11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
7 Temmuz 2012 Cumartesi
God Bless (even in) America
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In Ashkenazic circles, it is a well established custom for the kohanimto perform the birchat kohanim (priestly blessing) only on Yom Tov[1]. Over the ages, some scholars tried to change this because birchat kohanimis a biblical commandment and not reciting it is a custom which is hard to justify[2]. Yet, they were not successful in doing so and the custom remains. On the other hand, in Israel the custom is for the kohanim to recite the blessing every day.
In our minyan, we have only one kohen who lives in Israel and is not keeping the second day of Yom Tov[3]. May he make the blessing in spite of the fact that it is not a holiday for him?
In his Sha'arei Teshuva, Rav Chayim Mordechai Margaliyot discusses a difference of opinion regarding this issue and it seems that he is leaning towards leniency (i.e. reciting the blessing)[4]. Rav Moshe Feinstein writes[5]that because the basic law is that the blessing should be recited every day even outside of Israel "it is not befitting to prohibit it". He continues to discuss the matter and it is not clear what his conclusion is although undoubtedly he leans towards leniency.
I called Rav Shabatai Rappaport, head of the Bar-Ilan University Beit Midrash who has edited Rav Feinstein's Igrot Moshe, and he said that the birchat kohanim should be recited in our situation. Rav Rappaport added that an Israeli kohen's custom is to say the blessing each day and thus whenever he has the opportunity to follow his personal custom he may do so.
In conclusion, an Israeli kohen spending Yom Tov outside of Israel should recite the birchat kohanim on the second day of Yom Tov.
[1] See Rema in Shulchan Aruch 128:48[2] See Halichot Shlomo, Tefila p.128 footnote 11.[3] This is a complex matter and therefore you should consult a rabbi as to your observance of Yom Tov if the question arises. [4] Orach Chayim 496 subparagraph 3*[5] Igrot Moshe Orach Chayim 5:37
In Ashkenazic circles, it is a well established custom for the kohanimto perform the birchat kohanim (priestly blessing) only on Yom Tov[1]. Over the ages, some scholars tried to change this because birchat kohanimis a biblical commandment and not reciting it is a custom which is hard to justify[2]. Yet, they were not successful in doing so and the custom remains. On the other hand, in Israel the custom is for the kohanim to recite the blessing every day.
In our minyan, we have only one kohen who lives in Israel and is not keeping the second day of Yom Tov[3]. May he make the blessing in spite of the fact that it is not a holiday for him?
 |
| Can it be done? |
In his Sha'arei Teshuva, Rav Chayim Mordechai Margaliyot discusses a difference of opinion regarding this issue and it seems that he is leaning towards leniency (i.e. reciting the blessing)[4]. Rav Moshe Feinstein writes[5]that because the basic law is that the blessing should be recited every day even outside of Israel "it is not befitting to prohibit it". He continues to discuss the matter and it is not clear what his conclusion is although undoubtedly he leans towards leniency.
I called Rav Shabatai Rappaport, head of the Bar-Ilan University Beit Midrash who has edited Rav Feinstein's Igrot Moshe, and he said that the birchat kohanim should be recited in our situation. Rav Rappaport added that an Israeli kohen's custom is to say the blessing each day and thus whenever he has the opportunity to follow his personal custom he may do so.
In conclusion, an Israeli kohen spending Yom Tov outside of Israel should recite the birchat kohanim on the second day of Yom Tov.
[1] See Rema in Shulchan Aruch 128:48[2] See Halichot Shlomo, Tefila p.128 footnote 11.[3] This is a complex matter and therefore you should consult a rabbi as to your observance of Yom Tov if the question arises. [4] Orach Chayim 496 subparagraph 3*[5] Igrot Moshe Orach Chayim 5:37
How Much Food Should You Have Stored Up?
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In prepper terms, "too much is not nearly enough"! For those starting out in the preparedness lifestyle, it's just one #10 can at a time, an extra toothbrush here, a couple oil lamps there and before you know it you're well on your way to self sufficiency! If you are frugal and have a fair bit of drive, you can avoid the mad rush at the local grocery when a natural disaster strikes (or worse)...
Click HERE to see what other preppers are doing to prepare.
Thanks to jimmyjr for starting the topic on APN!
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Click HERE to see what other preppers are doing to prepare.
Thanks to jimmyjr for starting the topic on APN!
