Purim In Raleigh In the Spring

There is the most beautiful white pear tree blooming early outside my window and I am wishing the dogwood was in bloom as well. I feel sad, like I came 2 weeks too early but this is when Purim is on the calendar and when my new step children are in town for vacation so... listening to the birds chirp, a psychotic woodpecker peck and will have to come back soon to see the dogwood. :)

Purim is a great Jewish Holiday. It commemorates our victorious salvation over a King in Persia years ago who was going to destroy the Jews who were living in his empire as slaves. Yes, we were slaves a few times... a nation in exile after the Fall of the now infamous Temple in Jerusalem. A woman named Queen Esther saved the day and we remember the day by reading "the Book of Esther" in Temple and dressing up in costumes and giving each other treats... and some people have a custom to imbibe so much so that you can't remember which is the hero or the villain of the story. Rock stars also commemorate becoming Jewish by taking on the name of the woman who the holiday is for.. Queen Esther ;)

My daughter Esther Shayna is married and living in Ottawa with her husband. He is a Rabbi for Chabad. This is what a Rabbi looks like on Purim when the world is turned upside down and everyone celebrates together as a community.



My daughter wore a pirate hat and big, enormous round hoop earrings. Pirates seemed to be the day...why I am not sure.. I guess the movies..

As for me.. I dressed as a gypsy... long, ruffled skirt with little shimmery gold threads and sequins and beads from my mardi gras wedding lol.

Yes.. Purim is like Halloween meets Fat Tuesday and St. Paddys Day except vodka is not colored green for the day.

Weather wise... the weather rarely interferes... unless there is a late snowstorm or early outbreak of tornadoes.. the weather is usually Spring like and everyone goes about taking little baskets of snacks to friends and giving charity to the poor.

Aren't holidays fun ;) My husband....(wow, I can say that lol) ...dressed up as the chef he is or was way back when and is cooking the Purim Dinner Party. I am lounging in bed, listening to the birds chirp and watching The Weather Channel in North Carolina and going to work a bit on my novel.

My novel life indeed.

Happy Purim...where ever you are..whatever your weather..enjoy this day and may it bring miracles to you..both large and small...and may you be happy .. always.

Besos Bobbi ... reporting in from the Carolinas..

Ps..Burns wins this one..the woodpeckers sound a lot more annoying than Woody!!