Friday, September 14, 2012

another week gone

Where?

I had a short week. My brother came on Sunday from Pittsburgh and left on Monday morning -- so naturally, Monday seemed like a weekend day. Delete.

The rest of the week I have spent literally at the dining room table, sorting through the never-ending photos and papers that my mother has kept since the 1930's...and papers of my grandmother's that she has kept. It has been a world of memories and discoveries. I found a copy of my grandmother's birth certificate. Not only was her actual birthdate a day later than she celebrated, but her mother's maiden name was totally different than she had told me. My great-great grandmother was married twice and my great-grandmother was from the first husband, who died. It was the second husband's name that Nanny told me. Nope! 
 
I have also been cooking for Rosh Hashanah, which begins Sunday night. Family dinner at this house (if I succeed in clearing the dining table, as above). My children and grands and my mother will be here to see the Jewish New Year in with me.  Because we want a sweet year ahead, we will have apples and honey at the beginning of the dinner.  Challahs are sweet, too - and round at this holiday, instead of braided.

There are several possible reasons, as I discovered when I did a little searching...


Round challahs are unique to the High Holiday season. Some say they represent a crown that reflects our coronating God as the King of the world.
Others suggest that the circular shape points to the cyclical nature of the year. The Hebrew word for year is "shana," which comes from the Hebrew word "repeat." Perhaps the circle illustrates how the years just go round and round. But Rosh Hashana challahs are not really circles; they are spirals…

Ha - the last time I baked a challah for New Year's, my children told me they liked the store-bought one better.  I am just irked enough to try it again.

Have I done my art all week?  Nah.  But tonight I have auditioned a few backgrounds for a piece I have been working on.  These are two of them - but I am far from finished doing tryouts.

Hmmm....

9 comments:

Nancy said...

Nice backgrounds, Rayna! That's going to be a tough decision. And you have more to audition?

Del said...

Welcome back. We have all been missing your voice in our daily lives. Try something dark - just to see what happens.

Eva said...

The large Challah looks exacly like those made in Finland for Sunday, they were lovely! Tasting strongly of cardamon.
The yellow background seems calmer than the orange-red one, I prefer #1.
Funny to find new facts in old documents! My great-grandfather left a birth document with different fist AND family name! It was a shock for his children to find out that he had re-invented himself, to use a modern term. -- What did the real name of your grandma tell you?

Eva said...

corr ...first and family name, I don't know about his fists.

Dianne Koppisch Hricko said...

Hi Rayna... I prefer the orange ground as the blocks seem to float on it. Happy New Year.

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

The pieces really sing on that first background!

I'm glad you are finding interesting things in the mounds of papers to go through. That makes it all worth the time spent.

Margaret said...

what if you used a combination of both the yellow and orange, big strips or blocks. It looks good on both colors.

I was sad to hear that the classes got cancelled here in VA. I guess I'll have to settle for working out of your book.

Margaret

deanna7trees said...

you always bring back pleasant memories for me. shana tova.

Vivien Zepf said...

Love the gold and the orange sherbet colors that follows (but maybe that's because I'm craving dessert).

soup weather in June and a little more

DISCLAIMER: Blogger is giving me grief tonight, which you will see by the varying sizes of the type. Ye p, soup weather and it's ...