Tag Archives: Rabbi Dr. Itzhak Shapira

My Summer Vacation by HL Gibson

July 28, 2023 By in Lightning Juice Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Summer is slipping by at the speed of light—which is quite fine with me because I prefer fall, spring, and winter—and I owe you some content. So here it is, Realmers!

When I mentioned my bread baking goal to a friend, Robin Luton, she asked if I’d ever made challah. I replied that I had observed the process once, so Robin graciously invited me to her home to learn how to make it for myself. I had a lovely time and learned a simple yet elegant technique to braid the three strands of dough resulting in a beautiful loaf of challah. As expected, Robin’s loaf was prettier than mine because she’s an expert at it, and I’m a beginner who made one strand fatter than the other two. Still, my loaf was tasty. Enjoy the pictures of our efforts and click the link for Robin’s Challah.

I don’t recall if I’ve mentioned this or not, but my passion for farmers markets has been reignited this summer. It probably stems from my campaign to encourage people to shop locally, shop small businesses, and build community. Springfield Township Farmers Market on the Lake and the Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market are great places to get fresh food at great prices. So, the Gibson Household will be enjoying corn on the cob, fried zucchini, and challah for Erev Shabbat.

Another great thing that happened this summer was a visit from my grandbaby, Jacob. We started our day at Chick-fil-A and the indoor playground; hit Kohl’s for a new food processor to make treats; indulged in ice cream at Therapy Ice Cream & Coffee Bar; baked our version of goldfish crackers but opted for a hippo, possibly a stegosaurus, cutter; stopped by an outdoor playground; whipped up a batch of homemade Play-Doh; had dinner at Grinder’s; and rounded out the day with a game of SORRY! Keeping up with a five-year-old is great exercise. Dealing with post-Jacob blues the next day is rough.

As for my study sessions on The Rivkah Remnant with my friend, Sharon, we spent a total of twelve hours across three sessions, and it was amazing. Eight of those hours were devoted to Chapter 1, which took a deep dive into the definition, essence, and explanation of prophecy. Although I realized how little I actually knew, I didn’t come away feeling condescended to. In fact, Rabbi Shapira’s book is very accessible, and Sharon’s instruction is thorough.

I did promise you some teatail recipes this summer, and while I’ve definitely been crafting and drinking them, I’ve been a lazy girl about posting them. Bear with me as I find myself spending more time away from the laptop. I’m sure, based on everything I mentioned above, that you’ll not only understand but approve of my reconnecting with people. Writing is such a lonely job!

But fear not, Realmers! Throughout everything I’ve detailed here, little story ideas have been coming to me, and I’ve been tucking them away like so many pearls to string together at a later date. The itch to write has been sneaking up on me. It’ll probably return with the cold weather, which can’t happen soon enough for me.

Remember, Realm is always in stock at BookBaby, and your review of my novel is most welcome at BookBaby, Goodreads, or even here on my blog.

Shabbat Shalom from

our home to yours!

Beyond the Realm

July 17, 2023 By in Lightning Juice, Realm Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

As I mentioned in my post, Of Bread & Study, my journey toward rejuvenating my creative forces began with stepping away from the unproductivity in my life and seeking other resources of creativity until such a time as the writing muse returned. I will admit that I still have a bit of trepidation about this decision because so much writing advice has little to no room for slowing down or—clutch the pearls—stopping altogether. It’s all: write and produce word count or die!

But I did step away from my current WIP, and the release I experienced has been amazing. I decided to bake bread as a non-writing hobby, and I started with good ole Irish soda bread. This is a favorite at the Gibson Household, and the recipe can be accessed by clicking this link: Irish Soda Bread with Caraway Seeds

I also embarked on a course of study with my friend and mentor, Dr. Sharon Stern. Sharon recently retired, and unbeknownst to her, the minute she announced her retirement, I decided to vie for a small amount of her time so I could pick her brain. Monday, we spent four hours reading and discussing Rabbi Dr. Itzhak Shapira’s book, The Rivka Remnant. Mind . . . blown . . .

I’m also crafting teatails because it’s summer and nothing tastes quite as refreshing as iced tea with the ability to take the edge off. I have two in the works, so stayed tuned.

My last newfound interest this summer has been farmers markets. I have developed a passion for shopping locally. The benefit of not allowing one’s purchasing options to be funneled to one location, as well as putting money back into one’s own community, are huge. Then there is the good work of undoing all the harm done by the plandemic. People are coming out, building community, talking, touching, smiling, and living life to the fullest. I want to be part of that.

Just so you don’t worry, I am writing, which is obvious based on the fact that you’re reading this post. Funny thing is, when I stopped forcing myself to work on my current WIP, the blog post ideas started showing up. I’m curious myself to see how many of them I act upon.

As always, Realm is available at BookBaby, my publisher, as well as other online retailers. Once you’ve journeyed through the Realm and fallen in love with the characters and story, please leave a review wherever you purchased my novel, on social media, or even my blog. Thank you, Realmers!