Old McDonald Had a Farm

I confess to loving McDonalds. Yes I have read the horror stories, and I know its not good for me in ANY stretch of the word, but lets face it the fries are like heaven. Deep fried, salty, potato heaven. Don't pretend you don't know what I mean, they are good.

I knew off the Ronald McDonald house, having seen the quarter collecting jars at the front of the store and some TV specials but had no idea there was one in New Orleans. But at the HPA meeting not only did I find out that we had a Ronald McDonald house, but were going to cook dinner with them for the Hunger is Not a Game Campaign. Ironically I had started reading the hunger games that day. But more on that later.

My family and I showed up this afternoon at the house at 4, right on time. Maybe a few minuets late. However one thing we didn't know was the amount of traffic everyone else ran into on the way over. We hung around the house for a half hour, took a tour, and then thinking that no one else was going to show up, started making a pasta sauce with vegetables as a back up plan.

A few more people trickled in, with the recipe and supplies and we put the pasta sauce in the fridge and started cooking. We made crawfish Alfredo, some sort of salad, and cupcakes made with soda. That's right soda. I didn't end up trying one, but they were fluffy and good looking.

I loved the feel at the house. It was brightly painted, warm, and somehow had a sense of privacy. They are looking to move to a bigger location, right now the house can have 15 families, and somewhere closer to the hospitals. OH and did I mention the play room. It was full of books, games, dolls, everything a kid could ever want. And the kids were free to run and play while their parents did other things in the next room. It was awesome!


Volunteer Update: 4.3 days volunteered so far! 

WOOOOH I'm Half Way There!

Admittedly I am not caught up blogging about books, but as of yesterday I am half way towards my goal of reading 100 books this year. Totally behind schedule, should have been here last month but as summer starts I will have more time to read! Sweet tea all around!

In Which I Finally Finish Talking About the Bar Mitzvah

Alright Ev, I know its been about a month since your Bar Mitzvah but I've been busy ok? Anyway when we last left our heroin she was at her first, and possibly last, New York Bar Mitzvah. One thing I discovered was that conservative services are about twice as long as reform services. However the service was absolutely breath taking, and Ev did a fantastic job. Sadly there is no photographic evidence because you can't take photos on Shabbas in conservative temples. I was invited to the bima to read a prayer for our country and sing some blessings with other people. I wasn't really warned about it, it just kind of happened. However I was honored to be asked to say a prayer at Ev's bar mitzvah, especially because he was to young to speak at mine.

After the oneg my dad and I went to the Grand Central Station Apple Store and to see the Dead Sea Scrolls, both of which were fascinating in different ways. I had seen the Dead Sea Scrolls in Israel when I was 12 but the exhibit at the Discovery Center was amazing, with historical background and even a mock Wailing Wall where people could place prayers that would be placed in the real Western Wall.

Dad and I made it to grandma's apartment just in time to quickly get ready and go to the Yale Club to get pictures taken. And pictures were taken, many of them with every position and combination possible. After that we went to cocktail hour in the library with all sorts of food and drink. But then, the real party began. We were ushered upstairs into this grand room with tables for adults and a buffet for kids. There was a photo booth and a dance floor, everything you could ever imagine for a bar mitzvah. We sang, danced, ate, drank, and talked the night away. I had a seat at a table but spent a lot of time with Ev's friends and just in general had a ball. It was the quintessential New York Bar Mitzvah.

You Can't Win Them All

This weekend NFTY-So's spring conclave was held in my city. Although I wasn't elected as a conclave chair, in fact I didn't run for anything, my advisor and Hilary (the conclave chair) appointed me as the other one. It was the best experience I've had in a while, and although this weekend was incredibly stressful, with making sure everything was running smoothy and my friends were all getting along, I loved almost every minuet of it. Well there was about a half hour where I totally crashed and just laid on a couch recharging but other then that it was amazing.

One of my signs of progress with this whole self esteem thing is that I ran for regional board. I'll tell you now I did not win, I ran against the most popular boy in NFTY-So, and I'm sure he will do a great job as regional SAVP. But the fact that I had the chutzpah to run is something I, and my family, are very proud of. This time last year I never would have been able to put myself out there like that, knowing that even if I didn't win at least I tried and that there is always next year.

Can You Say Stereotype?

My people, the Jews, have been stereotyped for centuries. I have the belief that all stereotypes have some basis in reality but some of the things I have heard have been ridiculously over blown. I will spare you all the details but generally when people write jewish characters they tend to over blow the stereotypes. Now I don't want you to take that to mean that I think all authors do that, but it does tend to happen, and honestly is a pretty easy thing to do.

At first glance most people find that The Victory Gardens of Brooklyn by Merrill Joan Gerber is full of stereotypes. At originally I would agree. But after delving into the characters, their motives, and situations, I really feel like it is how most people, jewish or not, would respond. Overall, The Victory Gardens of Brooklyn was fine. It didn't inspire me, or leave me feeling anything powerful. Its not a bad read per say, but I can't say its my favorite.

Oh. My. God

Last night I finished reading The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. And by last night I mean last month, but that's niter here nor there. The point is I was floored. I never really expect much from kitting books, generally they are pretty straight forward and predictable, that is unless they are a mystery. Yes I enjoy them but I always know what is going to happen. Not so much with The Friday Night Knitting Club. I don't want to spoil it, but all I can say is that I stayed up till almost midnight finishing the book, and when I was done my head was spinning.

On GoodReads a lot of people said it was cliche, poorly written, and boring. I disagreed. Now it may not be every ones cup of tea but isn't life full of cliches? They have to have some sort of basis or they would have never come to be. I personally would recommend it to the chick lit loving population but I can't guarantee they would like it. However I did, and you might.

The Law

Recently a girl in Morocco killed herself. Now this happens everyday, and is awful already. Suicide is something I am sure I will talk about a lot, it is something very connected in my life. But the reason that this 16 year old girl killed herself is appalling. Amina Al Filali was raped at the age of 15, and some sources said beaten also, and then forced to marry the man that abused her. After the marriage the abuse continued, and Amina killed herself by swallowing rat poison on Saturday.

I for one am appalled that things like this are happening. Article 475 of the Moroccan Penal Code "allows for the ‘kidnapper’ of a minor to marry his victim to escape prosecution, and it has been used to justify a traditional practice of making a rapist marry his victim to preserve the honour of the woman’s family." 
So instead of being punished for this awful crime against a young girl, the rapist marries her for the honor of the family. Now I understand that family honor is important in some cultures but what about the girl? Does she not have rights? A lot of people online are outraged by this, and justly so. There is even a petition to get the law changed. Its in french but not to hard to understand. If any of you are as sickened by this as I am then I urge you to sign the petition and tell your friends about it, so that this never happens again. 


Rest in Peace Amina, I am so sorry that you had to suffer this way.