Shabbat Shalom Once More

it is noontime in the holy city of safed.  I just finished washing the kitchen floor.  yesterday was slime day at the gleich home.  it took me forever to wash out the containers and wash off the kitchen table.  the granddaughter is a slime addict.  I think all girls these days are.  the grandson doesn't really have the patience to make it.  he is a lego genius.  I spent about 100 shekels yesterday on food dye, glue and persil.  the granddaughter reached for the persil and glue a little while ago.  I did not allow her to make more slime today. 

I am planning on taking them to a local playground to let out some steam.  it seems to be a bit cooler today.  their parents are coming back from Jerusalem for Shabbat.  they will be having Shabbat dinner at the Sephardi clan tonight.  I don't think I want to go.  I hope they won't be making a goodbye party.  I am not up for one.  the kids are relocating to Jerusalem on sunday.  my son has been working there since april.  the kids will stay with me for a few days while their mom gets the house in order.

I will be on break from the yeshiva at the end of the month and plan to travel there to visit for a few days.  we will see how that goes.  my sister will be coming in mid august for two weeks.  she is arriving the night before the klezmer music festival starts.  it is always a giant balagon in safed during those three days.  busses are on holiday schedule and it is a giant mess.  I hope to, at least, go to the festival once.  we will see how the sister feels.

I would love to throw my sister an early birthday party.  she turns 70 in October.  I am also hosting a graduation party for a friend later this month.  she is getting some sort of degree form Haifa university.  I was able to get graduation stickers and cardboard graduation hats.  I will also make other props.  I live for party themes. 

I have been working pretty hard at the yeshiva.  the manager and rabbi there have been giving me last minute and inaccurate instructions for a couple of weeks.  each time the guys went on a hike or trip I was expected to make them sandwiches.  I had completed making 48 omelet sandwiches one morning; only to find out that I needed 60.  of course, I had run out of bread and eggs.  yesterday I was told to make sandwiches for them.  the only problem was that they were leaving at 8:00 a.m.  I couldn't stay any longer the day before because the kids were with me and they were restless.  and after nearly 5 hours of cooking and standing on my feet, i had no energy to make sandwiches.

I managed to get into work at 8:00 a.m. and it took two hours to make 50 hot dog sandwiches.  included in that time, was folding sheets of paper towel around each sandwich; as we didn't have any napkins.  it also took time to spread ketchup on each sandwich and place them into baggies.  I also was asked to make them dinner.  I quickly made two batches of white rice, two tuna loafs and a pan of stir fried squash and eggplant.  at 11:00 a.m. I couldn't find any young men to take the sandwiches to the designated rendezvous in Tiberius.   I also learned that the guys were having a pizza party after the hike.  so all the work and food I made for dinner was in vain.  let it go.  I was paid for my time.

I do not know how much longer I can work there.  starting next week there will only be a few guys there.  I will only have the kids with me for a few more days and then I will be on my own.  I hate to go in to work for just 3 or 4 hours.  I will see what transpires.  in the meanwhile, I have spent my entire salary this month already.  I went to the supermarket yesterday and spent over $100.  my debit card was refused.  I had to run back home to get cash.  I need to put some money into my account on sunday before some payment is returned.  are we having fun yet?

the kids are coming here for Shabbat lunch.  I bought fresh corn and a noodle kugel.  I will probably make another shepherd's pie with chopped turkey.  I also bought soy bean pods.  the kids are crazy for these.  we have a huge watermelon for dessert.  I doubt that I will have the energy to bake a cake.  i have dried fruits and seeds and nuts to nash.  i bought plenty of drinks.  i even got strawberry Bacardi breeze's for the daughter-in-law and myself.

i spent a fortune on markers and drawing papers for the kids and my niece's kids, if they come to visit.  if not, i will schlep it to Jerusalem when i come to visit them.  i need to watch my spending now.  my pension and paychecks come in at the end of the month.  after that i will not be spending blindly.  i hope it will be alright.  i stopped writing checks.  i have been mainly using cash and my bebit card.  i think i have learned my lesson.