair or bench. Instead, the custom is to stand or sit on the floor, just like a mourner during the Shiva (traditional seven days of mourning a loved one).
Beginning at Mincha sitting on chairs is permitted, and we reduce the intensity of the grief that has pervaded us so far. Also, men put on Tefillin and recite those Tefillot that were omitted at Shacharit.
It is forbidden to greet friends or acquaintances on Tisha B'Av. However, if greeted first, one should answer, but in a low tone in order not to arouse resentment.
At the evening Ma'ariv service, the entire congregation sits on the floor and recites the Book of Eicha (Lamentations) where the prophet Jeremiah weeps the destruction, and we weep with him.
The morning of Tisha B'Av is the saddest part of the day. We recite Kinot, and the men do not don Tefillin at Shacharit, because Tefillin are called "Pe-ar," "Glory," and this is definitely not a day of glory for the Jewish People.
Our sages teach that whoever mourns over Jerusalem will merit the future vision of her joy. As it is written in Isaiah (Chapter 66, verse 10), "rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn her."
MORE BACKGROUND:
Shiva Asar B'Tammuz
Five disasters occurred on Shivah Asar B'Tammuz:
1. Moshe descended from Mount Sinai, discovered the people worshipping the golden calf, and broke the luchot;2. During the siege of Jerusalem before the destruction of the first Temple the daily offering, was suspended because the Kohanim (who had fortified themselves inside the Temple) could not get any more sheep for the sacrifice.3. In the year 70, the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the second Temple;4. Apustumus the wicked burned a Torah Scroll; and5. The Romans set up an idol in the courtyard of the Temple.
The Three WeeksThis period of time is known as Bein HaM'Tzarim, "between the straits", because it says in Eicha (Chapter 1, verse 3): "and her pursuers overtook her between the straits", referring to the calamitous events that befell the Jewish people between Shivah Asar B'Tammuz and Tisha B'Av. (Some of the prohibitions and customs we observe during this period are mentioned here. For specific questions contact a Rabbi.)
Visiting cinemas, theaters, concert halls or any other place where there is public entertainment is strictly prohibited.
With the exception of socks and undergarments, new clothes should not be purchased.
Haircuts are forbidden. According to some authorities, men who shave daily for business reasons may shave during this period.
The Nine DaysThe intensity of the three week mourning period increases with the onset of Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av. So, in addition to those items mentioned below, during the days between Rosh Chodesh and Tisha B'Av, we are prohibited from:
Building or performing alterations in one’s home, unless the work is important repair work. This prohibition includes painting, wall papering and other forms of home decorations.
Eating meat or drinking wine, except on Shabbat.
Giving clothing to or getting clothing back from the cleaners or doing laundry. Children’s clothing, especially babies and infants, may be cleaned during this period. Also, this restriction doesn’t apply to clothing warn directly against the body which requires frequent changing.
Weaving, knitting and needle craft work, with the exception of repairing torn clothing, is prohibited during this period.
Swimming and bathing for pleasure is prohibited. Taking a bath or shower for hygiene purposes is permitted. Children in camp may go swimming during the instructional swim period. Visiting a Mikveh when necessary is permitted.
The Shabbat before Tisha B'Av is called Shabbat Chazon because the Haftorah that morning begins with the word Chazon.

