N is for...

Numbers.

One is a good number in just about every instance. It means that you are first, the best or the fastest. Those are all good things of course and we'd all love to be recognized as the number one something or other.



Two is nice because it's even. I was a lousy math student and learning the times tables was a huge pain but I still remember feeling relief when I saw a question with a 2 in it. At least I could rely on getting those correct. Maybe that is why 24 is my favorite number.

Although many of us like the symmetry of 2's, three is a much better number from a creative standpoint. Three pictures arranged on a wall, three shrubs in a landscape or three buttons on a sweater tend to be more pleasing to the eye. There's and edge to the uneven-ness. Three is also noted in other arts like writing and photography which have rules dedicated to the number.

Some people favor 7 and call it their lucky number. I guess that it was pretty lucky for me when I took this picture while crossing the street. I made it across and got the shot. Woot!

Numbers are everywhere we go. On buildings, recipes, patterns, etc. I am dismayed to find that the teachers were right - you really can't escape math!



While the relevance of some numbers is simple and straightforward, others are deeper. In Judaism, the word Chai means life and the Hebrew letters that are used to spell it, het and yood, add up to 18 which makes 18 special. It's found on jewelry and in art. For weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs monetary gifts are often given in multiples of chai.

Because 18 is an auspicious number, when I got to the 18th kippah I decided to do the special one that DQ will wear at her Bat Mitzvah. I embellished the white band with clear class beads and added a series of Swarovski crystals in shades of blue to surround the star in the center. when she stands and the light from the skylights hits her just right the crystals will sparkle and shine.



While we're talking about numbers, I'm just about to complete kippah 27 so I have finished a little more than one third of the kippot. I set a pace for myself of 10 kippot per month and I'm currently ahead of where I need to be to keep up. Anything can happen but right now I'm feeling like I may finish early. Hooray!