New kids and a once in a Lifetime thing

http://kathymom27.blogspot.com/2014/10/once-in-lifetime.html

ignore the floor - that's what we found when we pulled up the rug.

Sukkah Coming Down

I'm now damp. We're expecting a major storm coming through in the next two days so I brought down my sukkah. It's a good thing I didn't sleep in it last night, woke up to rain so the tarps, the ropes, the string = all wet. When it got humid last night I changed my plans and took down the decorations and brought in my laptop and cot with bedding. Good thing!

Every year we improve on the comfort of the sukkah and getting it up and down.

You can see in the pictures that the limbs and leaves were drying out and were no longer a nice, lush green. The ropes also were sagging, bringing my lovely "roof" of tree limbs lower into the sukkah. The tarps are a huge mess right now because they're wet. We'll bring the totes in and fold up the tarps in a couple of hours. Next clear day we'll spread them out on the lawn and let them dry.

I hated to bring it down but it was time, especially with the weather. 

wet rope, dried out limbs and leaves wet from the rain and dripping

tarps coming down

getting the limbs off the webbing of rope ensured that I got wet! Then taking down said rope off the frame really cemented the fact I was going to be damp.

we'll fold up the tarps in an hour or so, pull in the step ladder and tubs and we're back to normal with the brush/limbs pulled to the side.

 

Fun Stuff - Vincent Price Trivia

https://p.antavo.com/BWO/+527/

Love the site, his daughter is great and there is so much info!

Sukkot

It's that time of year again.  After Yom Kippur we put together temporary "booths", shacks, shelters, etc.  This was done in ancient times when the workers would build temporary booths next to fields, orchards, etc so they were right there to continue the work the next day during the harvest.

We celebrate what G-d has given us and we open our "tents" and strive to do good in the community for those less fortunate.

In progress, hanging the tarps with my sister Jackie (pictured here)

Tarps are hung, then I string rope all across the top to hold branches.  The roof must be of something that is natural and that grows and sparse enough to see the stars at night

Some of the brush, Jackie did the cutting of those.  In the brush is our supervisor, the mighty Deacon!

 sides are done, rope support is woven - time for branches

next step - furniture.  There's a cot for me to sit and/or sleep on, the tubs will serve as tables (with coverings to make them look nice).

 stylish pumpkin centerpiece, some autumn flowers, cut out leaves - nice decorations

 more autumn flowers with a lovely pumpkin sign

my nightstand and cot before I put the sheet on it.  I also have a light for reading - I'm set!

I will contribute to a charity tonight and study Torah

If anyone has questions about the holiday or my sukkah, comment here.