What's Going On

it is now 3:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  got back a little while ago from town.  i have been going out each morning with a friend to show her around safed.  she just got back to safed a couple of months ago.  i really; haven't been out that much during covid; so it was an adventure for me; as well.  today; we tackled the large hardware store in the southern end of town.  it was huge and chaotic.  after hours of looking around; i realized that i had lost my pocketbook.  we were both pretty much done in at that point.  it was torture to have to go through that entire store to find my purse.  luckily for me; someone had turned it into the cashier.

we then set out to look for a welder or auto repair store.  the metal bar and wheels of my friend's radiator got bent out of shape during the move here.  we saw a small hardware store and the man there tried to bend it back into shape with his hands.  it remains to be seen if that actually helped.  in the meanwhile; we will be on the lookout for spare parts from a radiator that has been trashed.  we then went over to a supermarket nearby.  i was hungry and kind of wanted to buy some salmon.  i also bought fresh turkey wings for shabbat.

we finished our shopping pretty fast and cabbed it back home.  we had both done a huge shopping there together; a couple of weeks ago and spent several hours getting reacquainted with the aisles.  i had completely forgotten that i had defrosted beef schnitzels in the morning; before i left.  it took about five minutes to sauté them in a skillet and make a salad and voila; i had a hot lunch waiting for me.  the dogs had some, too.  i am pretty spent.  it was quite hot this moring in town.

we ventured to the rosh pina strip maul on tuesday.  i hadn't been there since covid.  my friend had banking business and i wanted to find a comfortable walking shoe.  we went to an enormous health food store first.  by then we were both ready to call it a day.  i was hungry and a bit impatient.  i couldn't remember where the orthopedic shoe store was.  the strip maul is not all that large.  lo and behold; i looked up and saw that it was directly across the street from the health food store.  by that point; i had little patience to look for shoes.

we went in and exited a moment later.  there was another israeli brand of shoe store right across so we went in .  i immediately saw a cute pink sneaker by hush puppies.  i tried them on and they were heavenly so i bought them.  they were already more than half price and they offered me a second pair for only $20.  i am now the granny in pink and in blue sneakers; racing down the sidewalk in safed.  yesterday we stayed in waiting for the repairman.  so typical; he was a no show.

i invited another gal pal to join me for shabbat. i stopped off to buy chicken and ended up buying fresh turkey wings.  i thought about making soup and decided instead; to make a stew with barley for saturday lunch.  i found a container of frozen chicken soup in the fridge and a package of chopped turkey so i will make dumplings to go with the soup for friday night.  i want to keep it easy and breezy.

i recently went to do my annual blood test.  i was pretty upset to see that my cholesterol and sugar both went up.  i lost around 40 pounds during covid and have been doing intermittent fasting all year and hour walks.  i managed to drop the sugar and cholesterol last december so i don't know what i did wrong lately.  i haven't eaten chocolate, candy, processed foods, ice cream, cake, cookies or potato chips in over a year and a half.  and i haven't used sugar, honey, date syrup or maple syrup; either.  it is a mystery.  however; i have been indulging in lots of grapes and dates.

there were 20 items that didn't get tested so i have to return to my doctor and reorder another blood test.  nothing here gets done in a day.  i did an antibody test because i was sick during the last holiday.  i was hoping that i had had a mild case of covid and had antibodies' but no such luck.  i remain unvaxed with no antibodies.  it's okay.  i am retired and have no special interest in working, eating out, or seeing a movie.  it's enough that i can shop and get around.

What's Going On?

it is noon in the holy city of safed.  the holiday of sukkot ended on tuesday night.  i was sick on the second part of the holiday.  the kids were here.  this is the holiday where the men dance with the sefer torahs.  it is a happy time for the jews.  we no longer eat inside our sukkahs.  the kids get loaded with sweets and the men; with liquor.   the women as always, cook the festive meals.

at the end of the past saturday night; i got hit with a stomach bug.  it was awful.  i found myself trying to sleep on the bathroom floor close to the toilet.  i spent about 6 hours in and out of the bathroom.  i finally fell asleep in my bedroom at around 5:00 a.m.  thank goodness for adult diapers!  i haven't felt well since.  i have been nauseous and headachy ever since.  the weird thing is that i didn't lose my appetite.  i suffered throughout the holiday being with everyone.  the kids; pretty much; got along and there were no major meltdowns but my head was hurting the entire time.  

i managed to get to the local synagogue in the evening to watch a bit of the cerebration.  i wasn't as fortunate the next morning.  i stayed in bed for most of the day.  the kids came in and out of my house all day long.  the toddler made his way up the stairs all by himself and let himself in to visit with me and my dogs.  it did give me some joy to see him; despite my aching head.  even when a couple of the boys were playing ping pong on my dining room table; i was glad they were here but suffering from the noise.  i thought that i might have covid yesterday.  i tried calling around to find where i could get tested but i didn't have the energy to go anywhere.

as soon as the holiday ended; my son disassembled my sukkah.  it took him less than an hour.  it took me 4 hours to assemble it by myself.  i don't know how many trips up the stairs i took to bring up the rods and wood.  both sukkahs; huge and small; were put away in the shed for next year in rapid speed. it was surreal.  it felt so empty. we spent the entire week eating and sleeping in them.  i didn't sleep in mine but i did eat most of my meals in it.  the weather was lovely this year; no strong winds or heavy rains to move us out of our temporary homes.  i spent a lovely day by myself in my 2x2 meter sukkah.  it was so relaxing and quiet after the chaos of the actual holiday.  the dogs also joined me in the sukkah; lying on a blanket.

it was cool enough without the fan.  i ate and called friends on my smart phone and video chatted with the grandkids.  i even read a novel.  it was bliss.  i had a few female friends come by for meals.  it was so nice.  i did a lot of walking and enjoyed seeing all of the sukkahs on the streets.  people were out late in the night.  i went to visit a friend and hung out in her sukkah on shabbat.  i enjoyed some grapes and potato kugel and then went back home for my shabbat meal.  i was feeling no pain until saturday night.  i haven't left the house except to walk the dogs, since.  i did manage to get an hour walk in last night.  

i thought about getting a covid test this morning  but i actually felt better.  it was the first day in nearly a week; that i woke up without that headache.  i could actually focus and function. i called a friend and had an actual conversation.  the pain in my head is slowly starting up and i am feeling 'heady' once again.  i will take a dexamol tablet and start to make some food.  i want to make a big pot of chicken soup.  i already defrosted wings and thighs.  i have onions and carrots and sweet potatoes.  i couldn't find any celery last night.  i am not going to schlepp to the supermarket today.  if i continue to feel unwell on sunday; i will get the covid test.  i am hoping that a restful shabbat will help.