Guided by the candlelight in the eve.

Today was pretty spectacular! I FINALLY got caught up on my old blog posts – though I did not bother posting some of the ones that were supposed to be posted about a week ago – but, I got the previous three done anyway :)

My grandma, mom, and I went out to do some last minute Christmas grocery shopping… there isn’t anywhere to shop up here nearby.

So we headed up to the local IGA. There, I got my first taste of some local milk! Anyone who really knows me knows how much I LOVE chocolate milk! I really love it! That and chocolate covered strawberries. My heart melts.

Mountain Fresh Creamery

Check them out! Delish, as RR would say!

After that we made sandwiches and I snagged some homemade pickles.

Then, we got ready for Christmas Eve Service at Helen First Baptist Church in Helen, GA.

I love going to church! And I really like Rev. Jim Holmes. Fav quote of the night: “We marvel at the manger, but at the cross we are convicted.” How true! God touched my heart tonight and I feel ready to celebrate tomorrow.

After the service we piled into my grandparents truck and we looked at the Christmas lights in Helen!

Merry Christmas, y'all!!!

Here’s what I wore to the church service:

Green pendant necklace and cotton blossom dress from shopruche.com, tights from Hue, Lauren by Ralph Lauren sweater, Skechers heeled booties, and one ridiculous attitude ;)

We humble travellers of yore...

My mom and I are just arrived in White County, GA today! My favorite places to visit are in the Appalachian and Smokey Mountains!

 Crazy to head up anywhere in this three day block, but it’s what you do.

We stopped for Dunkin’ Donuts before hitting the interstate, as usual.

And this is what I wore:

White American Eagle sweater, Lolita T from Out of Print tees, skinny jeans, and black flats.

8 hours of fashionable, baby! Sort of…

I guess that I should have stopped at some point to take pictures, lol. I haven’t been very good about all of that.

Anyway, we get here and my grandparent’s dogs go bananas! They just get so excited about everything! Pics to come soon of my two girls!

My grandma Cook made us homemade Brunswick stew with her home grown carrots and potatoes! MMMMMMM!!!!

And this is what I see:

Mt Yonah :)

And this was my in-flight entertainment:

The Importance of Mezuzah

This is the Shema prayer; the one that is contained inside the Mezuzah

Mezuzah is Jewish for “door post” but it means the little boxes that Jews place on the door posts of their homes that contains the prayer.

In the Torah, God commands the Jewish people to hang mezuzot on their doorposts. Two Torah portions, Shema and Vehaya, include the verse: "And you shall inscribe these words upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates."

The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) begins with "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One." The Shema reminds us that God is always present in our lives, and that we should keep God's words constantly in our minds and in our hearts. The Shema tells us that one way to do this is by writing them on the doorposts of our house. Vehaya (Deuteronomy 11:13-21) assures us of God's compensation if we fulfill his commandments (mitzvot).

 


 

This first day -  which I actually managed to take a pic of – dark wash skinny jeans (American Eagle Outfitters), grey long sleeve shirt(old Old Navy), and a beautiful ¾ sleeve cropped hunter green chunky cable knit sweater that I scored for 50% off from LOFT by Ann Taylor, and cognac boots.

I threw Dubrovnik some love with the Kuzek tote bag that I purchased while I was there over the Summer.

On Monday we visited the Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum

Here are some photos of what I found most touching:

This is a quote from Rev Martin Niemmoeller

A map of the camps. FYI you can't even see them all from this photo. I had to back up WAY too far to get the whole thing.

These two were reunited/ met in a Displaced Persons Camp after WWII and camp liberation

This is a poem written by a survivor who lives in Atlanta. It was written during the war. A moving and portral of fear.

 I never take pictures of persons being murdered for personal reasons. Aside from that, I do not feel that it is all that proper to the memory of the dead. For it to be exhibited in a museum for people to understand the gravity of the actions that were carried out in WWII, I find it almost necessary. I cry every time that I get to that part of WWII Holocaust museums. I cannot control myself. It is so heart wrenching for me to see the smiles on the Einsatzgrueppen’s faces while they malicious and unreasonably murder and massacre innocent persons. The fear that races in the victims’ eyes; this I cannot stand.

In the Holocaust class that I took over this past semester with Dr. Gellately, he said to us something that I agree with: “War liberates a people like liberty cannot.” In war time, certain new “freedoms” and powers are granted to different persons. In what peace-time country would the annihilation of the Jewish population be allowed? None. Not really. Granted there are things that have happened in peace-time countries, Pogroms, but nothing like the systematic murder of the Jews. It is truly shocking the things that happen.

 If you find yourself incapable of reading a whole book about it, try Maus,the comic book by Art Spiegelman. I highly recommend it. It’s a true story about his father. His father and his mother survived the Holocaust.

I also highly recommend the museum. Not only does one gain the enlightenment of the Holocaust, one is also able to see inside Jewish life, especially that of the Atlanta Jewish population.

For dinner we went to Truva on 60 International Andrew BLVD. If ever you are in Atlanta, go! It was SOOOOO good and very similar to some of the foods that I ate while I was in Bosnia i Herzegovina and Croatia. Being a Turkish restaurant, they have Turkish nationals. Our waiter was AWESOME!!! He was born in Bosnia and then grew up from the age of five onward in Turkey. I assume it was because of the Balkan war of the 90’s, but I didn’t ask. He spoke so highly of Istanbul! I am so excited about visiting there someday soon!

