Kitty and Tree: Two Views
Seen in a neighborhood on the other side of town:
The Friday Ark. The Carnival of the Cats, which will be up at Mind of Mog on Sunday.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Guide to the Halakhic Minyan
Who’s afraid of halakhic egalitarian minyanim?
Not Michal and Elitzur Bar-Asher, who wrote The Guide for the Halakhic Minyan. (It’s in PDF format.)
I haven’t read it all yet—too busy—but I hope to soon. In any case, a huge kol ha-kavod to them. It’s about time.
Friday, February 08, 2008
How to Make a Lady Happy
From a recent visit:
The Lady in Red loves her some tummy skritches.
The Friday Ark. The Carnival of the Cats.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Is There a New Radio Station in Town?
I am a great fan of Reshet Gimmel (Radio Three), one of the Voice of Israel’s principal radio stations. Ten years ago, it switched its format to all Hebrew music, all the time. Though this may date me, I admit to preferring the older style of Hebrew songs, the “beautiful Land of Israel” songs as they are known here. Reshet Gimmel plays them from 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. on weekday mornings and at many other times during the week, particularly Friday afternoons.
My clock-radio alarm is set to Reshet Gimmel, and until recently I woke up to the 6:00 a.m. news followed by my favorite Hebrew music. But several days ago, I started hearing something strange that didn’t sound like Reshet Gimmel at all. When I listened more closely, I realized that it was a place-holder for an incipient station. Reshet Gimmel is located at 97.8 FM in this part of Israel, and this brief, repeating broadcast, a bizarre pastiche of historical and contemporary sound clips, ominous-sounding bass music, frequency identification and exhortations to “Get ready,” was coming from 97.7 and bleeding into Reshet Gimmel’s frequency—at least when I had the antenna pointed in a certain direction.
I have no idea what this could be, where it comes from, who is behind it or whether it is even legal. I found it fascinating at first, until the repeat broadcasts of “Get ready!” got old.
I’ll keep listening periodically, though. I always did like unusual radio, and this weird ad has piqued my curiosity.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Jerusalem of Snow
OK, so the title’s not original, but I couldn’t resist. Here are some pictures from my neighborhood during last week’s snow.
The front yard:
A nearby traffic circle:
A snowwoman (taken from the front for modesty’s sake; after all, this is a family blog):
Equal time for the opposite sex:
The park in snow:
Oh, my goodness, what can these be?
Downtown, a study in black and white:
Finally, a snowscape.
Irony behind Glass
There is an artistic exhibit of manual typewriters at my workplace. It’s been in place for some weeks now, so I almost don’t notice it on my way into and out of work.
Today, on my way out, I noticed the exhibit and joked with the security guard about our fossil collection.
He said, “I want to show you something. Have you looked closely at one of the typewriters?”
He told me which one to look at, and I went closer.
Look over the number 3. (Click to enlarge.)
That’s the SS sign. The SS.
My first reaction was: “Oh, my God, what’s this doing here? They should take it out and burn it!”
But then I had another thought. The Nazis, may their names and memories be obliterated, had plans to build a museum of the “vanished Jewish race,” and had done their murderous best to make us disappear.
They failed, as do all the enemies of the Jewish people. Today, proud, free Jews can look at this relic of their vanished regime behind glass in downtown Jerusalem.
I have no idea whether the artist knows it’s even there. In any case: take that, antisemites of whatever stripe. And then, if I may quote the Yourish.com mantra, just die already.
But don’t worry. We’ll take good care of your old typewriters.
Monday, January 28, 2008
First Anniversary
One year ago today, on January 28, 2007, my old friend, the Lady in Red, took up residence in her forever home, a stray no more.
After more than half a year of intensive veterinary and home care (thanks again to all those who helped to defray the costs!), she recovered from all illnesses and now lives happily with her human companion. She runs, plays, washes, cuddles and eats well—in short, she does all the things that healthy cats do. And she gets lots and lots of love.
The Lady in Red is not young. We figure that she must be at least thirteen years old by now, since we knew her for roughly ten years when she was still living in the park and she was fully grown when we first met her. She’s a bit white around the muzzle, but as far as I can tell, that is the only sign of age that she has. I have it on good authority that at least several times a day she plays with her toy mice, leaping and pouncing and catching them between her paws like a kitten. I also hear that she can leap to some pretty high places.
I am privileged to be able to visit her and take pictures. The one above shows her in her blanket nest, giving herself a bath—something she could not do when she got so sick a year ago. But I’m told that since her recovery, she washes so much that she needs regular doses of hairball remedy—a minor problem, yes, but a “healthy” one.