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Shift Happens!
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I lived and worked in San Francisco for several years in the Seventies and, like most residents, I shrugged off the dire warnings from friends and family members outside the area as to my imminent demise in an earthquake.
As it happened, my daily grind was never interrupted even once by the smallest of tremors, setting the stage for me to continue the normalcy bias in regards to preparing for one -- even after moving to the Olympia area and being subjected to a new set of doom-and-gloom predictions about The Big One overdue in the Cascadian Subduction Zone off our coastline.
Then I stumbled upon Home Facts, a realtor tool for assessing hazards before purchasing any kind of real estate. Just for grins, I typed in my little town to see what new worries I should obsess about in my ongoing efforts to prepare. Let’s see – there’s an A for the Crime Index, an 8.5 out of 10 for Air Quality, a Low rating for Radon Levels, another A on Tornado Risk, and – OMG! – a D-minus for Earthquake Risk!
Frowning, I clicked on the details:
“The USGS database shows that there is an 86.349% chance of a major earthquake within 50 kilometers of this location within the next 50 years.”
And that missing sense of urgency suddenly blossomed in my mind at last. Fifty years in geologic time is a mere nanosecond, and 86% is too close to 100% for comfort. I NEEDED TO PREP FOR AN EARTHQUAKE AS IF IT WERE A SHTF EVENT!
All I remembered from my school days was the old duck-and-cover routine until the ground stopped shaking. However, now I had all my preps to worry about, and they could hardly do the same thing, lol.
So what could I do to maximize both my physical safety and the survival of all my supplies? I started listing some ideas after a whole-house walk-through:
Strap heavy furniture, TVs, appliances, and the hot water heater to the walls.
Add latches to all cabinets.
Secure lighting fixtures and wall hangings.
Use putty adhesive under knick-knacks and other breakables and collectibles.
Add shelf “lips” to keep glass jars and cans in place
Keep BOV gassed up and full of supplies separate from the house
What have you done, or what can you add to this list? If you live in western Washington, the time is NOW to prepare for a big earthquake.
Now if I could just get that percentage out of my head when I’m strolling on the beach, staring out to sea and looking for that incoming tsunami…
A BIG thank you to GoldenOldie for submitting this article!
Comment by GoldenOldie:
Color me shocked but it appears the experts have not reached a consensus on that high percentage for a Big Quake that burned a hole in my brain: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/12/despite_an_unusual_run_of_gian.html "The risks of a subduction zone quake differ from north to south. In the northern segment, Goldfinger's group also puts the odds at 10 to 15 percent during the next 50 years. Quakes originating there tend to rupture the full length of the subduction zone, he says. In southern Oregon and Northern California, quakes along the subduction zone appear to strike more frequently."
The odds look a little better now where I'm located, but I'm still going full speed ahead on those quake mitigation ideas -- just like a prudent PNW prepper should do. :)
------------------------------------------
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As it happened, my daily grind was never interrupted even once by the smallest of tremors, setting the stage for me to continue the normalcy bias in regards to preparing for one -- even after moving to the Olympia area and being subjected to a new set of doom-and-gloom predictions about The Big One overdue in the Cascadian Subduction Zone off our coastline.
Then I stumbled upon Home Facts, a realtor tool for assessing hazards before purchasing any kind of real estate. Just for grins, I typed in my little town to see what new worries I should obsess about in my ongoing efforts to prepare. Let’s see – there’s an A for the Crime Index, an 8.5 out of 10 for Air Quality, a Low rating for Radon Levels, another A on Tornado Risk, and – OMG! – a D-minus for Earthquake Risk!
Frowning, I clicked on the details:
“The USGS database shows that there is an 86.349% chance of a major earthquake within 50 kilometers of this location within the next 50 years.”
And that missing sense of urgency suddenly blossomed in my mind at last. Fifty years in geologic time is a mere nanosecond, and 86% is too close to 100% for comfort. I NEEDED TO PREP FOR AN EARTHQUAKE AS IF IT WERE A SHTF EVENT!
All I remembered from my school days was the old duck-and-cover routine until the ground stopped shaking. However, now I had all my preps to worry about, and they could hardly do the same thing, lol.
So what could I do to maximize both my physical safety and the survival of all my supplies? I started listing some ideas after a whole-house walk-through:
Strap heavy furniture, TVs, appliances, and the hot water heater to the walls.
