it is 6:00 a.m. in the holy city of zefat. the dog's yelping woke me up. she still seems paralyzed and can't stand on her legs. she is so stressed out. she is able to drink some milk and eat a bit of tuna but can't navigate by herself. the weather has changed. it is very cold and stormy. there went the summer like heat wave. I have the beginning of a migraine. yesterday my daughter-I-law had one. she was on her way to the gym, I begged her not to go. the last time she went to gym in that condition she ended up in the emergency room and they performed a brain CT.
she came right back and went to bed. I was in the process of raiding her fridge. although I do not eat after 7:00 p.m., I am not shedding those unsightly extra pounds. I know I consume a lot of calories and live a pretty stationery life. the dog is crying and I don't know what else to do. I gave her tramadol drops, a piece of an anti-inflammatory and a half of an antioxidant pill. I wish the vet would just put her out of her misery. I don't really think that I can afford it.
it cost over $150 here. I keep on petting her and trying to soothe her. I can't take it. she had to pish in her bed. it smells horrible. she smells like a dead thing already. the other dogs are very solicitous of her. my head is sore and I'm overtired. my eyes are burning. I had the kids out in the park yesterday for a picnic and a bit of exercise. I splurged on cashews, popcorn and potato chips on them. I also indulged in the nuts myself. I never got lunch yesterday. I have a wedding in a week and half and I was hoping to drop another five pounds. oh well....
my son came home relatively calm last night. he was not able to shower the kids and put them to bed type of calm, but better than he left, type of calm. he had closed his gallery and gone off to visit the grave sight of a tsadick in Meron. good for him. I think we are all holding on for dear life. my back is throbbing. I should be cleaning the house from puppy's diarrhea attack yesterday, but I have no strength. my friend in the old age home called me last night to tell me that I'm not needed today. she is in charge of her own visitation now. she went through her phone book with someone else and comprised a list of women she liked to see. slowly, slowly I am being pushed out of the picture.
I still get calls and emails from other women who are visiting. we are all comparing notes. everyone has her own thoughts about how to proceed. I seem to be the only one who thinks her exit from this world is coming closer in time. everyone else is waiting for a miracle. I took the time to read about living with brain tumors even though it was too close for comfort for me. I did call the hospital and schedule my next MRI. I don't know what my future will hold and how my tumor will present problems either. I feel like I'm playing Russian roulette with my brain tumor sometimes.
I don't have the kids today. their mother splurged on tickets to see a kid's show. if it was warm and sunny I'd me mopping the floors right now. I think I will curl up in bed and watch 'the Blacklist'. on VOD. I don't feel well. I think that I will just go back to sleep.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Gimme A Break
it is 2:00 p.m. in the holy city of zefat. I am truly bummed out. I didn't sleep a wink last night. I went to Shabbat lunch with good friends on the next block. it really is a bit further than that but I still relate to it in Brooklyn terms. in fact, my friend thought that I literally lived a block away and schlepped over here one time, all out of breath. it's about a 7 minute walk uphill. I decided to walk to the Sephardi family for third meal. I arrived around 4:00 p.m. it was quite hot outside. it took me about 45 minutes. I'm totally out of shape. it isn't really more than half an hour walk.
everyone there was tired and all the kids were beyond hyper active. one young aunt had given out individual bottles of coke to all the small kids. it's not as if they hadn't already been plied with candy all Shabbat long. this is the only family that I know who serves rounds of candy and ices between the fish and meat courses. the young parents chatted amongst themselves while the children ran amuck. at one point the Sephardi grandma yelled at the little boys to stop jumping on the bed. a little while later two of the boys toppled to the floor. one of them was my grandson. luckily, no one got hurt but the fur started to fly.
Sephardi grandmother vs. Sephardi grandfather and Sephardi big sisters against my daughter-in-law; all letting out primal screams accusing my chubby grandson of pushing his cousin off the bed. a few moments later the toddler fell off the couch and the screams began once again. by the time we left for home we were all spent. I couldn't really relax. I received a couple of heavy phone calls about our mutual friend in the old age home. apparently, the nurse there thinks she can continue like this for a year. I wouldn't want to place a bet or anything like that but my money would not be on the nurse.
I was supposed to go to a CPR course in English today. I fell asleep around 5:00 a.m. it might have been later. I couldn't stand up at 8:00 a.m. I felt nauseous and my head hurt. the daughter-in-law had a migraine and my son was having a 'rough time'. my oldest dog is screaming. she had lost her bark of late but she doesn't stop crying. I was awakened by her crying all night long. I called the vet. she gave her a shot of morphine and se slept for awhile. she just got up and is yelping again. I gave her two drops of tramadol. she can eat and drink but suddenly she lost the ability to walk. just what I need!! I have no patience for this.
I didn't visit my friend in the old age home today because I was supposed to go to the course. I have to get the kids soon from gan. my neighbor is having a Sephardi engagement party for her daughter tonight. I feel like I should go. it will be a hoot. the ladies go wild and there is lot's of goodies and food. I don't think I have the strength to go. the wedding is on Purim. my son is in no shape to go later and my daughter-in-law is working all night. we are all obligated to go to the wedding. I wish I could feel excited and go out and just have some fun. I don't think I can leave the dog alone. she is in pain and distress.
I don't feel like being with the kids, either, I am truly tired and stressed out. I don't really have an outfit for tonight but I guess, I could throw something together. I was hoping to lose weight before the wedding but that didn't really happen. I managed to get an appointment for my next brain MRI and doctor's appointment in early June. that was quite an accomplishment. my MRI is at 5:00 a.m in Tel Aviv. I guess I won't be getting any sleep that night. I will have to take a taxi there and my health carrier will pay for it. I will return home by bus. my young male dog had an upset stomach during the night and made diarrhea all over the house. that is how I started my morning.