There is just one sad note in all of this. My dear friend Bev, who died suddenly last Saturday morning, followed the Lady in Red’s progress regularly and provided a lot of helpful advice during the more difficult points. Last week, I planned to celebrate the Lady’s first anniversary in her forever home with Bev somehow, even if only with a phone call. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
But I hope that wherever Bev is, she knows, and I hope it makes her smile.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Bev
On 9/11, Bev phoned me. When I told her that I was worried sick about my family in the New York area, she said, “Come over.” We hung out that night, had dinner and talked as we watched the developments on the news.
When our mutual friend Larry died two years later, Bev was the one who called to tell me. “Come over,” she said, and we spent the afternoon together, sharing memories about him.
When Bev, who worked at the zoo, was hand-raising a leopard cub, I said I’d love to see him. “Come over,” she said, after making me promise not to touch any animals on the way, since the cub’s immune system hadn’t developed yet.
Whenever I needed help, Bev always seemed to know, even when I hadn’t said anything. The phone call or IM would come: “Come over.” And we would hang out, and eat, and talk.
We spoke over IM yesterday, and then she had to go. She was in the middle of an on-line writers’ meeting and had to pay attention.
A few minutes later, I put up yesterday’s cat post and sent her the link. She typed back: “Lovely.”
It was the last word I would ever hear from her. I just found out tonight that she’s gone.
I want to go over to Bev’s to hang out and talk and process this.
And I can’t.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Table for Two
Roast me a wren to start with.
Then: Brisket of Basilisk Treat.
My breakfast is “on the house”?
What a curious place to eat!
There’s no accounting for customs.
My tastes are simple and few,
a fat mole smothered in starlight
and a heavenly nine-mouse stew.
(From “The King of Cats Orders an Early Breakfast” in A Visit to William Blake’s Inn by Nancy Willard. New York: 1981.)
The Friday Ark. The Carnival of the Cats.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Cold. Cold. Cold.
How cold is it?
It’s so cold that a few days ago, when I was baking pita bread in the kitchen, wearing three layers (the top one a bulky sweater) and with the oven temp at 550 degrees F, mixing, kneading and rolling out dough, I didn't even break a sweat. (I was comfortably warm after all that, though, so I’m not complaining.)
With the price of heating fuel so high, our monthly building maintenance fee has gone through the roof. And that’s only for four hours of heat per day! I’d just like to give up the central heating and do it myself. I’m sure it would be cheaper.
Fortunately, I’m fine. My little heater is doing an excellent job of keeping the place cozy. I’ve put a deep bowl of water in front of it to keep the air from getting too dry.
But two people in Israel have already died of hypothermia, one in the south and one in the central region.
This cold snap is due to end in approximately two days. Do I hear one? Do I hear none?
It’s at times like these when I use the old sense-memory exercises we used to do in acting class. For much of the year, it is very hot here, blazingly, relentlessly hot. So I’m trying to recreate the feeling as much as possible.
Hey, it can’t hurt.
Besides, I have an audition this evening, so it’s good to keep my hand in.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Fairness? Not Here
A rainy day at the Western Wall last week.
Note the size of the men’s and women’s sections, respectively.
Also, note that the men’s section looks pretty sparsely populated. This is because there is a great deal of indoor space, directly facing the Western Wall, just to the left of the men’s section, where the men can take shelter from the sun and rain and still be able to touch the Wall. The only indoor space for women that faces the Wall directly is a tiny room up a flight of stairs on the right-hand side. Which is why the women are exposed to the elements all year round in the small outdoor space allotted to them.
By the way, the divider between the men’s and women’s sections was recently bolted into place so that it cannot be shifted.
To the best of my knowledge, nothing in Jewish law mandates this inequity.
Sound fair?
I didn’t think so.
More Jerusalem Cats
Here are several photographs from a cat colony I saw downtown last week.
Dignity? Yeah, right.
Dignity restored, four times over.
See my pretty white spots!
A clean tuxedo of the Old City:
The Friday Ark. The Carnival of the Cats.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
RIP, Frisky
Frisky, Laurence Simon’s fluffy, gentle cat, passed away last night.
My condolences to Laurence and Gina and Nardo. I will miss seeing Frisky on the catcams.
Rest well, Professor.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Tuxapalooza
Saw a lovely tux the other day and got some pics. Here are three of the best ones:
Fast blur through the clover...
Time to wash up!
What’s black, white and furry, with a splash of pink?
