Shabbat Rest

it is noontime in the holy city of safed.  the fix it man came with his son and stopped the running toilet.  yeh!  he also put a bedroom door back on its hinges, secured a light fixture, fixed a heater, and replaced a door knob on the upstairs apartment door.  unfortunately, the lock I bought for the downstairs door was too short.  I thought these things were one size.  oh well....  I had him take the heater off of the wall in the bedroom downstairs, which doubles for a bomb shelter, and put it on the wall upstairs in the television room.  this way no heaters are on floor with little kids around now.  I need to buy an extension cord so the wire hangs lower and doesn't stick out in front of the t.v.

the son of fix it man offered his expertise to fix and plaster the walls downstairs.  he couldn't give me a price now so I declined. I can't afford it any way.  if, in the future, I do rent the downstairs; I will definitely bring in a repairman to fix the walls.  right now I just want it to look clean.  I probably will buy paint on sunday and do a bit of touch up.  I know I should finish the upstairs first but I'm so bored now.

the daughter-in-law and kids are going to the sephardi family for Shabbat.  I do not feel like walking home from that neighborhood tonight.  I am pretty tired.  I made a pot of black eyed peas, potatoes and chicken for Shabbat.  I used one quarter of a chicken and two small potatoes and a cup of beans.  I truly need a hot meal.  I have been subsisting on peanut butter and rice cakes all week with the addition of an omelet for good measure.

we went to the granddaughter's siddur party last night.  all the first graders receive their first prayer book.  they performed and sung and danced.  I was a bit peeved that my granddaughter didn't get a solo but that's the stage mom in me. the granddaughter didn't seem to care.  the Sephardi grandma made about 3 platters of fried donuts for the occasion.  she actually had to buy 3 kilo bags of flour just before pesach.  who does that?

I already put away my electric water urn but I just might take it out for Shabbat.  I do need my hot drinks.  the house is still trashed.  everything is all over the place.  I just want to get it in order for Shabbat.  the master bedroom looks like a cyclone hit it.  I did manage to go through the closets and drawers and weed out things I no longer want.  I did take down a bunch of blankets to bring downstairs for the paying guests for pesach.  I have enough heaters to place one in each bedroom if needed. I also have one to use for the hallway if warranted.  I do not have an air conditioner heating unit system.  that is why the price is so low. I only charged a family of 6: $250 for 3 nights. it should have been at least double that.

I really have to stop myself from going downstairs right now and plastering the walls.  I have another week to tackle this.  I have to stay on tract and finish the upstairs.  I think I will take a break from it all and lie down and catch up on some television.  that is, of course, after I straighten up the house for Shabbat.

5:00 p.m.  It is almost time for candle lighting.   the house is neat. spent hours patching up a mattress that tiny dog tore apart.  my son, who is spending his first Shabbat away from his wife and kids since their marriage 9 years ago, just called to wish me a good Shabbat.  he sounded like a young boy on his own at boarding school.  it was bitter sweet.