Go back to my holiday greetings to all readers, here.

DH might have been entranced by the joys of a drum circle at a recent event that took place in California, where New Age regularly rubs shoulders with Neuroscience. He might’ve put percussion instruments on his wish list.

How does a scientist gets a djembe out of a bag? Pretty much the way a dog gets peanut butter out of a jar: face first.

Here’s what that led to: a joyful noise!

For the first night of Hanukkah, a djembe, tambourine, and various shakers made their way into our home.

Will my tender ears come to regret this gift? Let’s hope not. I can always lock the instruments in DH’s office if the kids get too percussive when Papa isn’t home.

I like to make our Eight Nights of Hanukkah Gifts things that we can enjoy as a family, not the more personalized items we receive for birthdays.

I may not be beating any drums with my arthritic fingers, but I can shake a maraca with the best of them. Well, maybe not with the best of them. My sense of rhythm and timing is mediocre at best. I also drop things when my joints are stiff. But, hey, maybe I was dropping it artistically!

Let’s get back to that “joyful noise.” We can definitely accomplish that as a family, though melodious may be a pipe dream.

Happy Hanukkah!

חגחנוכהשמח

Move ahead to Night 2, here.

♦