Purim @ MindSay

Okay, all. I'm sleepy and exhausted and will be getting to bed really soon. I'll post more tomorrow. Promise.

But before I do: Tonight began the Jewish holiday of Purim, a day which chronicles the events as written in the Biblical Book (Scroll) of Esther The synopsis: About 2500 years ago the Persian King Achashverosh, overcome with impulse, drunkenness and horniness, banished his queen (Vashti) for not participating in Half-Nekkid Thursday in front of his friends. He produces a reality show to find the most beautiful woman in the land to be his new queen -- and it turns out to be a Jewish chick named Esther. Her uncle, a bloke called Mordechai, tells her to keep the Jewish thing a secret. Meanwhile, The King's #2 guy is a pompous ass called "Haman." He has a run-in with Mordechai one day and, because Mordechai refuses to bow down to him, he sets a decree to kill all the Jews on, drawn by lottery, the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar (today). There's more of a story to it, but the climax is that Esther reveals her true identity to the king and pleads to spare the life of the Jews, and Haman and his family were hung on a tree instead.

So -- as you can surmise it's a great holiday for the kiddies.

It's as close as one can get to a Jewish Halloween: kids (and adults) dress up in costumes. I'll post pictures of myself and the kid in our homemade costumes. His was far better than mine: he was Buzz Lightyear in a costume designed and sewn by the lovely socKs. I was the "Can you hear me now? Good!"guy from the Verizon wireless commercials.

It's also a holiday where it's traditional to get extremely drunk -- prescribed to the extent that one not be able to distinguish good from evil (more literally, distinguish between the evil Haman and the hero, Mordechai). I'm zonked after ... oh, zero to drink this evening. I'm getting old...

Two videos if you're interested -- both are raps. The first one was animated by Ben Baruch, who created the Shabot6000 online cartoon. Great stuff. the second one is new this year and... just make sure to watch the first one, k?

Purim is coming up next month (please do not call it the "Jewish Halloween" - thank you) and every year our synagogue as a costume theme for the entire congregation.  This allows though who do not want to dress up in the traditional costumes (Mordechai, Esther, Haman, Vashti, and Ahashveros) another option that doesn't require too much thinking.  My personal fave was "pajama party" and last year it was dress as your favorite TV characters (we were 3/4 of the Wiggles).  This year's theme is "super heroes".  Now we could do something cute like dress Av up like Shiny, but (and no offense here hon...) he's WAY into Buzz Lightyear. 

So I'm thinking - I'm crafty.  I can make him a Buzz costume.  I've made him a wicked cool "Super Avi" cape with stars on it, which is what he's worn for Halloween for the past few years.  But it would be cool to surprise him with a Buzz costume.  Now you can buy a costume (with wings!) on eBay for $24.50 (incl. shipping).  Can I make him one though (without wings, although I can buy inflatable wings for $12) although wings aren't necessarily needed since he pretends to have them now).

I suppose I'll have to investigate on Friday - If I can buy all the supplies I'd need to make it for less than $25, then I suppose that would be worth it?  Do I make a one piece jump suit out of white fleece?  Hot glue (although I'm anal - I'd probably end up sewing) me on some felt "buttons" and "lights" and stuff?  I think it's doable. 

To be continued...

babylock is having a great promotion this month and so I took advantage of bought a stand alone sewing machine so I can keep the embroidery Ellageo always set up in embroidery mode and still sew.

 

The machine is a dream with a knee lift and auti threader and cutter and all the feet are interchangable with my ellageo. and it drives better than a BMW. so now i can get going on that orange salwar kameez, russian peasant shirt out of lilac linen and a few more heirloom nightgowns in white cotton.  As i fiddle in the studio, JIm is setting up his new toy...a new cd dvd player for the exercise room. Last night we started the 1972 Cousin Bette- witha fire and melting marshmallows and even though Abi pissed on the bed ( after Jim dropped her into the bedroom and left) we were able to get the duvet cleaned by bedtime. Her pissed off atttitude revealed to him how good it would be for him to forge a slightly closer relationship with him. Hey maybe I should pee inthe bed occasionally too to get his attention. duh.   tonight we go to dana and stuarts with hamantashen , broad shoulder and great love, what a wonderful pair of people they are. Hag  Sameach

This week we recognize one of the most popular and loved books in American literature - Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat.  In fact, tomorrow - March 2nd will be a national read-aloud of the book across the country.

