Gone Fishing.

it is 1:30 p.m. in the holy city of zefat.  I have the little kids watching 'Jim jam' while I blog.  it is really hot outside.  I made them a kiddie pool a little while ago.  I did most of my cooking for Shabbat already.  I still have the salads to make as the fish cooks.  I don't think i'll wash the floors today.

I had the week off from dealing with the kids.  I truly crashed from taking care of them full time.  I was not a happy camper when I heard that they weren't going to day camps this summer.  the Sephardi grandmother offered to have them this week.  they went out of town for a couple of days to a family wedding.  I got lucky and didn't attend because Ashkenazim do not celebrate simchas  during the traditional 'three weeks' of mourning.

I found it a bit eerie to be alone in the house.  I binge watched 6 seasons of 'Sex and the City'.  I think I lost touch with reality.  I didn't leave the house for days.  I did make a shiva call to a middle aged married couple who lost their nearly 100 year old parent/mother-in-law.  that is the third elderly parent to have died in the course of a few days.  they do say that these things tend to come in threes. 

the kids told me yesterday that they would be 'coming' for Shabbat.  I called my son in the late afternoon to ask him if they had made plans for Shabbat.  of course, they were planning to eat here.  the Sephardi grandma is going away for Shabbat.  I had to turn off 'sex in the city' and get dressed and go to the large super market.  I bought a few veggies, a watermelon and some chicken bottoms and fillet of salmon on sale.  I grabbed a hand full of the remaining charity money and ran.

my son wanted me to babysit for the kids while he and wifey went to a bar mitzvah.  luckily, I returned home late from the supermarket.  the kids got one of the Sephardi sisters to take care of the kids.  I was very relieved.  I did not want to be downstairs last night with the kids.  I went to bed late but got up feeling refreshed.  I made a cheesecake first thing this morning.  I guess I felt guilty about not wanting to be with the kids this week. 

I spent about a hundred dollars at the supermarket.  I have been requiring the kids to buy the veggies  for Shabbat lately but yesterday there was no time.  I only bought about 5 potatoes and made a small potato kugel loaf.   I also bought two fillets of Nile perch because the daughter-in-law doesn't like fillet of salmon.  I cooked them together and I hope it won't ruin the taste of the perch.

I made about 6 pieces of chicken in a spicy sauce and threw in turkey meatballs to stretch the meal.  I don't  know if it will be enough for tonight and tomorrow.   I don't really feel like cooking any more.  I usually fry up chicken cutlets on Friday so the kids eat when they come home from work.  I didn't buy bread crumbs nor did I defrost the cutlets.  let them eat cake! cheesecake, that is.

Aftermath:  it is 4:30 p.m. and the kids just called to ask if I had challah.  I forgot that Sephardi grandma was going away for Shabbat.  she supplies us with challah rolls every week. thank goodness I had 5 challah rolls in freezer.  I don't think there is a bakery open now and I doubt there are any challahs to be had.