We should always have events to look forward to. My gramma (my Dad's mom) always says this. It's one of my favorite statements. Whether it's looking forward to a walk or coffee with a friend, or looking forward to a simcha, it's so true, you should always have events to look forward to.
My gramma knows how to look forward to events big and small. A woman after my own heart, she loves a warm gooey slice of chocolate cake. Every week she plays a few games of bridge with her friends. And, she's an avid reader. I look forward to our talks about the books she's reading when I call her on my way home from work.
Speaking of events to look forward to....ironically, we had a meeting at the synagogue last Monday. Two days after Andrew's big day. What was the meeting? It was none other than the parent's meeting for Jordan's Bar Mitzvah -- March 2015. If all goes as we expect, his Torah portion will be focused on the Jewish holiday, Purim. Which would be very fun.
Thankfully, Andrew has paved the way for planning. Hopefully, I'll make fewer mistakes -- maybe the invites will get out a little earlier. And, I'll be able to relax a little more -- the initial shock of having a kid old enough to be a Bar Mitzvah will be less. I doubt this though since this is my baby!
Before I move on to the next simcha, I just have to share a few reflections on this one.
I'm so proud...
I got the most amazing glimpse of what Andrew will be like as an adult. He not only delivered his Torah portion and Dvar Torah with maturity, but he worked the room afterwards with ease.
I'm so proud...
Andrew was aware and appreciative of all those who came from near and far to be part of his simcha. As the RSVP's came in, he was as much in awe as we were by the wonderful response.
I'm so proud...
As Andrew opened each of his presents, he didn't rip through to find out what was inside, he read each card all the way through.
I'm so proud...
To say Andrew's my kid. I think he's pretty great, and I'm so proud of the man he's becoming.
Now, hopefully he feels sufficiently ready to navigate the teen years. And hopefully, Danny and I feel prepared as well.
Now we're back to the routine...baseball, basketball, piano, dance. As one author wrote, "Today I'm a Bar Mitzvah, Tomorrow I return to 7th Grade".
I've really enjoyed capturing this 100-day journey online, and I'm so happy to have connected with so many of our family and friends along the way. What started as a scrapbook has become a reflective therapy session! While this is my last post for this event, don't be surprised if 100 days before Jordan's big day you hear from me again. Sharing the weekend, and the days leading up has been wonderful and hearing from all of you along the way has been the most wonderful gift!
Looking forward to seeing you all again in March 2015! Watch for the Save the Date (in a few years!)
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
On the Plains of North Dakota
We're one week outside of the event. So weird. It only proof that the weekend existed is the pile of Bar Mitzvah stuff I need to go through on the dining room table, the dry cleaning I still need to take in, and the stack of thank you notes we are writing out!
So many wonderful memories. Here are the highlights for us!
That's how I feel. Like I'm going to wake up before Danny and I had kids, look at him and say, "I just had the craziest dream."
So many wonderful memories. Here are the highlights for us!
- When Danny started his speech at the service, which you remember began with, "On the Plains of North Dakota," his best friends son's eyes lit up (his son is about 10). The little guy looked at his dad, who's from North Dakota, and asked if Danny really just said that!
- On Saturday afternoon, my cousins Cari, Andi and Pammy (sorry, Pam, all the aunts still call you Pammy), all came over to help me with the finishing touches for the evening event. Our house looked like tornado went through it, which proves family can handle anything! I shlepped them to Party City and to the grocery store. What troopers. Funny, how that became one of my favorite stories from the day!
- My gramma and her sister and sister in law are the best. And, watching them play bridge in the hospitality room was a huge treat. When I grow up, I want to be just like them. Full of smiles, looking classy and having fun.
- It goes without saying that having the Bison win the championship as Andrew was being a champion was kismet.
- For Danny and I, having Rabbi Attegui lead Havdallah was such a wonderful way to celebrate this milestone. He was there when we were kids, he led services in Fargo for the High Holidays and taught me Hebrew on beta tapes. He was one of the officiants at our wedding. He was at Andrew's Bris, and now he helped us celebrate Andrew's Bar Mitzvah.
- The look of wonder on the kid's faces during Havdallah was almost romantic. I love that the Rabbi asked them all to join him. I felt the same great feeling that I had when I was at summer camp and participating in Havdallah outside on the beach.
