Gearing up for GD50 with The HeadyBand: If I Knew the Way, I Would Take You Home

First and foremost:  We are now selling the original HeadyBand.  $15 plus shipping.  Buy yours now from our Etsy shop!  There's even a coupon code for 10% off down below.  Gotta keep reading!

HeadyBand in Fishman Donut.  Buy one today!

Many of my  readers asked what happened to my blog.  Gone, poof.  No more Loony on Whole Phamily.  It is true I left no message here regarding my whereabouts, and for that I apologize.  However, most of my readers are people I actually know.  So, I have had the good fortune of being able, IRL (that's "in real life" for most of the senior citizens reading, however that likely excludes my mother's friend Rachel and my mother in law who are both impressively Internet-savvy and both of whom I think read my blog), to tell you I am alive and well and selling my wares online.  At long last, here is the official announcement on the blog.

HeadyBand in Cactus.  Any devoted Phish head would understand why I chose this pattern.

Last fall I shifted my energies towards the commercial side of Whole Phamily. Together with Concealed Light, I opened our Etsy shop, where we have made a bunch of sales.  We started our Instagram presence, where we are proud to have 1,585 followers to date.    This is a modest beginning, but it's a start.

While I love writing this blog, I also wanted to earn money while contributing to the music community that I love so much.  This blog didn't fill that need.

Have you noticed yet that you can Buy one of our Many Products right here!

Do not delay!

Get your Whole Phamily merch now!

Last year, while shvitzing it up on the elliptical machine somewhere between Antelope and Iko Iko, I developed the concept for The HeadyBand.

You can buy one of these now in our Etsy shop!

I already sometimes wore headbands at the gym to keep the wispy hairs out of the way.  I owned a 1970s-style Phish terry headband, but my friend Stef said I could not under any circumstance wear that to the gym.  Sure, Phil Lesh, the bass player of the Grateful Dead, could pull it off in the 80s, but not a busy mama striving for even a small semblance of contemporary fashion-fowardness.

Photo copyright James Lee Katz, posted on Thoughts on the Dead

HeadyBands are moisture-wicking headbands in patterns that fans of this music know and love.  I wanted to wear my pride for this subculture at the gym, but not on a t-shirt.

I know.  I know.  It's a great name.  Thanks for the compliment.  The whole shebang isn't copyrighted or trademarked.  So Sue Me!  Yes, I understand the importance of Intellectual Property.   Some of my favorite former clients are Intellectual Property attorneys.  Catch my drift?

The name of what this is - pretty good.  But you think I am actually gonna break the bank with this idea?  Kein yeHi Ratzon, as the pious Jews pray.  May it be your Will, oh G-d and G-d of my foremothers and forefathers, that these HeadyBands should touch the lives of every single soul who needs them, that they bring much mazal, parnasa, segulah and "all good things in all good time"!

And even though I write a lot of Jewish/Hebrew stuff there, HeadyBands are meant for the masses.  This is just my frame of reference:  the Jewish thing.  So, if you, dear reader, were lost with those Hebrew phrases, fear not.  It's all good.





Did you want to hear more about the HeadyBand?   Ok!

HeadyBand in sacred geometry Metatron's Cube.  Click this ENTIRE link and buy one!

Since I live a committed Jewish life, some people think that HeadyBands are intended for the observant Jewish woman in the Orthodox style.  If you want to think that, be my guest.  I was actually inspired by the hippy chicks who love wearing bandanas and headbands at shows.  But it would certainly work well with a fall (a half-head wig).  Attention heady frum mamas (a very small subset of the observant Jewish world):  these headybands are for you!

We're not just about HeadyBands, either.

On our Etsy shop, Concealed Light is making and selling hoodies in similar patterns, as well as in patterns of matryushka dolls and rainbows.  At 11 years old, she is a skilled sewer and I am so proud to partner with her.  I commend this bright shining tween on all of her hard work.  Expect to see absolutely incredible things from her as she grows.  We have sold quite a few hoodies for the babies and toddlers in this sphere.  Great job, my sweet, talented, skilled, bright firstborn child! (it's my blog and I can give her praise here if I want!)

Whole Phamily infant and toddler hoodies are $25 plus shipping.

Buy one today!
You can even custom order your hoodie.

We sell them from 3 mo - 5 T.