I think the vet will have to come back.. the dog doesn't seem any better. she suspects a tumor or stroke. sound familiar???? and no, we are not having fun yet.
everyone there was tired and all the kids were beyond hyper active. one young aunt had given out individual bottles of coke to all the small kids. it's not as if they hadn't already been plied with candy all Shabbat long. this is the only family that I know who serves rounds of candy and ices between the fish and meat courses. the young parents chatted amongst themselves while the children ran amuck. at one point the Sephardi grandma yelled at the little boys to stop jumping on the bed. a little while later two of the boys toppled to the floor. one of them was my grandson. luckily, no one got hurt but the fur started to fly.
Sephardi grandmother vs. Sephardi grandfather and Sephardi big sisters against my daughter-in-law; all letting out primal screams accusing my chubby grandson of pushing his cousin off the bed. a few moments later the toddler fell off the couch and the screams began once again. by the time we left for home we were all spent. I couldn't really relax. I received a couple of heavy phone calls about our mutual friend in the old age home. apparently, the nurse there thinks she can continue like this for a year. I wouldn't want to place a bet or anything like that but my money would not be on the nurse.
I was supposed to go to a CPR course in English today. I fell asleep around 5:00 a.m. it might have been later. I couldn't stand up at 8:00 a.m. I felt nauseous and my head hurt. the daughter-in-law had a migraine and my son was having a 'rough time'. my oldest dog is screaming. she had lost her bark of late but she doesn't stop crying. I was awakened by her crying all night long. I called the vet. she gave her a shot of morphine and se slept for awhile. she just got up and is yelping again. I gave her two drops of tramadol. she can eat and drink but suddenly she lost the ability to walk. just what I need!! I have no patience for this.
I didn't visit my friend in the old age home today because I was supposed to go to the course. I have to get the kids soon from gan. my neighbor is having a Sephardi engagement party for her daughter tonight. I feel like I should go. it will be a hoot. the ladies go wild and there is lot's of goodies and food. I don't think I have the strength to go. the wedding is on Purim. my son is in no shape to go later and my daughter-in-law is working all night. we are all obligated to go to the wedding. I wish I could feel excited and go out and just have some fun. I don't think I can leave the dog alone. she is in pain and distress.
I don't feel like being with the kids, either, I am truly tired and stressed out. I don't really have an outfit for tonight but I guess, I could throw something together. I was hoping to lose weight before the wedding but that didn't really happen. I managed to get an appointment for my next brain MRI and doctor's appointment in early June. that was quite an accomplishment. my MRI is at 5:00 a.m in Tel Aviv. I guess I won't be getting any sleep that night. I will have to take a taxi there and my health carrier will pay for it. I will return home by bus. my young male dog had an upset stomach during the night and made diarrhea all over the house. that is how I started my morning.
I think the vet will have to come back.. the dog doesn't seem any better. she suspects a tumor or stroke. sound familiar???? and no, we are not having fun yet.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Enter Simcha
it is 2:00 p.m. in the holy city of zefat. I have spent the morning on the phone with friends. no food shopping, cooking or cleaning today. the kids gave me the good news that we were all invited out for Shabbat. we are going to the Sephardi family for Shabbat. the kids haven't had a Shabbat out in months. I am excited for the grand kids and I am totally relieved that I have nothing to do.
I am tired and very sad. a very old friend is dying. I spent 9 days in the hospital with her and have been visiting her often at the old age home. I watch the daily decline and I block it out. yesterday it finally hit me and I started crying. it started me reliving the final days of my mom, too. I thought I had worked out my emotional issues with my mom a long time ago. she's been gone for7 years. I started dreaming of my mom and reliving fights. I am in a very vulnerable place.
we just heralded in the new month of Adar. Purim is just around the corner. we are supposed to be with joy and increase the amount each day. I can't get there yet. I am in mourning mode. I come home from the old age home with medical issues each week. I have been experiencing headaches and leg and back pains. I usually collapse over Shabbat. I will need to walk home from the Sephardi family tonight. I haven't walked in a long time. I am completely out of shape. I seem to absorb my friend's physical limitations, too. I feel like I'm 90 years old instead of 64.
last night I took the kids to the local synagogue for a festive meal and evening of music. there was food for days. we sat at a semi empty table and I sampled all the salads. they were great. I don't eat after 7:00 p.m. anymore. I have lost about 3 pounds. big deal! I need to shed at least another 20. my good girlfriend who lives on the next block, told me about not eating at night. they were barbecuing tons of chicken and the kids wanted some. it was taking a long time and the kids were getting antsy. my grandson was getting bent out of shape. they are usually in bed by 8:00 p.m..
my skinny granddaughter was having salads and pickles and was in her element. my chubby grandson was getting whiney and desperate. luckily, my friend's husband took my grandson outside to find him some meat. then they started bringing in tons of more salads, barekas, pitas, kugel, and all kinds of pastry dough objects filled with meat. I had a plate of chumus toppled with chopped meat. my girlfriend told me that chumus is fattening.. oh well. I got some chicken for the grandkids and they were finally happy. they had soft drinks and I helped myself to a shot of arak.
at 9:00 p.m. my granddaughter was falling asleep in my lap and my grandson was shoving barekas into his mouth. I got up to leave. the Sephardi ladies asked why I was leaving while the music was just starting. I had the kids as my excuse. the truth is I was tired and a bit heart broken. I had a rough day at the old age home. my granddaughter wanted me to carry her home. I could not. we managed o get home and I still needed to shower the kids. my son came home but as usual, was in no shape to shower the kids.
he currently has a bruised rib. it may be cracked. who knows? the kids passed out and my son recounted his 'war' stories of working on the gallery row in the old city. he was talked out so I wished him goodnight. I dragged my body upstairs and let the dogs out. I think one of my old dogs is dying. she's lost her bark. she lets out sounds like a crying baby. I have no patience. I want a moment to feel joy. enough death!! at around 200 a.m. I started to cry. I feel so sad. and I am fatigued.
