Last Night Of Pesach

it is 11:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.   it looks like rain.  tonight is the last night of Pesach.  I invited a few friends to join me for dinner.  I made a small piece of beef.  I didn't think what I had leftover from pesach seder was enough.  I have way too much now.  I also cooked 4 chicken thighs and fried up some chicken tempura.  it's really chicken nuggets, pesach style, so I renamed it. I also made some chopped chicken liver. it is a bit salty.  I  made a small piece of a salmon fillet.  I have diced beets, carrot salad, Israeli salad, avocado and chopped eggs and kohlrabi slaw.  I made mashed potatoes.  I have a  store bought pesach cake and poached pears in white wine for dessert.  I still might make a chocolate sauce for the pears.

I washed the kitchen floor with bleach and water.  I was too tired to go downstairs to retrieve my bottle of floor cleaner.  it is cold in the house.  the bank called this morning to tell me that I had gone over my overdraft.  I couldn't really fathom the extent of the rapid fire Hebrew conversation.  I think I took out a small emergency loan.  I really thought that I made it through the month okay.  the telephone bill will be the death of me.  with the family wedding and henna gifts, and the cost of making the sheva bracha and Purim seudahs and the pesach seder, I incurred a lot of expenses. hopefully, the next month will be easier.

yesterday, I went to my sister's for lunch.  I wanted to visit my nephew and family who live in the Ukraine.  I got to see his daughter for the first time.  she is around 16 months and was a bit afraid of me.  his son,who just turned three, was quite content hanging out with me and discussing his puzzle.  I had gone to synagogue at 8:00 a.m. and returned home around 11:00 a.m.  I ate some silver dollar banana pancakes and matzahs and drank white wine.  I drank a cup of hot chocolate and a couple of cups of tea and rested a bit.  the weather was horrid.  it was cold and rainy.  by the time I left in the afternoon, it had turned sunny and warm.

I got to my sister's after the meal had finished.  most everyone had left the table.  I was offered some salmon and I, happily, ate a lot of fruit salad.  everyone was tired and ready to nap.  I hung out with my sister for awhile and left in the early evening.  I walked over to the Sephardi family.  they were having their main meal and most animated.  my grandkids ran over to say hello and then returned outside with their cousins.  I wasn't hungry but I drank another cup of tea.  I stayed there until Shabbat ended and got driven home.

I think that my family, although not very communicative, was happy to see me.  we are just very disconnected.  I am much closer to my daughter-in-law's family.  I guess, I am a bit of a stranger to both families. I don't think anyone really gets me. however, I do share grandchildren with the Sephardi family and we remain close.  I find it hard to relate to my sister and her family but I love them all.. 

epilogue:  it is 3:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  I just made the chocolate sauce.  I didn't boil it for as long as 12 minutes as stated in the recipe and I got a runny dark liquid that tastes like chocolate that doesn't harden.  it's not very attractive.  I threw walnuts on top.  I plan on pouring the remainder of the wine sauce.  I don't have any dessert dishes left.  I may have to place them into plastic drinking cups. oh well.