Add latches to all cabinets.
Secure lighting fixtures and wall hangings.
Use putty adhesive under knick-knacks and other breakables and collectibles.
Add shelf “lips” to keep glass jars and cans in place
Keep BOV gassed up and full of supplies separate from the house
What have you done, or what can you add to this list? If you live in western Washington, the time is NOW to prepare for a big earthquake.
Now if I could just get that percentage out of my head when I’m strolling on the beach, staring out to sea and looking for that incoming tsunami…
A BIG thank you to GoldenOldie for submitting this article!
Comment by GoldenOldie:
Color me shocked but it appears the experts have not reached a consensus on that high percentage for a Big Quake that burned a hole in my brain: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/12/despite_an_unusual_run_of_gian.html "The risks of a subduction zone quake differ from north to south. In the northern segment, Goldfinger's group also puts the odds at 10 to 15 percent during the next 50 years. Quakes originating there tend to rupture the full length of the subduction zone, he says. In southern Oregon and Northern California, quakes along the subduction zone appear to strike more frequently."
The odds look a little better now where I'm located, but I'm still going full speed ahead on those quake mitigation ideas -- just like a prudent PNW prepper should do. :)
------------------------------------------
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National Defense Authorization Act...
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If you have been watching the National Defense Authorization Act, you probably know that it was signed by President Obama on 12/31/2011. Here's what people think of this legislation!
Thanks to Oregon Dreamer for posting the topic at APN!
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Thanks to Oregon Dreamer for posting the topic at APN!
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Visit the Washington Forum at http://www.washingtonpreppersnetwork.net/
Tips and Tricks for Storing Rice and Beans
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There are multiple schools of thought on how to store rice, beans, wheat etc. See how these preppers package rice and beans!
Thanks to 3ADScout for starting the thread on APN!
food storage, home food storage, preparedness, rice, beans, lentils, food packaging, mylar food bags, absorbers, bucket, long term food
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Visit the Washington Forum at www.WashingtonPreppersNetwork.net
Thanks to 3ADScout for starting the thread on APN!
food storage, home food storage, preparedness, rice, beans, lentils, food packaging, mylar food bags, absorbers, bucket, long term food
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Food Prices In the NW
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A trip to the supermarket can give you a serious case of sticker shock these days! How do food prices here in the NW compare to those in other regions of the U.S.?
Thanks to Happy Prepper for starting the discussion!
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Thanks to Happy Prepper for starting the discussion!
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Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net
Visit the Washington Forum at www.WashingtonPreppersNetwork.net
5 Temmuz 2012 Perşembe
Confessions
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I guess it's time to come clean. When I started this blog I wanted it to be about my garden and about my personal experiences as a gardener. What I have not written about is the fact that I am a garden designer (Second Nature Garden Design). This week I am participating in the Southern California Garden Show at South Coast Plaza, so it seems appropriate to share. And I though you all might like to see the exhibit. Below is the rendering I submitted to enter the contest. Of course there will be tweaks and changes so you'll have to come and see what the real thing looks. Hope you can all make it. Show opens Thursday.
Mary Lou's tour (come see my garden for yourself)
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Many of you out there in Orange County and Long Beach and elsewhere fondly remember a little nursery called Heard's Country Gardens. Tucked away in an odd quasi industrial area of Westminster sat a nursery that was the brainchild of Mary Lou Heard. Filled with rare perennials, it captured the hearts of gardeners in the area.
Once when I was 15 or 16 years old I went to Heard's with my grandma to pick out some herbs. I was visiting from Northern California and loved to see the variety of plants that the nursery had to offer. There were few people in the nursery that day, and Mary Lou was grooming plants in the 4" area. I said to her "I love this blue eyed grass, it grows on my parents ranch", Mary Lou said something like "I like it too, it's one of my favorites", then I said something to the effect of "it's a tiny iris relative you know" and Mary Lou said plainly "no, it's not". I then asked Mary Lou if she had a plant encyclopedia where we might check the plant's family. She showed me directly to the book. I was right. Mary Lou offered me a job on the spot. I told her the 500 mile commute would be tough and that I'd probably better finish high school.
