Guerrilla in Aisle 5!

.
Yep, you guessed it. Yesterday was Purim.

I regret that I didn't bring my camera. I wanted to take a picture of the guy at the supermarket. He was dressed in a guerrilla suit and trying to choose a bottle of wine to buy.

Or the clown who was at the fruit section, checking the oranges...

It wasn't all fun and games on Purim, there was also nice acts of kindness. Like when I was on my way to hear the story of Esther, which is heard on that day in the synagogues, I was blocked by a car that was trying to get out of a parking lot. I turned the other way to get around the car, but the driver backed up and got in my way again. The driver, feeling bad for getting in my so much I guess, lowered his window and ask, "Can I just give you a ride?" lol! sweet!

At the synagogue, everyone had their costumes on. A policeman, a fireman, all manners of princesses, etc. Very nice to see.

After the reading it was back home to prepare food baskets called mishlo-ach manot. The religious duty (mitzvah) is to give to at least two people, but people usually give to their neighbors, their friends, family, and so on and so on. Basically, we try to do it cheaply buy accepting from one neighbor and giving that same basket to a friend. But we still end up making some extra baskets.

This years mishloach manot, I put an apple, a homebaked cup cake, a plastic bag of chips assortments, and lots of candy for kids.

We got a visit from an ancient Egyptian couple- they made their Purim costume really well! White satiny sheets and the dark line across the corner of their eyes! Too funny.

And then came the part I'm not to crazy about: the getting drunk part.

We went to someone's house and the party was already going. I got there late, but it seems Mr. Blackfirewhitefire was already drunk. He was having a "discussion" with another drunk guy. Imagine that if you will. lol! Somebody was dancing. He was also drunk. He alternated between dancing and drinking and feeding everyone whatever he found. Oy vey. I was afraid for Mr. BFWF. Little Avi was a bit scared to see drunk men.

So, we left the drunk men scene and went to a different house with kids. She was typically a very strict mother so I wasn't sure what to expect, Purim everything is upside down. Sure enough all the kids were smoking. Even the seven year old. The mom was passing out cocktail drinks in her big Bob Marley hat. The teenagers were quite drunk -not as under the table drunk as the men, but ....drunk.

There the women had an Amen party in which -since Purim is a propitious time for prayers the sages say- we were all witness to each others request and each of us requested our hearts desires with the all the witnesses declaring, "Amen!"

That was great.

After much chatting and talking and the kids playing and doing whatever, we finally went home. Purim is great. Life is great...