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Jewish Warrior Sisters

Eema
Eema Member Posts: 403

Even though I love hearing about all the flavors of G-d, I'd like a place where Jewish women can share their stregnth, fears, and hope.  Can it be here?  If you know what kugel is, know what it means to 'not roll on Shabbos', or even are just gastronomically Jewish (you like the food), let's share here!

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Comments

  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 1,929
    edited October 2011

    Eema, I think this is a terrific idea. I just posted on the High Holidays thread and told people there about this one.

    I'll be back after Yom Kippur.

    G'mar Chatima Tova.

    Leah

  • rachelvk
    rachelvk Member Posts: 564
    edited October 2011

    Eema - Thanks for starting this one! Though I'm not sure about the not rolling on Shabbos reference. I'm conservative and picking up new things from time to time,but not yet Shomer Shabbos.

  • crusader1
    crusader1 Member Posts: 114
    edited October 2011

    Hi,

    Not religoius at all but will fast starting tomorrow evening.

    Good group..

    Hugs,

    Francine

  • SAB
    SAB Member Posts: 1,121
    edited October 2011

    Thank you Eema, I will look forward to joining in after Yom Kippur.  

  • pessa
    pessa Member Posts: 137
    edited October 2011

    Wishing everyone a g'mar chatima tova and an easy fast (if you are well enough to fast). 

  • Eema
    Eema Member Posts: 403
    edited October 2011

    May we all be inscribed in the book of LIFE in 5772!

    Rachel, the 'rolling on Shabbos' is from a line in The Big Lebowski:).  Funny movie!

    If you are fasting, may it be easy and meaningful.

    Any of you heard of 'Tzom Li Kal' tablets to make fasting easier?

  • SAB
    SAB Member Posts: 1,121
    edited October 2011

    Popping in to say hello and add the thread to my list.  Hope ya'all had a wonderful holiday.

  • meg970
    meg970 Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2011

    I'll chime in too on this thread.

    I'm sure many of you will understand that I chose to take my morning tamoxifen during my Yom Kippur fast.  Unfortunately, I made a stupid mistake and took a sleeping pill instead.  You can imagine how I swayed during the Shachrit amidah!

    A happy and healthy New Year to everyone.

  • orangemat
    orangemat Member Posts: 368
    edited October 2011

    Hi, popping in to say hi to my fellow members of the tribe. Wink Thanks for starting this thread, Eema. Ha, I always feel like I'm talking to my mother when I address you!

  • Eema
    Eema Member Posts: 403
    edited October 2011

    Oy, orange!  I'm probably not as old as your mother, but who knows!  

    All the little Sephardi kids in my DS's class here call me Eema and my husband Abba.  It is very cute.  The Ashkenaz kids look at their counterparts like, "is he your dad or not?"  Then my DH  opened a kosher pizza place called 'Abba's Pizza,' and our names were pretty much sealed:)!

  • orangemat
    orangemat Member Posts: 368
    edited October 2011

    We have a kosher bakery in my town called Zadie's. So now the whole family is involved!

    Oh, and I knew the line from the movie, one of my favorites. In fact, my husband and I have this shtick where we repeat certain key lines from movies to each other when the situation fits, and it's so funny how usually most people have no clue what we're talking about. This line, "I don't roll on Shabbos" is one of them.

    And one more thing ("and another thing, Vonnegut..."), about that pill to make the fast easier... um, isn't that the point of fasting, so it's NOT easy? I always figured a little suffering was good for the soul, to cause you to reflect on the more important things in life, basically the state of your soul (my oversimplified interpretation of Yom Kippur). Just like how those astute and austere practitoners of yoga will sit for hours in rather uncomfortable positions for meditation. It's not about the body, regardless of how it feels, and once you free yourself of that, then you can go deep inside the mind and heart. Or so they tell me. Wink

  • pessa
    pessa Member Posts: 137
    edited October 2011

    Happy (and healthy) New year and gmar chatima tova to all of you.

    Have a Happy Sukkot as well.

  • Eema
    Eema Member Posts: 403
    edited October 2011

    That's funny about the movies... we do that, too!  "You read the bible, Ringo?" "Royale with Cheese," and especially (jumping movies here) "I don't roll on Shabbos"!

    My popup sukkah is sitting in my garage and I can't do a d@mn thing about it.  I'm very frustrated this morning and my stomach acid is eating a hole, I'm sure.  When I've felt like this before, I've had the sensation of my ovaries shutting down.  I don't know how to explain it.  

