Journey to Joy, Yellow Path

JOURNEY TO JOY

 Yellow Tram Track 

- Joy Krauthammer


I'm so happy. 

My vision of joy on Sunday was riding the tram to the mountain top to the Getty and watching the landscape go past while looking over to the distance for miles. Leaving the Getty I missed shooting the far away LA downtown scene visible from the top of the Santa Monica Mountain, but I took one shot of the tracks.

Whether it's going, arriving, or departing, I love the Getty, especially with family and friends.


My joy is also taking the photo, showing it to my Apple teachers, getting their guidance and critique, and altering it-- adding more filter and color, as my artist mother, z'l, did with her B/W photos 50 years ago, and as my beloved grandma, z'l, painted in pointillism from photos shared with her, 30 years ago.
L'Dor V'Dor ~ from generation to generation.
(Three decades ago I loved 'dark room' work; today I love 'light room' work.)

painted photo, Joy Krauthammer ©

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Mitzvah for Hare's Mom, z'l

THE WOMEN

- Joy Krauthammer

In the noon day sun

four friends fill the new grave 

up to the top 

filling all corners, edges, spaces, depth

so the deceased is not left 

uncovered, alone 

in her exposed plain wood coffin

after family and community 

say Kaddish prayer,

add their shovels of rock-filled 

bone-dry heavy earth

and leave cemetery

for mourners’ Meal of Consolation.

Grieving daughter stays behind.

Female friends don't wait

for the grave-digger workmen 

to come later to do their 'job'.

Friends with daughter

do their final mitzvah / good deed

for her beloved mom, Rose,

of blessed memory 

and with their long-handled steel shovels

give her a blanket of love.

Daughter receives the comfort 

given in chesed  / loving-kindness

and knows her beloved mother

Raizel bat Mordechai v’ Baila

is cared for

and her soul can soar

to Shamayim /  heaven.

May She be Bound in the Bond of Eternal Life.

May Rose's memory be for a blessing.

~

Friend, I hold you in my heart.

May The Compassionate One comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Hamakom y'nachem etkhem b'tokh sh'ar avelei Tziyon v'Yerushalayim.

Daughter Hare, with Joy, Barbara and Marianne

Levaya / Funeral April 15, 2011

8 Nissan, 5771

Nathan ©

Today's Vision

Today's Vision of Joy 


- Joy Krauthammer

was my:

* seeing more clusters of white blossoms on my 31 year old Valencia Orange Tree.

* seeing a forest of stick puppet-like wood irises in bloom all at once.

* seeing blossoms of the fuscia hollyhock that grew from seed I found in Albuquerque.

* kissing the lit up memorial plague for my husband, z'l, at Chabad, knowing friends and the rabbi remember him.

* Chabad friends and being greeted by them.

* eating hand-made shmurah matzah at Northridge Chabad following saying Kaddish prayer on Yiskor for my family.

* seeing my husband's, z'l, name on the back cover of the Yiskor memorial prayer book.

* eating chocolate covered OU macaroons in computer class that another student had shared when Pesach 5771 ended.

* seeing the older Armenian student Rose become better on MS Word as I helped her in computer class.
I show Rose how to color in red, her name, and give it a pretty font.

* 

Kabbalistic Sephirotic Counting of the Omer, day 7 Malchut sh'b Chesed
Kingdom of Loving Kindness

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photo collage by Joy Krauthammer © 2011

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