Purim

She sees when you're not sleeping, she knows
when you do work... it's Shabbas Queen!

Menorah Man!  With the strength of Samson, 

the aim of David, the wisdom of Solomon, 

and the patience of a Patriarch.

So, Purim!  We celebrated last Saturday with a wonderful crew.  Shabbas Queen and Menorah Man were there leading the festivities.

People arrived and got settled, and we started in on the blessings.  Bread was broken, and we started on the nosh (dried fruits, nuts, the challah and a lentil salad) and the Megillah.  People were enthusiastic groggers even in those paragraphs where Haman was mentioned a zillion times.  The main repast was delicious and generated a lot of great leftovers for the week.  Two kugels, kasha varnishkes, sepphardic green beans and the brisket.   I think we did okay for a bunch of goyim.

Elizabeth definitely had the best costume, as Ms. Kralc, multiple medal winner in snowshoe events at Vancouver for the glory of Slobovia.  Bonnie brought homemade groggers that have joined our family.  Pendells loaned the table we ate on, and Lembkes brought a beautiful phylactery for John to wear while reading the Megillah.  Looked great with the coat of many colors.  Lombardos brought hamentashen that were scrumptious.  People brought a lot for the matonat la'eyyonim, so that's a mitzvah, too.

 

Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam,
shehecheyanu vekiyemanu vehigi'anu lazeman ha-zeh.

(Blessed art Thou, LORD our God, Master of the universe, who has kept us alive and has sustained us, and brought us to this season.)

Amen.

Ysabela explains it all.  What's a couple of millenia among friends?