ladies & gentlemen... the ubiquitous Jell-O mold.
Dear Mouse,
L'Shana Tova (is that right?) As you know last week we ate our way through the High Holidays with our loving and varying-degrees-of-Jewish family.
L'Shana Tova (is that right?) As you know last week we ate our way through the High Holidays with our loving and varying-degrees-of-Jewish family.
Well, ate and didn't eat, as we chronicle below. After the apples-and-honey feasting of the New Year comes the Day of Atonement known as Yom Kippur, which is traditionally observed by fasting until sundown and then breaking the fast with the fam. Now, I usually say "fast , schmast" and just come eat bagels for dinner with the rest of you. This year was different. The results are chronicled below.
***
On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 9:46 PM
Boo to Mouse and Mom: i am fasting tomorrow for the first time ever.
The Mouse: me too! i did it last year and will attempt to do it again!
***
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 10:19 AM
The Mom: ....i'm already hungry......
Thu, October 9, 2008 10:25 AM
The Mouse: me too. it's totally psychological. last year it was so easy! i think I shouldn't have eaten so late last nihgt....also, for the record, i'm having coffee.
Thu, October 9, 2008 10:26 AM
The Boo:that is a big part of it. .. I ate at like 5PM yesterday, then went to the movies and that was it for eating. May have juice if i feel i will pass out or something.
Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 10:55 AM
The Mom: well, you're really doing it...i ate last night -hi girls...will leave here at 2ish?
OK here's what she was talking about.
Thu, Oct 9, 10:56 AM
Mouse to Boo: good luck....
***
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 11:57 AM
The Boo: first rumble.
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 11:59 AM
The Mouse: FIRST?? I really shouldn't have eaten so late last night. Always makes me wake up hungry. (not to mention it's not kosher--ha)
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 12:02 PM
The Boo: it's not? hm. yeah. I think that does affect it.
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 12:05
The Mouse: well the holiday starts at sundown last night. so technically that's when you should stop eating. (nice--"stop eating", not "start fasting". Belly half empty, not half full.)
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 12:17 PM
The Boo: well, that's what i did! so that works. and at sundown tonight I will be a woman made of white fish salad. Do you know my favorite joke?
Did you hear about the jewish kid who was adopted by native Americans?They call him White Fish
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 12:20PM
The Mouse: ha. i have heard that.
oh why did you have to mention white fish salad??
yesterday i ate mexican, chinese, and pizza all in one day. really i should be fasting regardless of the holiday.
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 12:27 PM The Boo: sorry. it's only a matter of hours.
and yes, you should! How did you manage that? Ha!
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 12:30 PM
The Mouse: right. only a few hours.
maybe i'll take a nap.
well it wasn't on purpose. we had mexican for lunch (i just had a light-ish salad), then we went to a show last night and didn't have time to eat dinner, so we had a quick SNACK of chinese leftovers (small plate and all vegetarian), and then after the show we went out for a drink and snacks at Pasita whose menu is mostly small grilled pizzas. of which i had alittle. how's that for justification?
i just stood up to go get a snack from the kitchen. totally automatic.
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 12:53 PM
The Boo: Oh that is not bad.
Please do not mention small grilled pizzas.
***
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 1:15 PM
The Mouse: it occurs to me that we might be too hungry to be funny or interesting enough for live blogging.
The Mouse: it occurs to me that we might be too hungry to be funny or interesting enough for live blogging.
***
Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 3:00PM
The Boo: I am having a carrot juice.
The Boo: I am having a carrot juice.
Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 3:05 PMThe Mouse: OMG! The Boo breaks down.
Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 3:20 PM
The Boo: What? The juice?! That doesn't count. And I'm exercising.
Thu, October 9, 2008 3:52 PM
The Mouse: juice counts! and the point of the fast isn't supposed to be for dietetic purposes, so, exercise, schmexercise. :)
Thu, October 9, 2008 3:55 PM
The Boo: There are many kinds of fasts. Some are no calorie, no intake of anything. Some are liquid only. It was suggested to me that I have some juice as even the Master cleanse has some calories from the syrup to keep you going. Maybe I was wrong, but I felt it was smart. And I still feel I have been able to fast as I have had no solid food from last night. I dont think this counts as a failure of willpwer.
Thu, October 9, 2008 3:53 PM
The Boo: I's more of a fast than I have ever managed, anyway. so that has to count for something. Anyway don't know why this matters so much to me except possibly low blood sugar. But hey.
Thu, October 9, 2008 3:54 PM
The Boo: and I walked three miles. Anyway, I'm going to an audition. Wil see you tonight.
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 4:20 PM
The Mouse: woah! i was joking! and who cares!! i think your blood sugar is LOW.
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 4:37 PM
The Boo: it definitely is. hence the juice.
On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 4:44 PM The Mouse: OMG eat something. you are making yourself crazy.
***
Boo: Well, Mouse, what did we learn? Here's mine:
Fasting is really not as hard as I thought. Helps if you don't eat late dinner. I love white fish salad and hate chopped liver. Homemade challah rocks. Pickled salmon is too intense for me, and I always thought I'd eat pickled hat rack if someone offered it. Lastly, we are really lucky to have the choice of whether or not to eat a meal. That really came home to me during the break-fast and that, I guess, is the point.
Mouse: Well I definitely realized how much I take food for granted. I eat fast, and often, and frequently without even being hungry. I don't always slow down to appreciate each bite. But a day of not eating really makes you value every mouthful. And without getting too corny here, it makes you value the fact that we are blessed with the means to feed ourselves and do it well and often and whenever we like, the healthy body with which to savor it, and the family and friends to share it with. Some might criticize our fast and subsequent feast for being done without correct religious intentions, and to them I say if it inspires revelation, thankfulness, and a moment of meditation (and dare I say JOY), it is well worth the title of spiritual experience.
Also, I LOVE whitefish. LOVE it. Maida Heatter's 62nd Street Lemon Cake remains one of my favorite desserts made by our mother. No matter how good a rugelach is, I just can't get too excited about it. And last, but not least, I was affirmed in my knowledge that low blood sugar can drive people to do and say some nutty things.
Boo: Feh.
Love,
Boo. And Mouse.
Love,
Boo. And Mouse.
4 comments:
Excellent blog - even better pictures! I must say that I love the inclusion of the jello.
...and may I say that your reflection about fasting is exactly what it is supposed to be! Bravo for both of your fasting experiences (even though one of you had a blood sugar meltdown - haha)
This was a cute one.! Delicious and heartwarming...the definition of food. I'm a devoted reader of your blog, ever since the day Annie forwarded me. Keep up the good work. !!
I'm a fan of the live blogging business. Not of Jello, though. Oh no.
We love jello. But we love devoted readers even more!!! yay!
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