Pass the Turkey and Pass the Baton

 Today is the day after Thanksgiving 2023.  I felt sorry for myself as everyone in the family had another place to go for Thanksgiving dinner.  My oldest daughter, who is a family doctor in Columbus, was busy taking call over the Thanksgiving holiday and unable to join us.  I talk to her every day and have done so for going on the three years of her residency program. It helps me make sure for myself, and maybe for her, that she is okay and gets home safely as she drives from various day or night shifts to get to her apartment where she then crashes to sleep and barely eats.  Some of my other kids have in-laws to share the holidays with and that is lovely. I remember needing to do that with my in-laws years ago when they were alive.

I try to contact family and friends and let them know they always have a place to come to if they need for the holidays, actually any holiday. Many of them had plans with their own families and so began my pity party.  Until earlier in the week when I got calls from family who said their plans changed and they were coming.  It was lovely and exhausting!  I got to make gravy with my oldest brother like we used to and argue over recipes that I wanted to try for the first time but did not have proper pans or know the actual recipe.  My husband got to carve a big turkey like we did in the past when the kids were young and my deceased brother who passed away on Thanksgiving several years ago, as well as parents and other relatives, were still alive.  

But what is special about this and future holidays are my grandchildren and their cousins.  This next  generation is an inspiration.  We had kids playing piano and blocks and exploring the house.  We had macaroni and cheese and fruit available as the menu item of choice for them.  We made brownies and ate pumpkin pie with whipped cream out of a can. We also had disappointed faces all around when mom and dad said it was time to go home.  Everyone took home plenty of the extra food that was served and after running the dishwasher about five times that day I sat down and crashed myself from exhaustion.  I admit I am not twenty anymore but I look forward to the future and another houseful of noisy children big and small.

While you are Busy Saving the World...Don't Forget to Save Time for You

 I am watching the generation change..literally.  My closest friends from synagogue, family or neighbors, whom I loved to share stories about the "good ole days" with, are passing away with regularity.  It makes me so sad that I find myself weeping over it.  After my brother passed away some years ago I promised myself I would not attend any more funerals.  It hurt too much.  Then this thing called Zoom came along during the pandemic where you could listen to a funeral without actually attending and for now this seems to be a suitable alternative.  I try to voluneer for projects that bring me joy.  I am involved in putting together a cookbook for our synagogue that has been active for going on 160 years in 2026.  This congregation has had recipe files from the 1950's in metal boxes for sale and xerox copies of congregant recipes that were passed out and even recipes included in Tribute books of honories.  But never a real collected and professionally printed cookbook.  I decided it was time.  Obviously, I was not in charge of the cookbook, but, after going through several cookbook meetings and a Covid Pandemic, who knew that was coming, we are "back on the path", as I have written about previously, and hopefully by November we will go to print.  

Another area of concern is the heat, fires and earthquakes that occur.  Seriously, you cannot turn on the news and not hear about another tragedy occuring in a place that I have truly enjoyed visiting in the past.  Recently, we attended a family wedding on the east coast and the temperature was in the mid 90's and the humidity was intolerable.  It made the temperature feel like it was in the low 100's.  You couldn't safely be in this weather outside for too long without needing water and potentially passing out from heat exposure. Yet people work ouside, the homeless live on the streets, and yes, communities have cooling shelters, but are they used and will this ultimately turn into a normal way of life?  Where I live in the snow belt, one day we had two feet of snow and 80 degrees in the same day!  It was so weird.  Five years ago for my birthday I was treated to a trip to Maui, in Hawaii.  We had been there with the kids and my mother about 15 years before and had a great time.  Last week in the news Lahaina, the capital city for native Hawaiians, and one of our favorite places to visit, broke out in flames.  Many people died and lost their homes.  It is a tragedy.  I wanted to visit Morocco, as my friend recently went, and this city just experienced a massive earthquake.  

Don't misunderstand, I sympathize with the tragedy that befell these areas of the world and donate when I can to help. But one of the points of this mention is you have to take care of yourself first in order to be able to help others no matter what the trouble.  And there will always be troubles somewhere of all kinds. So how do you help yourself?  Get enough rest, take a day off, if you are able, read a book or watch a silly show on television. Listen to music, meditate when you can, take a walk, do a session of yoga, tai chi or swim.  As I have said before try to eat healthy.  More fruits and vegetables, proteins and healthy carbohydrates when you have the opportunity.  My favorite is to make a to-do list or write in a journal which is basically what I am doing now.  Happy New Year Rosh Hashanah 5784 L'Shanah Tovah! 

Endemic Wins! The Ups and Downs of a Long 2022

 I love reading my old blog posts.  I decided I am actually a great storyteller. That makes sense to me since I love listening to stories.  Particularly historic tales from family members.  It doesn't even have to be from my family.  Everyone has an interesting story or memory to tell.  In fact, since it is the holiday season and people have tried to get back together this would be a great time to take out your phone and record some family stories of the friends and family  when you visit.  My best story is about a beloved relative who was also interested in family archives and took out a tape recorder (kids you are going to have to Google that), in 1979, and recorded the stories from my husband's grandfather and great aunt. It was so fascinating to learn about life in the early 1900's and stories about WW1. The grandfather interviewed dies shortly after the history taking and if the memories had not been preserved, we would have never known, in their own words, what life was like for that branch of the family coming to America.  Recently, this year, the uncle who recorded the history also passed away.  We are all very sad.  He was a wonderful relative to know and talk to as he had many stories to share, as well.

 Unfortunately 2022 was a year of loss for many.  I must have counted at least a half dozen friends who lost parents or other family members this year.  Our head Rabbi from the synagogue in the 1990's also passed away.  He was our religious leader when our family was young. It is hard to believe the 1990's was thirty years ago.  When did this time pass?  Am I ready to step into the role my parents and grandparents took on with such joy and grace?  I guess so as my grandchildren have noticed I wear my glasses on my head like a headband and copy that and tell me they are "Nana".  Pretty funny and smart.  So maybe I should just relax and be in the moment.

As I mentioned in the title the Covid Pandemic turned into an Endemic which means that we are grateful as we do have vaccines for Covid and some of its variants. But the flu came back with a surge as well as a new virus called RSV, which is another variation of the cold virus.  We hear scientists are working on a vaccine for this for 2023, but we will see.  Unfortunately, all three viruses have returned at the same time in various parts of the country. We have a political divide as well as a "vaccine is or not necessary" divide where parts of this country do not believe in vaccines, and thus the viruses can't be contained. Coincidently, this is the same part of the country that still believe the election "was rigged" i.e. Past President Trump voters. 

 In a previous post I mention there were citizens who stormed the Capital on January 6th, 2021. Last week the Final Report from the House Select committee released an 800 page report that provided testamony from those who were informed of what was going on that day. The result of the report referred to the Justice Department four criminal charges to Past President Trump meaning he is criminally liable for his actions that day.  It was also recommended that he be barred from ever running for office again.  I told you this will become something taught in schools and universities forever now.

Technically, it is January 2023 when I post this blog and currently the House of Representitives cannot agree on a new Speaker.  The Republicans gained a small majority and thus can't agree on a leader.  Our country has not dealt with this problem since 1923.  I only mention this because it is historic and my grandchildren will be learning this in school, too.  This time of year is when everyone has suggestions for staying healthy.  Eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising thirty minutes per day if possible and trying to reduce the stress in your life are still great ways to stay healthy so we can enjoy this new year!