Jonathan just send me an email titled "a good explanation of white balance."
He wrote: "I've always struggled with how to use a white card and understanding white balance. This page makes it as plain as day." There was then a link attached.
I had no idea what this meant. The only thing I could guess was that the article was about race relations; what happens when you play the "white card" (like the "gender card") and how it could be balanced with affirmative action or racial discrimination in the workplace. I clicked on the link, fully expecting to read an 8-page explanation of Cincinnati racial politics.
No, you probably guessed it. White balance is a photography term. The link he sent me explains it in all its glory. And yes, there really is a physical thing called a white card.
Who knew??
Edited to add: Okay, who knew besides Stephanie, and Glenna, and any other photography people out there? I have too many smart friends!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
I want to see this movie
Everybody Loves... Babies. It's a documentary about the first year of four babies in Mongolia, Japan, San Francisco, and Namibia. The trailer looks great! Of course it comes out on Mother's Day, and I'm guessing I'll be busy. But do any Cinci people want to come see it with me and Jonathan the weekend after?
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Package from Savta!
Remember that fabulous shopping cart that Savta bought Xander in Israel? It wouldn't fit in the suitcase, so she shipped it here!
Here we are tearing the paper. It was a very serious process.
Simcha, of course, had to help out.
Inside the box were books for me and Xander, a few miscellaneous items, and the shopping cart!
Xander was very upset with Jonathan; he had to use a screwdriver to put it together, and that wasn't nearly fast enough for babeleh's taste.
Finally, a completed cart!
Ooh, and a touch-and-feel book. What a good gift!
And finally, to finish off our evening: Simcha still wanted to be part of the fun, so at bathtime, he literally jumped in the bathtub with Xander and splashed around for a while.
As you can tell by his face, he did not approve of Jonathan taking his picture. We have very, very odd children.
Here we are tearing the paper. It was a very serious process.
Simcha, of course, had to help out.
Inside the box were books for me and Xander, a few miscellaneous items, and the shopping cart!
Xander was very upset with Jonathan; he had to use a screwdriver to put it together, and that wasn't nearly fast enough for babeleh's taste.
Finally, a completed cart!
Ooh, and a touch-and-feel book. What a good gift!He was in very good mood when we ate dinner a half hour later:
And finally, to finish off our evening: Simcha still wanted to be part of the fun, so at bathtime, he literally jumped in the bathtub with Xander and splashed around for a while.
As you can tell by his face, he did not approve of Jonathan taking his picture. We have very, very odd children.Loving life
1) I finally joined the rest of the human race and watched Avatar. Eminently predictable, but fabulous nonetheless.
2) When we brought in the mail yesterday, we found two bills, one check, a credit card offer, a coupon, and... one orange sippy cup, apparently hidden there by a certain boy the day before at playtime. I cracked up.
3) A friend at school told me that he liked my haircut. He called the look "hot rabbinic soccer mom." At this point in my life, that's a really good compliment!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Shopping with Xander
Yesterday I took Xander shopping at the local grocery store while Michal slept in. They had a Xander sized shopping cart for him to use there, an exact copy of what I was using but 1/8 the size. He was in HEAVEN! He was following me all over the place helping me shop. He especially loved putting the bananas and apples in his cart (his favorite food).
A woman there asked if he was 18 months old, and I told her yes. She was AMAZED that he was pushing that cart and following me. She said that was incredibly advanced for his age. I was so proud. I think my pride expanded me out to twice my size.
She wasn't the only one impressed. Everyone who saw him gave smiles and made little comments like, “Oh, you are helping daddy are you?”, “Look at you go!”, and “He is so cute!”
Of course, about 2/3rds of the shopping trip he wore himself out and decided he just wanted to sit in my basket. He let me know this by stopping suddenly and sitting down on the floor behind his cart, refusing to push any further. He didn't cry or anything; he just sat down and babbled at me. Xander had his limit and it was reached.
How I wish I had the camera on me.
A woman there asked if he was 18 months old, and I told her yes. She was AMAZED that he was pushing that cart and following me. She said that was incredibly advanced for his age. I was so proud. I think my pride expanded me out to twice my size.
She wasn't the only one impressed. Everyone who saw him gave smiles and made little comments like, “Oh, you are helping daddy are you?”, “Look at you go!”, and “He is so cute!”
Of course, about 2/3rds of the shopping trip he wore himself out and decided he just wanted to sit in my basket. He let me know this by stopping suddenly and sitting down on the floor behind his cart, refusing to push any further. He didn't cry or anything; he just sat down and babbled at me. Xander had his limit and it was reached.
How I wish I had the camera on me.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Random things. And then a humdinger at the end.
