After taking a realistic look (brought on by a vent of crazy) at the list of what I was going to make for the holidays and the list of what I would be able to make for the holidays, I severely pared down my cooking to-do list. (Let us not mention that I now have ingredients for the former list sitting in my pantry -- maybe I'll cook some more next week). Thank goodness that both my mother and MIL are understanding women whose price is beyond rubies.
Just wanted to take a moment before tonight to wish everyone a sweet and happy new year. The poem below always moves me, so I like to include it each year in my new year greetings.
In the new year which now begins, these are my wishes for you:
May you experience no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no floods, and no dinnertime phone solicitations.
And if they come, may you have a flashlight, a radio, a cell phone, water, food, and a siddur [prayer book] ready, just in case.
May you see a good play, hear a great opera, and see no flashing police lights behind you.
May strangers greet you with smiles, and little children with sticky kisses.
May you have enough wealth to be able to give to tzedakah [charity], and enough left over to provide you with necessities:
May you have bread to eat and cake as well,
May you have a roof over your head and clothing to wear,
And may you help provide them for the hungry, the homeless and the ragged.
May your stocks come back,
And may your bank stay open,
And may your interest rate fall,
And may the IRS leave you a full 30% of what you earn to call your own.
May you banish all thoughts and conversations about the coming elections
For these next ten days,
So that you avoid fights with members of your family and your friends,
And may you remember that, no matter who is elected,
According to Hebrew National,
They all have to answer to a Higher Authority.
May you forgive the candidates for what they say about each other,
And may you remember that no one is as perfect as he claims to be,
And no one is as terrible as his opponent claims he is,
And forget the promises that they all make -- because they will, as soon as they are elected.
May you be able to decipher your electric bill, your telephone bills, your credit card bill, and your income tax forms,
And the tiny, tiny print at the bottom of all these documents,
Which says in essence that they don't mean what is written above in big print.
May you live long enough to be able to drive automobiles which do not run on fossil fuels.
And may this happen before you become an old fossil yourself.
May those of us who drive SUVs be blessed with enough wealth
To be able to fill them with gasoline enough,
To get to the corner store and back,
And may we not have to choose between having enough money with which to buy gas with which to get to the grocery store,
And having enough money with which to buy groceries when we get there.
And may our children, for the sake of whom we bought these vehicles in the first place
Never yell or fight but sit quietly buckled up, with their hands folded,
And never once ask us: Are we there yet?
May you learn how to control your television set,
And may you learn to cope with all the new buttons on the controls,
And may there be something worth watching when you finally figure out how to start your TV.
May neither you, nor your computer, ever be infected by a virus.
May peace reign over Israel,
And may its children not have to sleep in bomb shelters any longer,
And may all of its leaders, like Natan Sharansky, be people who have gone to prison BEFORE they ascended to high office, and not afterwards.
May the world become safe to live in for all of G-D's children,
And may some parents learn that it is not necessary to strap explosives onto the bodies of their children in order to attain paradise,
But that instead paradise can be found here on earth, if people will only learn to live together in peace.
May you stop rushing long enough to realize
How blessed we are
To be able to enjoy this amazing planet on which we live,
And may we try hard not to spoil it.
And whether you pray in the words of the machzor [a Hebrew prayer book],
Or in your own words,
May you feel the presence of G-D around you,
And may you love your G-D, with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your might,
And may you know that G-D loves you too,
And may G-D give you a shana tova u'metukah,
A good and a sweet new year.
Amen.
--Rabbi Jacob Pressman
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Best Wishes for the New Year
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sock It To Me!
Alana also included a wonderful description of the socks in her card and I wanted to reprint that here:
The hearts represent friendship and blog love as found in the IF community.
The stripes represent pillars of strength - they way we IFers build one another's support system.
The beige is a reminder that though IF sometimes gives us feelings of "blah," we will unite and move onward with our lives.
I couldn't have put it better myself. Thank you girls for these lovely socks! And thanks to every one of you readers who has held me up and supported me through our long journey to build a family. I know that I couldn't have made it without you cheering me on and drying my tears. I love you all.
