The Bad Mama Jama Looks Up and Sighs

Who is Carl Carlton?  And I always thought this tune was good ole Stevie.

I have waited for the time when I can finally say that this has all been wonderful and now I am on my way back to spin class!  It keeps me culturally-current.  When there is a good playlist, naturally.

Later in spin class, I heard another tune that I thought sounded familiar.  It's a catchy tune, but Ray Charles' "I've Got a Woman" drips misogyny.  It's not like I went to Wellesley or Smith, but I still have a heavy dose of feminist self-respect.   Stango said he never thought much about the lyrics.  Um, really?

Turns out the tune I was listening to in spin was a Kanye one, "Goldigger," which sampled the earlier Charles' tune.  Oy.  Can we say 21st century misogyny.  And even worse!  But at least now I can say I know a Kanye song.  Having read about him for years in all of my publications that keep me up to date, I finally recognize a tune of his.

I love Jamie Foxx the actor (loved Django Unchained) so at least that helps me deal with the fact that I posted a video like that on my blog.

Moving on in spin...

Bet you've never heard of the band called The Time. Neither had I. (well, not you Uncle Goalie I am sure you have).  My guess was they were probably a one-hit wonder.  But you have heard of Prince and he produced this tune.   The Time is close with Prince.  Any kid of the 80s has heard their tune Jungle Love.  Now this would be a fantastic new tune for Phish to cover!  Bring out that funk I tell ya.  And we all know how much Phish phans love Prince.




Enjoy that YouTube while you can.  We all know how private and protective Prince is.  That YouTube won't last long is my guess.

"Ice Cream Castle," the album on which Jungle Love appears, came out right around the time of Prince's "Purple Rain."  And we know how much the Phish world loves that album.  A lot.  It speaks right to that community.

Prince is truly a prince.  Has he met Winterqueen yet?

All Hallow's Eve

Everyone's gearing up for the big night this week on October 31st, and my neighborhood is no exception.  I don't remember this many Halloween decorations when I was growing up, do you?

This blog post documents the variety of decorations in my neighborhood, but I have a deeper question.  Some are cute and some are scary.  I live in a highly Jewish neighborhood, though we have mixed in all types of diversity.  Statement for the record:  I am Jewish and grew up trick or treating.  I loved it.  We never viewed it as a non Jewish thing to do; it's a holiday for all American kids!  How kosher is it to hang Halloween decorations?

I am not the kosher police. I have disdain for authority (save firefighters whom I respect and adore.  Ya gotta love a guy who cooks, saves lives and looks totally gorgeous in those uniforms)  as you may all well know.   But I am grateful that I have learned that Halloween actually isn't a Jewish holiday.  Historically it was a time when pogroms happened and people went out to hunt down the Jews, but I think most American Jews think it is fine to celebrate Halloween.

We're not getting hunted down today here in the suburbs, people argue!  And we love candy!

There are so many holidays on our Jewish calendar that we celebrate.  We aren't lacking for festivities and fun.  And you know Stango and I love partying.  To be in the spirit of our neighborhood we give candy so we can help them celebrate "their" holiday, but we dress up on Purim as "our" dress up holiday.  A lot of our friends do it this way in America, at least our real chevre (group of friends) whom we miss dearly.

Folks love decorating their yards for holidays, and my guess is that the Jewish families have finally found a way to outwardly decorate for a holiday that doesn't seem overtly non Jewish.  No one would put up xmas lights if they affiliate Jewishly in any way, but Halloween?  Seems like an easy pass.

I'm not so sure, but I did have fun this morning while finally out with the jogging stroller and capturing the variety of ways people decorate.

This one is cute and fun

Not scary.  Also fun for kids.

I like the Raggedy Ann & Andy influence.  These are cute and friendly.

Love these pumpkin theme leaf bags which my mom always said were the way Mr. Ben Zinbarg's made a fortune in the 1980s.  He was a successful business man in our town.  His daughter Joyce babysat me when I was very young.

This house goes all out and I've seen their hired help/gardeners putting up their decorations.  When did purple fall into the mix of Halloween colors?

Starting to get scarier with the whole death idea (RIP) and skeletons.  Halloween isn't a cozy holiday!

At least this house isn't pretending:  let's use xmas tinsel balls/ornaments that are marketed in Halloween colors.

Totally scary.  What children really like this?  I don't like the message of scaring kids.  I went into a haunted house at our local Congregational church when I was little and I was really scared.  No thank you.

Can we say totally into it?  At least in our 'hood it still has a tasteful home in the background.  In some neighborhoods where stucco and aluminum siding are standard, this would be the piece de resistance  of tacky.   

Now, here's a nice way to show your autumnal spirit.  Sure, the mums don't last from season to season, but it's friendly and welcoming and all about LIFE not death.  But I guess kids aren't as into it...

Like my mom, I decorate for Thanksgiving. As a native New Englander I get all warm and fuzzy over the changing leaves and the crisp fall air.  It's also my birthday in the fall, so I have even more reason to love the season.  I found this cute Pilgrim boy and Native American child in my local card shop.  We had decorations like this when I was growing up.  

You could get into the whole Native American argument and stealing the land away from them, but that's for another blog post.  There's no argument that this is not a holiday for all people (wait...do native Americans eat turkey?)  Its very roots lie in democracy and freedom for all (wait, the Indians were forced onto reservations!).  "Over the River and Through the Woods" is a Thanksgiving song that I loved learning in 1st grade.  In Jewish Day School, thank you very much.  

There are many observant Jews who make no big deal of Thanksgiving.  I understand where they're coming from:  with Shabbes every week and just recovering from yomtov burnout earlier in the fall, who needs another festive meal?  I know of people who will volunteer their time on Thanksgiving day in a food pantry to infuse meaning into the day (sans festive meal). 

