The Rachel Chronicles

Mayim = Big Jew

I love that my favorite show's season premiere featured Orthodox Jew, Mayim Bialik, star of Blossom! the early 90's TV hit. Rumor has it that while the show's hosts knew (and complied with) the fact that she doesn't wear pants for religious reasons, that was not explained quite as well as it could be on the show....or at all.

 Its too bad that there was a missed opportunity to educate, because, well, frankly, so many skirts-only-wearing Big Jews need fashion help! It would've been nice to see Clinton and Stacy, as well as Mayim, reach out to them and give some fashion advice. See Mayim talk about her new style, her Big Jew-ness and other things, here:

As I was walking to shul on Saturday morning, I was thinking about What Not To Wear and wondering....perhaps they want to do a JTS rabbis special??? This would look a little different than their regular show, but they could come in and spruce up the school notoriously known for producing unkempt clergy? (ok, in all honesty, placing the blame squarely on JTS's shoulders might not be fair - it might be, gasp!, our own faults that we spend more time studying the Gemara than the pages of fashion magazines). But you know what? This is one hot religious Jew - if she can do it, so can we. Think sleeveless is too much for the pulpit?

So? What do you think, Stacy and Clinton? You up for a challenge?

some finished projects

I've had a number of unfinished (or even unstarted) quilted projects lying around lately. Most of them were designated as gifts, even if I had intended to give the gift months ago...

Here are some pictures of the projects:

For my classmate, Dan, and his wife, Amy, who just got married, I made a wall-hanging (or challah cover - depending on how they want to use it) of pomegranates. It is a design that I modeled off of a painting that I saw online.

Here's a close-up of the large pomegranate:


And here is a close-up of the small pomegranates:

For Dafna, the new daughter of classmates Sharon and Hillel, I made a baby blanket. I wanted to practice the quilting technique of stippling, which uses free-flowing stitching to fill in an area or decorate with stitches.

The lighting in my apartment wasn't so great when I took these pictures. In person, the blanket is much prettier! (If you look closely, you can see the stippling in the light pink and dark pink boarders, as well as the flower design in the upper-left-inner-pink square.)

Here's a close up:

I know its hard to tell by the photos, but the fabric varies. There is fluffy, terry-cloth white fabric next to flannel pink fabric. The butterflies are appliqued on top of them. The goal, of course, was to give the baby different textures to play with...or spit up on!

I also finished one of my student's t-shirt quilts from Exploration Week. She was the only student who didn't finish the project by the end, and with no working sewing machines by the end of the week, it looked doubtful that she would be able to finish it without some extra help. So I've had it for nearly two months, but only now got to finish it.

And finally, I want to show off one more project that I finished recently. I started it during Exploration Week when I learned the techniques, and finished it over Passover. It isn't (yet) designated for anyone, and is actually on sale on Etsy.com (want it?).

and here are some close-ups:

and even closer...

So there you have it...three newly finished projects. As President Bartlett would say, "What's next?"

Family BBQ

Yesterday the fam had a lovely BBQ, with many many members of the under-7 crowd. It seems like we've exploded in population in the past couple of years!

Here are some pictures of the cuties.

Despite the heat, Summer wouldn't go anywhere without her blanket, her coat...and her adorable expressions.

Although you can't tell by this picture, Brie actually reached for me and allowed herself to be put in my lap for...oh 1.2 seconds! What a moment!

Without fail, Shea jumped over that blue float and slid down the slide every single time. Not once did he land on the float.

Joshie tentatively walked towards the water, one step at a time. Given the state of his bathing suit 20 minutes later, I think he enjoyed the water more after I left with the camera.

Here's a nice picture of Justin and Lise. Later in the day, Justin and I spent some quality time together - eating, and then spitting up, a yummy bottle.

And cause I was the next youngest person there after Shea (and cause its my blog), here's a nice picture of me.

Master of Jewish Education

I'm proud to say that after five LONG years of graduate school education, I finally have my masters degree! Of course I still have a year left to go, until rabbinic ordination - the graduation that really counts for me. But still, it is a great feeling to join the ranks of people who have their graduate degrees.

If you need proof, here is Gann's staff directory. You'll notice that I now have degrees after my name. That is exciting. Of course, I don't think I actually earned my M.Ed., which is what they've listed (but not what I told them) - but still, its close....

It was a nice week full of graduation celebrations. On Tuesday night the Davidson school had a dinner to honor the graduates. Those of us that wrote a thesis got to present our topics, which was a nice moment to share our research.

Here is a picture of nana and me at the dinner:

The invitation said we could bring our spouse or significant other - she's significant to me, so I brought my grandmother!

On Wednesday Nana and I hung out in the Times Square area, a.k.a. Tourist Central.
We walked many blocks, bought $5 sunglasses and scarves, and saw a show. We decided to see Irena's Vow, after being approached by someone on the street about it. It turned out to be phenomenal, and I highly recommend it.
 
Dinner that night was with family - and then I got to meet up with a friend from the 'deis, whom I hadn't seen in many months.

Thursday was the big day. I got up early to go to Rabbinical Ordination/Cantorial Investiture at JTS. I didn't stay so long, but long enough to get a sense of what the ceremony will look like for next year. Then I headed down to SB's pre-graduation brunch, to eat, hang out with Davidson friends, and pick up my graduation robes which she had been saving for me.

 

This is Jamie, with the many delicious quiches that she baked for the occasion.

Back up near JTS, mom joined us and the three of us went out to eat and then over to JTS for graduation. I found graduation to be a meaningful ceremony, even if it was rather hot and long! Our graduation speaker was Ruth Messinger, and I couldn't have asked for a better message....ok, maybe one of the Obamas, but I'm hoping for next year!

This is a group of Davidson students, many of whom I traveled to Israel with a few years ago.

Except for the retainer case on the dresser...

In honor my impending masters graduation, I decided to upgrade a few things in my apartment. For example, I am writing this blog post WIRELESSLY. Yes, its true. I did not need to drag the modem and cord across the living room to attach to my computer.

Not only that, but I can PRINT without connecting my computer to the internet.

What is this world coming to???!??

AMAZINGNESS, I tell you, it is amazing! (ok, and a little bit of laziness)

To continue with the upgrades, here is the "after" picture of my bedroom. I forgot to take a before picture. But the salient points are the new duvet/pillow cases, and the new curtains. In the picture, I feel like the bed and the wall almost blend together - but that's not true in person. Let me tell you, it looks so so so much better than it did without the curtains. AND, hopefully the curtains will let me sleep past sunrise in the morning now...

See? I'm, like, a real grown-up now. Curtains, a nice bedspread, and internet - its an adult apartment!

Now....who wants to sublet for the summer?

Home is where the MOM is

When I was in shopping a few weeks ago, I found a wall-hanging that said, "home is where the mom is" - and I think its very true. After years of having multiple residences, I've taken to calling the place that I'm not, "home". As in, "I'm going home now", no matter which home I am going to. My apartment is certainly home. But so is my Easton home. As is Nana's home in Florida. And, even mom-t0-be, Meg, has a home that feels as warm and welcoming as my own home.

Happy mother's day to all the moms and moms-to-be in my life.

P.S. Guess who won the flowers-for-your-mom contest?