Ima on (and off) the Bima: Real-Life Jewish Parenting

Pinspiration

2012-02-09T06:30:00.000-06:00

You have probably heard of Pinterest.
I have actually blogged about this back in November.
(If you want an invite, let me know.)

The other day was full of Pinspiration.
Here's what I did, all inspired by Pinterest:

I displayed a bunch of photos, in a super-simple way. And Solly looooved it.
How beautiful is this? About six weeks ago I printed 50 free prints from Shutterfly (thanks to another obsession - online coupon sites), with the intention of creating something with them. And then they sat around...until today when I was inspired by this pin. (And it's very high-tech - I used scotch tape.)

We also tried out the broken crayon project that has been pinned many times. It was fun, it didn't work exactly the way I wanted it to but we still had a good time. I wanted to use this project for Yael's upcoming birthday party but I'm not sure it will work. I have to muse on it a little more...

AND I learned that you can freeze avocados. Did you know that?

What have you learned on Pinterest?

#TuBishvat Green Smoothie & Date-Fig Bars

2012-02-07T22:21:00.001-06:00

In honor of Tu BiShvat we had green smoothies...

Simple recipe - bananas, milk, a little chocolate syrup (mostly because they were watching and insisted) and a little whipped cream on top (because, of course, it's a holiday!)

I can't believe that my oldest, who won't ever eat a vegetable, drank this smoothie.

And an easy way to celebrate the greenest of green holiday!

(We had these smoothies on Erev Tu Bishvat and we're going to make them again for the big day...okay, it might become a regular thing.)

We also had delicious date-fig bars.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion's Bakery Date Squares

Date-Fig Bars:

Filling:
3 cups of chopped dates and figs *the original called for only dates, and had a variant filling recipe using figs and orange juice, but I just mixed up dates and figs for that Tu Bishvat flavor!
1 cup of water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a saucepan, combine the stuff, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken after a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. I ran the immersion blender through it to give it a nice smooth texture and let it sit for a while.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Whisk together the dry ingredients (except the nuts) and then add the melted butter. Stir until well combined.

Lightly grease a 9x9 inch pan and press 2 1/2 cups of the crust mixture into the pan, smoothing it out to fill the bottom with no gaps. Spread the filling on the crust. Add the nuts to the remaining crust mixture and sprinkle it over the filling.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden brown. Let cool before cutting.

What treats will you have (or did you have) for Tu BiShvat?

Activities for #TuBiShvat

2012-02-07T06:30:00.000-06:00

How do you celebrate the Birthday of the Trees?
Here are some suggestions...

- Take a walk outside. Even if it's raining or snowing or cold or....whatever. Enjoy the fresh air and look at a few trees.

- Eat a tree fruit or nut. There's a tradition to hold a Tu BiShvat Seder but it's not necessary to make a big production of it! Just enjoy the products of a tree.

- Get a little silly. One year I made green pancakes. One year I made a tree-shaped challah. What can you do to honor trees? Is this the year that we color the milk green???

- Plant something. Parsley seeds, flower seeds, anything! It doesn't take much to plant something small. Supposedly if you start parsley now, you'll have enough for your Pesach seder. Give it a try!

- Read a book about trees. Try Grandpa and Me on Tu B'Shevat or A Tree is Nice.

- Do something for the earth. Turn off a light, pack your lunch, recycle a magazine. What new thing can you do to add to your efforts to be "green"?

What else does your family do to celebrate Tu BiShvat?

#TuBiShvat Haiku

2012-02-06T06:55:00.000-06:00

What is Tu B'Shevat*?
The Jewish New Year of Trees -
in essence, tax day.

This date was the end
of the fiscal year for fruit
to count up the tithe.

The day is now more -
a day to celebrate green
Hooray for the trees!

Make the world better
by planting a tree or two,
recycle, reuse.

If you're not Jewish
celebrating trees still rocks!
Join in! Hug a Tree!

*Tu in Hebrew is 15, therefore the name of the holiday, like the Fourth of July, is the name of the date. It is the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat.

#TuBiShvat - For the Love of Trees

2012-02-05T22:25:00.001-06:00

Tu BiShvat is the Jewish holiday celebrating the "new year (or birthday) of the trees." The name comes from the calendar date on which it falls: Tu is the Hebrew equivalent of 15 and Shevat is the Hebrew month in which we are in right now. Tu BiShvat was originally a day when the fruits that grew from that day on were counted for the following year in regard to tithes.

