Yom Yom Shalom

February Flash!

2009-02-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

It feels as though we've flown from January to March with no time in between. Is it almost Ben's birthday already? What happened to February? We can tell you about a couple things we managed to fit in. Hannah, Lisa, and I took a day in the City and visited SFMOMA. In particular, I wanted to visit an exhibit of work by four photographers showing different world views. It was absolutely wonderful. The MOMA is also installing a new mural on the inside front wall and it was a treat to watch 10 or so painters walking around scaffolding painting this enormous work.

After the museum, we went over to the Palace of Fine Arts (which you know is one of our happy stops in SF) and fed the swans. Lisa had never been there before so we got over our shock and showed her around.

Yesterday, Hannah and I visited Calistoga for the day. The drive up is gorgeous, as flowers grow around the empty grape vines. We stopped at Oakville Grocery, which looks like a quaint old grocery, but contains some of the tastiest, freshest foods around. Their deli case is full of colorful, delicious creations. Clearly, Hannah loves the sesame noodles. In Calistoga, we relaxed in and out of the warm and hot pools - leaving the cold pool for warmer weather. Taking a walking break around town, we spotted this man riding his bike which was covered in all sorts of wind whirly-twirly things, feathers, and boas. This is clearly his normal gig and he was quite straight-faced about it.

Also this month, Megan celebrated her 41st birthday. We drove over to Palo Alto and had a delicious birthday brunch with her. February for her has been birthday and moving month as she packs up and changes homes.

We're missing our family very much in post-bat mitzvah style.
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Shalom in your home
and
Peace out home skillets!
Libby and Hannah

We're Still Here!

2009-02-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been a month since Hannah's bat mitzvah! One would think that time would open up to us and prove generously giving since we've no more tutoring and practice. However, life is rushing by and we are just trying to keep up. Maybe you know the feeling?

I took so many pictures during the bat mitzvah weekend that I hardly know what to do with them.

Surrounded by family, Hannah and I felt lucky to be a part of such love. The weekend was beautiful. I especially loved our day at the beach (when I actually remembered my camera). I believe the sun offered its bat mitzvah present to Hannah in the form of clear skies and warm days for our snow-covered family. After everyone was gone, Hannah made a card wall in her bedroom with every card she received. She wakes up each morning looking at the support and love from that day. Her platter, with signatures all round (which I forgot to photograph!) is a great memory- especially with "Aunt Jeff" nice and clear on the side. I wish I had pics on my own camera from the bat mitzvah itself, but Shelly took some truly beautiful photos and I'll make sure everyone has the link.
Hannah will never forget this important weekend and the way our family
came through for her. And I will always remember that Jacob wore a red tutu!

Shalom in Your Home
and
Peace Out, Home Skillets.
Libby and Hannah

Movies, Candies, and Swans, Oh My...

2008-12-30T12:09:00.000-08:00

With one day left of vacation before Hannah headed out to her Dad's house, we had to decide how to spend our time together. We threw on our hand-knitted hats from Mom and drove to Hannah's favorite lunch place in the city, Pluto's.

After lunch we walked over to a wonderful old-timey candy store on Chestnut Street, Delish, that is one of our new favorites. Hannah chose a bag of candies, including this rock-candy-pop that turned her teeth, tongue, and lips bright blue. We took our candy to a movie theater and laughed through Yes Man while stuffing ourselves (with popcorn, too).

Next we headed over to the Palace of Fine Arts. Besides being a gorgeous place to walk around, it's also fun for feeding ducks, gulls, swans.

On a little island in the water, two trees have become a resting spot for dozens of herons. I love seeing these huge birds balancing gracefully, necks bent in sleep.

Alright, here's a challenge. I'd like you to go out with a camera (or stay in) and take a foot shot from above and a head shot from below. Send me the pics via email so I can post them. C'mon, do it for me? Thanks!

By the way, Happy Birthday to Bri and Happy New Year to all!
Shalom in your home
and
Peace out, home skillets.
Libby and Hannah

SuperHeebs + Xmas = Chinatown

2008-12-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

So, like any good Jewish girls, Hannah and I spent the afternoon in Chinatown on Christmas Day.

