I remember a children’s poem about a little boy “sick-abed” playing with his toys over the covers in his room. I am not going to quote the poem, except to tell the reader that the name is “The Land of Counterpane,” and it is by Robert Louis Stevenson. I am fully recovered or will beContinue reading “The Land of Counterpane”
Author Archives: hadassahalderson
The Tale of Juan the Bear
I sent two sets of short stories, Maybe the Meek Shall Inherit the Earth and Poor Folk to the agent who is selling my 4-book The Bible According to Eve. My agent has commented more on Maybe the Meek Shall Inherit the Earth. And thinking about it I think of the first (and my favorite)Continue reading “The Tale of Juan the Bear”
Religion: Its Earthly Costs and Rewards
In this age, it could be said that Religion is met with a great deal of cynicism. Some of the reasons are not that surprising: when religious people back leaders like Donald Trump, a skeptic might ask, “If these people are supposed to speak for God, who is good, why do they support a manContinue reading “Religion: Its Earthly Costs and Rewards”
This Evening Before My Birthday
This December 16 occurs the evening before Shabbat. The significance is that December 17 is my birthday. The unhappy irony is that during this time I am recovering from COVID, and however I have improved I cannot go to shul tomorrow. However, I can contemplate the meaning of the Holiday which will begin on SundayContinue reading “This Evening Before My Birthday”
The Storm of COVID
Having COVID, however mild a variant (and mine is mild) causes a person to think about illness. If it were a worse variant than I have, I am sure my mortality would come to mind… Instead, my favorite Biblical quote about illness comes to mind, The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; ButContinue reading “The Storm of COVID”
“We must listen carefully to what the candles are saying.”
I have COVID and am recuperating… I have had it since Saturday, I think, and went to the hospital to be diagnosed with it yesterday or Tuesday… Because of that I have not been doing much writing. Because of that I also consider myself quarantined through half of next week, though I hope I willContinue reading ““We must listen carefully to what the candles are saying.””
Searching for the Light
All this week Aunt Clara was here… and on December 8, 2022, we celebrated my 43rd birthday… At a bookstore called Eighth Day, Clara bought me 4 books and Mom bought me 3. Then we went to Barnes & Noble, where we had a snack and looked around the bookstore–but bought no books. After thatContinue reading “Searching for the Light”
Star of David, Shine for Me
I am thinking of the man I love, how he is so kind and brave and strong. Yet he may not know how I feel… and while I guess I am willing to tell the world, I cannot tell him. I won’t go into why I keep my affections private (trust me, they are goodContinue reading “Star of David, Shine for Me”
Meeting New People
There was a time when I had a prejudice against Chassids and the Amish. I know this is not nice to admit, but I saw them as both unfriendly and anti-intellectual. However, this changed in my taking a class Religion in America. The teacher wanted each of us to study a religion in America outsideContinue reading “Meeting New People”
On Reading Betty Freidan
It has been a long time since I read The Feminine Mystique. I don’t always connect well with feminism in general with its emphasis on sexual “freedom” and its occasional anti-religious tone in the cases of some feminists. In those dreams I have had of love, I have never wanted more than one man–and IContinue reading “On Reading Betty Freidan”