Chinese Food on Christmas

So my friend Pablo send me this funny video about called Chinese Food on Christmas...I think it was a follow-up to my previous angst about being Jewish on Christmas...enjoy.

Volunteering vs. Taking Care of Ourselves

Ok...so today is Christmas...with no family in town I'm relying on my friends to get me through the holiday. I could be serving food in a soup kitchen but I just never seem to get around to making that commitment. If I had kids that would seem like the perfect opportunity to show them how lucky they are. But since I don't (have kids) and I know it's rough out there I'm choosing to spend it on myself. Today is a day to clean, get organized for the New Year, talk to old friends, catch up on sleep, go to a movie, and out for Chinese.

But back to the helping out part. I do think it's important. Being Jewish I believe wholeheartly in doing mitzvahs. But I do think they need to come from your heart and not just out of obligation. And if I think back over the year I can recall the special things I've done for others. I've been volunteering at the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center, tutoring a friends children, helping out a friend in need and doing small things here and there when I can. Perhaps I should make one commitment to an organization; that might feel more productive and less scattered. But it's just not where I am right now.

I think we need to look at our lives and determine how we are doing first and then how much of our energy can we realistically contribute to the world. We can overextend ourselves, burn ourselves out, and then no one benefits.

Being mindful of our needs, taking care of those needs and then thinking of one effort that will make a difference would be a good New Years Resolution. Think about it!

Jewish Gospel?

That's right ... such a thing exists. I spent two summers with Sharon Alexander at the Jewish Renewal Kallah learning how to sing Jewish Gospel. Actually, it was a class she taught and then at the end of the Kallah, we had the opportunity to perform it. You can hear a sampling right here. If you look closely you'll be able to see me in a brown no sleeve top on the right hand side of the video clip.



The energy was simply amazing! Let me know if you agree? If you want to hear more, simply go to YouTube and search for Jewish Gospel. I'd love to bring her to Seattle so we could have our very own lessons and community performance.

Singing is Loverly

Although I was orignally not going to sing for the Luminary Event at Greenlake because I had guilty experiences from childhood from singing Christmas Carols in the 2nd grade....(being a Jewish girl and all) I decided I'm going to go for it. When I worked for a catholic hospital I had a guilty pleasure from singing carols and in some ways didn't really feel guilty because it was for the patients....now who is it for...well for the darn pleasure of singing that's all....guilt be damned!