first, i went up this place on 65th and bought a cute little menorah and some candles. it was so funny/fun to be around jews. they are so weird and east coasty. everyone in there reminded me of my dad's family. it made me feel really nice, buying my own stuff, looking at candle sticks, thinking about doing shabbat prayers sometimes. not for any religious reasons, but for feeling like home reasons.

and then i went to the kosher bakery across the street and got a potato kugel, some apricot cookies whose name i cannot remember (and for the length of my life have never been able to remember for longer than 10 min after someone reminds me) and two chocolate mousse for desert for me and vika.

then i went and shipped off my sister's bday presents and niki and jon's cds and went shopping for the final things, ingredients for latkes and noodle kugel, some asparagus because in all our planning vika and i forgot we would want vegetables with our meal, and more wine and challah and the final touch, flowers.

i just put the chicken in the oven and now i need to clean the kitchen and living room so that the area is nice for dinner.

i am even going to sing prayers while we light the candles because vika asked me to.

i feel so nice right now. so happy. contained. and calm.