In and Out of the Closet

I desperately want to take y'all on a tour of my closet. Why? I'm not sure, but it struck me today that someone probably wonders what a frum (observant, Orthodox, etc.) person's closet looks like. Is that weird? But, alas, my camera is off at the shop. Sigh. Maybe I'll see how using my cellphone to video goes. Only, of course, if y'all are interested. I thought it might be a nice capstone to The Tzniut Project, which for all intents and purposes has ended. 

Until then, check out this picture I took today with my phone -- I like to call it "Melted Phonebook." I took it in the Trader Joe's parking lot this afternoon while Shabbos shopping. (Note: Trader Joe's now sells gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats for $3.99! That's three dollars cheaper than Bob's Red Mill! Ohmygosh!)

Shabbat Shalom!

[Singing] It's Shabbos Now!

But modestly, of course. Because, after all, this is the interwebs and I am an Orthodox Jewess. So pretend I'm in a closet, and no one can hear me. (I am in the Poconos, and it's quiet here. Oh, except for the five burly construction workers banging and sawing and talking about women while putting up the new windows. It's cold. Very cold. Because there are holes in the wall where windows go. But back to our regularly scheduled blog post ...)

Just a note that in a month and a couple days, I'll be rocking Shabbos in Jerusalem. That's the appropriate way for a Chaviva to rock Shabbos, in case you didn't know. Every day, I grow weaker, I think, being here. Almost a feeling of detachment from the world. In Israel? I feel alive. So I'm super stoked to be heading toward Jerusalem soonish. Let's just hope I can survive the coming weeks. (Hat tip to Elianah for her inspiring Israel ROCKS Shabbat post.)

Speaking of the coming weeks, I have a lot in store as far as blog posts go. I just have to get all of my schoolwork done so I can write the blog posts. In no particular order are ...

• TWO, yes, TWO cookbook giveaway contests. There will be some action involved (get your chef's hats ready) and two lucky winners will receive (one person for each book) Jamie Geller's new Quick & Kosher: Meals in Minutes or Susie Fishbein's Kosher by Design: Teens and 20-Somethings. There will be two contests, two blog posts, two winners. The first will start on Wednesday, October 27. 
• A blog post on the hair situation. Yes, hair covering. These happen to be some of my most-read posts, so I'm eager to write another one now that I'm nearly five months into being married and covering. Have I piqued your interest? I might also go all mikvah on you!
• An interesting thing happened in class last week. It involves a class full of Jews with varying observance and self-identification, a kugel, a gefilte fish, and some kale. I know, right? I'll be asking your advice. Feel free to guess where I'm going with this. 
• Tuvia's been helping organize his great aunt's and great uncle's house, and he's found some serious gems of photography and memory. Me, being obsessed with genealogy, took on the task of looking into the photos, the people, the locations, and more. I am looking forward to letting you all know the details, including an interesting revelation about Tuvia's mom's family maybe being Sephardic! As a teaser, here's the photo that got me really going. I believe (and through a variety of checking with living relatives and others) this is Evan's grandmother's immediate family in the early or mid 1930s in Oradea, Romania. This, folks, is a gem, and if it's what we all think it is, it's probably the only surviving photo of a family that (save three sisters) perished in the Shoah. 

Such a seriously good looking frum Jewish family, right?!

So keep your eyes peeled. I promise I'm going to get to these. I have to. This blog is my life force, and maybe that's why I've been feeling so dead and detached lately. Poke me. Prod me. I'll get to it.

Until then? A gut Shabbos. Shabbat Shalom. Peace, health, and lots of cholent to you!

A Web Meme Interlude.

I was tagged by Shavua Tov in a meme, so I thought I'd play along. See if you're tagged in the bottom!

The rules are:

1. Open the fourth file where you store your photos.
2. Pick the fourth photo.
3. Explain the photo.
4. Pass challenge onto four other bloggers.

So, here’s my photo.

This photo is of one of the daughters of one of the professors at my summer program. She was the cutest little thing, and she would take fruit on with a serious face! This little girl LOVED to eat and run around with the boys.

Tagged for this meme: KosherAcademic, Hadassah, Tuvia, and ... Dunking Rachael!

תמונות!

יש לי תמונות חדשות בפליקר.

Middlebury Flickr Photos

והתמונה הכי טובה?

אתם רואים הדבורה?

Photo Me Once, Photo me Twice ...

Over the long weekend, Tuvia and I spent Shabbos in the Poconos, went to a Yankees vs. Phillies game on Sunday, and visited a flea market and a beautiful waterfall extravaganza near where Tuvia has a place in the Poconos called "Childs Park." I'd like to offer a simple series of photos that depict the weekend, for your viewing pleasure! Take note of the kosher options at Yankee Stadium -- they were DELICIOUS and abundant. Hallelulah!