- Dragging my dear friend Kim Harbinson onto the dance floor to dance the hora was another highlight. Having the chance to share my joy with her was perfect, I'm so proud to call her my friend.
- Danny had an impromptu moment as well, when he and all his guy friends snuck away for a friendship toast of Crown Royal in the hospitality room.
That's how I feel. Like I'm going to wake up before Danny and I had kids, look at him and say, "I just had the craziest dream."
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Forever Friends
What do you call someone who isn't a cousin, an aunt, an uncle, a brother, a sister, a parent, or a grandparent, but is someone you hope to keep in your life forever? For our family, we call them forever friends.
Looking out across the sanctuary and seeing so many smiling, supportive faces was truly a gift. Following the service, people shared how confident and comfortable Andrew was up on the Bima. Which got me thinking. Can a place be a forever friend?
As an only child and a huge fan of playing pretend, I've been known to befriend a few inanimate objects. In fact, I believed, okay still sort of do believe, that my stuffed animals are unable to "breath" if you put them in a plastic bin. Danny joins me in this belief. When we were moving out of our apartment, we both panicked when we saw all of our stuffed friends tightly sealed in a plastic container.
So given this, my answer to the question about places and friends is an emphatic YES! Our friendship with the Adath began when Andrew was four months old enrolled in Adath's infant daycare program. At 18 months he moved into the transitional toddler room and then graduated into the preschool program.
The synagogue for Andrew has been a school as well as a playground. The long hallway that runs the length from the chapel to the sanctuary to the social hall, also known as the spine, was his sprinting track during the daytime. He learned to climb up and down stairs in the social hall. The classrooms upstairs have also been home to Andrew's Sunday school and Shabbat Morning Program classes.
Watching Andrew deliver his Torah portion this weekend, reminded me how much this building has become a forever friend to our family. Reflecting on the amount of time Andrew has spent in and around the building, it really comes as no surprise that he's as comfortable as he is. The surprise is how much time has gone by and the many memories the building for us now holds .
Looking out across the sanctuary and seeing so many smiling, supportive faces was truly a gift. Following the service, people shared how confident and comfortable Andrew was up on the Bima. Which got me thinking. Can a place be a forever friend?
As an only child and a huge fan of playing pretend, I've been known to befriend a few inanimate objects. In fact, I believed, okay still sort of do believe, that my stuffed animals are unable to "breath" if you put them in a plastic bin. Danny joins me in this belief. When we were moving out of our apartment, we both panicked when we saw all of our stuffed friends tightly sealed in a plastic container.
So given this, my answer to the question about places and friends is an emphatic YES! Our friendship with the Adath began when Andrew was four months old enrolled in Adath's infant daycare program. At 18 months he moved into the transitional toddler room and then graduated into the preschool program.
The synagogue for Andrew has been a school as well as a playground. The long hallway that runs the length from the chapel to the sanctuary to the social hall, also known as the spine, was his sprinting track during the daytime. He learned to climb up and down stairs in the social hall. The classrooms upstairs have also been home to Andrew's Sunday school and Shabbat Morning Program classes.
Watching Andrew deliver his Torah portion this weekend, reminded me how much this building has become a forever friend to our family. Reflecting on the amount of time Andrew has spent in and around the building, it really comes as no surprise that he's as comfortable as he is. The surprise is how much time has gone by and the many memories the building for us now holds .
Monday, January 9, 2012
Adventures of Super D
They came, they celebrated, they left.
It now all feels like a dream, but I promise to share some of the most vivid memories and missteps with you over these final, post-event posts.
There are always a few crazy stories that come out of an event. When the story is live it's not always so funny. Give it a few days to marinate, and hopefully the humor emerges and everyone can share a laugh.
If I had to predict, I would have thought the stories coming out of our event would have been weather related. Snowed in, snowed out, frozen to the bone. No worries on this topic, the weather cooperated and was down-right balmy.
No, our stories all revolved around transportation. Not breakdowns, not delays, just misplacement. They say the devil is in the details, and I should have thought of that when I signed the contract with the shuttle service that would take my family to and from the synagogue. It said pick up at Crown Plaza Hotel, yep good. So how come the bus wasn't there at 5 p.m. or 5: 15 p.m.?
