Wednesday, December 9, 2020

What's On Your Work desk Wednesday #601- Sympathy Card

Hello, Crafty Makers!

Welcome to another WOYWW Post!  I was unable to attend the Zoom crafting meet-up on Saturday, but I am sure it was a creative blast! Learn More About WOYWW  HERE!
This Wednesday finds me working on a sympathy card.  In this Covid-driven reality, we find ourselves doing more of these than ever.  

My husband loves to shop at Aldi's.  Over the years, he has developed a great friendship with the manager of our neighborhood Aldi store and also with her fiancé.  Last week, Binyomin expressed concern because he had not seen Kym in the store for over a week. He was worried that she might have contracted COVID.   Yesterday we learned that her fiancé had passed away.  My husband was devastated.  I keep fighting back the tears.  I keep admonishing myself to not ask, "why?"

This beautiful Prima 6"x6" Fairy Rhymes paper has been in my stash since  2012.  The bundle included flowers, buttons, two clear stamps, and other lovely embellishments.  It took a minute for me to finally decide which elements would work best in this project.  The split panel card technique is old school, and has passed from favor, but I am still a huge fan of the style. 
I have made all my design decisions with the sole exception of the arrangement of the flowers!  Maybe, by the time I finish typing this post, that too will be resolved.

Done!
I wish the creation of this card had not been necessary!  I pray that more people become serious about COVID!  It is sad when people who are taking every precaution to protect themselves and their families become the victims of those who believe they have a constitutional right to kill others through their indifference, hatred, and ignorance.

 I Have Only Just A Minute
 by Dr. Benjamin E. Mays

I have only just a minute,
Only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can’t refuse it.
Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it.
But it’s up to me
to use it.
I must suffer if I lose it.
Give account if I abuse it.
Just a tiny little minute,
but eternity is in it.

Mask up, it only takes a minute!
Hugz,
Chana Malkah
(Gracious Queen)
Margaret, 
because you asked:  Chana is the transliterated spelling of my Hebrew name.  The name "Hannah" does not exist in Hebrew. Hannah is the English translation of the Jewish text.

This article written at Harvard by another Chana, says it best!😀

You Can Call Me Chana

"No one can pronounce my name correctly. Most people think it's "Shana" or "Chayna" or "Shanna." It's not hard, really: just say "Hannah," only with a guttural ch sound, like "Chanukah."

Even fewer people can spell it. So, like any unusual, foreign-sounding name, mine is somewhat of a handicap when leaving phone messages. When reporting, I spend at least half of my time on the phone spelling my name to secretaries.

"Hannah? H-a-n-n-a-h?"

"No, it's C-h-a-n-a. Chana. It's Hebrew," I explain patiently.

"Oh, with a C? Never seen it spelled that way before. That's pretty," the secretary says, obediently copying it down.

...There has never been another Chana in my class (although a Harvard classmate spells it Hanna). This uniqueness made it harder to blend in when I was a preteen and wanted to disappear into a crowd. But now that I'm older and value individuality, I appreciate the merits of not being just another Mary or Susan.

...Because of my name, my religion is one of the first things most people find out about me. 

Having a Biblical name also connects me directly to Judaism. Just as keeping kosher reminds me who I am every time I eat something, my name constantly reminds me and others that I'm Jewish.  One upshot of the difficulty non-Jews have with my name is the comfort I feel around Jews. After a summer of spelling my name, the visit of an Israeli cousin who could spit it out in full guttural glory was soothing. People who say my name right on the first try win my instant approval and trust.





22 comments:

  1. I'm finally commenting, Chana, been catching up and enjoying your cards. Even though I suck at gutteral pronunciations (I also cannot roll my R's to save my life), I enjoyed reading what you shared about your name. I'm so sorry y'all lost your friend, my condolences to you and your hubby. The card you have made will definitely be appreciated and cherished. And I bet your hubby will make sure to visit at Aldi a lot. Post-loss life is easier with your friends around you. I could not agree with you more about the masking AND social distancing. I think it subliminally reminds everyone about the stakes when in public. I feel bad for those who get claustrophobic but they can buy those clear face shields. We love our mail lady to death but she doesn't wear a mask because of that, and so we let our mail sit for 48 hours just in case. If I thought she would wear it, I'd buy her a face shield for Christmas. Enjoy Chanukkiah and take care. XOX

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  2. I signed in for the afternoon session, hoping to "meet" you online - It would be nice to get the low-down on the efforts on the ground in GA for the Senate race. ONG - I SO agree with you, Mitch is almost a worse threat. Ditch Mitch is the goal - I hope it happens. My son's GF is, as she tells me, "culturally, but not religiously Jewish" - she was born in Israel - and it seemed weird not to include her on the card. And if I was going to include her, I figured I might as well take a stab at doing it sensitively. Hit or miss, who knows?

