Rabbit, Rabbit — L’Chaim!

August 1, 2012 by Adam Sowalsky

“Our wedding is in 18 days.” That’s what the countdown widget on our website displayed this morning when I logged on. It’s the first of August and our wedding month is here.

18 is an incredibly symbolic number in Judaism; in fact it is one of the two most-often used symbolic numbers among our people (the second of which is 613).  The reason for this is that in Hebrew, the letters that make up a word have numerical value, such as aleph = 1, bet = 2, and so on, with the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth letters having values of 10, 20 and 30, etc.  The Hebrew word Chai, which means life, consists of the letter Chet, which is the 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and the letter Yud, which is the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  The numerological value of Chai is therefore 18.  You may often see charm jewelery, works of art and even Jewish ritual objects with imagery of the Hebrew word Chai on it, given its very substantive and variably interpretable meaning (e.g. what is the meaning of life?).

So when the number 18 comes up it’s considered very lucky. With 18 days to go until our wedding, something very special is already scheduled for this day.  It is the day I have completed the 7+ year Daf Yomi study of the entire Talmud.  (See my previous post from a few months ago if you are interested.) The Daf Yomi Commission, which is based out of a Synagogue in New York, actually has reserved MetLife Stadium this afternoon and evening for a massive celebration called the Siyyum Shaas, magnifying the celebration that normally occurs after completing a single book of the Talmud to the scale one would expect after completing every book (referred to as the Shaas). Officially, the last day for completion is tomorrow, but the alignment of the stars (and likely the availability to book MetLife Stadium) brought about this fortuitous coincidence and I am running with it!  Although I will not be traveling to New Jersey for the party, Jessica and I will be assembling with other Daf Yomi participants from Temple Reyim at a synagogue in Brookline to watch the satellite feed and celebrate with my father and my friends who undertook this immense project with me.

As a matter of personal reflection, my experience “traveling” through Daf Yomi gave me a great deal of insight about our peoples’ past and the origins of the prayers, practices and beliefs that we now have. With a mere 18 days until my wedding, I will take the opportunity today as I literally close one chapter of my life to begin to prepare over the next 18 days for starting the next.  In 18 days, on August 19, when I start a new life as a married man, undoubtedly our friends and family will toast L’Chaim (to life).

Today is August 1, and I’m getting married in 18 days. L’chaim! And Rabbit rabbit.

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Tisha B’Av and the Three Weeks

July 29, 2012 by Jessica Fine

Today marks exactly three weeks until our wedding day. It is also the holiday of Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av. According to Jewish custom, for the three weeks prior to this date there are no weddings allowed to be performed. Tisha B’Av is the saddest day in the Jewish religion because it is considered a mourning day for us to remember the befallen Jewish people over the ages. The song Im Eshkachech also known as If I Forget You Oh Jerusalem is sung as a solemn reminder at a Jewish wedding as even in moments of joy we have to remember our past. The cantor who is co-officiating will chant this song during our wedding ceremony.

The “three weeks” is also symbolic of the final preparations that we are accomplishing for our wedding—just three weeks from today. The programs are written and printed, our seating arrangements are completed, and place cards have been sorted in alphabetical order and are ready to be displayed. We have finalized our menu, and menu cards will be printed soon. We have final phone calls arranged with the Rabbi, Cantor, Photographer, Band, Piano Soloist, and Caterer all in the next two weeks. And finally, this will all become a lot more real when Adam and I apply for our marriage license this coming Thursday.

The month of August is only three days away and our big day will be here before we know it!

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I’m Shipping Up to Boston

July 20, 2012 by Jessica Fine

The title of this blog post is a song from the band called the Dropkick Murphys. This song is played pretty much at all Boston sports team events and at any bar in Boston. One of my favorite videos of this song being played is at a dueling piano bar called Howl at the Moon.

Here is the video for your viewing pleasure:

For all of the guests who are coming to visit Boston for the first time I have created a Google Map of famous landmarks and popular places to visit while you are here. Here it is: Things to do in Boston Map.

We hope you enjoy your stay here in Beantown!

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Bridal Shower Pictures

July 16, 2012 by Jessica Fine

We have posted the bridal shower pictures from this past weekend on our website. Please check them out over at our photo gallery!

