Thursday Thirteen ~ Happy Chanukah edition

1.  Chanukah at the White House:  (Getty Image by Chip Somodevilla)

Rabbi Susan Talve delivers remarks during a Chanukah reception with Israeli first lady Nechama Shulman, U.S. First lady Michelle Obama, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, and President Barack Obama in the East Room when the White House to celebrate the annual festival of light yesterday.  Why does this interest me?  Read #2 about the rabbi.

2.  Rabbi Susan Talve:

I attended services at Central Reformed Congregation Saturday before last, where Susan Talve is the founding rabbi.  This video shows her speaking at the White House yesterday.  Her portion begins at the 9:15 mark.  Near the end of the video, President Obama smiled, gave her a side-hug, and said, "Got us all fired up."  Talve is an activist who also gets St. Louis fired up.  I knew of her for over a year before I met her.

3.  Black issues:  (UPI photo by Bill Greenblatt)

Rabbi Susan Talve has been active in protests in St. Louis since the death of Michael Brown in August 2014.  A year later, this August, she was arrested when a group of about 200 protesters marched to the Federal Building as part of a day of disobedience.

4.  Neighbors:

Beverly thought of me when she read the "Mutts" comic strip.  Mooch, the cat, was wearing a hat when he informed Earl, the dog:  "Shmillie is posting pics of me on a cats with hats website."  Hmm, it does sound like something I'd do.  Should I take a photo of Clawdia wearing a hat?  Nevermind, she's opposed to that idea, saying she'll write her OWN posts for Caturdays.  Yes, I've noticed she hasn't posted anything since October.

5.  Books:

I didn't tie together the beginning and ending of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) until last week.  The first words of the book:  "When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow."  I never thought about he how he "got his arm badly broken" until I finished re-reading the novel, turned back to the beginning, and read the first sentence again.  This time, I was there in Jem's bedroom with Atticus and Scout the night he was hurt so badly.  This time, I felt his pain.  This time, I knew what had happened.  Do you remember?

6.  Activities:

Donna and I attended the Vitality Ballet exercise class offered last week.  No, it wasn't a bunch of old ladies jumping around, pretending to be young and agile.  We simply moved our arms (and occasionally our legs) into our closest approximation of the flowing shapes our teacher showed us.  Jessica, a professional ballet dancer here in St. Louis, led the class.

7.  Family:

My granddaughter wrote, "Raegan is excited about her library book about houses.  She said it is like her favorite house show (TV show Fixer Upper).  She loves houses!"

8.  Weather:

As I compose this Thursday Thirteen on Wednesday evening, it's 52° and partly cloudy in St. Louis.

9.  Women's issues:

The Guardian published "He sexually harassed my 13-year-old daughter — right in front of me."  Her daughter "is beginning to experience alternative ways of imagining men — menacing ways."

10.  Discussion groups:

How I know one group may be dying ~ All both of us who showed up decided to chat instead of discussing the topic of the day.  Thanks, Debera!  Oh, you want details?  Okay, one emailed that morning that she wouldn't make it, one was sick with a fever, one was in the hospital after a fall that broke her hip, one was helping her brother who is scheduled for surgery, one asked to be removed from our emails, one was teaching and didn't get back in time, one had an ob/gyn appointment, one said she already knew the subject, and three never let me know whether they would come or not.

11.  Words:

Why don't these words rhyme — tough, though, cough, through, rough, thoughts?  Yet for some reason these words do rhyme — pony, boney, Coney [Island], bologna.

12.  Health:

I caught a cold from someone in my many activities and stayed in my apartment for three days.  When I did mingle again, at the Crown Center's Chanukah party, I wore a mask to keep from spreading that cold to anyone else.  I wore it, even though I was probably no longer contagious by that point.

13.  Food:
 

Henna cookies for a wedding look fantastic!  No, these aren't on my diet — or even on my horizon — but I saw them on Facebook and thought they were beautiful.

The only rule for Thursday Thirteen is to write about 13 things.  The New Thursday 13 is hosted by Country Dew @ Blue Country Magic and Colleen @ Loose Leaf Notes.  If you want to read lists by other people or play along yourself, here's the linky for this week.