All Night Long

it is 9:00 p.m. in the holy city of zefat.  the small kids are still up and their parents just got home.  I managed to bathe the boy but the girl is still prancing around in a princess gown I found near the trash.  I had them since 2:00 p.m.  I called the big kids three times to ask them to get home.  the little kids wanted to see their parents.  they did not want me to bathe them and i was desperate to get upstairs after being with the kids for 6 hours today.

of course, the big kids came home and didn't get the kids settled down.  the daughter-in-law came home with all sorts of sale clothes.  how that girl loves to shop! it  doesn't matter that it's way past the kids' bedtime, the kids must try on all the new clothes.  they bought the boy Australian leather boots that looked tiny.  watching them struggle and not succeed to get his big hooves into the boots was not pleasant.  it was down right annoying me.  and then my 28 year old son was carrying on because his wife doesn't want him to go out of town tomorrow night to see a champion soccer game.  like I didn't have my fill of whining all afternoon long with his kids.

I haven't blogged in some time because I have been taking care of the little kids every day.  I spend most of the day and evening downstairs.  when I try to sneak a bit of time to blog or make a phone call the kittle kids follow me into my computer room and play with the computer.  they usually are watching videos on my computer.  the computer downstairs is kaput.  mine will be too if I continue toallow the kids to use mine.

I have been trying to shed some pounds before my next gyn/oncologist appointment next month.  I have tried to do 'south beach' but I haven't lost an ounce.  I also haven't been watching how much I eat.  I have stayed away form carbs and sugar for three weeks but nothing is budging. I am still wearing my pregnancy jeans skirt.  my new clothes don't fit.  I have been hitting the humus a bit hard and have been overdoing the sunflower seeds.  that's quite caloric.

my girlfriend who does count calories has been on a strict regimen and has slimmed down a bit.  it was so much easier a few years ago.  I managed to lose ten pounds in a month.  but then I had cancer.  right now, I have a huge belly.  it is actually bigger than when I was pregnant some 28 years ago.  I am not in the best of shape.  I really need to lose about 16 pounds.  I have always managed to do so, on the 'south beach'.  I don't know why this time it isn't working.  I will still hang in there.  I lost some girth during the summer while I had the cooking gig at the yeshiva.  unfortunately, I regained it all.

the house is a mess and I haven't been functioning as of late.  i'm back to not sleeping at night.  that's not good for weight loss or one's vitality.  I am like a golem.  I leave the house every afternoon to pick up the kids but I never make it to the supermarket.  I am out of everything.  the fridge is bare and so are the closets.  I bought just what I needed to make Shabbat meals.   the kids went to their friends for Friday night meal so I went over to my friends.  they live a couple of blocks away, as we say in New York.  since we turned the clock backwards, Shabbat begins really early.  we light candles this week around 4:00 p.m.  by 7:30 p.m. it feels like midnight.

I still have some fish, chicken and soft drinks left over from last week's purchases.  i'll just need to buy veggies for this Shabbat.  I am very broke.  I am afraid to write any more checks.  I paid off the enormous water bill and am waiting for the kids to reimburse me for their share.  I got a little bit of  extra cash from welfare last month, so luckily, I didn't have any more bounced checks.  what a way to live!  is there any wonder I don't sleep soundly at night?

I invited my good gal pal over with her twin sister, who is visiting, for an early lunch on Thursday.  I definitely have to get out early to the supermarket tomorrow and clean my house.  the kids trashed it weeks ago.  they dragged in all sorts of toys and threw it all in the salon.  the salon looks like a storage shed.  we have a baby crib, mattresses, bicycle and mini car plus tons of leggo.    I need to dust all of the furniture.and wash the floor.  my friend's sister has never seen my place before.  are we having fun yet?

I am thinking about making shakshuka, a Sephardi poached egg dish in spicy tomatoes.  I also want to bake a banana bread.  I actually sprung for a few bananas for the kids this week.  they are pretty expensive.  of course, the kids didn't eat them so they are now brown.  they will make a great banana loaf.  I have tons of challah rolls in the freezer and was thinking about making a bread pudding, too.  i also wanted to make corn bread but I might just buy some fresh pitas and call it a day.  i think i'll make a greek salad with shredded lettuce, cucumbers and feta cheese.  let's just see how i function tomorrow.

we are once again plagued with a rat downstairs.  it seems enormous.  he manages to keep moving the trap around.  we haven't seen him but he did manage to eat a huge hole in the sewer pipe.  we need a plumber to replace the pipe but the kids can't be bothered.  if they were paying me rent I could cover the cost of the plumber but they aren't and I can't afford the repairs.  they are not good tenants.  actually, they are really squatters.  that's right, they moved in while I was sick and in the hospital without my okay.

upstairs i am experiencing a flea infestation.  i suffered the entire summer with ticks and now it's fleas.  i am covered in bites.  what's that old adage, "you sleep with dogs and you wake up with fleas"?  i am quite uncomfortable.  i keep sprinkling lavender oil on the dogs, my itching body and the bedding.  i don't think it's working.  i look like i have aids.  my entire body is covered in scabs.  the things we endure for our pets.  i still have three dogs.  'tiny' is huge and still a puppy.  he has eaten about 4 of my siddurs and other holy books.  he is insane.  he recently ate a huge gap in my bed.  i have to remember to leave him on the porch when i'm out of the house.

i started thinking about making a thanksgiving meal.  i don't know if i can swing it financially.  so far i have found new recipes for cranberry sauce, squash soup, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.  i made a pumpkin custard a couple of years ago.  it was foul, all separated and runny. the only place where i can find raw cranberries is the Russian market near my house.  they also sell all kinds of non kosher products including pork.  i try not going in there but once in a while i need a small bottle of some kind of liquor and they always have it .

right now i am not sure if i will actually pull off the holiday feast but it's fun thinking about it.  i no longer have my turkey napkins but i do have a straw turkey bread basket and a thanksgiving paper table cloth.   i didn't take down the stuffing recipe yet.  we still have some time before the big day.