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We like to Party!

July 16, 2012 by Jessica Fine

The title of this blog post is from a song called we like to party by the vengaboys.

Here are the lyrics to this song:

We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party

I’ve got something to tell ya
I’ve got news for you
Gonna put some wheels in motion
Get ready ’cause we’re coming through
Hey now, hey now, hear what I say now
Happiness is just around the corner
Hey now, hey now, hear what I say now
We’ll be there for you

The Vengabus is coming
And everybody’s jumping
New York to San Fransisco
An intercity disco
The wheels of steel are turning
And traffic lights are burning
So if you like to party
Get on and move your body

We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party

Hey now, hey now, hear what I say now
Happiness is just around the corner
Hey now, hey now, hear what I say now
We’ll be there for you

The Vengabus is coming
And everybody’s jumping
New York to San Fransisco
An intercity disco
The wheels of steel are turning
And traffic lights are burning
So if you like to party
Get on and move your body

We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party

The Vengabus is coming, the Vengabus is coming
The Vengabus is coming, the Vengabus is..

The Vengabus is coming
And everybody’s jumping
New York to San Fransisco
An intercity disco
The wheels of steel are turning
And traffic lights are burning
So if you like to party
Get on and move your body
The Vengabus is coming

Here is the music video for your viewing pleasure:

This past weekend was filled with a ton of wedding related events. I had my bachelorette party Saturday night in Hartford, Connecticut with a lot of my friends from the University of Hartford and family members from Adam’s and my side of the family. I had a blast. It will be an evening that I will never forget. Yesterday, Adam’s two Aunts and his mom threw a bridal shower for me in West Hartford, Connecticut. We had a lot of fun games to play, great food, and a ton of laughs and smiles all around. Everyone had a wonderful time. We are in the final stretch. This upcoming Thursday there will be only one month until our wedding day. Can’t wait!

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Party Rock

July 10, 2012 by Jessica Fine

The title of this blog post is from a song called Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO.

The College of Communication where I work at Boston University has used this song numerous times for their socializing events for communication students. I have had this song stuck in my head for the past couple of weeks and now this upcoming weekend it has a purpose. Like Lori (the bridal store owner of Bridals by Lori) says on the show Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta “no foxes in the henhouse”. That saying is perfect to express the festivities that will be happening this upcoming weekend.

The lyrics to this song are:

PARTY ROCK
YEA
Whoa!
LET’S GO!
Party rock is in the house tonight
Everybody just have a good time
And we gonna make you lose your mind
Everybody just have a good time

Party rock is in the house tonight
Everybody just have a good time
And we gonna make you lose your mind

We just wanna see ya!

Shake that!

In the club party rock, lookin’ for your girl,
She on my jock (huh) non stop when we in the spot
Booty move weight like she owns the block
Where I drank I gots to know
Tight jeans, tattoos cause I’m rock and roll
Half black half white, domino
Gain the money Oprah Doe!

Yo!
I’m running through these hoes like Drano
I got that devilish flow rock and roll no halo
We party rock yea! that’s the crew that I’m repping
On a rise to the top no Led in our Zeppelin
Hey!

Party rock is in the house tonight
Everybody just have a good time
And we gonna make you lose your mind
Everybody just have a good time

Let’s go
Party rock is in the house tonight
Everybody just have a good time
And we gonna make you lose your mind

We just wanna see you!

Shake that!

Every day I’m shuffling
Shuffling shuffling

Step up fast and be the first girl to make me throw this cash
We get money don’t be mad now stop hatin’s bad

One more shot for us
(Another round)
Please fill up my cup
(Don’t mess around)
We just wanna see
(You shake it now)
Now you home with me
(You’re naked now)

Get up get down put your hands up to the sound
Put your hands up to the sound
Get up
Put your hands up to the sound, to the sound
Put your hands up!

