Is This All There Is?

It is 7:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i just got back from walking the dogs.  i didn't see anyone and i didn't hear the men praying this morning. perhaps they are back inside now.  i haven't checked the latest corona guidelines.  tonight is Shabbat.  i just defrosted pitas, chicken parts and salmon.  i want to make a supermarket run.  i am holding myself back.  i am sure that i can make it until Sunday.  i can cook couscous, black lentils, rice or bulgur.  i just have to decide on one.  i only have two apples left.  i do love my fruit. i want to buy more apples but I don't want to see people.

my toothache came back with a vengeance.  i took two pain pills and kind of passed out last night.  i woke up at 5:00 a.m. and the television. was still on.  i wanted to watch another episode of my favorite show, "better call Saul".  to my great disappointment; i realized that last week's show was the season's finale.  what do i do now?  there is nothing to look forward too, once again.

i made my morning elixir.  i added a mint green tea today.  i do not really feel like drinking this.  i am a bit depressed.  i am feeling hopeless this morning.  my son needs me to come to Jerusalem for a week to help with the baby.  in ordinary times, before the rona; i would have already jumped on a bus to get there.  if i was still working; i would have hired a driver to take me there.  the truth is that i am afraid to leave my neighborhood.  i am scared to travel and i am scared to be around my grandkids.

i feel like such a loser.  i feel like a helpless old fool.  if i got sick i would be a bigger burden to my son.  my dog sitter is currently stranded in California.  how could i leave the dogs alone?.  could i really rely on the Sephardi family downstairs, to let the dogs out every day? the little dog might be okay but the larger one would surely get in trouble and bother people.  i am not allowed to bring them to Jerusalem.  the daughter-in-law would never go for this. without a paycheck, how could i travel and navigate for a week?

so i sit here in my blog room; and feel useless.  that just might be the title of my next blog. if this was just an ordinary flu i would risk it all.  they have pretty much made us seniors feel like it is a death sentence.  sometimes i feel, that my son would benefit from my death more than my assistance.  i get stuck and can not see the whole picture.  my codependence behavior and thinking is spiraling out of control. i cannot save anyone.  i doubt that i can save myself.

i haven't felt this dark in a while.  my head hurts and my gums are throbbing.  i have a serious dental problem and no where to g to fix it.  i am scared to death to go to a dentist now. i just hope i will get through Shabbat without suffering too much. isn't life swell?

1:00 p.m. update:    i just broke my nightly 16 hour fast.  i am trying very hard to be careful when i chew.  i just made a batch of oat flour banana apple muffins.  i added peanut butter to replace the oil.  my neighbor brought over a few of her amazing challah rolls.  the fruit truck just parked in front of my house so i bought apples and of course, more bananas.  life is looking up!

i just tasted a muffin.  the peanut butter took away all the sweetness from the banana.  perhaps it needed another banana.  it probably would have been better with the addition of some dates.  you can't taste the cinnamon or the apple.  not my best creation. oh well.....

What Now?

It is 7:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i shot out of bed at 6:00 a.m. and took the dogs out.  they didn't make but they sniffed around profusely.  there are a lot of creatures living in the green areas at the end of the street.  i haven't seen the jackal in weeks.  i am not sure if the humane society that i called; ever came to pick him up.  it is super quiet this morning. we were out for about 45 minutes.

i did hear the men down the street, praying outside of the synagogue.  i was glad.  i think we all let loose yesterday.  i guess we are back to the present situation again.  i kept the dogs inside for most of the day; yesterday.  there were just too many people coming and going and i know they would have barked all day.  i didn't want to disturb the neighbors and their families.

i looked in the mirror and was greatly surprised to see that i didn't look like a Cyclops.  i felt certain that my eyes and face would be swollen from all the nitrates i consumed yesterday.  i ate two corn tortilla wraps with salami before i went downstairs to the barbecue.  i didn't think that i could eat anything more, but i did.  i had a couple of hot dogs, two chicken wings, and a small schnitzel.  i also managed to wolf down a bunch of fries and a pita. 

i got to talk with young people and interact with a small child.  i discovered that even young people are struggling to remember what day it is.  it isn't just us seniors.  i realized that they were not my enemy and out to kill me with the rona.  they are my extended family.  these people had feelings for me.  i hope that i stay rona free and i will continue to do my part.  i am not rushing to go to the library or shop in town.  i think i have what i need for Shabbat and i don't need to go to the supermarket.  i am staying in today.

i have a slight cough and runny nose.  the change in weather is playing havoc on my head.  i have a constant headache.  i am going to drink my daily; lemon, honey, ginger and hot paprika elixir and then have a bit of breakfast.  i managed to skip taking the antibiotics yesterday and my tooth is ''quaking'.  i think my body needs to detox today.  i will stay away from heavy foods and maybe keep to drinking shakes.  it is warming up and we have been promised a few days of heat.  the house is still freezing. 

i took off my fleece winter robe and my arms are cold.  i am still wearing fleece tights.  i would put my sweats back on but thy are still wet and hanging outside.  i did some hand washing in the bathtub, yestertday.  i hot burning hot water so i am pleased at the results.  my washing machine is on its last legs and doesn't go through a rinse cycle.  most of the clothes are coated and streaked with detergent.  one of the dogs vomited on my sofa bed and i can't seem to get he smell out.  i have gone over it multi times with a schemata and shampoo.  oh well.......

5:00 p.m. correction:  i forgot to mention that you seep a bag of green tea in the elixir as well as some mint, which is an antihistamine.

Independence Day 2020

it is 7:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i just walked the dogs.  i hope this will be the last run of the night.  i broke all the corona rules today.  i joined the Sephardi family for a barbecue, downstairs.  i sat outside in the sun for hours.  i interacted with their little 2 1/4 year old granddaughter.  the last time she saw me, she was afraid of me and cried.  she also couldn't pronounce my name.  i think she called me zilba.  she is definitely, no longer afraid of me and she knows how to say my name, now.  i didn't wear my mask all day long.  there were eight of us altogether.  i am afraid i didn't always keep my social distancing, either.

i know i do not belong to this herd and perhaps i shouldn't have hung out with them but i just felt like it.  i pray that i won't get the dreaded rona.  they have all been, pretty much in quarantine, for the duration.  i didn't hug the child nor did i touch her.  after she handed me things, i  got up and washed my hands.  i didn't wear gloves.  there were other families celebrating on the block, too.  there was music blasting and it was quite noisy.  there are currently no cases of corona in the safed hospital.  they have closed their corona ward.  i took a chance today.  i haven't felt this alive in months. 

i miss my grandchildren.  this was a taste of being with them.  i brought down the baby lego and all the fake plastic food and plastic toy pots and pans.  i guess time will tell if this was the worst thing i  have done during the quarantine.  i ate like there was no tomorrow.  i love a good barbecue.  i even had a pita and French fries.  i'm completely done.  i will sleep well tonight.

i hope my friends will not be angry with me.  i will be more careful tomorrow.  as i walked up the street with the dogs; a large family of 8 suddenly passed me by.  i had to restrain the boy dog from lunging at the kids.  i was also a bit freaked out to pass all of them on the street.  i think they were 6 kids plus 2 parents.  no one was wearing a mask.  i know it is totally illogical that i was freaked and quite ironic, after being around a family all day long.

Flag Wars Revisited Corona 2020

it is 7:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i just got back from a quick supermarket run.  i went to bed early for a change.  yesterday was a long day.  i took the dogs out at 6:00 a.m.  i could hear the sounds of men praying from the local synagogue.  i couldn't tell if they were inside or still, outside.  it was nice to hear them.  i didn't stop to pick roses this morning.

there was hardly a soul on the street. i came home and threw on a skirt over my sweats and donned my heaviest winter coat. i headed for the supermarket at 6:30 a.m.  it is a 7 minute stroll from my house.  it looked quite empty except for the few workers.  they were all yelling at each other.  the check out girl was shrieking out loud without a mask.  it was a bit disconcerting.  when i checked out she put on her mask.  she is not the most calm person in general, but i guess working now is extremely stressful.  i thanked her and blessed her but i doubt i was heard through my mask.

i bought some apples and of course, more bananas.  i will hold off eating them because i'm still a bit turned off after yesterday's banana mash ice cream.  i'll slice them up and freeze them.  this is a great method.  they defrost almost immediately.  it's great to put in warm oatmeal or on yogurt or in muffins.  and of course, the famous shake or fake ice cream.  i bought a few pieces of salmon and a couple of packages of chicken wings.  i didn't buy any veggies to make a soup.  maybe the truck will come around.

i bought a lot of yogurt because i'm currently on antibiotics.  i should have been eating it straight from the start.  i also got some rocket leaves.  that's about it.  i didn't want to schlepp home anything too heavy.  i did buy three packages of surgical masks, on sale.  i tossed out the surgical gloves and wiped my hands with a wipe and then applied a sanitizer.  i then made my way home.  i didn't stop to sit on a bench. i kept on trekking up the steps until i got to my street.  i didn't see a soul.

when i got home i wiped down all the packages.  i threw out the plastic bags.  i realized that i have been placing them on my dining room table so i quickly bleached the table.  it is really hard to remember everything.  we try our best.  it is warming up and i'm sweating.  i will take a warm shower and put on fresh light clothing.  i am drinking my morning hot water, lemon, ginger, honey and hot pepper drink on my empty stomach.  it is supposed to increase your lung capacity. i didn't have any cayenne pepper so i used hot paprika.  it is not the same, i know.

my neighbor in the end, hung 8 flags.  if you pass the house you would swear that you were in front of the Israeli conciliate.  i think this year there are definitely a lot more flags.  perhaps a memo was posted about the number of flags every household should hang.  in any case, i didn't get the memo.  my schemata flag is hanging over the gate.  it is large but cannot compare to my neighbor's humungous flags.  i did the deed with what i had.  i was not going to purchase a new flag and i was definitely not going to get on a bus to go to town to buy one.

