An Even Harder Day's Work

it is 8:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  I got home a little while ago.  I caught the 9:00 a.m. bus to town this morning and went to my recovery anonymous sponsor.  we definitely, shot the breeze for an hour before getting down to 'official' business.  I got to the yeshiva at 11:00 a.m.  it seemed orderly and clean.  the floor in the dining room had dried from yesterday's flooding.

I made a mushroom barley veggie soup as soon as I got in.  I made macaroni and tomato sauce and a huge pot of spicy split peas.  I once again, mangled the opening of an industrial sized tuna.  I shook most of the contents out threw a slit I made in the can.  I  also made a cucumber and onion salad.  one of the guys remarked that it reminded him of the old days, back in 2012, when I used to cook there full time.  those were the loveliest times of my life.  I had returned to work after 10 years of caring for my parents and grandson.

I made a chicken stir fry for dinner.  I had little patience to cut the veggies into strips.  by then I just wanted to sit down.  I find it hard to do food preparation while sitting.  my legs were beginning to give out on me.  my veggie strips were not your perfect match stick shapes.  I am living in the 'solution' and I do not strive for perfection.  truthfully, I couldn't care less what the food looks like, as long as it tastes good.  and bottom line, yeshiva guys will eat anything.  I am supposed to be cooking for 20 but I fall short off the mark. when I cooked for 12 in the summer, I made enough for 20.  but 20 students eat like 40 students.  yesterday, I made 80 tuna patties.  for them, 3-4 patties a piece was a nibble.  so I made a huge noodle kugel and big pot of tomato veggie soup and a salad.

I try to make a variety of things.  I made a curried bulgur yesterday which was barely touched.  I left it again for dinner tonight.  I made a small pot of white rice and for the life of me, I don't remember why I did.  perhaps, I was planning on throwing it into the stir fry.  I thought about saving it for Sunday's soup but I put it out anyway.  except for the bulgar there hasn't been any leftovers.  that probably means that I haven't made enough food.  it's okay.  the regular cook comes back on Tuesday.  and no one at the yeshiva has passed out from starvation.

after work, I went to visit my friend who lost her husband on Sunday.  I was able to get the prescription meds for her.  the poor thing suffers from epileptic seizures.  I had a very intimate and profound discussion with her doctor.  he was friends with her husband.  the last time I went to him for paper work I lost it on him.  it was a very serene and somber discussion.  I guess my friend's husband had a good effect on people.  her sons are the loveliest young men and remind me of their father..

after the shiva call, I went to my other friends to pick up their key.  I will be feeding their cats, collecting their mail and watching their house for the next 3 weeks.  I plan also, to check up on the recent CT scan results and see the doctor for them.  they return on the same day that I see my oncologist in Ramat Gan.  my friend gave me some English magazines so I have what to read this Shabbat.  I think she threw in a Martha Steward's holiday issue, too.  I can't wait to read her thanksgiving recipes.

I will be alone this Shabbat.  my friends are spending the Shabbat out of town and flying out on Saturday night.  it will be strange not to see them on Saturday.  I'm sure I will manage alone.  I will catch up on my sleep.  last night I didn't have a nightmare about dying.  I saw that I do, indeed, fall asleep at  around 10:30 p.m.  I usually wake up at 1:00 a.m. and fall back to sleep with the television on.  I get up at around 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. and let the hounds out.  somehow, I feel rested today, in spite of my busy schedule.