Moadim l’simcha! Gut Moed!
Tishrei is always a busy month. I was explaining to someone recently that I basically make the equivalent of about eight or nine Thanksgiving meals this month. And that’s not including Shabbos. And that’s just the meals, not any of the other cooking/cleaning/planning/whatever that also need to happen.
Some years there are a bunch of three-day Yom Tovs, which have their unique challenges, and other years present the Everything is Erev Something challenge. That’s this year.
For the past month, it seems, every day that’s not a holiday or Shabbos has felt like either a Sunday (coming down from a day of resting) or a Friday (preparing for a day of resting) or both (so confusing!!!)
Somehow in my planning for what I was going to cook, I neglected to include plans for the Shabbos right after Rosh Hashana, and also the one in between Yom Kippur and Sukkos, AND also the one chol hamoed Sukkos.
Because, come on, that’s a crazy amount of food and planning, am I right? Yes, yes, I am.
Thankfully, when I was going on my cooking rampage before the holidays started in earnest, I made a bunch of sides (yay kugel!), so that takes the edge off what cooking I still need to do. And I found some very easy chicken recipes, and a roast is also pretty easy to make. So I realized that I’m not as stressed as I thought I should be.
This was a revelation.
I suppose that’s the beauty of experience. Somehow over the past decade or so, I’ve gotten into a rhythm which has made life much smoother, especially during this busy season. Yes, I still get stressed out sometimes, and I have been forced to really find ways to be and stay organized to maintain my sanity. Overall, though, I’m able to do a lot more in a lot less time.
If only it were so easy when it comes to relationships and parenting, right? Hahahaha, alas, those things take a bit more effort than learning how to make an easy chicken recipe or some quick kugels.
Ruchi Koval recently mentioned Shalom Bayis 911 and then one of my friends told me that I absolutely must sign up for the emails because they were aMAZing. So I did. And they are! It’s nice to get a daily email (even if I don’t always open it) with tips on how to connect to my husband and how to keep my marriage at the forefront of my mind, because, well, for me that’s not such an easy task (and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this feeling).
Okay, I have a bris to go to this morning and then other stuff to do, and then, you know, more cooking (ahahahahaha).
Have an amazing chol hamoed, I hope everyone has great weather and is able to eat in their sukkahs, and I hope everyone’s last days of Yom Tov are great and full of simcha, and full of good company and food and the energy and motivation to make it through to Chanukah.
Rivki Silver ~ thoughts & music 
No Rivki you are not alone! I have learned over the years that each year is different as I prepare for the Yom Tovim. I attempt (sometimes I am actually successful!) to keep the menus simple, double batch and freeze. Most important is I try to keep my eyes and heart focused on the simcha! Gut Moed and have a great Yom Tov!
Double batch and freeze is the best!!
And some of us got so busy with shopping and cooking and what day is today? And forgot to call her chavrusah to learn in the evening. Oy vey. Hopefully tonight I will remember.
Sent from my iPhone
>
Haha, I was so tired last night that I didn’t mind. I couldn’t remember if we were going to learn chol hamoed or not until after yom tov! But let’s try tonight. :)
Oooh, do you think I would like that email?
Yeah, they’re great! It’s foundational relationship reminders, with practical and realistic suggestions of small steps to take to strengthen the relationship. I think of it like taking my vitamins and exercising. It’s like preventative medicine for my marriage. :)
Long time no talk, Rivki! Hope you have a blessed Sukkot – my gentile husband is coming to Hillel with me tonight! A shabbos miracle!
Hey! What a treat! We had a great Sukkos, thanks. How was Hillel?
Hillel was great! I went with no pretenses about what my beliefs are, though I did make it clear that I’m in the process of rethinking everything, and they were really welcoming. Not sure if I’ll go every week, since it’s almost an hour away, but it was really nice. I missed it.
Awesome! I’m so glad it was great. Especially if there’s an hour drive involved, ha.
Oh man, I know the feeling!! Hope you had a blessed Sukkot! I know for us it was our best year yet!
Oh, amazing! What about it was your best year?
I think just the fact that we’ve done it a few times now (we only started keeping Sukkot properly a few years ago), and so I was in a bit of a rhythm, really connecting with the spiritual side of it rather than just getting caught up in events etc., and my eldest son is finally of the age (he’s 3) when he can understand what we’re doing and get excited, so that adds to my excitement!
That is very inspiring! I love love love seeing the holidays through my children’s eyes, and I get very emotional when I reflect on how the sounds and smells and tastes of the holidays and shabbos are going to be an integral part of their early memories.