Norwitz Notions

This is the drosh, the Torah commentary, I wrote for my Bat Mitzvah on June 14, 2014.  My Torah portion was Sh’lakh L’kha, specifically Numbers 15:14-16. I gave a shorter, and less technical version, at the actual service.  The only changes were to the genetics portion in the beginning (I also did not read anything in boxes). […]

[Read more →]

Who doesn’t love a fair?  Even if you don’t have a child to share it with.  I grew up on the Del Mar (San Diego County) Fair, which is one of the biggest county fairs around.  Our local fairs here aren’t as big but they’re fun. There’s one right here in Petaluma, the Sonoma-Marin Fair, […]

[Read more →]

I’ve written poetry since I was small, then heavily in my teens and twenties, including many public readings.  But after some experiences 15 years ago, for some reason, I put down my poetry pen and mostly wrote essay-style works. Yesterday morning I woke with a poem on the brain.  And wanted to share it. Suddenly […]

[Read more →]

Riddle: What is harder than taking care of a baby after having major surgery? This will be my last pregnancy update. I was 36 weeks pregnant on Saturday, September 26, 2009.  40 weeks is the “due date” and 37 weeks is considered “full term.”  But 36 weeks is considered safe and close enough to full […]

[Read more →]

Yes yes I’ve been a terrible updater recently.  My last update was at 19 weeks, almost 3 months ago.  But it’s been a terrible 3 months.  Everything’s going well with the pregnancy, I’ve just been knocked flat by it.  Constant need for naps, unable to get out of bed at times, fatigue so bad I […]

[Read more →]

I’ve made a variety of dessert/snack bars based on the simple ingredients of dates and nuts.  Sometimes I substitute prunes for half the dates to bring the carb count down.  Sometimes I add banana or other fruit.  And I use a bunch of different flavorings. You can make these raw (with a dehydrator) or cooked.  […]

[Read more →]

Here I am at 19 weeks, 4 1/2 months and well into my 2nd trimester.  I keep asking Michael “do I look pregnant in this? (as opposed to just fat) and, well, judge for yourself. Things are going pretty well.  At 17 weeks I saw my wonderful family doctor for the last time (she’s switching […]

[Read more →]

Well, I hit my 2nd trimester a little over a week ago.  I’m now 14 1/2 weeks along.  The pregnancy sickness is still with me but the worst of it is *knock wood* over.  I still get stomach pain as my primary gut issue.  I’ve also been eating like crazy, lots and lots of very […]

[Read more →]

Hello all!  It’s been a while since I’ve posted here regularly.  I blame it entirely on technical problems.  Has nothing to do with me whatsoever.  *ducking*  My camera went bad and I replaced it, then had horrible problems with the disc, replaced that, had the same problem with the new disc (different brand), realized the […]

[Read more →]

Miriam has always been more of a director than an actor.  Since she was old enough to hold a camera, she would grab one at any opportunity.  A child’s digital camera is a promised present (anyone know of one that is kid proof, has a display screen, and is under $30?) but, until then, she […]

[Read more →]

We spent Thanksgiving 2008 much like Thanksgiving 2007, at a potluck gathering at Ecology House in San Rafael, California.  Ecology House is the only HUD (US Government) low-income housing for people disabled with chemical sensitivities.  It has 11 apartments and a community room where residents host events, meetings, and parties.  The Environmental Health Network holds […]

[Read more →]

“Goodbye old car!  Thanks for taking good care of us all these years! We’re going to miss you!” Miriam repeated words like this many times today.  I don’t know why I get sad when getting rid of a car.  Am I doing the right thing??  How can we just leave it here to be scrapped […]

[Read more →]

This year, Miriam (age 3.5 years) wanted to be a superhero for Halloween.  Her first choice was Superman, and she was quite clear that she meant Superman, not Supergirl.  Being 3 though, she had a lot of back and forth.  At times Supergirl was okay and so were Spiderman, Batman, or anyone from the Justice […]

[Read more →]

This year the spirit possessed us and we decided to build a sukkah for the holiday of Sukkot.  We’d done a poor attempt a few years ago but this was the first real one for all of us. Sukkot occurs 5 days after Yom Kippur, in late September or October.  It reminds us of the […]

[Read more →]

The first overnight stop on our road trip from Petaluma, California to Vancouver, Canada, was in Southern Oregon at the Indian Mary Campground in Merlin. By Google Maps, it’s 410 miles and a 6:30 hour drive. With extensive stops, it was more like 9 or 10 hours. Indian Mary Park Uninc Josephine County, Oregon 7100 […]

[Read more →]