You'd think we were Halloween people with our assortment of pumpkins outside, too.  What can I say?  I took my children over the weekend to our local park's Fall event with pumpkin decorating.  I plan to cut up these sugar pumpkins and cook with them next week.  

All Hallow's Eve is all about the boo and scare and the rotten eggs and the smashed mailboxes.  It's cute to have kids all dressed up, but at its root is darkness and evil.  They even bastardize wicca and take witch imagery and mess it all up.

Valentine's Day, on the other hand...now that's all good candy and roses.  Somehow, Tu B'Av, the Jewish love day, doesn't match up.

And for all of these reasons I look forward to spending a couple of years in Israel with my crew.  Apple cider donuts, hayrides, and fun-sized twix bars will be sorely missed.

BDE Lou Reed RIP: Our Lives Were Saved by Rock n Roll

The rock music world lost one of its icons this weekend.  Lou Reed was 71 and passed away from complications of liver disease.  He was famously the lead singer of the Velvet Underground.  I knew his tune "Walk on the Wild Side" just as much as any other high school kid in the '80s who listened to classic rock radio.  But it was only later in life that one tune of his in particular spoke to me.

Ask any Phish head and they will likely agree that their cover of Reed's "Rock and Roll" is a winner.  My family didn't precisely live out the suburban caricature he depicts in the song, but we were supposed to.  We had one Cadillac car which I never liked.  I didn't turn on the radio when I was 5 years old, but later in life I danced to plenty of rock n roll stations.   When I was five I was dancing in the living room to "A Chorus Line" soundtrack with my friend Julie from up the street.

There is nothing finer than experiencing this tune live, and I'm so grateful for it.

Here's Phish covering the tune at their "It" festival in Limestone, Maine in Summer of 2003

As I told Bob Lefsetz this morning, Lou was also a Yid, so when a Jewish person passes away we say Baruch Dayan haEmet:  blessed is the ruler of truth.   The Jewish way of saying rest in peace.  May his soul journey from this world to the next in the most peaceful and blessed way.  I read that Lou didn't consider himself Jewish, but that rock n roll was his religion.  I hear where he's coming from:  my guess is he never found a way to converge the two worlds.  But that's where we must be headed, folks, because there is no other way than going towards the light.  Gleaning the good from both worlds.  Just ask the Nunever in this year's upcoming Blues for Challah and he can tell you all about it!

Thank you Lou Reed for your words, your music, your soul.

Now, if Phish would only play this again tomorrow night in Reading when I attend my only show of Fall Tour!  Doubtful...

Baby gifts galore. Sussudio!

Further to a new baby in the house, I love getting gifts.  There is a reason that the idiom "it's the thought that counts" is long-living.  That someone took the time to set aside something for baby Eddie, no matter the item, touches my emotions.  It shows that they care.  The simple act of giving a gift, whether homemade or Jonathan Adler hippy couture, is the essence.  

People have a lot of gifts to give, and it gets pricey, especially when you live amongst folks who have (k'h), many beautiful communal life cycle events to celebrate.  People can't keep spending money when they have multiple brisses, weddings and bar mitzvahs a month.  So they do what we all know happens in the dark recesses of home offices across the country:  they regift.

No jacket gift receipt required.

I am the first to admit that I regift items, but with baby things another alternative is to make a personalized, handmade gift.  And you don't have to be a Picasso.

I am not a great artist.  But I can hold my own with a glue gun and paint pen.  I realize this isn't for everyone.  And not everyone has the time; who does!  But if you can swing it, most moms I know love something that says their baby's name on it.  Especially when you already have all the baby gear you need.   Who needs  another plastic baby toy? 

Here are some works in progress.  They are personalized plastic storage boxes.  You might know these babies, or better yet, you might be the recipient of one of these gifts.  If so, I hope I didn't ruin the surprise.  These boxes still need some silver accents added. 

Look how cooperative Eddie was!

Oh, and my first concert ever?  Genesis at the Hartford Colosseum.  I sat with Jodi Fisher.  We went with the JCC youth group.

Nostalgia for No Sugar Cereals Under a Curtain

My mom wasn't a health nut growing up but as a general rule she didn't buy sugar cereal save for one memorable incident involving my little sister, Reba, and Rainbow Brite cereal.  Don't get me wrong:  I do have memories of a Cap'n Crunch here and a Cocoa Pebble there but for the most part we had "healthier" options like Special K, Cheerios and Crispix. I put that word in quotes because we all now know those cereals still have plenty of sugar.  I don't buy those cereals for my own children, as they are being reared on organic this and Trader Joe's that.

Still, I am nostalgic.  So when I saw this display of retro cereal packaging in Target this morning it brought me right back to 1979.

Even though we didn't get Count Chocula or Boo Boo Berries in my house, I loved watching the commercials and got all warm and fuzzy when I saw these images.  I had a very happy childhood and please me have no regrets that I didn't get to eat this dreck.  Like my mom, I won't buy these cereals for my children.  That they weren't kosher then nor aren't kosher now is also a reason to avoid purchasing them, but just as important, they are junk for the body and soul.

Lest you think I shun this stuff fully, time to reconsider.  All this chit chat of sugar cereals doesn't preclude my children from eating Whole Foods' brand of sweetened chocolate rice cereal on Sunday mornings.   

And now behind Curtain #1, straight from the baby's mouth...

Meltdown Time...Wolfman Wolverine Spins Light Poi!

We didn't let a little Wolfman's Brother meltdown get us down this past Saturday night.  Fall Tour is upon us and with The Nunever in town and for his first visit ever meeting Eddie, we purchased the webcast for the Saturday night show.  There is no finer melava malka that I can imagine.