I am tired and very sad. a very old friend is dying. I spent 9 days in the hospital with her and have been visiting her often at the old age home. I watch the daily decline and I block it out. yesterday it finally hit me and I started crying. it started me reliving the final days of my mom, too. I thought I had worked out my emotional issues with my mom a long time ago. she's been gone for7 years. I started dreaming of my mom and reliving fights. I am in a very vulnerable place.
we just heralded in the new month of Adar. Purim is just around the corner. we are supposed to be with joy and increase the amount each day. I can't get there yet. I am in mourning mode. I come home from the old age home with medical issues each week. I have been experiencing headaches and leg and back pains. I usually collapse over Shabbat. I will need to walk home from the Sephardi family tonight. I haven't walked in a long time. I am completely out of shape. I seem to absorb my friend's physical limitations, too. I feel like I'm 90 years old instead of 64.
last night I took the kids to the local synagogue for a festive meal and evening of music. there was food for days. we sat at a semi empty table and I sampled all the salads. they were great. I don't eat after 7:00 p.m. anymore. I have lost about 3 pounds. big deal! I need to shed at least another 20. my good girlfriend who lives on the next block, told me about not eating at night. they were barbecuing tons of chicken and the kids wanted some. it was taking a long time and the kids were getting antsy. my grandson was getting bent out of shape. they are usually in bed by 8:00 p.m..
my skinny granddaughter was having salads and pickles and was in her element. my chubby grandson was getting whiney and desperate. luckily, my friend's husband took my grandson outside to find him some meat. then they started bringing in tons of more salads, barekas, pitas, kugel, and all kinds of pastry dough objects filled with meat. I had a plate of chumus toppled with chopped meat. my girlfriend told me that chumus is fattening.. oh well. I got some chicken for the grandkids and they were finally happy. they had soft drinks and I helped myself to a shot of arak.
at 9:00 p.m. my granddaughter was falling asleep in my lap and my grandson was shoving barekas into his mouth. I got up to leave. the Sephardi ladies asked why I was leaving while the music was just starting. I had the kids as my excuse. the truth is I was tired and a bit heart broken. I had a rough day at the old age home. my granddaughter wanted me to carry her home. I could not. we managed o get home and I still needed to shower the kids. my son came home but as usual, was in no shape to shower the kids.
he currently has a bruised rib. it may be cracked. who knows? the kids passed out and my son recounted his 'war' stories of working on the gallery row in the old city. he was talked out so I wished him goodnight. I dragged my body upstairs and let the dogs out. I think one of my old dogs is dying. she's lost her bark. she lets out sounds like a crying baby. I have no patience. I want a moment to feel joy. enough death!! at around 200 a.m. I started to cry. I feel so sad. and I am fatigued.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Staying Alive 2016
it is 3:00 p.m. in the holy city of zefat. I just got back from the hospital. a long time friend, who is in her 80's has pneumonia. I have known her for 30 years. I met her before I became observant. she is from Berkley. she has been battling brain cancer for a while. she is an amazing lady. in better times, she would visit my mother often, bringing her loads of library books. I could get out of the house to do errands when she was around. she thought that I didn't like her because I never stayed around to schmooze.
she never released what a life line she was for me and my mother. I owe her. she actually asked for me to be called. she sees me as an advocate and she trusts me. she doesn't have the strength to really schmooze right now and needs a bit of help. however, she is totally mobile and capable of navigating on her own. just a week ago she was at a rehearsal for a show that she wrote and starred in about becoming observant. she parodies all the old show tunes and has a lovely voice. she is truly the queen of zefat. her lyrics are so corny and yet so endearing. she has counselled loads of women in her time.
she currently has two students with whom she converses in English and she volunteers in the English library. although she chose to move into an assisted living home, she seldom is there. on the rare occasions that I actually made it to town and came to visit, she was always out. a few times after the chemo, she wasn't able to have a visit but she always emailed me to thank me for coming. she was more active than I was. she is fighting for her life and her clarity. she is well known for her not eating much and yet she is drinking 3 ensure drinks a day and scoffing down 3 squares a day.
I don't want people to single me for praise for helping her out. I'm back in my element. I'm a caregiver. I took care of both my parents and was with them both as they took their last breaths. I raised my grandson until he was 2. I volunteered in the senior citizens' center for a few years until I got sick. I never returned. I have enough to do with taking care of the grandkids these days. I'm not looking for volunteer work. and yet when I heard that my friend judy was in the hospital, I ran there.
we had a heat wave last week. it was 30 degrees Celsius. the houses were cold but it was summer outside. the weather returned to nasty and rainy this morning. after shedding all of the long johns, boots, tights, thermal shirts, and sweaters it was weird to be cold again. how quickly we forget. I rushed home this afternoon because I thought that I had to pick up the grandkids. my son is down with the flu and I had to deal with his bad mood all Shabbat. he is vicious when he is sick and I am not patient when he is sick. I retreat to my bed when I am sick and hibernate. I recently had bronchitis and I still picked up the kids and made Shabbat food for a couple of weeks.
helping my friend was actually a joke. I couldn't hear anything she was telling me and I was nearly blind without my reading glasses. I had a sciatic attack the first time I came to see her and was nearly crippled. there isn't a limb that doesn't hurt me today. my knees, and even my wrists are aching. we are having a winter storm and I'm glad to be back home. my house is trashed after Shabbat and the laundry is piled high. the dogs are peeing and defecating in the hallway. it is supposed to be like this for a coupe of days. right now we are having a torrential rain storm. my daughter- in- law just retuned home soaked to the bone. I thought that I'd clean the house this afternoon but I do not have the strength.
