Chag Sameach – Happy Shavuot!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Shavuot and Chag Sameach!

(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)

Happy Purim from Magen David Synagogue!

(Credit Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

Holiday SHOULD BE Giving To Children’s Hospital

Thought this was a pretty good display with the Three Bears for holiday donations for Children’s National Hospital. 

While it gets your attention (who sees three pink bears lite up on the street at night?), asking people with a small impersonal sign on the floor to remember to login and make the donation later isn’t very effective. 

People act on the spot, especially when it’s an emotional appeal for charity for sick children that need help.  

The children deserve for there to be a way for would be donors to actually give on the spot–where they can swipe or tap their credit card, write a check, or drop some money in for giving. 

Later, later, later…and unfortunately, it may never happen for the Children. 

Come on–it’s the new roaring 2020s–we can create some urgency and convenience and do better than this!  😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Nature Boy

When I was a kid and I went to the supermarket with my mom, I remember always seeing the “Andy Boy Broccoli” in the produce aisle. 

Of course, I was always curious why Broccoli was called Andy Boy–what boy or any kid for that matter likes to eat broccoli???

And like most things in life, there really wasn’t a good answer except that this company, “Andy Boy” grows and distributes it. 

Anyway, I was always a nature boy feeling most at home and at peace in the countryside. 

I love being in nature, surrounded by G-d’s amazing beauty, and at one with the universe and with G-d.  

In building all our great cities, buildings, and structures, aside from the crowding, pollution, crime and traffic that we have consequently, we have also lost something elementary to our lives with the absence of real nature. 

A park is not a forest.  A pond is not a river.  A plant is a not a lush valley.  A garden is not a farm.  A hill is not a mountain range.  A pet is not a teeming ecosystem of diverse life.  

The city is man made and fake, but nature is from G-d and real. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Columbus Day Apple Picking @Larriland Farms, MD

 

 

Thank you G-d for the beautiful day today.

We got to celebrate Columbus Day and the discovery of this great nation with a day off. 

H-o-l-i-da-y!

We spent some time apple picking at Larriland Farms in Maryland.

They also had a Broccoli picking and a gorgeous field of sunflowers.  

It was a little warm today (up to 90 degrees), but it was nice to be outside and together. 

I am so grateful for every moment and for the delicious apples we brought home. 😉

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

@Great Falls Park

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Happy Purim @ Magen David 2018

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

Not 4 Valentines Day

Valentines Day is the holiday of love. 

And this photo is not the message you want to see or expect today–of all days!

Anyway, they were selling this sleep mask at the mall.

One one side, it says “Ready”–yeah, a little forward, but problem welcome by most partners.

On the other side, it reads, “Not 2Nite”–gasps and disappointment for sure. 

What type of Valentines Day are you going to have?

Love is in the air, enjoy!

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Lag B’Omer Hillula @ Magen David

Beautiful praying, learning Torah, fundraising, and evening celebration at Magen David Sephardic Synagogue.

Lag B’Omer 2016

Thank you to the Rabbi, Samy, and all our friends for a wonderful evening. 

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

G-dly Tattoo

So my daughter took this photo of someone on the train.

They had a tattoo that said Elokim–G-d’s name in Hebrew–on their hand along their thumb.

Also, they had a second tattoo on the top of their hand that had the Star of David. 

Pretty dramatic, I think. 

But what a way to remember G-d and your religion all the time.

And I thought wearing a yarmulke on my head was something!

Anyway, just another thought for the day.

I was talking with a young person this week.

They said, how hard it was to be young and not know what was going to happen–what life had in store for them. 

I agreed that it was, but also added something that I had heard a number of years ago that:

When your young, you have health, but no money to enjoy it 

and when your old, you have money, but no health to enjoy it. 

The point is that at every point in life, we have our challenges, and we just have to make the most of what we got, when we have it. 

Ideally, of course, we have plenty of health and money–and the time to enjoy it with our family and friends.  

Happy Passover!

(Source Photo: Rebecca Blumenthal)