Debbie Friedman will Sing about the Latke for you

Friday Five-Oldie but Goodie but New to Me

Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal....

1) dessert/cookie/family food

I miss all the foods my mother used to cook, in particular, Christmas cookies! All of her life she was a harried cook as she worked, but after she retired-well she was off to the races.

Now for the part I don't like. LATKES Greasy, heavy, with onions. Yuk-The traditional food of Hanukah. The tradition goes that because the oil for the lamps lasted for 8 days one should eat fried foods, jelly donuts (not so bad) and LATKES. I will be posting Debbie Friedmans ode to a Latke in a few days.

2) beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog w/ way too much egg and not enough nog, etc...)

As recovering people say, Alcoholism in a 3 prong disease, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Nought Said!

3) tradition (church, family, other)

I'd have to say the dreaded OFFICE PARTY! Where you have to play with people you don't even want to work with!

4) decoration

The exess of decorations and music that start even before Thanksgiving and drive my Jewish Beloved crazy! (although I love walking through the piles of Christmas trees on the sidewalk-the smell really changes the scent of NYC!)

5) gift (received or given)

The big bag of recycled gifts that I get every Christmas and birthday from an office mate. Yikes! And I'm not the only one. Fortunately she retired and doesn't make the trip to Brooklyn.

BONUS: SONG/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it.
Anything that you can buy at Hallmark or by a pop artist that has just been put out for the season to generate bucks.

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What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader   You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
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As if the Vatican Council Never Happened...

By Damian Thompson
Wednesday, 5th September 2007

As of Friday, 14 September, the worldwide restrictions on the celebration of the ancient Latin liturgy of the Catholic Church will be swept away. With a stroke of his pen, Pope Benedict XVI has ended a 40-year campaign to eradicate the Tridentine Mass, whose solemn rubrics are regarded with contempt by liberal bishops. In doing so, he has indicated that the entire worship of the Church — which has become tired and dreary since the Second Vatican Council — is on the brink of reformation. This is an exciting time to be a Catholic. Unless, that is, you are a diehard ‘go-ahead’ 1970s trendy, in which case you are probably hoping that the Good Lord will call Joseph Ratzinger to his reward as soon as possible.

First, let us get some terminology out of the way. Until 7 July this year, Catholics believed that there were two main Rites of Mass: the Tridentine or Old Rite, promulgated by Pope Pius V in 1570; and the New Rite, promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970. When I was growing up in the years after the Council, I was taught that the New Rite had completely superseded the Old. The only people who attended the Tridentine Mass were hatchet-faced old men wearing berets and gabardine raincoats, who muttered darkly about Satan’s capture of the papacy. I had never been to the Old Mass and knew only two things about it: that it was said by the priest ‘with his back to the people’ — how rude! — and that most priests who celebrated it were followers of the rebel French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. These people were unaccountably ‘attached’ to the Tridentine Rite and its ‘fussy’ accretions — the prayers at the foot of the altar; the intricately choreographed bows, crossings and genuflections of the celebrant; the ‘blessed mutter’ of the Canon in a voice inaudible to the congregation. The New Mass, in contrast, was said by the priest facing the people, nearly always in English. It was for everyone. Including people who didn’t like it.

In the 1980s, in an attempt to woo back the followers of Lefebvre, Pope John Paul II eased the almost total ban on the Tridentine Rite. If groups of the faithful were still ‘attached’ (that word again) to the old liturgy, they could approach their bishop and ask him to make provision for it. In other words, the decision was left in the hands of diocesan bishops, many of whom displayed a shocking meanness of spirit when interpreting the new guidelines. And John Paul, being a busy and ill man who was not terribly fond of the Tridentine Rite, let them get away with it.

Three years ago, lovers of the traditional liturgy were despondent. Yes, matters had improved since the 1970s. The Old Mass was no longer the preserve of Lefebvrists: it was now attracting growing numbers of loyal young Catholics on the run from geriatric ‘worship leaders’. But in many English dioceses it was still easier to track down a witches’ coven than a traditional Mass. And, depressingly, the one curial cardinal who really cared about these things was heading for retirement.

Only he didn’t retire. He became Pope instead. And, on 7 July, he issued a document that did more than abolish restrictions governing the celebration of the Tridentine Mass. The apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum, issued ‘Motu Proprio’ (that is, as a personal decree), restores the traditional liturgy — the whole Missal, not just the Mass — to full parity with the post-Vatican II liturgy of 1970.
My comment: It was a move of extreme arrogance!

An Inspirational Gift from my big sister Carmel-I needed it today

I haven't read the book.

More on Surgery in America

I just found out that my "on plan surgeon and hospital" only have OFF PLAN anesthesiologists. No thanks, I'll just bite this bullet!

What kind of art are you?

You Are Modernism

You tend to be oriented toward the future and technology. You like art that signals how the world might change in radical ways. As far as art goes, everything in the past is obsolete - and it's time to carve a new path. You prefer art that doesn't follow any rules - even if the art doesn't make much sense.

What Art Movement Are You?

Back to work again...for a week or so

He looks pretty relaxed

Well, I'm back to work for a week and two days until surgery day on the 5th. I'm feeling a little anxious. I've been out for two+ weeks just for this stupid procedure (plus another 2 weeks when they thought I had Hep A) and it seems like a waste of time. This all to figure out that that I'll have to have an open surgery that will keep me out for at least 6 weeks. Did i mention I starrted this promotion on 1/2/07 which makes me still on probation!
("A N X I E T Y...it's crawling all over me (anyone remember that song?")
Thanks for allowing me to vent my frustrations and anxieties.

Debbie Friedman sings the Aleph Bet