Happy Birthday

it is 5:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i am pretty much set for shabbat.  the house is clean, the dishes are washed and the pots and pans are put away.  the laundry is all caught up and the linen closet is full.  i made chumus from scratch, broiled some salmon fillets and made saucey chicken with black beans and red lentils.  i took my 45 minute walk this morning before it got too hot.  i had some avocado and spelt bread when i came home.  i got my swim bag in order and went to the pool.  it was fairly empty and i had the pool to myself.  it was hotter than yesterday and i stayed in the water longer.  by noon, i was tired and wanted to get back home.  i had gone with friends to an indoor farmers' market yesterday, so i didn't need to stop at the spermarket today.  

i enjoy walking home in my wet bathing clothes.  i wear a longsleeve leotard and long sport pants. i throw a shirt over the leotard and wear a denim skirt over the pants.  it keeps me cool for the rest of the day.  i feel pretty relaxed.  i already ate several bowls of the lentils and black beans with sauce from the chicken.  i had a container of sauce in the freezer as well as a baggie of cooked black beans so i let them do their magic. i simply, added a bit of salt, some ground ginger,cinnamom and coriander.  i had wanted to make soup but i had no patience to chop vegetables. perhaps on sunday, i will up to it.

i turned 72 this week.  it was my first birthday that i didn't travel to see the grandkids; in awhile.  i am into my own thing these days.  i enjoy being in my home. i clean my house, do laundry, wash my dishes and go to the pool.  i eat green and am sugar free.  i do not eat processed foods nor do i use vegetable oils.  i do not fry anything and i drizzle organic olive oil on everything.  occassionally, i add coconut oil to my baked goods.  i love kale and buy it whenever i see it.  it is not all that popular here.  i do not eat cake or icecream or chocolate any more.  i am pretty much caffeine free.  i love my chai tea with almond milk.  i am pretty boring and a pain in the neck to feed. 

i went out with a couple of gal pals to have a steak on my birthday.  i ordered an entrecot steak off the bone.  it arrived medium rare and medium warm; bordering on medium cold.  it was bland.  i asked for salt.  i like black pepper and salt on my steaks.  it came with a small green salad.  it was dressed with a  sugary dressing.  i could not eat it.  we ordered the house bread.  it was sour dough.  it come with a very hot and spicey spread and nothing else to spread on our few sloces of bread.  i put a couple of drops of olive oil on my slice.  i chose a slice of whole wheat bread with raisins. afterall, it was my birthday celebration.  i somehow, tried to swallow a rather large piece of steak and realized that it wasn't going down.  i thought that i might not live to see my 73rd birthday.  i jumped up, beat my chest and managed to dislodge the piece of meat. the waiter ran over and looked quite disturbed.

i think i am officially off steak from now on.  there was no dessert on the menu so i ordered a glass of black tea.  i thought about having a glass of wine but decided not to, in the end.  i went to the mall after dinner and bought 2 pairs of sketchers' pool sandals on sale. that was my birthday gift to myself.  a very good friend called me from europe.  she was the only one who remembered it was my birthday.  i decided to take it easy.  my birthday is special to me because it is my history.  my record of when i entered this life.  it isn't important for others to celebrate it with me.  actually, i do not enjoy receiving gifts. i usually buy a cake and icecream for the grandkids and give out cash.  i did get a very pretty apron from a friend and i loved it.  i didn't have one and was looking around to buy one.  so i had a steak and got an apron.  life is good.  wishing everyone a peaceful shabbat.