it is 8:30 p.m. in the holy city of zefat. tonight is the last night of Chanukah. I have been pretty busy this week. I managed to do the blood tests, EKG, and lung x-ray for my pre surgery visit. after giving up sugar and simple carbs for about two months; there was not any change in my sugar, cholesterol or creatinine. they are all pretty high and they found borderline ST changes in my EKG.
I feel like I gained a bit of weight, too. I didn't say no to the latkes this week but I didn't have one fried donut. I stayed away from the chocolate coins, also. I just had a piece of a dietetic chocolate wafer, that I bought by accident. it wasn't so bad. the kids had a sleepover on Wednesday night. I took them to a kids' party at the chabad synagogue and then we went to visit my sister, who lives right there.
she hadn't seen the kids in a long while. I got to see my nieces. I hadn't seen them both in over a year. we got home around 9:30 p.m. and got into jammies. I laid out two mattresses on the floor of the t.v. room and we all snuggled together and watched the movie 'barnyard 2'. the kids' bodies kept me warm. we all woke up at around 7:00 a.m. and had breakfast and hot showers. it was a pleasant sunny day. we have been having tons of rain and stormy days.
we went to a local community center which had activities for kids. it took a while for the kids to get into the swing of things but fortunately there was plenty of room to run around outside in the sun. we walked back to town and I bought the kids ice cream cones. I redeemed the coupons they won for shekels and we went to their favorite dollar store and I spent about $5. we walked through town to get a bite to eat. the local 5 shekel coffee shop was packed so we pushed on. my grandson wanted pizza bit I was tired and my granddaughter was about to fall asleep.
she did pass out on the bus ride home and he was miserable the entire trip home. the day before, we had run down to the supermarket to get frozen ravioli and mini pizzas and chocolate puddings. on the way back he noticed a new hamburger stand. they were only 10 shekels so I told him to order one. my granddaughter didn't want one. he also ordered an order of fries and onion rings. the kid is a bon v von. what can I say. I was a bit ticked off when I had to shell out 30 shekels. he finished most of the food and we all got to sample the fries and onion rings.
I was going to make latkes for my friend and myself but I decided not to bother. I threw all of the grated potato mixture into a pan and made a kugel, instead. I did fry up a package of chicken cutlets. I had made a latke night on Monday. it was the 8th anniversary of my mother's passing. I made cottage cheese latkes as well as potato ones. I left them in the oven too long and they were a bit hard. the kids were excited about making a Chanukah party with their parents. my grandson made Chanukah crowns for everyone. he used the stickers that I had bought for them. I made a large Greek salad and some fried dough Italian cookies with honey syrup.
I got to go to Meron on Tuesday morning to the kever of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. I bought lots of cookies and assorted nuts to put out in my mother's memory. I was able to light a memorial candle there. some people have the custom not to visit a cemetery during Chanukah. I will go to her grave next week. I went to my son's for Shabbat dinner last night. it wasn't very cold and I had spent the day cleaning the house. the floors were muddy, pishied and filthy. I bleached them for hours.
my grandson decided to have a sleepover last night. he asked his parents if he could come back to my place, assuming that they would refuse. he was delighted that they said yes. he did sleep with me for the past 4 years on Friday nights before we had the big blow out last summer. my house was kind of cold as I had only left on one heater in the kitchen. I was going to put the mattresses in the kitchen but it wasn't so bad in the t.v room. we chatted for a while and he passed out. I got a neuroglia attack.
it might have been a reaction to a spice that was in the food. my daughter-in-law made the most delicious meatballs but there might have been some MSG in the food. I hadn't been bothered for a long time with that. it felt like a migraine but it did settle down an hour later. I didn't have anything to take for it and just applied pressure on my forehead. it may be a precursor of what I'll be in for after the brain surgery.
we both woke up at 6:30 a.m. the dog had peed on my mattress. the heater hadn't turned on yet. I keep it on a timer. we had hot drinks and my grandson had his chocolate surprise egg. I gave in and started buying these things for the holiday. we bribed my granddaughter with three of these miserable things if she let her brother sleep at my house without her. I had a couple of my home made blueberry oatmeal muffins for breakfast. we got dressed and went to the local synagogue. I hadn't made it out for the past two Shabbats.
my grandson found some boys to hang with and we met up at the Kiddush. I had put a pot of bean soup on the electric platter with a few chicken cutlets for lunch. my grandson had the cutlets and I had the soup. it was really delicious. I think I still have some frozen for when I come home from the hospital. my grandson was pretty well behaved. he didn't take a nap after lunch but I passed out. he managed to wake me up from a very deep sleep. apparently, the other dog had peed on my mattress and on my snood. you have to be an animal lover, I guess.
we had tuna sandwiches on mini spelt pita bread at around 4:00 p.m. when Shabbat ended, I made havdallah and got the chanukiahs ready to be lit. just then my son came in with my granddaughter. she was here to claim her last chocolate egg. they all lit the chanukiahs and I made a quick meal for us all. I had bought mini cheese raviolis. I threw in a package of mushroom and cheese and another package of spinach and cheese. the kids like it plain without sauce. I usually make it with a cream sauce for my son and a tomato sauce for the daughter-in-law. my son asked where the sauce was. I handed him a bottle of olive oil and a package of grated parmesan cheese. it worked out great. I also made a huge tossed green salad.
we all ate ravioli and the kids put on a child's music party tape and danced together to the Macarena. my son went into the computer room to unwind and the kids watched 'the Karate kid' movie. it was a nice visit and a nice end to Chanukah. I have a lot of washing up to do tomorrow. I also have an appointment with the doctor to review my blood tests. I have managed to have my mezuzahs checked and just have one more to go. I am calm. I spoke with my homeopath. she will help if I have side effects. I am able to make jokes with my son. he wants to help out.
another zefat personality died today. I couldn't bring myself to go to the funeral tonight. I don't know if i'll make it to the shiva visit. I have to go to the hospital in tel aviv on Tuesday to see the anesthesiologist. they are predicting a snow storm. here we go again.....
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