Tonight is Erev Yom Kippur.. the night before the Day of Atonement.. tomorrow Jews all over the world stop working., stop eating and think about all the things they did to wrong others, themselves and the world in the past year. It’s not uncommon for folks to call up those they may have hurt in the past year and apologize.  ..So in that spirit.. if I did anything to hurt any of you in any way. I am truly sorry..

There are many traditions associated with Yom Kippur.. the most observed is fasting… goign without food or drink for 24 hours.. Well.. due to an unavoidable conflict with work.. I just wasn’t going to be able to fast tomorrow.. so  I did it today.   and since the Colony.. a day of fasting didn’t feel strange at all.  It was fun moving it to today.. The G-d I beleve in couldn’t care less when we did our observations.. in fact, I’m pretty sure he/she/it doesnt’ care what we do at all.. These traditions are for us. … to make us feel connected to our root’s.. Well, I’m definitely feelign connected.. bur  I’m not going to go to temple this year.. it just hasn’t felt right the past couple of years.. The funny thing is, the more spiritual i’ve become, the less organized religion speaks to me.    But let me speak to all of you and wish you a thoughtful day tomorrow..

In addition to fasting today. I took a great meditative fall walk in the rain with my love.. and the dogs

I also did another meditative thing today.. I cleaned out the bed side table that’s been to crammed ull to open for several years. Emptying that drawer was a good metaphorical way to relive the last year.. or last several years judging by the stuff I found…

ere it was at the start of the exercise…

Inside I found junk and marvels mixed together.. like this old watch that is actually a pager.. I had it on Sep 11, 2001.. I was giving a talk to the math department at uvm when my watch buzzed and flashed the message that a plane had hit the world trade tower.. Everyone in the room crowded around my watch for the next few minutes as we read the unthinkable on it’s tiny screen.

Here are soem rafffle tickets from an early Sam memorial fund raiser.. I just happened to nitice that oen of the tickets was from Kristinn.. and I must not even have known wh she was when we sold her this.

eHere’s a knife that Sam once made for me out of wood…  I have knives and swords he made for me stashed all over.

here’s five pieces of 2-3 year old christmas chocolate.

and 2 locks.

These were bathtub toys for all three boys since max was a baby.. they stuck to the tile when they were wet.. we’d use them to tell crazy stories. .

2 bar puzzles (love them)

an earring that Sam made Diane.. we’ve lost the other.

an old bullet

$2.53 plus a bunch of foreign coins.

a plastic rat..

7 stones and shells

a stuffed squid…

and a really cool set of ‘brass knuckles’ that max made for me that stamp ‘squid’ in your opponents face.

three necklaces

35 batteries.. most of them dead

1 pens and pencisl

4 flashlights.. none working..

4 pair of old missing glasses and 6 cases.

and a pile of who-knows-what..

I also refound my ligthening hat that Jen made for me… !

Digging through all that stuff was a combination of archeology. psychology, warm memories, dust, junk and cool re-found pleasusre.. what a great way to reflect on the last years gifts and challenges…

OK friends, I hope you have a good and peacefull new year.. Shana Tova.
Shana Tove Sam !
-me