    Quite sad you needed to make that sympathy card. Always hard but in these days, it is also far far too frequent.

    Happy WOYWW! (WowWee!)
    Mary Anne (1)

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  3. Hi there, lovely to see you on the desks today. I’m sure there will be more Zoom meetings in the future if you feel like joining in, it was a fun day. I’m so sorry to hear about your husband’s friend, that’s really sad - Covid doesn’t care, it’ll get anyone so the poem about a Minute and Mask was very pertinent. I was interested to read about your name too and how you pronounce it, I’m used to always spelling my address as I live in Wales and the language is very different to English!
    Hugs LLJ 10 xxx

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  4. My condolences to the lost of your friend. We just lost a friend to cancer so I need to make a sympathy card, also. Your card will be greatly appreciated. Seems AZ is at 91% mask wearing but our covid #s have really spiked. Scary.
    Thanks for popping by and have a great week!
    Carol N #28

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  5. Such a sad occasion for that beautiful card! So sorry to hear the story behind it. I'm afraid I've become a bit blase about Covid but when you hear these personal stories, it really hits home. Thanks for your visit Chana - hope you can make the next Zoom meeting - it was fun! Happy #601 xx zsuzsa #23

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  6. I totally agree with your point about COVID.. how very sad about your husband's friend. Shame you missed the zoom, maybe next time! Happy WOYWW Helen #3

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  7. Hi Chana, a beautiful card but such a sad reason for making it. Good words about masking up, and a very interesting article about your name. I used to get frustrated when people couldn't spell my name despite it being all over the papers pretty much every day when Princess Diana was around! I have a friend who still spells it with two n's in the middle!!
    Hope you have a good week,
    Diana xx #20

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  8. What a beautiful card you have made. I am so sorry about your hubby's friend.

    I loved reading about your Hebrew name and also hearing about your Judaism. I am a Christian but for over 30 years I have been fascinated by Judaism and did 5 years of Biblical Hebrew evening classes back in the 1990s which really enriched my Biblical studies. I adopted the Hebrew version of my name (Shoshannah, Shoshi for short) at that time and it's become my artist's name and also my persona online, and a lot of my Christian friends call me Shoshi. I am sure you know, but for those who don't, Shoshannah is Hebrew for "Lily." Zsuzsa's name is a variation on this, too! I am working on a really old UFO (UnFinished Object) which is a Hebrew alphabet (aleph-bet) sampler in cross stitch. I must post some photos of it for you to see. I have a lot of Jewish artefacts in our home and I also sing in Hebrew. Hebrew is such a fascinating language and I feel that I have come closer to God through studying it. I have an amazing book written by an Orthodox Rabbi about the spiritual and mystical significance of the letters. Baruch haShem!!!

    I was so sorry not to meet you on the Zoom but fully appreciate that Shabbos (Shabbat) must come first! I hope you had a peaceful day.

    Thank you for visiting! Thank you for commiserating over my hospital difficulties. I am sorry to hear that you have your own health problems. Getting the right diet and maintaining kosher at the same time can't be easy for you, and I hope you have plenty of delicious recipes to enjoy.

    May the L-rd bless you.
    Happy WOYWW,
    Shoshi x #18

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  9. Chana, so sorry that you couldn't make the zoom meeting! You would have been a welcome addition to be sure! Everyone has their own unique individualities, which is what makes our big group so fun!! Each piece comprises the whole!! How devastating about your friend!! It really moved me to tears! Such a terrible time that we are living in and seems so cruel as well! Like you, there have been a lot of "why" questions. The disease knows no boundaries for young or old alike! I will say a prayer for your husbands friend and her heart as she lost what she thought was going to be the "beginning" of a new journey in her life! So sad to be sure! Peace to her! The card is beautiful, by the way and I know she will be blessed by it! I love your name, which I believe means "favor or grace" in Hebrew! I named both of my daughter's with Hebrew names...it was very important for me! I mentioned to you on your comment on my blog that my grandfather was a Sephardic Jew, so I really wanted to honor the family lineage! Your name is beautiful. That doesn't mean I would pronounce it correctly...ha ha....but I know he would have! Thank you again for stopping by my blog, I really enjoyed your visit! :) Shalom! Felicia, #29

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  10. Hi Chana, it was brilliant on Saturday and can't wait to do it again, so sorry you couldn't make it. I thought I'd never get to the posts today, three deliveries of craft stuff, one delivery of a surprise raffle prize, walking dogs, sorting mum's vaccination, trying to finish some cards and that's without the usual stuff like cooking Lol! Sorry to hear about your husbands friend, it's a sad time and I know all the feelings as I lost my dad in March when he had to go into hospital with another problem and tested positive for the virus and died three days later. Take care and have a nice woyww, Angela x19x

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  11. Sorry to have missed you on Saturday. So very sorry to read about the fiance of the girl who runs the Aldi store in your town has died of the virus. Love the mask poem you created. What a special way to get your point across.

