Capturing the Magic

Ever have one of those days when all you want to do is get into your pajamas and hang out in bed, under your feather quilt, with some tea or cocoa and a movie or a book? That was last night for me.

It was cold, well, not even seasonably cold, but colder than it has been and that was enough to be too cold for me (who, it turns out, is apparently a weather snob). My day had been long - starting with a workout at 7:15am, running home to shower and change, then back to work (the gym is literally next door), then a long day at work, then run to mom’s daycare for a Chanukkah party, then dinner with mom.

I had been out of the house over 12 hours, and I was tired, brain dead and cold. All I wanted was a shower, pajamas and bed.

The house was dark, except the lights from our Chanukiot in the window. When I walked in, I smelled something sweet, perfumy in the air and couldn’t believe my eyes.

The staircase was covered in Rose petals. Red, pink. Pink, red. A riot of Love and Color. And alternating right and left, there was a candle on each step, lit, aromatic, and leading me to the darkened second floor, where I knew Chewbacca was waiting.

I whispered to my mom, "Are those for me?" She whispered "Well, they’re not for me!". So I whispered, "I’m going upstairs now" and she replied "That’s a good idea."

Carefully, I walked upstairs, anticipating, excited, in a daze, and nervous. All was dark. I went into my room and stopped dead in my tracks.

Chewy had strewn rose petals all over my floor. And on top of those fragrant petals was a heart made from candles, flanked on three sides by bouquets of flowers, and propped up behind was the words to our song (This Kind of Love by Sister Hazel) on a beautiful poster.

Then Chewy stepped out of the shadows. He looked fantastic. He was wearing a dark suit, French Cuffed shirt and he was stylin’! And I had missed him because he had been so distracted the past few days, it had created distance between us and I missed our closeness. I reached for him and said "Hi". He said, "Shhh, I’m on a schedule" then said, "Ok, you can say hi, that’s ok, Hi".

Then Chewbacca read me a poem he wrote about why he loves me, and got down on his knee for the last 4 lines, opened up a box which held a necklace and matching bracelet (the ring is on order) and asked me to marry him.

(I said Yes in case you were wondering)

The rest of the night is like a blur. People started coming over, family members and close friends. It is traditional to make a toast to the new couple on the night they become engaged to add a positive energy/karma to their union. The house was humming with the amount of people who came. There was so much joy and love and affection pouring out from everyone, people were so genuinely pleased for us, it was humbling, awe inspiring and precious. We frantically made phone calls to family and friends who were too far away to join us (though it seemed to me that EVERYONE knew already, as they had been clued in prior to the event. Everyone knew except me!)

The proposal was not only romantic, well thought out, well executed and ....well, perfect. It was exactly what I wanted. I am skittish about surprises and really don’t like public displays. This was private, between us, shared by no one in the moment, and something that we can treasure with each other forever.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I didn’t get to put on my pajamas until the wee hours of the morning......but I’m not complaining.

Festival of Lights (including microwaves and infrared)

I believe Chanukkah is my favorite holiday. There are others I love, but this one has always been special to me. I love watching the flames (ok, slight residual pyromania from my childhood there) and the warmth of the glow from family, loved ones and the soft light of candles burning in the window. I love driving past houses with their chanukiot lit up and feeling connected to those strangers in a visceral, history-sharing way.

I always feel less lonely on this holiday - though my years in Tennessee were difficult because I was the lone Jew lighting my pitifully small candles in a desert of humanity. The light of my menorah made nary a dent in the darkness around me. (Besides, it had to compete with the crystal meth lab down the block and they had some spectacular flares).

Chanukkah for me is a time to reconnect or seek depth in relationships with loved ones. Whether they are far away, or generally out of touch, I always feel a deepening of my love and affection for those in my life, and though I dont always reach out and make those connections again, I *do* feel them and reinforce that emotion within. Sometimes I am blessed with the ability or opportunity to express my joy and appreciation to those that I love and I try to do so when I can.

So, from my heart to yours, with lots of Love and affection- Happy Chanukkah.

G.L.O.F

If I were to be very honest with myself, I would say that for the most part, I like to control my life. I like to be able to decide for myself what I will do, where I will go, what my goals are. And though there are many negative associations with the word "control", I mean it in a positive, independent and empowered way. I like to know things. I like to be clued in. I don’t like surprises, where I can’t prepare myself for what is ahead. It’s a control thing. But it is entirely aimed at myself.
Sometimes, though, you have to take Giant Leaps of Faith. And those are tremendously scary for a person like me who is perhaps overly cerebral. Ok, not perhaps. I *am* extremely cerebral.
I like to think that I am able to make those GLOFs when they appear, not being overwhelmed with my own sense of Destiny or Ego to acknowledge the opportunity they present to move forward in time on my path, to make a small quantum jump onto a higher plane.
I have just made such a GLOF and my usual radars are spinning off the charts trying to adjust to the new heading. Once the bearings settle down, I am positive all indications will be positive, moving towards fulfillment, peace and wholeness.
And though I also can see the shoals, the rocky seas and the bad weather that crops up, I am confident that I have plotted a course towards ultimate happiness.
May God keep the helm steady and on course, and may He always be the compass by which I guide this vessel.

Chewy's Movie Review #4 - Casino Royale

Casino Royale (2006)
It's always tricky trying to revitalize a franchise. Especially one as popular as Bond. You have to give the filmmakers credit. They take a virtual unknown in Daniel Craig and they rebuild the Bond franchise around him (I for one was never a fan of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond and was very happy to see him go). Craig is the most exciting Bond since Sean Connery. I was totally digging his character. I like this edgier Bond much more. Pierce always seemed as if he could use his obnoxious smug look on his face to get him out of anything. Well - bye bye Brosnan, Hello the New Bond! The film however was good but not great. The movie was exciting and funny at times and dragged out at others. It should have been shortened by about a half hour or so and some of the plot was sketchy. It was all in all a fun ride though and one that I would recommend.