Faye makes the front page

Faye made the front page of the local newspaper.


http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/28346/

The snow is falling

The snow started around 1400 (2:00 pm Eastern) at first gently, tentatively...now happily and intensely.

Beautiful...

Snow...

We are all abuzz here at the feet of the Blue Ridge...snow is in the forecast for tomorrow.

Snow is a rarity...I think I can count on one hand the number of times I can remember real snow when I've been here.

We usually just get those pesky and dangerous ice storms that bring down power lines and rupture water mains and wreck havoc throughout the land.

Snow, real snow would be wonderful.

I love the quiet, the starkness, the void, lack of shadows...purity for a fleeting moment.

When I headed off to Boulder to attend the University of Colorado I was so excited about the snow. I was ill-attired as I recall. I had wool coats and gloves and some jaunty little hats. The problem with wool is that it gets wet and soggy.

Right after that first snow in Boulder it was off to the mall to get properly winterized. Much to my new friends horror I opted for a bright orange fake-down jacket from Montgomery Ward. I was teased unmercifully about that jacket. I had no idea that it was intended for hunters. I can remember sitting in one of those huge lecture classes. It was astrogeophysics 112 and I was in the nose bleed section of the lecture hall sitting with a fellow southener, a sweet boy from North Carolina. The TA way down on the floor in front of the lectern even made some remark about the orange jacket on row whatever.

I loved that jacket, and became somewhat of a celebrity for it. But, when returning home for Christmas, I gave in and bought a real down jacket in the same blue as every other person in Boulder. Believe it or not, I still have that blue jacket. The orange one was passed around and I imagine it ended up being barn wear or stable wear years ago.

The school superintendents have already called for early release of students for tomorrow. I called Faye's day care and said she would not be attending tomorrow, it will just be easier for us to keep her home. They are supposed to follow the county school schedule, but the volunteer I talked to when I called to cancel Faye said they didn't follow the schedule for early-release. Duh? I wonder if she had talked to the director? Faye is able and mobile, but all those little old ladies and men that attend the day care are fragile, and 99 percent of them have dementia and Alzheimers. It would make sense to close or follow the early release. Keeping Faye home means one less person they will have to wrangle.

I imagine the hunt for snow day supplies is starting to heat up. The requisite bread and milk are what the masses will be in search of. Here, it will be cheese, sourdough bread, Merlot, and pop corn.

gainesvilletimes.com - Forecaster: Conditions ‘perfect’ for snow on Thursday

gainesvilletimes.com - Forecaster: Conditions ‘perfect’ for snow on Thursday

English Translation of The Shema

Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One.

Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.

You shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.

And it will be, if you will diligently obey My commandments which I enjoin upon you this day, to love the L-rd your G-d and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will give rain for your land at the proper time, the early rain and the late rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be sated. Take care lest your heart be lured away, and you turn astray and worship alien gods and bow down to them. For then the L-rd's wrath will flare up against you, and He will close the heavens so that there will be no rain and the earth will not yield its produce, and you will swiftly perish from the good land which the L-rd gives you. Therefore, place these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul, and bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, to speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. And you shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates - so that your days and the days of your children may be prolonged on the land which the L-rd swore to your fathers to give to them for as long as the heavens are above the earth.

The L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to attach a thread of blue on the fringe of each corner. They shall be to you as tzizit, and you shall look upon them and remember all the commandments of the L-rd and fulfill them, and you will not follow after your heart and after your eyes by which you go astray - so that you may remember and fulfill all My commandments and be holy to your G-d. I am the L-rd your G-d who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your G-d; I, the L-rd, am your G-d. True.

*The Shema is an affirmation of Judaism and a declaration of faith in one G-d. The obligation to recite the Shema is separate from the obligation to pray and a Jew is obligated to say Shema in the morning and at night (Deut. 6:7).

A prayer for healing

G-d, hear my prayer,
And let my cry come to You.
Do not hide from me in the day of my distress
Turn to me and speedily answer my prayer.
Eternal G-d, Source of healing,
Out of my distress I call upon You.
Help me sense Your presence
At this difficult time.
Grant me patience when the hours are heavy;
In hurt or disappointment give me courage.
Keep me trustful in Your love.
Give me strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.
To your loving hands I commit my spirit
When asleep and when awake. You are with me; I shall not fear.

A prayer for the ill

I know there are those in the world that are ill, here is a prayer. The explanation for this particular prayer can be found at:

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Liturgy_and_Prayers/Siddur_Prayer_Book/Torah_Service/Prayer_for_the_Sick.shtml

May the One who blessed our ancestors --

Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah --

bless and heal the one who is ill:

________________ son/daughter of ________________ .

May the Holy Blessed One

overflow with compassion upon him/her,

to restore him/her,

to heal him/her,

to strengthen him/her,

to enliven him/her.

The One will send him/her, speedily,

a complete healing --

healing of the soul and healing of the body --

along with all the ill,

among the people of Israel and all humankind,

soon,

speedily,

without delay,

and let us all say: Amen!

The first day of a new year...

I spent the greater part of the morning reading over some material regarding psychoses and affective disorders in my old psychiatry textbook. I started a MA in Psychology a million years ago and didn't get too far into it...but finishing it is sometimes on my mind.

The research I'm sure is dated, as the textbooks have a copyright from 1986...and I know that we no longer use certain terms...I am always searching to find answers as to why I am the way I am...in hope that if I understand myself I will be able to help myself...the section on suicide was most interesting...

I allowed myself a little bit of hope because of the new year and all...was able to ignore a few of my mom's barbs and though it is very cold for this area, the sun is shining and the sky is a pretty light blue.

Then...my phone rings...it is Alex calling from his work...something is wrong with his car...he has just paid several thousand dollars, actually, he had to place the charges on a credit card as neither one of us have any real money. He will need to get in touch with the mechanic who was supposed to fix it, and of course he will have to borrow my rigged-up vehicle to get to his church choir on Sunday morning and then he just sounded like garbled wah wah wahing...my mood dropped through the floor...the headache became more pronounced, the feelings of gloom and despair weighed down...it just isn't going to change...I am unable to take much more...

I think of Job, the story in the Bible, though I'm not all that familiar with the story and I am NOT comparing myself to him, I do know that he was being tested by satan to prove his devotion and allegiance to G-d.

I will go and read the story so I am sure I understand it.

If I am being tested, I imagine it will get much more difficult than broken cars and lack of money and a job...will I pass? Will I give in? What unholy thing have I done to bring this on?

How I envy those people that can see only good and positives in everything. How I envy those people that never question adversity and plod along with Jeanne d'Arc unfaltering faith and belief...

I must find something to keep me afloat here, for a bit...