I was inspired by Xander's hair (which I still don't like), and by my friend Yael's new short hair (which I think is adorable). So I cut all of mine off. It's now about to my chin. I think the sides are still too poofy though, so I'm going in again on Tuesday to get it redone. I'll post pictures then. The stylist asked me how long it had been since I'd had short-to-medium hair. "Um, since the end of high school?" I said. "That makes it... oh my god, that makes it twelve years." And then I felt old.
In a rather inspired attempt at finals procrastination, I read two books I've been wanting to get into for a long time. One I started in Israel, since it was on Savta's bookshelf: Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. My Idaho cousins can ignore this paragraph, but... I really liked it! It made me want to vote for him all over again. I got a sense of a man who is deeply passionate about the welfare of people in the world, who honestly wants to do the best he can for the common good, and who is constantly struggling with how to define himself racially. I like identity confusion. That said, he seemed to come to some cohesiveness at the end of the book, plus he wrote it over 15 years ago, so I'm sure he's figured it out by now. The book was written in three basic parts - childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, community organizing in Chicago, and his trip to Kenya - and I did skim over some of the Chicago parts. It made me feel very small, in a way: I'm interested in my own little community, my family and friends and the religious communities I will come into contact with. But I'm not particularly interested in organizing for the greater good on a large political scale. I'm glad there are people out there who are... it just makes me feel sad sometimes that I don't have such large vision.
The other book I read inspired completely different emotions: laughter, empathy, and even astonishment. If you want a fun but educational read, I recommend The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A. J. Jacobs. He tries to... well, follow the Bible (Hebrew and Christian) literally. His sections about how hard it is not to tell white lies are hilarious, as is his description of his wife's response when he tells her about all the purity laws he intends to follow regarding her menstrual cycle. I didn't learn that many new things about Judaism - which I think is probably good, considering my current education - but I was very intrigued by his opinions on snake-handling Christian fundamentalists, Karaites, Creation Museum founders, the conflation of political and religious right-wingers, Samaritans, Amish, and even a group of gay Christian evangelists. I also especially liked his description of "reverent agnosticism": there may or may not be a god, but life and rituals can still be sacred. Go and read, lest you be smited!
And since we're on the topic of Christianity (albeit loosely), let me end by sharing something I learned in my Commentaries class that I should have realized before now but didn't, and think is fascinating: the theology of Judeo-Christian transcendence is really Platonic in origin.
There is a midrash from the fourth century about how Abraham followed all the rules in the Torah (found in Genesis Rabbah, if it matters). This is because the Torah existed before Abraham (silly people, to think that the Torah must have been written after Abraham, because he's in it... don't use logic. It's a midrash). Anyway, this midrash existed for years before it was written down. According to scholars, it was most likely from the first century. And it says that the Torah existed before everything, even before the creation of the world. The Torah was a blueprint of the world.
Now, the first words of the Book of John, according to most translations, are "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This means that the Word existed before the world. In both Judaism and Christianity, then, God existed before anything else. THIS IS PLATO ON PRE-EXISTING FORMS.
What's even cooler if you think about it is that in Judaism, the Word became text. In Christianity, the Word became flesh. So... in a way, Torah and Jesus serve the same purpose, religiously.
Now that's controversial. Flame away. :)
In a rather inspired attempt at finals procrastination, I read two books I've been wanting to get into for a long time. One I started in Israel, since it was on Savta's bookshelf: Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. My Idaho cousins can ignore this paragraph, but... I really liked it! It made me want to vote for him all over again. I got a sense of a man who is deeply passionate about the welfare of people in the world, who honestly wants to do the best he can for the common good, and who is constantly struggling with how to define himself racially. I like identity confusion. That said, he seemed to come to some cohesiveness at the end of the book, plus he wrote it over 15 years ago, so I'm sure he's figured it out by now. The book was written in three basic parts - childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, community organizing in Chicago, and his trip to Kenya - and I did skim over some of the Chicago parts. It made me feel very small, in a way: I'm interested in my own little community, my family and friends and the religious communities I will come into contact with. But I'm not particularly interested in organizing for the greater good on a large political scale. I'm glad there are people out there who are... it just makes me feel sad sometimes that I don't have such large vision.
The other book I read inspired completely different emotions: laughter, empathy, and even astonishment. If you want a fun but educational read, I recommend The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A. J. Jacobs. He tries to... well, follow the Bible (Hebrew and Christian) literally. His sections about how hard it is not to tell white lies are hilarious, as is his description of his wife's response when he tells her about all the purity laws he intends to follow regarding her menstrual cycle. I didn't learn that many new things about Judaism - which I think is probably good, considering my current education - but I was very intrigued by his opinions on snake-handling Christian fundamentalists, Karaites, Creation Museum founders, the conflation of political and religious right-wingers, Samaritans, Amish, and even a group of gay Christian evangelists. I also especially liked his description of "reverent agnosticism": there may or may not be a god, but life and rituals can still be sacred. Go and read, lest you be smited!