In modern times, it is celebrated as a Jewish "Earth Day" -- celebrating trees, planting trees, and reflecting on environmental and ecological issues. This year, Tu BiShvat falls on Wednesday, February 8th.

See this post on how to properly spell Tu BiShvat in English transliteration. Interesting and thought-provoking, so you'll notice my spelling.

I'm going to repost some of my previous Tu BiShvat content this week and also add some new stuff, so stay tuned all week for some Tu BiShvat fun with trees!

So here's a sweet video on tree-planting from Shalom Sesame to get you started!

And click over here for my Tu BiShvat playlist on YouTube. What's your favorite Tu BiShvat song?

Interview with Susan Campbell Bartolleti, Author

2012-02-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to bring you this interview with Susan Campbell Bartolleti, as a part of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Book Tour sponsored by www.jewishlibraries.org/blog, and the official Sydney Taylor Book Awards. The full blog tour schedule will be posted at www.jewishlibraries.org/blog - go see which of my friends are participating and meet some new folks!
Her book, Naamah and the Ark at Night, is a sweet lyrical poem combined with gorgeous illustrations. As I told Susan when I sent her my interview questions, Sam and Yael really liked the book - which might trump any award, right?

Will you share a little bit about yourself and your journey towards becoming a writer?

Thank you for inviting me to participate in this interview. I’m really excited about this blog tour. I’m grateful to the Sydney Taylor award committee for Naamah’s honor.

My journey to becoming a writer was a bit slower than some writers I know. I wasn’t one of those writers who knew she wanted to become a writer as child.

I’ve always loved to read. I’ve always loved stories of all kinds, good and bad. But I didn’t begin to write seriously until I became an eighth-grade English teacher.

My students wrote poems, short stories, and essays. They researched, wrote, and illustrated their own nonfiction picture books and other work. They held poetry readings. They kept writing journals. They published their work to the school’s award-winning literary magazine, which I co-advised.

It felt good to see my students grow as writers. They inspired me to practice what I preached. As they wrote poems and stories and essays, I did, too. Our classroom became one large writing group. They brought their work to class; sometimes I brought mine. Together, we would figure out what makes a good story and how to make a story better.

The first big discovery that a writer makes is her voice and audience. My students helped me discover that I wanted to write for young readers.

I sold my first story to Highlights for Children in 1989. By 1997, I had published short stories, two picture books, and a nonfiction book. I had a novel and another nonfiction book under contract.

The time had come for a difficult decision.

For eighteen years, I had a career that I loved – teaching. Was it time for another? Could I make it as a full-time writer?

“Leap and the net will appear,” a friend told me. (That friend was Laurie Halse Anderson.)

And I did.

And it did.

I’m lucky to work that my hands, my head, and my heart love.

What inspired you to write the story of Naamah?

A very old wooden ark that sits on a shelf in my dining room.

Susan sent me this photo of her old wooden ark.

As a little girl, when I visited my grandmother – my father’s mother – I played with the ark.

I lined up the animals, two by two, and boarded them safely. I imagined the falling rain. The rising floodwaters. The ark tossing and turning on the churning sea.

The ark now sits on a shelf in my dining room. One day, several years ago, I found that my imagination turned to Noah’s wife. In the book of Genesis, we’re told that Noah was a just man, full of grace, who pleased God. But who was Noah’s wife and what kind of a person was she?

I began to imagine this woman who spent more than a year on an ark filled with animals. I began to ask: what did she think when Noah told her his plan? How did she feel packing her house? When the rain began to fall? Surely the neighbors must have noticed. What did they think as Noah hammered and sawed away? When Noah gathered the animals? What did her sons and her daughters-in-law think? How did it feel when the floodwaters rose? What did it feel like to leave all those terrified people behind? What was life like on the ark?

The answers to these questions led me to write different versions of the story. None of those versions “worked,” and so I tucked the story away. It sat in my drawer for many years. Every so often, I’d return to the story and try again.

Then one day, I realized that I wasn’t asking the right question: What was Noah’s wife’s name?

Many people have suggested various names over the years. In 1941, an American scholar named Francis Utley listed 103 different names for Noah’s wife.