Everything is for the Best

2007-07-16T14:08:00.000-04:00

Audio Story of Rabbi Akiva

Everything is for the Best

This was taken from the website:
Azamra

Jewish Modesty

2007-07-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET: THE LAWS OF MODESTY
Adapted from, Our Bodies, Our Souls, A Jewish Perspective on Feminine Spirituality by Tsiporah Heller
"Beauty is not only viewed as desirable, but it is central to many a woman's self-image. The amount of words and paper spent on topics such as weight loss, exercise, diet, makeup and hair in publications aimed at female readers makes a thundering statement about the centrality of appearance in the lives of Western women.
Clearly, for many women self-worth and appearance have become synonymous; "beauty equals worth" is a message women have absorbed from their earliest conditioning. It is not coincidental that Cinderella was pretty while her stepsisters and stepmother were ugly; it is typical of the vision of a society that equates a woman's qualities with her appearance. "Beauty equals success" is a similar message that billboards and ads repeat over and over until the equation is unquestioned. What are the effects?
One pathetic result is that women, far more than men, seek to freeze themselves at twenty-five to thirty years of age. Grey hair, wrinkles, even smile lines, are viewed not only as unattractive but as reflections of the woman's diminishing value as a person. Thus many women experience a dramatic decline in self-esteem as they age....
TSNIUT: THE PRINCIPLE OF INTERNALITY
The Judaic response to human nature's tendency toward superficiality is a set of laws that are categorized under the heading of "tzniut." The actual definition of tzniut is the practical commitment not to allow oneself to be moved into superficial or external definitions of self or others. The result of tzniut is to make room for an inner, and therefore more total, vision to emerge. (Since the closest, though inaccurate, English definition of tzniut is "modesty," a word with negative vibes in much of today's society, we will continue to use the Hebrew term with its positive connotations.)
Tzniut is a consciousness that the Torah demands both men and women to develop, because it is a prerequisite to possessing a spiritual worldview. Men in Jewish religious society have generally taken it upon themselves to uphold a standard of dress that rivals and sometimes even surpasses that of traditional women. Many men avoid wearing short sleeves and wear shorts, if they do at all, only for sports...
So why is tzniut emphasized more for women than for men? The answer is twofold. Primarily, women are acknowledged to be more inherently gifted in tzniut and are therefore more strongly encouraged to achieve in this area of spiritual endeavor. There is also the recognition that men's greater propensity to objectify the opposite sex tends to lead to women's suffering from self-definition based on externalities. For both of these reasons, Judaism directs more specific tzniut legislation at women.
Knowing that what we wear says something about who we are, we usually choose to project ourselves by wearing clothes and makeup that make a statement we want others to hear. When you walk down the street, you see people wearing all sorts of statements...
Women generally seek to dress and behave in ways that they know men will appreciate, which all too often means focusing on externality. When a woman then incorporates this view into her own self image, completing the vicious circle, the results can be pathetic. At the least, she may not be able to envision herself wearing shoes whose heels are low enough that she can actually walk comfortably. At the extreme, this exaggerated emphasis on appearance can translate itself into the eating disorders that have become so prevalent in this "thin is everything" society.
We often fail to realize that how we dress influences not only how others view us, but how we view ourselves. People project back to us the image we intentionally or even unintentionally give forth, and we further internalize it. Even without social feedback, our mere consciousness of the uniform we are wearing impacts directly on our self-image.
The uniform that the Torah requires of women is dignity. That is nonnegotiable. While all other aspects of self-statement can be determined by individual taste, human dignity remains the focus of the dress code in Judaism.
By observing the laws of modesty, a woman is making the most important statement an individual can make: that she is a total person, not just a body. Secular society too often seeks to express only physicality and diminishes the person in the process. Certain non-Jewish religions, on the other hand, advocate spiritual expression through denying the physical altogether.
Judaism strikes a balance by acknowledging the need for both physical and nonphysical self-expression. Sensuality is channeled into the intimate aspects of one's married life, where it is affirmed and encouraged as a means of expressing one's deepest self to the other. It is simultaneously held back from the public eye, where it will inevitably create distortion and superficiality in how one is perceived. Dress such as spaghetti strap tank tops, short skirts and low necklines encourage the casual observer to focus on the body and not on the mind or the soul of the woman so attired. Publicly projecting oneself in such a way has the severe spiritual consequence of banishing God's Presence. Modest dress, on the other hand, not only prevents men from viewing women as objects, but, more importantly, allows women themselves to internalize a spiritual self-image.
Some women, upon starting to dress in accordance with the Torah's standards, experience a feeling of disempowerment;, no longer able to wield influence over men in the way they once could. This is healthy. A woman's sense of self and power should not come from the number of heads she can turn, but rather from the minds and hearts she can turn.
(Tziporah Heller's book, Our Bodies, Our Souls is published by Targum/Feldheim)

Raw Food Shopping List

2007-07-16T10:50:00.000-04:00

Click to Print or Right click and Save as.. To adjust size to print Larger.

Hope it Helps :)

Raw Banana and Strawberry Ice Cream

2007-07-15T09:54:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
4 cups frozen bananas (the riper the better)
5 large Strawberries
1/4 cup cashews
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Place bananas and strawberries in freezer overnight.
Remove from freezer and place in blender.
Add nuts and vanilla and Blend until ice cream texture.
Serve in beautiful plate and yum yum...enjoy.