The Hours Are Slowly Creeping By

it is 11:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i can't believe that it isn't much later than that.  i took the dogs out at 6:00 a.m.  that seems like it was so many hours ago.  it just simply cannot be only five hours later.  I've already had breakfast, a snack and now, another snack.  i am beside myself.  i can't deal with such a long day.  i remember when the days sped by so fast that you couldn't keep up.

i watched a wonderful interview this morning with a world's leading vaccine expert.  he spoke so rationally and informatively about vaccines and the urgency to develop one for the covid 19.  it was the calmest i felt in weeks.   it doesn't look like a vaccine will be produced any day soon but when it is, this dreaded virus will be eradicated for a long while.  i personally, do not go to get vaccines.

i had eggs for breakfast with a corn tortilla.  i shared the eggs with the pooches.  i had rice cakes and peanut butter for a snack.  the dogs do not eat rice cakes.  they do love peanut butter.  and i just polished off a huge portion of my make believe banana ice cream.  that is simply a blended banana, splash of rice milk and vanilla extract.  today i added a lot of cashews.  it was tastier yesterday.  maybe i'm getting too used to it.  today it tasted like mashed banana baby food.  the thrill was definitely, gone.

i am already thinking about what to make for supper.  it isn't even noon time.  how will i get through today? you tube has notified me that they will not accept my browser anymore.  luckily, someone updated the browser months ago; for themselves.  it was either my girlfriend; who is always here watching my dogs; when i go to Jerusalem;or my son, who visits occasionally and uses my computer.  i wouldn't have a clue how to update the browser by myself.  i am technologically, retarded.  i need to find a manual for my smart phone for dummies.

i cannot eat another thing and i cannot drink another cup of tea.  i am truly stuffed.  that banana cashew mash was deadly.  i am so bored.  it is too nice of a day to be inside watching television.  i should be outside.  i just got back from taking the dogs for another run.  i stopped off to see my girlfriend.  perhaps, she ran to the supermarket because she was also bored to tears.   i have been picking roses in the local parks.  there are so many in bloom.  they are so gorgeous and fragrant. 

i just picked some lavender.  what a lovely bouquet they make together with the roses and an addition of myrtle from my front yard.  i appreciate flowers now; more than ever.  i have never gone out to purchase flowers for holidays or Shabbat.  i prefer picking them from the local parks or from neighbors' gardens.  i have been known to buy roses for friends' birthdays; but in general, i do not like floral arrangements from shops.

i picked the last few lemons from the tree this morning.  we had tons of lemons this year.  the gardener took his share and i shared the rest with the Sephardi grandma.  there are two or three; way up high on the tree; that i cannot reach.  i guess it's back to buying lemon juice for awhile.  i might just go back to using apple cider vinegar.  i bought a bottle before pesach.  i like it on tuna fish. 

when the gardener comes i'll ask him to pick me some oranges.  the tree is over filled and they are falling all over the garden.  i'd like to give some to my neighbor and the Sephardi grandma.  there are tons.  they might make a nice salad dressing with the vinegar. 

i gave the Sephardi grandma my bank card to check my balance.  it has been preying on my mind.  it's time to face the music.  i know that i am very much in the minus.  no one from the bank has called to threaten me in long while.  that doesn't mean that i'm in the clear.  i hate worrying about finances.  i get so tense when i start.  i am trying to keep calm.  not having a paycheck anymore, is quite frightening.  the vaccine specialist advised that we should not fear the virus.  he said that we should continue to take sanitary precautions as well as maintain our social distancing.  somehow, it made sense to me.

tonight starts remembrance day for the fallen solders.  the flags are flying!  i hung an old schemata of a flag that i found in the garbage at the supermarket; a couple of years ago.  i have never bought a flag.  when i was young i was kind of against the flag and everything in the government.  i was a pseudo revolutionary.  the ultra orthodox here do not recognize the flag nor the state.   for years i didn't dare put out a flag in my old neighborhood.   i do it now because i don't want my new neighbors to think badly of me if i don't. 

Wednesday is independence day.   usually, the entire country is on the road and in parks doing giant barbecues.  it used to be against the law to be open on independence day.  one didn't work, either.  busses didn't run and the country shut down.  it was exactly like the current quarantine's lockdown.  it is so odd that this year there will be no celebration.  there is still a flags war in my neighborhood.  who will hang the most number of flags and who will hang the largest flag?  i have strolled  through the neighborhood.  the flags contest is definitely heating up.  my neighbor waited until now and i see that he has one of the most gigantic flags, ever, to hang.

6:30 p.m  update:  the neighbor across form me just came home with another new flag.  he just took down a small flag; which he must have hung while i was out.  this one promises to be huge!  yes, he now has three huge flags waving in the wind.  he might just have won the jackpot. just looked out the window.  there are now 4 flags.

Agitated In Safed

it is 9:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  it has cooled down considerably. i just put on my fleece tights and i am still a bit cold.  i have a sore throat and a dry cough.  i am currently on antibiotics for an infected gum.  if it isn't the rona, then the drugs should knock this out.  i am agitated.  i am fearful that the country going back to normal; will take us' old folks' out.  i panic whenever i see little kids on the street.

i live a few doors down from a kindergarten and a preschool.  there will be loads of people milling around.  young people don't wear masks.  young people don't die from the rona.  i will stick to my other route to walk the dogs.  i saw my neighbor yesterday with her family and grandkids, who had come up from the south to visit.  no one was wearing masks.  they had them hanging around their necks but no one was wearing them on their face.  it made me agitated.

my neighbor's husband has threatened to kill my dog on several occasions.  the last time was when these same children were here for a holiday.  he claimed that my dog had bitten one of his grandchildren.  to my knowledge; that would have been the first time that my dog bit someone.  the neighbor was raging on as if his grandchild had been mauled by a Rottweiler. 

the way my neighbor felt about my dog is how i felt when i saw his adult children and grandkids in front of my house without face masks.  i wanted to kill them.  i am trying to be a good person.  i work hard on my character flaws.  this rona has made a raving nut.  i am agitated all the time.

i ran outside as soon as Shabbat ended to ask my neighbor to help me open a video on my smart phone.  it was freezing.  i saw my little four month old grandson cooing and evening mouthing words.  i could swear i heard him say the Hebrew word for dad, abba.  it gave me a lot of joy.  i miss my grandchildren but i am afraid of them coming here and giving me the virus.  in the past when i took care of them; i got the flu for three years in a row and stayed sick for months. since they moved to Jerusalem; i have been flu free for two years.

i guess i give grandmas a bad name.  i assume that in a little while; the majority of the population  will have acquired the virus and hopefully, the antibodies.  i know that there is no insurance against getting re-infected at this time.  i never take vaccines for flu or pneumonia.  i doubt that i would take one for covid 19.  my friend said that this is a conspiracy to wipe out the old population because we are a drain on society.  it seems that my friends and i have been getting negative vibes from people; when they see us out and about in the street.

  i took care of my family for years.  i worked for years at the yeshiva and i took care of the grandkids for years.  now suddenly, i am a drain on the economy?  now i get to be a shut in while the young people go back to normal life without masks.  that gets me agitated.

Made It Out

it is 8:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i finally made a supermarket run.  it is a seven minute walk from my home.  it is not a huge store.  i had my list in hand and my mask on my face.  they have a box of gloves in the front of the store as well as disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.  i took the dogs out first, at around 6:30 a.m.

it felt a bit surreal to be in a supermarket again.  i went straight to the organic products section.  i needed my oats.  i couldn't find them and luckily, the store clerk found them in another aisle mixed in with the regular oats.  i also bought tahini paste, more peanut butter, rice milk with almonds and a nut and raisin mix.  everything was on sale.  i guess people in quarantine here in the neighborhood; aren't so much into organic products.  i wanted to make chumus and grabbed a can of organic chickpeas.  i was so elated.  when i got home i saw that it was white beans.  it is still good.  maybe i can make a soup.

i am taking antibiotics for a tooth problem.  i didn't want to get on a bus and go to town yesterday.  that's about a twenty minute ride.  i have a pharmacy closer to my home but they require a prescription.  i did not have the strength to call my clinic and inquire if a doctor could call in a prescription to the local pharmacy for me.  i came up with the perfect solution.  i emailed a few friends and neighbors to ask of they had some antibiotics lying around their house.  the Sephardi grandma for sure, had to have some.

i couldn't wait until she returned downstairs so i called a friend who lives down the street from a pharmacy; where they do not require a prescription.  i was also running low on eye drops but it didn't really bother me too much.  my friend got the pills and also bought a bottle of eye drops for me.  she sent them up with a taxi.  when the Sephardi grandma finally returned home in the evening; she brought me the antibiotics.  i am set for awhile.

i went online to see what you can use for dry eyes besides eye drops.  i read that it is beneficial to wash eyelids with baby shampoo.  i thought that this was crazy at first.  surely, shampoo would burn the eyes.  i have since, done it twice and it was fine.  i shall continue this regimen.  i also continue to gargle with salt water for my tooth and for my throat.  i still spray my mouth and nose area with aloe vera first aid solution.  i wonder if any of this is actually working.  i read about corona pink eye and corona toes.  do we not have enough to worry about? 

as i was walking home form the supermarket i reflected on my state of health.  i am a cancer survivor. i have a heart issue, a large brain tumor, and now a lung tumor growing, i am also in my 69th year of life.  could i possibly survive the virus???  any of these other things could take me out before.  who knows????  i didn't stop to sit on a bench like i always do.  i kept on climbing the flights of steps to my house.  when i got home i wiped down all of the cartons and canned goods.  i then washed my hands with soap.

i defrosted some chicken and a pound of ground beef.  i am thinking about making stewed chicken and meatballs.  yesterday i gave the dogs hotdogs.  i didn't have any.  i had poached eggs for breakfast, oatmeal for lunch and a matzah brie for supper.  i am cooking without spices.  i am keeping the food very simple.  i am still chomping away on raw ginger. it helps with the tooth pain.

i bought some pitas so i don't have to just eat matzah now.  i must have some breakfast so i can take my antibiotic.  wishing you all a good Shabbat.  i hope i remember later that it is Shabbat.  i have been having a bit of trouble with this lately.

