Modest Fashion

If I had a nicer camera, you could tell more detail on the fabric and things, but I'm using a Blackberry. Hopefully you can still get the idea. I thought I'd start taking pictures of my clothes and Tzipi's for inspiration. For me, it helps keep me thinking about something fun; fashion and creativity, for others it might inspire them to understand how important it is that we respect ourselves enough to keep our bodies covered. I am blessed to have a very modest family and the older generation understands that its the inner man that needs to shine, not our flesh.

The skirt that Tzipi is wearing was made out of a more grown up velor, but it works with many of her existing blouses. We don't have a huge selection of shoes, so she's wearing the only nice pair of dress shoes she owns. (Recently purchased for a wedding). I have taken about 6 skirts that were size 7 women and cut them to fit her. It is an easy alteration, but it works!

This skirt is one of my favorites. It has a nice silk lining and is very comfortable. The sweater has tiny threads of iridescent shimmer throughout the knit. I wore a beautiful shawl over it when we went to Temple the evening this picture was taken.

Here's me in my sheitel (wig). I love this skirt, but because it's real leather (suede) I don't wear it very often. When it gets warm it smells like leather. Which is a nice smell most of the time, but after a while it gets to be too much. Excuse the big ugly heater vent next to me, Avi was working on the heater. Zee took the picture. He's got a great eye! The brown sweater I'm wearing was my mother-by-marriage's, but she shrunk it. I love it. It's warm, but light weight. So I'm really getting into the whole layering thing.

I took a few pictures but Tzipi was not in the mood. She looks a bit shapeless here, but the skirt is really very cute on her. The hoodie she picked out at the thrift store has a black and white butterfly that matches nicely with the 50's polka dots. She's wearing a turtle neck as well, but she wanted to wear the hoodie too. The skirt has gores and is very flattering on her, but she just would not cooperate for a picture at 6 in the morning. It used to be my skirt. I'm glad I can repurpose some of the clothes I can no longer wear and she can get some use out of them. 

So hopefully in the next few days I'll post some more of our ensembles and you can see how much fun we're having being fashionable and modest. :-)

I'm ready for Sukkot

Although my heart is saddened and I would like to stay in bed for the rest of my life... I have two children that don't need me to do that.

So I go on. Yom Kippur was beautiful at our local synagogue. I'd never been to a service with a Cello and Piano. It was beautiful. I am so glad that I was able to reflect on the past months and try to come to terms with things. It was a very beautiful evening.
 
Like always, Sukkot follows quickly behind. This year I dreamed we would have our own Sukkah. Well thanks to Darla and Lance's amazing generosity, we have a temporary dwelling. Unless I'm mandated by G-d to eat outside and spend time outside, I don't. So this is a great time of year for me. I'm forced to breathe fresh air and be in nature. Bugs and dirt I am not keen on, but it's worth dealing with them to learn the lessons G-d has for us outside.

In Israel there isn't a lot of space, but they still understand the necessity of following this mitzvah.

So I'm looking forward to being in our Sukkah and eating together.

We'll be celebrating our 11th Anniversary. I can't believe it's been 11 years. I'm going to make it through this. Some how.

Daddy

This was the temporary marker after he was buried.

I'm not sure you can see this is the picture, but he's buried next to a tower.

 

Yesterday was excruciating. But it was good to know that he was buried and his body was resting. Just like we don't throw away bread after we have blessed it, we bury Torah scrolls when they can no longer be used. There is a holiness to things that have holy and sacred purpose. I believe that because the breath of G-d was residing in a body the body maintains that holiness and therefore will forever be sacred. I know that the breath has returned to its origin and will have a new purpose, but my Daddy's purpose on this planet was sacred and will never be forgotten. 

I wish that I'd been able to hear stories of my Daddy from the people at the funeral, but I couldn't face the people that feel I have rejected their maker and become a Jew. They do not understand who I am now and I am a powder keg of emotion. My mother does not need me to hurt her more than I have already. Until I can deal with this and be of help to her, I must keep my distance. My goal is to be like my father, and he would not have been happy for me to say everything I was feeling yesterday. I did not have the strength yesterday to keep my tongue and in order to honor my parents, I could not attend the gathering after the funeral. 

My body is still repairing itself from losing a child and I am a mess. Please forgive my absence and continue to pray for healing.