schemingreader

Tonight is the beginning of Yom Kippur. The first service, Kol Nidre, starts at 5:45. I have to finish preparing the children's service for tomorrow, which is going to mainly consist of reading and discussing the Book of Jonah. There is also quite a lot of laundry to do.

The children's service is challenging, but it's also short--hours shorter than leading one of the adult services. Yom Kippur is a fascinating subject for young kids. Just covering the basics of the holiday is very entertaining for them. Every year I ask, "What's the traditional food for Yom Kippur?" and they all say "NO food!" Five and six year olds can have some very interesting conversations about repentance, as well.

I finished the letter of inquiry (preliminary grant proposal) I was doing for one of my potential full-time employers. I sent a completed draft in on Friday. Now I need to send an email explaining that I won't be available all day Monday. He'll have to understand. I did send the letter back quickly and didn't use up all of my billable hours, just so that I would have time to revise if they needed that. Well, I can get back to them on Monday night after the holiday.

I want to finish more fics before I get a job. It might be a long time until I actually GET a job! Perhaps I'm being overly optimistic! As you know I finished the Snupin Santa story several weeks ago. I really like it and have actually reread it a few times! I have written a little over 3,000 words of the Smutmas story.

I have coined a new term for the bantering, quasi-hostile, quasi-flirtacious exchanges between Harry and Severus: Snarry parries.

I am not ready for Yom Kippur this year. No one is ever ready. You know, I haven't weaned myself off of caffeine. More importantly, I haven't settled everything to my satisfaction with the people in my life. You know you can repent all you want for sins against God on Yom Kippur, but it doesn't do anything for your relationships with people. I am extra not ready, because I thought I might have things more together by now. I tend to time everything by the state of the grape vines at the end of the street. All the fruit is gone and everything is still undone.