Eat Sleep And Eat

it is 5:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i just had supper.  when in doubt, eat.  i only maintained a 12 hour nightly fast.  i took the dogs outside at 6:30 a.m.  it was pleasant outside with a slight breeze.  it was very lovely and airy.  i realized that i wasn't wearing my mask.  the dogs were not interested in staying outside.  it turned hot pretty quickly.  i do not feel well in heat.  i am a winter mammal. 

i made a matzoh brie at 8:00 a.m. and broke my fast.  i had two apples and peanut butter immediately after.  i think i fell asleep.  i was watching an episode of 'the property brothers'.  i focused on the clock on the wall and realized that it was already 11:00 a.m.  i read my emails.  my sister in America; let me know that my niece here in safed;  had brissed her baby yesterday.  apparently, all the family watched on zoom.  they are spread out all over the world.  my niece named her boy after my dad.

it was bittersweet.  i am not in contact with my niece anymore.  i haven't seen her in two years.  i emailed her a congrats.  she mentioned that she missed me.  if i wasn't already depressed, this might have put me over the edge.  i needed a sugar rush.  i made another banana smoothie /faux ice cream with caashews.  it was nice.  i felt much better.  i made buckwheat groats for supper.  i added an onion and poured in grated beet and carrot salad.  it was quite filling.  i ate about three portions.

i am now going to have a chai tea and an oat flour banana muffin for dessert.  i gave up counting the calories today.  what can i say?  i had a nice chat with a friend and went back to bed.  the news is just so awful.  we are having terrorist attacks during a pandemic.  the citizens here are all going ballistic.  ultra orthodox jews are stoning young soldiers, parents of fallen soldiers are threatening to breach the gates of military cemeteries and leftisits are protesting en masse against the government. 

Israelis in general, are ill mannered and not known to abide by rules.  there is no such thing as a line here.  but now, it 's too hard to watch.  i am trying so hard not to judge my fellow jew but i feel so much loathing for them now.  i pray for tolerance.  i ask for forgiveness.  i am losing it.  i will have my tea and muffin and call it a day, food wise.

by the way, the pigeons came back.  i made a few more repairs in the mesh and will check again tomorrow.  it's always something.  my tooth is acting up.  i am chumping on pieces of ginger to anesthetize my gum.  i heard about dentists gauging their prices during the quarantine.  nice people!

To Do Or Not To Do

it is 7:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i spent another day doing nothing.  nada, Klum!  i managed to take a shower in the morning.  i washed out the vomit from the dog bed and washed the pillow and pillow cases in the bathtub. i also washed some underwear and a couple of tops, a knit skirt and a pair of fleece pajamas.  the water was burning hot.  my washing machine, an old maytag; doesn't run on hot water.  it also doesn't go through a rinse cycle, either.  the clothes got much cleaner in the bathtub.  i used shampoo.

the Sephardi grandma asked me to be on the look out for the visiting nurse.  i was supposed to be outside at 7:00 a.m..  the dogs woke me up at 7:00 a.m. and of course; i had completely forgotten about the nurse coming.  i got back from the dog walk at 7:20 a.m.   we didn't do a full circle this morning.  the dogs made as soon as we got to the corner. the nurse didn't show up until after 8:00 p.m.  the Sephardi grandma was concerned that i hadn't done any laundry in a month.  i'm not all that into laundry and i'm not so into going downstairs; while there are people staying there.
.

i actually drank some water today.  i was really parched.  i had a yogurt and some cashews and a banana for breakfast.  i think i only fasted for 13 hours last night.  i didn't go upstairs to check out the pigeon situation.  i rented the movie, 'judy'.  i thought it was great.  i was a huge judy garland fan in my time.  i also loved liza Minnelli in her prime. I've seen all their movies and most of their concerts.

 i started to trim my dog's hair while i sat outside on the porch.  he was very patient.  i suspect that he appreciated my effort.  it is still pretty hot out there.  i'm nearly finished with him.  he will definitely, stink less. i am so over male dogs.

i watched a documentary on Oscar schindler. after all; it was holocaust memorial day.  the Spielberg movie did a fine job.  i felt hungry at 1:00 p.m. and made another matzah brie.  i didn't share it with the dogs.  i want them to start eating dog chow again.  after the documentary i watched a couple of episodes of season 3 'killing eve'.  i just took the dogs out again and i am hoping it is the last run for the night.  i want to eat something but i am not really all that hungry.  i think i'll make a banana smoothie.  if you pretend hard enough; you can think that you are eating soft ice cream from a boutique ice cream parlor.

The Sounds Of Silence corona 2020

it is 5:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i did virtually nothing today besides sleep and eat.  i made some oatmeal this morning and ate it again in the afternoon.  i caught up on some much needed sleep; having pulled an all nighter on Saturday night.  it is quite hot outside.  i wore my fleece pajamas in the house and slept under a heavy comforter.  yes, the house is still cold.  i didn't hear from a soul today.

a neighbor told me that she saw pigeons entering my veranda upstairs.  i just got back downstairs from tightening the mesh and closing up little gaps.  i was out of thumb tacks and good twine.  i used the roll of package wrapping ribbon.  it will hold off those suckers for a littlewhile, longer. i swept up the mounds of pigeon poop, which is always messy and toxic. i wore my mask.  score one for the seniors.

 i have no desire to get on a bus and go to town.  the younger population are out and about today.  i am staying close to home.  i can't think of a thing i need to do nor a place i have to go. i still have enough food to cook.  who knows?  maybe the veggie truck will roll by tomorrow.  the yeshiva called yesterday to see if i was ready to return to work.  there are ten guys who are; more or less; stranded there.  i would be willing to cook at home if someone would pick up the food but i know that is not a realistic approach to the situation.  i am simply; not going to enter the general population any time soon.  they will have to find a new cook.

tonight is the start of holocaust remembrance day.  that means only holocaust films on t.v. until tomorrow night.  my family lost quite a few members during the holocaust and i don't need a random day to remember.  it is part of our DNA.  i guess i'll be online all night.  i am getting hungry.  i made shakshuka last night.  that is basically, poached eggs in a tomato sauce.  i didn't bother to sauté onions or red peppers.  i dumped a can of tomatoes into a pan and added a bit of salt and black pepper.  i am keeping it simple these days.

i have a tooth ache today.  i will keep rinsing it with salt water.  hopefully, it will just go away.  there is no going to dentists now.  it's always something!  i don't do well in the heat.  i prefer the cold.  i always feel feverish in the summer.  i get dizzy, too.  the dogs weren't all that thrilled with being outside today, either.  i am in the mood for a matzah brie.  i guess that's my next move.  i have one friend who is writing a play and i have another who is posting music on her Yamaha forum.  my sister is online with a torah study group and my brother is writhing psychological essays on the torah portion.  i am going to make supper.

What Can We Do?

it is 9:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.   the dogs were actually knocked out from the heat and didn't request their nightly run.  i was honestly not up for going out, either.  i didn't sleep last night.  it is pretty typical for a Saturday night for me.  i napped throughout the day and it was enough.  i was online watching dog rescue videos until about midnight.  i can't watch the news anymore.  i read one headline or article about the virus and i'm done.  it does seem pretty hopeless.

the thought of going back to stores doesn't thrill me.  for instance, how would one protect themselves from the virus in a small dressing room?   how could i ever try on a dress or sweater over my head again?  i desperately need new clothes.  i guess online shopping is the safest way for those with credit cards.  i have never bought anything online except for a book.

actually, i just need skirts.  i have tons of tops.  i guess i could have a quick run through wearing a mask and gloves and buy a couple.  of course; that would entail my getting on a bus and going to town.  i would have to get there bright and early.  most stores do not open before 9:00 a.m. and i doubt that they would have senior hours to accommodate us endangered species.  so i guess for now; i will have to tough it out.

i took the dogs out at 7:00 a.m.  i turned the television off at 5:30 a.m.  i watched reruns of 'friends' all night.  it is soothing and non toxic and easy to follow.  it's a no brainer.  i keep the sound low so i don't bother the family downstairs; too much.  i can't really follow a movie or television drama unless i turn the volume up.  the Sephardi family didn't keep their volume down yesterday at all.  in fact, the adult kids sounded like they were killing each other.  it didn't seem to rattle the dogs and i also; didn't find it upsetting.  i think we were sort of brain fried from all the sun.

it is another warm day.  i am truly zonked.  i broke my nighty 14 hour fast at 9:00 a.m.  the leftovers from the Sephardi grandma were calling out to me.  i had a chicken cutlet, a kabob and a slice of meat.  i had a slice of my kugel, too.  i didn't bother to heat it up.  i had a tangerine and a date for dessert.  the dogs had a feast of meat and schnitzel.  i'll have oatmeal for supper tonight.  why not?

one of the dogs threw up all over the bed in the master bedroom.   i scrubbed the sheet with some cleanser until it looked unstained.  i was worried that the puppy might be sick.  that's all i need to deal with right now.  they both have ticks.  i don't think we suffer from Lyme disease here in Israel.  i sprayed them both this morning.  in the past; i would use essential oils to ward off ticks and fleas but they have proven to be ineffective.  everything is lush right now in our land.  we had a record amount of rain this winter and the wildlife is enjoying it right now; while we stay in our homes.

you see pictures of wild boar parading down boulevards in Haifa, elks running wild in parks and jackels in tel aviv.  you can see species of birds that we never see.  i guess the ticks are thriving, too.  i am pretty listless today.  i will take a shower soon.  part of me doesn't want to bother.  i was mostly showering to stay warm when i was chilled..  no need for that now.  i need to get out of my sweats.  it's pretty warm now.  i am tired physically and psychically.  i surrender!

i think we are allowed to pray in small groups outside, again.  we are also allowed to exercise outside.  that means youngsters will be in the parks.  we, the over 60 populace; will need to be more vigilant now.  i almost want to contract the virus to just get it over with.  the truth is that i am afraid of suffering.  i got through chemo and radiation and landed in the hospital for a two week stint afterwards.  i was given shots of potassium in my stomach as well as in my arms and i received blood transfusions.  at one point i was on 4 bags of infusion.  i didn't really suffer.  i was never in pain.  i am afraid of not being able to breathe.  I've even woke up from a rona nightmare and thought that i wasn't breathing well.

i have a runny nose from the constant change in weather.  i also have a bit of a cough.  normally, why would i even care.  i think it will be a solitary day.  i don't feel like having any human interaction today.  i'm all played out and it's only 10:00 a.m.  i think i'll nap after my shower.

