Tag Archives: Jewish

Unpacking Memories (98)

Posted on May 9, 2012 by shoshwrites3

Muchos libros. Carlos, the man installing my new windows, said this as he saw me trying to organize the piles and piles of unpacked books stacked haphazardly on shelves in my study. They’re not just books, I told him. They’re memories … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Personal Memoir | Tagged books, books as memories, children's books, fire, furniture, German, Jewish, Judaism, memories, moving, my life, personal memoir, Russian, soccer, Spanish | Leave a comment

One Person’s Junk (97)

Posted on April 25, 2012 by shoshwrites3

Unpacking one’s possessions is a process of discovery. Or rather, rediscovery. I’ve moved often enough in my life, packing and unpacking many of the same things, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Each time I pack, I weed out … Continue reading →

Posted in Moving, New Beginning, Personal Memoir, Personal Property | Tagged California, Downscaling, fire, Germany, Israel, Jewish, kibbutz Ketura, mementos, Mexico, moving, my life, objects as memories, personal memoir, Russia, Russian, tchochkes, Turkey | Leave a comment

What’s God got to do with it? (40)

Posted on August 5, 2011 by shoshwrites3

“God has other plans for you.” When I heard this, just a few days after the fire and my son’s hospitalization, I was both startled and even angry. I quickly subdued my initial reaction because I knew the speaker was … Continue reading →

Posted in Depression, God, House Fire, Jewish, My Life, Personal Memoir, Shabbat | Tagged comfort, fire, God, Jewish, my life, personal memoir, son's depression, spirituality | 3 Comments

Speaking un poco español (37)

Posted on August 2, 2011 by shoshwrites3

I call myself a language jock; others might say language nerd. Tomayto, tomahto. Either way, I’ve been fascinated with foreign languages and cultures since I was a little girl. I think my first real exposure to anything foreign was when … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign language, House Fire, India, My Life, Personal Memoir, Rebuilding, Spanish | Tagged German, house, Jewish, my life, personal memoir, Puerto Ricans, Russian, Spanish | 1 Comment

Silver Linings (30)

Posted on July 25, 2011 by shoshwrites3

“At least you’ll get some new furniture.” “Your house will be more marketable after renovating it.” “How lucky you have insurance to pay for a fresh start.” These are some of the reactions I got when people heard about my house … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Change, Colleagues, Daughter, Downscaling, Family, Friends, House, House Fire, House Sale, My Life, New Beginning, Personal Memoir, Personal Property, Rebuilding, Shopping, Son, Stress, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged academic, colleagues, daughter, dissertation, ER, family, fire, hospital, house, Jewish, master's thesis, my life, personal memoir, silver lining, son, stress, writing | Leave a comment

What’s in your pantry? (29)

Posted on July 24, 2011 by shoshwrites3

Do you know what’s in your pantry? What about your refrigerator? Could you name the basic staples, the brands, and their prices? Do you even care? When it came to the pricier electronics and furniture in my house, I had photos. My … Continue reading →

Posted in Austin, Contractor, Food, Holidays, House Fire, Insurance, Jewish, My Life, New Beginning, Personal Memoir, Personal Property, Shopping, Son, Uncategorized | Tagged baking, fire, food, house, insurance, Jewish, kitchen, Manischewitz, money, my life, Passover, personal memoir, son | 4 Comments

Delayed Reactions (23)

Posted on July 18, 2011 by shoshwrites3

Family, close friends, and colleagues heard about my house fire very quickly. Now that I’m writing a blog about my house fire and how it is affecting my life, I want readers. It’s still a bit scary to put my … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Colleagues, Facebook, Friends, House Fire, Jewish, My Life, New Beginning, Personal Memoir, Relationships, Social Media, Uncategorized | Tagged California, facebook, fire, friends, Germany, Jewish, my life, personal memoir, reactions, teaching, Texas | 3 Comments

Creature comforts (17)

Posted on July 10, 2011 by shoshwrites3

You never really know how you’ll react to a crisis. It helps to have family and friends circle around, but in the end, you still have to deal with it by yourself. Especially when you’re single. For most of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Austin, Change, Colleagues, Daughter, Dogs, Family, Family Crisis, House, House Fire, Internet, Jewish, My Life, New Beginning, Personal Memoir, Rescue Dogs, Shabbat, Soccer, Son, Work Life | Tagged Barcelona, Buddy, Champions League, colleagues, comfort, daughter, family, fire, house, Jewish, Manchester United, my life, Netflix, personal memoir, rescue dogs, roku, Shabbat, son, sports bar, work life, World Cup | Leave a comment

It’s just stuff, right? (11)

Posted on July 4, 2011 by shoshwrites3

Now that my son is recovering back at home and the dogs are safe and relatively happy, my attention turns to my material possessions. The insurance appraiser and contractor have already walked me through the house for an initial survey. … Continue reading →

Posted in Contractor, Daughter, Germany, Holidays, House, House Fire, House Sale, Insurance, Jewish, My Life, Personal Memoir, Personal Property, Turkey | Tagged contractor, daughter, fire, German, Germany, Hanukah, house, insurance, Jewish, kitchen, my life, personal memoir, Rosh Hashanah, tea, Turkish | 4 Comments