Happy Halloween

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Happy Halloween!

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Straggler

This Maple tree always changes color later than most. It is actually a few days past it's fall peak in this picture but I still think it looks pretty. That's my land on the left and my house is just up that road on the left.

Does anyone know why for the last few years I haven't been able to find the Halloween Mix of candy corn. It had the chocolate cats in it. Did they stop making it? I can only find the Autumn Mix which has pumpkins but no cats. The cats were my favorite.

Mr. Lover

I was doing my usual chores in the kitchen one morning, when I heard singing coming from the next room. I peeked around the corner and caught T singing and banging on his toy drum. I listened unnoticed for a few minutes and this is what I heard...

T: (In a slightly Jamaican accent) Ladies lift your glasses, I know what you need....SHAGGY!

(bangs on his drum) (continues singing) They don't call me Mr. Lover because I like ice cream, they call me Mr. Lover because ... I like ice cream (actual lyrics=fulfill dreams)

Mama: What ya doin bud?

T: Singing mama. Shaggy is nice.

Mama: Oh, yah, why?

T: Because he really likes ladies and gives them what they need.

Mama: What do the ladies need?

T: (long pause) ICE CREAM!

Probably not what Shaggy is singing about giving the ladies, but I didn't correct him. He is only 4 after all. And as far as music choice, I love Shaggy, he is all about the ladies. He sings about loving your mother, God being a woman, staying in school, not doing drugs and not joining gangs. If T learns these things from Shaggy plus what Shaggy really means by giving a woman what she needs, what's the harm?

I haven't shown pictures of the back of my kids in a while so here is a picture of T's head. My hus still doesn't want photos on the Internet of our children's faces, so I still respect that.

T's Swirly

My Jewishness-ness

I was going to post some cute pictures on my blog today and had already started to write, but Blogger doesn't seem to want to let me put pictures up. Hopefully, this problem will be resolved soon.

I decided to write a little more related to my last post. The thing is, I wrote that I had given up on being Jewish period and I realized the day before yesterday, that this is not entirely true.
That evening, I was home cooking dinner for the fam, I was making home made Chicken and Matzo Ball soup, and it suddenly dawned on me. I was making home made Chicken and Matzo Ball soup! Well, if that's not Jewish....

My point is that, I love my home made Chicken soup, because it is damn good! Then I realized I make many really tasty Jewish foods, Noodle Kugel, Mock Potato Knishes, Potato Latkes (pancakes), Fried Matzo and more. I am not giving these Delicious foods up. These recipes are MINE, Jewish or not, I taught them to myself, LOOSELY basing them on the recipes of my grandmother, being that I rarely watched her cook, and recipes I found on-line or in cookbooks.

I also plan on lighting the Menorah candles during Hanukkah, but I also plan on decorating for Christmas. I love Christmas time, and even growing up Jewish I always felt it was a magical time, a time for giving and spending time with family. By family, I mean my husband and kids. Spending time with anyone else in my family is definitely not magical! I should probably try and learn more about Kwanzaa so we can celebrate that too. Plus I love decorating for holidays,putting up pretty garland, decorating the tree etc. There are not many Hanukkah decorations out there and Santa doesn't come to Jewish kids houses!

So I guess even if I try to deny it, Judaism will always be at least a tiny part of me. Along with my own traditions that I started with my family. Like celebrating many holidays and trying to be good people.

Before I publish, I also want to ask if any of you are joining Nablopomo and blogging every day in November? Come on, it will be fun, stressful but fun. Let me know if you are planning on joining. I need more Friends!

Do I Look Familiar Pt. 3

How scary, I mean sweet is this picture? A lovely Jewish family celebrating Hanukkah. UGH! That's me standing up holding the yarmulke beanie on my head. The woman with her arm around me is my grandmother who passed away 6 years ago.
For those new to my blog these "Do I Look Familiar?" posts are about my adoption and my slow and hesitant search for my birth family.
My adopted parents told me many different stories regarding my history. The stories changed through the years until I eventually found out the truth that they didn't really know any of my history. I picked this picture today because I wanted to talk about religion, just a little, nothing controversial, just my thoughts.
My adoptive mom (a-mom for short) first told me that my birth mother was Jewish and so I was "automatically Jewish". This of course was not true. Later, my a-mom told me that because she was Jewish, that meant I was "automatically Jewish". I am sure she really wanted to believe this, but again, this was not true.
I found out a few years ago what the true story was. I was not born Jewish and no one had any idea what religion I was. Actually, they might know but claim not to. Because of this, I had to be converted when I was a baby. An aunt told me that my great-grandfather took me all by himself to his Temple and had me converted. He was in his 80's when I was born so it must have been an interesting trip for me.
I've always thought of myself as being a sort of black sheep in the family (My cousin M might disagree, as he thinks he is). I felt that I was different from my family and just never fit in. The Jewish thing is just one reason. No matter how much I tried to feel connected with my Jewish heritage, I never really did. Well, I did for a long time feel a connection to Jews in history. The persecution for example, I was also persecuted for being Jewish. Of course there were other reasons I was picked on, mostly because I was shy and people thought I was stuck-up. And, the Jewish kids were the worst offenders, I hated going to Hebrew School. I knew kids would be mean to me and I knew the teachers wouldn't do anything about it.
I went through a time when my grandmother(pictured) was dying and I thought I felt a connection to her and to Judaism. I even tried to incorporate some traditions in my daily family life. I joined the Jewish Temple, the only one in the area, so E could go to Sunday school and my hus and I could meet some adults. My hus is not Jewish but since he is the best nicest guy in the world he hesitantly agreed.
BAD IDEA! It was horrible, not right away, but a few months into our membership. I found the other couples cold and unfriendly. I started to feel the same dread when I would bring E to Sunday school. Finally I realized, WTF am I doing? How can I feel connected to a religion where most of the people I meet are mean!? After that experience along with a lifetime of feeling like I am mistreated and don't fit in, I gave up on being Jewish, period.
The point, of which I am writing this long winded post is that I just wonder what religion I was born. Right now I consider myself non-religious, maybe atheist, maybe not. Why can't just being a good person be enough? I think it is. I would love to find out I am Irish Catholic or something opposite of Jewish, just to horrify my family!
The ironic thing is that the best friends I have ever had were met in public school and they were Jewish! But not the "I go to Temple every week" Jew, Jews like me, just good people.

As an update to my actual search. I sent in my registration to the state of New York where I was born and they sent it back saying they can't help me because I was not adopted in NY. I also sent in my registration to ISRR and it's been weeks and I haven't heard other that that they got my paperwork. So it's not looking good. My next step will be to hire a lawyer and try to get my files opened. I will keep you all posted when I do this.

Cry For Me

Because I want to cry. The satellite installer guy just left. I am not going to be able to get satellite Internet. Seems there is a small forest standing in the way. The guy said I would have to cut down at least 5 or 6 very large trees and a huge amount of brush and then he could come back and try again.
One day, when I have had my fill of loading....loading....loading....I might just do that. I know we have a chainsaw somewhere around here...


UPDATE: OK I am done feeling sorry for myself, it is hard to feel sorry for yourself about Internet service when there are other more terrible, awful things happening in the world to feel bad about. I will just have to deal or maybe occasionally try the library.