Shabbat Shalom

it is 2:30 p.m. in the old city of zefat.  i have both kids today.  one is passed out on the sofa and the other one is still bopping around.  i actually fed these two today.  it was rounds of strawberry banana drink, salami, olives, pastrami, grapes, melon., tortilla chips and hard cooked eggs minus the yokes.  i ate about 5 mashed yokes with mayo.  i might have given one to the dogs.

i cooked most of the shabbat food yesterday, while my grandson watched 'toy story 3'.  he is obsessed with it.  we both passed out in the late afternoon.  he was binge watching 'toy story' and i was binge watching dozens of episodes of 'desperate housewives'.   we share an addiction to the boob tube, unfortunately.

i had the kids with me until around 8:30 p.m. and then the big kids went to town after the little kids were put to sleep.   this grandma passed out on the sofa bed.  it's been really hot and i've been in bed.  there were days where i couldn't get up.  i've had moments when i couldn't bend or turn my body. last night i could hardly stand up from the floor.  considering katushas are falling in the center of the country,  i am in no hurry to perform an MRI on my lower back.

i have paying guests in a couple of weeks.  i did a preliminary pesach cleaning job a while ago upstairs.  i need to do the wooden floors.   it's a huge job.   i had the upstairs porch pigeon free for a short while but they are back.  i need to reinforce the discs on the perches of the roof and sprinkle more cinnamon.  in some places you can hear the pigeons in the walls.  i hope the guests will be okay.  i hope the katushas won't start raining on zefat.  i hope we all survive the summer.

my son set up the pool and bought a new hose on wednesday night.  we still haven't filled it with water yet. perhaps this afternoon, when the big kids get home, we will get a go at it.  it scares me to have a pool  with two small kids around.  i  filled up a bubble bath for the two earlier today to get a break.  they were really wild.  they managed to get water all over the floor and the little one took a spill as she went to pottie.

i made a minimum amount of food for shabbat.  i made the standard piquant fish dish, the piquant tomato relish, cole slaw, corn salad, mixed green salad, peppery spaghetti kugel, chicken stir fry, and chicken meatballs.  i'll mix up some package couscous later.  i bought a package of salami and turkey pastrami for lunch.  it's been so hot lately, i decided to not heat the kitchen with a hot plate.  i could use a cold beer right around now.  i have been having a glass at lunch every week.  last night i was thinking of having one.

hopefully, the hot food won't be missed so much.  i might try putting the hot plate on a timer.  i've always had problems with that  but i'll give it the old college try, i guess.   my niece from india, is still here.  i haven't been back to visit in nearly a month.  my nephew from new york is also here.  i need to make a giant effort to see them before they return home next week.

i'm thinking of making a dinner for everyone , but i have a strong feeling it won't happen.  i'd like to call a pool party next week.  perhaps that will inspire them to visit me here.  my son and daughter-in-law think i'm chasing after my own family and that i'm a desperado.  i'm just being realistic.  if i want to see everyone i need to go there.  the cancer card is over.  the sciatic card doesn't wash.

i am trying very hard in my own way to achieve world peace and survival.  i am trying to stay positive and not have negative feelings for the people that i know or have known in the past.  i am trying to get rid of all my perceived hurts and slights.  i want to clean my mental house.  it's harder than it sounds.  it's an uphill struggle.