Matriarch Leah "Tender Eyes"

2007-07-12T13:45:00.000-04:00

The Matriarch Leah: Tears of the Jewish Mother
"Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah and the name of the younger one was Rachel" (Genesis 29:16).
The Torah tells us that both Leah and Rachel wept profusely in their lives. Genesis 29:17 relates, "Leah's eyes were tender." The prophet Jeremiah writes, "A voice is heard on high, the sound of lamentation...Rachel weeping for her children."
This class will focus on the tears of Leah. Why does the Torah choose to describe one of its great female figures as a woman with "tender" eyes? Why does the text bring out something seemingly negative, when Leah has so many attributes? The Torah at times criticizes character flaws, sins and the like, which are the result of free will, but in Leah's case her "tender" eyes are a part of her physique, which is God-given and beyond her control as an individual. Why then would the Torah focus on something she has no power to change? What is the deeper meaning behind Leah's tender eyes?
Rashi tells us, "Leah's eyes were tender, because she wept constantly in prayer that she not have to marry Esav. People used to say that since Rebecca had two sons and Laban two daughters, the elder daughter would be married to the elder son, while the younger daughter was destined to marry the younger son." This is to say that Jacob was to marry Rachel, while his brother Esav was to wed Leah.
Given that Leah had the option to accept or reject the match with Esav, why did she choose to cry over it, rather than simply refuse to marry him? The answer lies in the fact that Leah was a prophetess. She knew that, in reality, people's mundane talk about her marriage to Esav reflected God's will for her. She saw prophetically that the two couples - Jacob and Rachel, with Esav and herself - were to establish the Jewish Nation, by spawning six tribes each. Leah was fully committed to this mission, while Esav was clearly not interested. Leah's grief reflected her fear that, because Esav was not up to the task, she might not have a share in building the Jewish people.
Leah's tears, as an expression of her prayer to be released from her destiny with Esav, did have an effect. The Midrash tells us, "Great is prayer, for Leah's prayer brought about annulment of the decree that she marry Esav, and even allowed her to be the first to marry Jacob and have children with him." She also gave birth to more tribes of Israel than any other of Jacob's wives.
Nonetheless, the way in which Leah came to marry Jacob seems to contradict her greatness. While Jacob was supposed to marry Rachel - and had worked for seven years for her father, Laban, in this regard - on the wedding night Laban contrives to substitute Leah for Rachel (Genesis 29:22), and Leah ultimately consents to proceed down the aisle and marry Jacob.
Where is the greatness in Leah's collaboration with this plan? Why did she allow herself to co-opt Rachel's place with Jacob? Furthermore, why does the Torah not criticize her for this choice? As stated above, the Torah is at times outspoken about character flaws and errors in judgement. Leah's actions seem to be precisely these types of mistakes.
To explore further, on a practical level, it made no sense for Laban to substitute Leah for Rachel. He knew that Jacob would eventually discover his trick and either divorce Leah, or that the marriage would be adversely affected by his ploy. What then did Laban hope to gain?
In addition, Laban forces Leah under threat of death to replace Rachel. This does not scare Leah, a woman who might not have been intimidated by such tactics. The fact that Leah does go ahead and marry Jacob reflects the fact that she sees God's hand behind both Laban's illogical actions and the unusual circumstances propelling her towards Jacob. Thus, in spite of Leah's own misgivings as well as her understanding of the difficulty she might incur once Jacob discovers her, Leah chooses to be passive and proceed with her father's plan. R' Aharon Kotler observes that, "All of Laban's machinations, however, could not have succeeded had not God wanted them to, for it is illogical to believe that Jacob could not have detected something amiss until the morning...the marriage to Leah took place unimpeded because God's plan required that Jacob and Leah become husband and wife." Evidently, Leah was tuned into this reality.
The Midrash tells us that, in the morning Jacob asks Leah why she, daughter of Laban the deceiver, has in turn deceived him? Leah responds that Jacob, in effect, had done the same thing when he took the blessing from Isaac that had been intended for Esav (Genesis 27:27). Such a retort is inconsistent with Leah's stellar character. She was obviously not trying to justify her own actions by pointing out a seemingly dishonest move of Jacob's.
(In fact, Jacob had taken his brother's blessing, because Esav's behavior indicated he did not want a share in forging the Jewish nation. As mentioned above, Jacob and Esav were to be partners, with Jacob as master of the Book - or the spiritual realm - and Esav as overseer of the physical realm. Isaac's blessing was intended for Esav, since the blessing itself was directed towards the physical world, and this was the sphere of Esav's mission. Once Jacob realized he was to be on his own, he took Esav's blessing, so as to receive the tools to assume Esav's responsibilities).
In essence, Leah reminds Jacob of the co-opted blessing in order to indicate to him that she, as Esav's partner, should now be partner to Jacob - the man who has taken on Esav's work.
In sum, the marriage of Leah to Jacob, and that of Rachel to Jacob seven days later, is not simply a polygamous story. Both women were intensely focused on building the Jewish people, and the entire course of events in their lives was motivated by their spiritual drives. This being the case, it is no wonder the Torah tells us of Leah's tender eyes. Rather than a deficit, they are key to her greatness, being they are the physical expression of her longing to contribute to the rise of a Nation.

