Tag Archives: Tikkun Olam

October Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

30 Oct

OCTOBER’S COLORS

1.FallLeaves.JackRussell.oct2018

Fall colors!
Celebrate nature’s spectacular show!

FIND AUTUMN’S LEAVES

2.Book.FallFoliage.oct2018

Brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows in an audacious display of color. Fall Foliage by Charles Smith and Frank Kaczmarek is a guide to the best fall colors in North America. We learn about the fall foliage trees and the best locations to see them. The beautiful colors we witness every fall never fail to bring us joy. Jump in big piles of fallen leaves! Take a walk on a brisk autumn day when colorful leaves rustle with each step we take! Drive through the countryside! It is so easy to feel inspired at this time of year as we take in the beauty and majesty of the season. Oh! And take a cue from our dogs. They’re happiest romping on crunchy leaves!

DUKE AND DUCHESS!

3.Duke.oct2018

Prince Harry and Meghan aren’t just husband and wife. They also became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. And those titles are due to Edward III … Duke (duk in Middle English) comes from the French duc and the Latin dux, meaning “leader” or “army general.” In 1337, King Edward III no longer wanted to use the English earl (“warrior, nobleman,” of German origin) and changed it for the French duke when he used the hereditary title of nobility, the Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall. He created the Duke of Lancaster in 1351 and then the Duke of Clarence, which the Queen could also have given Prince Harry and Meghan. Duchess is the feminine counterpart to duke, used in English by the late 1300s and from the French duchesse ... Latin’s dux is related to its verb ducere, “to lead, direct, draw,” where we also got the English words conduct, deduce, doge, education, induce, produce, and seduction … Sussex comes from Saxon which comes from the Old English Súþseaxe, meaning “South Saxons” (appropriately two words wedded together!).

LET US EAT CAKE!

4.Cake.oct2018

“All over the world, all the time, people are eating cake. They always have and they always will.” (Maira Kalman) … There’s a new cookbook with fantastic drawings that only Maira Kalman can do! Cake, by Maira Kalman and Barbara Scott-Goodman, is all about…you guessed it…cakes! Birthday cakes. Wedding cakes. Afternoon Tea cakes. Who doesn’t love cake? Along with stories of Maira’s memorable cakes throughout her life, check out the mouthwatering recipes about everyone’s favorite celebration dessert.

DOG NEWS

5.DogNews.oct2018

Spending hours on our phones can make our dogs sad. There’s a new study from the UK that shows dogs can get depressed when we ignore them and talk on our smartphones instead. Additionally a veterinarian from Philadelphia has seen the effects of smart phone usage on pets. Being attached to our phones causes the important bond between us and our dogs to break down. Dogs read our body language and eye contact. “They read our facial expressions, so if we are on our phone and acting disinterested, and they’re looking for attention, it basically is ignoring your dog.” So, what to do? Get off the phone. Play with the dog!

ENDNOTE: TIKKUN OLAM IS THE ANSWER

6.EndNote.candles.oct2018

Tikkun olam is the divine imperative to perform acts of kindness that are intended to “repair the world.” … “The shock and pain we feel now for and with our brothers and sisters in Congregation Tree of Life in Pittsburgh will be replaced with creativity, building, renewal, doing, and promoting wellness and improving quality of life for all human beings on earth.” (York JCC CEO, Dani Fessler Dani Fessler, October 28, 2018)

WE CAN HELP

7.WeCanHelp.HIAS.oct2018

HIAS provides assistance to refugees around the world and partners with the US government to resettle refugees as part of the US refugee admissions program. Founded in 1881 as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, HIAS was established to protect refugees who have been forced to flee their homelands because of who they are. Donate to HIAS to help them continue to help refugees find welcome, safety, and freedom.

Soundtrack to this Issue

8.Soundtrack.JohnLennonStandByMe.oct2018

John Lennon
Stand By Me

October 8. Happy Birthday, John. Here he is singing Ben E King’s 1961 classic, Stand By Me, that made it to #1 in 1961. John Lennon’s version was released in March of 1975.

 C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won’t be afraid
No I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

 And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me

 If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

 And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Darling, darling stand by me
Stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

 

 

Who rescued whom?
9.KEEP-YP+Barkley

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l
12.KEEP-Buddha

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Duke: John Kelly, Mashed Radish
Cake: Penguin Press (April 10, 2018)
Dog News quote: BMC Psychiatry journal, UK
Soundtrack lyrics: Ben King, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller ©Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

October 30, 2018
All Rights Reserved

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