Fiddler On The Roof Safed Style

it is 8:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  Shabbat ended just a while ago.  i did my farewell prayer with wine.  i finished it all.  i had a lovely Shabbat.  the weather was quite warm although the houses remain cold.  i opened all of the windows this morning to get the lovely fresh air.  the dogs woke me up at 7:00 a.m.  i was pretty tired.  i don't remember what time i went to sleep.  i do remember finishing a murder mystery novel.  i had another senior moment last night.  i set up the candlesticks with bowls of olive oil.  i then put up the water kettle for Shabbat.  i gave the electric one to the Sephardi grandma, downstairs.  i checked the calendar for the time of candle lighting and somehow; i got very mixed up.  i thought i had an hour more to lighting so i went online.  suddenly i noticed that it was already getting dark.  i had missed the candle lighting by half an hour and it was already very close to the start of Shabbat.

i also saw that i had left the kettle on the gas.  i quickly turned off the gas with my elbow and put the kettle on the electric hotplate.  i had finished the cooking and cleaning hours earlier.  i truly do not know what happened to me.  at least i didn't miss the Shabbat like a couple of weeks ago.  i am slowly losing my mind.  i received 3 freshly baked challah rolls and some cake from the Sephardi grandma.  i found it difficult to eat the roll.  i guess, i am used to matzah.  i decided to share the bounty with my friends on the next block.  they didn't venture out to buy bread or cake before Shabbat.

i took the dogs for their last run.  it was about 9:00 p.m.  it was so quiet in the neighborhood.  you didn't hear a peep.  i knocked on my friend's door but she didn't answer.  she was already upstairs in her bedroom.  i stopped off at their home this morning after i took the dogs out.  it was a shock to see me.  you don't usually visit someone that early.  my friend's husband told me that he was going to read the torah portion from his balcony roof at 8:00 a.m.  i got home and got dressed for 'services'.  it was a lovely and warm morning.  i got there about 8:15 a.m. and he was in the middle of praying out loud.  his voice resonated trough the street.  there were two or three young men in the parking lot participating in prayer.  they were all wearing masks and keeping a good distance apart from each other.

i went upstairs to my friend's balcony and sat and listened to the torah reading.  i also caught the lovely sun on my arms and face.  my friend's husband was standing on a staircase above the balcony to the third floor.  it felt so lovely to be in the lovely air, feel the sun and hear words of torah. i left as soon as the reading was over.  he even did the blessing for the new moon.  i got back home at 9:00 a.m. and broke my nightly fast of 12 hours.  i had two cups of chai tea with almond milk and two small oat banana muffins.  they were simply, yummy.  i prayed for about two hours and then took the dogs out for another run.  i read a day's worth of psalms and then took a nap.  i got up and had a small snack of cashews and a pear.

at 4:00 p.m. i took the dogs out once again. i ran into my friend.  we walked back to my house and sat outside in the courtyard for about an hour.  i walked her back to her house and came home.  there was a steady stream of people strolling down my street today.  most of them were young and unmasked.  at 6:00 p.m. i had the traditional third meal.  i had a small piece of salmon,  a slice of veggie kugel and some grated beet and carrot salad.  i also had a huge piece of matzah and a boiled egg.  i went to lie down for a bit.  i didn't sleep.  i rested in the master bedroom with the two dogs.  we were all tired and warm.  it was getting dark when i suddenly felt a chill and got up and put on my sweats , heavy socks and a robe. 

i am pretty tired still.  my head aches a bit; probably from the wine.  i am warm again.  time to start taking off some layers.  maybe i'll watch a bit of t.v. until the dogs want to go out for their last run.  the Sephardi grandma just brought up the Shabbat leftovers for the dogs.  there is a week's supply of chicken, schnitzels and meat patties.  i won't be cooking for awhile.  the Sephardim  don't eat leftovers.  we askanazim live off them.

What's In The Fridge

it is 10:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i just broke my nightly 14 hour fast.  like many seniors; i'm staying put and avoiding the supermarket.  we are dealing with what's in the fridge and pantry to get us through another week; if at all possible.  i just made a pot of oatmeal.  i threw in some frozen banana slices, a few dates and some cinnamon.  it is so sweet.  it reminds me of those packets of  Quaker instant oats except there are no added chemicals or sweeteners.  i don't think i'll share this with my dogs.  i'm hungry and it's my treat.

i had three small potatoes, a couple of carrots, an onion and half a sweet potato leftover from the holiday so i decided to make a small kugel.  i added three eggs, a bit of potato starch, some salt and pepper and some olive oil.  it is in the oven as i blog.  i am going to make oat flour muffins for Shabbat.  i'll grind up some rolled oats and add a cup of chopped frozen banana, cinnamon, almond extract and a chopped apple.  you can use the rolled oats without grinding them but i like a finer muffin.  i'll add 2-3 eggs, a cup of almond milk and a little olive oil.  that should give me about a dozen small muffins.

luckily, the veggie truck rolled by yesterday, so i was able to buy eggs.  i already boiled a few to make egg salad.  i had a new mayonnaise put away in the pantry.  i gave the dogs some scrambled eggs for breakfast.  they are not eating the dog food anymore.  the Sephardi grandma went to the supermarket yesterday and bought two salmon fillets for me.  how exciting to have fish for Shabbat!  i gave the last can of tuna to the dogs yesterday.  i had been thinking about making tuna patties for Shabbat but salmon is so much more elegant.

i have some chicken soup and about four chicken legs left over from pesach.  that will be our Shabbat night supper.  the Sephardi mama is making challah rolls so i'll have bread for Shabbat.  the Lord works in mysterious ways.  i stepped outside earlier to pick some lemons from the tree and brought them downstairs.  it's almost like a form of barter. i'll give you six lemons for two rolls.  yesterday my friend's husband paid for my eggs and apples.  later on i gave him two leftover pesach cakes,  2 chocolate bars and 11 rolls of toilet paper.   anything goes to keep the seniors inside and out of the supermarkets..

i just polished off a second bowl of oatmeal.  i wasn't  really hungry but it just tasted so good.  it's amazing how sweet fruit and veggies taste after you eliminate sugar from your diet.  the dates just blew me away.  i used to eat pint after pint of Ben and Gerry's ice-cream and countless amount of chocolate bars and never felt satiated.  i just felt a true sugar rush after eating just three dates.  i usually have only two.

4;00 p.m. update:   i just defrosted a package of salami and smoked turkey to have for Shabbat lunch and during the week.  i didn't feel like cooking up the hotdogs.  i made a raw grated beet, carrot and ginger salad, and a small pot of rice.  Shabbat dinner is going to be awesome.  right now i'm snacking on apples and peanut butter.  i need to give the floor a quick mopping,  i'm not throwing any buckets of water around today.  Shabbat shalom and stay healthy!

Getting Back To Normal

it is 11:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i finally broke my nightly fast and had some yogurt , pear and walnuts.  i drank my first chai tea and milk and am currently on my second cup.  it is sheer heaven.  it was hard getting through pesach without it.  i drank jasmine tea all week with fresh ginger but it didn't really do the trick.  i love my chai.  i got the grandkids hooked on it , too.  i woke up in a bit of a panic this morning.

luckily, the gardener showed up.  he has a calming effect on me.  we sat outside, maintaining the required distance; if not more, and had our hot drinks and a nice chat.  he thinks we will be back to normal; whatever that means, soon.  for sure, the world as we knew it; will never truly be the same.  let's hope it will all be for the better.

i started to put away my pesach utensils and household goods.  i got the pots sorted away and even chucked a couple.  i always feel good after i throw something out.  my mom was a hoarder.  she wasn't the kind you see on reality t.v. but still; she loved to save things and couldn't part with them.   when she made Aliyah and moved here; she brought it all with her.  it took me years to get rid of it.

the veggie and fruit truck came so i ran around the corner to buy eggs and apples.  i have grown very fond of apples lately.  i am pretty done with bananas right now. i do have some frozen in the freezer for a smoothie.  i was so excited about the truck that i forgot to don my mask.  the merchants wore masks and gloves so hopefully, i am still uninfected.  my gardener said that he read that safed had a poor rating about following the quarantine rules.  i don't know what is happening downtown or in the ultra haredi communities;but up here it's ghost town.

i am completely zonked already.  i might just watch some easy television.  i am too tired to finish putting away the pesach stove.  i need to scrub it first and i don't have the patience.  perhaps after a slight rest; i will be reinvigorated and motivated.  i can always pull out my electric stove and cook on that today.  i have a package of hotdogs in the freezer that is calling to me,"eat us, eat us'.

update:   it is now 6:30 p.m.  all pesach dishes, wine glasses, dish racks, towels and stove are safely tucked away in the pesach closet. i am having rice cakes and peanut butter for supper.  it took forever to fit the pesach stove top back into its original box and fit it on a shelf.  it also took; what seemed like forever; to get the gas flowing again on the regular stove top.  it seemed to have been jammed up.  it's all done and tomorrow i will begin to cook again.

