A New Beginning

it is 7:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  Shabbat ended over an hour ago.  I fell asleep at around 5:00 p.m.  it was a much needed nap.  the grandkids slept over last night.  they simply told their parents and packed their pajamas into their knapsacks.  the 6 year old granddaughter cried when her mommy left.  she wanted to sleep here but she wanted her mommy , too.  I suddenly invited them to play bingo and the tears stopped instantly.  the grandson usually is the spinner, I'm the caller and the granddaughter hands out the dots.  last night she was a one woman show.  she did pretty good until the grandson knocked over all of the cards by accident.

he is the lego savant.  he will sit for hours making intricate buildings and structures out of the minutest pieces of lego.  most of the lego pieces end up on the floor.  luckily, the dog doesn't eat any of them.  the living room right now is covered with large lego pieces and toys.  the kids' carpet is trashed and it pains me to look into the room.  I started cleaning up the room last week but I gave up.  I know that as a good grandparent I should insist that they clean up by themselves.  the granddaughter used to love to clean and make order in every room but she has become addicted to slime and it takes over her being.  I have slime on my ceiling in the computer/costume room.  it was all over the bedroom wall but I used a magic sponge and it came off fairly easily.  I don't know how I will clean the ceiling.  I hate climbing ladders. in all fairness, I think the grandson slimed the walls.

 I am officially hosting the separdi clan for purim.  the Sephardi grandma shut down the idea of a barbecue.  I would have liked that because I wouldn't have had to do much.  I already cleaned the fridge and freezer for pesach but I lined all the shelves with plastic.  I think i'll make turkey meatballs, spicy chicken wings and liver teriyaki.  and of course, I'm planning on making mashed potato kugel.  any leftovers will be used for Shabbat as purim comes out on Thursday.  I already bought most of the chicken and meat for pesach.  i'm weird that way.  I try to do as much as I can because I'm the one that usually takes care of the kids during their spring vacation before pesach.  last year I cleaned all three apartments and I wasn't stressed at all.  spring cleaning entails a bit of redecorating on my part.  I always change around the pictures in the house.  I also start chucking out papers.

I found a folder of court papers from 2005 when I had to get medical guardianship of my father.  it pained me to read them but I did chuck them out.  unlike my dear mother who saved every bill and receipt from the 1940's until her passing 9 years ago, I am not a hoarder. in saying that, I still find it difficult to get rid of my parents' passports and I even have my father's discharge papers from the army in world war two.  I also have letters from congressman, senators and vice presidents to my father.  he was an ardent correspondent.  he wrote letters to everyone.  I don't think my son would care to keep these papers. this is from my past and I'm a dinosaur.

I am planning on making my famous sangria for purim.  I bought a small bottle of brandy, two bottles of rose and I will pick fresh lemons and oranges from the garden. as the Sephardi women don't usually drink, I will enjoy myself with a girlfriend.  the weather is hot and cold at the same time.  we all went to synagogue this morning and nearly passed out from the heat. by early afternoon we were freezing because it turned windy. the kids want to make a dance party so they can go downstairs after the sit-down meal and go crazy. I am trying as usual, to be accommodating.