Why Are We Blowing Kazoos on the Steps of the New York Public Library in 1988?

Why Are We Blowing Kazoos on the Steps of the New York Public Library in 1988?

 I have no idea why....

Eating At Bagel Deli May Make You Live Longer

I took this photo that was on the wall near the restrooms at The Bagel Deli in Denver!

Reflections After Old Long Beach Calvary Chapel Reunion 2017

I've been thinking about this all week:

You know what was different about the old Calvary Chapel/Vinyard/Shekinah Long Beach reunion than other reunions I've attended?

No one was boasting about their accomplishments or embarassed about their lack of accomplishments. No one worried about what to wear. No one cared if they didn't look the same way they did when they were in their teens or 20s or 30s.

Joy and love took place on November 19, 2017! We were just "ourselves." We were just "family." We were genuinely glad to be together again.

Girard Married JO ANN and Dan - April 7, 1979

What a special thing it was to reunion on November 19, 2017 with the special and loving man who married us....and so many others from the old Calvary Chapel of Long Beach. That group of  "Jesus Freaks" were they most loving people I've ever encounted in my entire life and one of the reason they were so loving was because of Girard and Carole Driscoll.

Looking at these photos brings tears to my eyes since Dan and I are getting close to 39 years of marriage and it was just so special to see Girard and Carole almost 39 years after Girard married us!

Carole and Girard - 11-19-17

Girard Driscoll married me and Dan on April 7, 1979. Dan and I attended a reunion of the old friends from when we were young and Girard and his wife Carole were there. Carole gave so much to everyone and so did Girard!

Carole and Girard Driscoll - November 19, 2017

Below is a description of the place Dan and I once were a a part of in our "Jesus Freak" days: 

Did you happen to go to or visit the little Calvary Chapel of Long Beach that was pastored by Girard Driscoll? Jim Beasley was the assistant pastor for awhile.

I think the group originally was Shekinah Fellowship and Koinania merged together.

 Were you part of the excitement of the Jesus Movement and of Calvary Chapel in the 1970s and the early 1980s?

Did you go to bible studies at the Lord's Bookstore? Do you remember Wednesday Night Live? The Kinship Groups? Do you remember never having to dress up for church? Remember Richard Mehl's great bible studies?

 Do you remember Lonnie Frisbee's visits? Do you remember services at Bryant Elementary School and Jefferson Junior High?

 Remember the worship team with Janet Gould and Frank Drago and some others? Remember the prayer meetings at Gerard's little house on Prospect Avenue near Wilson High School?

Remember how much Girard and his wife Carol liked camping?

Remember that most of us were single, but found the person we married through Calvary Chapel of Long Beach?

 If you were part of that little, but loving group of people, we have reunioned online.

Shabbat HaNefesh - Temple Israel 11-10-17

Below are some video clips I took from the Shabbat HaNefesh service at Temple Israel 11-10-17. As always, it was a moving and wonderful service!  Cantor Sara Hass and Bill Shafton did an amazing job as usual! I really love Shabbat HaNefesh.

 

Dealing With Someone Who Drains Everything Out of Me

This is a good article for me to read since I am dedicated to helping my adopted aunt but have noticed recently that the time spent with her drains me...

• How to Deal With People Who Drain You

How Dare a Mom Who Sent Her Kids to School Criticize a Homeschooling Mom!

Recently a homeschooling mom friend told me that she had received "advice" from a mom who did not believe in homeschooling, but in my opinion, the "advice" my friend received sounded more like a lecture.

It was "suggested" first that her entire family would be much happier if the children were put in public school.  Then the mom bragged about how one of her grown children is a doctor and how great all of her children are after going to public school.  This person also said that the homeschooling mom's life would be so much easier and stress-free if she did not homeschool her children.

Then that mom told my friend that she was keeping her home schooling children in a bubble and when they reach their 18th birthdays they will "let lose and go crazy!"

The non-homeschool parent was absolutely shocked to learn that the homeschool mom did not permit her children to watch  a lot of television.  This homeschool mom believes that television today has so much "garbage" and believes that too much T.V. watching may cause her children to lose some creativity.

When my friend told me about this, I told her to ignore this "advice" and just school her children the way she wants.  All three of my children were homeschooled-unschooled and came out fine.  They are independent young adults now and love to continue to learn.

What did my children miss by not going to public school?  They missed the bullying and worrying about what to wear.  They missed sitting at uncomfortable desks all day long.  They missed having homework piled on them.  They missed peer pressure and the need to conform.  They never had to write "I will not talk in class" 100 times.  They didn't have to eat food in a school cafeteria every day or ask permission to go to the restroom.  They didn't have to study all year long for school achievement tests.

What did they do instead?  Since my kids were not sitting in a classroom every day, they became each other's best friends.  They hung out with their mom and did "cool things" with me during the hours of the day when other kids were inside classrooms.  We not only skated together every day, but we went to museums and to the zoo.  We hiked, biked, and skied together and we sang and danced together.  We traveled and we explored.

My children did watch television, but I noticed that they chose shows and movies to watch that taught them about life.  They watched classic musicals and enjoyed documentaries.

Were my children in a bubble?  Well perhaps they were...their friends were also kids with loving moms who wanted only the best for their children.  Those kids were also creative and happy and grew up to be successful young adults. They did meet kids that went to school at Ramah in the Rockies, so they also made friends with kids from all over the world who were educated in the traditional way.