I poured some bleach water in the hallway. I went to sleep at around 4:00 a.m. so I'm tired. I am going to chill tonight and wait for the storm to end. I can't wait to get back into my jammies and drink some hot tea. I have tons of leftovers to heat up. i'll crawl back onto my t.v. sofa and have an early dinner.
I am still trying desperately to lose weight. after two months on the 'south beach' I actually gained weight the first time I ate some carbs. my metabolism is really not kicking in. I started a new regimen. I eat what I want but stay away from sugar and cake. I do not eat after 7:00 p.m. I lost a pound or two but nothing to write home about. I try to eat grapefruits when I can find them. I need to move more but I'm just not motivated enough and the weather has been too harsh.
she never released what a life line she was for me and my mother. I owe her. she actually asked for me to be called. she sees me as an advocate and she trusts me. she doesn't have the strength to really schmooze right now and needs a bit of help. however, she is totally mobile and capable of navigating on her own. just a week ago she was at a rehearsal for a show that she wrote and starred in about becoming observant. she parodies all the old show tunes and has a lovely voice. she is truly the queen of zefat. her lyrics are so corny and yet so endearing. she has counselled loads of women in her time.
she currently has two students with whom she converses in English and she volunteers in the English library. although she chose to move into an assisted living home, she seldom is there. on the rare occasions that I actually made it to town and came to visit, she was always out. a few times after the chemo, she wasn't able to have a visit but she always emailed me to thank me for coming. she was more active than I was. she is fighting for her life and her clarity. she is well known for her not eating much and yet she is drinking 3 ensure drinks a day and scoffing down 3 squares a day.
I don't want people to single me for praise for helping her out. I'm back in my element. I'm a caregiver. I took care of both my parents and was with them both as they took their last breaths. I raised my grandson until he was 2. I volunteered in the senior citizens' center for a few years until I got sick. I never returned. I have enough to do with taking care of the grandkids these days. I'm not looking for volunteer work. and yet when I heard that my friend judy was in the hospital, I ran there.
we had a heat wave last week. it was 30 degrees Celsius. the houses were cold but it was summer outside. the weather returned to nasty and rainy this morning. after shedding all of the long johns, boots, tights, thermal shirts, and sweaters it was weird to be cold again. how quickly we forget. I rushed home this afternoon because I thought that I had to pick up the grandkids. my son is down with the flu and I had to deal with his bad mood all Shabbat. he is vicious when he is sick and I am not patient when he is sick. I retreat to my bed when I am sick and hibernate. I recently had bronchitis and I still picked up the kids and made Shabbat food for a couple of weeks.
helping my friend was actually a joke. I couldn't hear anything she was telling me and I was nearly blind without my reading glasses. I had a sciatic attack the first time I came to see her and was nearly crippled. there isn't a limb that doesn't hurt me today. my knees, and even my wrists are aching. we are having a winter storm and I'm glad to be back home. my house is trashed after Shabbat and the laundry is piled high. the dogs are peeing and defecating in the hallway. it is supposed to be like this for a coupe of days. right now we are having a torrential rain storm. my daughter- in- law just retuned home soaked to the bone. I thought that I'd clean the house this afternoon but I do not have the strength.
I poured some bleach water in the hallway. I went to sleep at around 4:00 a.m. so I'm tired. I am going to chill tonight and wait for the storm to end. I can't wait to get back into my jammies and drink some hot tea. I have tons of leftovers to heat up. i'll crawl back onto my t.v. sofa and have an early dinner.
I am still trying desperately to lose weight. after two months on the 'south beach' I actually gained weight the first time I ate some carbs. my metabolism is really not kicking in. I started a new regimen. I eat what I want but stay away from sugar and cake. I do not eat after 7:00 p.m. I lost a pound or two but nothing to write home about. I try to eat grapefruits when I can find them. I need to move more but I'm just not motivated enough and the weather has been too harsh.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Extreme Measures
it is 6:30 p.m. in the holy city of zefat. the kids just got back from their aunt's house. my son picked them up from gan at 2:00 p.m. today. I was at work. I'm substituting for a cook in a yeshiva for the next few days. it was supposed to be a 2week gig. it actually is only a ten day work schedule at 'his and hers' yeshivas in the old city. I already lost 2 days' pay as the girls went home for Shabbat..
