sockparade

rosh hashanah

One of the things I liked best about visiting Turkey this summer was the exercise of learning about a religion that’s different from my own but still finding myself encouraged and my faith deepened at the end of the trip.  I don’t mean this in a “we all believe in the same God” kind of way (because I definitely don’t believe that) but in the same way that you get choked up at a wedding and then immediately squeeze your lover’s hand next to you.

I’ve recently been reading a new (new to me) blog “Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist: Advice at the intersection of work and life“  I don’t even remember how I came across it and I don’t know why I like it so much.  It’s just one of the most honest blogs I’ve read in a long time.  Sockparade’s not very honest.  So it’s nice to read from the other side of the spectrum.

I like the name Penelope.  I’ve considered naming my future daughter that — but only if I can stop the husband from trying to rhyme it with “Cantaloupe”.

Anyway, today is when Rosh Hashanah ends.  Wiki says that it is a day of rest and things that are prohibited on the Shabbat are also prohibited today.  Here’s a quote from her post about it:

“All this to say: you don’t need the Jewish holidays in order to learn something about yourself. Force yourself to isolate for a day. Don’t allow yourself to do all the usual things. You will learn something about yourself. It’s impossible not to.”

If it were a Saturday I think it’d be pretty easy.  I isolate on a lot of Saturdays.  But a Tuesday or Wednesday?  That’s pretty rough.  I’d really like to set a date for a day of rest on a weekday.  I’d also like to spend some time fasting and praying.  And then my next thought is: But maybe next semester though because this semester is really busy.

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After Hurricane Ike passed through Houston I didn’t really watch the news coverage of it.  So I’m really glad a family friend sent my husband this link of Ike photos.  Impressive photography and just solid photojournalism.  As a warning, the photos are hard to look at without wincing.