Labels April 24, 2009

I have always resisted the label “stay-at-home mum”. I don’t like the way we are so quick to put mothers into camps: working mothers, full-time mothers (is there really a mother who is part-time?), etc. The other day a woman was asking me if I would ever consider working outside of the home. This was [...]

Seeking out inspiration with a club April 22, 2009

I teach a creative writing class from my home for high school students. Actually, it’s just winding down, but I enjoyed it very much and am considering offering it again. My philosophy with this class is to give my students the creative space they may not have in school or home to explore their voice [...]

Two days in a row! April 21, 2009

I don’t need a medal, only a little bit of applause, as I am actually BLOGGING two days in a row. (Chaya, if you’re reading this, you have inspired me).
This week is the first normal week after Passover and Passover preparations. All told, the holiday took two weeks out of my working life. Between [...]

Trying again April 20, 2009

I may have already said this before in an entry, but I am a pretty private person. So blogging does not come naturally to me. This is my preamble to apologizing for not blogging over the last two months. But here’s the truth: do I want the world to really know what is going on [...]

My Writing Routine February 8, 2009

I am very specific about how I write. I need a strong cup of tea, preferrably TyPhoo (the British Red Rose), with just enough milk to change the colour and a scant teaspoon of sugar. I have certain mugs from which I drink. They are all stoneware. I light a candle (sometimes scented), and I [...]

Shabbat, this week January 23, 2009

My husband, Jason, is out of town until Tues. It is unusual for us to spend Shabbat apart. I’m not entirely sure yet what my Friday night menu will look like, but it will go something like this:
Chicken soup with noodles
Roasted chicken and vegetables
Spinach kugel
Salad
Apple Cobbler
The cobbler is already made – made last night while [...]

Menus January 18, 2009

In an attempt to blog more regularly, I’m going to start posting my Friday Night menus. This idea is inspired by Bonnie Stern’s latest cookbook Friday Night Dinners (which is not only a wonderful cookbook, but a beautiful read). I will try to post my menus on Fridays (or earlier). But something tells me, like [...]

Where are the non-New York Jews? January 9, 2009

I recently read a fantastic book of essays, The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide to Guilt. Each essay was a story, and most stories a conflict I could relate to on some level. Being Jewish and choosing religion, being Jewish and not choosing religion. Wanting Christmas, hating Christmas. Loving your community, and abandoning your community.
But one [...]

The Prime Minister thinks I’m special September 24, 2008

Dear Mr. Harper,
 
I am about to sit down to work (something, I understand, done by ordinary people), but before I do, I wanted to write you a quick note to say thanks. Before now, I did not realize that I was special.
 
I am a writer. It is my job. Just like some people are teachers, [...]

Tackling Sportball September 24, 2008

My 3-year-old has a lot of anxieties. Can you call then anxieties when he’s only 3? He’s afraid of the clapping on talk shows (so he really doesn’t like Ellen). He’s afraid of the hooray and yay after Happy Birthday. He’s not crazy about car washes. He doesn’t like Raffi. The list goes on.
All this [...]