Wanna see the other lovely socks travelling around our community? Go see Kym's master post at I'm a Smart One!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Bless the Brown Cows of the Desert That Give Us Hot Chocolate Milk
I had a Venti (read: horse trough) Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream from Starbucks.
It was the best fucking hot chocolate that ever was.
Amen.
______________
No ill effects from that part of Un-detox (Retox?) Day #1, but then I ate cheese and it was like the Yokohama Bullet Train.(*)(**) So, I'll be continuing the good decision made a year ago to only partake of cheese in rare circumstances.
For lunch, I had chicken and mashed potatoes and creamed spinach (I heart Boston Market). The mashed potatoes were OK, but the creamed spinach was an explosion of love and joy that I haven't experienced since the last episode of Glee.
I'm planning to refrain from dairy the rest of the day, though, so that I can sort of act like I was un-detoxing with moderation whatever that is.
__________________________________
*Is there a bullet train to/from Yokohama?
**Please excuse my nastiness. I was born in a barn -- New Jersey.(***)
***Again, please excuse my insulting demeanor. I'm sure New Jersey is fine, really. No, really. They've got Bon Jovi doing their ad campaign, it can't be all bad.(****)
****Does my state even have an ad campaign? I mean, my real state, not the Shmomonwealth of Shmurshminia. I'm going with the absolutely no-evidence-basis, uneducated guess answer of: No - my state doesn't have an ad campaign. We don't need one. People know how awesome we are without Bon Jovi or Arnold. We have our own state cake! We have many malling options. Goldie Hawn is from here. Plus, our most well-known state song is about our lottery.(*****) Deal with it, people. You wish your state was that awesome. "It could be." If you lived here.
*****Five bucks says that Mel and Lindsay are currently humming our song.
________________________________
Um, I think the sugar (or the manic chapter of the depressive episode, take your pick) kicked in somewhere around Bon Jovi.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Yoga for Fertility Retreat - DC Area
Hi all! Just wanted to put in a plug for a Yoga for Fertility Retreat taught by my yoga teacher!
____________________
Yoga for Fertility Retreat
Sunday, December 6th 8 AM-4 PM
Pulling Down the Moon -- Rockville, MD
Join Pulling Down the Moon Instructor Sara Shelley for a day long retreat exploring the healing power of yoga for fertility. At this unique event you will learn the program that literally thousands of women have used to help them get pregnant since 2002. At this retreat you will learn:
Asana - a specific yoga posture practice to increase blood flow, reduce tension and detoxify body tissues.
Pranayama - yoga breathing techniques to manage stress and improve the overall vitality of your body and mind.
Meditation - an in-depth exploration of the "yoga way" of coping with negative thoughts and emotions.
In addition, we will explore teachings from yoga philosophy that will help you frame the fertility journey in a manner that reveals your personal strengths, reinforces the joy of everyday life and empowers you to create the family you're meant to have. Through this experience you will also join the positive, healing community of Pulling Down the Moon and enjoy the community of the amazing women who use our programs.
**Retreat Participants can take an advantage of a 20% discount for our services (yoga, massage, nutrition, acupuncture), when they schedule their appointment for December 5th or 6th.**
When: Sunday, December 6, 2009. 8 AM - 4 PM
Where: Pulling Down the Moon, 15001 Shady Grove Road, Suite 210, Rockville, MD 20850
Details: $150 covers the cost of the one-day workshop, a light lunch, and PDtM's DVD Yoga Practices for Fertility.
_______________________
If interested, please sign up and please tell your fellow IF sisters about the retreat!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
HA!
Everyone I know must read this. NOW. It made me spit out my drink and most of my internal organs with laughter.
Then, come back here and tell me your thoughts on: a) how it absolutely stinks that Glee was not on this week, b) this week's episode of Top Chef, and c) my inability to keep off any of the weight I lose.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Donor Insemination Research Project
H/t to Somewhat Ordinary (she has a private blog) for the idea.
Recently, Mel posted in the LFCA about a donor insemination research project. In case you missed the blurb, I'll repost it here.
This is "a research project examining the way in which the Internet is used to facilitate donor insemination; to negotiate access to donor sperm, to establish kinship ties or as a support network, for example. The experiences of anyone invested in sperm donation are sought: this could be women/couples who have been recipients of donor sperm, children from donor sperm or the sperm donors themselves."
