Beard Hairs??

I just got grossed out by something I read and I wanted to ask my male bearded readers this question. Is it true that there is a tradition that if a hair from your beard falls out, you are supposed to place it in a sefer (a book)? Where does this custom come from?

(Euw….euw….I have visions of siddurim and other books covered in scraggly hair. Ick.)

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Timely Reminder

Last night as I was unpacking the last of the boxes (it’s driving me nuts to not have everything already unpacked, even though I do not have space to put everything), as I lifted one of my favourite fancy serving platters out of the box, I felt a stinging in my finger. I looked down to see that the platter was broken, and one of the jagged edges had sliced my thumb open. Blood was dripping everywhere.

I was home with two of the kids, the other two were at Maariv with the KoD. One of the kids that was at home doesn’t deal well with blood so I sent him out of the room after he brought me some tissues. I put pressure on the wound, and called up Lady Lock and Load, my neighbour, to come and help me. I wasn’t sure if I needed stitches or not.

Lady LnL was awesome. We finally stopped the bleeding, and no stitches were necessary. Hopefully I won’t have much of a scar.

But my subsequent conversation with her and the KoD once he had come home, was that I could have called Hatzoloh. However, being new here, I had no clue what their number was, plus I doubt I would have called them over something so minor. I was also worried, because in Montreal, whenever the kids sliced fingers open, or those kind of things happened (and believe me, with four boys, they DO happen often) it’s straight to the ER. Here, in NY, apparently you avoid the ER and go straight to the plastic surgeon – I think?!

When the children were little I remember teaching them to dial 911, and teaching them how to dial Hatzoloh too. We had drills, and tested it out, and I never had to worry that they wouldn’t know what to do.

Last night’s incident has reminded me that I need to learn the new (to us) number for Hatzoloh, and teach it to the children. We also need to have a conversation about emergencies and what to do. We need a new game plan as we are in a new environment. I need to make sure the kids have all emergency phone numbers on them, and know who to call in different situations.

Do you have an emergency plan? Do your kids know who to call in different situations? At what age did you start teaching them?

Family History

I got an email from my mum this morning and a Facebook message from my cousin, both about this article. My cousin is the author. I am fascinated by history, especially my family history, and it seems that even though I have heard thousands of stories about my great grandparents, I still haven’t heard everything.

So, click over here and read about my great grandparents, and my cousin’s “coincidental” finding of a book that led to him writing this article.