This Is The End, My Friend

it is 9:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  Pesach has just ended in Israel.  i will put my pesach things away tomorrow.  we have a nice break until Shabbat.  i have chicken soup leftover so i won't be doing much more cooking.  i might make some hotdogs tomorrow for me and the dogs.  they are no longer eating the puppy chow.  they want only people food.  the little one likes matzah but she also likes eating buttons and safety pins so there's no accounting for her taste.

it was another really quiet day.  it was like summer, really hot and sunny.  i took the dogs out several times.  there was only a hand full of young people out.  no one was wearing masks.  i spent the morning praying.  it is so different not going to services.  i really get to concentrate and it seems so much more meaningful.  today we said the prayer for our departed parents.  i cried my heart out.  they have both been gone for over a decade but everything is magnified in isolation.

i thought about Shavuot recipes this afternoon.  i wonder if we will be alone for Shavuot.  if so, i want to make a low calorie sugarless cheesecake for myself.  i may even make a small lasagna for one.  who knows what will be.  i'll probably just buy some good cheese and fruit and call it a day.  i thought about making cocoa, date and walnut balls yesterday.  i cracked a bag of walnuts and i peeled about a cup of dates; but in the end, i decided not to make them.  i just ate the nuts and the dates with some yogurt.

i haven't had any chocolate or sugar in about ten months.  i had a bit of sugar in a not so healthy type of peanut butter and i did have some bread pudding at the yeshiva; which was packed with sugar.  that was quite some time ago.  when i make my oat flour muffins; i add blueberries and almond extract.  sometimes i add a banana and that gives me the sweetness that i crave.  being sugar free is a lifestyle rather than a diet.  when i eat an apple it seems sweet by itself.  in fact, i like to have it with peanut butter.  in the past, i needed to add honey.  i don't really have food cravings anymore.

i think the Sephardi grandma is making morracan  pancakes downstairs.  it is their custom to make these the moment after pesach ends.  i don't know how they do it.  i have absolutely no strength to do anything right now. i had some wine before and i can hardly stand.  i decided that i will not be going out for bread tomorrow morning.  i still have matzah and i have a bag of corn tortillas.  i still have plenty of food so i will stay put.  i don't want to run into a lot of people.  i am becoming fearful of youngsters.  i will stay in my high risk lane for a little while longer.

Tuesday Good News Day?

it is 9:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  tonight begins the second holiday of pesach.  it is the seventh day and last night here in Israel.  yes, pesach is over tomorrow night.  i just got back from walking the dogs.  the little one got away from me and ran blindly across a big street just as a huge truck was pulling out.  i closed my eyes.  i thought for sure she was going to get hit.  i finally got her back and came home.  it is a lovely and sunny day.  it was very warm yesterday.  i sat in the sun for awhile and my wrist got a bit burnt.  i guess i got my vitamin D fix for awhile. 

i didn't hear one word from a soul on sunday.  it was like everyone didn't have the strength or will to speak.  i know that i didn't.  i made up for it yesterday.  my friend called.  i had just showered to get warm.  the house is freezing.  i sat and spoke to my friend for nearly three hours.  after that call i returned to the shower to get warm, once again.  i got dressed and decided to visit my friend who lives a couple of blocks away.  i have been wearing sweats for most of the quarantine so i tried to look fashionable.

 i put on a lovely sweater and designer jean skirt.  what a drag that i didn't get much use out of this very well made shirt.  i bought it a couple of years ago when i was in Jerusalem.  i put on about twenty pounds when the kids moved there.  i couldn't fit into the skirt for a long while.  the skirt is miles too big now.  it doesn't suit me at all now.  it is the only skirt left in my wardrobe except for my work jeans skirt.  i need to buy clothes whenever this virus ends. 

i woke up with a sore throat.  it is burning and i have a bit of a dry cough.  i took the dogs over to my firend's house around 4:00 p.m. yesterday.   she had wanted to venture out and needed a spare dog to walk so if the cops were around; she wouldn't get a fine.  she wanted to sit in the park near her house.  i strongly vetoed that plan.  i do not sit in public areas or on public benches, now.  we went back to my house and sat outside in my courtyard.  no one gets inside now; not even the cable guy.  we kept a good distance apart and we both wore our masks.  the sun was very strong.  we sat out there for about an hour  a neighbor joined in the conversation from outside in the street and then i walked my friend back home.

i went online for awhile and before i knew it: it was already 6:30 p.m.  i needed to have supper.  i had made a huge matzah brie in the morning for me and the dogs.  it really isn't my thing.  i would have been happier with a piece of matzah and an omelet.  the matzah brie was tasteless.  i added salt and pepper but it still tasted like cardboard.  it probably would have been better with jam or honey and cinnamon.  i miss not having butter this year.  i didn't know what to make for supper.  i was suddenly really hungry.

i decided to make some French fries.  i still had a bag of potatoes in the pantry.  i had made mashed potatoes for Shabbat.  they were awful.  i make them every year for pesach night and it is a great crowd pleaser.  i hated them.  potatoes are not really my thing.  i realized that fries would take a long time so i made latkes.  i ate them with a low fat dairy item similar to sour cream.  i sliced an apple and i threw on some grated beet salad.  i was stuffed.  for dessert,  i ate two dates.  that was 14 hours ago.

i need to break my nightly fast.  i gargled with salt water before i left the house.  i was tempted to make a supermarket run.  i don't have salmon and i'm craving some.  i do not want to go there, really. i have become fearful of people. i have enough food for now.  i can wait until next week to shop; or even later.  i have a can of tuna i can use for Shabbat.  i'm planning on making a shepherd's pie for the holiday.  i still have celery and carrots and onions.  i might also make a chicken soup.  my throat is scratchy; so no speaking on the phone today.

i have been having scary dreams.  they all involve chaos scenes and escaping the rona.  i have been abstaining from television.  i cannot follow any plots and it gives me a headache.  i need quiet.  i think we all need that.  i live alone and yet sometimes it isn't quiet enough. i make a strong effort to know what day it is now.  i chant the day when i go to sleep and when i walk the dogs.  today is Tuesday.  today is Tuesday.  today is Tuesday.  i have no idea about the date but who cares.  i ain't going anywhere. happy holiday!

What's For Breakfast?

it is 10:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  it is cold and raining outside.  it is pretty cold inside, too.  i suffered from a bad headache the morning after the seder.  it wasn't really a hangover from the four cups of wine.  it was a bad headache from poor quality wine.  we usually have boutique wine from a winery in Dalton.  this year i simply bought a bottle of wine in the supermarket.  i have had this wine before and liked it well enough. i was alone.  my son is the one who usually chooses the wine every year and i pay for it.  with the rona crisis, i didn't think too much about wine this year.  in hindsight, i could have called the winery and ordered a couple of bottles and had them send it over in a taxi.  in actuality, money is tight right now and i decided that wine wasn't a major priority.

i bought two bottles of grape juice for the kids.  i cannot drink it.  it nauseates me.  i can take a sip or two when i make Kiddush but i am sticking with wine. i made havdalah last night on a glass of wine.  i was fine this morning.  well, maybe fine, isn't exactly true.  my eyes are runny and burning and my head aches.  my throat is scratchy and i have a slight cough. my face and hands are swollen from the matzah and salt.  i am going through withdrawal from my beloved chai tea.  the regular lipton tea bag doesn't do it for me at all.  i miss my chai.  i don't feel much like moving today.  it is so dreary and grey. i did buy a couple of boxes of organic chai tea that were certified for pesach.  i noticed that they contained cardamom.  apparently, askanazi jews don't use cardamom and other seeds on pesach. 

i just made leftover charoset silver dollar pancakes. this is based on the 2 ingredient banana and eggs recipe. charoset is the ground mixture of apples, walnuts, ginger, dates and pear that we use for the seder.  i made a giant tub of this because my daughter-in-law and longtime gal pal and consummate  guest; love it.  they can never get enough.  i told myself to make just a little this year; being that i was here all alone. somehow, out of habit, i made too much.  i figured i would have a healthy dessert all week.  i am already sick of it.  i thought about bringing some over to my neighbor but i couldn't remember if i had touched it with my fingers or licked the spoon, etc.

 i decided to try and make non gluten pancakes with the charoest.  i had a small Teflon fry pan from the year one; but i didn't have a thin spatula.  the first few were perfect.  i turned them with a butter knife.  oh if i only had some butter this pesach!  anyway, they didn't seem sweet so i added a mashed banana.  big mistake!  it ruined the consistency and they stuck.  i scrambled them. i ate the scrambled mixture and it was tasty but i decided i could improve on this.  i added another couple of eggs and i was back on track. i made more to have for Saturday morning with my tea.

for those of you out there who use matzah meal or potato starch, this will adapt to make regular sized pancakes.  i like my little silver dollar ones.  i also like not using potato starch for these.  i do use potato starch to coat schnitzels on pesach.  the kids thought it was weird last year.  the sephardi grandma uses matzah meal and her schnitzels look normal.  years ago, when money was not an issue, i would use crushed almonds to coat the schnitzels.  i am now more frugal.  i only buy enough nuts for the week of pesach now.  i buy potato starch every year out of habit but i do use it during the summer to relieve heat rash.  it is better than talc and not toxic.  i think i actually bought two bags this year.  oh well..... some habits are harder to break than others.

i need to cook food for Shabbat.  i have soup left but we went through the chicken in it.  i think i'll pot some chicken and add onions and fresh tomatoes.  i use salt , ginger and peppercorns for pesach.  i thought i bought some fresh garlic but it never made its way to my fridge.  i have never used garlic on pesach.  the cult that i belong to, doesn't allow it.  actually, the authorities said that we may use garlic this year to boost our immune system.  how liberal of them!  i am seriously tired. i think i'll rest for a few hours.  i hope i don't fall asleep and wake on sunday this week.  Shabbat shalom.