Rainbow Hoodie

Dancing Bear Hoodie

Back of Dancing Bear Hoodie

Back of Fishman Donut Hoodie

You don't have to be a Deadhead to love our hoodies!  Matryushka doll pattern is Oh So Adorable!  Buy one here!  

The HeadyBand

Have you noticed yet that you can Buy one of our Many Products right here!

Do not delay!

Get your Whole Phamily merch now!



Which brings me to GD50.

In case you haven't heard, the Grateful Dead is performing their very last shows together this summer, their 50th anniversary.  Jerry Garcia is long gone in the physical world, but his soul is long remembered .  The songs that he and Robert Hunter wrote were truly built to last.  Pete Shapiro is a modern-day Bill Graham (both Jewish men, I might add) and promoting these shows in Santa Clara, CA and Chicago.   They even got Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio to play the "Jerry part."  Not too shabby in my mind.

I believe in conPHergence, unity, setting aside differences and just listening to the good music.  Because both the Dead and Phish produce(d) great great great music.

And I am so so so grateful to have been turned on to this music and the scene.  I connect to its nuggets of goodness, light, and joy.  Like so many others who have come before me, I find deep meaning in the music, lyrics, and greater community.

I am thrilled that Rabbi Shu and the folks at JamShalom will be coming out to Chi-town, partnering with Chabad of the South Loop, and having Shabbes pretty close to the venue.  What a meaningful, great meshing of worlds.

So, it's a big year for Deadheads.  Fare Thee Well, as it were.  And I'm not missing the bus stop this time.

A big year for getting out the good products.

And the good product is The HeadyBand!

It took me a while, but I feel truly blessed to have tuned in and turned on.  In this regard, I am actually talking about the music of the Dead and Phish (yes, blasphemy to say in one breath according to some!) as well as my rich ancient heritage which is as alive and relevant as ever.  My wish is for these worlds to continue to thrive in a positive way to make the world a better place.   And rather than dropping out, I will hope to continue to connect and at least try to walk the walk of society.  Because being part of community is important.

You've got the Do Rey I've got the Me.

Try throwing that one around a board room table at Goldman Sachs.

Then again, who am I to say it hasn't been done by an erudite, educated, of-the-people chassid in the past.

I feel fortunate that I came up with the HeadyBand, and hope that you'll wish us luck, spread the word, and, heck, even buy one or two from us.  I would rather sell out before I hit the Windy City, though it will be fun to push our wares on the streets when we get there.  Chicago is going to be overrun with Deadheads.  It will be FUN FUN FUN!

If you've read thus far, in our Etsy shop, use the Code RambleOnLoony at checkout for 10% off your total purchase.  Thanks in advance for your support!

Don't Think Twice It's Alright with S'mores

Stango finished our fire pit.  Great weather, chill vibes, s'mores, family, and Bob Dylan tunes.  Can't get better than that..  Oh, I forgot to mention that I had a baby about three weeks ago.  You'll see him in the video. Just call him Marshmallow for now.

Here's my mother's preference for Dylan's tunes, none other than Peter, Paul, and Mary.

While we're at it, here is the prophet, mystic and poet Mr. Zimmerman himself in 1962.

Whole Phamily Takes the Crew on the Road

In case you might have missed our most recent gig Camping with My Kids & a Whole Bunch of Jam Bands  last June, you all have a second chance to join up with the Whole Phamily crew in just a few weeks!

We are so thrilled to be a part of Blues for Challah:  The Second Set, a "weekend-long workshop exploring the spiritual and mystical aspects of the Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan," writes Seth Rogovoy on his Rogovoy Report.  Whole Phamily is heading up the programs for children on Friday night and Shabbat morning.

In case you were wondering, my friendly friends, this is a pluralistic event, welcome folks of all persuasions (but a love of the Grateful Dead is sorta the point...). You don't have to be Jewish, but it don't hurt to be, neither. And, in case you were wondering, my frum friend or relative (yep, Heshy, I'm talkin' to you), this is, indeed a shabbaton.  Just different than my 8th grade experience.   I have desired to attend an event at Isabella Freedman and its affiliate Elat Chayyim since the mid '90s, living as a single working woman on Upper West Side.  It is finally, baruch hashem, coming to fruition!  And on the cusp of mine and Stango's 11th wedding anniversary and right after my birthday, no less.  Someone is surely watching over us for the good.

