Been So Long

 it is 4:15 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  it has been a long time since i last blogged. it has simply been too hot to really function.  i have spent days in bed because it was too hot to move.  i took advantage of the neighborhood pool to help cool me down but it was very crowded with private groups and out of town visitors. it was a true hardship. i didn't leave my neighborhood for about 3 weeks to avoid the crowds.  after the traditional 3 weeks of mourning for our temples; the town became inundated with out of towners. it is my least favorite time to be in safed. right now there is a lot of building and renovaton going on in my hood. the noise, the dust the disruption of my peace is overwhelming to me.

i didn't travel or leave home this summer because of the extreme temperatures, civil demonstrations and daily terorist attacks.  i missed my grandkids very much.  i  hadn't seen them since may.  i longed to hug them.  i always bless the whats app device.  that and facebook allows me to see what my family is doing in the states, india and israel.  i had become a bit of a shut in.  i go out every day to the pool and try to take a walk but i wasn't able to navigate outside of the home for a while.

i stayed in during the 3 days of the klezmer music festival in safed.  i cannot deal with record crowds.  i feel vulnerable and obsolete. i managed to fall in the house a few weeks ago and injured my rib cage.  i was very lucky not to have broken anything, including my head.  it was painful to take a deep breath and to walk the dogs.  after i did my daily crawl in the pool it hurt terribly.  it was very hard turning in bed or getting out of bed.  i am pleased to report that it is pretty much on the mend.  i spent most of this week in bed suffering from sciatic pain.  it has gotten better, thankfully.

as the holidays approach, i find myself in a bit of a funk.  i do not like atumn very much.  i always feel in a hurry to get home before it turns dark and cold.  candlelighting is in about an hour and a half.  i stayed at the pool til 3:00 p.m. today.  the temperatures are way up again and shabbat is going to be in the 90's.  we have had some cool nights but it has become quite humid once again. i made a one pot meal with chicken legs, lentils and root veggies. i made bulgur also. it is a quickie meal. i intended to make chicken soup and baked sweet potatoes but it was too hot and i was tired from being at the pool.

i wanted to bake muffins but i don't think i have any more energy to bake.  i need to mop the floors.  i might not get around to it as i am feeling pretty hot.  i might just make some frozen banana and blueberry dessert.  i am all out of peanut butter so iwill have to use tahina paste instead.  i will add a spoon of cocoa powder and a splash of almond milk and voila, sugarless non dairy icecream. it helps to have a good imagination.  wishing you all a good and peaceful shabbat.