I love that the Hampton Coliseum, where the 1st three shows of the tour took place, is known colloquially as "The Mothership."  Because here we were, in our own house, me being totally the mama and in our own mothership (i.e. our unfinished basement).  I have never seen a show at The Mothership, and I look forward to when my brother in law visits (that would be Reba's husband, who I once referred to as Fluffhead here but I don't think Reba liked that so I will just call him Pesach as that is his Jewish name) he will be bringing me his hard drive so I can copy a show that the Dead did in this same venue in 1989 which many people hold in high regard.  (shoulda woulda coulda that was my senior year of high school why didn't I go down to Hampton then and see this seminal under-the-radar show not even performed by The Grateful Dead but a band that billed themselves as Formerly the Warlocks but everyone knew they were the Dead!?!?  Regret vent of the day complete)

Until then, enjoy a sample from our evening on Saturday night.  It's tough to get through the Wolfman Brother's kvetching, but wait till you see the Wolfman  himself, a total wook and awesome poi spinner.  That kid's gonna shine on Shakedown one day.  And when that day comes, I will kvell like only a heimish hippy chick mama can.

My Sweetest Little Boogie

Thank god mothers have instilled in them the maternal instinct. We love our babies so much no matter what.  This afternoon I wanted to get supper prepped meanwhile Eddie was kvetching away.  He just fell asleep in my arms after waking up from a 8 minute nap in the crib.  I hope this means a good nap at home.

And I gotta say I love his tiny boogies.  Just love 'em.  And I can see one right now from my vantage point.  Unfortunately my finger isn't small enough to fit into his tiny nostril to get it out and play with it like a little toy from Woolworth (ok I have entered the 21st Century.  Target.  Ya happy now?).  Not even my pinkie works. But ahh the satisfaction of getting out that boogie is bar none. 

Is this not the cutest boogie? Ok ok I admit I am the mother and if anyone is gonna think this is cute, it is me. I remember seeing a photo of my brother Uncle Goalie from around this age (10 weeks) and thinking he wasn't all that cute.  But I will bet my mom thought he was.

Recently people have been mistaking Eddie for a girl. I'm good with that. Maybe it is his luscious lashes. Here is a more flattering photo that features this ocular accent. 

What a blessing to have this sweet angel of a sleeping baby!  Now maybe I will prep my shirt for the upcoming Hazon Philly Food Festival on Sunday. Forget about prepping supper.

Introducing my Baby...Eddie

For the first time ever, I introduce to you my baby Eddie*.  Here he is, about 10 1/2 weeks old.  We arrived home yesterday to Stango playing guitar out on the front stoop.  And supper was all warmed up, too!  Made it a lot easier getting home at 6pm.  Thanks, Stango!




(yes I gotta take the videos horizontal not vertical:  I keep forgetting!)

*Eddie's name has been changed to protect his identity.  Short little story on how he got this name:  My sister Reba thought he looks a little bit Filipino.  So, Concealed Light quickly looked up what Filipino children  looked like in her book of International families called Children Just Like Me, complete with photos of the families (it's a great Unicef/DK Publishing collaboration of a book).  She quickly surmised he was definitely not as dark as the brothers featured with the family.  But there could be a resemblance.  The boys names are Edgar and Edwin.  So I said let's call him Eddie for Whole Phamily.

Purge mode

Part of why I love this blog is that it helps me be ok with purging sentimental items. I just found this pillow my Grandma Martha made for me somewhere around 1980 or so.  It was all smooshed inside my closet. Not like I was using it   I even asked Reba if she wanted it.  Her reply was , "aw too bad it has a hole in it."  

I value my sister's opinion about stuff like this.

And I am not even putting it in a giveaway bag.

Straight into the garbage it shall go.

Thanks Grandma Martha, I really loved making my bed with the heart pillow right in the middle!

Got Brothers? I've Got Chills!

You're thinking I'm all spoofin' the Got Milk? campaign.

Nope.

More like the Gat Brothers.  Arye and Gil Gat to be specific.  The guys who I spotted, like many others, back in the spring, and was searching for them to resurface.

The Nunever, praised be he and thank you for the kesher as always, sent me the link to the other day's post referencing the Gat's recent Jerusalem street performances of Pink Floyd's "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" and Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven."

And now we see then surface on the Israel reality tv show "Rising Star" ("Kochav haBa") which I guess must be similar to American Idol, just a few days ago.  Currently this YouTube video is at 20,404 hits.




My prediction?

The Gats go Viral.

However my other prediction didn't come true so I don't think I would trust my predictions.  I'm kinda like The Mighty Wind of predictions.  Meaning it's not coming true.  Shoot, this whole blog could be a Christopher Guest/Harry Shearer mockublog.  Not.  Best In Show this is not.

Remember!  Like 'em?  Email 'em at BreslevBrothers@gmail.com

My girl friend here I will for all intents and purposes call Blondie (not her real name, but it really fits for so many reasons) saw the link of the Gats and she told me she had "chills." upon watching it.  I consider her opinion highly because she knows good music.

And so I thought of Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in a seminal movie from my childhood.

Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Jerusalem style

Ever since I first saw these guys perform a Beatles tune this year, I have been curious if they had anything else in them.

Well, it's clear they do.  Roger Waters, Syd Barrett:  look out.  Here are two Breslovers covering Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" in the heart of Jerusalem.  Zion Square, affectionately know in Hebrew as Kikar Tzion, has never looked this shiny, and, dare I say it, sanitized!  With the light rail that passes by on Jaffa Road, you'd think this was a shmancy European city. What I want to know is where is the Kent Stand we all used to visit to exchange currency?