    DH and I had a HUGE blowout erev Kol Nidre.  Over nothing... I felt like he had beaten me physically after he was done.  I wasn't feeling well before, and I felt absolutely drained after.  

     I am trying to recover and can feel my immune system is compromised when I'm spoken to poorly.  Not surprisingly, my throat has been sore ever since, and I feel al cold coming on.

    I'm going to stop here.  I'm going to tai chi today and hope I will find some peace there.  He's been 'better' for one day, but this morning I could sense that tone in his voice again.  I wont let him f up my immune system.  I will talk to the rabbi next.  That actually is his least favorite thing I could do.... 

  • orangemat
    orangemat Member Posts: 368
    edited October 2011

    Eema, so sorry to hear about the fighting! Yes, emotional stress will definitely affect you physically, no doubt about that. My husband and I were running together a couple weeks ago, and somehow we started fighting (don't want to go into the details, BTDT and got over it already). Literally my throat closed up on me and I couldn't breathe! Had to stop running because I was gasping for air, wheezing uncontrollably. This had NEVER happened to me before, and no, I don't have asthma or any breathing issues in my history. About a minute or so later, I got my breathing under control again and resumed running. Needless to say, my husband was FINALLY convinced (he'd always thought it was some woowoo nonsense about the body responding physically to emotional stress), and I guess he felt guilty enough for causing me that attack by picking the fight. Ha!

  • Eema
    Eema Member Posts: 403
    edited October 2011

    Thanks for sharing that, Esther!  I'm trying very hard to get the acid down in my stomach... but all the coffee I'm drinking isn't helping!

    Your comment about going into the details hit me in a positive way.  I decided to delete my details.  I tend to get verbose when I'm upset:). 

  • orangemat
    orangemat Member Posts: 368
    edited October 2011
    It's good to get the details out, but not to hold on to them. Smile
  • rachelvk
    rachelvk Member Posts: 564
    edited October 2011

    Eema and Esther - I'm sorry to hear about your arguments. I've been fortunate so far with my BF and family, though I did have two blowups with my Mom (the first time when I found out she had gone ahead and told my sister about my BC before I could). Still, I know when my parents and nearby sister are here for my surgery and recovery, it could get tense given the usual family dynamics, and I may not be up for playing the peacemaker this time around. It is so hard to try to communicate what we're going through when others simply don't have a clue, no matter how hard they may (or may not) be trying to understand. Hang in there!

  • Eema
    Eema Member Posts: 403
    edited October 2011

    Absolutely!  My boy and I did tashlich yesterday, so I let the details go (at least I tried to!). :)

  • orangemat
    orangemat Member Posts: 368
    edited October 2011

    Good that you have the support, Rachel. Yes, the stress and arguments arise many times because those who love us want to help and are frustrated because they can't... or at least that's how it's been with my husband. He's a fixer type, and if he can't "fix" my cancer by taking it away himself, that makes him angry. And since he's not always the most evolved individual emotionally (heh), he lashes out at the most accessible scapegoat: me. After 25+ years of him doing this, I'm finally now able to point out to him that that's what he's been doing. And so he's trying. Usually comments involving my dry wit at inopportune times get through to him: "Honey, I know you care. Your intentions are so good, but your delivery sucks." Sort of a smirky slap in the face. Now I only have to say the "delivery sucks" part of that line, and he gets the point. Progress!

  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 4,690
    edited October 2011

    "Sheitel, sheitel, sheitel, they made you out of hair.

    And when I'm bald and shiny, oh sheitel I will wear."



    Yup, got a wig today and a halo. It was kind of fun trying them on. Some were so truly awful that we were rolling on the floor laughing. Went to a nice woman's boutique and they were very patient and helpful. Outpatient surgery and port placement tomorrow then on to chemo!

    Caryn

  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 1,929
    edited October 2011

    Caryn, I'm glad you had a good time getting your sheitel! Best of luck with the chemo.

    I hope everyone is enjoying Sukkot. We had such a lovely holiday! Two of my daughters , one with her husband and 3 children, came for the chag. Grandchildren are the best!

    I love Sukkot. It's such a good time for relaxing with my family and friends.

