Almost Wordless Wednesday

Once again, my Almost Wordless Wednesday posts for NaBloPoMo will be special images from my own experiences during the past year; some exciting and adventurous and some rather mundane. Today's photo comes from our recent weekend jaunt to New York. A beautiful autumn day in Central Park was captured with spectacular colour. There is so much to love about NYC, but a leisurely stroll through this urban oasis is one of my favourites. (I am an average photographer at best. This image was taken with my iPhone 6.)

It's Official. We're All Related

My sister-in-law (I have affectionally dubbed her The Yin to The Lil' Bro's Yang) is not into social media at all. The whole experience bores her to tears. She has a Facebook page but she only has three friends, her kids. She registered when they were young teenagers so that she might watch out for the pond scum that inevitably inhabits these sites. As they have transitioned into adulthood, she has simply abandoned the page.

That isn't to say that she isn't remarkably internet savvy. As keeper of the family archives, she has been incredibly active on one of those fancy genealogy sites, the pro edition. For the past several years, she has spent her free time constructing elaborate family trees and discovering long-lost relations. The constant merging of kinsmen into new branches is her social media experience. I suppose that she prefers interactions with the mostly deceased to those of the mostly living. Honestly, I don't judge.

But, she is great at it. She has found relatives in places that we never knew existed. She has uncovered photographs, documentation, and connections that have simply defied expectations. Our family tree now consists of hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals from all over the globe. For an Ashkenazi Jewish family that lost so many souls in the Holocaust, this genealogical rediscovery is life-affirming. It actually says to us that we will go on. We will survive.

But I think that her hobby has devolved into some form of theatre of the absurd. This past weekend, she must have had some time on her hands. For reasons known only to her, she sent The Husband an email detailing that she had found a link between him and Twin Son.

**Some history is required. I had very good reasons for dubbing The Husband's partner and best friend Twin Son. Aside from sharing a name, (both first and middle) the two of them are so very much alike in character and demeanour. The business that they started together grew out of mutual loves and interests. I initially called them Twin Sons of Different Mothers and his nickname grew from there.**

But...related? Um...no!

Until Sunday, that is.

She sent the following link from her genealogy search. I have blacked out the names to protect the guilty. Because I really suck at all things photoshop, I was unable to fix one detail. This line is from her perspective, so she is the "you" at the head of the profile. If you put The Husband in that slot, and substitute "your wife" (that's me) for "your husband" (that's my Lil' Bro) as the second connection, the rest is absolutely equal.

If you are having trouble reading the connection as ascribed at the top it goes like this.

Twin Son is your wife's first cousin twice removed's wife's niece's husband's uncle's wife's nephew.

Read it again.

And again.

Got it yet?

No?

Me neither.

I have read the f***ing thing dozens of times and I still don't get it. 

The only thing that this absurdity proves conclusively is that all Jews, no matter who they are, are related to one another. Yup. We have finally achieved maximum redneckedness. We are all marrying our cousins and there isn't a damn thing any of us can do about it. Bring on those genetically-infused diseases. We are obviously a doomed species. 

I think that this stupidity shows unquestionably that we have reached peak saturation when it comes to social media. When we all can categorically state that we are Twin Sons of Different Mothers it is time to give up the ghost.  

It's Meatless Monday

For the purpose of informing newbies to this space, both The Husband and I are vegetarians. It isn't important to delve into the whys and wherefores of our lifestyle decision, it is just important to respect it. We promise not to judge what you eat if you all promise the same in return. Please don't send me comments and emails as to why this recipe or any other would be better with bacon or chicken.  We just don't care.

I am not a foodie at all. I don't get bent out of shape over food or its presentation. When I post food pictures it is mostly because I am stunned that I was able to make it look as good as the recipe demanded. I am, however, constantly on the lookout for unique, filling, simple, and nutritious vegetarian meals that will meet the eating requirements of both of us. Usually that involves finding anything WITHOUT eggplant. We both absolutely loathe eggplant, (a symbiosis that makes me love this man even more than I already do) and yet most lazy vegetarian meals feel the need to throw a little of the purple gourd into the mix. My veggie recipes do not include eggplant. If you want to add it...well that's your thing.

Today I offer you my take on a November favourite, Minestrone Soup. I love soup. It is a full meal in a bowl and the perfect comfort food for chilly late autumn evenings. Obviously it can be adapted for omnivores, so have at it. 

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, washed and chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 sticks celery, chopped

1 small leek, washed and chopped

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 28 oz can chopped plum tomatoes

1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and diced

1 x 15.5 ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed

4 cups vegetable broth

Large handful curly kale, stalks removed, chopped

½ cup orzo pasta

a bunch of basil (optional)

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (or more, if you like. I like a bit of heat) 

5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; optional

Directions:

• Heat a large pot over a medium heat and add olive oil.  Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, pepper, leek, oregano and bay leaf and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables have softened.

• Add the tomatoes, potato, chick peas and vegetable broth, then cover with a lid and bring everything slowly to the boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes, then check (with the tip of a paring knife) that the potato is soft and cooked through.

