FOTO FRIDAY: SPINNING

FOTO FRIDAY: The entryway table is bedecked for the upcoming holiday of the festival of lights, Chanukah, with my dreidl collection and my family. 

FYI Chanuka starts on Christmas Day in 2024.

     May your season be filled with light and love. 

               It is up to us to provide both.

TBT: 2013 change in a decade plus?

TBT: Tell it like it is... Ho, ho, ho. My Dad used to dress up as Santa for a Head Start Center in Little Rock so I know Santa can also be Jewish.

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: EARLY GIFTING

 MIDWEEK MUSING this week deals with gift giving. You know 'Tis the season.' Some folks start freaking out as soon as the shopping commercials begin. Unfortunately, there is a lot of emphasis on giving in our society.

Our Moms taught us it's the thought that counts.  Who doesn't like to receive a gift?  Yet there's no diminishing the decision-making as to what the gift should be. 

I received an early gift that keeps giving and requires the receiver to work. You know like a puzzle- and one's satisfaction with its completion. 

Anyhoo' my kids gave me  'Remento.'  It is like a mini Life Scrapbook with photos, script and audio. Only it's the receiver who has to do the work. There are life questions which you record your oral answer and then those responses are incorporated into a narrative (AI).  Too bad I can't do my blog this way! 

Photos can be supplied and loved ones use their phone to activate the recordings of the relayed stories. 

Yesterday's question was "What is your first childhood memory?"  You can record it as many times as you want/ if you don't like the question, request a different one.

Whether others really do listen to this keepsake will be up to them...

Here's Remento 's promise: 

"Not tech savvy? No problem.

We designed Remento with grandparents in mind. Simply speak your story and your automated biographer takes it from there."

NO LOGINS

NO DOWNLOADS

NO PASSWORDS

RECORD FRO

TUESDAY TUNES: BLACK HORSE & THE CHERRY TREE

 TUESDAY TUNES is one of those songs which brings back memories. This song was a favorite request of a Jazzerciser who  exercised next my spot in the old hospital gym in La Crosse. Yes, old timers have 'their' spots and she let me share the front row with her. 

Linda taught Math at UWL and I had this 'dry' stereotype of Math teachers so this song gave me insight into her personality. Linda fell ill and was hospitalized and was back home on the road to recovery when she dropped in the shower and was gone just like that. She had had an aneurysm. 

It was my first funeral to attend in La Crosse and so this song will always remind me of her in addition to the cookbook of her favorite recipes her husband compiled and made sure we Jazzercisers received.

So this here's to this special tune KT Tunstall's

   BLACK HORSE & THE CHERRY TREE 

FOTO FRIDAY: KIDS GROW UP WAY TOO FAST

FOTO FRIDAY is a sign of the times re: kids growing up way too fast. 

Last night a phone call from my daughter had very important news, Ms H, her daughter, now has a beau and he had given her a ring. I didn't even know she had a boyfriend. 

Ms H told me his name is Eli. Since it wasn't a Facetime I asked her to describe how it happened and to tell me what it looked like. She told me it is gold. Oh... I exclaimed.

Then her Mom snapped a pic and sent it to me.

Now, before you congratulate me you need to know Ms H is only 7. Eli had just asked her to be his boyfriend and he had bought the ring at the school store. Now that's modern romance for you.

These kids nowadays just grow up way too fast. 

As her Bubbe my wish is "May she have many more boys in her life that will appreciate how special she is until she finds the right one. "

TBT: COMPETITION THIS YEAR BEWEEN CHANUKA HARRY AND LARRY AND THE ELF ON A SHELF

 TBT: Almost a decade ago Chanuka Harry and Larry came into my life at the same time as childhood buddy Kaye knew I had spoken of Little Rock artist Jane Hankins taking on the endeavor to create some special figures for this winter Jewish holiday. Unbeknownst to Kaye, I had ordered one for myself and she had decided to gift me one too.  They have been blessing my home with silly shenanigans ever since.

Usually they don't have to complete with the Christmas Elf on a Shelf but due to the holidays coinciding on dates this year, they will. 

If you have any ideas for the guys you can submit your suggestions and we will see if they are game...  

You know these two love new ideas.

                         We always look forward to Chanuka !

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: COLD PRESS

MIDWEEK MUSINGS find me in back to Bubbe status and intro-ducing my young grand to new foods. This week is carrots and pumpkin. 

In addition to the little being a guinea pig, I also made a couple new recipes. One, an olive oil almond cake reminded me that I wanted to share a unique possibility to enjoy Tuscan organic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) from the olives picked during my stay. 

 B&B owners were hit hard due to COVID so here's our chance to help one particular cottage industry.

Poggio Etrusco's price list is updated on the website.  Note they no longer have the 750ml bottles due to not being able to find a supplier, So... they are only selling ½ litre tins this year. 

Here is a lovely description of Poggio Etrusco from their website.

"Poggio Etrusco is Pamela and Johnny’s 15-acre organic olive farm near Montepulciano in the southern Tuscan province of Siena. We completed our organic certification with ICEA in 2005. Our small artisanal production with 800 trees has five varieties of traditional Tuscan olives: moraiolo, leccino, correggiolo, frantoiana, and pendolino.

In October, and sometimes into early November, nets are spread under the trees,  olives are quickly and carefully picked and taken to the frantoio (olive mill) within 24-48 hours. The olives are washed, leaves removed, then put into the continuous system that macerates, extracts, and centrifuges the sparkling fresh oil. The result is an oil with extremely low acidity and lots of polyphenols...super fresh and healthy! 

The label was designed by Johnny Johns and expresses our desire for a clean, sustainable, peaceful world.

We are very proud of our oil and pleased to offer you the opportunity to try it."

 If interested, here's the link to their Order Form.