Happy Hanukkah

[margo49]

I first heard smidgen from a Canadian Jewish woman in New Zealand in December, 1973. Make of that what you will.

[margo49]

5 candles tonight, Trek.
Wonderful, innit?

[Trek420]

And on behalf of my protofeminist grandmothers, who secularized the families just because keeping a kosher household was so goldarned much WORK! (and they had full jobs outside the home already) ... I vote for mashed potato latkes, using leftover mashed potatoes. But I do like'em with a bit of freshly chopped onion tossed in.

I also vote for mashed style so latke season starts with Thanksgiving leftovers. Doesn't mutual-Mom put a little breading on the pancake of matzo meal?

Besides the goldarned work I'd heard our mutual maternal grandmother refused to cut her hair when she married. Her DH did not mind (she was very beautiful) so what's not to like? This caused conflict when they left Poland for America with the plan to work and bring the family over her Mom (our mutual great grandma) refused to see them off at the train station.

Of course she never saw her family again.

I heard she blamed these traditions as much or more than the Nazis for her loss feeling somehow they would have made it out if not for this conflict over them. I'm sure that was not correct, they could not escape Poland. She got one sister out but not the rest. But that was her feeling and so she never followed Orthodox traditions.

[tygab]

My (Catholic) hubby has been away, but he didn't want me to feel forgotten so he had some things to arrive here while he was gone (some sox, handwarmers, iTunes card)... very cool.

He'll be back tonight and we'll light the menorah together.

In my family we always tried (and now I've done this with him) to pick right after lighting the candle that goes out the last... does anyone else do this?



I will have to try making latkes out of mashed potatos. That sounds like something even I could do.

Happy Hanukkah!