    I was reading Mary Anne's message and saw you are in GA. You realize your vote in this special election may be as important as the one for President. Even though we can't "ditch Mitch," maybe you can help pull his power from him. That would be the best thing that could happen to Moscow Mitch that I can think of. Happy WOYWW from #2.

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  12. Hi Chana, You have made a beautiful sympathy card, but such very sad circumstances having to make it. It would have been lovely to meet you on Saturday, hopefully you will be able to make it to a future one - breakout rooms would be a good idea! Thanks for stopping by my blog and your kind words about my quilt and blankets. Have a lovely week, Heather xx #17

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  13. Hi Chana, Ooh I am so sorry for your loss. That is such a pretty card you have created. hopefully we will start seeing the tide turn the other way soon with the vaccines coming. Yep, I figure I can add ink or re-inkers or what ever to a tub of plain white sooner or later. ~Stacy #35

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  14. Sorry bout your loss. Thats a lovely card,

    Stay well and safe,

    Lilian B #14

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  15. Hi Chana,maybe you'll be able to make the next one, I'm sure we'll do it again. Love the card, I too make what appeals to me, rather than what is this weeks fashion! You're not alone with name pronunciation, you'd think Sharon was pretty clear, but no, at school I had 4 different teachers pronounce is completely differently, just switching which letters had the emphasis. I must admit that these days, when I see parents give their child an unusual spelling for a fairly common name, just to make them 'stand out' a little more, my first thought is' don't they realise that poor child is going to spend the rest of their life spelling their name for everyone?'
    So sorry for your loss, his poor fiancee must be so heartbroken right now, a friend reaching out makes all the difference. Stay safe, have a lovely week, hugs, Shaz #12. x

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  16. Oh dear, that is so tragic, I feel for you both.
    On a brighter note - that is a pretty card and I was surprised you did not know what a Christmas Cake was. It is a rich fruit cake, normally made months in advance and fed with a spirit of one's choice until the day you decide to add the marzipan and icing on it.
    Hugs, Neet 8 xx

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  17. Sucha beautiful card Chana, although such a sad occasion. Thanks for sharing the way your name is pronounced. Stay safe and happy WOYWW. Sarah #4

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  18. Lovely card and I get the name thing. I'm often asked what's my "real" name or did my mother want a boy, as I'm Billy spelt the boys way! Short for Billy-Jane with a hyphen - oh no! You have a beautiful name by the way. Thanks for the visit BJ#21

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  19. Hi, thanks for your visit, unfortunately my window looks out upon the caravan, although I can see a bit of hedge! The Covid situation is indeed a tragedy, so many lives lost. Stay safe Angela #25

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  20. That is such a beautiful card, so sorry to hear that it was needed. Lovely to hear about your name - I never knew the real spelling/pronunciation of Hannah in the Bible. I only know a little Hebrew, but hope one day to find the time to learn a little more. Happy WOYWW. Take care and stay safe, with love & God bless, Caro xxx (#33)

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  21. I have a load of stash that's been in my craft room then attic and now craft room again since 2011. \\i'm think of making caards with the firdt paper pack I pick up... )Maybe not!) Your card is really nice. Happy a good rest of the week Chana, Have a great Happy WOYWW week even though I'm late, Stay Safe. ((Lyn)) #15

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  22. Hi Chana! I really appreciate learning more about you at the end of your post, your name is intriguing, as are all names that are foreign to our English tongue, but certainly worth learning about. I'm not sure I could give it justice when pronouncing it, but maybe someday we will meet and I can give it a go. I'm so sorry you had to make a Sympathy Card. I am very lucky as I don't know anyone affected by COVID yet, and hope I don't (we have been very lucky in our city, it has only been in the last week that 2 people went into hospital with COVID since this started in March. I am very careful, always wear a mask, and really only go out once a week to the same place! You are right, it only takes a minute, and someone's life could be spared. I'm so sorry for your friend's loss, they have lost their whole life together. So very sad.
    Happy Hannukah, sorry I'm so late this week, thank you for for lovely comments, have a great week! Lindart #31

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Thanks for taking the time to comment on my blog. I appreciate it! I try to reciprocate and visit your blogs. If I don't get to you right away, please know that I am on my way there to thank you for your visit.
Happy Crafting!
Hugz,
Chana