tonight is the first night of Hanukkah and we will celebrate Jeremy's birthday as well (candle in a latke?). i am embarrassed to admit that i didn't call him on Friday, the actual day. it was crazy at work, but that's no excuse. fortunately it wasn't someone in Linda's family (for whom birthdays have much more significance).
latkes have various incarnations. my mother did the minimalist approach: potato, egg and salt. Linda maintained that without onion, it wasn't a true latke. Aud points out that it needs a bit of matzo meal to hold things together. topped with either sour cream or applesauce. yum.
it's been somewhat cold here, and all the leaves have now fallen off the peach and nectarine trees. the shapely ones on the apricot tree have all turned golden and are falling gently. i am nursing the last of the neighbor's persimmons which hang in my backyard (and which i pick with their permission). i got a few more at the farmers market yesterday.
this year's Hanukkah presents consist of donations to organizations that feel important to me: supporting families of prisoners (Friends Outside), food bank, microfinance loans to women (FINCA), mosquito nets and solar cookers for Darfur refugees, PanCAN, Hospice of the Valley. for the most part, my family does not need more "things."
everyone is feeling the pinch. just read that Shakespeare Santa Cruz is having trouble. so is Youth Science Institute. American Musical Theatre of San Jose closed shop. all around organizations are struggling, and then Madoff pulls his tricks. is it possible that he really believes he was doing something good? that he was not stealing? and the IL governor i think believes he did nothing wrong.
i rummaged in the drawers in the dining room and found candles, a hanukkiyah (the official name for the menora used at hanukkah) and even a birthday banner. there are a LOT of candles. the gentle scent that wafted up on opening the drawer was really nice. waxen. (one of Linda's key words used in guessing words in Jotto) since Ketzl, there are fewer candles burned in the house. even the memorial candle is a plug-in.
it's nice to have a day fully at home. first load of laundry in. sorting papers. doing dishes. it will be nice to have even more days next week. looking forward also to a trip to SF next Saturday to eat more latkes (!) with Linda F and her sister and then to see Kinsey Sicks, the world's first dragapella quartet, doing their holiday show, Oy Vey in a Manger (two of the singers are Jewish). they are amazing singers and the blend is fantastic, and it will be good to laugh a lot.
and yet it is hard. here i am, another first. first Chanukah without Linda. just when i thought that things were moving along, and that the holiday season wasn't going to be too difficult. hmmmm. watching the snow falling on the Seahawks/Jets game. going to dinner and a play last night with Nath. as Cindy from the support group said, you just don't know when a wave of sadness will sweep over and bring on tears. one woman invited us to her house on Christmas Day. i think i may take her up on that, and see if anyone wants to go to a movie. and then there is always Chinese food (the traditional way Jews spend the day).
ok...things are mostly packed. i'll stop by Christine's to drop off her veggies, etc., run by Costco to see how long the gas lines are. a few more errands and then it's latke time.