Cucumber & Fresh Dill Tea Sandwich

2007-07-12T12:40:00.000-04:00

Cucumber & Fresh Dill
Thin bread (your favorite)
Thinly Sliced Cucumber
Fresh Dill
Unsalted Butter & Mayonnaise

1. Lightly butter one side of the bread and spread a small amount of mayonnaise on top of the butter.
2. Top with a thin slice of cucumber and a sprinkling of dill. These may be served open-faced or topped with an additional piece of bread which has been buttered & spread with mayo.

Tomato Avocado Tea Sandwich

2007-07-12T12:39:00.000-04:00

Tomato/Avocado
Your Favorite Bread
Sliced Tomato
Mashed, Ripe Avocado

1. Spread mashed avocado onto bread.
2. Place thin slices of tomato on top.
(Try slicing some cherry or grape tomatoes for a nice presentation.)
3. Top with another layer of bread (spread with avocado) or leave open faced if you prefer.
4. Season as needed with salt & pepper.

Things People Eat At Tea

2007-07-12T12:35:00.000-04:00

Things People Eat At Tea
By:Emily Post
The top dish on the "curate" should be a covered one, and holds hot bread of some sort; the two lower dishes may be covered or not, according to whether the additional food is hot or cold; the second dish usually holds sandwiches, and the third cake. Or perhaps all the dishes hold cake; little fancy cakes for instance, and pastries and slices of layer cakes. Many prefer a simpler diet, and have bread and butter, or toasted crackers, supplemented by plain cookies. Others pile the "curate" until it literally staggers, under pastries and cream cakes and sandwiches of pâté de foie gras or mayonnaise. Others, again, like marmalade, or jam, or honey on bread and butter or on buttered toast or muffins. This necessitates little butter knives and a dish of jam added to the already overloaded tea tray.
Selection of afternoon tea food is entirely a matter of whim, and new food-fads sweep through communities. For a few months at a time, everyone, whether in a private house or a country club, will eat nothing but English muffins and jam, then suddenly they like only toasted cheese crackers, or Sally Lunn, or chocolate cake with whipped cream on top. The present fad of a certain group in New York is bacon and toast sandwiches and fresh hot gingerbread. Let it be hoped for the sake of the small household that it will die out rather than become epidemic, since the gingerbread must be baked every afternoon, and the toast and bacon are two other items that come from a range.
Sandwiches for afternoon tea as well as for all collations, are made by buttering the end of the loaf, spreading on the "filling" and then cutting off the prepared slice as thin as possible. A second slice, unspread, makes the other side of the sandwich. When it is put together, the crust is either cut off leaving a square and the square again divided diagonally into two triangular sandwiches, or the sandwich is cut into shape with a regular cutter. In other words, a "party" sandwich is not the sort of sandwich to eat—or order—when hungry!
The tea served to a lady who lives alone and cares for only one dish of eatables would naturally eliminate the other two. But if a visitor is "received," the servant on duty should, without being told, at once bring in at least another dish and an additional cup, saucer, plate and napkin.
Afternoon tea at a very large house party or where especially invited people are expected for tea, should include two plates of hot food such as toast or hot biscuits split open and buttered, toasted and buttered English muffins, or crumpets, corn muffins or hot gingerbread. Two cold plates should contain cookies or fancy cakes, and perhaps a layer cake. In hot weather, in place of one of the hot dishes, there should be pâté or lettuce sandwiches, and always a choice of hot or iced tea, or perhaps iced coffee or chocolate frappé, but rarely if ever, anything else.