What a wild, wacky, beautiful sight. Just love the motley of people surrounding Reb Arye and Reb Gil, young to old, secular to religious, male, female, and who knows maybe something in between. Just people listening to great tunes in the holy city, albeit the new part.

We need to check our preconceived notions at the door in case you thought "what are these payos-clad guys doing singing these beautiful tunes."  Good music is good music.

If you love 'em so much, email 'em and let 'em know!
BreslevBrothers@gmail.com

Just last night I wore my Cream t-shirt (also my brother's recommendation) to an Amy Helm show, the daughter of Levon Helm, who has already been gone for a year and half.

And now I see that the brothers performed a classic Clapton Tune "Tears in Heaven."  (for those not musically-literate, just Google the band Cream and you'll see the connection).





As Dustin Hoffman said in Tootsie, "Joy. Sheer joy."

Here's Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers from last night







Buried at the bottom:

Here's my little Floyd story.  They are my brother's favorite band, so in high school he suggested some tapes of theirs I should get. "Dark Side of the Moon," the album on which "Shine On" appears, ended up being one of the few I did actually buy. Probably at Sam Goody or Record World (where I bought tapes not records) in the mall.  Being a suburban kid we didn't have Tower Records...my visits there in 1988 and '89 in Manhattan are a whole other story that involved skipping the Columbus Day journalism seminars at Columbia University. Maybe if I didn't skip those seminars I would actually know how to write instead of my gabbable run-ons.

I brought my Floyd tapes on my teen tour, and one of the girls on the trip was excited to see I listened to them. I liked the music:  who doesn't relate to the lyric "two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year?"  But I knew nothing of the band itself.  So when she started waxing poetic over Roger Waters I felt like a real poseur and shied away.

I have learned a bit more about modern rock since then, but I imagine kids these days wouldn't have that type of experience since we live in a wiki, Googled out society. Surely it was a more innocent time. I miss my Sony Walkman and looking out onto the Montana landscape while dozing off to the sounds of cash registers churning and falling bricks in a wall.

Thanksgivukkah...It's Chocolate Lollipop Time

Other than Rainbow Loom, I guess all the rage in the next month among people I know is the once in a lifetime convergence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah.

It also happens to be both my Jewish and Secular birthdays as well as wedding anniversary.  Take that for putting private info out there.  Do you think I really care?  It isn't like I'm putting my social security number out there.  Do the numbers 329-29-1127 mean anything to you, anyway?

As if that's REALLY my social security number. C'mon, what do you think I am...an irresponsible person?

Anyway...lots of articles are out there about Thanksgivukkah.

Personally I'm getting in my order for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah lollipops, like I have done many years over.

Rainbow Loom. When will the madness stop?

I think it's safe to say that every parent of an elementary-school aged child in America knows by now about the Rainbow Loom.  The kids who were really on the ball knew about it this summer.  Who knows, maybe some kids knew about it in the spring.  For sure if you were at the beach or camp in the Northeast this summer, the rainbow loom loomed large.  To say it's all the rage is an understatement.  It's everywhere.  And I mean everywhere.  You can even get knock offs of the elastics from Michael's and probably every local dollar store.

Concealed Light, The Wolfman and The Wolfman's Brother received their first Rainbow Loom as a gift when Eddie was born.  I hadn't heard of it, but our friends, who joined us late in the summer at Sesame Place, told us it's the thing to have.  Within that one week I heard it mentioned numerous times, and now that school is in full swing pretty much all the kids (and many teachers) are wearing the bracelets.


My children started off wearing just one bracelet made of the "original" stitch.  Now they are increasing exponentially up their wrists.  They've got fishtail, triple single, and probably a lot of other stitches we don't know yet.  Kids are learning how do it on YouTube.  There's a special way to roll off the bracelets.

When will it end?  Then again, better they loom than zone out on the iPad, right?

My guess is this craze will outlast Silly Bandz, which were just bracelets you bought.  Here, you're actually making something.  So it's somewhat redeeming.  Kind of reminds me of the ribbon barrettes we used to make in the early 80s with the beads at the end.  In the beginning it was so hard to find the special Goody brand barrettes and particular width satin ribbon needed to make the barrettes.  The way to make them was a carefully-guarded secret:  even a family friend wouldn't teach me because she was in the business of selling the barrettes.  But now with the Internet nothing is sacred and all kids are created Rainbow Loomingly equal.

It's pretty easy to find out the "creator" of the Rainbow Loom, though Concealed Light said the loom is nothing more than a glorified finger knitter.  Still, the gentleman from Michigan, Choon Ng, who created this product is to credit.

I wonder if there is a pot of gold at the end of Mr. Ng's rainbow (loom).

Anah el Nah: Jonah Adels

My main memory of Jonah Adels, who passed away last week due to injuries sustained in a tragic car accident, was that he planted the beginnings of a fruit orchard in Putnam County, New York..

Jonah worked at Concealed Light's camp.  Neither of us actually knew his name until recently.  But we totally "knew" him.  He seemed so sweet and kind.  I don't know why things like this happen, but here is a video that some of Jonah's friends put together a few months ago when they were praying for his healing.

The chant in this video is "anah el nah refah na la":  Answer us, please, God, heal us please, God.  I have never heard this particular melody of this classic Jewish prayer but it is so amazingly beautiful.  When I played it today for Concealed Light she said, "oh, yes, we sing that at camp."  Like it was just so familiar to her.   Then she was like, "wait?  The video is 14 minutes?  We don't sing it that long at camp."

I am so glad to learn that she knows this melody.  It took Jonah's accident for me to learn that my daughter knows a most gorgeous melody to this important tefilah.

Concealed Light saw some of the photos in the video and recognized Jonah.  "Oh, yeah I know him."  Sadness with a mama and her 10 year old daughter.