From my research, I learned that some rabbinical legends tell us that Noah’s wife was called Naamah because her deeds were pleasant. (These legends also tell of another Naamah whose name meant “great singer.”)

I liked that, and the interpretations of the name Naamah helped me imagine her personality and her talents. They helped me imagine how a woman might have inspired and comforted her husband and their three sons and their wives, the animals, and herself during all those days and nights afloat.

Perhaps Naamah sang.

You explain at the end of the book that you chose the ancient poetic form of the ghazal for this book. What inspired you to do so? Why did that format fit in with the story of Naamah for you?

A few years ago, I heard my friend and colleague Molly Peacock read a poem that she termed a “sonnet-ghazal.” Molly’s hauntingly beautiful poem gave me goosebumps.

I knew what a sonnet was, but I didn’t know what a ghazal was. As I read more ghazals and learned more about them, I felt drawn to the form for Naamah’s story. Once the story had a form and Naamah had a name, the words poured out in the first draft, with little revision and very few changes after that.

Strictly speaking, a ghazal (pronounced “guzzle”) comes to us from the Middle East. It’s an Arabic word that means, “talking to women” and the subject of a ghazal is usually longing and loss. (How perfect is that meaning for Naamah’s story?)

The traditional ghazal is so beautiful! You can find examples by conducting an internet search online.

Many Western poets take liberties with the traditional form, as did I.

What is your own favorite children's book or books? Do you read and find inspiration in other authors' work?

I continue to read and to write a lot of poetry. I always try to read the most recent Best American Poetry Series.

I don’t have a favorite children’s book. I love so many! I’m presently reading Jack Gantos’s Dead End In Norvelt. (I’ve already laughed out loud twice!) Another book I loved from last year was Gary Schmidt’s Okay for Now.

There's a great deal of variety in the subjects of your books - a lot of historical fiction but also some sillier subjects like some of your picture books.

I am equal parts silly and serious.

How do you come up with new and different ideas for your work?

One of my grad-school professors once remarked that I have a “lively intellect,” and I suppose that’s true. I’m curious. I ask a lot of questions (which can be annoying). I have a passionate desire to learn more and to puzzle things out. I enjoy the intellectual process and the physical process. I like fitting the pieces together, thinking in new ways – and this always leads to new ideas.

How did Naamah fit into the other books you've written?

For me, Naamah story’s was the perfect emotional arc to They Called Themselves the K.K.K.

I often write about tragic and dark times in history. In my other work, I’ve explore the lives of the disenfranchised, the exploited, the victimized, and the silenced -- from the pain of child labor in Growing Up in Coal Country and Kids on Strike!, to the trauma of famine of Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, to the horrors of the Third Reich in Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow and The Boy Who Dared, to racial violence in They Called Themselves the K.K.K. is a continuation of this interest.

Authors often say that their books are like children to them, and they’re right. As I researched and wrote about these things, the subject matter kept me up at night, made me cry and made me angry, made me worry, and made me frustrated, and yet my research inspired me and filled me with wonder and awe at the courage of the human spirit.

And yet, I wonder: How do people survive dark times? Perhaps by holding on to hope and faith and trust through the night, just as Naamah must have done.

Holly’s art is awesome, in the true sense of the word. I love how she depicts Naamah moving through the night, carrying that candle. That’s the answer, isn’t it? To shine a light on the darkness and to keep moving.

The illustrations are truly gorgeous.

How do you find that you best create a balance for yourself in your family life and writing?

[Insert maniacal laughter here.]

It’s hard.

Writing is pretty all-consuming.

I believe we make the time to do the things we really want to do. I want to write books, and so I make the time to write. I want to spend time with my family, and so I make that time, too.

Sometimes the balance needs an adjustment. I’m on a tight deadline right now, and the other day, my very grownup daughter and mother of three under three said, You know, Mom. I really hate it when your characters see you more than I do.

I’ve got her and the grandbabies penciled in.

A huge thank you to Susan for participating in this blog book tour, and mazel tov on your award! Please don't forget to visit the rest of the STBA Blog Book Tour at www.jewishlibraries.org/blog.

