We had a wonderful,
if a bit crazy, Thanksgiving. Our family has grown so much from just our two
little girls to two big girls, two big boys, one not-so-little boy, and four
little girls. There is simply not a quiet moment other than the first 5-10
minutes of dinner when they gobble up their food before running off to play some
more. Unfortunately, little Julia was under the weather; turns out it was just
a bad cold but nothing seems fun when you feel the way she looked.
As is often the case
with our family, food rules the day. We had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner
in which everyone pitched in. Barry did the turkey, the brisket, and a zucchini
chick pea stew. Simmie made her yummy mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallow
fluff on top, as well as pumpkin pie and blondies. Dina made bread stuffing and
cranberry sauce, and Evy (Ronen’s mother) brought along a big salad, a
cranberry crunch, and two kugels, one potato and one broccoli. We rounded it
out with some rice and some couscous. Then, as if she had not already done more
than enough, Evy, who could not say “no” to Maya’s request, supplied her
homemade challah for our Shabbat: one large one made of mini-challot shaped
like a turkey, and three regular braided loaves. So to say we ate well is an
understatement. Friday night was the one meal I cooked, including yellow split
pea soup with little veggie sausages as a garnish, Wynelle’s pot pie
(Moosewood), sweet lokshen (noodle) kugel and fish marinated and cooked in a teriyaki
sauce that Barry makes. For Shabbat day we ate leftovers from Thursday evening,
and there were still leftovers from that!
Saturday evening
Barry and I took the four older children over to Menchie’s for frozen yogurt. It
is really very close to us and the weather was mild, so we walked and I drove
my scooter over. Barry and I are gradually coming to accept that the children
are not little tots any more, and they can walk down the street in a group
without running out in front of cars. Oh such silly grandparents we are!
At the end of my last
post, I mentioned that we had seen two movies. Unfortunately, my poor memory is
struggling but I will do my best.
The first movie was “Spotlight,”
with Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams as Boston Globe reporters working under an
editor played by Michael Keaton who uncovered the sexual abuse of young boys by
priests in Massachusetts. It turned out that this had been going on for years
and was largely covered up by the Boston Archdiocese using a practice of simply
sending offending priests to new communities. After the initial story was
published, the enormous scope of the damage became clear. Unfortunately, in
recent years we have heard of such incidents in Jewish communities as well.
The movie was quite
well done. Good wins out over evil but there is no hooting and hollering; no matter
how you look at this it was a devastating experience for many young men and
their families.
Continuing in the one-word film title genre, the second movie we saw is called “Brooklyn.” This is a beautifully told story that is sweet without being sappy. The main character, Eilis, is played by the actress Saoirse Ronan. If you do not know any more about Irish names than I do, I looked up both of these, and include here some links that tell what they mean and how they are pronounced.
The Irish Name Eilis
Eilis is a young Irish woman who comes to the United States looking for a better education and a better life. Those of us who grew up here in nice suburban homes do not think much about how difficult it must have been for immigrants to settle here, as did many of our parents or grandparents, in the days before relatively easy travel and communication. After a bit of a rocky start, she begins to find her way and even a relationship with a charming young Italian fellow. But after being abroad for a while she receives notice that her sister, with whom she was close, has died, and decides to return to Ireland, promising the young man she will return, and secretly marrying him before a judge at City Hall. There is a period when the strings pulling her to stay in Ireland become quite strong, even involving another potential suitor.
Perhaps I should not give away the end here, because I highly recommend this charming film. It may simply be that we enjoyed it because the week before we saw it had been so filled with sadness. But in any mood, this is a beautifully made film and a beautifully told story. So enjoy if you have a chance.
Love,
Rebecca
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