I recently contacted the researcher and she told me that she would be looking to start the research soon, but wanted to make sure that she had enough participants.
If you have used or are using donor insemination to help build your family, I encourage all of you to please contact the researcher here. I'm hoping that we can get a large number of DI bloggers to participate.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Good News
He'll be starting next Monday, doing the computer contracting that he used to do, only this time with a Pigs In Space vibe, as opposed to the Secret Squirrels vibe that he had concentrated on. We're both sooooo excited! Hooray!
I'm hoping that doing good things for ourselves (exercise, eating good, pain management, prayer, etc.) is helping us to turn things around and bring good things into our lives.
Oh, and dIUI #3 is on for tomorrow and Sunday. I've got my lucky socks, jewelry and acupuncture all lined up. Let's do it!
Due to the vagaries of scheduling, our "follow up" with the RE is for Monday. What are we going to discuss? I'd just like to know what the plan is if Project Insemination - Season 3 is not a success.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wishes for the New Year
(Reposted from last year because I love this poem so much).
In the new year which now begins, these are my wishes for you:
May you experience no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no floods, and no dinnertime phone solicitations.
And if they come, may you have a flashlight, a radio, a cell phone, water, food, and a siddur [prayer book] ready, just in case.
May you see a good play, hear a great opera, and see no flashing police lights behind you.
May strangers greet you with smiles, and little children with sticky kisses.
May you have enough wealth to be able to give to tzedakah [charity], and enough left over to provide you with necessities:
May you have bread to eat and cake as well,
May you have a roof over your head and clothing to wear,
And may you help provide them for the hungry, the homeless and the ragged.
May your stocks come back,
And may your bank stay open,
And may your interest rate fall,
And may the IRS leave you a full 30% of what you earn to call your own.
May you banish all thoughts and conversations about the coming elections
For these next ten days,
So that you avoid fights with members of your family and your friends,
And may you remember that, no matter who is elected,
According to Hebrew National,
They all have to answer to a Higher Authority.
May you forgive the candidates for what they say about each other,
And may you remember that no one is as perfect as he claims to be,
And no one is as terrible as his opponent claims he is,
And forget the promises that they all make -- because they will, as soon as they are elected.
May you be able to decipher your electric bill, your telephone bills, your credit card bill, and your income tax forms,
And the tiny, tiny print at the bottom of all these documents,
Which says in essence that they don't mean what is written above in big print.
May you live long enough to be able to drive automobiles which do not run on fossil fuels.
And may this happen before you become an old fossil yourself.
May those of us who drive SUVs be blessed with enough wealth
To be able to fill them with gasoline enough,
To get to the corner store and back,
And may we not have to choose between having enough money with which to buy gas with which to get to the grocery store,
And having enough money with which to buy groceries when we get there.
And may our children, for the sake of whom we bought these vehicles in the first place
Never yell or fight but sit quietly buckled up, with their hands folded,
And never once ask us: Are we there yet?
May you learn how to control your television set,
And may you learn to cope with all the new buttons on the controls,
And may there be something worth watching when you finally figure out how to start your TV.
May neither you, nor your computer, ever be infected by a virus.
May peace reign over Israel,
And may its children not have to sleep in bomb shelters any longer,
And may all of its leaders, like Natan Sharansky, be people who have gone to prison BEFORE they ascended to high office, and not afterwards.
May the world become safe to live in for all of G-D's children,
And may some parents learn that it is not necessary to strap explosives onto the bodies of their children in order to attain paradise,
But that instead paradise can be found here on earth, if people will only learn to live together in peace.
May you stop rushing long enough to realize
How blessed we are
To be able to enjoy this amazing planet on which we live,
And may we try hard not to spoil it.
And whether you pray in the words of the machzor [a Hebrew prayer book],
Or in your own words,
May you feel the presence of G-D around you,
And may you love your G-D, with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your might,
And may you know that G-D loves you too,
And may G-D give you a shana tova u'metukah,
A good and a sweet new year.
Amen.