 C'mon Children! Shabbat Fun for Kids

Pipe cleaner creations and a fun food craft are among just the many exciting things we have planned for kids of all ages.  Concealed Light, The Wolfman and the Wolfman's Brother will be there ready to have a whole lot of fun with all the kids.  We'll sing classic tot-shabbat tunes, do puppet shows and read stories.  We will talk about that week's torah portion, Vayishlach, in an interactive way and maybe even make up a skit about it!  Who knows, maybe kids will even get to borrow their very own Pez dispensers as a shabbat treat on Friday night.  Parents, just be chill with the food coloring, ok?  It's 12 tiny pieces of candy!  And if the goats are willing, maybe we'll take a walk over and say 'mehhhhh!  So much more can and will happen.  Anyone under the age of 21 who is shlepped along for this epic shabbaton is a lucky one and for sure should be grateful!

Stango will likely be found during those times in the shul, but off-the-record will be available for any brain-talk-walk therapy and of course discussion of chassidus and Jerry that folks might be interested in.

For more info, read what Seth Rogovoy wrote on his blog regarding the event.
(remember when I reviewed Rogovoy's book on Dylan?)

Or what Josh Fleet wrote in his Huffington Post coverage.

All-inclusive prices, which include farm-to-table food and wine and lodging, begin at $233 for the 2-night event.  EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DISCOUNT EXTENDED UNTIL TODAY NOVEMBER 9, 2012!

For more info check out Blues for Challah:  Second Set.

Have a good Shabbes, have a good show!

Teach Your Children Well

Thanks, David Crosby, Steven Stills and Graham Nash for that reminder.  My latest and greatest fear?  Child predators.  I can't shake the infamous Diff'rent Strokes molestation episode from my childhood.

Why, then, you might ask would I slap my sweet children all over the Internet with yesterday's post that I might consider posting a video a day of them on Whole Phamily?

Because I'm worried not about the Internet psychos but the folks we already know. We all know by now that kids are often abused from within - the pervy family friend, coach, teacher or uncle.  Or, in this case, the Bicycle Man.

In the past few years, numerous stories have surfaced within the Jewish community, mostly in New York that I have heard, and my thought was:  what are people doing to spread awareness among Philly frum Jews?  By now, we have heard the plights of Chaim Levin, Deborah Feldman (both of whom were distanced from Yiddishkeit and were sexually abused)  and The Agudah's attempts to downplay any mention.   I applaud the work of Rabbi Mark Dratch and Jsafe (Rabbi Dratch was my first teacher of gemara - excellent at that - we learned Baba Mitziah with Cabbage Patch Dolls as the example); indeed there are those who are addressing the issue.  (btw I realize a lot of my info comes from the NYTimes and therefore I have a wacky, warped view of the world especially when it comes to sleazy men who touch innocent children's bodies and covet pictures of them from disgusting, pathetic child porn sites that, baruch hashem, I have never laid eyes on.  Yuck.  Big yucky stuff.  Can't I just get cozy with a bowl of split pea soup and flanken under my flannel sheets?).

Since Philly frum is a traditionally a heavily Agudah-influenced community (I have zero desire for my sons to study at the Talmudical Yeshiva of America, the  "Harvard of yeshivas," as it were.  Considering they are a legacy at the Harvard of Harvards, they have a better chance of getting in the Cambridge, Massachussetts institution anyway), my concerns aren't unfounded.  The Agudah pushes controversial issues like this under the rug, encourages its community to follow the herd and erect higher fences behind which to live as frum.  Now there are more "modern" people here, and you know what happens then:  people have ideas.  Uh-oh, time to get thee to Pier 1 Imports for a larger rug.  (Note:  I know of zero cases and I hope and pray that no kids are getting abused or have gotten abused in the Philadelphia frum world, I'm just saying it is a statistical possibility.  Just sayin'.)

(By the way, I gotta say I love that line that my husband went to the Harvard of Harvards.  I love that I daven for the day my husband will learn at the Yale of yeshivas in Israel, or, chus v'shalom, the Princeton of Yeshivas.  Perhaps the Gush qualifies?  I imagine he will seek out the revered and very learned Rabbi Daniel Sperber, a Talmud chacham in his own right.  Or perhaps Rabbi Weiss-HaLivni.  Or perhaps he will find a chavrusa  in mamaloshen in Meah Shearim, which would really float Stango's boat!   Please god one day we will make it, and it's too bad he'll never get to the Harvard of Yeshivas but they wouldn't want him anyway because his wife is too much of a rabble-rouser.  Anyone reading this drek, anyway?)