*The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) since 1968, the Award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. Gold medals are presented in three categories: Younger Readers, Older Readers, and Teen Readers. Honor Books are awarded silver medals, and Notable Books are named in each category. Thirty-three outstanding books were selected from among the over one hundred and twenty titles evaluated by the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee during 2011. The Committee recommends them for library, classroom, and home use. List of all 2012 Award, Honor, and Notable Books.

Click...

2012-02-01T21:57:00.001-06:00

Sam is right on the edge. Right on the cusp.

Of reading.

He is so ready.

Tonight, I brought home a used set of Bob books.

He opened one and started to read.
His face lit up as he read the simple story.
And then he read the next one.
And the next.
And he couldn't stop.
"Can I read the next one?"
He didn't want to go to bed.
He read one on Facetime to his grandparents.

Finally, it was bedtime.

"Can I take them upstairs and read with Yael?"
Um.... how can I say no?

A few minutes later, they're back.
"We need a little light."
(Now, let me tell you, it was waaaaay past bedtime. But I know the feeling. When you're on a roll and you just can't go to bed.)

I listened at the door.
"Look, Yael, that says 'Dot'. Say 'Dot.'"
Not only did he learn how to read tonight.
He taught his little sister too.

Because it's way more fun to read with a friend.

Do you remember that feeling?
The beginning of reading....the opening of that big, amazing, exciting world?
Let the adventure begin....

Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour Schedule

2012-01-27T16:42:00.005-06:00

I think it is a sign of my total (awesome) geek-itude that I went out and put all these books on reserve at the library as soon as the Sydney Taylor Book Awards were announced!

I am honored and excited to kick off the tour on Sunday, February 5th.

Here is the whole schedule - make sure to visit each blog and don't forget to leave them all nice comments!

THE 2012 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD BLOG TOUR

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Susan Campbell Bartoletti, author of Naamah and the Ark at Night
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category
at Ima On & Off the Bima

Holly Meade, illustrator of Naamah and the Ark at Night
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category
at Into the Wardrobe

Shelley Sommer, author of Hammerin' Hank Greenberg, Baseball Pioneer
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category
at Great Kid Books

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Marcia Vaughan, author of Irena's Jar of Secrets
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category
at Shelf-Employed

Ron Mazellan, illustrator of Irena's Jar of Secrets
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category
at The Children's War

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2012

Trina Robbins, author of Lily Renee, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category
at Bildungsroman

Anne Timmons (and possibly Mo Oh), illustrators of of Lily Renee, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category
at Gathering Books

Morris Gleitzman, author of Then
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Teen Readers Category
at The 3 R's

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Michael Rosen, author of Chanukah Lights
Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category
at A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy

Robert Sabuda, illustrator/paper engineer of Chanukah Lights
Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category
at Practically Paradise

Susan Goldman Rubin, author of Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein
Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Older Readers Category
at Cynsations

Robert Sharenow, author of The Berlin Boxing Club
Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Teen Readers Category
at Jewish Books for Children

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Durga Yael Bernhard, author & illustrator of Around the World in One Shabbat
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category
at Frume Sarah's World

Shirley Vernick, author of The Blood Lie
Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Teen Readers Category
at The Fourth Musketeer

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012

Eric Kimmel, author of The Golem's Latkes
Sydney Taylor Notable Book, and winner of the National Jewish Book Award
at Ann Koffsky's Blog

Gloria Spielman, author of Marcel Marceau, Master of Mime
Sydney Taylor Notable Book, and finalist for the National Jewish Book Award
at Shannon and the Sunshine Band

Richard Michelson, author of Lipman Pike: America's First Home Run King
Sydney Taylor Notable Book, and finalist for the National Jewish Book Award
at Blue Thread

Sydney Taylor Award Winners – Wrap-Up
All winners, all categories
at The Whole Megillah

No Love?

2012-01-26T15:32:00.000-06:00

The Abba Sababa posted about what happens when one kid gets sick and the other ones have to go about their regular routine.

This morning, Yael was still feeling under the weather.

Sam: Is Yael staying home again today?
Me: Yes.
Sam: Because, you know, I got, like, no love yesterday.

Right.
No love.
This from the kid who wipes off every kiss...

My sweet girl feeling poorly...watching Dora the Explorer and wearing her big brothers' hand-me-down jammies.

Rosh Chodesh Shevat

2012-01-25T15:32:00.000-06:00

It doesn't seem like spring.