And since we're on the topic of Christianity (albeit loosely), let me end by sharing something I learned in my Commentaries class that I should have realized before now but didn't, and think is fascinating: the theology of Judeo-Christian transcendence is really Platonic in origin.
There is a midrash from the fourth century about how Abraham followed all the rules in the Torah (found in Genesis Rabbah, if it matters). This is because the Torah existed before Abraham (silly people, to think that the Torah must have been written after Abraham, because he's in it... don't use logic. It's a midrash). Anyway, this midrash existed for years before it was written down. According to scholars, it was most likely from the first century. And it says that the Torah existed before everything, even before the creation of the world. The Torah was a blueprint of the world.
Now, the first words of the Book of John, according to most translations, are "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This means that the Word existed before the world. In both Judaism and Christianity, then, God existed before anything else. THIS IS PLATO ON PRE-EXISTING FORMS.
What's even cooler if you think about it is that in Judaism, the Word became text. In Christianity, the Word became flesh. So... in a way, Torah and Jesus serve the same purpose, religiously.
Now that's controversial. Flame away. :)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
First haircut. And first car. It was a big weekend.
Jonathan took Xander to get his first haircut. Xander was fine with the finished product. I had some issues. Jonathan has however apologized profusely (Godiva chocolate-covered strawberries were involved). And he's agreed not to cut his hair again until he's 3. I will say this though - while I'm sad that the curls are gone, he does look older.
A little dubious at first.
Totally ignoring what's going on on top of his head.
Daddy, do you see the toy?!
Happy shorn boy.
The next afternoon, our neighbor had some shiny new toys in her backyard: CARS!!!! Xander tried them out and went for a spin.
The joy of steering.
Hooray for cars!!
The ultimate pleasure: the neighbor's granddaughter's new mini-Mini Cooper. (She said she had to keep up with us somehow :))
A little dubious at first.
Totally ignoring what's going on on top of his head.
Daddy, do you see the toy?!
Happy shorn boy.The next afternoon, our neighbor had some shiny new toys in her backyard: CARS!!!! Xander tried them out and went for a spin.
The joy of steering.
Hooray for cars!!
The ultimate pleasure: the neighbor's granddaughter's new mini-Mini Cooper. (She said she had to keep up with us somehow :))Sunday, April 18, 2010
Israel pictures
Click here for the link.
They're not labeled or explained or anything - if I took the time to do that they'd never be put up. Sorry. In short: lots of Xander. With my dad, my stepmother, brother, three grandparents, mom, and me. Plus a few random neighbors. All in all, it was a great trip!
They're not labeled or explained or anything - if I took the time to do that they'd never be put up. Sorry. In short: lots of Xander. With my dad, my stepmother, brother, three grandparents, mom, and me. Plus a few random neighbors. All in all, it was a great trip!
Videos of Israel
The hundreds of pictures are still being sorted. Enjoy these in the meantime!
My dad reading to Xander at the elderly home where my grandmother lives. You can hear him speak Yiddish to her halfway through. There's also an organ in the background.
My grandfather used to do this to me when I was little! How fitting Abba is passing it on.
Yay for pre-bedtime kisses!
My stepmother Shula got Xander to eat two platefuls this way! She kept encouraging bites in between fork findings. It worked like a charm.
This one's kind of boring at first. But halfway through, he learns how to ride by himself.
Celebrating Shabbat with my mom and grandmother.
Nimal is the Sri Lankan hospice worker living with my grandparents in Arad. They had a great time playing together.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Only the babeleh
Today I was in Indiana at my pulpit. I left at 7am and got back after dinner. It was good, but tiring.
Xander, on the other hand, had an invigorating day. Apparently he and Jonathan walked to the park after lunch. A twelve-year-old girl happened to be having her birthday party there. She, her mother, and her friends all thought that he was just oh-so-cute, and fawned over him.
So Xander came into the park with nothing but the clothes on his back and the diaper bag on Daddy's shoulder. He left with:
A blue balloon
Ice cream in a cup
A white cupcake
And a blue birthday hat with pictures of dogs on it.
He was so excited to show me everything when I got home. Boy, that kid knows how to work a crowd!
Xander, on the other hand, had an invigorating day. Apparently he and Jonathan walked to the park after lunch. A twelve-year-old girl happened to be having her birthday party there. She, her mother, and her friends all thought that he was just oh-so-cute, and fawned over him.
So Xander came into the park with nothing but the clothes on his back and the diaper bag on Daddy's shoulder. He left with:
A blue balloon
Ice cream in a cup
A white cupcake
And a blue birthday hat with pictures of dogs on it.