Here’s what I ate:

chicken breast stuffed with rice and pistachios and dates with a Tarragon sauce

Our waiter informed me that it was a palace dish in Turkey and was reserved for the Princess. I loved hearing the story behind the DELICIOUS meal that I had. My daddy and I shared this weird cheese dessert that is a very traditional dessert of Turkey. It was unbelievable! I can’t wait to go back and try something else from their menu! Yummy!!!

AND it did NOT escape that Kim Jong Il died yesterday. P.S. pray for N. Korea.
On our way back from Dinner we found some interesting art along the way...

Why someone would make stickers of this, I don't know. But, it gave us a good laugh. 

To Atlanta, We march!

My daddy and I are total American Civil War buffs! And just plain history fanatics.

I was so excited about this because… well… it’s travel. And I haven’t been on vacay with my dad in just about forever! Even if I had to share it with his new girlfriend.

This is what I packed: basics. It was only two days, but I still managed to pack quite a bit of clothes.

I wore on the road: black jeggings, nautical ¾ length sleeve shirt, chambray button down belted at the waist, cognac knee high boots.

I can’t wait to get out and explore my second fav Georgia city.

When we got into town I was shocked and saddened to see so vividly the homeless population. It was so cold outside and the group that we saw was so young. I could barely stand it! I have never felt so thankful for my life. I have never been confronted with this mass population of people before. I was so un nerved and slightly afraid of them. Apparently Atlanta has quite the homeless population. I come from a small town and even in Tallahassee, there is not a homeless population like that.

Not exactly the way that I wanted to start off the trip.

But with the Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust museum and the Atlanta Cyclorama coming up, I couldn’t help but get over it and move on.

 I’ve got such an amazing life <3 God bless your travels my little nomads!

Well laid plans.

I sometimes scare myself with how excited I get over travelling... I mean look at this:

This is what I did during my distracted time... I planned out outfits for my Winter vacay.
I'm so excited to get started on packing to go have mini adventures... sort of adventures.
My dad and I are going to Atlanta and my mom and I are going to Cleveland/ Dahlonega, GA to visit my grandparents. I'm just so excited to be chilled to the bone everyday and have my mits - literally - around a hot cup of chai tea :)

I've been sheepishly buying up new basics left and right, icluding a new pair of cognac boots that should fit my wider calfed leg :) Plus, I got 20% off.

The list of basics that I purchased for the new season are:
a chambray shirt - finally - from ON.com
a Grey Pointellete pull-over sweater from GAP.com
a few shirts from both stores

My next move is to purchase a few pairs of tights and to make this adorable faux fur sweater vest from this tutorial:
http://www.adventuresindressmaking.com/search/label/tutorial

P.S. her site is full of awesome

I also have an oder coming in from Ruche (shopruche.com) that includes a few pieces of jewellery and an adorable ruffle infinity scarf in green as seen here from their new lookbook.

Now that I feel all updated and stylish, I have no need to fret the cold of my judgement.

Georgia on my mind...

Oh, Georgia! How I long to be in the safety of your memories. How I long to be in the security of care-free days. Georgia call to me, call for me, take me in your arms! <3

Why can't December 14th arrive... TOMORROW?!?!?! I am so desperate to see the bare trees with black limbs scraping the blue-gray sky. I want to hear nothing but the wind sweeping through the mountains. The sharp chill of the mountain air is what my lungs long to be filled with.

There is something about the Appalachian mountains that just drives my spirit into a frenzy... maybe it's fact that my family has been vacationing in the White/Habersham/Lumpkin county region of Northeast Georgia for as long as I can remember, maybe it's the family heritage that I have in Georgia... or maybe it's just the magic of the mountains. How could it be otherwise? I always feel so right with the world when I am in Georgia. Every now and again my insecurities sweep through my mind and dampen my spirits, but then I go into the woods and all is again right in my heart.

It is only November 5th and already my mind is thinking on what I need to pack, what outfits will suit both my Ocala travels and my Georgia travels, and what I need to buy... i.e. new tights and jeans since I am still stuck in the size 16 of haunting horror. I just can't wait to be out this damned city named Tallahassee... my feelings towards this city is another blog post entirely...

Keep traveling - in mind, soul, and body.

Biblophile

Even though I have been drowning in a sea of unrelenting school work, I still cannot keep my mind from wandering two months two months into the future where I will be free of German and in the great state of Georgia! I love it there. Last year it snowed. I took so many pictures of a sparse covering of white loveliness I was so excited!
I have problem when I go anywhere that my books are not; I try to take them all with me. I have been learning to pack lighter because I get made fun of for how much I take with me... most of the mass being books and shoes. How can you ever take just one?! And I'm always reading more than one book at a time: different books for different moods. Words are like music to me. I have to be in the mood to deal with turmoil and war and emotional distress and happiness and gaiety and love. I have to be in the mood to be in Russia with Anna, I have to be in the mood to be with Ernest in Paris, I have to be in the mood to think with Ayn. I am an emotional being and I want the things that I do and surround myself with to reflect how I am feeling.

The only problem is I am trying to find the one book that I will begin and finish this winter break. I am a slow reader with a proliferation of books that have perfect spines and unbent pages. So who am I going to go with?!? Who will come with me? Will it be Rosamond Lehmann? Joyce? Tolstoy? Austen? Auden? Rand? Hemmingway? Fitzgerald? WHO WILL I TAKE?! It is oft too much to bear. I am like a mother unable to pick a favorite... (But I am leaning towards Lehmann's The Weather in the Streets)