What do they teach you in first grade? Always read the ENTIRE sentence. Oh... The shuttle did arrive at the scheduled location, which was the downtown Minneapolis Crown Plaza hotel, not at the Plymouth Crown Plaza. Had a read just a few centimeters further I would have noticed that they had the wrong address. BIG Oops. Did I mention it was now 5:30 p.m., at the height of rush hour traffic? Oh, and the driver thought it would take about a half hour to get from downtown to the hotel?
Thirty-five people waiting in the hotel lobby. About 30 minutes to spare before services start. How in the world are we going to get this group to services?
Enter Super D!
If my husband was a super hero, he would be Super D, as in "Danny". Able to solve logistical crisis in a single bound, his mind is the master when it comes to getting people from point A to point B.
Super D has safely delivered me to destinations during my lowest moments. Whether it's getting lost going from Plymouth to a birthday party -- Super D and his supersonic navigation gets me to where I need to be within minutes.
Super D has always been well ahead of the GPS technology. He not only has super navigation skills, but patience. He manages hysteria, confusion and outright frustration with a calm voice and a kind word. About 10 years ago, I was lost on an turnpike in New Jersey. Super D logged onto Google maps and safely guided me from Philadelphia to Vineland.
Once again Super D donned his cape, and swiftly corralled cars to get everyone from the hotel to Adath. Andrew got there right on time, and the others were only a few minutes late. Everyone was in attendance when Andrew led the service. Danny was the last to walk into the chapel. Calm as a cucumber. Similar to other classic super heroes, he arrived completely returned to his civilian self.
So if asked what super hero I would most want my son to be, I would easily say Super D. He knows where he's going! And as hysterical as I get, I love that he gets us there.
It now all feels like a dream, but I promise to share some of the most vivid memories and missteps with you over these final, post-event posts.
There are always a few crazy stories that come out of an event. When the story is live it's not always so funny. Give it a few days to marinate, and hopefully the humor emerges and everyone can share a laugh.
If I had to predict, I would have thought the stories coming out of our event would have been weather related. Snowed in, snowed out, frozen to the bone. No worries on this topic, the weather cooperated and was down-right balmy.
No, our stories all revolved around transportation. Not breakdowns, not delays, just misplacement. They say the devil is in the details, and I should have thought of that when I signed the contract with the shuttle service that would take my family to and from the synagogue. It said pick up at Crown Plaza Hotel, yep good. So how come the bus wasn't there at 5 p.m. or 5: 15 p.m.?
What do they teach you in first grade? Always read the ENTIRE sentence. Oh... The shuttle did arrive at the scheduled location, which was the downtown Minneapolis Crown Plaza hotel, not at the Plymouth Crown Plaza. Had a read just a few centimeters further I would have noticed that they had the wrong address. BIG Oops. Did I mention it was now 5:30 p.m., at the height of rush hour traffic? Oh, and the driver thought it would take about a half hour to get from downtown to the hotel?
Thirty-five people waiting in the hotel lobby. About 30 minutes to spare before services start. How in the world are we going to get this group to services?
Enter Super D!
If my husband was a super hero, he would be Super D, as in "Danny". Able to solve logistical crisis in a single bound, his mind is the master when it comes to getting people from point A to point B.
Super D has safely delivered me to destinations during my lowest moments. Whether it's getting lost going from Plymouth to a birthday party -- Super D and his supersonic navigation gets me to where I need to be within minutes.
Super D has always been well ahead of the GPS technology. He not only has super navigation skills, but patience. He manages hysteria, confusion and outright frustration with a calm voice and a kind word. About 10 years ago, I was lost on an turnpike in New Jersey. Super D logged onto Google maps and safely guided me from Philadelphia to Vineland.
Once again Super D donned his cape, and swiftly corralled cars to get everyone from the hotel to Adath. Andrew got there right on time, and the others were only a few minutes late. Everyone was in attendance when Andrew led the service. Danny was the last to walk into the chapel. Calm as a cucumber. Similar to other classic super heroes, he arrived completely returned to his civilian self.
So if asked what super hero I would most want my son to be, I would easily say Super D. He knows where he's going! And as hysterical as I get, I love that he gets us there.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Always at Simchas
There are many meanings for the Hebrew word Simcha. Literally translated, the word means gladness, or joy. As a noun, the word means a festive occasion. In my family, you'll commonly hear the phrase, may we always be together at Simchas, which means we should always be together at happy events.