Which leads me to a wonderful article which appeared last week by Lenore Skenazy where she recommends her always-level headed approach.  Her central idea is to teach our children to:

Recognize it:  no one can touch you where your bathing suit covers
Resist it:  Scream.  Fight.  Run
Report it (and that we will never be upset if they do)

Leave it to Lenore to put it all in perspective...my kids have a greater risk of (god forbid) dying in a car crash than being sexually abused.  Reminds me of our pediatrician's similiar thought process that kids have greater risk of dying in a car crash than getting chicken pox (we still gave varicella because PA law requires it).

Easier said than done, and I'm still worried, but I will heed CSN's advice and remind myself that as a parent I am my children's most important teacher.  Instead of writing to rabbis and community leaders to be aware of the issue of child predators and what are you doing in your Orthodox environments to protect the kids, (I wasted a whole morning and afternoon collating, formatting and putting together the 10-page contact list of Philadelphia rabbis and shul executive directors), I will worry about my own daled amot and attempt to teach my own children well.

Glad to "whisper words of wisdom" and just let this issue be  (see below).  And if you don't like "Mother Mary" just substitute in your own mind the words "Mother Miriam".  Since this blog is an Internet whisper anyway.  Though I do think my ideas are full of wisdom.  Consider that, talmudic scholars.  That includes you, Rabbi Kaminetsky (no implications, again, however the organizations with which you align repeatedly seem, at least to my innocent bystander eye, to want to not let the cat out of the bag).

Oh, I forgot to mention:

GOOD SHABBES!    Shabbat shalom.  May it be gevaldik, leibidik, the holiest, the most menuchadik, any -dik (just don't tell that to the child molester) sabbath that you have ever experienced.  May it give you a taste of m'ayn olam haba.  Yeah, right, all that jazz.

Perhaps I can learn from this week's parsha Va'era where Abraham our forefather, Avraham Avinu, had the ultimate commitment to and belief in God, when Hashem said jump, Avraham said, "how high?" and was about to sacrifice his own son just because the holy one above said said.  Maybe I should just have more faith that this will all be ok and my children will be protected and safe and good and even if they don't get into their father's alma mater that is ok, too (trust me, the legacy comment earlier was somewhat ridiculous...it's not like we're blue bloods or have a long legacy, and don't they even say now that legacy doesn't really do diddily squat anyway, and yes my oldest is is 4th grade and no I am not a helicopter parent and I disdain all of the homework out there these days and tell my children don't do it all if it's too much).

They could always do what I did, anyway, which is marry in to the ivy league, to which I honestly do believe, what is the BFD?  In all honesty to tell you the truth I prefer what James Altucher believes which is college ain't that great anyway.  Make a buck and be able to pay your bills (those are my words).

I just hope they never get molested.

Whole Phamily Features Her Family!

Original content is always coveted...

till now Whole Phamily has been my original ideas, connections, etc...

maybe that's not working.

How about featuring short videos of my family?  Who the heck is interested in that?  I mean, my children's art teacher *did* recently write how wonderful they all are...




And for those of you who didn't catch the "gum gum" reference...
(note;  poor quality, likely not fer realz on YouTube due to copyright issues...

Katz = Cohen...Live Long and Prosper

We have decided to return to our roots and reinstate the Whole Phamily as a blog about Jewish names.  Names that you've heard.  Names that you haven't.  Ashkenazic names.  Sephardic names.  We will focus on one Jewish name per blog post, and perhaps bring up a person, business, work of art,  or all of the above that bears this name.

To say that Katz is a vintage Jewish last name is an understatement.  If you're from New York, or simply a deli maven, you know Katz's Deli.  Many folks say that their pastrami is the real deal.

Katz's Deli, NYC

We were blown away when, many years ago, we learned that Katz is a priestly name.  Saying Katz is just like saying Cohen, but in German.   Do you recall Spock's Vulcan Salute in Star Trek?

Leonard Nimoy as Spock giving the Vulcan Salute

  Ask a random male Katz today, and he will tell you that the traditional blessing he says in synagogue (be it once in a while or every week) that was passed down by his father is eerily reminscent of the Vulcan Salute.

Shlomo Katz, Israel-based musician

Another Katz of note is Shlomo Katz, a musician bringing on down some of the most beautiful Jewish-infused (hint:  Torah) music out there today.

We heard him perform tonight at an intimate evening of music and story.  We bless him that his music should spread far and wide among alle yidden!