--Rabbi Jacob Pressman
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Honest Scrap
I've been awarded Honest Scrap by a few wonderful bloggers, but never got around to remarking on it before. In any event, thank you for this honor.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Accomplishments
First, thank you so much for your comments and caring. Your notes truly get me through my days and I turn back to them again and again.
I got a lot accomplished last night and this morning so I thought I'd write it down, not to brag, just to remember that I can accomplish lots when I try.
Last night I:
-Created a new "intention" - telling the baby "You can go if you need to go. You don't have to stay because I want you to stay. You can go if you need to go. I'm letting you go. I love you." Concentrated on my intention several times during the evening and before bed.
-Cleared the table after dinner
-Took out trash and recycling
-Rinsed all dishes and loaded the dishwasher
-"Fluffed" the clean load of laundry sitting in the dryer
-Loaded a load of towels and the Pesach tablecloth (only 2 months after Pesach) in the washer)
-Folded and put away the equivalent of 4 loads of laundry
-Made the bed
-Put my shoes in the closet
-Laid out workout clothes and work clothes for this morning
-Took down old, ripped shower curtain and bad shower curtain rings and hung up new shower curtain with new rings
-Deadheaded flowers
-Put plastic footstool that had been holding giant pile of laundry in bedroom onto the balcony to live with its matching chair
-Walked The Boy
-Washed my face
-Flossed and brushed teeth
-Went to sleep at 10 PM
This Morning I:
-Got up after only two snooze cycles
-Concentrated on my intention
-Took myself on a half hour walk in the rain (I am HARD CORE!) and blissed out to my C-SPAN podcast on Lincoln's time as a president-elect (I am HARD CORE DORK!)
-Took a nice shower
-Got dressed for work
-Made tea for me and JD and put his tea (covered) on his nightstand so it's ready for him when he wakes up
-Made a healthy breakfast for me of Greek yogurt, blueberries, banana and walnuts
-Ate my breakfast and drank my tea while reading a book
-Cleared off table, rinsed dishes, loaded them in dishwasher and started the dishwasher
-Remembered to bring SIL's Kale and Salmon Quiche with me for lunch
-Took The Boy to doggie daycare
-Put on makeup
-Took my pills (Zoloft and prenatal vitamins)
Now I'm at work. I'm hoping to finish comments on the monthly financials and "attend" several conference calls. On one of the calls, my boss is trying to surpass the world record in how many times he uses the F word on one call. Will let you know how that goes.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Early OMG You Rock Present
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Midwest Conference on Family Building
For Mandy:
The Midwest Region of RESOLVE is holding its Annual Family Building Conference on Saturday, February 21st in Minneapolis.
The conference includes:
- FREE giveaway -- over $20,000 of prizes to be given away (including 2 IVF cycles, half off an adoption study, and much MUCH more!!)
- 19 infertility and adoption workshops
- FREE expert advice from Reproductive Endocrinologists, Adoption Agencies, Alternative Therapy Practitioners, Attorneys, Psychologists and other fertility and adoption specialists
- Keynote speaker Michele Tafoya, one of the most respected reporters in television sports, will share her experiences with infertility and adoption
- Largest conference of its type in the Midwest
For more information, please visit the Conference's page on RESOLVE's website.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Other Voices
It's extremely difficult for me to articulate my thoughts regarding the "situation" in Israel these days. My friend, Shtetl Fabulous, wrote a post on this topic earlier, and I'd like to use her words to describe how I feel:
Just as I love America, despite her faults, I love Israel in the same way. Enthusiastically and unconditionally, but still with a few questions. And maybe that's why when times are tough in Israel, I will defend her to our enemies but will shrink from the front lines of rhetorical battle. Besides, healthy criticism is much easier when the rockets aren't raining down on you.I find myself turning to the prayer that our congregation chants aloud during Rosh Hashanah services every year. This "Prayer for Our Country" often moves me to tears, especially when hearing everyone speak the last few lines. (H/t to Margalit for the quote and her wise post, prayer from Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals.)
Our God and God of our ancestors: We ask Your blessings for our country — for its government, for its leaders and advisers, and for all who exercise just and rightful authority. Teach them insights from Your Torah, that they may administer all affairs of state fairly, that peace and security, happiness and prosperity, justice and freedom may forever abide in our midst.
