French Toast of Massive Proportions

First, as promised, some pictures of our apartment. 

Here's our marvelous, big, light-filled kitchen. 

And here's our bedroom, complete with an email-checking Josh. The bed is really two mattresses on a really creaky frame, but we're working on the creaking part. Josh has this whole plan to prop up the middle of the bed so it doesn't sag... I hope it works, because it's really freakin' annoying. 

Next, observe Josh demonstrating that we do, in fact, eat real meals. That is, non-instant food that we cook ourselves and eat sitting down at the table on real china. This one is an Indian eggplant dish from a recipe we found online. It's a pretty awesome website, actually. It's called Ashbury's Aubergines, and it's got about a million and a half eggplant recipes, organized by ingredients and cuisines. Check it out! 

The really cool thing that we did today was have ten people over for brunch. We had a whole loaf of challah and three dozen eggs (I kid you not) so we decided we needed to do French toast. So last night after services we invited over a bunch of people for French toast brunch. We didn't get to invite everyone we wanted to, and as it was we ran out of chairs, but it was still really really fun. It was also a momentous occasion, because it was the first time Josh and I really entertained as a married couple. I mean, we had someone over for pita and hummus lunch, but that doesn't really count. 

Anyway, so we extended the dining room table and put out extra chairs last night, and then this morning all we had to do was cook. I made a fruit salad and Josh made home fries, and then we waited for everyone to get here and started French toasting! By the end, people were refusing more food, which means we succeeded in feeding them enough. You know, it's bad when guests go home hungry. Anyway, I think everyone had fun. Yay! 

Last night we had Shabbat evening services at HUC, out on the lawn overlooking the Old City. It was a pretty fabulous place for services. I got there late, but Josh had saved me a seat and I didn't miss much. It was a very beautiful service, and it was sort of overwhelming to have it there. Much more moving than actually being at the Kotel. When we went with the HUC tour earlier this week, it was very discouraging. I apparently didn't cover my shoulders enough, and I got scolded by the mean Orthodox lady who made me wear one of those stupid shawls. (Given, it was my fault because I should have brought something more modest to wear. But still.) And then I went with Lisa and Leslie to get a red string with a hamsa, and ended up getting cursed at by the lady I gave a shekel to. Ugh. I just really hate going to someplace that should be holy and moving, and getting reminded of everything bad abut religion when I was looking for the good parts. 

On that note, during services last night I was thinking about the phrase we say immediately before the Amidah: "Adonai, open my lips that my mouth may declare your glory." And it occurred to me that it bears a huge resemblance to the opening phrase of the Odyssey: "Sing in me, O muse, and through me tell the story..." Like the invocation to the muse, that phrase is a request for the inspiration to create the art or perform the great deeds that will bring beauty into the world. Because, when you take a less literal interpretation of what God is, bringing glory to God can easily be seen as simply enhancing the good in the world. So when we say that phrase, what we are doing is asking for the ability to do things that will make the world a better place. 

I should really go through and try to do this with other prayers. I'm always pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to interpret the entire Jewish liturgy as a quasi-humanist celebration of the human potential for good and a charge to do more of it. 

Anyway, I'm out of time. 

Peace,

Mirah