Three memorial dates.

Yesterday was the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, "The Night of Broken Glass", when Jewish businesses, schools, synagogues, and homes were broken into, ransacked, burned, and destroyed.  Many Jewish persons, mostly men, were taken away, beaten, and murdered.  One of my rabbis' fathers was one of those men, who survived to tell his tale, often recounted by his son.

Like my rabbi, we must continue the memory of what happened, so that people do not forget as the last of the survivors die.

As one commemoration recounts, "the world knows how to mourn the broken glass, but still has not learned to recognize the hatred that breaks it."

Another noted that "The Holocaust did not begin with ghettos and death camps. It began with dehumanizing language, propaganda, and fear mongering that said Jews did not belong.  

     "Today, we see the same hateful, extremist rhetoric on the rise against Jews, Muslims, Latinos, Black Americans, Asian Americans, and other minorities. As the memory of Kristallnacht tells us, we know where that violent ideology leads.  Together, we must reject the bigotry that led to Kristallnacht's violence and that we see on the rise again today."

This was driven home by a protest in Philadelphia the day before by people protesting the Israeli actions in Gaza.  Many people drew parallels.  And yet, there was hope in the number of people who counterprotested.

Today was the 51st anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and you do wonder whether it would be so famous if not for the song.

Tomorrow is November 11th, Veterans Day.  It seems fitting to have it just after Kristallnacht, because Americans and other soldiers did so much to overcome the horrors begun on that date.  It wasn't a perfect time, either in the USA or elsewhere around the world, and we're still addressing many of the wrongs done.  But there are many veterans who are also witnesses of the atrocities and have done what they can to remedy what happened.  Many have tried to bridge back across the lines of war and understand the people they were fighting, and why they chose the path they did.

Thank Your to All Veterans.

Still thankful.

I did not start the daily posts on social media this year, because I will be traveling much of the month and unable to post, and because I'm still feeling unsettled and uncertain.  To some degree the whole year has been that way.

I try to remember that there is always something for which to be thankful, such as (this week) the right to vote, the ability to vote, and having that vote matter.  People willing to step up despite the ridicule and bullying and other tactics aimed against them.

We've had rain, and sunshine, and the red and goal leaves glitter and shimmer and I am very thankful that I can see them, and  the blue of the sky, and smell the wetness and the scent of plants and flowers during my walks, and feel the sun and wind, and know that every day is full of possibilities and potential.

That thing we do.

 I voted on a Saturday, in case I couldn't get out to the polling place on Election Day, which is today.

For the first time since I moved here, there was a line.  Also one for voting from your car.  But the line was polite and friendly enough and moved reasonably quickly.  I was number 11,100 at our polling station, and a worker said it was the busiest one in the county.  A report later that week said that the turnout was the highest of the last three midterms.

As it happened, I had a meeting today at a building that is a polling place, and they had a frame for people to use.  I explained that I had voted earlier, to make sure I'd been able to do so (one worker said that was smart) but they insisted I get a photo.

Book bans all month.

October began with the annual Banned Books Week, and ends with authors of banned and restricted books suing school boards in Texas over these actions.  According to a PEN America report, not only is Texas the state with the most school book bans, but the rate is almost double what it was in the previous year, and the highest since PEN America began tracking.

My opinion about book bans is that they should be kept in the family, not in the libraries.  Police what your children read, but you don't get to police what is available to or read by other children - anymore than you should be deciding when and how they are punished, or what their catechism should be.

Marigolds for October

Almost skidding to the end of this month, but not quite:

Lots of flowers in the pieces this month, plus a butterfly.

Which echoes the image itself.

I am thinking about what I should do next year.  I almost bought a paint-by-numbers calendar, but the images were less rich than I wanted, very flat.  I thought of buying some kits and painting one per month, but that doesn't seem quite right.  I need to start planning, it's almost November.

That thing we do.

T-shirt from Woot.

I have not lived here long, so I have not voted in many elections.  The first was the Presidential one two years ago (and the primaries, same year) and there were no lines at the polling places.  Today, the line was almost out to the "no electioneering beyond this point" signs when I arrived, and past them when I left.  I was recorded as Voter #11,100 - two years ago, I was maybe in the 3,000s.  Obviously people are Wanting To Voice Their Opinions, and using the democratic way to do so.

The line was friendly, the day sunny and warm, and I knit four rounds on a hat while I waited.

A taste of autumn.

 Some days at the conference, I walked a lot:

I was part of a group doing morning walks, and then all the walking to sessions and the vendor hall, and from and to my hotel, and sometimes in the evening at or between events......  It adds up quickly!

I was happy to see the glowing reds and greens of autumn, and didn't take many photos as I was driving and didn't want to keep pulling over.  I do have a few shots, and lots of memories.

Near Birdhouse Coffee, where I met a friend to catch up and
have a light late lunch/early supper.

A friend told me about a showing of "The Librarians" and I went; I'd seen a preliminary partial cut, and enjoyed the full documentary, very appropriate during Banned Books Week 2026.

I also saw a play, which I recommend to anybody.  As we lose the survivors, we must keep their stories alive.  #NeverForget.

 

I was able to see some friends, and both of my rabbis, and enjoyed being in-person for worship and Torah Study.  I stayed at a farmhouse, got to see some of the sheep, and was able to relax and sleep between work and visiting people.