L’Shana Tovah! Happy Rosh Hashanah! Happy Jewish New Year to all!
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Author Archives: Chandler
We’ll Be Sisters Later
Venus and Serena Williams
Serena and Venus Williams are two of the most famous sisters in sports, both excelling in the game of professional tennis. But how do they do it? How do they manage to maintain a close relationship when they’re occasionally pitted against other?
In an interview with NPR, Serena explains how early history came into play:
“Venus was the big star. When we were growing up, it was a lot about Venus—it needed to be about Venus, because she was an incredible player. And that actually, being the little sister, the one that wasn’t as strong, wasn’t as good yet, gave me encouragement and the fight I have in my game.”
But how do they contend with being rivals with one another, especially when the stakes are so high?
“I had to come up with something new, that, right now, we’re competitors, but the moment we shake hands and we’re done with this match, we’re sisters. I’m always happy for Venus, and she’s always happy for me.”
Perhaps their dynamic with one another is one of the elements that make them so popular. When we see two sisters able to compete so fiercely with one another yet remain close, it reminds us the same is possible within our own family. We can “compete” in the forms of success, family, intelligence, popularity…but we can always leave room to be sisters later on.
One way to improve sisterly dynamics? Remember her birthday! Send her birthday ecards for sisters. We have a great collection.
The full Serena Williams interview on NPR is at this website: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113090963&ft=1&f=1001
Rosh Hashanah 2012 – The Basics
I must confess, I was not that aware of the specifics of Rosh Hashanah traditions. After some research, I feel much better equipped to share with you my fresh knowledge.
What is Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It’s different from the secular New Year on January 1, which is about over-indulgence, soon-to-be-broken vows to diet and football games.
Rosh Hashanah focuses on reviewing one’s actions over the past year and how God judges them. Jews are encouraged to make amends with anyone they have hurt or wronged and make improvements for the coming year.
When does Rosh Hashanah begin?
Rosh Hashanah 2012 begins at sunset Sunday, September 16 and ends in the evening of Tuesday, September 18. It is usually in September, sometimes in October.
What are some of the traditions of Rosh Hashanah?
Since Rosh Hashanah is a festive day, it’s marked with lots of good food, which include: apples dipped in honey (for a sweet year ahead), challah (a round version of the traditional braided egg bread that represents the circle of life), honey cake, “new” fruit (a fruit recently in season) and fish.
Another tradition on Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the shofar. Just like many other important ceremonies, the trumpeting sound signifies celebration.
Here are the absolutely lovely words of the Blessing for the meal:
In a world of famine we have been blessed with plenty. In a world of hunger we have been blessed with sustenance. May this be the year in which we share the blessing of bread with all who are in need.
If you’d like to reach out to a friend or loved one celebrating Rosh Hashanah this Sunday, we have a celebratory collection of ecards for Rosh Hashanah.
L’SHANA TOVAH! We here at Doozy are wishing everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The boys in the honey Jacuzzi are in for a little surprise when dinner starts.
You can go here for more information on Rosh Hashanah: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Rosh_Hashanah/At_Home.shtml
Here’s an interesting video on the blowing of the Shofar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6iNXRVN-WE
If We Could Have Grandparents Forever
“Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete.” Marcy DeMaree
“One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new grandbaby around the finger of a grandfather.” Joy Hargrove
What is it about it about grandparents that make them so precious and dear? Perhaps because they don’t possess the disciplinary, buzz-kill aspects of a parent or the occasionally grating irritation of a sibling. Grandparents are the saints of all relatives!
My grandmother was everything divine, sweet and soft. She never cursed and she made her tea with lots of milk. She hummed old Church tunes while doing the dishes. She smelled of all things Avon. Her hairbrushes were very serious affairs, with elaborate etchings of horse-drawn carriages on the back. She woke up at the crack of dawn every day.
My grandfather was feisty and unbridled. He challenged all of his grandchildren to punch his big belly as hard as they could, laughing the whole time. He’d mercilessly make fun of Lawrence Welk (much to my grandmother’s chagrin; it was her favorite show). He smelled a soapy clean and his face felt rough to the touch. He called me “Little One” in this sweet, sing-songy voice that I can still hear as plain as day.
What memories of your grandparents do you hold dear? What did they instill in you?
If you’re lucky enough to have your grandparents around, make sure you send them a Grandparent’s Day e-card. They love to be acknowledged for their special contributions, which are truly one-of-a-kind.
Grandpa and Grandma Penguin ready to shower you with love.
Enough with your Age Already!
“Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.” ~ Muhammad Ali
Repeat after me: self-fulfilling prophecy. That means if you keep going on about something, it will probably happen in due time. And nowhere is that more apparent than when it comes to age. People just love feeling old.
“What? No I don’t! I hate feeling old.”
So you say. But do you ever notice how many things you write off to age, and often quite prematurely?
Take this example: I just heard a 28 year-old friend complain that he can’t run as well as he used to. Why, I asked him?
“I guess I’m just getting old!”
Really? 28 years? Let’s pull out the walker and a glass for the dentures.
I went on to explain to him that his extremely sedentary job may contribute to lack of stamina. And his poor diet. And the fact that he hasn’t run in years.
Conversely, my neighbor Ellie is 74 and ran a marathon last year. She’s slim, trim, quick and bright. And you know what? You don’t hear her blaming her age for anything.
Her philosophy:
“I decide how I want to feel and don’t worry about my chronological age. Never have.”
Interestingly, she went on to tell me how unhealthy and overweight she used to be and how much younger she feels now, since she began exercising consistently (at 50!). In her case, she feels like she aged backwards, feeling more vital today than 20 years ago.
So watch your mouth…or more importantly, the words that fall out of your mouth. Like Ellie, you can approach a birthday with a sense of vitality not dread. You can replace the boring “I’m getting older” tape loop in your head with “How can I improve my well-being this upcoming year?”
Whether you’re 5 or 50, birthdays are always worth celebrating. (And what better way than to send bright, festive birthday 50th birthday ecards?)
And remember:
“Age is a matter of feeling not of years.” – George William Curtis
The defining image from our 50th Birthday ecards. You’ll note the plethora of candles. Heh!