Later when I was 19, I was living in the area and looking for work. I went and asked for the job she had offered me. She took my number and said she would call me. I heard nothing for two weeks. At this point I called and was asked "how can I help you" to which I replied "I want you to hire me". She did. And so began my career in horticulture. At first I was just a leaf picker and a hose dragging waterer, but every week with the help of Mary Lou and others in the nursery I learned about plants. So many plants. Mary Lou kept such a wide variety around and sometimes there would be a flat of plants in one day and you wouldn't see them again until the next year or ever. But I learned them all, or at least as best as I could.
I worked for Mary Lou for about 5 years, until she closed the nursery. After two years of battling colon cancer she had to let the business go. Later that summer she passed away.
There are countless stories I could tell about Mary Lou, but the thing that I want to share is that she had a pure love of plants and gardening. That is why she started the garden tour. Mary Lou always wanted it to be about real people and real gardens. She wanted people to be able to share their love of gardening with each other.
Today the garden tour lives on in her name. It benefits a women's shelter, a horticultural scholarship and a cancer charity.
After all these years my garden will be on the tour, I think Mary Lou would be proud. I hope you all can come see my garden this Sunday 10am to 5 pm.
Here is the info:
In case you forget, my name is Dustin
heardsgardentour.com
addresses for the tour
Here are some before and after shots.
Front yard early 2010
Frontyard 2012
Frontyard 2010
Frontyard 2012
Backyard 2010
Backyard 2012
Once when I was 15 or 16 years old I went to Heard's with my grandma to pick out some herbs. I was visiting from Northern California and loved to see the variety of plants that the nursery had to offer. There were few people in the nursery that day, and Mary Lou was grooming plants in the 4" area. I said to her "I love this blue eyed grass, it grows on my parents ranch", Mary Lou said something like "I like it too, it's one of my favorites", then I said something to the effect of "it's a tiny iris relative you know" and Mary Lou said plainly "no, it's not". I then asked Mary Lou if she had a plant encyclopedia where we might check the plant's family. She showed me directly to the book. I was right. Mary Lou offered me a job on the spot. I told her the 500 mile commute would be tough and that I'd probably better finish high school.
Later when I was 19, I was living in the area and looking for work. I went and asked for the job she had offered me. She took my number and said she would call me. I heard nothing for two weeks. At this point I called and was asked "how can I help you" to which I replied "I want you to hire me". She did. And so began my career in horticulture. At first I was just a leaf picker and a hose dragging waterer, but every week with the help of Mary Lou and others in the nursery I learned about plants. So many plants. Mary Lou kept such a wide variety around and sometimes there would be a flat of plants in one day and you wouldn't see them again until the next year or ever. But I learned them all, or at least as best as I could.
I worked for Mary Lou for about 5 years, until she closed the nursery. After two years of battling colon cancer she had to let the business go. Later that summer she passed away.
There are countless stories I could tell about Mary Lou, but the thing that I want to share is that she had a pure love of plants and gardening. That is why she started the garden tour. Mary Lou always wanted it to be about real people and real gardens. She wanted people to be able to share their love of gardening with each other.
Today the garden tour lives on in her name. It benefits a women's shelter, a horticultural scholarship and a cancer charity.
After all these years my garden will be on the tour, I think Mary Lou would be proud. I hope you all can come see my garden this Sunday 10am to 5 pm.
Here is the info:
In case you forget, my name is Dustin
heardsgardentour.com
addresses for the tour
Here are some before and after shots.
Front yard early 2010
Frontyard 2012Frontyard 2010
Frontyard 2012Backyard 2010Backyard 2012
Garden tour and many thanks
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I just wanted to say thinks to everyone who braved the parking to come to this weekend's charity garden tour. We raised over $300 bucks for charity, which I feel is respectable since there were 40 + other gardens for people to leave their money.
How lovely it was to see old friends and new faces enjoying my garden! It was a surprise to see the cottage garden set obviously enjoying my crazy garden.
Thanks again to everyone!
How lovely it was to see old friends and new faces enjoying my garden! It was a surprise to see the cottage garden set obviously enjoying my crazy garden.
Thanks again to everyone!
Bees update
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It's bee-n over a month since we installed the bee package. And when I first wrote about the bees, I thought that everything was hunky dory. But shortly after the second week I noticed a big drop in activity in the hive as well as many dead bees just in front of the hive. Thankfully my bee mentor Rob came by to take a look. By then it had been a month and all sorts of bee drama was brewing!