Party rock is in the house tonight (Put your hands up!)
Everybody just have a good time (Put your hands up!)
And we gonna make you lose your mind (Put your hands up!)
Everybody just have a good good good time

Oh! Oh! (Put your hands up)
Oh! Oh! Time to fill it now!
Oh! Oh! (Put your hands up)
Oh! Oh! (Put your hands up)

Shake that!
Every day I’m shuf-f-f-ling

Put your Put your
Put your Put your (Yeah Yeah)
Put your Put your (Whoa!)
Put your Put your
Put your hands up
Your hands up
Put your hands up every day I’m shuffling

For your viewing pleasure here is the music video:

This upcoming weekend I will be headed to the place that I call my second home, Hartford, Connecticut. This is where I went to college and is a place where I met my lifelong friends. I will be having my Bachelorette party also known as a hen party on Saturday and my Bridal Shower on Sunday. I cannot wait to see the thought and care that my family and friends put into both of these occasions to make them special for me. I look forward to seeing everyone and like the song says to“just have a good time”.

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A “Fine” Final Fitting

July 8, 2012 by Jessica Fine

This song is called wedding dress by Matt Nathanson. I picked this song because I cannot wait for Adam to see me in my wedding gown. Six weeks and counting until the big day.

So we lie here in the dark
All the wrong things on fire
In sickness and in health
To be with you, just to be with you

In your wedding dress
To have and to hold
‘Cause even at my best
I wanna let go

And you hold me in your arms
And all that I can see
Is my future in your hands
And all that I can feel
Is how long ever after is
It’s all that I can do
To be with you, just to be with you

In your wedding dress
To have and to hold
‘Cause even at my best
I wanna let go

Thought I’d lost you
Thought I’d lost you
I gave you away
Thought I’d lost you
I’m jealous of the moon
For how it moves the waves

‘Cause in your wedding dress
To have and to hold
‘Cause even at my best
I wanna let go

And I wanna be somebody else now
And I wanna thicken my skin
And I wanna wish it all
Just wish it all away again

For your viewing pleasure, here is the video to the song:

Yesterday, was supposed to be my second dress fitting at Cristina’s but it ended up being my last. After my first fitting the seamstress fixed all of the needed adjustments to my wedding gown that needed to be accomplished and I tried the wedding gown on and it looked perfect. All that I need to do now is to go to the Bridal Salon the Thursday before the wedding to pick up my gown. During this waiting period they will be pressing the dress and making sure the embellishments on the gown look perfect for my big day. I cannot wait until August 19th to wear the gown again and show it off! August 19th here I come!

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Good things really do come in threes

June 28, 2012 by Adam Sowalsky

When I first met Jessica she introduced me to a kind of superstition that I was not really familiar with — that things come in threes.  Good things, bad things, you name it. If there are two, you can bet a third is around the corner.  And we have certainly had our shares of threes: three engagements of friends, (and the subsequent three weddings of friends), three new babies, three funerals, and three years together before we got married. We find these things keep coming as triplets.

So it should come as no surprise that this past Tuesday, what started as a simple meeting to meet with our pianist evolved into three separate meetings, over the course of three hours, in three places at the Royal Sonesta.

  1. We began with a wine tasting where from six delicious Kosher wines (some of which were even new to me!) we selected 3 to serve at the wedding.
  2. It continued on with a meeting with some of the hotel staff to consider options for room decor.  We selected one option from three that were offered.
  3. Finally, we met with our piano soloist who will be accompanying the Cantor who is co-officiating at our wedding ceremony.  We selected music to fit into three different purposes:
  1. Processional/Recessional music
  2. Ceremony music
  3. Cocktail hour music (from which we picked three different types of music):
  1. Jazzy, uptempo
  2. Slow, background
  3. Show-tunes

After this dizzying afternoon of meetings we were able to check these three items off of our to-do list with the confidence that our extensive planning is going to make our special day one that we’ll never forget!

One last thought: our wedding is on 8/19/2012. If it is written with only the integers (nonzero numbers) and alternating pluses and minuses, 8+1-9+2-1+2 guess what, it equals 3.

Today’s blog post was brought to you by the number 3.