• After that, add the kale and pasta, and cook for 10 more minutes, until the pasta is cooked. If the soup is too thick for you after cooking the pasta, thin it with a little more broth or water.

• The basil is optional, but delicious. If you decide to use it, stir some chopped leaves into the soup. Finish by seasoning with a little salt and sriracha and sprinkle on Parmesan.

Enjoy!

And...We're Back!

Hello November

I would say welcome, but you and I both know that we share a historically tortured and labourious relationship, and offering you kindness and glad tidings would be tantamount to The Titanic offering hospitality to an iceberg.

November is a difficult month. It lacks the colour of October and it enjoys none of December's festivity, at least for us Canadians. It is saddled with shortened daylight, plunging temperatures, grey skies, and Arctic winds.

November is the month when I finally give up whatever pretence I ever had about fashion (which assuredly isn't much) and instead acquiesce to the comfort of utilitarian warmth. Can anybody honestly say that they would rather wear a poncho sweater and leggings instead of jeans and polar fleece? Those leather boots with the three-inch heels that looked so great in October are suddenly no match for slippery frosty mornings, and last year's Uggs are retrieved from the back of the closet.

November is when my morning grooming effort is defined by a personal mantra of "this will do". My hairbrush needs to be covered in a Bounce sheet in order to be effective, I purchase body lotion by the litre, and the sallowness of my pallor can only be matched in its apathy by the effort I make shaving my legs. (November is the month for the "only to the knee" shave and even then it doesn't occur nearly often enough.)

November is when all those wide-eyed idealistic notions about exercise tend to disappear into a haze of excuses most often defined by exhaustion, darkness, cold, or depression. The hauling of my carcass onto a treadmill requires almost as much exertion as the run itself. Still...I manage to persevere, only to be upended by the hormonal calling of comfort food in order to maintain whatever equilibrium is left.

Ah....November. You are the flaming dung pile that pollutes our calendar.

And yet...

For the past five (yes I said 5!!) Novembers, I have found a way to navigate through this minefield of a month. National Blog Posting Month has offered me a lifeline, a creative umbilical cord to sanity. As odd as it may sound, the burst of imagination necessary in attempting to post every day is my personal flotation device. There is life in these posts and I jump at the chance to reverse the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder. In these posts I find renewal and energy.

It isn't easy. At times it can be gruelling. Thirty posts in thirty days. The task is daunting (I apologize in advance for the clunkers that will inevitably come) and I am fundamentally lazy. As such, old favourites (mine perhaps, if not yours) such as Meatless Mondays, Almost Wordless Wednesdays, and Shabbat Music Breaks will return. No matter how I manage to fill these days, please know I will complete the task. The Type A in me wouldn't have it any other way.

You, dear readers (all 10 of you) can help. Feedback is my sustenance. Comments and "likes" are like crack to a blogger.  Please do so...comment, I mean.... either here or on my Facebook page. (You can even "like" the page itself. I need a few new followers. Yes, I am that needy and starved for affection.) I would love to hear from you and it actually helps with the process. Nobody likes to write in a vacuum. I also wouldn't be averse to the odd share or two. If I can increase my readership by at least two, it's donuts for everybody.

So here we go...into that great abyss we call November.

Baseball and Ballots

I am still in a state of euphoria after last night's wild ride masquerading as a Blue Jays game. Toronto  fans are well-acquainted with the emotions that Ranger fans must be experiencing today. We just don't get to win all that often, so we accept the uniqueness of being on the victorious side of something so crazy with unabashed happy dancing. Forgive us our minor gloating and hero worshiping. This too shall pass, and we will return forthwith to our loveable nature and national sense of decorum and collective restraint.

That said, there is something about the scheduling of these post season games that does have me a tad concerned. While it has been well-documented as to the timing of Blue Jay/Rangers games, (three out of the five games played were scheduled as weekday afternoon games, thus causing much "blue flu" and consternation amongst bosses and workplaces) I actually do understand the logic coming from Major League Baseball. Toronto simply isn't a major market for their advertisers, and in order to maximize television revenue for their sponsors they would rather see the primetime games coming from New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. Not ideal for us up here in the Great White North, but we Canadians are nothing if not adaptable. We managed.

But now that we are through to the ALCS, another problem is in the offing. Game Three is scheduled for Monday October 19th, the same day as the federal election. On Facebook today I wrote the following:

I have had about 12 hours to decompress and to think. I need to share this one again. I cannot believe that MLB would schedule a Canadian team to play in a playoff game on Federal Election Day. That would NEVER happen in the US. That said, it is what it is and we need to get the word out. Rooting for our beloved Boys in Blue is fun and necessary, but not as essential as each and every fan casting their ballot. On Monday, please go vote first then get ready to party. Please pass this on. It is vital.