I walked over to the girls' yeshiva on Sunday after I cooked lunch for the boys. I thought about making a pot of soup for them for their dinner. it was hailing and storming outside. I made it to the yeshiva before it poured but I was locked out of the yeshiva. I only had one key and they had locked both doors. I was pretty aggravated. I schlepped back to the boy's yeshiva to see if anyone had the extra key.
of course no one in charge got back to me. I went home and got caught in another downpour and hail storm. it was the third time that day. I seem to work in extreme weather. I cooked all summer in an all time record heat wave and now I'm running to town in hail storms. I have always wanted to write a book about my adventures in the kitchen in the yeshiva world and I think 'extreme measures' is a fitting title.
the cook gave me a wad of keys that were not labelled or color coded. it took me a half an hour before I managed to unlock the fridge and pantry closets. he had promised to do a produce order before he left. I came in to find a few random veggies lying around. I don't remember what type of soup I managed to put together. I struggled with a really poor peeler and knife. I also made an Israeli poached egg dish in tomatoes called shakshuka.
the kitchen was trashed. both sinks were filled with dirty dishes and pots. it took another 30 minutes to make a clean work space. the stove was small and the pots and skillets didn't quite fit. I was pretty discouraged. I was in the alcove putting the dishes on the stove when the electricians/handymen came in. hey were there to adjust the light fixtures and put in new fluorescent lights. they quickly moved the benches right up against the counter tops and blocked my access to the sinks. I was actually trapped in the alcove as I cut veggies on the window sill. that lasted for about 40 minutes.
it took me 3 hours that day to complete the lunch meal. I was beside myself. the next day I went outside on the balcony to search for something in the deep freeze. the cook gave me a mock meal plan. I found two packages of chicken wings and I decided to make a soup the next day. when I came in the next morning the wings were gone and so was my menu plan. I had to figure something out. I made some sort of soup and a pasta dish as well a about 40 tuna patties. the only can opener took a lot of hand strength to use. I tried to enlist the help of the male yeshiva students. I could barely make a dent in the lid of the industrial sized can.
three hours later I made my way over to the girl's yeshiva. I think I thought that I would do the same menu for the girls. well, the girls had already had soup for lunch and they had already had a dairy meal and had already been fed eggplant for lunch. there was a definite scarcity of produce to work with. I gabbed some sweet potatoes and a bag of pasta. I made a dish out of it without using dairy. I also made another shakshuka and a green salad. I think they liked the food.
today it snowed. they predicted a terrible storm. I figured that we would be snowed in for days. after a half an hour it stopped snowing. the gans opened at 10:00 a.m. I decided to go to work. I caught the 8:30 a.m.bus. I got to the yeshiva before 9:00 a.m. I had defrosted 2 chickens and 3 small packs of ground turkey. I thought about making a pot of chicken soup. they had bought lovely produce. I lit the eclectic stove and we lost power. I had the house mom explain how to use the stove.
there was no can opener so I couldn't make meatballs in a tomato sauce. the girls had tomato soup for lunch, anyway. I decided to stew the chicken with sweet potatoes and carrots. a one pot dish is quick and easy. I then found a bottle of opened wine in the fridge. I decided to make a sweet and sour like sauce for the meatballs. I threw in a bunch of ketchup to the wine and added ginger and herbs and other spices. I made a red lentil and cracked wheat pilaf. it didn't really require cooking but I didn't have an electric kettle to boil the water to soak them. I also had a very limited amount of pots. I had three to be exact. and each one was more awful than the next. I made two dinners in case I got snowed in.
I made a stew of green eggplant, eggplants and yellow peppers. I added very thin sliced potatoes to add some starch to the dish. I found a small carton of tomato puree. I ran off to the boy's yeshiva to heat up their lunch. I had made a meatless chili and pot of rice the day before just in case I got snowed in. it took about an hour to heat up the food. I made another pasta dish for tomorrow and a mock tuna nicoise salad in case I got snowed in. once again, the boys left their dirty dishes and eggshells on the dining room table. they come in every morning and make eggs and burnt toast, smoking up the kitchen as I try to work.
no one cares about the cook. no one dares to tell these boys to scram and go to class. I'm a piece of the wood work, magically preparing lunch in total chaos. the first time the boys came in and made their eggs and smoked up the kitchen I went nuts. I actually sliced my ginger pretty badly because I was so distracted by the boys' antics in the kitchens. I think I'm used to it now.
yesterday I made the girls a scalloped potato dish with cheese sauce and a string bean dish. there were no veggies or eggs left in the pantry. it has truly been a balagon from day one but i'll keep on cooking until I do get snowed in. unfortunately, all i'll make for this stint is chump change.
I walked over to the girls' yeshiva on Sunday after I cooked lunch for the boys. I thought about making a pot of soup for them for their dinner. it was hailing and storming outside. I made it to the yeshiva before it poured but I was locked out of the yeshiva. I only had one key and they had locked both doors. I was pretty aggravated. I schlepped back to the boy's yeshiva to see if anyone had the extra key.
of course no one in charge got back to me. I went home and got caught in another downpour and hail storm. it was the third time that day. I seem to work in extreme weather. I cooked all summer in an all time record heat wave and now I'm running to town in hail storms. I have always wanted to write a book about my adventures in the kitchen in the yeshiva world and I think 'extreme measures' is a fitting title.
the cook gave me a wad of keys that were not labelled or color coded. it took me a half an hour before I managed to unlock the fridge and pantry closets. he had promised to do a produce order before he left. I came in to find a few random veggies lying around. I don't remember what type of soup I managed to put together. I struggled with a really poor peeler and knife. I also made an Israeli poached egg dish in tomatoes called shakshuka.
the kitchen was trashed. both sinks were filled with dirty dishes and pots. it took another 30 minutes to make a clean work space. the stove was small and the pots and skillets didn't quite fit. I was pretty discouraged. I was in the alcove putting the dishes on the stove when the electricians/handymen came in. hey were there to adjust the light fixtures and put in new fluorescent lights. they quickly moved the benches right up against the counter tops and blocked my access to the sinks. I was actually trapped in the alcove as I cut veggies on the window sill. that lasted for about 40 minutes.
