Sleepless In Zefat

it is 4:30 a.m. in the holy city of zefat and I can't sleep.  we ended the fast of Yom Kippur at around 7:30p.m.  I spent the day in synagogue and had a wonderful time. I had davened at the local Sephardi synagogue on Rosh Hashana and didn't know one tune. it was very frustrating.  it was also extremely hot and I didn't feel well.  I had walked over to the local Chabad bomb shelter where I pray on holidays, but I had a panic attack and had to leave.

I  felt dizzy and nauseous and came home.  I think I lost my vision for a moment, too.  after a few moments and a damp towel on my face, I regained my composure and vision.  I walked over to the Sephardi shul which was air conditioned.  the kids were with me for the first night so I didn't mind not following the service.  it was very annoying the next day.

today I was at home in the bomb shelter.  I felt well and strong.  I loved the Chabad tunes and was in my zone.  I didn't stay for the Kiddush to break the fast because the kids were home.  I put out store bought chocolate croissants and a cheese yeast cake.  I then made a tomato and cabbage soup and cheese barekas.  no one was left hungry.  my son was in a good mood and put up the frame of the sukkah.  the small kids helped by bringing him the metal poles.  my grandson, the 6 year old tank, did a bit of hammering, too.  he made some horrific karate grunts before he hammered.

we start the holiday of Sukkot on Sunday.  the kids will be home from gan for a week.  thank goodness, the air is fresh again.  we need a good rainstorm to clean off all of the dust but we can breathe easy again.  they predicted the worst heat wave in centuries for Yom Kippur.  it was actually comfortable today.  the bomb shelter was not air conditioned but it was fine.  it was hotter on Rosh Hashana.  the house was comfortable, too with only a few fans. I didn't sleep well because it was my job to wake up my son at 5:00 a.m. to catch a special service.  I woke up every hour on the hour.

my grandson insisted on sleeping with me and he was sick.  he tossed and turned and coughed the night away.  sometime in the middle of the night it got cold.  I found a blanket and covered us both.  it was lovely.  it was so amazing that it wasn't as hot as they predicted.  I think that G-d decided to give the Jews a break.  I had a nightmare that all the neighborhood houses became flooded with sewerage and that we had to clean up the mess on Yom Kippur.  that week long sand storm traumatized us.

I am anxious once again, about finances.  I think I can get through the rest of the holidays with the food in the freezer.  I still have a small piece of meat and a package of chopped meat.  I am thinking about making a meat lasagna.  I have never made one before.  of course, I cannot add cheese but I think mushrooms or eggplant might work well.  I don't think the little kids would like eggplant.  I know they love mushrooms.  my friend, who is probably coming for the holiday, doesn't eat mushrooms. i'll come up with something.

I do not want to make meatballs again.  I just can't.  I don't think the kids would like meatloaf.  the American boys in the yeshiva went crazy for it but I don't think Israeli's would go for it.  I could make up some beef patties with a lot of cilantro.  that might be just the ticket.  if I get lucky the kids will go to the Sephardi family for the holiday and I can go to my friends.  I still have to make Shabbat meals.  the kids decided to stay home for Yom Kippur at the last minute.

they always go away for Yom Kippur and I am left alone to pray at my local bomb shelter in peace.  this year they panicked because of the weather forecast.  I scrambled to make food before the fast.  I made a small pot of chicken soup with this tiny capon.  I had one onion, 2 sweet potatoes and a piece of pumpkin.  I didn't have any celery or carrots. I didn't have parsley, either.  I made a bunch of potatoes, rice and chicken fingers.  I had bought a lettuce so we had a bit of salad.  I had a bunch of pomegranates from my friends' trees.  I ran to the bakery to buy rolls and a cheese danish loaf.

I have a list of things I need for sukkot and I think that I'm out of checks.  any wonder I can't sleep.  I brought up all the metal poles for the sukkah on Tuesday morning from the shed downstairs.  it took a lot of schlepping up the stairs.  I was determined to put the sukkah  upstairs in the front courtyard this year.  last year we had a humungous wind storm downstairs moments before the holiday began and our metal framed Sukkah nearly flew away.  my son caught it and was holding on to it for dear life.  it was a miracle that he didn't break his hand.