Picture taken in Central Park on a lovely almost-spring-like day in January!

Brrrr.
But the days are, in fact, getting longer.
Deep below the earth,
the trees can sense it
the future
the potential
the awakening...

I've always loved the hope
of the month of Shevat.

It's cold and dark here.
But somewhere special
in our Land
spring is on the horizon.

May we celebrate
what is
and what is yet to be
in the new month
of
Shevat.

May the new month of Shevat bring blessing and hope, peace and joy.
Chodesh Tov!

Seeking Inspiration?

2012-01-23T23:05:00.001-06:00

There's a story about the Baal Shem Tov, the great teacher and rabbi. He once went into a grand synagogue, filled with the people of a community. At the end of the services, he said, "this shul is filled with prayer." The people began to fill with pride, they were so proud of their synagogue, and so proud of the obvious praise of the Baal Shem Tov.
Then he began to fling the windows and doors wide open. "This shul is so filled with prayer, nothing can leave this room. They are all stuck here. Not one prayer rises to heaven."

Have you ever felt that way? Like there are so many words and ideas and thoughts floating around that you're just trapped and stuck?

I am feeling that way lately.

There are so many books I want to read, magazines to peruse, blogs and online articles and Facebook posts to consume, movies to see, television shows to watch, YouTube videos to check out, pictures to take, craft projects to try, recipes to cook, pins to click on....(all in the hours after the kids go to bed, of course!) (I don't even have the energy to link all those words...)

There's so much noise.
It's so good.
I like noise.
After all, I have four kids.

But for some reason, in the last few weeks, it has all seemed to be too much.

Fear of Missing Out. It's the new disease. What if I miss the pins, the posts, the words, the movies, the shows, the books, the....whatever.

I'm sure the solution is to step. away. from. the. computer.

But I'm not quite ready. I'm not quite sure what I'm willing...ready....interested in giving up.
I'm just thinking about it.

So I think I'm seeking inspiration...
...but perhaps I'm seeking something else.

The other day on Facebook, I posted "seeking inspiration."

I have no idea what I was looking for.

I have some great friends who gave me good things to think about.
I think partly that I was hoping someone would give me some really good blog post topics. That might be part of it. I'm taking in so much information and, in case you haven't noticed, I haven't posted a lot lately...so there's a lot going in, and...like the shul that the Baal Shem Tov was visiting, there hasn't been much of an outlet.

Well, anyway, here I am...seeking inspiration.

In case you need a little inspiration....

Help? Leave your thoughts in the comments...

New Blogger on the Block: @Abba_Sababa

2012-01-19T23:01:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to welcome my husband, Michael, to the blogosphere.

Check out the Abba Sababa, won't you?

I'm so proud of him!
And hey...he even joined Twitter. Now that's some serious technological progress!

We're a two-blog family!

What I Ate in NYC

2012-01-18T21:23:00.002-06:00

No excuses. I have been a bad blogger for the last two weeks.

I spent almost 2 weeks in New York City, as part of a program I'm participating in through Hebrew Union College, my alma mater. Ten days without my kids and husband, staying in Midtown Manhattan. Yep.

So I did what any left-alone mama would do.

I ate.

And of course, I photographed much of what I ate.
Isn't that what everyone does?

Starting at the top...from left to right:
Crepe for lunch (I may have also had a dessert crepe but ate it before I could photograph)
Magnolia cupcakes
Latte
Cinnamon-Raisin Peanut Butter Sandwich
Pizza...as only you can eat it in New York City
White Pizza
Macaroni and Cheese
Molly's Cupcakes - the butterscotch salted caramel cupcake may have changed my life.
Moroccan Oranges by JaneTheWriter
Cupcakes Baked by Melissa
Crack Pie from Momofuku
Poached Eggs Florentine from Cozy Soup n' Burger

I ate a bunch of other food...but luckily I walked an average of 5 miles a day...how else are New Yorkers so skinny!?

I don't know how I would ever live in a city with such amazing food. Since I actually ate other things too. I can't believe I didn't photograph the food I ate at Shake Shack (milkshake, french fries, veggie burger, and hot chocolate), Crumbs cupcakes, Rice to Riches (I know I took that picture, where did it go?), various bagels and snacks and such...

Thank goodness I live here instead.
Whew!