The Friday Ark. The Carnival of the Cats.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Cats around Town
As I got off the bus from work yesterday, I saw a small cat colony near an apartment building. Camera bait!
Here they are, with a lovely tuxxie in the middle:
Play-wrestling:
The tuxxie lifting a forepaw:
The sweet tabby winking for the camera:
The Friday Ark. The Carnival of the Cats, which will be hosted by the king of catbloggers, Laurence Simon, before he hands it off for the new year.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Check These Out
Yes, I realize it’s pretty late in the holiday, but it isn’t over yet. So:
Women and Wonder: A Family Hanukkah Website. It has great stories from Jewish sources and features terrific music, too.
Lights: The Miracle of Hanukkah, an outstanding short animated film now available on DVD. (Full disclosure: I know the creator of “Lights.” But I saw the film, and fell in love with it, long before I met her. When I finally did meet her, it was in a context that had nothing to do with the film, and I didn’t find out that she had made it until some time afterwards.)
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Who Guards the Garden Hose?
“I do. That’s who.”
Check out the current edition of the Carnival of the Cats, up soon at Bad Kitty Cats.
My Unexpected Hanukkah Present
It’s one I hadn’t exactly planned on, but...
Good thing I have my computer glasses. The world is in a bit of a soft focus right now, but it’ll do until tomorrow morning.
And they’re bifocals, too.
Rats.
UPDATE: Got an eye exam, the old frames soldered and the new frames and lenses should be ready in a few days. But by the time all that was over, I was feeling so dizzy and ill that I couldn’t go in to work. I guess the computer glasses didn’t work so well as spares after all. Oh, well.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Making Up for Lost Time
Now that Blogger has gotten its act together once again, here are the photographs from the last several nights of Hanukka, including this one.
Second night:
Third night:
Fourth night (taken in daylight, before Shabbat):
Fifth night:
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Toot, Toot
I never thought I’d see this happen.
Wow.
But of course this isn’t just about tooting my own horn. Yesterday was Ray’s yahrzeit. It’s been two years since he died.
If there’s any accomplishment here, it’s mostly Ray’s. I had the easy part; all I had to do was sing and skedaddle. Ray was the one who put the whole thing together, note by note, breath by breath and track by track, working extremely hard for hours, days and weeks, putting his whole heart and soul into it.
And it’s not only that, of course. Ray was my friend.
I will always be grateful to him. And I will always miss him.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Another Must-Read from Treppenwitz
Go read this... but first, make sure you have some tissues handy.
Shabbat shalom.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Lady in Red, Sunbeam Hunter
Need a sunbeam? The Lady in Red will hunt one up for you.
Looks like she has spotted her quarry:
The quarry:
Ah! It moved. Look out, Lady!
Patience, patience...
Gotcha!
Here she gets one on video:
Isn’t Lady a great sunbeam hunter? I think so.
The Friday Ark. The Carnival of the Cats.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Way to Go... Green!
My dear friend Joanna started a forum about organic foods and environmental issues just a few short weeks ago, and already she’s made it into Israel21c:
Other Israelis are also helping to make a difference in the way their fellow citizens are informed about protecting their surroundings. American immigrant Joanna Katzen recently established a website forum for English-speaking Israelis concerned about the environment, interested in organic foods and similar issues. (A parallel site for Hebrew-speakers has been around for a while.)
“The response has been amazing,” she told ISRAEL21c. “Over 100 people joined within less than 48 hours. The forum is apolitical. I hope the exchange of ideas, and thoughts will promote organic farming, responsible consumerism, spirituality and holistic thought. If we can bring about a change in the way people treat the earth; if we can expose more people to this lifestyle, who knows how this ripple effect can affect our lives, hopefully even the prospect of peace in the Middle East.”
The article also mentions Linshom (“to breathe”), a Hebrew-speaking website dedicated to making sure that Israel’s no-smoking laws are enforced.
In other good news—cat-related, no less!—a local cat-welfare organization is about to begin a spaying and neutering program in one of Jerusalem’s downtown neighborhoods.
Slowly but surely, we’re making progress.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
In the Clutches of the Skritch Monster
Lady in Red, beware! The Skritch Monster is coming to get you!
She’ll skritch the top of your head...
... rub your ears...
... skritch your chin...
... rub your fuzzy tummy...
... watch you knead the air...
... and listen to you purr.
Yes, the Skritch Monster is coming for you, Lady in Red. Be relaxed. Be very relaxed.
The Friday Ark. The Carnival of the Cats.
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