When we opened the hive right away we noticed queen cells. this is not what you would want or expect to see with a young colony. And it seemed like one of the cells was already empty. We thought is this why there seem to be fewer bees?? Then as we inspected the hive I (the novice) spotted a second queen! We think she must have emerged that very day. We also noticed a bunch of drone cells that were maturing. Rob also thought that the brood was not evenly laid. Maybe we don't have such a good queen after all....
The following weekend Rob dropped by again to take a look. Unfortunately we found yet another queen cell in the works. We cut it out to stop them from rearing another queen, possibly for the young queen to take over the one we just installed. Perhaps the workers know something we don't?
In any case the hive seemed more vigorous and there were young worker bees emerging as we inspected the hive. Hopefully they will soon join the ranks and begin to get this hive in order.
Today the hive was very active and I'm not sure why. hopefully it is vigor and not robbing or some other bizarre behavior I'm unaware of.
Below are some shots from last Sunday
honey and bee bread
the comb that I forced into a frame
backside
brood frame
can you spot the drone?
can you spot the queen?
When we opened the hive right away we noticed queen cells. this is not what you would want or expect to see with a young colony. And it seemed like one of the cells was already empty. We thought is this why there seem to be fewer bees?? Then as we inspected the hive I (the novice) spotted a second queen! We think she must have emerged that very day. We also noticed a bunch of drone cells that were maturing. Rob also thought that the brood was not evenly laid. Maybe we don't have such a good queen after all....
The following weekend Rob dropped by again to take a look. Unfortunately we found yet another queen cell in the works. We cut it out to stop them from rearing another queen, possibly for the young queen to take over the one we just installed. Perhaps the workers know something we don't?
In any case the hive seemed more vigorous and there were young worker bees emerging as we inspected the hive. Hopefully they will soon join the ranks and begin to get this hive in order.
Today the hive was very active and I'm not sure why. hopefully it is vigor and not robbing or some other bizarre behavior I'm unaware of.
Below are some shots from last Sunday
honey and bee breadthe comb that I forced into a framebacksidebrood framecan you spot the drone?can you spot the queen?B Side
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Hey there.
The reason I title this post B side, is that I finally got around to labeling the frames. I put a number on top and a number and A or B on the sides of the frames. In this way the progress of each frame can be monitored without confusing them.
Well, I was super eager to get into the hive today. I've been waiting/hoping for the hive to sort itself out. Things were going great for the first two weeks then things seemed to not be going not so well... The workers were making queens which isn't good. Anyway, I was relieved today to see that they had not started another queen cell. Other positive signs were present, for one the hive seemed more vigorous if a bit defensive. There were, or so it seemed, a lot more workers in the hive, and the more bees there are the more work can be done. Upon close examination I could see that the majority of the cells in the brood frames had eggs or larva in the open cells. I also noticed that she had laid eggs more to the edges of some of the brood frames, so in general it appears that she is laying more. By the looks of it the queen is really in gear now.
All in all it seems like the hive is sorting itself out and it won't be too long before we are putting the first deep super on the hive.
Here are this week's pics:
by the numbers
does this bee suit make me look fat? LOL
4 B
can you spot the eggs, or the emerging worker bee?
funky frame was moved position and they turned this from brood comb to honeycomb
same
capped and uncapped brood
The reason I title this post B side, is that I finally got around to labeling the frames. I put a number on top and a number and A or B on the sides of the frames. In this way the progress of each frame can be monitored without confusing them.
Well, I was super eager to get into the hive today. I've been waiting/hoping for the hive to sort itself out. Things were going great for the first two weeks then things seemed to not be going not so well... The workers were making queens which isn't good. Anyway, I was relieved today to see that they had not started another queen cell. Other positive signs were present, for one the hive seemed more vigorous if a bit defensive. There were, or so it seemed, a lot more workers in the hive, and the more bees there are the more work can be done. Upon close examination I could see that the majority of the cells in the brood frames had eggs or larva in the open cells. I also noticed that she had laid eggs more to the edges of some of the brood frames, so in general it appears that she is laying more. By the looks of it the queen is really in gear now.
All in all it seems like the hive is sorting itself out and it won't be too long before we are putting the first deep super on the hive.
Here are this week's pics:
by the numbersdoes this bee suit make me look fat? LOL4 Bcan you spot the eggs, or the emerging worker bee?funky frame was moved position and they turned this from brood comb to honeycomb samecapped and uncapped brood
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