Nicholas Nickleby

2007-07-12T11:53:00.000-04:00

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings and Complete Career of the Nickelby Family

by Charles Dickens

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

2007-07-12T11:43:00.000-04:00

Click to Read

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

By: Beatrix Potter

Seasons of our Lives

2007-07-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

I have a need to write and just vent for a minute or two or twenty. I ponder in my thoughts change. Why? I really do not do well with change yet, it has been a constant part of my life.I battle with change yet, know that it is inevitable.
Why is there change?
I realize that we can get so wrapped up and complacent in our lives that we think that this is where we want to be. Who we want to be with. We get comfortable and then something happens. This storm of change.
Once again I fight. I demand Hashem to make it the way it was ( I have a lot of chutzpah)
The famous saying..." I just want things to go back to the way they were."
Do we really want that.
What if things always stayed cold. What if spring or summer or fall never cam.
How could we truly appreciate them if we never saw them.
The beautiful spring flowers.
The green (or maybe brown) grass in the summer.
The fall breeze and leaves turning color.
Everything must die to be renewed.
Even us.
We need to die and be reborn into the change.
But it is hard.
Once again I do not do well with change...
I only pray that Hashem will help me to appreciate the changes in my life and accept them with humilty and submission.

Tag now I'm It!

2007-07-12T09:36:00.000-04:00

Tag! Now, I'm it!
I have been tagged by PhillyFarmGirl.
Here are the rules.
Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.
The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. "I can do anything you can do cheaper" I am a thrift shopperholic. I refuse to pay full price for anything and get everything second hand.( I guess it is my way of recycling)
2. I love to watch drama movies (tearjerkers)
3. I am trying to eat healthier and be more conscious about my environment...please recycle.
5. I love to make things that I cannot afford to buy. Like fancy Jewelry and cubbies for my children's closet :)
6. I love to stop lift my head up and enjoy a breeze ( I need lots of air )
7. I love thunderstorms
8. I miss making stained glass

I am sorry Philly farm girl but because I do not have any cyber space friends I guess that I cannot continue the game but at least I wrote 8 things.

