Reaching The Finish Line

 it is 9:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i worked for about 12 hours today; washing the kitchen counters and floors and bathroom and running around like a crazed person and washing the floors another two times.  i even covered all of the counters in heavy weight tin foil.  this is the stuff that resembles razor blades.  it is sharp and strong. i managed to knick myself and i saw droplets of blood on the counters.  i made the beds and rewashed all of the floors in the house.  i changed the bedding on my t.v. couch where i sleep with the two dogs.  i put some fresh rosemary in the pillow cases.  we are officially in tick and flea season.  i ran around the house a million times today.  i set up a tea, hot chocolate and coffee area on the counter. 

we are going into shabbat tomorrow and the pesach seder is on saturday night.  the kids are due to arrive soon.  it is absolutely freezing in safed.  we have been having monsoon showers for a few days.  of course, i did the windows.  i ran to the local supermarket yesterday and got caught in a hail storm.  we will be eating shabbat meals downstairs with the entire sephardi clan.  the kids want to do their seder upstairs with me.  i will be cooking tomorow.  i don't think they have eaten upstairs with me in a year.  i am planning on making chicken soup with mock ground turkey matzah balls.  i say 'mock' because i do not use matzah meal on pesach.  i will also make chopped liver, beef in wine and chicken in orange and honey sauce.  if there is leftovers, i will have food for the week. 

i don't use a lot of spices on pesach.  i stick to salt, peppercorns, onions , oranges and lemons to make things taste good.  i usually buy ginger root but i didn't see any at the supermarket.  i hope everyone likes the food.  it's been a long time since they ate in my house.  i usually make them a salad and throw in a can of tuna when they come.  i also make packaged gnocchi. i found a pesach variety that was very expensive.  i usually melt cheese on them but i didn't buy any.  maybe they'd like butter.  i finally found some in my local supermarket with the right kashrut.  i can't wait to have some on my matzah.  i have two types of matzah for them.  i bought the large handmade round ones that are charred and the machine made squares.

i bought potato chips and all sorts of pesach cookies and cakes and brownies and milk chocolate. i even bought drinks.  there was a time that i only served fresh squeezed lemonade or bottled water.  i never allowed coca cola at my seder.  i didn't pull out my toaster oven this year so it will be simple stovetop food and simple potato dishes.  i won't be making a potato kugel.  i bought walnut oil so hopefully the food will have a special taste.  i need to crack the almonds and walnuts tomorrow,  i'm hoping the kids might want to help me.  i am exhausted and want to crawl into my freshly made t.v. couch/ bed.

it has been a long haul but i finally made it to the finish line.  my house is clean and chometz free.  i have the ground turkey, beef, chicken livers and chicken defrosting in the sink.  i don't have an ounce of strength left do another thing now.   i just changed all the clocks an hour later.  we start daylights savings tomorrow.  the shabbat will be longer and the seder will start at around 8:00 p.m.  it is hard for me to eat so late but that is how it will go now.  instead of rushing home at 4:00 p.m. before it gets dark; we will have plenty of time left in the day.  wishing everyone a very happy and kosher pesach!

k 

Pesach Cleaning Countdown

 it is 2:00 p.m. i have been wanting to get out of the house for a while now.  i have been inside the house, scrubbing and cleaning away for a couple of weeks.  we have had some sunny days but i have been cooped up inside doing laundry.  we are scheduled for some rain so i am taking advantage of the dry and windy weather and hanging out my winter jammies, robes and sweaters on my porch.  i am pretty much caught up with the linens and towels.  i have managed to toss out a lot of things this week.  old glass dishes, cruelled works , an oil painting, sheets and table cloths and a vase; all had to go.  i suddenly, could not look at these things any more and i certainly, did not want to waste any more time cleaning them.  most of these things were nearly 40 years old and some even older.

i also have been rearranging the pictures on the walls.  i do this every year before pesach.  my sister professionally, staged my house a few years ago.  i didn't move a thing for years and suddenly; i got the 'bug'.  i reframed a few choice pictures and i am happy with the results.  i washed all of the curtains and slip covers of the beds, chairs and sofa.  i have been doing everything in my bathtub except for the towels.  the Sephardi grandma has a washing machine downstairs.  mine has been put in storage. it is an old maytag and truthfully; it doesn't do the deed anymore.  after pesach; i plan to bring in a plumber and have a small machine installed up here in my house.  that would be ideal.  i don't dare bring my dirty, soiled, doggie haired sheets downstairs.  i have my pride.  i keep a few separate sheets in the master bedroom for my son and wife.   the dogs are not allowed on these.

i have pretty much run out of money this month.  pesach will do that to you.  the kids want to do the seder up here.  i am planning on making a modest meal of chicken soup, chopped liver and a piece of beef in wine.  pesach comes in on a saturday night following a long shabbat.  you can imagine how much food is consumed on saturday day.  last year i was by myself and just had soup. i finished the last part of the seder and went to sleep.  i usually make chicken for seder night but i think the kids would prefer the beef.  i traditionally, do not use spices for pesach.  i basically, use salt and freshly ground pepper and a lot of fresh ginger, oranges, onions and lemons.  i don't use garlic.  i know that the grandkids would not like this.

