Busy

Now it is a busy time of the year, though every season is. This season is busy but offers little to write about. Maura is settling into her routine of school and practice and the little traumas of the first weeks are behind us. There is plenty to do and little time to do it. In addition to school, Maura has lessons or practice or religious obligations every day but Tuesday. There isn’t much time for us to take trips. Last week we had planned a trip to Cape Cod on Saturday but we had forgotten that Maura’s first soccer game was at 10:30am, much too late for us to go visit the Cape Cod beaches afterwards.

The big event this last week for Maura was the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. She spent Sunday evening, and much of the day on Monday and Tuesday in services with her mother. For me the days were ordinary. Because I am the member of the household who is not Jewish I stayed home alone. I stay home alone almost every weekday. I know I would have been welcome to attend services but I feel more comfortable staying away at the holiest times for a faith that is not mine. Somehow it seems more respectful.

Maura made a trifle for after the service on Sunday night. It was tropical fruit flavored, with mango Jello, crushed pineapple, banana pudding and shredded coconut sprinkled over whip cream on top. Jennifer told me that people didn’t believe that Maura had made it. Jennifer helped her with it but the trifle was Maura’s creation. I was lucky to get a taste of it. I can’t wait for her to really find her feet in the kitchen. I expect she will make some very creative dinners and I will enjoy eating them.

A Lecture and a Concert: Cultural Enrichment for Maura

Jennifer and I believe that it is important to expose Maura to many different experiences and give her many opportunities to learn. The education she gets at school is vital and provides her with basic skills but the world is full of interesting things that she won’t be likely to learn at school. Maura is curious and smart. She takes an interest in most of the new things she is exposed to and her mother and I are comfortable in taking her to events that might not interest many nine-year-olds. This Saturday we took her to two of them.

The first event was a lecture at our local library. Authors Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald discussed their recent book Northern Hospitality: Cooking by the Book in New England. The book (and the lecture) discusses the history of cooking in New England through the cookbooks that were used here from the 17th Century to the early 20th Century. Maura likes history and I was fairly certain that she would be interested enough to pay attention to a talk about the history of food. If she was bored she could have gone into the children’s library which is just across the hall from the room the lecture was in. She stayed through the whole lecture and was well behaved so she must have found it interesting enough to hold her attention. I found the topic fascinating. We both enjoyed tasting the plum cake, baked according to a 1796 recipe, that we had a chance to sample at the end of the lecture. Some of other patrons were surprised that Maura would eat the plum cake but it was not a surprise to her mother and I. We have always encouraged her to try new foods and by now she does so as a matter of course. Very often enjoys them. We all liked the plum cake. It was rich and lightly sweet. If we had been at home I would have had a second piece.

In the evening we went to the Cantors’ Concert at Congregation Sha’aray Shalom. Cantor Weiss of Sha’aray Shalom was joined by six of his colleagues who serve other congregations to present a concert honoring the musicians who perform in services at Sha'aray Shalom. The performers came from as far away as California, though the majority were from the Boston Metropolitan Area, They sang a variety of music—a mixture Jewish religious music, pop songs and show tunes. There were several ensemble numbers and each cantor had at least one solo or duet. They all had wonderful voices and had chosen their pieces well. Maura was well behaved but it was a late night for her and by the end of the show she was falling asleep. We stayed at the reception afterwards for a while but it was clearly time for Maura to get to bed so we didn’t stay long. We might have left as soon as the show was over but Maura would have been disappointed.

Maura the Star

Last Friday night was a proud parent moment for me. Maura had a role in the Purim Spiel at Congregation Sha’aray Shalom. For those of you who are not familiar with it the Purim Spiel is a dramatic retelling of the events of the Book of Esther which is presented to celebrate the Jewish holiday Purim, which was actually Thursday.

At Sha’aray Shalom the Purim Spiel is always a spoof of a hit Broadway musical. This year’s spiel was based on Les Mis. Maura played the part of Logo, the little girl from the Les Mis poster. She helped to introduce the show and sang several solos. She did a wonderful job in her part. She had worked very hard in preparing for it and it showed. He lines were clear, audible and delivered to the audience with a smile. When she sang she was on key, which is more than can be said for many people who sing in amateur performances.

The show was a lot of fun to watch, which is part of the point of putting it on. Purim is not a solemn holiday but a celebration of life. All the performers had worked hard and enjoyed their roles. My friend Julie and her son Peter came to see Maura perform with us and had a good time too.

I lost track of the number of people who told me how great Maura was after the end of the spiel. She did do an excellent job but I think people were particularly impressed because she was the youngest person in the show. It’s the second year she has taken part and I wouldn’t be surprised if she kept at it. She might decide she wants to try out for roles in other plays. There are several amateur theater groups in our area that she could join. I would certainly encourage her to try if she has an interest in it. I just hope stardom doesn't go to her head.

Fairs and Strolls

Last weekend my parents came for their annual holiday visit. It was a short one this year. They arrived from Indiana on Thursday and left again on Monday morning. We thought about doing lots of things while they were here but in the end we spent most of our time at home. We dined in local restaurants and did a little shopping but never went far. Our big events for the weekend were on Saturday and early on Sunday. On Saturday morning Maura’s school had its annual holiday fair and in the evening we went to the Holiday Stroll and Tree Lighting in Columbian Square, South Weymouth. On Sunday we attended a craft fair.

Maura was excited about her school holiday fair. She volunteered, helping with games for the younger kids, but she wasn’t needed for long. There were plenty of volunteers. She was happy that her grandparents could come and see her school. I don’t recall that they had ever seen the inside of it before. I admit that I begged off spending much time the school fair. I got a badly needed haircut while Maura was volunteering and only showed up for a short while. Maura didn’t seem to mind very much that I wasn’t there the whole time.

I was along for the trip to the Columbian Square Holiday Stroll but I wouldn’t have been upset to be left behind. It was cold and crowded and there was not much happening to excite me. Maura had a great time, though. She took part in the scavenger hunt that encouraged us to visit many of the businesses in Columbian square. I did a little shopping along the way but unfortunately my current financial troubles (I’m still unemployed) take what little joy I might otherwise find in that away. By the time we had completed most of the circuit, and Maura had claimed her prize, I was entirely out of holiday spirit. I’ve been stressed lately and I only hope I didn’t ruin everyone else’s night. I did manage to cheer up at dinner. Two bottles of Dos Equis beer and an excellent Mexican meal at El Serape in the Braintree part of Weymouth Landing were very good for my mood.

On Sunday we went to a craft fair at Congregation Sha-aray Shalom in Hingham, where Jennifer and Maura attend services. It was quite a large craft fair with about two dozen exhibitors. Most of them had beautiful things. I would have done some holiday shopping but the things I would most like to have purchased were too expensive for this year’s budget. We did pick up a few small things for Maura. Her grandmother bought her a bracelet of beads that turn from white to bright colors in the sunlight. She’s worn it to school every day since.