Words & Banter

"West Side Story" Meets Chanukah?

Six13 - West Side Chanukah Story | Presented by MJE
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Well, Chanukah’s over. Next stop, Christmas!


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Technically, Chanukah does not end until sundown tonight.


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It started last Sunday night, and it’s eight nights, that’s why Chanukah menorahs have eight candles, not counting the center one, which is just used to light the others. So that means last night was the last night.


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It always amuses me that I, who barely went to synagogue growing up, have to explain the basics to you, who had a “formal” Jewish education, including a Bat Mitzvah. Yes, it is eight nights, but the holiday does not end until sundown on the eighth day.


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I guess I never thought about days vs. nights, but I’m still thinking about the hilarious video you sent me that uses music from “West Side Story” with the lyrics changed to celebrate Chanukah.


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I thought it was entertaining and very clever (thanks “BW” for sending it to me).


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And very timely, as the opening of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” is this weekend! I can’t wait to see it, and although I love the original, I have to admit that if the trailer's anything to go by, this version looks wonderful.


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Great music added to a great story, which was based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” So, it is hard to mess up, although I am sure that Spielberg, while wanting to create something new and fresh, also wanted, in his way, to pay homage to a great classic.


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Is that like creating new Chanukah latkes recipes based on traditional potato latkes?


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That is one way to look at it. But, when it comes time to see the movie, I know you will be thinking of movie popcorn, not potato latkes.
entertainment
Words & Banter

Especially Today ... I Love Lucy. I Love Lucille Ball.

Photo by Walter Bibikow on Alamy
Red may be the theater major and movie fanatic, but when we talk about women’s equality and role models, ironically, I am the one who brings up movie and television characters. (Although she keeps trying to convince me that I am a role model.) Maybe because my favorite movie character is Scarlett in “Gone With The Wind,” and growing up, I was inspired by Marlo Thomas and “That Girl.” But once I learned the backstory of “I Love Lucy,” I realized Lucille Ball was the ultimate badass …


I Love Lucy. For many of us, myself included, those three words bring back memories of favorite episodes of the “I Love Lucy” show. And, although I would be hard-pressed to pick my favorites, some may reminisce that the show, which ran from 1951 – 1957, was from a simpler time and is dated. I would argue that the comic timing, the gags, and the chemistry of the characters have stood the test of time.

Maybe it is because they took frustrating situations in everyday life and then pushed them to the extreme – and made them hilarious along the way. For example, your young child wants a superhero at their birthday party. Reasonable. But for Lucy, after unsuccessfully trying to book Superman (Chris Reeves), she dons the costume in “Lucy and Superman.” A classic.

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women's empowerment
Words & Banter

In Memory Of … Footprints In The Snow ... Has No Season

Photo by alzay on iStock

It may seem odd to talk about footprints in the snow when most of us are experiencing record heat. But, as we all go through our busy days, it is easy to overlook how the steps we take in life, whether intentional or unplanned, good or bad, lead us to where we are today. And, while it is easy to focus on the past, the future is an untrodden path, waiting for our next step …

Back in 2004, I met an older couple participating in a Ferrari rally, and after a deep conversation over a long lunch, they became dear friends. It was an event that would change my life in many ways, and several months later, shortly after my husband “surprised” me with a divorce, the husband sent me an email that so moved me that I put it in my “Blue Book”. (A Circa planner with a blue leather cover, hence the name, that includes not only my calendars but also a section with a few things I re-read on a regular basis.)

Last month, he passed away. I always made a point of letting them know that “Footprints” had become an important part of my life. They are words to live by. And, in honor of my dear friend, who is loved and missed, I want to share that email. With no edits … as we do not get to edit our lives …

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words of wisdom
Words & Banter

Summer Hours Are Ours

Design by Sawyer Pennington, Underlying photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

To say that this summer has been hot is an understatement, but summer has always been a season to enjoy longer days, the slower pace, and summer eating. And just because we’re being bombarded with pumpkin-flavored everything, indicating Fall’s just around the corner, it doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the summer way of life.

When the summer started, Red struggled to balance the feeling that she should be getting more done with the “extra hours” vs. wanting to enjoy more leisure time. Of course, Black couldn’t resist pointing out,

There are 24 hours in a day, regardless of season. The extra daylight makes you feel like you have more hours. Regardless, summer is a great time to rethink how you spend those “extra” hours.

So, even though the calendar may indicate we only have a few weeks left of summer, it’s not too late to think about summer hours … and how you can adjust your mindset. Which can last, well, forever.

To read our full conversation, which includes Black suggestion of possibly doing a cookbook (was she serious or merely being her typical sarcastic self?), click here.

finding balance