As Holocaust survivors, Danny's Bubbie (Yiddish for Grandma) Rose and Zadie (Yiddish for Grandpa) Jacob, always made it a priority to celebrate a Simcha. Just last night, Esther (G-d Bless her) talked about how she was the first girl to be Bat Mitzvah at her congregation in Des Moines. Her father Jacob, may he rest in peace, persuasively told the clergy that after what he witnessed in the concentration camps, it was imperative that he see his daughter recite from the Torah on the Bima reciting.
Danny's Bubbie shares the same enthusiasm for joyous occasions, and over the years has made a presence for herself either by attending or baking for an event. Spritz cookies, which are small sugar cookies made by squeezing cookie dough through a pastry gun; and honey cake, which she lovingly made in small loaves, were her signature recipes. She would deliver or ship these goodies to family all over the country to honor an event or to simply make an introduction. This was the case when she sent honey cakes to my parents and grandparents for Rosh Hashanah, after Danny and I got engaged.
Danny's Bubbie lives in an assistant living community in Kansas City, Mo., and struggles with dementia. So while she's unable able to attend, and she won't be able to make her sweets for the Kiddush, she will still be present. Here's how; following Andrew's Torah reading, the Torah scroll will be rolled back up and "dressed" in its covering for storage in the Ark. The Torah is then gently placed on a bench, for the remaining prayers until it's time for it to return to the Ark. Jordan has the job of sitting with the Torah during this portion of the service. In addition to the synogogues' Torah you will also see a small Torah, which Bubbie gave to Andrew and that we are placing along side the big one.
Andrew received this Torah when he was only a few years old, and it's joined us for many Simchat Torah celebrations (a holiday celebrating the point in the year when all of the Torah portions or chapters have been read). During Simchat Torah it's tradition to take out all of the Torahs in the Ark and sing songs and dance with them.
Seeing this little Torah up on the Bima not only celebrates a beautiful gift Bubbie gave Andrew, but also represents her presence. It symbolizes what both her and Zadie survived, as well as their desire that we should always be together for Simchas.
As Holocaust survivors, Danny's Bubbie (Yiddish for Grandma) Rose and Zadie (Yiddish for Grandpa) Jacob, always made it a priority to celebrate a Simcha. Just last night, Esther (G-d Bless her) talked about how she was the first girl to be Bat Mitzvah at her congregation in Des Moines. Her father Jacob, may he rest in peace, persuasively told the clergy that after what he witnessed in the concentration camps, it was imperative that he see his daughter recite from the Torah on the Bima reciting.
Danny's Bubbie shares the same enthusiasm for joyous occasions, and over the years has made a presence for herself either by attending or baking for an event. Spritz cookies, which are small sugar cookies made by squeezing cookie dough through a pastry gun; and honey cake, which she lovingly made in small loaves, were her signature recipes. She would deliver or ship these goodies to family all over the country to honor an event or to simply make an introduction. This was the case when she sent honey cakes to my parents and grandparents for Rosh Hashanah, after Danny and I got engaged.
Danny's Bubbie lives in an assistant living community in Kansas City, Mo., and struggles with dementia. So while she's unable able to attend, and she won't be able to make her sweets for the Kiddush, she will still be present. Here's how; following Andrew's Torah reading, the Torah scroll will be rolled back up and "dressed" in its covering for storage in the Ark. The Torah is then gently placed on a bench, for the remaining prayers until it's time for it to return to the Ark. Jordan has the job of sitting with the Torah during this portion of the service. In addition to the synogogues' Torah you will also see a small Torah, which Bubbie gave to Andrew and that we are placing along side the big one.
Andrew received this Torah when he was only a few years old, and it's joined us for many Simchat Torah celebrations (a holiday celebrating the point in the year when all of the Torah portions or chapters have been read). During Simchat Torah it's tradition to take out all of the Torahs in the Ark and sing songs and dance with them.
Seeing this little Torah up on the Bima not only celebrates a beautiful gift Bubbie gave Andrew, but also represents her presence. It symbolizes what both her and Zadie survived, as well as their desire that we should always be together for Simchas.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
A Milestone's a Milstein...who knew!?!
Our cousin Jeff wrote to me this afternoon to wish Andrew well and to say mazel tov (Yiddish for congratulations) on our milestone or "milstein." I immediately looked up the word milstein and found that while the Scrabble dictionary won't claim the word, Mil is of Latin origin and represents lengths, and stein in German and Norwegian means stone.
