Rainy Day

it's tuesday afternoon in the cold and rainy town of zefat in the holy land. yesterday was like summer time. i spent the morning in town with friends drinking coffee on a park bench. i didn't even wear a jacket. i got home at around 2:00 p.m. and went downstairs to finish setting up the apartment for the two guests. i made the beds and used my nicest flannel sheets and put out two nice guest towels and washed all the floors. i put rose essence in the bucket water and shook lavender oil on the pillows and blankets. i placed some geranium, myrtle and rosemary from the garden, into a small vase on the kitchen table. i may not have fancy furnishings but i try my best to make it homey and clean.

i picked some tangerines from the tree and i put out some cake that i found in the freezer. it looked like it was made with rye flour. maybe, it was banana cake. i don't remember. i really should start labeling things. i prepared a tray of boiled eggs, plain yogurts, corn muffins, mini organic whole wheat pitas, butter, honey, diced cucumber and tomato salad and olives for the following morning. i set out instant coffee, several types of herbal teas and regular tea. i even left fresh milk in the fridge. all this for a mere $50. it was an old acquaintance from years ago and i wanted to give her a complimentary 'like' stay. i hope that she'll bring me some business in the future. i can only pray! it's such a lot of work for so little money. but looking on the bright side, it will pay for the pooch's haircut.

i made plans to go with michal to an event in town tonight. her breslov neighbors are sponsoring a concert and crafts fair to raise money for their women' yeshiva. i agreed to go while it was sunny and warm. now that it's cold and raining, i feel less enthusiastic about leaving my home. not that's it's warm inside. it's actually freezing inside. as i look outside and see how wet and green the garden is, i feel so grateful for the rain. who knows what will be this summer. they are actually raising the price of water here and lowering the alloted amounts for everyone. they are also beginning to fine people for their overuse. as shocking as it is to admit in cyberspace, i do not shower every day. and i only do laundry once a week. i don't wash my floors with buckets of water and i only wash down my driveway once or twice a year. i try not to flush the toilets unless it's "brown" and i don't own a car so i don't wash one.

my friend shoshana from n.y. tried to chat with me through cyberspace and i couldn't figure out how to send back my response. she has become an official member of the blog. i am so grateful that she can find some time from her busy teaching schedule to read my monologue. i guess she's on winter break now. i would think that entails marking midterms and such. anyway, it's a good way for her to catch up with me and a lot cheaper than using the phone.

cloey continues to terrorize the new dog. the wimp doesn't seem to fight back. but i can't deal with the noise. it's constant growling on cloey's part. the new pooch started barking when i leave the house. i don't know how i 'm going to get the pooch to the "hair cutters" yet. that ought to be a scene! michal has already brought over a doggie sweater for afterwards. i wish we could find him a home already.