She didn't know what the additional images in the video were doing there, but I told her they are there to help people get to a place of healing through prayer.  Something like that.  It's hard.

Jonah planted a fruit orchard that will continue for years to come.  What bittersweetness.  All is meant to be.  Children at Concealed Light's camp will bear Jonah's fruit.  How do things like this happen?

From what I was told, Jonah's car accident happened because his car was trying to avoid hitting an animal in the road.  They didn't hit the animal but their own car swerved and crashed.  What kindness, what bittersweet kindness.

It was Rebbe Nachman's yahrtzeit a few weeks ago during Sukkot when  I learned that Jonah was journeying from this world into the next.  His friends were coming that exact shabbes to gather at a friend's home where a woman was about to bring a new life into the world.  I want to believe that Rebbe Nachman was there, holding Jonah by the hand, dancing and rejoicing with him in all that he contributed to the world, and leading him personally into the next world.

Baruch Dayan haEmet.

Nursing is a Great Hobby

Check out how nursing is portrayed in Mister Rogers.  No way would such a natural, normal part of life be on tv like that today.  How sad.

Anyway, I am really enjoying nursing my little baby, the Wolfman's Brother's brother.  I haven't come up with a name to call him yet on this blog.  Truth be told, I don't really mind putting up real names here.  Pretty easy to find that out anyway with a quick Google search.

Nursing is one of my favorite things to do in life and I am blessed with a 4th opportunity.  So far I am enjoying it all, despite the spit up, crying, and sleepless nights.

Making the cut into your school's annual report

Wow: the Wolfman is featured prominently in our school's annual report.  He is playing violin and the photo is placed apropos in the extracurricular section.  Of course I would have loved to see a photo also of Concealed Light on flute, and that would have actually been more appropriate because  she actually takes her lessons after school on-site, whereas the Wolfman went last year to an off-site music school.

Still, I am grateful that their school provided a forum through which my children could express their musical skills.  And I am proud that my child enhances their report.  All the shlepping I did last year for violin which he said he disliked is worth it just for the annual directory photo!  The board of directors did a very nice job with the publication, too.  It must be so much work. 

And now that I have a digital image of the photo, into the recycling the whole glossy publication goes.  Actually no.  I will wait for Stango to return from Copenhagen so he can check it out in hard copy.  Like he will have the time?  That doc has his brain buried in brain research and is either reading brainy stuff or Torah stuff.  

Bad Medicine in Mother's Little Helpers

It doesn't surprise me to learn that some of the moms at my friend's children's school in Los Angeles are popping valiums and even, gasp, oxycontins, deal with the day to day stresses of mommying.  And if you ask me, it's no big whoop (yes I know oxy's are highly addictive and the class action a number of years ago associated with it... Ya gotta be careful for sure if you are using off label or not your own prescription).  

Do what ya gotta do to get through the day.  It's socially acceptable to have a "mother's little helper" if you need it.  Maybe it's a shocker that these moms are Orthodox Jews (both sheitel and non sheitel wearers, if that matters to you, which it really shouldn't because people are people so why should it be).

FYI for the iPad / iPhone impaired among us (that includes me), I am including lots of links to various tunes I am referencing in this post and often they don't come up when reading on those devices.  So you are missing out on the best part of this post which is the music.

 

What bothers me, however, is that it's socially acceptable to take pharmies (legal prescription drugs doled out by your doc) but not to find your chill zone via stuff you can get with an Rx in Colorado these days.  For the record, I am not advocating taking any drugs here.  The point of this post is that I have a big problem with hypocracy (sp?  Too lazy to spell check, sorry).

So many folks buy into the idea that if something is illegal it's bad and if something is legal it's ok.  The truth lies in moderation.  (And I'm certainly not talking about an IV drip of propofol a la Michael Jackson or taking out your crack pipe...hey do people still do crack?  And whatever happened to crank?  What with the drug imagery on Breaking Bad, I'm exposed to this whole world of meth which, b'h, isn't part of my ouvre.  And if you clicked that link for crank you'd learn quickly like I just did that crank is actually meth, which is as we all know what BB is all about!  Cool beans.  Not the meth, no that's not cool, but simply the knowledge is cool.  Wow I haven't said cool beans since like 1989.  I have my friend Darren to thank for that phrase).

I don't know much from benzos, but you remember that Stones tune "Mother's Little Helper," right?  For those of you iPad-impaired, you might not see this YouTube video below.  Sorry.

Wouldn't personally be my way to deal, but to each her own.  I say just get out there and do a great workout.  That'll make you feel better and help melt away the stress.

But, that doesn't always do the trick, right?  If you ask me, and you shouldn't cuz I'm not a pharmacist, therapist, or any other health care specialist thereof, percoset and Valium sound like bad medicine when you look at the alternatives. 

You remember that Bon Jovi tune "Bad Medicine," right?  For those of you iPad-impaired, yet again you might not see this YouTube video below.  Sorry.

Maybe my mom friends of friends should put down their pills and vodka tonics (who needs a hangover?) and be open minded to the alternatives.  Then again, what the heck do I know? Then again...

  I'm guessing that more and more people are becoming open to this thought, but people aren't talking about it. At least not in the mainstream Jewish observant world. 

Look, people, there are dangers everywhere, right?  People can blow their minds out if they want, but most Toms, Dicks and Janes aren't going down that route.  I am not advocating for one way or another:  I just find the hypocrisy in the situation.  Nancy Reagan did a number on my generation with her fried brain eggs on drugs.