How to Raise a Happy Child

2007-07-10T10:46:00.000-04:00

How to Raise a Happy Child

We all want our children to be happy. But what do we actually mean by "happy"? Is it a child who prances around with a smile on her face all day long? Is it one who is pleased with everything his parents ask his to do? Or is it one who is never moody, irritable or angry?
Obviously, all children will have their ups and downs—much like we adults do. And their responsibilities will not likely make them overjoyed, whether these entail putting away their toys or doing their homework. Moreover, they will face many disappointments ranging from not being able to stay up late to not being able to go to sleep-over camp. Indeed, many children will find themselves living in very challenging circumstances such as poverty, marital disharmony, illness or divorce. Can they be "happy" when experiencing such intense life stresses as these?
A child's life is, in fact, as complex as that of the average adult. In the course of everyday existence, children must face many hurdles such as difficult schoolwork, unpleasant teachers, mean peers, less-than-perfect parents, jealous siblings and so on. Despite all this, we parents hope that our children will be characterized by a predominantly positive mood and optimistic outlook. Certainly this is a specific goal of Torah parenting: to raise children who confidently trust in Hashem's beneficence and who truly enjoy their lives. How can we help them achieve this?
Modeling "Happy" Behavior
Let's look at some "hard" but important techniques first and then move on to the easier ones. To begin with, we must surely model a "happy" attitude in our own lives. Children watch us closely and learn not only how to blink their eyes like we do, but also how to feel and think like we do. The impact of our own behavior is tremendous. This, of course, is a major responsibility and perhaps even a burden. What if our own lives are so full of stress that happiness just seems to elude us? The only answer to this query is that we cannot expect our children to cope better with stress than we do; we cannot hope that they'll learn what we cannot teach them. We must take steps to improve our own attitudes and coping skills, whether this involves taking self-help courses, reading books or seeking professional counseling. We need to be aware that our own depressions and anxieties will impact on our children whether we wish it to be this way or not. The only cure is for us to increase our own happiness and show our children a more positive model.
Similarly, if our marriages are very unhappy, this will have an impact on our children's happiness. A child cannot be happy amidst strife, hostility or cold indifference. Again, there is much we can do with shiurim, courses, books and counseling, and we should exhaust every avenue in attempting to heal this aspect of our lives for the benefit of our children as well as for ourselves.
Attending to Physical Factors
Criticism is a true poison to the system and has the potential to make children very, very unhappy.Now for the easier strategies: We can help our children maintain a more positive mood more often by attending to simple physical factors. For example, children who are sleep-deprived are grouchier, more miserable human beings. Making sure that children of all ages get adequate rest is a good starting point for mood management. Similarly, children need healthful food—not just a sugar diet—in order to maintain a positive mood. Sugar, in fact, is a depressant and too much of it may increase both irritability and grumpiness. Also, children need sufficient exercise. Most kids get this just by running around, but there are some who carpool or ride the bus to school, sit long hours with few breaks, ride home again and remain indoors until bedtime. If your child's day is structured that way, you can insert a twenty-minute exercise routine for the whole family some time in the evening every day. Without exercise, people of all ages become depressed and lethargic and have less resources for stress management.
Staying Positive
A good way to foster happiness is to refrain from those behaviors which destroy happiness. As a parent, this means refraining from excessive criticism. Criticism is a true poison to the system and has the potential to make children feel inadequate, angry, hurt and very, very unhappy. When it's necessary to correct a child, keep your comments very brief, very quiet and as positively phrased as possible. For example, if displeased about a messy bedroom, instead of having an explosive tirade about "pig-sties" and "laziness," just use a one-liner, uttered softly and gently, to the effect that "I'd like the room cleaned up before dinnertime or you won't be able to go out this evening" (or choose whatever appropriate consequence works for your child).
Another behavior from which to refrain is verbal negativity. This involves making negative statements about anything, including talking excessively about those people and things which you don't like or making negative predictions about how things won't turn out well. Negativity of this kind instills hopelessness and despair in youngsters—traits which are highly correlated with suicidality. Instead, talk about the bright side of life at least in a balanced fashion (i.e., both the good news and the bad news), and if possible, keep the positive side predominant for optimal parenting results—that is to say, talk about what you like, why you think things will turn out well, how people are so admirable, and so forth.
A child cannot be happy amidst strife, hostility or cold indifference.In addition, giving children lots of warmth, praise and affection increases their feelings of well-being and security and therefore contributes to their happiness. This requires not so much time as attention. In those moments you are together—which are often the "morning rush" hours and the equally hectic after-school hours, focus all your attention on the quality of the interactions you are having with your youngsters. The emphasis should not be so much on the routines of dressing, homework, bed-time and so on, but rather on how these routines are accomplished. Soft words, lots of smiles, light-hearted banter, praise, caresses and even concrete rewards, are the order of the day. These positive interchanges verily build "happiness cells" within the body, with life-enduring consequences.
A Framework for Meaning
Finally, true happiness involves not only momentary pleasant moods and inner emotional security, but also a framework for meaning. People who "have everything" can still feel empty and lost and definitely unhappy. It is only when we have a sense of purpose and direction in our lives that we can truly feel happy. This sense may grow and take form in adulthood, but its seeds are sowed in childhood. Children, like adults, must be grounded in purposeful existence in order to feel significant and fulfilled.
We can help youngsters create a foundation for a meaningful existence by making the expression of religion in our homes vibrant and meaningful. Certainly we want our children to do mitzvos—but not as a lifestyle or robot-like routine. By utilizing the Shabbos table as a forum for discussion and growth, for making spiritual concepts relevant in everyday functioning, we can offer our children a deeper, more satisfying life-structure. For example, we can talk about Torah directives regarding our interactions with people, the implications of these directives (i.e., the mitzvah not to hold hatred in our hearts), the strategies whereby we can learn to observe these mitzvos and how they will enhance our lives. Such discussions can be brought down to the level of four year olds and up to the level of fourteen year olds. It is the discussion, the chewing over and exploring, that enables Judaism to become a living framework.
Moreover, teaching children how to be involved with issues beyond their own needs and wishes, both through modeling and instruction, gives them a true source of satisfaction and deep pleasure in living. Thus we must teach our children how to give to others—first within the family by fostering caring for parents, siblings, grandparents and others—and then within the community. When children see that they can be important to the welfare and happiness of others, they begin to experience their true happiness.
So we can see that raising happy children is indeed an art and science, requiring much thought and planning on our parts, but a project which is sure to bring us much happiness and fulfilment as well!

Hummus

2007-07-10T10:05:00.000-04:00

Hummus
Quick (10 minutes), delicious snack. Works well as a party dip – many non-vegan friends and family love this dip! Serve with raw crackers, zucchini slices, celery or carrot sticks. Makes a great party tray along with olives, avocado slices and raw crackers.
Ingredients
2 zuchinni, peeled and chopped
1 cup raw tahini
½ cup fresh lime or lemon juice
⅓ cup cold pressed olive oil
¼ cup chopped olives (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons celtic sea salt
½ tablespoon ground cumin
Preparation
In a high-speed blender, combine all ingredients and blend until thick and smooth.