Good Shabbos .... Misc. Thoughts Before Shabbos

What a week...

What a really wonderful week!

I can't believe everything that was packed into one week.

I had my oldest son here for Shabbos Hanukah to spend some time with his younger siblings. My son's engagement and all the nice people I met. One of my best friends here just got engaged.

Amazingly Long Beach connections all around. It was nice place to live when we lived there and I have memories to cherish for a lifetime. But, you can't go back because sometimes in life there is no going back. Everyone has moved away so it exists now only in our memories. Frumma and I can sit in Shul and remember but the place the way we remember it exists no more.

There comes a time in life where you have to make decisions. You can move forward or live in the past. You can stay stagnant in the present in some never ending limbo or you can make some choices and decisions. You can choose and sometimes they are not easy decisions but they must be made.

The one caveat here is Crown Heights. You can always go back to Crown Heights. And, although it expands and grows, oozes it's way down past Empire and over towards "East Flatbush" it is still Crown Heights. Walking down Kingston is sort of like going home for the weekend and smelling Mommy's kugel or special cake baking in the oven.

Plan, Decide and Act. I taught that to women along time ago in EMETT classes. You are in control and you plan, you decide but you GOT TO "ACT" or you are still in that half way decision place... should I? shouldn't I? Maybe I should... maybe not. You have to make the decision, buy into it, embrace it and live it.

Nice to dream dreams but some people get quagmired down in dreams. Dreams are nothing if you don't try to live them. I don't want to be a dreamer, I want to be a doer. A doer of dreams :)

So, now what? Finish Hanukah and then decide what to do. My birthday is coming up in a few weeks, my Hebrew birthday is sooner on Hay Teves.

There isn't much to talk about right now in Miami regarding the weather. It's hot today. A warm wind is blowing out of the East and there is talk of a cold front a few days away. No seasons, no storms .. and endless time filled with traffic and tourists and pretty little palm trees swaying.

Making Shabbos and going to relax and even though I say I shouldn't I might daydream a little... and ask Hashem how I go about making those dreams come true. Somewhere it's winter. Here... there is eggplant in the oven baking to make babaganush, chicken and yellow rice has been made. Israeli salads have been bought, hot water put up, eggs put up... soon I will make a 1-2-3 cake for Shabbos breakfast.

Last day of Chanukah, all eight candles about to be lit, big kiddush in Shul for lunch.. "cholent kiddush" and cholent slowly cooking in my crockpot at home as my kids oddly eat it for breakfast but not after 1pm.

Let the world turn without me for a little bit this Shabbos. Let me enjoy the last day of Hanukah. Let me go to Shul, see friends and celebrate simchas. Let me watch the clouds float by in the sky from my bed and give thanks for the beautiful world we live in and............. read through all those little things I brought home from Crown Heights.

What a world when we are happy ... better to be happy than sad. I hope one day soon I will achieve the things I want to accomplish and I hope one day I will be cooking for someone for Shabbos besides my kids.

Serve the Lord With Joy... go out and smell the roses, kiss your children, think good thoughts and do good deeds and may you have the weather you enjoy the most this beautiful Shabbos Chanukah!