HOME & FAMILY

R-i-i-i-n-g-g-g!

Masha's hand reached out from underneath the warm blanket and banged down on the snooze button. "Five more minutes," she promised herself.

The Countdown
by A. Ross, M.Ed.

A neighbor with a really large family tried these tips last year and received the ultimate accolade from her fourteen- year-old son. "I love before Pesach and on Pesach in this house."

CREATIVE CORNER
Pyramids and Triangles
by Devora Piha

After the children have mastered learning about the circle and the square, the next step is to teach them about the triangle. Actually, the triangle is a component of the square because two perfect (equilateral) triangles make up a square; two random triangles -- a rectangle.

Picky Eaters
by F. Reiss

Part II

And so, I continued running after them, and how!

I was just afraid. They showed no signs of being weaned off being fed, their appetites diminished and my worry increased. Until Chaim was born.

Incognito
by Rosally Saltsman

Another job had come to an end. My colleagues had invited me to lunch and as I approached the gate of my erstwhile employment, the guard asked to check my bag. I got annoyed. "What do you mean, `check my bag?' I've been working here for two years. You've been saying good morning to me several times a week for a year." He stammered and told me he had to check the bags of everyone he didn't recognize. I let him peek into the depths of my handbag and entered the premises bemused and angry -- until it dawned on me.

The Self Motivated Child
by Sue Shapiro

"Does hearing me make mistakes also give you nachas?" my daughter asked.

The answer should be a resounding YES!

INTRODUCING:
Not a Pesach Cookbook -- a Recipe File Box
reviewed by N.B.

I had heard rumors about our local Rebbetzin's great Pesach recipes and really wanted to sneak a peek at some of them. So I was thrilled when I found out that she had just published -- not a cookbook -- but a recipe file box with her famous recipes on laminated recipe cards. I love any idea that will help me come up with new and tasty Pesach meals, so I contacted the Rebbetzin to find out more.

Your Medical Questions Answered!
by Joseph B. Leibman, MD

I want you all to know how much I appreciate hearing from you. I believe I answered the retired doctor from Petach Tikva on a subject we have discussed previously. The NSAIDs may be dangerous in older patients.

POET'S CORNER

Haiku

by Ruth Lewis

Almond tree --
fragile branches thick-laden with white blossoms,
and with hope

Earthquake

by Ruth Lewis

I was quite pleased,
am still quietly pleased,
with my reaction, during our minor earthquake.

Sitting at the computer, in my bedroom,
I felt my comfy, cushioned office chair shift under me.
I thought: Oh! I think this is an earthquake --
either that, or some neurological disturbance within me.

Then I saw my desk, my computer moving, too,
dancing a little jig.
I heard my daughter's exclamations from our kitchen.
I thought: It's not just me, then. It IS an earthquake.
Is there something special we should do?
Hide under the dining table? Leave the building?
Which is best? If we survive, we must remember to find out.

Another shift or two, then seeming stability.
Maybe a twenty-second quake, in all.
No screams, no loud thumps; nothing fell.
Is that it? Is it all over? Will there be an aftershock?
I went into the kitchen.
Husband, daughter, stood before our ancient fridge.
(It makes strange noises in the night, but never shifted ground before.)
"It was an earthquake!" my husband explained.

I was unfazed.
Maybe there wasn't time enough for fear.
Or maybe, we live without assumptions in his land.
We don't assume (expect, need or desire?) stability.

So it seems that I do rather well with earthquakes.
It's only dishes, laundry,
cluttered closets that shake me up, that overwhelm me.