Anyway...how dare a mom who sent her kids to school criticize a homeschooling mom.  Choosing to homeschool children is a hard job and a homeschool parent should not be criticized. 

May Their Memory Be a Blessing

I love the Jewish tradiition of remembering our loved ones who have passed.  Remembering them keeps them alive in our hearts and in our minds.  It is like they are still with us.

Here's the memory of my family at Temple Israel in Long Beach, California:

Remembering Esther Feingold Schneider and Tom Schneider

Today, 10-30-17, my father and I went to find the grave of my great-granadmother, Esther Feingold Schneider.  We knew it was in the same cemetary of my father's Uncle Tom Schneider, the Beth Olam Cemetary at Hollywood Forever in West Hollywood, California.

It took awhile, but we found Esther and then we found Tom and his wife Henrietta and Tom's son Milt "Mitzy" Schneider who died when he was young after being thrown from a horse.

Below are some photos to help remember them.  It was very emotional to think that I'm descended from someone who was born in 1872 and to get "to meet her" today.  My Great-Uncle Tom Schneider was the oldest of her eight children.

My father tells me that his grandma was the sweetest grandma ever who had presents wrapped in advance for he grandchildren!

Esther Feingold Schneider

My Great-Grandmother Esther and My Grandpa Max Schneider in front of his jewelry store in downdown Long Beach on Pine Avenue sometime sin the 1950s

My Grandpa Max and His Brother Tom Schneider inside Grandpa's jewelry store - I'm guessing the mid-1960s

Uncle Tom and My Brother Billy

Dr. Ron Wolfson Got Me to Remember My Wonderful Jewish Grandparents

Fannie and Max Schneider - 1928

Dr. Ron Wolfson came to Temple Israel and spoke on Friday evening 10/27, Saturday morning 10/28, and Sunday morning 10/29, 2017.  Each talk he gave was about the books he has written. 

The Sunday morning talk was called "The Best Boy in the United States of America."  It was really fun hearing Dr. Wolfson share the stories he had to tell about his life.

Remembering loved ones keeps them alive and that is a very special part of Jewish tradition.

As he described his grandfather, I remembered my wonderful Grandpa Max.  Dr. Wolfson's grandfather gave his grandchildren huge hugs and kisses and sat in a big chair.

When I was a child, my dad took us to Grandma Fannie and Grandpa Max's house every Sunday.  We'd park whatever car we drove then right in front of the house at 232 Granada in Belmont Shore, Long Beach, California and when the three of us got out of the car, Grandma and Grandpa would greet us on the door step and Grandpa Max would always put his arms around me and squeeze me hard and give me a huge kiss and hug.  Grandma Fannie would kiss me and I'd immediately wipe of the lipstick.

Max and Fannie in the 1960s

Grandpa Max was truly excited to see us and knew somehow that those hugs he gave us every Sunday would stay inside my soul.  Grandpa Max was the kind of grandfather and father that made us all feel safe and while he was alive, my dad seemed to know that everything would always be alright.

Lynnellenn, Billy, and Jo Ann Schneider - 1962 - In Front of Grandpa and Grandma Schneider's House in Belmont Shore - The Street Still Looks the Same!

Like Dr. Wolfson's grandfather, my Grandpa Max sat in a huge chair all day long on the Sundays we visited and we would surround him and just talk.  Grandma Fannie sat at the corner of the couch and knitted.

Grandma Fannie liked to write.  At the end of his talk today, Dr. Wolfson shared a letter written to her sons by his mother that was left for her sons to read after her death.  I cried when I heard him read the letter because I knew my Grandma Fannie would have done the same thing.

I miss them both and wish so much that I could go back to being a little girl in the 1960s and wish my Grandpa Max could hug me and my Grandma Fannie would kiss me.

Disturbing Article About Ultra Orthodox Fundamental Cult

The link below links to a really upsetting story....and it is not just about ultra-Orthodox Jews. Religious fundamentalism has torn many families apart.

I don't talk about it much, but when I was young, shortly after I quit competitive skating, I was sucked into a cult like group. I think my parents must have been sad like this parent who wrote this article, but It passed.  I live my life now grateful for every day with my children and friends.

I also have recently watched "One of Us" on Netflix and the stories there are really disturbing. "One of Us" is not an example of all ultra orthodox or Hasidic groups, but so very disturbing.

• How I Lost My Daughter to Religious Fundamentalism - BY KARIN BROOKE

Hiking With My Friend Rhonda 10-28-17

It was fun to take a spur of the moment hike today with my friend Rhonda! She is a "free spirit" like me and it was fun to talk and be together and talk about our kids. Her kids are younger than mine, but we have so much in common since we both homeschooled our kids and love our famiiles so much. A fun afternoon it was!

My Time Is My Most Precious Possession and I Want to Share It With You!

This song, Precious Possession (I'll Give You My Time) is one of my favorite songs by the Jewish music group Sababa.

I live my life every day wondering who I can reach out to and share "my time" with.  This song says just that.

I want each person who has touched my life to know that I want to share what really is "my most precious possession," my time, with them if they want it,  just as the lyrics of this wonderful song says...

Also, I love Sababa's songs!

 

Blessing of the Jewish Pets 10-22-17

My absolutely favorite thing that happens in Colorado Springs is the Blessing of the Jewish Pets which happens every year during the time we read Parsha Noach!