My question is what about all the kids that are diagnosed with ADHD these days, all the kids that are taking Ritalin for that purpose and then easily reselling it to their high school and college friends?  Isn't ritalin the No Doz of the millenium?  No Doz was such a weak drug if you think of it and personally made me nauesuous from all that caffiene.  Just because Ritalin is legal, that makes it ok?  I don't get it!

After 30 years, my favorite band made a bold statement by performing Peter Tosh's tune "Legalize It" during a 3 - night run at Dick's Amphitheatre in Denver.  I had never heard the tune (it's from 1979 or so?  Who knew! Gotta love that reggae beat), but thought it was interesting they decided to come public with their opinions and in the state of Colorado no less where legalization is happening.  Or maybe it happened already?

It is big industry for our country and on a tachlis (practical) level could do a lot of people a lot of good.  Even Entrepreneur magazine recently had a very discreet ad for a turn key dispensary machine business (think cigarette machine of lore: but remember you need your Rx. Which gets me back to my original point. 

Valium?  Oxycontin?  Xanax?  Not so much. 

This is what happens when you have a two month old and not a lotta sleep and lots to do and the desire to just do it all ... Thoughts get a little stream of concioisness.

Loony's gotta move on:  do other people agree with me about the whole hypocritical thing that suburban moms can openly chat about their pill popping habits but not other stuff?  

I realize maybe this is a controversial topic and you may ask me why would I even want to write about this given that you are members of a community and your children go to school in said community. I think of Ed Rooney, the principal character in Ferris Bueller's day off , when Ferris picks up Sloane from school and pretend he is her dad and gives her a huge romantic kiss and Rooney goes "so that's how it is in their family".  People can think what they want of me and have that (false) Ed Rooney attitude.  The truth is you'll never really no.  And I'll never really know. 

Only the aybishter knows and he is cool with coming to my shabbes table. 

Still, klonopins I don't think are for me. There. I have gone on the record and you can quote me on that. 

Since we are talking about drugs, You can also quote me that percoset is a dirty old drug and I took it anyway after the baby despite knowing how junky it is and messes up my system.  Let's not get too into the details let's just say my GI tract was hurtin' two months ago and I mean bad. 

Now that's bad medicine!

Let's end positive ...

Moral of the story is think for yourself.  Big  government isn't always right.  And go see Phish. They are great musicians; a group unsurpassed. 

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.

Friendship found, friendship lost...But how would you Know?

Have you ever had a friendship where it seems like there is more effort from one person to keep the friendship up?  I'm sure you have. We all have.  In general, I enjoy the company of most women I meet and can always find something to chat about.  I always try to find something good in everyone.   But the deeper friendship...there aren't too many people in the world that I have been friends with whom I have felt a really deep connection.  One that you can't really put into words.  All it really takes is one or two really good friends.

There is one person that I have known for close to twenty years, but I guess it had to take me to my 40th birthday to really let it sink in that we're not BFFs, to borrow a teeny bopper term.  Naturally, since we haven't lived in the same town for a while, I knew that we weren't best of friends.  Yet I am the person who always went to seek her out, visited her at her place, made the effort to make plans.  Maybe that's a sign of maturing, getting older, that I am trying to deal with this.  The whole Facebook thing doesn't really help.  We see each other every once in a while, maybe once a year, at events of mutual interest.  Usually we just bump into each other.

It's not fun and it's not easy.  I would rather we be closer friends.  I'd rather her visit or call.  I guess that's just not in the cards.  40 is good like that:  my life is otherwise full and vibrant.  Who needs the sadness of a friendship that was never really what I thought it could be?

And yet, after all these years I continue to think about it.

The 1st verse from Dylan's "He Was a Friend of Mine" makes me think of her.  She is alive and well, so the rest doesn't really apply.  But the 1st verse does.

(s)he was a friend of mine
(s)he was a friend of mine
Every time I think about (her) now
Lord I just can't keep from cryin'
'Cause (s) was a friend of mine



"Light," by Phish, a favorite tune of mine especially performed live, also reminds me of this friend.  Especially the less-often heard verse

Obstacles are stepping stones
That guide us to our goals
Fences are filters
That purify our souls

The song has great hope.  It makes me feel like whatever happens in life, this friend and I continue to be connected.  The obstacles that exist in the friendship are there for a reason and perhaps the reason why our friendship hasn't been more than I'd hoped is purposeful and the right thing for me.  Who knows, one day we may cross paths in a meaningful, lasting way.  Doesn't everything happen for a reason?

First There is a Mountain

"Then there is no mountain, then there is."  -Donovan

Pretty sad that I can't make it to Mountain Jam this year, which I really enjoyed last year and wrote about in my first and only piece on Kveller.

This quotation comes from the song "There Is a Mountain" which my friend Adam, ever the joyful Rainbow tribe family member (and holy hassid) introduced me to via his Happy Tapes.  Here is Donovan performing the tune in its original form.




And, further to my late-bloomingness (but who's really counting anyway), little did I know that the Allman Brothers did a pretty famous jam improvisation on their album "Eat a Peach" that they called "Mountain Jam"."  Hence, the name for the music festival that I am missing at Hunter Mountain.

Better late than never.  People write about this album and this jam like they were life-changing musical experiences.  I don't doubt that.

Reason #127 Why My Favorite Band Should Play in Israel

It has taken his entire career to make it to Israel, but former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart will be playing in Jerusalem this August.  He is performing as part of the Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival.  He is the only Jewish member of the Grateful Dead.

Mickey Hart  photo from Jpost.com

No doubt, Jewish Deadheads worldwide are kvelling.

I have said it before and I will say it again:  changes a' comin'.  This gives me hope that one day, my favorite band will make it to Israel.  (this isn't the time and place to say how the Grateful Dead leads me to Phish.  For just one convo on that topic, go here)

And despite that my sort of silly sort of not silly calculations that led me to predict that Phish would play there last December didn't come true, it still gives me hope.