An American friend called me out on it and said the following:

Please vote. Please root for the Blue Jays. But please know that in the US this would ABSOLUTELY happen. Election day is not even a national holiday here. It's life as normal. I think the only difference is that in many (not all) states you cannot buy alcohol until after the polls close.

After some back and forth, we realized that we were actually in agreement. What I was trying to express is that I cannot recall any major sporting event ever being held on that Tuesday in November when Americans are at the polls electing their president, and I feel as though we here in Canada should be afforded a similar courtesy. He was simply stating that pop culture seems to trump (sorry for the bad pun) all, including issues of national import.

My issue with the game being played on Monday is that we here in Canada are a one-team country. Canadians from coast to coast have been riding the Blue Jay bandwagon all season as was evidenced by what happened yesterday. The game's timing could absolutely help to suppress the vote, especially on the west coast where people might be leaving work and heading to the bars or home rather than the polling stations. We have enough trouble with turnout. We don't need more help or excuses.

I understand that MLB has a schedule to keep and if the Rangers had prevailed yesterday this would not be an issue, but they didn't and it is. There is something to be said about special circumstances and a federal election in my mind would certainly qualify. Monday should be an off-day for this series so that Canadians can attend to their highest priority that day, voting for the party that will lead us and guide us for the next four years. As much as I can't believe that I'm saying this, the ballgame is not as important as that.

I am under no delusions that the game's time will change, so it is up to all of us to spread the word. If you know of people who are on the fence about voting because it will not fit into their Monday schedule, harangue them until they get to the polls. This election is simply too close and too important to be called on account of the Blue Jays, no matter how much we love and admire them. Attend to your civic responsibility first and then get ready to party. This team has made all Canadians proud. It is our turn to make them proud.

On October 19th...Get out and vote and then cheer like hell for YOUR TORONTO BLUE JAYS!

I Voted Today.

I voted today.

In an advance poll for the first time ever.

On a holiday Monday when I had a myriad of other tasks to complete.

At a polling station where I felt like an outsider in my own community.

And I stood in line for close to forty-five minutes.

In the heat of a community centre that has already turned off its air conditioning and it's 22C outside.

My ID was checked and double-checked. (I don't ever recall that kind of scrutiny in the past.)

All to vote for a candidate who has absolutely no hope of winning my riding.

Why?

Because for me voting is far more than just a right, it is a privilege. A privilege that is denied to far too many women and far too many citizens of far too many countries in 2015.

Because my voice matters. The vote itself might seem lost in a ballot wave for another party's candidate, but my voice and my opinion will not be silenced. Many may loathe my opinion, but this is Canada and in spite of the many ways devised to keep me quiet and sedate, I will express my views through my legally exercised franchise.

Because I need to be a role model for a generation behind me that, while starting to get more involved in politics, still feels isolated, ignored by, pandered to, and tremendous apathy towards today's leaders, so much so that their voting numbers in past elections have been positively anemic. The youth vote could absolutely sway this election if their numbers double. Today's young people must be encouraged to get off of the sidelines and engage themselves through voting. This is their country and their voices matter.

Because I live in Canada and I voted for the best needs for this country, not another. I care deeply about my ethnicity and I live by my religious values, but I refuse to be marginalized in my own community nor will I allow another group to be victimized in an ugly and sustained campaign of "us against the other." As a Jew, I know full well what it is to be treated as "the other". My Canada has no room for this kind of repugnant behaviour toward its own citizens and my vote clearly and loudly expresses that opinion.

Because in spite of my tremendous concerns about every single party leader, I believe that holding my nose and voting for the least objectionable candidate is better than an abstention or a destroyed ballot that makes absolutely no impact, even as a personal stand. When this election is over, I will be able to face myself in the mirror and know that I did the best that I could have done.

Because this election and its disgusting campaign have been interminable and I truly just want it to end. I want an end to the ads, an end to the pundits, an end to the polls, an end to the opinion pieces, an end to the polarization, and an end to the hijacking of my social media feeds....an end. By voting today, I ended it for me.

If you voted in these advance polls, I commend you. If you haven't yet voted, I urge you to spend a few minutes on October 19th to do so, no matter where you live in this country. Your vote and your voice matter and need to be counted.

I will now focus all of my attention on the baseball playoffs.

Blog Elul Day 29-Return

"I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery, and death...I think...peace and tranquility will return again."~Anne Frank

We return to that place of peace and tranquility when we return to our authentic selves. May the coming year find us all in a place of beauty, truth, and peace. שנה טוֹבה ומתוקה

Begin Again (2013)
Directed by: John Carney
Written by: John Carney

**Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer. Her blog and various links can be found at http://imabima.blogspot.ca 
**My favourite movie and musical of the past two years. This movie is brilliant. Rent it or Netflix it. You will not be sorry. 
***Looking Back through this Elul list of movies, I am not surprised at all to discover that each and every one is wonderfully written, impeccably directed, and intelligent. There isn't a single one that is ridiculous or mindless and even the comedies have smarts. They are my personal favourites, but I do beg my readers to be more selective in viewing choices. We as audiences deserve the best.