5:30 P.M. update:   it is a half an hour to candle lighting.  it is indeed, Friday late afternoon and it is indeed, an hour before Shabbat begins.  i made chicken legs with fresh tomatoes, garlic, ginger, onions , celery and peppercorns.  i made a raw grated beet, carrot and ginger salad and salmon fillets and mashed potatoes.  i kind of burnt the fish a little and the mash is not my finest dish.  what can i say?  i lack inspiration.

Seder For One

it is 9:30 P.M. in the holy city of safed.  the first part of the pesach holiday ended an hour ago.  being alone for seder night was a bit of a challenge.  i set the table which holds eight; for one. i took out a table setting for one from the pesach china.  i usually use decorative disposable when the family is here.  i think it's been ten years since i used real dishes and silverware on pesach.  the table looked quite empty so i took out the colored pillows that the kids had once made in gan and set them in front of the chairs, opposite me.  all in all, being alone was actually, a gift.  there were no distractions from reading the hagadah.  at one point the dogs seemed hungry so i took out chicken and carrots from the soup to feed them.  they didn't bark or bother me.  i love the kids dearly, but quite honestly; it was pleasant to be alone for the seder.  i was able to take an hour nap before the seder.  i'm usually still running around up until the seder doing prep work.  i had no one coming last minute who needed to be fed.  i had no one fighting or crying or falling asleep at the table.  i got to read commentaries in English and i had piece of mind.  it felt very intimate.  it was like reading the story of the Passover for the first time.

after many years of being the nurturer and the caregiver and catering to everyone else's needs; i got to care and nurture myself.  i made a simple chicken soup and salmon for the meal.  i didn't bother with side dishes this year.  i did whip up some hard cooked eggs and avocado and i made a small Israeli salad of diced cucumbers and tomatoes.  i skipped the onions.  i have the custom of peeling all fruits and veggies so there is additional work to be done.  the charoset; which we use for the seder to remember the mortar for the bricks, was delicious.  i  used pink lady apples, walnuts, dates and fresh ginger and added a bit of dry red wine after it was ground like a paste.  everything yesterday tasted so good.  i don't use spices on pesach besides ginger root, pepper corns and salt.  i also was starving ; not having eaten anything but fruit all day.  tomorrow is friday and i'll have the whole day to cook more food for Shabbat and be more creative.

when the kids are here i usually make: mashed potatoes, orange chicken, beets, egg salad, schnitzels, chicken soup, fried eggplant and a lettuce salad.  i also buy chumus for them.  last year i made shepherd's pie. it was great not having to make that much food this year.  i ate the matzah with gusto.  i chewed very slowly.  i didn't get up or rush to bring the food out.  i sat like a guest.  i participated in the seder.  i am usually too tired to even read along.  i drank the first cup of wine and didn't nearly pass out.  i actually, drank all four glasses of wine and felt okay.  i didn't serve dessert or coffee.  i finished the seder at 11:00 P.M and took the dogs for a walk.  no one was outside.  it was eerie. i thought that i might see a sign in the sky or something mystical, but no such luck.  i did see giant white clouds that looked that they were made of absorbent cotton.  i also heard a man hacking away and i got scared that he was the corona ghost/angel of death.  he was just someone going home from a family seder, coughing freely and not using a mask.  it definitely, unnerved me.

TwasThe Night BeforePesach And All through The House

it is 7:00 P.M. in the holy city of safed.  i just finished my pesach cleaning.  i have been working all day long.  the house smells awful.  i washed the dining area with bleach and water.  i opened up all of the windows to air the place out.  i burned my hands pretty good with the bleach.  i have a ton of soothing cream on them now. i managed to steam clean the dining room chairs so it went pretty fast.  i usually spend a couple of hours washing them down and it takes nearly a week for them to dry.  it is a great relief to have finally finished my house. this year i had it easy.  the Sephardi sisters did the bottom and top floors.

i am definitely slowing down . i chose not to knock myself out this year in lieu of the 'rona'.  i need all the strength i have to stay well.  i will do the ritual check for chometz in a little while. since we are not allowed to burn the symbolic pieces of bread we place around the house to find; i took the liberty of placing them in tin foil.  usually that's a no-no.  this year we are to douse the bread in bleach or toss down the toilet.  i threw out several stale rolls before in my garbage can but i placed them in a bag of bleach, first. 

i will rest now.  tomorrow, i will line the kitchen counters with tin foil. i will make some salmon for the holiday and a chicken soup. i have the entire day to prepare for the seder.  i now need to lie down.  i haven't taken down my pesach stove yet so i will just have to eat a tin of tuna for supper.  i had rice cakes and peanut butter, earlier on.  once i get the stove hooked up; i'll make some eggs in the morning. i am so plleased that my house is ready for the holiday.  and i am very grateful that i was blessed with the energy to do it.  wishing everyone a healthy and happy pesach!

Twas the night before pesach and all through the house, not a chometz remaining in all of the house.

pesach cleaning journal 2020 day 6

it is 8:00 p.m. in the hoy city of safed.  i finished the cooking area a little while ago.  i cleaned the stove even though i don't use it for pesch.  i wiped down the oven and didn't find any crumbs or bread.  i barely bake anymore ad i hardly ever use flour .  the stove and oven are turning 20 years old.  the enamel finish is peeling off.  i would love to toss it.  i just don't have the cash right now to buy a new one and it does still work.  i have been boiling water in a pot since my electric kettle died.  i pulled out my pesach kettle because i really wanted a hot drink and the gas stove is no longer connected.  i had already bleached down the counter in the alcove cooking room so i just laid down a giant plastic garbage bag to cover the counter. perhaps i'll cover it with heavy tin foil tomorrow. 

what a relief that i did the alcove.  i also cleaned the garbage can.  i washed it in the bathtub.  it was a bit chilly outside.  i took the dogs out at 8:00 a.m.  i was pretty tired because i didn't sleep a wink last night. i decided to make a fast run to the small supermarket after i brought the dogs home.  i usually go at 7:00 a.m.  there were a few more people today than i usually see.  i waited in the back of the store until they checked out.  i really wanted butter but they didn't have the brand that i use.   i bought more chicken,  salmon, dates,  raw garlic and ginger and  another celery.  and of course, i bought more bananas.  i came home and wiped down all the produce and put it away.

i ate the remaining chicken and rice from Shabbat and got to work in the kitchen. tomorrow i want to steam clean the dining room chairs and i might steam clean  the counters. i need to get the living room back on track.  all the slip covers from the sofa and antique chair and pillows are thrown about on the leather couch.  they've been laundered and need to be put back on.  i also need to do a wet mopping of the floor. i also need to the blue bedroom floor.  that shouldn't be too hard. we  do the ritual search for chometz tomorrow night.  this year we are not allowed to burn our chometz.  i am planning on making a simple meal for pesach night.  i will make a pot of chicken soup.  after all that matzah  and lettuce leaves and hard cooked egg and ground apples and walnuts and dates mixture, who can possibly be hungry??? i'll make some salmon, too for the holiday lunch.  i used enough bleach today to scare away the rona.

The Laughs On Me

it is 8:00 P.M.. in the holy city of safed.  i totally lost track of days and spent all of Shabbat cooking and cleaning and blogging.  i even polished my silver candlesticks on Shabbat.  while the Sephardi family downstairs was making the ritual prayer to end Shabbat; i was making Kiddush to usher in the Shabbat.  i spent the morning saying my Shabbat prayers and started to read the laws about the pesach seder.  i took the dogs out and didn't see many people outside.  i did see gas balloon deliveries and garbage pickups and people driving their cars, who i know are Shabbat observant.  i couldn't make sense of it.  it seemed like any ordinary weekday to me. i was very distressed that so many of my neighbors were not keeping Shabbat.  i truly had no inkling that it was already sunday. 

i took a short nap in the early afternoon and then the dogs got me up to go out.  i noticed that even the Sephardi mother's car was gone and then i panicked.  i had heard the news from a radio downstairs, earlier.  it reminded me of when we were in the gulf war and were allowed to keep our radios tuned  to the news on Shabbat.  on one particular Shabbat i made a mistake and turned on the wrong channel.  i can still remember rock and roll music playing all Shabbat long from my bedroom.   i actually thought that perhaps we were in a war now against another country and people were driving off to get gas masks and supplies..

i have tried very hard to figure out where i went wrong.  i remember talking to the Sephardi mother from my balcony on what i  thought was Thursday. i jokingly, asked her if she had already made shabbat.  she is kind of a last minute person.  she looked at me strangely, and said that of course; she had.  the daughter knocked on my door last evening and asked for grape juice.  i thought they were making Kiddush for Shabbat.  i had no idea that it was already Saturday night.  i saw the brother and the other sister driving away and i felt desolate that they were breaking Shabbat.  i wonder if they heard my television running on Friday night.  of course, they must have.  what a joke.  i was the one breaking Shabbat all along.

i hope that some time in the future after the rona is behind us; i can tell my grandchildren about the time that their grandma forgot it was Shabbat.  it might just make for a children's book title.  right now i'm not ready to laugh about it.  i ask myself how was it possible that people in the holocaust; kept track of the holidays while despite today's technology, i lost track of Shabbat in the quarantine?. may we all merit to keep track of the time until the Messiah comes.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Pesach 2020

it is 3:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i took the dogs out at 6:00 a.m. i wore my head band/neck warmer again over my face. it's simply, awful.  i think half of my white bra would make a great mask.  it got darkened by a blue sweater that bled.  i saw a few kids on the street today.  they have been inside for weeks.  you haven't even heard the sounds of children.  i was a bit alarmed to see them out and about.  i'm thinking about making another supermarket run on sunday morning.  i think i need more chicken and i might just buy jar gefilte fish.. 

i cooked a few chicken bottoms for Shabbat in a pot with sweet potatoes, carrots and onions. i'm thinking about making some rice, too.  i think i may have put on some weight in quarantine.  i broke my nightly fast after16 hours today.  i wasn't the least bit hungry or thirsty.  i made banana, peanut butter and oatmeal pancakes for brunch.  they weren't too sweet.  i saved a few for Saturday morning. i have a little oatmeal left.  i might just make some tuna patties for supper.  i was thinking of making oatmeal on sunday morning but i think i want to do the cooking alcove and get it done already; which means no more cooking until pesach.  we usually order pizza and thai take out but i ain't going that route now.  i still have bread and tuna so it will be sandwiches or tortillas next week.  good Shabbat to all.  stay self and healthy.