    What I'm having difficulty with is knowing my limits. My mets level is low (one tumor to sacrum) and my tx is Femara and Aredia. The Femara just knocks out my stamina so when I do a lot of stuff, what I used to call normal, I'm wiped out. I didn't consider my menus to be very complicated - night meal we had soup, roast turkey with stuffing, sweet potatoes and salad and lunch we had chopped liver, stuffed cabbage, rice and salad. I made two desserts (choc. cream pie and cinnamon cookies). At one time I would have done all of that and I'd be fine. This time I felt exhausted afterwards and I'm still feeling very low-energy. If I did less I wouldn't be so tired but I want to have as normal a life as I can for as long as I can. I push myself to do it and then I'm surprised again each time when I'm so tired.

    Well, one advantage to living in Israel is that we only have one day of chag, not two!

    Leah

  • crusader1
    crusader1 Member Posts: 114
    edited October 2011

    Hi ladies,

    Nice to see so many of us on the board..

    I too occasionally argue with my DH over nothing..I guess that is what marriage is about at times..

    I took my arimidex the morning I fasted and all went well.

    Today I am going to a good friends Succah. She just finished her chemo late August and is doing well.

    Keep this up ..Lets get to know each other. Where do most of you live?

    Hugs,

    Francine

  • SAB
    SAB Member Posts: 1,121
    edited October 2011

    Leah,  I know just from reading your posts that your family comes to be with you (OK the yummy food is a nice extra BUT...) When I changed my diet to start eating healthily and stopped cooking traditional food I found out that not only did my family think it was fine--my DH and two DDs joined me on my new "diet" to support me.  My DH said it makes them feel like they are doing something to help and contributing to my health. It is a new "normal" for us, and everyone is finding recipes and cooking too.

    Francine, I'm from Northern CA, near Santa Cruz. Small coastal town, very mellow. 

  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 1,929
    edited October 2011

    SAB, you mean chocolate cream pie isn't healthy??????????????

    But you're right, we all have a good time together.

    This Shabbat I went to my other married daughter and her family. She also has 3 kids so that gave me a big problem - who do I kiss first?

    I've been married for 35 years and over the years, yes, there have been arguments about nothing and others about real things. We hang in there because we both know it's worth it. It seems, though, that as time goes on we argue less. I guess we've both come to realize that sometimes it's best to just let things go. It bothers me? Well, as strange as it may seem, maybe some things I do bother him (nah, impossible). So we go on and are glad of it.

    Enjoy the rest of Sukkot!

    Leah

  • crusader1
    crusader1 Member Posts: 114
    edited October 2011

    SAB and others,

    Nice to meet you ..I have always tried to eat healthy and my DH goes along with it. That's because I do the cooking..LOL.

    Leah ..I almost met you when you came to NY a few years ago when the NY ladies were meeting. I met with them twice and then I never went again.Boy your cooking sounds great..

    I am going to Israel a year from now. I am going with three friends to celebrate our 65th Birthday. It is a tour and we will be in Israel for 14 days. I have been there 3 times..once in 67 , then 73 and finally 88 for my son's Bar Mitzvah..

    I have been married ( second Time) for over 21 years but sometimes we do argue..

    Hugs,

    Francine

  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 706
    edited October 2011

    Hi ladies. Glad to join this group. I'm in Toronto

  • orangemat
    orangemat Member Posts: 368
    edited October 2011

    Hi, I've been busy walking in NYC this weekend for the Avon Walk. I'm in Bergen County, NJ.

  • pessa
    pessa Member Posts: 137
    edited October 2011

    Hello and chag Sameach.

    I'm in New Jewsey for the chag but live in Los Angeles.  I am a single mother of 2 sons, 14 and 16 years old. 

    I am exactly one year since my second mastectomy and over a year since completion of my chemo.  Have completed one year of anastrazole, at least 4 more to go.  Time has gone very fast!

    Wishing all good health, the most important thing......

    Debbie

  • rachelvk
    rachelvk Member Posts: 564
    edited October 2011

    Welcome hrf and Pessa. Chag Sameach to you and everyone else.

    Pessa - Where abouts in NJ?

    Although I don't go to services much during Sukkot, I've always been fascinated by it - it's the one holiday that makes me realize how nature-dependent we did use to be. There's something almost primal about shaking a lulav - and I LOVE the etrog scent that lingers on my hand. 

  • SAB
    SAB Member Posts: 1,121
    edited October 2011

    Happy cancer-versary to you Pessa.  Many, many more.

    I don't know why I don't celebrate sukkot more fully.  I guess I don't really know what to do, since I grew up with others doing for me at the temple sukka and then at the day school sukka.  Too bad since (like Rachel points out) it is such a nature lovers holiday.  Maybe next year! 

    Susan