Leaving our East Bay neighborhood, ours was one of very few cars on the road. Heading across the Bay Bridge, into the city, it was clear that most people were home enjoying Christmas. However... as we turned into Chinatown, San Francisco suddenly seemed normal again. The streets were packed, hundreds of people pushed to move on the sidewalks, every shop was open with vegetables and live animals waiting to be cooked for dinner, and laundry hung from almost every window.
We branched out from our usual dim sum experience and ate at a new restaurant. The Chinese broccoli was delish (dipped in a sweet plum sauce) and I loved the shrimp-stuffed eggplant.

During our afternoon, we decided to have an impromptu game-night and called a few friends to come over. We had about 12 friends in to play Apples-to-Apples and another game that I never really understood. It involves werewolves, villagers, cupid, a witch, and a lot of falling asleep at nighttime. Hannah says it's like Mafia, but more complicated. The fact that I never understood how the game was played made me a bit of the town idiot, but it was still great fun. The only thing that could have made our game night more fun would've been if we'd had our wonderful family with us! Pretty soon...

Shalom in your home
and
Peace out home skillets.
Libby and Hannah

Thanksgiving, Belated and Elated

2008-12-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

How did Thanksgiving pass by so quickly? Is it too late to let you know what I'm thankful for? As Hannah's bat-mitzvah draws nearer, I'm so grateful to know that my family will be here with us! I know that you're each giving something up (especially money) to come across the United States and join us. We are immensely thankful.
Hannah and I started Thanksgiving Day with a walk at the dog park. Hannah's love for Snickerdoodle is unending. What I find most disturbing in places like this (and, by that, I mean places where dogs are treated as royalty) is how quickly our role as pet owners becomes absurd. This sign is a perfect example of what I mean. The dog park is a great place for people-watching and I really lucked out with this man who must be the happiest, and first, pipe-smoker I've seen in years. It's difficult to see from this photo, but the barrel of the pipe is quite oversized. It somehow seems perfect with the man's bald head, doesn't it? What a happy smoker!

Stopping at Peet's on the way home was supposed to be for getting hot tea. Somehow Hannah ended up with this concoction; you can tell by the look on her face that she's aware of her good fortune.

Do you think that our friend, Becky, regretted asking us to bring appetizers when she saw our experiment? We boiled red potatoes, cut them in half, and topped each one with a flavored sour cream. They actually tasted good, but they leave a bit to be desired in the presentation department. Becky and her husband, Jesse, are giving their two-year-old, Lily, a little sister next month. Whenever Lily sees me she immediately says, "Where's Hannah?!"

The day after Thanksgiving, Hannah and I drove up to Point Reyes Station, home to one of our favorite bakeries (the Bovine) and the Cowgirl Creamery. We stopped first at the Creamery to get freshly made cheese and salads. The Cowgirl cheeses are decadent and delicious. We ate everything remotely considered edible and then sprinted to the bakery where we ate foods that made our creamy cheese look like health food.

Also over Thanksgiving Weekend, Hannah chose the dress she'll wear for her Bat Mitzvah and now we just can't wait to see how it looks with the magical spider-web shawl Mom is knitting. She seems to be waffling now on whether or not completion is a sure thing, but we have all the faith in Gramma Em!

Shalom in your home or, as Hannah says: Peace out, home skillets!

A Day in the Mission

2008-11-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

I love walking in the Mission! Mostly, today, I walked around Mission and Valencia Streets, between 17th and 24th. While on a search for interesting folks to take portraits of, I also continued my obsession with murals. The Mission District is a gold mine for both.

This woman was waiting at a bus stop with a cart full of laundry and shopping bags. Set on top of the overflowing cart were several round breads wrapped in plastic. She seemed tired from her errands, but when I asked if I could snap her photo she gave me a slight nod and drew herself up. I think she gained three inches in one breath.

It's easy to see how the murals and people both reflect the diversity and richness of experience in the Mission. Most of the murals are in alleys. They may last months, weeks, or only days as graffiti is imminent.

With a guitar on his back and the perfect hat,
the image of the Mexican musician is everywhere.

I approached this man as he panhandled on the corner. While he was open to being photographed, he told me that he didn't think he'd be able to smile. I told him that he didn't have to do anything at all. He said that life is too hard. It was painful to feel how much he needed a break. It's much easier to close our hearts to those having a more difficult life than ours, but I think we pay a terrible price when we allow that to happen.