Seriously!? One more book?

2011-12-31T20:54:00.000-06:00

Just after I posted my "Books of 2011" list, I had a thought that perhaps I had forgotten a book or two. After all, that happened to me last year too.

And then I read Leah's post of the books she read (check out her cool graphic) and I exclaimed "Wait, I read that one too!"

So I really read one more book last year. Argh...I don't like incomplete lists. I wonder if I forgot any others.

Do any of you remember me reading anything else!? Thanks for your help.

Oh, the additional book was The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma.

My Annual Book Post - 2011 List

2011-12-28T21:15:00.002-06:00

Welcome to my fourth annual Books I Read in the Last Year post.
Here's the books from 2008, from 2009, and from 2010.

Since 2008, I've been keeping a list of the books I read. It's actually helpful since I can't remember anything and so when someone asks me what I've read lately...I have nothing to say. Which is so silly since I have definitely read something lately. So now I keep the list in this post yearly, but also in Google Docs so I can access it from my phone. I have a few friends who share the Doc with me...which I suppose is my own version of GoodReads, which I fail to update ~~regularly~~ ever.

I'm trying not to get hung up on the fact that I only read 67 books this year. (I'm actually in the middle of what would be both 68 and 69 but the pressure got to be too much, so they will be 1 and 2 for 2012, I guess!) I had a busy patch in the fall when I didn't read many books...there was also a nursing baby who didn't let me get much sleep...

And now, onto the list. The books I read in 2011:
(K = Kindle, *=Library Book, YA=young adult)

1.Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (K)
2.The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa*
3.Debt Free for Life by David Bach
4.Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (K)
5.One is Not a Lonely Number by Evelyn Krieger (young adult)
6.Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos*
7.Term Limits by Vince Flynn*
8.Someone Called Eva by Joan M. Wolf* (Young adult)
9.A Time to Love by Barbara Cameron (K)
10.Hush by Eishes Chayil (K) (young adult)
11.Spousonomics by Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson (K)
12.Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua (K)
13.A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion (K)
14.Favorite by Karen McQuestion (K)
15.Life on Hold by Karen McQuestion (K)
16.Her Perfect Revenge by Anna Mara (K)
17.Community by Peter Block
18.Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy*
19.A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness*
20.Lies I Told My Children by Karen McQuestion (K)
21.Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene*
22.The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (K)
23.The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen*
24.Light Fell by Evan Fallenberg*
25.The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom*
26.The High King of Montival by S. M. Stirling*
27.Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein*
28.Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano*
29.Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
30.Never Let Me Go by Kazuro Ishiguro (k) (I guess this is young adult)
31.The Lost Art of Reading by David Ulin*
32.Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares (k)
33.Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (k)
34.Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva
35.State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (k)
36.The Safe-Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn* (YA)
37.Divergent by Veronica Roth (k) (YA)
38.The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (k)
39.The Truth-Keeper's Tale by Sharon Shinn* (YA)
40.Night Road by Kristin Hannah (k)
41.The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman*
42.The Dream Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn*
43.Gateway by Sharon Shinn*
44.Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks (K)
45.Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn (k)
46.Bumped by Megan McCarthy (k) (YA)
47.Possession by Elana Johnson* (YA)
48.Suddenly in the Depths of the Forest by Amos Oz*
49.Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (K)
50.A Long Vacation by Jules Verne*
51.Take Me With You by Carolyn Marsden*
52.Kindred Spirits by Sarah Strohmayer*
53.In the Garden of the Beasts by Eric Larson (k)
54.Luminous by Dawn Metcalf* (YA)
55.Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (k)
56.Shine by Lauren Myracle*
57.Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson (k)
58.Delirium by Lauren Oliver (k)
59.Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (K)
60.Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater*
61.The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini*
62.Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
63.Blessings and Baby Steps by Ilana Grinblat
64.1000 Mitzvahs by Linda Cohen
65.Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper
66.The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card
67.Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

I have stopped making predictions of what I hope to read in the future, because it seems like when I say that I'm planning to read a book...I manage not to do so. Therefore, I'll just tell you what I'm in the middle of - 11/22/68 by Stephen King and also A Matter of Magic by Patricia Wrede.

