Lets talk Challah

I love to make my own Challah. When i lived in Arizona it was a necessity , because there weren't any Kosher Bakeries, but in Baltimore it is a Luxury. You can buy Challah here at every market, but there is nothing like warm fresh Challah to usher in the Shabbos.I use to be very serious about my Challah time. I would ask everyone to leave the kitchen and i would put on my favorite Niggunim ( tunes) and knead away at the dough. I would take this time to Daven and ask Hashem for everything i desire, i would Daven for children with tears in my eyes and i would daven for trivial things like new shoes. I would knead and knead the dough and as it took shape my frustrations, and stress, my hopes, and prayers would magically shape the dough. Then it was time to braid the dough. I love this part because i could you my artistic talents to create elaborate loafs, and i would make 6 braided wonders, and basket woven rounds, these were picture quality loafs ( making you proud Chanie S.). Oh i loved my Challah time, then my prayers were all answered and the children started to come, and as these amazing little Neshamas came marching into my house and at the same time my challah time marched out the door.
For awhile i stopped making it. In my life 3 kids equals fast and easy and to me that is buying Challah, and don't get me wrong it is good, but something was missing. Maybe it was my Challah time, or maybe it was the look on my husband face as he took the first bite of a steaming fresh baked loaf. I decided to go back to making Challah and it is not at all what it used to be , but different is not always bad it is just different. I now make Challah with my kinderlach we knead together and shape it together. The joy on their faces is my new spiritual connection, and the look on their faces Friday night when they can say "Tatty i made that" is more then i could ever asked for. I do miss my Challah time but i love the time with my kinder more. Someday i'll have that time back but for now i am basking in the glow of all my little Brochas running around. Thank you Hashem!

I'm hiding

I'll be honest with you all Ive been hiding. I recently received a not so nice comment about my Rozie here on my blog and it scared me. I debated shutting it down, removing it from the public, etc. In the end i decided to keep doing what I'm doing, and that is holding my head high and taking everything with stride.
Someone commented to me that Rozie was a punishment from G-d . When i saw this it shocked me, then i was sad, then i went all momma bear and tried to convince my husband to use all his computer skills to find this wimpy anonymous commenter and i would show them what a punishment from G-d really is. Then i calmed down and started to think "is this a punishment from G-d"(Don't worry i don't think that i was just thinking) anyways as a Jew i s not so much in our thought process to believe in Punishment from Hashem. We really don't believe in the fire and brimstone philosophy, its just not the Jewish way. We believe everything in this world, the good and what does not feel like good, is all from Hashem, so it must be good. Whith that said what about Tikkun, repairing, healing, fixing. We believe that if your children have been sick or you've been in a terrible accident that one may need a Tikkun, so you check your Mezuzahs and your Tefillin, or give more Tzedakah.All this to hopefully "repair" what Hashem has in store for you, but does a child born with special needs need a Tikkun? Should i have checked my Mezuzahs after Rozie was born? The answer is simple, No. Hashem has made this world so wonderful and unique and there must be many types of people to create this wonderful place we all live.My Rozie doesn't need a repair and she is not a punishment, but part of Hashem's great big plan and i'm so happy that our family has been blessed from Hashem with the huge Brocha of raising sucha beautiful Neshama in this world, and hey maybe if i'm wrong and i am being punished i'll take my punishment everyday with the biggest smile on my face. Everyday we merit in the Yiddishe and Chassidishe Nachas of raising our daughter and sons in the ways of Torah, to chuppa, and good deeds.