Michael was putting up artwork as I approached. Instead of a mural, it was artwork printed onto paper and pasted up. His work invites you to visit a website (vototron.com) that is really wonderful. After being assured that I was not with the police, he was sweet enough to let me take pictures of him. Please visit his website. He tried explaining it to me several times and I didn't understand, but the site itself is quickly self-explanatory and very intelligent.

I love the dreamy, druggy ideas of many murals. I find it comforting that our brains are full of ideas that excite and disturb. I want to believe that we each have an inner world that distracts us and creates a uniqueness unseen in our daily lives. I suppose I need to know that I am not alone in this intensity of experience.

This couple looked happy in a little bubble of love. I asked them how long they'd been together and they replied, "Three months". I made a comment about that being the reason they're happy - and regretted it immediately. Cynicism hides my own desires for love and that's really never pretty.

This man put a huge smile on my face. He was following behind me, saying somewhat rude remarks and attempting to sell ipods simultaneously, when I suddenly turned to him and asked if he wanted me to take his picture. He was ecstatic and really hammed it up!

Every area offers glimpses, however fleeting, of what makes it special. It might be balloons waiting to be twisted into animals.
Or wrestling masks hanging outside a store. Maybe it's the murals. Or the people we take the time to talk with. For some reason, I desire and devour these bits of life outside of myself. They feed me, enrich me, and give me faith that my daily concerns are just one strand, one speck, of a much larger picture. What a great day!

Shalom in your home. Libby

Faces

2008-11-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

Hannah's at her Dad's for the weekend and my Saturday is open before me. I'll be heading out with my camera in just a few minutes. I'm hoping to take close portraits today, but I have to have the guts to ask people if I can step in front of them with my camera. That's the piece I find challenging. I've gone through some portraits I've taken to encourage my own chutzpah to step up a notch. I love this portrait of Mom and Hannah and this one, too. They are peas in a pod!

This man was selling his handwoven hats at a sidewalk show in
East Lansing. He talked with me about weaving for about 30 minutes as I built the courage to ask him for a picture. Before I moved on, he invited me to visit him in Hawaii and learn the art of weaving.

Dad and Fran humored me
very nicely for this one.

These boys were very kind to stand still, harness their energy, and let me snap their patriotism.

Joel has such an expressive face, I felt lucky to capture this moment.

Those of you who were there know the time I put into chatting up this blueberry grower while I gathered the courage to ask if I could use my camera. It was definitely worth it as his face is absolutely beautiful.

This girl was panhandling in the City on a cold day. I wasn't really happy with my picture of her, but I was happy I asked. Hopefully, she's found warmth and food somewhere now.

Okay, guys, I'm heading out, camera in hand, to ask folks if I can photograph them. I hate the rejection, which ranges from a simple "No" to angry diatribes on why I should stay inside my own little bubble. Wish me luck.

Shalom in your home. Libby

Separate is Not Equal

2008-11-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a day of protest across the nation and Hannah and I joined thousands in front of City Hall in San Francisco. I had taken for granted that Prop 8 would not pass and that my neighbors agreed with me that civil rights are birth rights. I won't take it for granted again and I have promised myself to be much more outspoken on the issue so that those I come into contact with will know how I feel and why.
Hannah and I were both brought to tears by an amazing speaker named Amos Brown. He was one of six students taught by Martin Luther King and I have never been in the presence of anyone with a voice of such authority and power. He is an African-American Baptist and he says that he "stands alone" in support of equal rights for gay people. He said that he will stand up for equality and justice whenever the need arises even if he stands apart from his community to do so. My favorite thing he said, in his metered booming voice was, "I am a Baptist, but I am not a bigot!"

As the temperature rose into the eighties, the mood grew more demanding. Several speakers reminded everyone how recently it was that interracial couples could marry in this country.

They reminded us just how recently women fought for the right to be viewed as individuals, not as property, and how recently our schools were integrated.

It's important that we see this not as a gay issue, but as a human issue. I would like to see all heterosexual marriages stopped, in protest, until equal rights are granted for the gay community.
I'll share this viewpoint with everyone I speak with now, but I thought I'd start here - with you!

I know that rallies happened in many cities across the US on Saturday, but I really appreciate being in San Francisco. We can protest and look good doing it!

Shalom in your home! Libby