Creator of all flesh, bless all the inhabitants of our country with Your spirit. May citizens of all races and creeds forge a common bond in true harmony, to banish hatred and bigotry, and to safeguard the ideals and free institutions that are the pride and glory of our country.
May this land, under your providence, be an influence for good throughout the world, uniting all people in peace and freedom — helping them to fulfill the vision of your prophet: ‘Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they experience war any more’ (Isaiah 2:4). And let us say: Amen.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
I've Got Mail! I've Got Mail! Yay!!!
Since being on vacation and being laid out with colds, John Dear and I haven't picked up our mail since oh, mid-December. I just picked it up tonight. I can hear Mr. Strickland in my head calling us "Slackers!"
May I just say that I love everyone tonight!! I got a gift from Cibele (a fellow Braces Buncher) and holiday cards from several bloggy friends and non-bloggy friends. I heart everyone!!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Um, uh, hm
A cold, a cough, congestion, Chinese food and crappy TV. Happy New Year!
New Year's resolutions? I'm not gonna be fooled by that crap again. No resolutions; I give them too much power.
My three wishes for 2009 (because good things come in threes too)
1. Health (mental and physical)
2. House within 15 minutes of company ready (see FlyLady)
3. Happiness (2008 was a 6.5; I'd like to make 2009 at least a 7).
Much love and good wishes to all who are following my journey. I thank G-D for all of you each day. Happy New Year!!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Virtual Shower for Antigone
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
S.3142 and H.R. 5979 Stillbirth Awarenesss and Research Act
Today marks Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day. At 7 PM (your time), please light a candle in memory of those lost and in honor of those remembering. We'll light up the world.
There are no words that I can say that would be more graceful and eloquent than those written by Antigone.
With the presidential election and financial crisis eclipsing all else this fall, the Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act will likely go unaddressed for another year.
Another Year. For another year, thousands of parents will leave the hospital with a list of funeral homes, no living child to cradle, and an unanswered question. Why?
The why will continue to go unanswered and potential treatments left undiscovered for another year. They will go unanswered and undiscovered because current research and funding are insufficient. Until S.3142 and H.R. 5979, the congressional bills for The Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act are passed, the problem will remain unsolved.
My son's name was Henry. His heart stopped beating on January 17th, 2008. On October 15th, and every day of the year, I remember him and thousands of others.
Please write or email your members of Congress and ask them to pass S.3142 and H.R.5979, The Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act now.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act
See those new shiny buttons on the right? They were designed by AK_Sapphire in honor of National Infertility Week (October 19th-25th) and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day (October 15th). You can get the codes for both buttons on her blog, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Pregnancy.
You can help to raise awareness of these issues by reading and following some or all of the following, a gracious plea by Antigone.
October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in the United States. More than 25,000 children are stillborn in the United States every year leaving mothers, entire families and communities devastated. Estimates of the rate of occurrence of stillbirth make it at least as common as autism.
Stillbirth is not an intractable problem. Greater research would likely significantly reduce its incidence, but good research requires good data. H.R. 5979: Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act is under consideration by Congress. This proposed bill would standardize stillbirth investigation and diagnosis, thus providing more data for the needed research. Better research means fewer children born still.
History and facts about H.R. 5979.
5/6/2008--Introduced.
Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act of 2008 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) more states should enact legislation that allows the issuance of a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth; and (2) the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) should increase the allocation of funds and other resources for stillbirth research.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish and maintain a scientific registry of stillbirths in the United States, which shall include for each stillbirth information on the stillborn fetus and the mother's health and pregnancy as collected and submitted by states on the U.S. Standard Report of Fetal Death.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide for the development of a standard definition of stillbirth and a standard protocol for stillbirth data collection and surveillance; and (2) carry out a national campaign to increase public and state awareness of such definition and protocol and public awareness and knowledge of stillbirths.
Information cited from GovTrack.us H.R. 5979--110th Congress (2008): Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act of 2008, GovTracks.us (database of federal legislation). Accessed October 2, 2008
On October 15th, remember the thousands of unfinished children lost and the families who remain to grieve them. Honor them by taking action. Let's help pass H.R. 5979.
