Rosh Hashanah

Last night began the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. It is their New Year. When Keith and I lived in Florida many know that we taught early morning seminary and of course part of that was the Old Testament. When we lived in Ohio we loved going to institute with Rebecca Stay who had studied Hebrew and Jewish Studies; she helped us get a deeper understanding of the scriptures especially the Book of Mormon with Jewish background and their traditions. With these two experiences, Keith and I became more familiar with Jewish traditions. Even living in South Florida everyone mistook us for being Jewish with Gold as the last name.

The Mishnah, the core text of Judaism's oral Torah, contains the first known reference to Rosh Hashana as the "day of judgment." In the Talmud tractate on Rosh Hashanah it states that three books of account are opened on Rosh Hashanah , wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, and they are sealed "to live." The middle class are allowed a respite of ten days, until Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous; the wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living.

Rosh Hashanah is very interesting to me because it is again their new year for people, animals, and legal contracts, but one of their traditions is that they have 10 days to go and repent, they have got to think about the last year and what they have done in the past year and forgive those who they have wronged. It was explained to me by one of the Jewish faith that you must go and tell someone you are sorry, and then it is up to that person to forgive you, whether they do or don't is up to them, you have basically done your part.

Forgiveness is an interesting thing. It is a wonderful process that our Heavenly Father has given us, we feel so much better when we can confess forgiveness, however short or long that may take us; and to be forgiven is a whole other process and sometimes it is harder for us to say that what someone else has done to us will be forgotten because we cannot turn our feelings off like a faucet. There was a Rabbi who died in 1880 and has spoken of forgiveness...

"Your forgiveness must be real and complete, so that no trace of rancour remains in you. It must be a genuine restoration of the old brotherly love; what has happened must be really obliterated. Do not deceive yourself. It is so easy not to perform this duty. If left to itself the mind long remembers insults and injuries, even after forgiveness has been asked, even after reparation has been made." Rav. (Rabbi) Hirsch

Heavenly Father gave us this world to be tested and tried, it is hard because we are all 'natural men', but our Father in Heaven loves us and we are blessed to have the Book of Mormon to know that every day we can be reborn and feel as clean as we did the day we were baptized (if my memory will allow me to think back that far). I love that some put aside 10 days to forgive one another, I just hope that I can be doing it every day with their passion and with their commitment.

Ohio State Game Day

Yes, Andrea finally let me post a little corner to her blog. You might not first recognize the music playing along with the blog, but it is The Ohio State University fight song. It is played at all football games, of which I had the privilege to attend last Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

Having graduated from Ohio State, it has been several years since I last attended a football game. Since then, the stadium now holds over 104,000 thanks to a rennovation a couple of years ago. Terrelle Pryor made an impressive start as quarterback (a Freshman from Pennsylvania who in his senior year of High School passed for 4,000 yards and ran for 4,000 yards).

I attended with some college friends, so it was great to renew acquaintences and take in all the tradition associated with game day.

That Touch of Mink

Who is my favorite Actress Doris Day hands down! So when I took Barney and Molly out this morning and they went crazy barking and pulling me towards the house and I saw something black and heard a hissing and realized that this was one of the Minks that had been released from a Mink farm in here locally on Sunday by the ALF (Animal Liberation Front), along with the 600 or so others. Who would think there were still Mink farms and one so close. The only thing that I could think of was the name of a movie starring Doris Day and Cary Grant "That Touch of Mink". At first I thought it may be a cat, but it was too small, then I thought it was a baby skunk, but ignorantly enough I don't know if they are born with white stripes; it was too long to be a ground hog, then I remembered the conversation that my Mom and I had yesterday about this and how I didn't even know what a Mink looked like. Mom knew because her cousin once had one when my Mom was a little girl.

I called Animal Control and they said they would dispatch someone out. I described what I had and they confirmed it was a Mink. I also asked what would happen to it and she assured me that it would be released back into the Mink farm. Cute little thing but very, very scared.


UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***

Animal Control came and found the Mink and took it away. He said that it was a pretty mean one as it hissed and moved around in the net. To quote him he said, "They don't get any meaner than this". I am so happy that neither of the dogs or I were bitten. Three other people stopped when he was taking it away and said that they lived around me and that they had one in their back yards as well.

I Hope They Call Me on a Mission

Wow, how time flies! That is an old saying isn't it? But that is how I feel. When Keith and I first got married, I got to meet a family that have become very close to my heart. The David and Cherie Williams' family from Grafton, Ohio. They had 4 children, Chase, Gage, Sadie, and Gavin, that was in 1996. Now in 2008 they have 7 children adding ,Faith, and Chay . Last week Keith and I were able to have lunch in Utah, with Elder Chase Williams who was called to the Riverside California, Spanish Speaking mission, before he went into the MTC in Provo. What a GREAT time we had. It was great to see him, especially since in October of 2007 he was driving back to Cedar City to college when his car he was driving rolled over and he broke his neck, and had to have his head sewn back together. Seeing him in ICU with tears down my face, I was praying so hard that he could be made well, so he could go on his mission. Seeing him last Tuesday, there is a scar on the side of his head, visable when he turns his head and he is a missionary. Keith and I are very proud of him!

A Celebration of Hula

Salsa with salmon

Poi

The top of the Poi Plant

Last Friday a work collegue invited us to a recital of sorts. My friend Chris Gaui is from Hawaii and he teaches Hula at a community center in Salt Lake, he had a celebration of his 20 years that he had been teaching Hula, the last 10 of which have been in SLC. He had some of his students perform older, and newer.

The food was ok, but I think you have to get used to it. It was fun to see, I told Keith that he definitely HAS to go to Hawaii. Maybe someday?