 

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Food, Glorious Food

June 19, 2012 by Jessica Fine

The title of this blog post is from the play Oliver! I love the hand motions in this video. It makes me think of the video that Adam and I created in Xtranormal for Adam’s father Joel sixtieth birthday party. It brings back memories of “Saturday Night March Five” and “We will have a small party at home with a chocolate birthday cake from the grocery store”. Anyway enough of that please view the cute video below that I am talking about:

Here are the lyrics to Food, Glorious Food:

Is it worth the waiting for?
If we live ’til eighty four
All we ever get is gru…el!
Ev’ry day we say our prayer —
Will they change the bill of fare?
Still we get the same old gru…el!
There is not a cust, not a crumb can we find,
Can we beg, can we borrow, or cadge,
But there’s nothing to stop us from getting a thrill
When we all close our eyes and imag…ine

Food, glorious food!
Hot sausage and mustard!
While we’re in the mood —
Cold jelly and custard!
Pease pudding and saveloys!
What next is the question?
Rich gentlemen have it, boys —
In-di-gestion!

Food, glorious food!
We’re anxious to try it.
Three banquets a day —
Our favourite diet!

Just picture a great big steak —
Fried, roasted or stewed.
Oh, food,
Wonderful food,
Marvellous food,
Glorous food.

Food, glorious food!
What is ther emore handsome?
Gulped, swallowed or chewed —
Still worth a kin’s ransom.
What is it we dream about?
Wat brings on a sigh?
Piled pieahes and cream , about
Six feet high!

Food, glorious food!
Eat right through the menu.
Just loosen your belt
Two inches and then you
Work up a new appetite.
In this interlude —
The food,
Once again, food
Fabulous food,
Glorious food.

Food, glorious food!
Don’t care what it looks like —
Burned!
Underdone!
Crude!
Don’t care what the cook’s like.
Just thinking of growing fat —
Our senses go reeling
One moment of knowing that
Full-up feeling!

Food, glorious food!
What wouldn’t we give for
That extra bit more —
That’s all that we live for
Why should we be fated to
Do nothing but brood
On food,
Magical food,
Wonderful food,
Marvellous food,
Fabulous food,

Beautiful food,
Glorious food

Here is the video for your viewing pleasure:

The reason why this blog post is called Food, Glorious Food is because last night my parents, Adam, and myself went to Catering by Andrew and met with Andrew to pick out the tisch food menu, cocktail hour menu, reception dinner menu, and the dessert. We got a chance to taste all of the dinner entrees that our guests will get a choice of having. All of the food was delicious. We really hope that everyone will dance and work up an appetite to eat this glorious food. Bon Appetit!

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Because You Loved Me

June 15, 2012 by Jessica Fine

This blog post title was a song written by Celine Dion. She is one of my father’s favorite singers of all time.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I’ll be forever thankful baby
You’re the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You’re the one who saw me through through it all

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ‘coz you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I’m grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don’t know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ‘coz you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You’ve been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ‘coz you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

For your viewing pleasure, here is the music video of the song:

Some people reading this blog post should be familiar with this song since I used this song in a dedication photo slideshow video to my father for his sixtieth birthday. Last night, my father and I went for our last private dance lesson at Arthur Murray Dance Studio. We learned a few more dance steps and I saw in my father’s eyes while we were dancing that I was growing up and becoming an adult right before his eyes. I do not know how he will react during our father daughter dance but I know one thing’s for sure is that I will always be his little girl.

When I was younger I had a lot of health problems in my life that not too many people know about. My parents were there for me a hundred percent since I was born three months premature. Ever since then I have tried to pursue my hopes and dreams and succeed as a human being. After the wedding starting on September 10th I will be fulfilling one of my dreams. I will be starting a Ph.D. program in Education through Northcentral University. This program is an online program for working professionals. I will be pursuing my degree while I work at Boston University full-time. I will be getting my Ph.D. in Education with a dual emphasis in Curriculum and Teaching and Online Learning. It will take me about six years to complete this degree but I know I will persevere through it so I will be able to apply for full-time faculty positions in Higher Education after graduation. My passion has always been being an educator and teaching student’s television production and web development. I always love seeing what the final product will be that my students produce for their final projects. Sometimes they can blow your mind with their creativity. It makes me feel good inside when I see that my students are learning and understanding concepts that I am teaching them in class.

I will be following in the footsteps of my mother who was a teacher in elementary and secondary education for over twenty years and my father who was an adjunct professor at Babson College. I want to thank them both for all of the support they have given me throughout the years and I will make you both proud “because you loved me”.

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