 i am dreading having to eat so late at night.  i have been pretty much; eating my main meal around 5:00 p.m. and fasting.  i usually make mashed potatoes on seder night but the Sephardi grandma makes a dish of mashed potatoes and hard cooked eggs for the shabbat lunch. they all love this.  i can't look at it. i have to figure out what i can make instead.  i peel all my fruits and vegetables on pesach.  i do not use peppers or cabbage or spinach.  i even peel tomatoes, celery and dates.  it is a lot of work.  i have a pesach toaster oven but it is stored in a place that i can't get to by myself.  i was thinking of buying a small one so that i can make a potato kugel.  i don't know if i should go into debt for this.  i need to do all the cooking on friday so latkes are out.  they would be just awful; reheated on saturday night.

i haven't completed one room yet.  i have been pretty erratic in my cleaning.  i see something in another room that i want to fix, or change and i leave the project at hand to do something completely different and more interesting.  this is not how one should clean for pesach.  we still have a full week left to clean for pesach.  we check our homes next thursday for any bread or cake crumbs that we may find but we still have to eat bread until saturday morning.  this is a bit tricky.  i am just going with the flow.  it is already getting cold and i don't know if i will make it out.  i want to buy some gnocchi i saw in the local supermarket that is kosher for pesach.  the kids always want some when they visit.  i need to shower and feed the dogs and run out.  to be continued..............

It's That Time Of The Year

 it is 8:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i am cold and i am tired.  we are about 16 days away from our spring holiday, pesach; or as we call it, jewish spring cleaning.  i just am not into it this year.  i did clear out my refrigerator and i wiped down the freezer.  i went shopping and the freezer is stocked with fish, chicken and chopped beef and turkey.  the price of beef was extraordinarily high so i passed.  i don't know if the kids will make it to safed for the pesach seder.  the higher ups will probably put a lockdown in effect for the holiday.  they are opening up the mauls, schools, restaurants, pools and hotels for those who have been vaccinated but will keep families from celebrating the jewish holiday together. 

i have had about enough of the politics of covid and cannot stand it any longer.  i have not been vaccinated.  i am still on the fence.  there are a lot of people here who are in the same boat.  i think that 60% of the israeli population are still not vacinated.  i am also through with restaurants, movie theaters, mauls, pools and crowds.  i will never change now.  i am turning 70 in july.  i am used to wearing a mask.  i have learned that i like to eat my own food and that i like the quiet.  i do not miss being in the public.  i do not plan on ever working again.  i am waiting for my social security to kick in.  i am adjusted to this new world covid order.  i go to the supermarket once a week and sometimes i take a long stroll.

i take my dogs out three times a day.  we don't leave the neighborhood.  i am nervous about stray dogs.  my male dog has become aggressive and he is an alpha male dog looking for a fight.  he drags me along the street and yanks my arm when he sees a cat.  we have dozens of street cats.  the city has not picked up the strays for nearly a year now.  there are cats and kittens all over the neighborhood.  my dog is crazed.  i keep him on a leash now.  i let him out when we had the snow storm a while back because there were no people around.  during the last lockdown i didn't see any of my neighbors.  most of them have recovered from covid or have been vaccinated.

pretty soon they will restrict us non vaccinated, unpatriotic, free thinkers from using public transportation.  it's just a matter of time.  this all gives me a headache.  it tires me out.  it makes me want to take to my bed until covid ends.  i went to jerusalem last week to celebrate purim with my kids.  the entire sephardi clan was there, too.  i got a ride but because the police put up roadblocks to curtail travelers; it took us 4 1/2 hours to get there.  the next morning i travelled for 3 1/2 hours to make my hospital appointment in the tel aviv area.  i stayed in bed for 3 days after.  travelling is a bitch.

i am too cold to throw around buckets of water.  i used heavy duty disposable wipes to clean my sofa.  they were hotel fragranced.  the room smells lovely.  i don't think i will do all the windows this year. i also do not have access to my washing machine.  so i will not get to do all of my laundry before pesach.  i truthfully, do not care.  i lost one of my dearest friends, before shabbat.  i am bleeding.  i am sore.  i am defeated and i am more vulnerable than i want to admit to.  i struggle to stand up.  my baby sister passed away in august.  my wounds are still open and now this.  this is the way it is.  we have to grab onto every moment of joy and happiness when we can.  we can't take one another for granted.

 i try not to make any plans.  i try to be open and stay flexible.  maybe i will see my kids on pesach and maybe i won't.  maybe i will invite another unvaccinated single lady to join me here.  i will do my best to get the house cleaned and hope that i will not be alone again this pesach.  i keep going over possible menu plans in my head.  that is how i roll; always making plans and exhausting myself.  i still need to buy hand made round matzahs, pesach dog chow, eggs, vegetables and fruits and a package of unshelled walnuts.  i shopped early to beat the crowds.  i spent a small fortune.  welcome to our second pesach in  covid.