Gmar Chatima tovà

Tzom kal to you all.

Jonah and the fish figures.

In less than 24 hours from this evening, we will stand before Hashem in judgment. This is a time of waiting and awe. 
On Yom Kippur, more than any other day, we must think about how we can do better with people, and learning how to be a kind, generous person. Caring about others starts in the home. While we strive to become better people and pray for blessing we remember that the most important thing is taking our families with us. 
G’mar Chatima Tova!

Jonah and the fish figures for  Board Bible Stories-precut

 by Story Time Felts

it becomes as you prefer, even laminated on a rubber board...

Jonah is the central character in the Book of Jonah. Commanded by G.d to go to the city of Nineveh to prophesy against it "for their great wickedness is come up before me," Jonah instead seeks to flee from "the presence of the Lord" by going to Jaffa, identified as Joppa or Joppe, and sailing to Tarshish, which, geographically, is in the opposite direction. A huge storm arises and the sailors, realizing that it is no ordinary storm, cast lots and discover that Jonah is to blame. Jonah admits this and states that if he is thrown overboard, the storm will cease. The sailors try to dump as much cargo as possible before giving up, but feel forced to throw him overboard, at which point the sea calms. The sailors then offer sacrifices to G.d. Jonah is miraculously saved by being swallowed by a large whale-like fish in whose belly he spends three days and three nights. While in the great fish, Jonah prays to G.d in his affliction and commits to thanksgiving and to paying what he has vowed. G.d commands the fish to spew Jonah out.

Shanà tovà!!

Wishing You All Dear Readers And Friends A Shanà Tovà!!

May the new year bring  to you all many blessings and good health, be sweet to you and your families.

Wherever you are, near and far or virtual.

Apples placemats for Rosh ha shanà

Honey jars for Rosh ha shanà

Calendula juice

Tashlich children reminder

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah after the afternoon prayer, we go to a lake, river or sea (preferably a body of water that has fish), and recite the Tashlich prayers, wherein we symbolically cast our sins into the water and leave our old shortcomings behind us, thus starting the new year with a clean slate.
If the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, Tashlich is done on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. If one is unable to perform this ceremony on Rosh Hashanah, one may do so until the last day of Sukkot (this year, October 4, 2015).
Click here for more about Tashlich, including many reasons for this ancient ritual.

 

To create fishes take a Styrofoam ball, choose the size of your choice (I chose balls of 5 cm in diameter). Cover the ball with a crochet: use a crochet n2 and cotton yarn thin, white and blue. Create two hemispheres, one white and one blue, enter the Styrofoam ball between the two and sew them together with the blue yarn creating, while sewing, fins and tail.

Use two small button for the eyes. 

On the top of the fish crochet some chain to make a hole to hold the metal ring.

Revisited alarm clock - Ikea Hack

I don’t know about you, but I adore visiting Ikea.  

Some of my favourite things to look at are Ikea Hacks, which are simple ways to modify products from Ikea’s extensive range to more suit your style and taste. Since time to go back to school for children is near, I had a go at modifying one of Ikea’s cheapest products: the alarm clock for kid's room.

The Ticka clock  is a plain white alarm clock, despite its practicality it isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing clock in the world, but it's the perfect candidate for some crafty improvements.

I decided to use an old book pages, I've cut some images such as flowers and birds then glued on the clock as it was a decoupage. I used Mod Podge inside the clock and on the top of it.  I am a hardcore Mod Podge fan. I have used it since I first heard of it and I have always been happy with the results I get from it, The original "Matte" finish Mod Podge, great for all types of projects and most surfaces and the alarm clock is ready

Summer break - mountain wood art crafting

The craftsmanship typical of the Alps has its roots in the rural culture of the Alps. The traditional way of life of mountain people involved for each of being both a farmer and rancher, in order to make the most of the limited resources of a territory avaricious, and to become in case of need also craftsman, as the city markets were distant and high prices in relation to the limited financial resources. From here the need to produce in their own home, as far as possible, the tools necessary for the work of the fields and home use.Countless generations of farmers-craftsmen so elaborate, through the centuries, various techniques to make the most of certain agricultural and livestock products: hemp, wool and leather, and to make better use of raw materials that nature offered in large quantities: the wood and stone.
The industry, being the tools of necessities now imported and mechanized agriculture, have been able to diversify in recent decades, to a craft art whose creations are continuing to diversify and refine.

Summer break - Hyssop

Hyssop is a small perennial plant about 0.5 metre (1.5 feet) high with slim woody quadrangular stems. The dotted narrow elliptical  leaves are about 2 to 3 cm long and grow in pairs on the stem. Long leafy half-whorled spikes of little flowers , usually violet-blue, pink, red, or white, blossom in summ (http://www.britannica.com/plant/hyssop)

"Purge me with hyssop," the Torah records, "and I will be clean." Hyssop has been used for millennia as a holy herb, consecrated for cleaning holy places. Its name comes from the Hebrew word adobe or ezob, which literally means "holy herb". Native to southern Europe, it is grown in gardens in cooler climates around the world. Hyssop has a mint-like taste (which is understandable as it is part of the mint family) that makes it a tasty addition to salads, provided it is used in small quantities.
The Torah mentions hyssop several times. In Vayikrà, G.d commanded His people to use hyssop in the ceremonial cleansing of people and houses. In one example, G.d tells the priests to use hyssop together with cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and the blood of a clean bird to sprinkle a person recently healed from a skin disease . This act would ceremonially cleanse the formerly diseased person and allow him to reenter the camp (Vayikrà 14:1–7). The same method was used to purify a house that had previously contained mold (Vayikrà 14:33–53).
Hyssop is also used symbolically in the Torah. When the Israelites marked their doorposts with lamb’s blood in order for the angel of death to pass over them, G.d instructed them to use a bunch of hyssop as a “paintbrush” (Shemot 12:22). This was probably because hyssop was sturdy and could withstand the brushing, but it also likely signified that G.d was marking His people as “pure” and not targets of the judgment G.d was about to deal out to the Egyptians.
David also mentions hyssop in Tehillim 51:7: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” David does not refer to physical cleansing,rather, he is asking G.d to cleanse him spiritually as he confesses his sin.

Summer break - alpine flowers

When hiking in the late spring and summer it is impossible not to notice the alpine flowers. Before blooming crocuses and anemones; then gradually the mountain slopes are covered with every color tones. The nature is repeated every year and gives us a unique and priceless.
The idea to photograph the alpine flowers comes while hiking, admiring a beautiful gentian. I thought it would be nice to be able to call each flower by its name, but in the following days I realized how difficult this undertaking was. I began to look at their surroundings with different eyes, constantly seeing new flowers; but also individual specimens, observing better, were falling all my attempts to identify exactly.
However the difficulty, basically, make the game more beautiful; because the game is! A game that starts every spring and lasts all summer.

The  fascinating world of alpine flowers "admits the definition of alpine flowers and the second month of flowering color.  Playing to learn the names of flowers effortlessly . Almost every flower is accompanied by a small story in  biological, curious, mystical character ...

Summer break - Alps

Outdoor stones art 2

 

Outdoor creations give space to every kind of creature...including dinosaurs! Here we have the reproduction of a Spinosaurus made by a 7 years old. 

Outdoor stones art

The summer break, the holidays can also coincide with outdoor living and nature, mountains, rivers and streams, long walks on the trails or afternoons by the banks of a stream.
Take a few stones, pieces of wood, leaves and what nature offers because children express themselves and create

 

our little summer break

Our summer break will take place on the Alps....

...while trying to spend the most of the time enjoying nature and outside activities we will surely do our best to find something nice to do, to create, to share