Joseph Liebermann was there!

I can't wait to write about Shavuot ... but I'll actually be studying all night this week, participating in the community's interactions for the holiday and more. I'm so excited!

A Flickr Slideshow and a Promise to Return.

So I'm pretty beat from the 2.5 days of traveling non-stop. My stomach hates me for all the crud I ingested, and my body in general is fighting to stay awake. I managed without a nap today after moving everything into my graduate housing dorm, as well, so I think I'm really doing quite swell. But I managed to put up a bunch of photos on Flickr, and I had planned on doing a video blog (that is, a vlog) to sort of detail some things and to show you all my new digs in Storrs, CT, I'm just out of energy for the night. So, what you will get, is this fun little Flickr slideshow, generated using the fabulous Flickr Slideshow Generator. But please come back tomorrow, when surely, I'll have a lot to say (semi-)live in a vlog!

Note: That first picture? Chavi at 1 a.m. in Ohio, exhausted and wanting to sleep but finding her brain on overdrive. Sans glasses, sans makeup, lots of sleepy thrown on and you have Full Disclosure Me. 

Ruby Tuesday -- on the road!

I thought I'd pop in to post a quick Ruby Tuesday photo from my travels thus far. This one is from the Starlite Lounge in Lincoln, Neb. -- my favorite all-time bar/lounge, for its retro feel and faux martini drinks.

For those keeping tabs, I'm presently in Ohio, near Pennsylvania. I'm stopping off today in Philly to visit a friend, then on to CT tonight and moving in tomorrow. I'm hoping to move in so that I don't miss all of the Nefesh b'Nefesh blogger conference. Darn the time difference!

Be well!

Ruby Tuesday!

I present for your approval, another installment of Ruby Tuesday, a blog photo project where you post a photo with some red in it -- a lot or a little -- and the only catch is that it must be one of your very own. This photo is from the 3rd of July at Montrose Harbor and if you look carefully, you can see the red stripes of our very own American Flag, as well as some ruddy red boat bottoms.

It's Ruby Tuesday.

It's Ruby Tuesday (that means it's Tuesday and it's time to post a photo with some red in it), and me being the in-awe person that I am, I'm actually posting a photo taken by someone that is NOT me. This photo was actually taken by the blogger Mottel, and like all of his photos, it is outstandingly brilliant. I find myself wanting to crawl into each of his pictures for a mere moment to smell the aromas and feel the breeze or stillness of a room. At any rate, I hope you enjoy this photo, because by golly I know I do.

EDIT: Okay, okay. I feel bad. The rules are that it has to be one of my own ... so ... in addition to Mottel's beautiful photo with some ruby in it, here's one of mine. These are rows and rows of red chairs at the Pritzker Auditorium in Chicago, IL.

Photography break.

Black pipes and light from a desk lamp at Dollop Coffee in Buena Park, Chicago, IL.

Ruby Tuesday

I love web-wide photo projects, and here's another one of which I'm going to attemp to participate: Ruby Tuesday. It's exactly what you'd think it is, so here's my first shot. It was taken in the fall of 2006 in Washington D.C. As it turns out, red doesn't appear in abundance in that many of my photos, so I'll be on the look out henceforth!

Once again, a hat tip to Ilana-Davita for bringing this project to my attention!

Project Black, Chavi Style, Take III.

Rust.
Originally uploaded by kvetchingeditor

Here is more of the Project Black, this one is a picture I took Friday while waiting in the humidity at the Madison stop on the Green/Brown/Orange/Pink line in the Loop. Pigeons are such hideous, yet such beautiful, simple creatures. Rats with wings, but when they tilt their heads just so ... Don't forget to check out/join Project Black over at this blog.

Shalom!

Project Black, Chavi Style.

Taking part in Project Black, which I happened to hap' upon thanks to Ilana-Davita. For info on Project Black, check it out over on Anna Carson's photo blog.

This is my first photo posted for Project Black ... shadows of two teenage girls with the Chicago skyline lighting the background. And for kicks, here's a second one. That's my eternal black bag, portrait of a girl in a Red Roof Inn.

A Photo Montage, minus the montage.

I trekked around my neighborhood yesterday taking photos for a Yelp project. There were a lot of beautiful textures and unique oddities to be seen, and here are a few of the photos. The rest can be seen over on my Flickr page.



Oh, and also, there are pictures up from the Death Cab for Cutie concert that I attended at the Pritzker Pavilion here in Chicago. Check those out as well!