Phish is celebrating 30 years this year...the time is now.

If not now, when?  -Hillel

It's Not About the Nail

Going viral as we speak.  Totally awesome short movie about male-female communications.

 

The Rebbe Elimelech

It's an old-world Yiddish tune, and we love it.  Here's Concealed Light on flute playing "Der Rebbe Elimelech," which, incidentally, was written in 1927.  And that year is a permutation of a number we hold so dear to our hearts (yeah yeah, we know the  prediction in that link didn't come true last Chanukah.  Still doesn't matter.  127 totally rocks).




Here are the words (in transliterated Yiddish...Stango will be very unhappy to see "nisht oys"...not a single Hebrew letter...so it goes) if you didn't check out the Wiki link I included above

Az der Rebbe Elimeylekh

Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh,

(Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh, Elimeylekh,)

Hot er oysgeton di tfilin

Un hot ongeton di briln

Un geshikt nokh di fidlers di tsvey.

Un di fidldike fidlers

Hobn fidldik gefidlt.

Hobn fidldik gefildt hobn zey!

(x2)

Az der Rebbe Elimeylekh

Iz gevorn mer nokh freylekh,

Iz gevorn mer nokh freylekh, Elimeylekh,

Hot er opgemakht havdole

Mitn shames Reb Naftole

Un geshikt nokh di payklers di tsvey.

Un di paykeldike payklers

Hobn paykeldik gepaykelt.

Hobn paykeldik gepaykelt hobn zey!

(x2)

Az der Rebbe Elimeylekh

Iz gevorn GOR SHTARK freylekh,

Iz gevorn gor shtark freylekh Elimeylekh,

Hot er oysgeton dos kitl

Un hot ongeton dos hitl

Un geshikt nokh di tsimblers di tsvey.

Un di tsimbeldika tsimblers

Hobn tsimbeldik getsimbelt.

Hobn tsimbeldik getsimbelt hobn zey!

(x2)

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Tonight we held our now-annual Cinco de Mayo fiesta supper celebration.  Exactly the type of stuff the kids are going to be embarrassed about in years to come.  (Or maybe they already are?)

Whatever Happened to Arsenio Hall?

Just as I'm sitting down to watch some classic "Coming to America," I couldn't help but wonder:  Whatever happened to Arsenio Hall?

I must have some vibe or something because just a couple of weeks ago, he posted the following video that shows him doing a focus group for his new syndicated show to appear on 9/9/13.




Doubtful that I'll watch it, but I'm glad to know he's alive and well.

Meantime, I think I need some Soul Glo

Remember Cinco de Mayo this Sunday!

Here's a relic from a couple of years ago.  And the first time here on Whole Phamily you see me, Ms. Rachel Molly Loonin, on video.  As I have expressed many times over, my blog is a combo of a lot of different things.  Here's a glimpse into Stango and Loony's life.  Let me know what you think.

When you post things of your kids they wouldn't appreciate

I like to think of myself as a loving mama.  I love my children and I love so much of what they do.  I respect their privacy but I am also so proud of some of their things.  Naturally, in this day and age I want to share them on the holy grail of the Internet.

For example.  After test-running the following image created by my beloved near-8 year old the Wolfman with our very special kin The Nunever, I made the executive decision to share on Facebook and Twitter.   The Nunever said it must have been one of my proudest mothering moments.  Indeed, I was kvelling.  Did the Wolfman specifically say don't share it?  No.  But if I asked him would he be happy?  Don't think so.

Still, mama's got to take liberties some time...

Nice...it got retweeted by YemBlog!

This is pretty darn good stuff for your typical Phish-loving mama.  Just don't tell the Wolfman about this.  And, if you do, tell him it's the least he can do for his mama who doesn't even celebrate the upcoming Hallmark holiday of Mother's Day.

Classic Tune All Jazzed Up

Growing up, I never heard the name Shlomo Carlebach.  Unknowingly, I knew one of his classic tunes "Veha'er Eineinu."  I think I heard it at a Chassidic Song Festival that my parents took me to in the late '70s.

Stango, my musical husband, raged this tune tonight on the piano.   Not to be missed!

Here is Shlomo singing his tune, just for comparison sake.  My preference is Stango's funkier one.

 

What? Me? Persnikedy?

As I mention from time to time, this isn't a Phish blog, but as a huge fan, I feel compelled to share this wonderful 2 minute clip from a recent interview on CBS Sunday Morning with Phish's lead guitarist, Trey Anastasio.  It shows Trey in such a real way - he loves his fans and that they give him the ability to feel  "openmindness...encouragement to take risks...a desire to go at least a little bit somewhere that is new and unexplored."

As I told the Nunever, the only persnikediness I feel is that I haven't been consulted personally on what I think are great ideas for the band, and that's no joke.

Which leads me to remembering a great lesson I learned this week..."Who is rich?   One who is happy with her lot." -Pirkei Avot

And though I have heard it many times over, the lesson learned is that everyone has a lot, or a portion.  No one will ever have everything.  We all get a portion.  So, perhaps my portion with regard to Phish is simply to enjoy where I am and what I have already experienced with this incredible musical outfit.

Trey Anastasio with CBS Sunday Morning's Anthony Mason     photo courtesy of liveforlivemsic.com

A Couple of Years Behind Schedule

I'll be truthful:  I don't know much about current popular culture.  For whatever reason I decided to finally catch up on the entire 8 years of Entourage, the hit HBO show about life in the Hollywood fast lane.  Putting aside the profanities and sex, I am actually pretty grateful for a lot of the stuff I'm learning from it.  And I'll be ready for the film they're making as a follow-up to the show.  It's been green-lit, so we should hope to expect it soon!