So, what did I like this year? It was a pretty good year for reading! Two of my favorites were right at the beginning - House at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet as well as The Housekeeper and the Professor. I definitely recommend both of those! I liked A Discovery of Witches and I'm waiting patiently for the sequel (I think it comes out in July). Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorite authors, and she is usually good for a book each year. The Peach Keeper did not disappoint me. Now that I read back over the list, I almost have to tell you which books I didn't like rather than ones that I did, because I really enjoyed so many of them. Language of Flowers, Unbroken, The Red Garden, Night Road, Divergent....I say it again, it was a good year for reading.

So what's on your bedside table? What do you think I should read in 2012 that I haven't read?

If you want to follow along, I track the books over in the left-hand sidebar of my blog throughout the year. I'm also on GoodReads but, like I said, I ~~seldom~~ ~~rarely~~ never update it.

Chanukah 5772 in pictures

2011-12-27T21:34:00.000-06:00

lighting lights

eating treats

family togetherness

celebrating freedom

I hope your Chanukah was as warm and bright as ours!

Miracles and Faith

2011-12-22T14:25:00.002-06:00

Who Is This?

2011-12-22T12:00:00.000-06:00

I found this picture of Sam floating around the kids' bedroom.
It was taken when he was four months old:

But it looks so much like Solly that we had to see them next to each other:

The creation of genetic likenesses and differences is truly remarkable to me.

Our Chanukah History

2011-12-21T21:31:00.000-06:00

While taking out the Chanukah decorations, chanukiyot, dreidels, and books from the Chanukah box, we "found" all the things that the kids have made for Chanukah over the years.

Thus, a new tradition is born:

And then we found this one, which their Ima made a looong time ago.

So they insisted on taking my picture with it:

But I couldn't resist also taking a picture of the back.

Yep, I was a documenter of things even then.

How do you document your family traditions and memories?

8 Nights of Giving #HanukkahHoopla

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

What's HanukkahHoopla? Thanks to Renee for her great idea to set this up! Make sure you follow our hashtag (#HanukkahHoopla) on Twitter because over the next 8 days, we're all going to be posting great Chanukah content - 16 different bloggers!

I hate to break it to everyone, but Chanukah really isn't about gifts. There are a number of themes that have developed over time, but at its core, it's about standing up for what you believe in and freedom of religion. So in that spirit, I'd like to kick off my participation in the #HanukkahHoopla by highlighting 8 organizations that celebrate freedom.

1. The Agahazo-Shalom Youth Village: I believe that education is one of the highest pillars of freedom. This Youth Village provides a safe place and an education to orphaned youth in Rwanda. It was founded by a Jewish couple who wanted to have an impact on the world, and their project was picked up by the JDC, making it viable and successful. You can donate here.

2. Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind: I'm not a big fan of animals, and dogs make me (achoo) sneeze. But I do see their immense benefit in certain situations, in particular for the blind. Talk about offering freedom to a person locked into a world of dependence! This organization helps pair people with dogs, train dogs, and raise awareness.

3. Yad LaKashish - Lifeline for the Old in Israel: You've probably heard of this organization, which offers empowerment to elderly and disabled people in Jerusalem by creating a safe workshop where they create beautiful artwork.

4. Dress for Success: This is a great organization that helps to empower women who are entering the workforce and might not have the appropriate attire for job interviews or work. What a great way to instill freedom, to help someone to get a job for themselves.

5. Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute: OSRUI is the Reform Jewish camp that serves the midwest region and provides an amazing Jewish experience for over a thousand Jewish kids and young adults each summer and year-round. I believe that Jewish summer camp is the ultimate in offering freedom to our campers - the freedom to become empowered Jewish adults. (Maybe you want to find a URJ camp in your own region? Click here.)

6. Israel Sport Center for the Disabled: Did you know that Israel is on the cutting edge of wheelchair sports training? We all know that sports empower kids and adults - imagine how much more if that child or adult is wheelchair-bound? I have met some of the athletes from this Center and I was so impressed with their poise and confidence.

7. Jewish Heart for Africa's Light Up Africa Chanukah Campaign: Did you know that $20 provides electricity for one person in Africa for LIFE? That is amazing. This organization is using Israeli technology to provide water and electricity in Africa. Think of how freeing it must be to have light and water when before you had none.

