I signed on to Facebook this morning — and felt my blood boil when I read the following status update from my “friend” Clint Bolick, which begins:  ‎”Waiting for Superman” is insightful and inspiring. Please go see it and, especially, convince your apathetic and liberal friends to see it…. On the off chance you haven’t […]

Watching my mother instruct Annabelle to blow a party horn at our family dinner last night — in lieu of Rosh Hashana’s shofar – I was reminded yet again that I really have to get on that whole Jewish education thing. But before that (and apologies, Higher Being, if you do in fact exist) there are […]

Ray was up long before the crack of dawn this morning. Only a few things can inspire such rash behavior on the part of my husband. One of them is dove hunting, which begins in these parts every year on September 1. I can’t stand this. Not because I’m overly fond of birds (they creep […]

On August 8, I emailed my friend Robrt. “Let the record reflect…that I started my Hanukkah shopping today,” I wrote. He replied, “You rule.” “This year is going to be different!” I answered, sensing sarcasm, which he confirmed with, “I suspect you mean that.” I’m sure Robrt’s right, and that this year I’ll drag myself through […]

I’m bummed the birthdays — and the birthday mixes — have come and gone, because here’s a song I just love. Not new, but new to me. It’s by the Asylum Street Spankers. (An Austin, Texas band, super-cool, they advertise themselves as “God’s favorite band.” Ha. They also have an adult tune called “The Scrotum […]

They took Sophie’s blood last Friday. It made quite an impression. After a false start with a less-qualified tech (and some screaming), a very kind woman named Alice coaxed Sophie into the chair and before either of us knew it, had the blood flowing. That’s a gift. So’s the connection this lady made with my little girl. […]

I don’t have a lot of romantic notions about camping — except when it comes to Annabelle. I’d like to think that she’ll look back on our trip last week as part of the Summer She Turned 9 — the summer she danced with her Gaga, performed in a play version of “Diary of A […]

Going through Annabelle’s First Day of School papers this evening, suddenly I felt a little nauseous. There, amidst the cafeteria menu and the spelling list, was a sheet informing me that, according to Arizona law, fourth, fifth and sixth graders in public school will be required as of August 23 to recite a paragraph from […]