Milstein is my mother's maiden name. And the Milsteins definitely know how to celebrate a milestone. Births, Bar Mitzvahs, Weddings, Anniversaries are all simchas you'll find my mom and her three sisters -- Auntie Shirley, Auntie Bobbie and Auntie Arlene. In fact, when Andrew was born and it was time for his Bris, these three lovely ladies weathered the weather and made their way to Minneapolis to share in our simcha.
Here's why I think they are so special.
Andrew was born via emergency C-Section and I was given very potent, pain killing drugs. I guess I was supposed to stop taking the meds when we got home from the hospital, but I didn't know that until the nurse came for the post-hospital visit and encouraged me to switch over to Tylenol. Apparently, Andrew and I looked like space cadets. What's more, Andrew must have had the extreme munchies because the nurse said the kid had gained a healthy amount of weight. Then she remarked that he must be having thanksgiving dinner at every meal!
So while I was incessantly feeding my new little bundle, and visualizing Lucy in the sky with diamonds, my wonderful Aunts offered to help tidy the house for the Bris. We were having 80 of our closest friends and family in our house for the service and a light lunch. With toilet want in hand, and the instruction manual to the central vac, my three aunts set off to scrub the tub and vac up the rug.
We don't have a central vacuum anymore because the hose is a real pain. It's hard to manage. Most of the time it's like an uncontrollable fire hose that pulls in anything in its path. The thing came with the house, and we stopped using it once Andrew was born for fear he would get sucked up into the hose, like Agustus Glupe in Willie Wonka in the Chocolate Factory.
My Aunts are strong women, and I'm very proud to say they tamed that shrewd beast of a carpet cleaner. To listen to them you would have thought they were tickling the thing into submission. For those of you who haven't met my Aunts, you should know they are gigglers. Gigglers with a capital G. So for over an hour I heard the swish of our sweeper, velocity of our vacuum, and hysterical giggles coming from all three of them. The house looked amazing, and perfectly pristine when the Bris crowd took over.
Needless to say, the cleaning ladies who came to our house this week did a terrific job. However, their humor doesn't hold candle to the contagious craziness that my three Aunts can bring on.
We feel so blessed to have the entire Milstein contingent join us for our simcha -- whether that is here in Minneapolis, or from a far cheering Andrew along! We love you all very, very much! Here's to Andrew's milestone....er eh, Milstein.
Milstein is my mother's maiden name. And the Milsteins definitely know how to celebrate a milestone. Births, Bar Mitzvahs, Weddings, Anniversaries are all simchas you'll find my mom and her three sisters -- Auntie Shirley, Auntie Bobbie and Auntie Arlene. In fact, when Andrew was born and it was time for his Bris, these three lovely ladies weathered the weather and made their way to Minneapolis to share in our simcha.
Here's why I think they are so special.
Andrew was born via emergency C-Section and I was given very potent, pain killing drugs. I guess I was supposed to stop taking the meds when we got home from the hospital, but I didn't know that until the nurse came for the post-hospital visit and encouraged me to switch over to Tylenol. Apparently, Andrew and I looked like space cadets. What's more, Andrew must have had the extreme munchies because the nurse said the kid had gained a healthy amount of weight. Then she remarked that he must be having thanksgiving dinner at every meal!
So while I was incessantly feeding my new little bundle, and visualizing Lucy in the sky with diamonds, my wonderful Aunts offered to help tidy the house for the Bris. We were having 80 of our closest friends and family in our house for the service and a light lunch. With toilet want in hand, and the instruction manual to the central vac, my three aunts set off to scrub the tub and vac up the rug.
We don't have a central vacuum anymore because the hose is a real pain. It's hard to manage. Most of the time it's like an uncontrollable fire hose that pulls in anything in its path. The thing came with the house, and we stopped using it once Andrew was born for fear he would get sucked up into the hose, like Agustus Glupe in Willie Wonka in the Chocolate Factory.
My Aunts are strong women, and I'm very proud to say they tamed that shrewd beast of a carpet cleaner. To listen to them you would have thought they were tickling the thing into submission. For those of you who haven't met my Aunts, you should know they are gigglers. Gigglers with a capital G. So for over an hour I heard the swish of our sweeper, velocity of our vacuum, and hysterical giggles coming from all three of them. The house looked amazing, and perfectly pristine when the Bris crowd took over.