Pesach Cleaning Journal Day 5

it is 2:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  the sun came out and it is actually warm outside.  i am still wearing training pants with sweats over it.  i finished the master bedroom today.  i repaired the gaping hole the dogs made in the bed.  they love to eat foam mattress.  i don't understand why they like this so much.  i found a long piece of felt; which covered the hole exactly, but i didn't have any fabric glue.  i taped it onto the bed with masking tape.  who knows how long it will take before the dogs rip it off.  the puppy likes to rip sheets. too.  i think the older dog also rips sheets.  i had previously covered the hole with felt contact paper.  the puppy ripped that off, pretty much and ate more of the foam mattress.

i wiped down the second vanity and chest of drawers.  i wiped down the glass chactchkas.  i didn't wash them in the sink.  i hardly spend any time in that bedroom.   i do get dressed there every day as my clothes are stored there.  i generally, use the master bathroom to shower but i seldom sleep there.  anyway, the room is done.  i gathered the boots and shoes this morning; which were all over the place and put them all away. i even found a pair of shoes that i haven't worn in years so i tossed them.  i opened up one of the small windows for air.  it's not shining but it's clean.

i did a bit of plastering too.  i nearly destroyed the wall adjacent to the door frame.  i was trying to smoothen it out and i made a mess.  i also made a couple of deep holes.  after a while i finished and it does look a lot better.  why did i even start?  i had put a bag of bananas in the freezer for pesach and i suddenly realized that i didn't wash them when i got home.  i defrosted the bananas, washed them off  and peeled them  .i cut them into chunks; which was difficult because they were mushy.  i used a disposable knife and a new plastic container for pesach and put them back in the freezer..  i washed my hands after each banana i peeled.  what a joke.

i wiped down the bookcase near the master bedroom.  i wiped down the bronze dragon shaped candlesticks and the copper set of little cups and plate.  i usually polish them with lemon.  i did not this year, folks.  i did polish my silver candlesticks that i light for Shabbat.  the hall table, which they stand on is ready for pesach.  i washed the candlestick tray, the decorative table liner and the silver coin box.  i even wiped down the shofar.yeh!

6:00 p.m. update:   i finished cleaning the large bathroom and i finished cleaning the blog room.  yeh!  Shabbat shalom!

Pesach Cleaning Journal 2020 day 4

it is 10:30 a.m. here in the holy city of safed.  i haven't done a thing yet except try to send a sale of chometz online; unfortunately, not very successfully.  must add this to list of things that make me nuts. i haven't even broken my 16 hour nightly fast yet.  i am freezing.  i have been online for hours.  i just took a very long, burning hot shower to try to feel warm.  i went through the lingerie drawer and found 3 pairs of new underwear, yeh!  i think i might have bought them for my daughter-in-law when she was pregnant.  anyway, they were XXXL bikini fit.  i was ready to toss them but i tried them on.   i felt for sure, that they would be falling off. they fit just great.  so much for Israeli underwear sizes.

2:00 p.m.  i washed down the porch glass doors in the master bedroom.  i did not use windex.  i used a shmatta with dish soap and water.  i am chomping on fresh ginger.  i sat outside for half an hour with exposed arms and legs to get my vitamin d.  i finally put away my medical papers from February's visit to the pulmonary surgeon; which were resting on the kitchen table.  it seemed like an almost impossible task to perform.   i walked away from these papers for so long.  i found my medical folder; which is on a wall shelf over the computer in my blog room.  i saw that i have a scheduled visit to the oncologist in may.  i also am supposed to schedule a brain MRI in june and see the neurosurgeon.  i think it won't be happening on time this year.  i will try and call to schedule the MRI after pesach.  it takes a few months to get an appointment, anyway.

3:30 p.m.  i just washed down the large meat toaster oven/broiler.  what a mess!  i thought about tossing it.  we've had this for about 20 years.  who knows?  the oven spray may have sent it to oven heaven.   we shall see after pesach.  it is in the cometz closet now.  the electric hot water jug died.  i cleaned it with lemon salt and it went off to kuk kum heaven.  wow, she had a good run.  i bought her many years ago in carmiel.  she was from Germany.  i was a bit ashamed that i purchased her from the land that killed my family.  she was loyal and did a great job.  she started whistling lately.  i should have realized that her end was near.  her demise came as a total surprise to me. i am heating up water in a kettle on the gas stove; the prehistoric way.  not to worry; i have a pesach kum kum in the closet.

5:00 p.m. finally sold my chometz on the phone to the rabbi at chabad house in safed.  what a relief it is!!!!!

The Lord Is My Shepherd Psalm 23

it is 8:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i have succumbed to the mass hysteria of the rona.  i stayed glued to the news in English and watched the same horrific footage over and over again. i couldn't get out of bed and turn it off.  i was addicted.  i couldn't sleep very well.  i might have fallen asleep earlier.  i was tired from whatever i cleaned.  i was also very cold.  i had stood in my bare feet for hours washing the floors.  it was not very bright of me.  my water proof crocks boots were caked in mud so i couldn't use them.  my nose is runny and my throat is a bit sore.  i am extremely nervous.

i took the dogs out at 7:00 a.m.  we didn't do a night time run.  they seemed subdued and very sleepy.  i wore a stretchy polyester head band or neck warmer over my face.  i found it hard to breathe which made me more nervous.  i decided to make a run for the small supermarket.  i bought food stuff that i would never buy before pesach.  these are the kind of things one uses up before pesach.  this year is different.  who knows what will be after pesach.  the rabbis also advised people to save their chometz food.  i bought a bag of organic pumpkin seeds; although technically not chometz, it wasn't certified for pesach.  i bought a bag of quinoa not certified for pesach, a bag of bulgur, which is chometz, a package of organic whole wheat spaghetti, definitely chometz, a bag of organic oatmeal, chometz, a bag of non organic black beans not certified for pesach and a bag of rice that is kosher for pesach.  i bought another dozen eggs and three bags of shelled cashews, which are certified for pesach.

 i always take the stringency of eating unshelled nuts on pesach but who knows what i'll do this year. everything is a grab bag this year.  last year as i cracked open a kilo of almonds and walnuts; i cursed myself for not buying the shelled ones.  one year, i allowed the small grandkids to help me crack the nuts. it was a family project.  i wonder if they remember it?

 i wiped everything down with wipes before i put them in the pantry.  anything that is certified for pesach, regardless of whether i would eat it during pesach;  i placed in the pesach closet.  anything that was not certified for pesach got put in my chometz closet, which gets taped shut until pesach ends.  i entered the supermarket in my polyester head band mask.  i put on a pair of disposable gloves and i ran to buy grains and legumes.  i didn't even stop to buy chicken or fish.  there were very few people in the store.  the workers now have these great long plastic masks, similar to what welders wear.  it made me feel safe.  i managed to grab a bunch of bananas.  how could i do without them?

i didn't stop for a cart.  i juggled everything in my arms.  i dropped a few packages on the floor before i made it to the cashier.  i quickly grabbed them up and tossed them onto the ounter.  i grabbed a large package of baby wipes that was on a shelf next to the cashier.  i quickly packed it all up.  i paid in cash and tossed the change into my coat pocket.  i threw away the gloves, sanitized my hands and left the store.  the whole process took less than a half an hour.  i feel calmer now.  the thought of not having food in the house after pesach made me scared.  the idea of living on potatoes and matzah didn't do it for me.  i didn't even look to see if they had butter.  i love my matzah and butter.  i risked my life to buy what i needed.  may the Lord above bless me and keep me safe.  if not, maybe someone else can benefit from the food.  i wished the girl behind the counter, a good Shabbat and a happy pesach and blessed her. 

5:00 p.m. update:  am calling it officially, a day.  did a few things around the house and sat outside getting my vitamin d dosage for the day.  blogged a lot and ate some pesach hotdogs.  i am truly tired..  after much stress and many unsuccessful emails, i finally reached the rabbi at the safed chabad house in the old city, and sold my chometz on the old land mine phone.

Pesach Cleaning Journal 2020 Day 3

it is 1:00 p.m. in the hoy city of safed.  is it just me or does it seem that the days are dragging on very slowly?  i went through my master bedroom closet and found a pair of moccasin like knitted boots that i thought i had thrown out.  i really missed those boots.  i threw out a small overnight suitcase. it was ancient.  it was chic in its day; long before adjustable handles and wheels were invented.  it had been my mom's.  the zipper finally gave out so it was time to let go. i wiped down the closet.  i found a sunflower seed shell.  i hardly think that it qualifies as chometz.

 i also cleaned out the medicine cabinet and bathroom cabinet drawers.  i threw out a plastic bowl.  i washed a bed pan and plastic bottle urinal.  you never know when you might be needing these.  i found my tweezers, yeh!  i also tossed out a plastic cap that you use for frosting hair.  back in the day, my son used to do his friends' hair.  i kept the brushes.  i haven't used color in almost a decade.  i also found a huge box of thin syringes and a few alcohol swabs, yeh!

i threw out an old comforter that was on the porch.  i also threw out old tiny bottles of hair lightener.  i tossed out a wooden container that held the cu-tips.  i did keep the cu-tips.  i threw out a summer top that was too big.  i also tossed out a jean skirt that i cooked in at the yeshiva.  it is large and truly gross now.  and anyway, i doubt that i will be cooking there any time soon.  i organized a bag of old elastic bandages.  you never know when you will have to bandage the old ankle or make a shoulder sling. some of these bandages spelled pretty bad.  who knows when i will get to a pharmacy.  luckily, i don't take any meds and i have a bottle of dexamol theadache tablets that are kosher for pesach.  if need be, i can always wash the bandages in the sink.

i truly need a new bathroom vanity but i have no money for one right now.  i'll just add it to my list of repairs i will do when my ship comes in again.  i hand washed some underwear.  i'm not using the washing machine downstairs while i have in-law family staying.  and anyway, the machine doesn't run on hot water.  the water from the sink was practically boiling.  and that my friends is the sum total of what i accomplished today for pesach.  perhaps a little later, i will get motivated to do something more. who knows. stay tuned.