8. Jchoice.org - Okay, so this isn't one specific organization. But JChoice.org is the ultimate in Tzedakah freedom. Let yourself loose on this website and you will most definitely find an organization or cause that speaks to you. Give your family members the gift of the freedom of choice by allowing them to choose a recipient for the tzedakah dollars that you give to them. A really great opportunity to learn and give at the same time.

How can you use this list? Make your own donations. Use this list as a jumping off point to other organizations. Discuss these ideas with your friends and family and make your own lists. Coming up later in the week - Chanukah gifts of action...(And here's a post linking your gifts of tzedakah to the recipient's interests...)

AND NOW...a Chanukah giveaway!

One lucky reader will win a great gift package from Mama Doni and Streit's:

Mama Doni’s Shabbat Shaboom CD
Mama Doni poster
Download card for free Mama Doni songs (1 Chanukah song and 1 Passover song)
Bag of Streit’s Chanukah gelt.

I would like to thank Streit's and Doni Zasloff Thomas a.k.a. Mama Doni, the lead singer/songwriter of The Mama Doni Band for providing each of the 16 bloggers involved in #HanukkahHoopla with a little cyber-swag. Their cross-promotional alliance is designed to celebrate Jewish culture with the young generation, a mission of both Mama Doni and Streit’s.

How can you win? Leave me a comment. What is your favorite Tzedakah organization?

Be sure to leave me your email address (some people like to type it like this: "imabima (at) gmail.com" which saves you from spam)

On January 5, 2012, I will select one winner at random.

Prefer to be contacted via Twitter? Leave your Twitter handle in your comment and I will tweet you if you win.

Not interested in winning? You can still leave a comment! I love to read your words. Just write: "No prize necessary" in your comment.

Congregational Blogging Workshop #URJBiennial

2011-12-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

This is one of the presentations I will be giving, with JaneTheWriter, at the URJ Biennial this week.

Congregational Blogging for Beginners at the URJ Biennial

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Dastardly Dames {Review}

2011-12-07T10:30:00.000-06:00

I cannot wait for my daughter to be old enough to love these books.

Even just the title of the series makes me happy: "The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Dastardly Dames."

How cool is that? Dastardly dames....it has a great ring to it.

I always had a fascination with Marie Antoinette. I loved the stories of her lap-of-luxury royalty life and was properly horrified by her cavalier attitude toward the poor.

This book from Goosebottom Books' series reminded me how much I enjoyed reading historical fiction and other stories about the French queen.

The blood-spattered pages add drama and the illustrations are colorful and eye-catching.

The other stories are the same way -

Cleopatra, Serpent of the Nile
Mary Tudor, Bloody Mary
Agrippina, Atrocious and Ferocious
Cixi, the Dragon Empress
Catherine deMedici, the Black Queen

I can imagine these books providing historical inspiration to so many young ladies who may not see themselves in the history books. They call themselves "fun non-fiction" but each book also has a thorough teacher's resource guide.
These are a great set of books, and I think they'd make a really lovely gift for a "thinking girl." I have a few in mind myself and let me tell you, I sincerely hope that I can raise one in my own household.
(The only downside of these books? I tried to convince David to read them and help me out with this review but the word "girl" on the cover turned him off a little. I think he would have found them to be really interesting, he loves history. I will keep working on it...)

Full disclosure - I received a set of these books from the publisher for review. I am planning to donate them to our school library, where I'm sure they will be well-read and enjoyed!

One

2011-12-06T21:15:00.000-06:00

one

year

has

gone

and

can't

quite

believe

it.

Where has my baby gone?

He's turned into a toddler...

My life is full of blessing.

And then she rested...

2011-12-02T16:29:00.001-06:00

I did it....NaBloPoMo - a full month of daily blogging. Okay, I think I missed one...and it was a little bit of an accident. Not bad! I think this was my fourth or fifth time doing it, and it's a great challenge.

And then...a short rest.

Shabbat Shalom!
I'll be back on Monday with some more reviews, and some Hanukkah Hoopla coming your way soon too!

It's All About Perspective

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-06:00

We're driving to school...
Sam sees a nativity scene in front of a house.

Sam: What's that?
Me: Well, it's the story of Christmas...
Sam: Can you tell me the story?
Me: There's a mom and a dad and the mom is pregnant, but she doesn't have a place to have the baby.
Sam: So she had the baby in a sukkah?

Hmm. I see his point.