Happy Hanukkah!
Dec. 21st, 2008 10:32 pmIt's the first night of Hanukah. I lit the first candle, watching it burn in the usual window, but on my desk rather than a filing cabinet. It's going to take a little while to get used to this reconfiguration, however glad I am to have done it.
And once the candle burned out, it was time to go to the Hanukkah party chez Howard and Ethan. I always feel very lucky to be invited to their gathering, seeing people I recognize from previous years' parties (though always forgetting names; I am so horrible about names). This year was no exception, with a fair number of familiar faces that I couldn't put names to. There was still enough to chat about that I didn't meet any of the people I didn't know... maybe I'll meet them next year. I heard about parenting three boys (the oldest of them lit the menorah partway through the evening), how people misuse business cell phones, how bar mitzvot do not have to be a loot fest, stories from a trip to Prague, and how one couple got a farm share this year based on conversation with me at last year's party! They were very happy with their share (which happened to be Red Fire Farm, even); such nachas for me!
As always, the food was excellent: I got to have homemade latkes without heating the oil myself :-), plus the now-traditional sfratti (yes, they're supposed to be for Rosh Hashanah; I'll take them whenever they're offered :-), a variety of excellent cheeses, homemade gravlax, and a quiche-like object with a thin yeasted crust and an interesting filling including egg, spinach, saffron, and pine nuts. Oh, plus homemade baklava (which I managed to eat only one small piece of, amazingly enough).
I walked home, reveling in seeing stars in the dark blue of the night sky, after something like 55 hours of snow.
Bonus Hanukkah track: today's Bent Objects
And once the candle burned out, it was time to go to the Hanukkah party chez Howard and Ethan. I always feel very lucky to be invited to their gathering, seeing people I recognize from previous years' parties (though always forgetting names; I am so horrible about names). This year was no exception, with a fair number of familiar faces that I couldn't put names to. There was still enough to chat about that I didn't meet any of the people I didn't know... maybe I'll meet them next year. I heard about parenting three boys (the oldest of them lit the menorah partway through the evening), how people misuse business cell phones, how bar mitzvot do not have to be a loot fest, stories from a trip to Prague, and how one couple got a farm share this year based on conversation with me at last year's party! They were very happy with their share (which happened to be Red Fire Farm, even); such nachas for me!
As always, the food was excellent: I got to have homemade latkes without heating the oil myself :-), plus the now-traditional sfratti (yes, they're supposed to be for Rosh Hashanah; I'll take them whenever they're offered :-), a variety of excellent cheeses, homemade gravlax, and a quiche-like object with a thin yeasted crust and an interesting filling including egg, spinach, saffron, and pine nuts. Oh, plus homemade baklava (which I managed to eat only one small piece of, amazingly enough).
I walked home, reveling in seeing stars in the dark blue of the night sky, after something like 55 hours of snow.
Bonus Hanukkah track: today's Bent Objects
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Date: 2008-12-22 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-23 01:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-23 01:57 am (UTC)m.
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Date: 2008-12-24 01:32 pm (UTC)Nice to have had a moment of clear sky, no? Our last shot at it for a while, saith the weatherman. (phoooey)
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Date: 2008-12-24 07:41 pm (UTC)I hear there will be clear sky (and 40s!) tomorrow. Might be a day for a bike ride...