it took me 3 hours that day to complete the lunch meal. I was beside myself. the next day I went outside on the balcony to search for something in the deep freeze. the cook gave me a mock meal plan. I found two packages of chicken wings and I decided to make a soup the next day. when I came in the next morning the wings were gone and so was my menu plan. I had to figure something out. I made some sort of soup and a pasta dish as well a about 40 tuna patties. the only can opener took a lot of hand strength to use. I tried to enlist the help of the male yeshiva students. I could barely make a dent in the lid of the industrial sized can.
three hours later I made my way over to the girl's yeshiva. I think I thought that I would do the same menu for the girls. well, the girls had already had soup for lunch and they had already had a dairy meal and had already been fed eggplant for lunch. there was a definite scarcity of produce to work with. I gabbed some sweet potatoes and a bag of pasta. I made a dish out of it without using dairy. I also made another shakshuka and a green salad. I think they liked the food.
today it snowed. they predicted a terrible storm. I figured that we would be snowed in for days. after a half an hour it stopped snowing. the gans opened at 10:00 a.m. I decided to go to work. I caught the 8:30 a.m.bus. I got to the yeshiva before 9:00 a.m. I had defrosted 2 chickens and 3 small packs of ground turkey. I thought about making a pot of chicken soup. they had bought lovely produce. I lit the eclectic stove and we lost power. I had the house mom explain how to use the stove.
there was no can opener so I couldn't make meatballs in a tomato sauce. the girls had tomato soup for lunch, anyway. I decided to stew the chicken with sweet potatoes and carrots. a one pot dish is quick and easy. I then found a bottle of opened wine in the fridge. I decided to make a sweet and sour like sauce for the meatballs. I threw in a bunch of ketchup to the wine and added ginger and herbs and other spices. I made a red lentil and cracked wheat pilaf. it didn't really require cooking but I didn't have an electric kettle to boil the water to soak them. I also had a very limited amount of pots. I had three to be exact. and each one was more awful than the next. I made two dinners in case I got snowed in.
I made a stew of green eggplant, eggplants and yellow peppers. I added very thin sliced potatoes to add some starch to the dish. I found a small carton of tomato puree. I ran off to the boy's yeshiva to heat up their lunch. I had made a meatless chili and pot of rice the day before just in case I got snowed in. it took about an hour to heat up the food. I made another pasta dish for tomorrow and a mock tuna nicoise salad in case I got snowed in. once again, the boys left their dirty dishes and eggshells on the dining room table. they come in every morning and make eggs and burnt toast, smoking up the kitchen as I try to work.
no one cares about the cook. no one dares to tell these boys to scram and go to class. I'm a piece of the wood work, magically preparing lunch in total chaos. the first time the boys came in and made their eggs and smoked up the kitchen I went nuts. I actually sliced my ginger pretty badly because I was so distracted by the boys' antics in the kitchens. I think I'm used to it now.
yesterday I made the girls a scalloped potato dish with cheese sauce and a string bean dish. there were no veggies or eggs left in the pantry. it has truly been a balagon from day one but i'll keep on cooking until I do get snowed in. unfortunately, all i'll make for this stint is chump change.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Watching Little Kids
it is 9:30 a.m. in the holy city of zefat. I am trying to get to town. it's freezing outside. I need a hot shower. I usually watch reruns of "Alias' at this hour. I can't indulge this morning. I actually caught the episode at 2:00 a.m. I was hoping to see the 'golden globes' last night but no such luck. I have a list of a million things to do in town. I probably won't get to accomplish them all. I have to pick up the kids at 4:00 p.m.
I need to buy a large rat trap. the humongous rat living in the boiler room needs the Rolls Royce of traps. I also need to buy peanut butter to put in the trap. I need to pay our water bill and get a letter from the national insurance office, which is in another office, to get my discount for the city tax. I need to buy a cordless phone because I can no longer cope with the only one and only phone in the costume/ blog room. every time it rings I need to do a fifty mile dash to retrieve the call. the room consists of only outside walls so it is freezing in there. I can't hear the phone ring from downstairs.
I am very nervous this morning. the big kids are going out of town this evening until Tuesday. I have to pick up the kids and feed them and bathe them and put them to sleep like I do about 3-4 times a week. the only difference is that I need to sleep downstairs with them tonight. they will be out by 8:30 p.m. I don't go to sleep until around 2:00 a.m. I have 3 dogs when left alone upstairs create havoc. I have to get the kids dressed in the morning and take them to gan. that makes me a bit queasy. I am actually dreading this afternoon. some grandma, right?
I have a very dear friend who is awaiting her father's passing. he is in a hospice hanging on. what a high soul! I have the pleasure of my grandkids for a couple of days, and I am complaining. I am turning into an old lady before my eyes. I feel like I am getting a relapse of my bronchial infection. I never took any medication. the kids are all runny noises and feverish. my throat is scratchy once again and I can't get enough sleep. I haven't gotten my strength back since I had the flu. I do the minimum. I can food shop, cook and clean the house. that's about all I manage. I hardly ever go out. I feel winded when I walk. i'm also headachy.
I did start to read recently. I started with stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer. they were published in the 70's and deal with post war European characters living in the states. they are haunting and very soulful. I have two books that I am simultaneously reading. I used to love romance novels and spy stories. I find that I have no patience for them now. I like stories about the human condition and primarily about Jewish people. I nearly forgot how to read. it's been a while. I basically read on Shabbat. I'm too busy watching television and surfing the net to read during the week.