5:00 p.m. i just finished washing the master bedroom floor.  it took awhile to do.  i thought about just doing a damp mopping but let's get real; next week is pesach.   i didn't find any chometz; just globs of of dog hair.  i did the porch floor.  i couldn't really do the blinds because i don't have a hose upstairs.  it's only dirt.  i was able to wash the bird poo away.  it is good.  i also did a bit of plastering in the blog room. it smelled a bit dank. hopefully, this will help.  i still need to do the dresser tops and that's it; unless i wash the glass doors to the porch tomorrow.  i am finished for today.

Mad At The World

it is 10:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i am mad today.  yesterday, my lovely young neighbor came by to help me put what's app on my new smart phone.  she couldn't use the simm card from the little cell phone but managed to activate my phone, nonetheless.  poor thing; she stood outside in the cold  under my dining room window while she tried to instruct me on the use of the phone. it started raining, to boot.  it was dark and i didn't have my reading glasses.  she entered my son's name and phone number so i was able to call him.  i called him for a moment to tell him that i had what's app.  i had already spoken to him so i had nothing to add.  i tried to add my grandson's number as a contact and i didn't succeed.  it made me crazy.  i do not know how to turn off the phone.  i read the manual and i still do not know how to do this simple task.  it makes me angry and it makes me nervous.

i am sorry that i bought the phone.  this is simply, not a good time to sit next to someone and get instructions on how to use a smart phone.  this makes me anxious and more mad.  i had to stop myself from throwing this brand new phone on the floor and stomping on it.  i am not one who can follow written instructions.  i need to be shown things to get it.  i wish i was like most normal people who  navigate the world by smart phone.  i am simply, not one of these people.  perhaps, after this pandemic subsides and the world, as we once knew it, resumes; i will try and learn how to use this phone.  i think i will have to put it away with the chometz so i don't have to think about it or see it.

i had to hang up on my friend because she accused me of being the voice of doom.  i merely stated the fact that it was forbidden to have guests in your home right now.  i also told her that she needn't schlepp to the chabad house to sell her chometz.  we have been instructed by the rabbinical authorities to do it online.  we have also been instructed to stay put.  i do take the dogs out every day but i am not visiting my friends right now.  my friend was going on and on about how Israel is considered the top country in keeping the virus in tow and yet she wasn't adhering to the latest rules.  i was exasperated listening to her sheer nonsense.  i also was frustrated because i don't know how to use the damn smart phone.

my friend had actually called me to thank me for the care package i had sent over. my next store neighbor goes to visit his elderly mother everyday; who happens to live next store to my friend.  my friend had mentioned that she was craving those chocolate coated matzahs.  her local store didn't carry them.  i saw them in my local supermarket and bought two small boxes.  she is the one who helped me get the pesach dog chow.  i also sent over a bottle of palm oil for frying, a tube of colgate toothpaste and toothbrush for pesach, some oranges and lemons from my tree, a box of tea and a saul bellows good novel to read.

i usually seem very calm.  my friend in new York does scare the heck out of me on a daily basis, but i do seem relatively calm to the outside world.  this friend in safed, annoyed the heck out of me.  she was out and about everyday during the last war but this pandemic is way different.  you can give it to someone as well as catch it.  she told me that her friend was coming over to visit and have lunch with her.  he was bringing his dogs, too.  i only hope that the police stop him in the street.  he lives way over in the old city.  he has no business trekking over to my friend's house.  he is a person of extreme risk for this virus.  he is diabetic and has a heart problem.  he is also clueless about simple medical common sense.  this is a disaster waiting to happen or maybe, i am just overreacting.  anyhow, i told her that i was hanging up and not wasting another precious moment of my strength talking with her.

i am very tired today.  the phone situation really stressed me out.  the news also predicts a large increase in rona patients in Israel by pesach, next week.  i am getting scared now.  i stopped visiting my friends on the next street because we were too close for comfort.  we were still sharing food and our saliva with one another.  we were just too cozy with each other.  we are like family.  however, we are all at risk. we are all elderly, although quite active.  my friends are taking their zinc, vitamin c, and immune boosting tablets, religiously.  i am eating plenty of nuts and oats and citrus fruits and chicken.  i feel like crap.  let's just see who will make it to the finish line.

Pesach Cleaning Journal 2020 Day 2

it is 10:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i tacked a piece of suede material onto the foot stool.  i changed the duvet cover on the comforter, which reeked of pee. i washed out the sugar dispenser.  i bleached out the dish soap container and sponge. i put away the new tubes of aloe vera heat.  they were sitting on the kitchen table for over a month.  i put away my homeowners insurance policy which has been on the kitchen knick nak shelf since September.  i wiped down the dog bed and dog toys.  i threw out the large plastic dog food bowls that I've had for over 20 years. i will be using stainless steel ones from now on

330 p.m.  i wiped down the computer, the telephone,  the computer table, the keyboard and mouse and, the bookshelves in the blog room.  i even washed the Barbie and ken look alike knockoff dolls that i dressed as a bride and groom nearly 11 years ago.  they eerily resemble my son and his wife. i managed to sew the protective sheet back onto the mattress and got the slip cover back on.  it is still wet after a week.  i wiped the keyboard down with a damp rag with soap and bleach.  in the past, many years ago B.C., that is before corona; i would buy a new keyboard and mouse. before that, in the stone age, we would take off every key and wash it.  the procedure took hours.  there is no going down to town to buy computer parts right now.  i shook out the keyboard.  i did my best.

the rabbis have even told us not to go outside and burn our chometz.  we are allowed to pour bleach over pieces of bread or even flush them down the toilet.  i was already prepared to burn little morsels of bread using the little barbecue lighters.  we are also allowed to symbolically sell our chometz on line this year.  we usually go to town to the chief rabbi's office in town and sign on the dotted line.  the world has changed so fast since purim.  i am planning on staying in.  i might take the dogs out later this evening.

Really, Are You Kidding Me?

it is 10:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  it is freezing here and pouring rain.  it began to warm up a bit last night and once again, it turned nasty.  i let the dogs go out this morning.  i did not feel like braving the cold or the rain.  do i need to add rabies to my little list of horrors?; like the 'rona' isn't enough to drive us mad.  i was planning on hitting the local small supermarket at 7:00 a.m.  well, that didn't  happen.  i am not going outside today.  i doubt if i could survive this storm.  i did my morning routine of washing my hands with dish soap; brushing my teeth with aloe vera toothpaste and brightener; gargling with salt water and spraying my face with antibacterial aloe vera first aid solution.  i then put in my eye drops.

i haven't broken my 16 hour fast yet nor have i had my morning tea.  i am a bit perplexed.  i had an old foot stool that was very comfortable to use with the new armchair that wasn't very comfortable. the chair was beyond cleaning.  i tried covering it with a piece of suede material which matched the chair perfectly.  i safety pinned it on until i would get around to having it made into a slip cover.  the puppy likes to open safety pins.  she also likes to eat buttons.  i recently sewed 2 buttons onto the duvet cover and she ate them.  i finally gave up with the suede slip cover after the puppy went through all of my safety pins. she then ate a huge hole out of the foot stool. it was sitting on a table out of her reach;for quite awhile.  today, i tacked down the material onto the foot stool.  i simply, couldn't stand to look at the gaping hole and dirty looking foot stool for another second. i hope the puppy doesn't rip out the basting stitches.

i talked the Sephardi grandparents into staying for awhile longer and now it is miserable outside and also inside.  i begged them to use the heaters.  i gave them a cd player with radio.  i spend most of the day watching cooking shows and competitions and of course; the 'rona'  news.  i watched my neighbor do hours of spring cleaning projects outside yesterday.  it was good to see someone outside.  i am, not so much, doing these type of projects.  i did do the kitchen and blog room windows; not that you can tell from all the rian..  i washed the kitchen curtains and i washed the slip covers of the pillows, sofa and antique chair in the living room.  i have yet, to put them back on.  i also washed the slip cover of the bed in the blog room.  this is a true chore to get the foam rubber mattress into the slip cover. i do this once a year but not every year.  i had to wash it this year because the puppy has been peeing on the bed while i blog.  isn't she so precious.

i can't spend a lot of time in the blog room because i brought the small heater downstairs.  the doors were all banging last night.  i finally went upstairs to the roof top apartment and locked the porch door.  it was so clean upstairs.  the Sephardi sisters did a great job of cleaning.  i would love to hang out upstairs.  we'll see what transpires with the family.  if they do leave i'll feel safer going downstairs to do laundry.  right now i am self isolating.

i just remembered that i have a bag of organic oats.  i made some banana pancakes.  i used two small bananas, two eggs and about half a cup of oats.  it was a bit sweet for me.  i will save them for Shabbat morning.  i also cooked up a small pot of oats and water.  i added natural peanut butter and a bit of almond milk. i didn't even add cinnamon.  the dogs lapped it up, too.  i read that we need zinc to combat the rona.  1/2 cup of steel oats does the trick.  i'm not running to buy supplements.  i am eating my way against the virus.