Here are last night’s six lights, and tonight’s seven.  As always, Chanukah flies by too fast, and the quarantine adds to the sense of isolation, but it wasn’t so bad.  I got to briefly zoom with some family, and E gave me like a whole wardrobe!  A few new sweaters and pants seem like one, anyway, since most of my clothes are literally falling apart.  Plus my lucky loaded dreidel didn’t let me down.  Even Misu enjoyed the festivities.

Last night’s candle-lighting was special in that we had a Zoom (remote video) Menorah lighting with Avdi and friend in St. Louis and D. in Mville.  Just another sign of the COVID times, but not half bad–other than my horrible singing of the blessings!  We’re all improvising during these unusual times–Avdi had to locate a Menorah first, and use birthday candles in lieu of Chanukah ones.  My ancient stockpile of the latter is finally running down, so I’ll have to do a search online for next year’s.  D. had her Menorah and potatoes for latkes.  It’s the closest we’ve come to a fun family occasion in a year.

Hopefully now with vaccines for 2021, conditions will start to edge toward “normal”.  Meanwhile, we make do with what we’ve got on hand, another lesson from the pandemic.

Today’s meal was back to Sephardic-style, with couscous, felafel, baked fish (Cajun, close enough), and fresh-from-the-garden steamed baby carrots and kohlrabi.

Here are: last night’s five lights, and tonight’s setup.

Matzah balls, that is.  As threatened, I made my infamous Jewish penicillin (chicken soup) on this chilly, rainy day.  The balls are pretty boring and routine, but what’s special about this soup are the homegrown carrots!  Yesterday I finally dug them up after a year or more, and some of them were monsters!  Perfect for soup.  There was also an alien kohlrabi (?) out there, and some baby leeks and green onions.  (I also added fresh homegrown dill and parsley to the soup.)

Here also are last night’s four lights, and tonight’s setup.

Sephardic, that is.  I’m on a Middle Eastern Chanukah roll.  Today’s dish featured bulgur wheat, basmati rice, shawarma-spiced turkey, and fresh herbs.

But that’s about to change, like the weather.  This may be the last warmish (60s) day for a while, so tomorrow I may revert to chicken matzah ball soup, an Ashkenazi staple.

Here are: last night’s three lights and tonight’s setup (halfway over 🙁 ), a minty bourbon drink, some fresh-picked collards and red mustard greens in a spicy sauce, and my grainy concoction.

It’s still 60º out, but windy, and starting to rain.  My perfect weather.  Elsewhere in the country it’s a blizzard.  Haha.

Here are last night’s two lights, and tonight’s setup.

It’s a good thing we only spin for M&Ms, not cash (as if), or my lucky loaded dreidel (conveniently but subtly marked) would win me bundles.  Of course, we both take turns with the same dreidel, so we both get to eat lots of M&Ms.

Misu also scored–some more catnip mice.  She has a whole collection.  She’s a real stoner.

Here is some tabbouleh I made, with homegrown parsley and mint, bulgur wheat, and all the other things.  I’m keeping it Sephardic this year.  So much healthier.

Tonight is the second light, for anyone keeping track.  Here are: last night’s first light, preps for tonight, some red mustard greens holding on in the veg bed, and Middle Eastern-style latkes.  It’s actually 63º outside.  That’s more like it.  Happy erev.

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah.  Speaking of miracles, it would take one to get these trump howlers to get a brain and act like grownups for a change, as thousands more of their fellow Americans suffer and die each day.  Not holding my breath.

But anyway, we’re still alive, and there’s some hope on the horizon.  That’s worth a candle or eight.  Any illumination in the darkness of 2020 is welcome.

Today is even nicer out, so I got more yard cleanup done.  There are still pretty images to be found.

Today I had a little more energy, plus it was milder out.  I began to clean up the main veg garden, which involved removing piles of marigold tumbleweeds which had taken over the garden.  I dumped them in the back ditch to help fill it in.

I was happy to find the first berries on my largest cedar and holly.  Soon they’ll provide more winter food and shelter for the birds.  Plus here’s a giant leaf from my one sycamore tree. It’s the size of my head.

I finally feel well enough to dress, eat, and venture outside again for short bursts.  It’s too cold to do much, but I was able to fill bird feeders for the first time this fall.  Right on schedule, the squirrels homed in on it, giving Misu some welcome stimulation.

I’ve been under the weather (no, not “It”), plus the weather itself is under itself(?), thus no posts or photos lately.  These random ones are already a few days old.  One is actually a childish drawing I did; I’m pretty out of practice.  Not much happening outside right now, and no energy to do stuff.  It’ll still be there when I come around.