Needless to say, the cleaning ladies who came to our house this week did a terrific job. However, their humor doesn't hold candle to the contagious craziness that my three Aunts can bring on.
We feel so blessed to have the entire Milstein contingent join us for our simcha -- whether that is here in Minneapolis, or from a far cheering Andrew along! We love you all very, very much! Here's to Andrew's milestone....er eh, Milstein.
Are They Here Yet? Are They Here Yet?
Do you remember the feeling when you were a kid right before your birthday party? Maybe it was at your house. The table was set, the food was cooking, the games were laid out, the party favors were neatly wrapped in their bags. And you would be going stir crazy because your party started at 2 p.m. and it was 1:30 p.m. Too early for the first guest to arrive, but too close to the start time to go start a new project or play a new game.
That's exactly how we feel!
For the most part, we're set. A few details to polish but otherwise my face, metaphorically speaking, is pressed up against the window watching every car drive up waiting and wondering if it contains one of our guests arriving for the event. Thank goodness the cleaning ladies are coming today!
Grandma and Bumpa (Esther and Mike) are the first to arrive and they come in this evening. Cousin Jessica (that sounds so regal) flies in on Wednesday --we're still deciding whether we'll give her the master suite downstairs or set her up in Jordan's room. News at 11. My parents come in Wednesday night, the Denver Aunts come in on Thursday and most arrive on Friday. But, in the words of Verruca Salt in the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, "I want it nowwww!"
But, please don't forget to kiss the mezuzah before you leave.
Every trip my family would take, whether it was going to Denver, Minneapolis, Brandon, or Winnipeg, my mom would have us go to our front and back door and kiss the mezuzah. A mezuzah is a piece of parchment contained in a decorative case inscribed with the Hebrew verse from the Torah, "Shema Yisrael", which essentially is a prayer praising Henry. A mezuzah is placed on the right side of a door frame at an angle. I once heard a teacher say that you don't place the mezuzah parallel or horizontal but rather at an angle because it promotes Shalom Bayit (Peace in the Home). Apparently the Torah anticipated that those living in the house may tangle about what direction to hang the parchment, so by putting it at an angle you can't go wrong. Who knows if that's true, but I like that idea, so let's go with it. What we do know is that there are a few words in the Shema that stress the importance of putting the mezuzah "on the doorposts of your house."
The best was when I was at college and my mom said not to forget to kiss the mezuzah before coming home. I told her that I didn't have a mezuzah, so she said the sweetest thing. She said, well then make sure to kiss Danny.
Safe travels everyone, we are so excited for you to get here!
That's exactly how we feel!
For the most part, we're set. A few details to polish but otherwise my face, metaphorically speaking, is pressed up against the window watching every car drive up waiting and wondering if it contains one of our guests arriving for the event. Thank goodness the cleaning ladies are coming today!
Grandma and Bumpa (Esther and Mike) are the first to arrive and they come in this evening. Cousin Jessica (that sounds so regal) flies in on Wednesday --we're still deciding whether we'll give her the master suite downstairs or set her up in Jordan's room. News at 11. My parents come in Wednesday night, the Denver Aunts come in on Thursday and most arrive on Friday. But, in the words of Verruca Salt in the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, "I want it nowwww!"
But, please don't forget to kiss the mezuzah before you leave.
Every trip my family would take, whether it was going to Denver, Minneapolis, Brandon, or Winnipeg, my mom would have us go to our front and back door and kiss the mezuzah. A mezuzah is a piece of parchment contained in a decorative case inscribed with the Hebrew verse from the Torah, "Shema Yisrael", which essentially is a prayer praising Henry. A mezuzah is placed on the right side of a door frame at an angle. I once heard a teacher say that you don't place the mezuzah parallel or horizontal but rather at an angle because it promotes Shalom Bayit (Peace in the Home). Apparently the Torah anticipated that those living in the house may tangle about what direction to hang the parchment, so by putting it at an angle you can't go wrong. Who knows if that's true, but I like that idea, so let's go with it. What we do know is that there are a few words in the Shema that stress the importance of putting the mezuzah "on the doorposts of your house."
The best was when I was at college and my mom said not to forget to kiss the mezuzah before coming home. I told her that I didn't have a mezuzah, so she said the sweetest thing. She said, well then make sure to kiss Danny.
Safe travels everyone, we are so excited for you to get here!
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