I have been watching a lot of documentaries and old interviews this week. I watched tons on Liz Taylor, Eddie Fisher, Freddy Mercury, the true hero of the book "Unbroken" and Rock Hudson. I watched dozens of 'in memorial' tapes for 2015. I think I was on a dead trip. I watched the 1964 movie,' Umbrellas of Cherburg,' twice. that was the first foreign film I ever saw. I must have been 13 years old at the time. I can still remember how I felt and how I discussed every detail of the film with my mom. my older sister, who is the voice of reason now, took me to see it.
this last sugar and carbs binge has set me back many pounds. it's amazing how quickly one gains wait when one is inactive. it took three months to lose most of my belly fat and now I'm back to square one. I have no desire to go back on a diet. I will try to stay away from sugar once again and watch what I eat. I made myself sick with all the junk I crammed down my throat last week.
I need to buy a large rat trap. the humongous rat living in the boiler room needs the Rolls Royce of traps. I also need to buy peanut butter to put in the trap. I need to pay our water bill and get a letter from the national insurance office, which is in another office, to get my discount for the city tax. I need to buy a cordless phone because I can no longer cope with the only one and only phone in the costume/ blog room. every time it rings I need to do a fifty mile dash to retrieve the call. the room consists of only outside walls so it is freezing in there. I can't hear the phone ring from downstairs.
I am very nervous this morning. the big kids are going out of town this evening until Tuesday. I have to pick up the kids and feed them and bathe them and put them to sleep like I do about 3-4 times a week. the only difference is that I need to sleep downstairs with them tonight. they will be out by 8:30 p.m. I don't go to sleep until around 2:00 a.m. I have 3 dogs when left alone upstairs create havoc. I have to get the kids dressed in the morning and take them to gan. that makes me a bit queasy. I am actually dreading this afternoon. some grandma, right?
I have a very dear friend who is awaiting her father's passing. he is in a hospice hanging on. what a high soul! I have the pleasure of my grandkids for a couple of days, and I am complaining. I am turning into an old lady before my eyes. I feel like I am getting a relapse of my bronchial infection. I never took any medication. the kids are all runny noises and feverish. my throat is scratchy once again and I can't get enough sleep. I haven't gotten my strength back since I had the flu. I do the minimum. I can food shop, cook and clean the house. that's about all I manage. I hardly ever go out. I feel winded when I walk. i'm also headachy.
I did start to read recently. I started with stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer. they were published in the 70's and deal with post war European characters living in the states. they are haunting and very soulful. I have two books that I am simultaneously reading. I used to love romance novels and spy stories. I find that I have no patience for them now. I like stories about the human condition and primarily about Jewish people. I nearly forgot how to read. it's been a while. I basically read on Shabbat. I'm too busy watching television and surfing the net to read during the week.
I have been watching a lot of documentaries and old interviews this week. I watched tons on Liz Taylor, Eddie Fisher, Freddy Mercury, the true hero of the book "Unbroken" and Rock Hudson. I watched dozens of 'in memorial' tapes for 2015. I think I was on a dead trip. I watched the 1964 movie,' Umbrellas of Cherburg,' twice. that was the first foreign film I ever saw. I must have been 13 years old at the time. I can still remember how I felt and how I discussed every detail of the film with my mom. my older sister, who is the voice of reason now, took me to see it.
this last sugar and carbs binge has set me back many pounds. it's amazing how quickly one gains wait when one is inactive. it took three months to lose most of my belly fat and now I'm back to square one. I have no desire to go back on a diet. I will try to stay away from sugar once again and watch what I eat. I made myself sick with all the junk I crammed down my throat last week.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Baby It's Cold Outside
it's 10:00 p.m. in the holy city oaf zefat. thank the Lord, the kids went back to gan this morning. the snow storm never happened. it started to snow several times but it never stuck. it is simply freezing and stormy. tons of rain are falling in the holy land. we didn't lose power so with the aid of 3 heaters we didn't freeze. it was actually comfortable around the dining table and toasty in the t.v. game area where the kids play.
Friday was tough. from the early morning on the kids were hyper active. by the early afternoon they were insane. I lost my cool. I screamed until I nearly lost my voice. I could have easily hurt them. I had done a major part of the cooking on Thursday but I still had plenty to do on Friday. I was called to break up their wildness countless number of times. they kept on dragging in a large down comforter from the back bedroom. I kept on putting it back in the bedroom. it, nevertheless, kept on being tossed on the rug. said comforter ended up catching on fire on Friday night.
we were amazingly lucky that my son put out the small flame before it caused any harm to the kids or house. I was so mad. it was a down comforter given to me by a friend. you can't buy these here. they only have the polyester ones. I was more mad that the kids had dragged in the comforter after I had spent the entire day retrieving it from them. it only hit me later on that they could have been seriously harmed by the small fire. I didn't sleep much that night.
I went to bed at around 8:30 p.m. that night. I had tasted a bit of good French cognac. I jumped up at 3:00 a.m. I ran to the door to see if we had been snowed under. I saw my oldest and smallest dog, Cookie. she had somehow been locked out all night long. she no longer barks or hears for that, matter. I felt criminal. she seemed okay. I didn't see our young dog Tiny. I left the door open for a while and drank a cup of tea. it was freezing. the heaters were off until around 7:00 a.m. I set them on timers.
I thought that Tiny had finally run away. we've had him for almost a year. I found him just before Purim and he was really tiny. he slept in a shoe box. he's a large dog now with plenty of energy. I never intended on keeping him. he has never been on a leash and chases cars and people. he loves to play with the kids but he can get pretty aggressive. he jumps into bed with me and tries to lay across my chest like a small puppy. I went to the bathroom and found tiny lying on a pile of laundry. apparently he got locked inside at some point that night.
