Mr. Latke is on my lawn
Chanukah brightens an otherwise dark time of year.
PEARL SALKIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Chanukah comes at the time of year when daylight in this part of the world is at a premium. By Dec. 1, my overall mood is usually at its low point, too.
I get up in the morning and it's dark. I get in my car to drive my son to Hebrew school in the afternoon, and I have to turn on the headlights. It's cold, often blustery, damp and dreary, the perfect time to hibernate. Since that's not,very practical, I do the opposite -I celebrate. I do my best to chase away the winter blues with a little Chanukah joy and some tacky decorations.
Maybe you think Tm buckling under from the pressure to compete with my Christian neighbors. Maybe I am, but spreading Chanukah cheer around the house makes me feel good.
I've got blue metallic signs that spell out C-h-a-n-u-k-a-h that I hang across the curtain rods. I stick a translucent vinyl
side can see the glowing candles, but that makes me nervous. We light that in the dining room, placed on a metal tray and away from drafts and combustibles. I don't want future Chanukah reminiscences to include memories of watching fire fighters battle the great Chanukah blaze of2001.
I have three very young great nephews and that gives me an excuse to check out the new holiday offerings for little kids (and big kids like me), such as a plastic, Chanukah-symbol sun-catcher kit, cookie cutters, a paint set and a Chanukah storybook. And if I say anything else, I'll ruin the surprise. I love this stufil
Every year, a few weeks before Chanukah, on a miserable day when I'm really feeling down, I drag myself to the mall and look through the dis-plays of humorous Chanukah greeting cards. I pick out a bunch that have funny drawings and
mcnorah on my storm door, and every holiday evening my son adds another vinyl flame to the vinyl candles. I put 3-D cardboard drcidcls and mcnorot all over the place. I take out my box of Chanukah treasures -mini-menorot, dozens of assorted small dreidels and two special dreidels that always bring a smile to everyone's face - the wind-up walking one and the giant Winnie-the-Pooh one.
Then I go through my collection of vintage record albums, select a couple of Chanukah favorites, crank up the old phonograph and play some tunes that make me sing along and get up and dance.
A couple of years ago, I bought a few sets of Chanukah lights - flashing plastic Stars of David, dreidels and menorahs, and I fasten them to the living room windows. Seeing those light up the night makes me happy.
I put an electric mcnorah in the window, too. You won't find many on our street, but I want people who drive by to know we're here and we're proud to show it. I know I'm supposed to place the real menorah in the front window so everyone out-
when I come across any that make me chuckle, I buy them to send to people I know who could also use a laugh.
So, I admit I've given in to the commercial pitch that tells us we can buy happiness. I'm not resourceful enough to find joy and contentment from within.
That's what's so great about Chanukah. We can read the story of Judah and the Maccabees. We can think about the miracle of the oil at the Temple. Wo can eat lots of latkes ... and we can buy inexpensive stuff to help us enjoy this wonderful holiday.
Before I can start to celebrate, I must run over to the home improvement store, ni buy a piece of plywood, some nails, paint and a string of lights. Then I'll rev up the power tools and get to w.ork. Soon my handcrafted Mr. Latke will look good enough to eat and ready to make his debut on my front lawn. But I must keep a watchful eye on my neighbor's electric reindeer. Tlieyre headed this way with a jar of applesauce and they seem pretty hungry. □
Pearl Salkin is a freelance writer living in East Brunswick, N.J.
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