For Jews whose names end with -ian

We've been so focused on all the Schwartzes, Rosenthals and Bernsteins out there that you'd think we thought all North American Jews came over on the same boat to Ellis Island from the same shtetl in Poland in 1905.  But we were recently thinking about our very nice Persian (and Jewish) childhood friend Jenny whose family moved to our East Coast suburb in the early 80s  (what did we know about the Revolution back then?  We were just kids).  They since moved out to California, and we hadn't heard much about her, but we always knew that the Persian community in Great Neck, Long Island, was strong and growing.

This past July's W magazine ran a very lovely piece about the Persian community in Beverly Hills.  And we thought our 20 person shabbat dinners on the Upper West Side were something to write home about!  According to this article, families can host shabbat dinners for upwards of 60 people.  Now that's a lot of rice and chicken.  Not to mention the crystal and silver.  Does it all get handwashed?

 The community is family-oriented, tight-knit, and encourages their girls to marry young (which doesn't surprise us realizing now that another Persian friend, Debby, married just out of high school.  We were all very surprised, as the typical friend in our suburban high school setting was heading off to college at that point)

The names of the Persian families are so interesting.  Some have the -ian suffix.  Last weekend we met a young Israeli woman whose last name is Elitzur.  This name, meaning god-rock-stone-strength, was Hebraicized from the Persian name Elyasian by her grandfather when they immigrated from Iran.  She had the knowledge that, actually, their family name originated from "Ben Eliyahu" which translates into the son of Elijah.  

And let us not forget the greatest Jewish queen of all, Queen Esther, who was Persian through and through.  Soon enough Purim will be here and we will celebrate her sacrifice of marrying the non Jewish kind Acheshverosh that saved the Jewish people from destruction at the hands of a Jew-hating empire.

What exactly is the Whole Phamily?

We could say it is about unity, the gathering of peoples across geograpahy, spanning time and history.

We could say it is about our own familial unit. The mama, papa, children. What makes us whole? Is it just our nuclear family? Does it include our extended family like grandparents, aunts, uncles?

What is the Whole Phamily all about today in these United States of America?

As we heard over and over on the Free to Be You and Me record, the 70's child gold standard produced by the Ms. Foundation, "Brothers and sisters, sisters and brothers each and every one.  Every mother's daughter, every father's son."

Our Latino brethren living the immigrant experience. Savoring the foods of their homelands. Powering our service industry so those who are more established in this country can live their American lives. Living mulitgenerationally. Enjoying whole family outings, grilling meats in parks across the country. Plopping their children in front of Sesame Street so they can inculcate the next generation with the native language. Finally entering into the political and academic arena.

Our African American brothers and sisters enjoying the freedom all peoples deserve.

Our innate desire in our country today to return back to the basics, back to real food and real experiences while embracing the power of technology.

The Whole Phamily is about connectivity between all peoples, experiences, objects, and geographical locales. What has happened on the land 100 years ago might not be so disconnected to what might be happening there today.

The Whole Phamily most certainly includes "The Ganse Mishpucha," referring specifically to those Jews in America whose families originate from the Yiddish-speaking countries of Eastern Europe.

Who was that great grandfather of mine who came over in 1905 from what is now Belarus? Who were *his parents*? What did become of his 3 brothers who share the same obscure last name of mine? What was Yisroel Bear's yichus, if any? Why was he named Yisroel Bear? With which rebbe did my family align themselves? What were the women like?

Today so many people are reconnecting with their lost families through the likes of Facebook and other social networking services. How can we reclaim the lost stories, or those that still remain with our 60+ year remaining family members, those who had the connection to this 1st wave of large-scale Jewish immigration (setting aside the German immigration/Charleston of the 19th Century). Will we get the information of the names of people in the photos, the family stories before they are lost and gone forever?

The Whole Phamily resides in many of our homes. Look for that shoebox of old photos, or that photo album with the black corners. Therein lie clues to our past. Unlike today where we take photos of everything and anything, the family photos of yesteryear are exactly that: family photos with a few friends sprinkled in. What will happen in generations to come that will , hopefully, view our photos if we ever get around to printing them, who will see so many people that aren't family. Ask your parents and grandparents to sit with you. Scan your photos. Label them. Protect their information but also find out what is in them.

The Whole Phamily asks: where are you phrum?

Phrum?

The answer to that question depends on how you read it.