Ham and Challah!

A nice Friday, I must say. Not long after Vivian left for school, Sullivan and I headed over to my friend Darcie's to play. Sullivan and her 4 year old son Elliot have been friends for about, well, 4 years now. Amazing! Darcie's always got a cuppa on for her friend Suz, it's a good thing. She's the one I accosted one day on a walk with Sullivan, thank God she didn't think me a nut and decide never to call me. (well, she probably does think I'm a nut, which would probably be true, but somehow she still wants to hang out with me...go figure!) Darcie and her mother have taken on a sewing project for me--what angels! In the quest for the perfect duvet cover (oh no! another quest!) I of course ended up with something that is far from perfect. It was in the right price range and matched the room, that's about it. Oh, and it's kinda soft. So that's good. But I think the manufacturers put it in the wrong bag, I do believe the thing is a King size, verses the Queen that we need for our bed. Poor Coreman, somehow the comforter always ends up filling the cover on my side, (smart little duvet cover!) and all he gets is material to cover up with, and flimsy material at that. So Darcie said she would take her sewing machine to it and sew up some seams on each side so that it fits tighter in there. (I won't make any dirty comments, I promise.) This is so nice, I can NOT sew. I actually had a machine once--once--and vowed I never would again. I am not a person who can measure well and thread a bobbin. It's just not fun for me. So between playing at Darcie's and then taking a walk with Sullivan in the unseasonably balmy January afternoon, it was a full day.

Having recently bought a "Judaism for Dummies" book, I know that according to the Jews, tonight is the beginning of the Sabbath. Vivian has been extra fascinated with all things Jewish since my sister recently found some Jewish cousins that we never knew we had. She saw Fiddler on the Roof for the first time not long ago, and was wondering why the mother waved her hands over the candles after she lit them, and then covered her eyes--these things being done before the Sabbath meal. I had no idea, so I relied on the trusty Dummies book. Vivian got the grand idea that we needed to celebrate the Sabbath tonight. I thought I'd be a good half-Jew and try my luck at homemade Challah bread. I actually did make it once, years ago, and I think it turned out well...! I won't take a photo and post it, like Stephanie, because I would be appalled if she saw it. I mean, they turned out pretty tasty, (the recipe made 3 loaves!) but they sure didn't come out all perfectly braided and shiny like hers did. I just don't have much patience with bread-baking, I'm afraid. Plus I didn't get around to starting the things until like 4:00. But the un-perfect Challah fit the meal, which was ham--which of course is not exactly Jewish. Vivian was all set to light the candles at sundown and do the whole prayer. Of course I'm trying to get the damn bread to rise and figuring out what the heck I'm gonna do for dinner--who has time for candles?! I tell ya, I don't know how the Jews do it! Now pass me another slice of ham. I'm a good Jewthran.