Thursday, December 13, 2012

Eight Days Eight Menorahs

Chanukah has come extremely early this year, and no one was prepared for it, which I can tell because I haven't gotten a single present. Not even a married present.

What I do have is a lot of menorahs. Eight, coincidentally enough. So I figured I'd give you a grand tour of them (and of my Chanukah decorations).

Okay. I'll start with this one. It's a New Paltz Crafts Fair menorah. My mother told me to buy myself a present from her one New Paltz Crafts Fair, and I decided the appropriate thing would be a menorah. My mother loves trees, so I got myself a Tree Of Life menorah. It's usually in the center of the bookcase, but the washer and drier are right opposite, so I had to move the menorah to get the picture.

I decided a number of years ago that I'd like to collect menorahs. I mentioned this to my friends Joyce and Lew and they gave me this one.

Lew decided one wasn't enough. So he gave me another.

This lion menorah is one I gave my father. My father's name was Leo, and he was hard to buy presents for, so I decided to buy him lion things, until maybe he'd decide he wanted to collect lion things and then I'd have no problems buying him presents. It didn't work. I took the menorah back after my mother moved into the nursing home. I keep it on a window sill, which is why you can see blue sky and a roof in the background.

I really like my electric menorah, but I couldn't get it to look all nice and pretty for this blog entry. Not for lack of trying. I put it in the dining room and the kitchen and the hallway and Scooter's bathroom. I think I'll go with the bathroom version.

I had a space in my living room that cried out for a menorah. So I bought this one for myself. I have to tell people it's a menorah, because it doesn't much look like one.

When I decided last night to do a blog entry about my menorahs, I thought I only have seven (not that seven isn't a perfectly reasonable number to have). Then I realized my Chanukah teddy bear is posing with a menorah, which is why he's a Chanukah teddy bear, and not a Purim teddy bear or a St. Patrick's Day teddy bear (well, he's the wrong color for that).

The Chanukah teddy bear is part of my Chanukah decorations. So here's the Chanukah window. Not everyone has a Chanukah stocking, especially not one that says Susan. To the left is a Chanukah window hanging and to the right a Chanukah angel. The latter is not traditional, but then again, neither's the stocking.

Here's the menorah I actually use. My parents gave it to me when I was living in Greenwich Village. I call it the Chianti menorah. That's decades of candle wax on it, each and every drip bringing back a memory. Not to me, maybe, but I'm sure someone remembers each and every drip.

How can I have a blog entry with all these pictures and not a single one of Scooter? He didn't pose at all this morning, so here's a Scooter classic from I don't know when. That's the tree of life menorah in the background (in its rightful position).

Happy last few days of Chanukah everyone!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very pretty!! Those are gorgeous menorah! Enjoy your Chanukah!
- Fabiola C:

Anonymous said...

From what I've read of THE SHADE OF THE MOON so far, Sarah's Jewish -- wonder what kind of menorah she and her father have?

Hope you're feeling better.

Anonymous Santa Fe

Linda Jacobs said...

Happy Hanukkah! Love all your menorahs and your window, too, especially the stocking!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Good morning and thank you to Fabiola C., Anonymous Santa Fe, and Linda Jacobs.

You'd think with my love of menorahs, I would have given Sarah and her father one. But the only thing I remember giving them is some family china.

Good thing The Shade Of The Moon takes place in the spring and summer!

Mr. Cavin said...

Happy Chanukah! I really like the tree of life menorah. Have a peaceful holiday.

Mr. Cavin said...

PS, I also like your Just So Stories tile!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Thanks, Mr. Cavin!

Anonymous said...

I kind of thought that Sarah and her father might've had something like your Chianti menorah.

Happy Hanukkah!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Your guess is as good as mine, Anonymous!

Ruit Farm North said...

Love the menorahs! My husband made me one out of bent copper tubing the year we were married and it is still my favorite. Lots of memories there! And yes, lots of wax buildup.

Thanks for sharing them. Scooter looks like he enjoyed the holiday as well!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Thank you, Nina Ruit.

I hope Scooter enjoyed Chanukah. I had to break it to him today that Santa doesn't visit little Jewish cats!

Cornell said...

AWESOME!! Your menorahs are just like WOW!! I love them so much. The lion and that space one I love the most.