He was so excited to show me everything when I got home. Boy, that kid knows how to work a crowd!
Friday, April 16, 2010
LOL of the day
Jonathan was in the kitchen making challah from scratch as we were talking about what to have for Shabbat dinner. "Quesadillas or burritos?" I suggested. "Nah," he said. "How about chicken and mashed potatoes?"
Both options sounded good to us, so I decided to ask Xander.
"Xander, what do you want for dinner?"
And the little bugger went right to the freezer, opened the door, pointed at the ice cream, and said, very distinctly, "THIS!"
Both options sounded good to us, so I decided to ask Xander.
"Xander, what do you want for dinner?"
And the little bugger went right to the freezer, opened the door, pointed at the ice cream, and said, very distinctly, "THIS!"
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Church of Google
In my jet-lagged state I'm too tired to do much real work, so I'm catching up on all my email. I love this link: Church of Google.
It's quite funny, but it strikes me - doesn't it say the exact same thing as Freud in Future of an Illusion?
It's quite funny, but it strikes me - doesn't it say the exact same thing as Freud in Future of an Illusion?
Home
Jet laaaag. Asleep last night at 8pm, Xander up at 4:30am.
Hebrew translations in class. My body is here, my head is not.
Lots of things happened to other people when I was gone: shout-outs to Sharon and Katelyn who now read this. Mazel tov to Paul and Lisa on the birth of Hannah Mae last week. And mazel tov to Stephanie and Bobby on their engagement! I want an invite to the wedding. :)
Hebrew translations in class. My body is here, my head is not.
Lots of things happened to other people when I was gone: shout-outs to Sharon and Katelyn who now read this. Mazel tov to Paul and Lisa on the birth of Hannah Mae last week. And mazel tov to Stephanie and Bobby on their engagement! I want an invite to the wedding. :)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Grandparents and great-grandparents
I am sitting here in my grandmother's office, watching her and my mother watch Xander as he plays with the innumerable medicine bottles on the desk. So far he's stacked them, turned them upside down, shaken them, tried to open them, and done everything else a toddler can think of to do. Both my grandmother and my mother are in awe. My father and my other grandmother were the exact same way. I think it's a generational thing. I love him too, but last night I still wanted to make Xander stew out of him after he refused to go to bed until 3am and then woke up four times after that.
Maybe when I'm a grandparent, I'll have that look of absolute adoration on my face. For now, I'll have to be content with just regular unconditional love... coupled with the occasional parental annoyance.
Maybe when I'm a grandparent, I'll have that look of absolute adoration on my face. For now, I'll have to be content with just regular unconditional love... coupled with the occasional parental annoyance.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Permanent 70 degree weather
Reasons I love it here:
1) Rugalach.
2) Amazing produce.
3) Shwarma in pita.
4) Lemon popsicles from the kiosks.
5) All the dairy is labeled with the fat percentage it contains, like 1%, 3%, 5% rather than just "low."
Hmm, I should probably list other things besides food, huh?
Let's try again:
1)Health care system. We called a pediatrician at 9am, got in to see him at 11am. X has a double ear infection, so the doctor prescribed two medications. Total cost? $125 for all. Without insurance. Did you know that prenatals are totally free here, and you can have as many ultrasounds as you want?
2) Family.
3) Walking everywhere.
4) Speaking Hebrew. I thought I had forgotten it all, but then I had a lot of fun at a five-hour dinner party with a bunch of relatives, speaking Hebrew (badly) the whole time. They all understood me, and I jabbered away. Curse ulpan and HUC for making me think that correct conjugations matter in the real world!
5) Israeli food. I just can't leave it out! To do so would be a travesty...
Off to go play cards with my grandmother....
1) Rugalach.
2) Amazing produce.
3) Shwarma in pita.
4) Lemon popsicles from the kiosks.
5) All the dairy is labeled with the fat percentage it contains, like 1%, 3%, 5% rather than just "low."
Hmm, I should probably list other things besides food, huh?
Let's try again:
1)Health care system. We called a pediatrician at 9am, got in to see him at 11am. X has a double ear infection, so the doctor prescribed two medications. Total cost? $125 for all. Without insurance. Did you know that prenatals are totally free here, and you can have as many ultrasounds as you want?
2) Family.
3) Walking everywhere.
4) Speaking Hebrew. I thought I had forgotten it all, but then I had a lot of fun at a five-hour dinner party with a bunch of relatives, speaking Hebrew (badly) the whole time. They all understood me, and I jabbered away. Curse ulpan and HUC for making me think that correct conjugations matter in the real world!
5) Israeli food. I just can't leave it out! To do so would be a travesty...
Off to go play cards with my grandmother....
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