But tonight - I read the book to Av for the first time.  We were getting close to bed time (after some time watching The Beatles on YouTube (natch), and I told him only one story before bed.  A short story.  But then I remembered the Cat's 50th birthday this week, and told him about it.  Luckily he was open to reading a new book.  While he got ready for bed, I dug the book off his bookshelf.  He got it as a gift when he was born, and I don't think we've ever read it to him.  It had dust on it! Oh the horror!

We curled up together in his rocking chair and I started to read - he LOVED it.  He couldn't believe that the Cat dropped the boat and his cake! And the fish in the pot? That's comedy.  But wait - there's more.  In walks the Cat with a BIG RED BOX.  What was in the box? Two things!  Now the funny part here is, the Cat says the box contains two things, but what are they?  So my son the genius says "Thing 1 and Thing 2 Mommy!"  I stopped and asked him if he read the book before at school, and he said no.  I was just impressed that he knew the punchline before I read it. 

The best part of reading the book to him?  He was laughing out loud.  Laughing his deep belly laugh - the kind that makes us laugh because he's so funny.  He loved it.  When we finished, he told me he couldn't possibly go to bed yet, because he had to "read" the book again.  So he climbed up on bed and "read" himself the book - even getting most of the plot right.

Shiny and I have been trying to convince Av that he really does want to dress up for Purim this weekend, which he steadfastly refuses to do.  So tonight I offered to make him a "Thing #" shirt to wear for Purim - after all, he found them so funny.  He said he's not Thing 1 or Thing 2.  I asked if he was Thing 3 (there are three of us in the family after all.) I was corrected that he is in fact Thing 4 - because that's how old he is.  But he still doesn't want to wear a t-shirt.

Shabot6000 is 'da bomb! 


http://www.shabot6000.com/shushan/
 
Tonight was shul night to celebrate Purim -- click on the word if you don't know much about the holiday. It was also an experiment for us -- as we decided to try our local synagogue rather than the one we had been attending the past two years.  It was a fun atmosphere -- slightly fewer people made for a nicer environment (with less parking issues!) They also had a theme for those who simply didn't want to come up with their own costume ideas -- sleepwear.  We decided to join in the fun and share a specific motif:

av -- red and blue striped shirt, sneakers, funky hat. Silver gragger. And his monkey pajama bottoms.

socKs -- black shirt. green, open-toed shoes with cows on them. baseball hat sporting a logo from a jewish biker gang. And monkey pajama bottoms.

Me -- black kippah. Yellow, long-sleeved button down shirt. Patterened tie from Structure. Black pair of Timberlands. And monkey pajama bottoms.

Unfortunately, you'll simply have to take our word for it as we were unable to snap any pictures due to Av's tiredness and Sean Penn-ness to our camera.  It was nice when the rabbi officiated the parade of kids in their costumes. Av got a little stage fright when showing off his "monkey pants." But the rabbi commented on the "bling" he had, so all was not lost.

And you know what I like about this rabbi? Among other things, he attempted to quiet the room by telling everyone he wants to get this finished soon because "24 is on tonight," prompting some laughter. But he also used that phrase -- that magical phrase -- which only rabbis can recite and feel a connection with their congregation.

"Gotta have more cowbell."

We left a bit early -- after chapter 3 of the Megillah reading. But frankly Av was tired. And I've read the story before. I surely doubt a lot of it changed this evening.

Chag Sameach to all -- And remember: don't stop drinking until you can no longer tell the difference between the phrases "Cursed is Haman" and "Blessed is Mordechai!" (per the Talmud Megillah 7b). That's a lot of Zima...

Edit:  Per the author's request, I've removed the Flash animation and simply put a link to the site. Click on the picture above to get there. Sorry about that Ben -- you rock!