Put aside as well the question that looms through your mind, which is, "Why does Loony really need to poison herself with this meaningless shtuss?"

I don't really feel like defending myself, but first and foremost is all of the music I am hearing for the first time.    From Blind Melon to Jane's Addiction to LL Cool J, I am hearing some familiar tunes but also tons of music that I should know but don't.

With that, I leave you with some Funkadelic circa 1971, which appears at the end of Season 5.  Ya'd think a girl who loves going to see music would know this stuff already.  Think again.  And yet it's never too late to learn new things.  Indeed, I did see Bernie Worrell, an original Funkadelic member, perform a couple of years ago.

me with Bernie Worrell at a Steve Kimock show I think end of December 2011

Mama, I'm Hungry

Here is Stango the other day at the piano, playing "Al HaNisim" which is sung on Purim and Chanukah.  Purim is in less than two weeks, so we're getting ready.  Watch (or, yes you can admit it, skip) till the end when The Wolfman whispers a little thing to me.

Yidl Itzik aka Ed Koch, Of Blessed Memory

Just caught a glimpse of the most over the top Jewish funeral I have witnessed, that of the former mayor of New York City, Ed Koch z'l.  I had the privilege of working a temp job in the late 90s where Mayor Koch was renting some office space, so for a couple of weeks there I saw him come in and out of the office.  He was a great mayor.  I liked him.  The funeral was held at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.  I always know it was a shmancy Reform synagogue, and I was happy to see that the rabbi was wearing a kippa.  The irony, though, was that most of the other head-cover bearing men were members of the NYPD.  Not even Bloomberg was wearing one.

And then the casket escort of the synagogue out to the songs "New York, New York" and "Lullaby of Broadway."  As my friend Emily mentioned, it was like a Liza Minnelli concert.  We all joked how we couldn't help think about the Milford Plaza.

I'm glad I was able to catch his name during the memorial prayer.  Baruch Dayan emet to Yidl Itzik.

Stevie, You've Been on my Mind

A bit less than a year ago, I had Stevie Wonder on my mind, and now he's crept back in.  Why didn't I know his funky '70s stuff back in the day?  Stango said it's because I knew his newer stuff in the 80s, Ebony and Ivory and the like.

Now that I know it, I'll stick with the '70s funk.

 

This is from later, but it's got that leftover disco beat from the late 70s





And of course as a Phish loving mama (cuz they cover this tune), I can't forget Boogie On...





If you've gotten this far, here's the inspiration for this blog post title.  Bob, the prophet and poet, yet again saves the day.





Speaking of getting this far, if you're reading this, why not give a shout out and let me know your thoughts.  I feel like Rodney Dangerfield..."I don't get no respect!"  (meaning, I get little feedback and desire it!)

xoxo

Loony

It's a Fruit Rap

Every year around this time I try to find something fun for my children to watch about the birthday of the trees.  Usually  there's nothing great.  Not this year!

With Tu B'Shvat just around the corner this Friday night and Shabbat, you gotta check out this video.  My old friend Elana Greenspan is the talent behind it.  Actually she is my old friend Chana's friend but who's counting.

So cute!

And funny!

This is one great mama doing good things for her family and the world.  Love you Elana!

Only thing to improve is:  Let's see your smiling face, Elana!

Too Jewy For Youie

Really loving the newish neighborhood here in Philly, but I can't get Albert Brooks' line of being "too Jewy" from This is 40 out of my head.

Didn't sit well with me, but hey, that's Hollywood.  Hollywood's just Jewy enough to not be too Jewy.  Just ask good ole uncle Ralph about not being too Jewy.  What Wasp is gonna buy into Lifshitz?  Or wannabe Wasp who hides her Jewyness so well (Yes, Tory, I'm talkin' bout you, sister).

Lest you think I didn't like This is 40, stop right there.  Judd Apatow is basically a genious and I love his writing.  Boy can write.  And of course you might know by now my love for Paul Rudd.  All those years of drooling over Adam Sandler?  Gone?!  Now, finally, ever since I saw him on our honeymoon in Hawaii in 2002, it's all about the positive.  With Adam it was just so much negative.  With Paul, it's all happy and good.

I keep telling Stango that it would be nice to find some more like-minded friends around these parts.  Anybody else too Jewy around here?  The problem is most folks who are too Jewy are just too Jewy.  I'd need you to too earthy, too brainy, too pop culturey, too Gen-Xey, too hippy and still be all good with luxury and Louis.

Ok, if you dig Bottega, that's all good too.








And just because I can, here is the man who I have a very silly Hollywood crush on.  (Yes, I told Stango and he laughed).

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Jewperhero

Leave it to the clever Chabad youngin's - dare I say hipsteresque -  to come up with something like Jewperhero.  Moshe Kravitsky is putting out weekly videos of "The Moshe Show," in which he pounds the New York pavement and does Jewish outreach in his somewhat outlandish, extroverted heimish mitzvah-seeking, light-spreading comedic style that only a Chabad chassid can pull off.  Yasher koach, Moshe!


This video where he goes to Union Square and passes out dreidels is pretty funny.  Love the guy who spins the dreidel upside down on the subway, as if he's saying, "yeah yeah, I know the drill."  Moshe has chutzpah, stamina, and doesn't take no for an answer.  And he does it all in such a mentschluch way!

What a breath of fresh air in light of the Weberman verdict this week.  B'h that animal is going to the slammer where he belongs.  Sorry to bring you down but, as Deborah Feldman said, this court case was a true Chanukah miracle.  Ken yehi ratzon.

Good shabbos!  My challahs are just cooling off and it's fer sure time for bed!