I went back to bed but I couldn't sleep. the fire and the locked out dogs kept me up. I held on to my grandson and cradled him. he still sleeps with me on Friday night. I have to admit that he generates more body heat than any old comforter. I think that I stared at him for hours. I may have fallen back to sleeep around 6:30 a.m. both kids woke me up at around 7:30 a.m. I jumped out of bed to make everyone hot drinks. I put out cake and butter cookies and everyone got a chocolate. I was so happy that they hadn't gotten injured the night before.
they were so excited every time it started to snow. they actually went outside in their pajamas. kids are eskimos, anyway. they never feel the cold. they were running around all day in just socks. they took all of the toys from the t.v. room and built themselves a mock toy store in the living room. they were quite content. the living room wasn't heated but it didn't stop them. I didn't make 'cholent' for lunch. that's a beef or chicken stew with potatoes and beans that's sits on the electric platter all night. it is a perfect dish for winter. and it is a one pot wonder.
I made a stewed chicken with tomato sauce and threw in sweet potatoes and a couple of white ones. it wasn't dry like cholent. I also made a rice and lentil dish. it was good to have sturdy hot food. my daughter-in-law really doesn't go for cholent. I always try to please her. my son came back from shul expecting to get cholent. I think that if they are here next week I will make a small pot of cholent for my son. my grandson also likes beef. I will have stewed chicken for the daughter-in-law or fried cutlets.
I had two electric thermoses filled with hot water yesterday and a third kettle on the gas in case the power went out. I hated to see my gas supply depleted but I didn't want to take a chance that we would be without hot food and drink. as it turned out, we were okay. I woke up last night at 3:00 a.m again. I kept the t.v on and listened with my eyes closed to hours of 'Grim.' I had a cup of tea and two chocolates. the house is absolutely freezing. my hands are frozen as I type. I think i'll end now and heat up some rice and lentils. I may have promised the kids a lasagna today. the daughter-in-law is working the morning shift so she will pick up the kids by car. I will cuddle under the covers with the 3 dogs for body heat.
Friday was tough. from the early morning on the kids were hyper active. by the early afternoon they were insane. I lost my cool. I screamed until I nearly lost my voice. I could have easily hurt them. I had done a major part of the cooking on Thursday but I still had plenty to do on Friday. I was called to break up their wildness countless number of times. they kept on dragging in a large down comforter from the back bedroom. I kept on putting it back in the bedroom. it, nevertheless, kept on being tossed on the rug. said comforter ended up catching on fire on Friday night.
we were amazingly lucky that my son put out the small flame before it caused any harm to the kids or house. I was so mad. it was a down comforter given to me by a friend. you can't buy these here. they only have the polyester ones. I was more mad that the kids had dragged in the comforter after I had spent the entire day retrieving it from them. it only hit me later on that they could have been seriously harmed by the small fire. I didn't sleep much that night.
I went to bed at around 8:30 p.m. that night. I had tasted a bit of good French cognac. I jumped up at 3:00 a.m. I ran to the door to see if we had been snowed under. I saw my oldest and smallest dog, Cookie. she had somehow been locked out all night long. she no longer barks or hears for that, matter. I felt criminal. she seemed okay. I didn't see our young dog Tiny. I left the door open for a while and drank a cup of tea. it was freezing. the heaters were off until around 7:00 a.m. I set them on timers.
I thought that Tiny had finally run away. we've had him for almost a year. I found him just before Purim and he was really tiny. he slept in a shoe box. he's a large dog now with plenty of energy. I never intended on keeping him. he has never been on a leash and chases cars and people. he loves to play with the kids but he can get pretty aggressive. he jumps into bed with me and tries to lay across my chest like a small puppy. I went to the bathroom and found tiny lying on a pile of laundry. apparently he got locked inside at some point that night.
I went back to bed but I couldn't sleep. the fire and the locked out dogs kept me up. I held on to my grandson and cradled him. he still sleeps with me on Friday night. I have to admit that he generates more body heat than any old comforter. I think that I stared at him for hours. I may have fallen back to sleeep around 6:30 a.m. both kids woke me up at around 7:30 a.m. I jumped out of bed to make everyone hot drinks. I put out cake and butter cookies and everyone got a chocolate. I was so happy that they hadn't gotten injured the night before.
they were so excited every time it started to snow. they actually went outside in their pajamas. kids are eskimos, anyway. they never feel the cold. they were running around all day in just socks. they took all of the toys from the t.v. room and built themselves a mock toy store in the living room. they were quite content. the living room wasn't heated but it didn't stop them. I didn't make 'cholent' for lunch. that's a beef or chicken stew with potatoes and beans that's sits on the electric platter all night. it is a perfect dish for winter. and it is a one pot wonder.
I made a stewed chicken with tomato sauce and threw in sweet potatoes and a couple of white ones. it wasn't dry like cholent. I also made a rice and lentil dish. it was good to have sturdy hot food. my daughter-in-law really doesn't go for cholent. I always try to please her. my son came back from shul expecting to get cholent. I think that if they are here next week I will make a small pot of cholent for my son. my grandson also likes beef. I will have stewed chicken for the daughter-in-law or fried cutlets.
I had two electric thermoses filled with hot water yesterday and a third kettle on the gas in case the power went out. I hated to see my gas supply depleted but I didn't want to take a chance that we would be without hot food and drink. as it turned out, we were okay. I woke up last night at 3:00 a.m again. I kept the t.v on and listened with my eyes closed to hours of 'Grim.' I had a cup of tea and two chocolates. the house is absolutely freezing. my hands are frozen as I type. I think i'll end now and heat up some rice and lentils. I may have promised the kids a lasagna today. the daughter-in-law is working the morning shift so she will pick up the kids by car. I will cuddle under the covers with the 3 dogs for body heat.
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