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.