Action Steps:
Step 1. Use Your Blog to Enlist Others
-Copy the contents of this entire post and publish it on your blog immediately.
GOAL: Enlist 10 of your readers to spread the word
Step 2. Use Your E-mail to Enlist Others
-E-mail 5 bloggers and ask them (nicely and in an unspammy way) to publish these action steps on their blog. Consider contacting celebrity bloggers, political bloggers, medical bloggers, or bloggers who are not part of your reading community.
GOAL: Enlist 3 bloggers outside of your normal blog sphere to spread the word in other online communities.
Step 3. Help Pass the Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act
-By October 15th, publish a post on your blog supporting H.R. 5979 Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act. For maximum impact, title your post: "Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act."
GOAL: 1,000,000 Google results on October 15th when that term is searched for. Currently, Google only returns 20,400 pages - most of which have nothing to do with the bill.
Friday, October 3, 2008
New Year's Wishes
My rabbi included the following poem in his Shabbat message this week. I liked it so much, I wanted to share it with all of you. My inclusions are in brackets.
In the new year which now begins, these are my wishes for you:
May you experience no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no floods, and no dinnertime phone solicitations.
And if they come, may you have a flashlight, a radio, a cell phone, water, food, and a siddur [prayer book] ready, just in case.
May you see a good play, hear a great opera, and see no flashing police lights behind you.
May strangers greet you with smiles, and little children with sticky kisses.
May you have enough wealth to be able to give to tzedakah [charity], and enough left over to provide you with necessities:
May you have bread to eat and cake as well,
May you have a roof over your head and clothing to wear,
And may you help provide them for the hungry, the homeless and the ragged.
May your stocks come back,
And may your bank stay open,
And may your interest rate fall,
And may the IRS leave you a full 30% of what you earn to call your own.
May you banish all thoughts and conversations about the coming elections
For these next ten days,
So that you avoid fights with members of your family and your friends,
And may you remember that, no matter who is elected,
According to Hebrew National,
They all have to answer to a Higher Authority.
May you forgive the candidates for what they say about each other,
And may you remember that no one is as perfect as he claims to be,
And no one is as terrible as his opponent claims he is,
And forget the promises that they all make---because they will, as soon as they are elected.
May you be able to decipher your electric bill, your telephone bill, your credit card bill, and your income tax forms,
And the tiny, tiny print at the bottom of all these documents,
Which says in essence that they don't mean what is written above in big print.
May you live long enough to be able to drive automobiles which do not run on fossil fuels
And may this happen before you become an old fossil yourself.
May those of us who drive SUVs be blessed with enough wealth
To be able to fill them with gasoline enough,
To get to the corner store and back,
And may we not have to choose between having enough money with which to buy gas with which to get to the grocery store,
And having enough money with which to buy groceries when we get there.
And may our children, for the sake of whom we bought these vehicles in the first place
Never yell or fight but sit quietly buckled up, with their hands folded,
And never once ask us: Are we there yet?
May you learn how to control your television set,
And may you learn to cope with all the new buttons on the controls,
And may there be something worth watching when you finally figure out how to start your TV.
May neither you, nor your computer, ever be infected by a virus.
May peace reign over Israel,
And may its children not have to sleep in bomb shelters any longer,
And may all of its leaders, like Natan Sharansky, be people who have gone to prison BEFORE they ascended to high office, and not afterwards.
May the world become safe to live in for all of G-D's children,
And may some parents learn that it is not necessary to strap explosives onto the bodies of their children in order to attain paradise,
But that instead paradise can be found here on earth, if people will only learn to live together in peace.
May you stop rushing long enough to realize
How blessed we are
To be able to enjoy this amazing planet on which we live,
And may we try hard not to spoil it.
And whether you pray in the words of the machzor [a Hebrew prayer book],
Or in your own words,
May you feel the presence of G-D around you,
And may you love your G-D, with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your might,
And may you know that G-D loves you too,
And may G-D give you a shana tova u'metukah,
A good and a sweet new year.
Amen.
Written by Rabbi Jacob Pressman
