it is 6:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I just got home from work. I only worked for four hours. it is cold but semi dry. I left some laundry outside. I hope it isn't still wet. I stopped off at the pharmacy to get eye drops. my right eye is irritated and not fully open. it is a weakened muscle from when I had bells palsy about 10 years ago. I met with my former date this morning and spent two hours organizing his medical papers. basically, I was trying to sort them out by date. the rest is up to him.
I only had about 8 guys for lunch so I scrambled a bunch of eggs, cooked two bags of pasta and added tuna, made a corn salad with a bit of chili and put out the leftover cole slaw from last night's supper. voila! lunch was made. supper took a bit more effort. I had to make two batches of food because the rest of the yeshiva is retuning late tonight from a trip to Jerusalem. I made a huge turkey meatloaf and a small one for eight. I made two batches of white rice. I made a carrot and sweet potato tsimmes for the larger group and a pot of zucchini and tomato sauce for the eight. I had no patience to divide the tsimmes into two portions. I just wanted to get home. I am wiped.
I saw some yellow circles on the floor last night but I didn't see any strange things for most of the day. I may have seen some red water in the macaroni. can't believe tomorrow is already Thursday. I can't wait to finish out the work week. I am too tired to travel to Jerusalem and no one really is urging me to come. I think the recent fall has taken its toll on me. I am cooking a large steak that the dog brought into the house last night. he goes out every day and brings in bags of bread, and all kinds of meat. this steak is humongous. he is quite the scavenger!
I bought a jacket and jumper outside a fancy clothing store on the discount rack. I paid $20. it is for my friend's play. I need to dress a character as a wall street savvy lady. I actually went on line to see how they are dressing on wall street these days. I thought about going vintage pin striped suit but let's see how this works. I checked out a wedding dress for the character who is a bride, but she wanted 1000 skekels for this shmatta. there is a second hand clothes store not far from work. I hope to get out early enough to check it out. I also need to dress a character as a jap, aka, Jewish American princess. I am going with the jap character's look on the HBO show 'girls.' I am totally into color blocking for the stage. are we having fun yet?
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Tuesday, My Good News Day
it is 8:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed. we had a break from the rain today. we had a warm and sunny day. I think the rain will start up again on Thursday. I very much need to catch up on some laundry tomorrow morning. the head Rabbi of the Brezlov community in safed died yesterday. it was very sad. my son was in the brezlov day school for about five years. I always found the community to be steller. I walked down to the cemetery from work which was about a twenty minute hike. I missed the funeral because I had to prepare lunch for the yeshiva. I got to the cemetery moments after the Rabbi was buried. I decided to visit the graves of my parents. I climbed down several sets of steps and actually fell down one landing of about 5 metal steps. I rather, bounced down five steps, banging my shoulders, elbows and buttocks. I was quite stunned but I managed to get myself back up right away.
I am pretty sore today. I had a 'moment' today while I was cooking, which might have been the beginning of a seizure. it was an episode, for sure. I saw red fluids while I was stirring the kasha. it lasted for a few moments and was quite scary. I am very tired and worn out. I woke up as usual, at 7:00 a.m. to let the dog out. I decided to lie down for a bit. I woke up at 11:00 a.m. I was pretty surprised that it was so late.
I met a good friend who was visiting from New York after work. we went out to a restaurant to chat. I had some sort of a latte drink. it tasted like a glass of warm whipped cream. I had an awful tooth ache and couldn't really eat anything. it was wonderful to touch bases with my friend. I didn't get home until 10:00 p.m. I never go out at night. it was a nice finish to a very dismal and sad day. I had an emotional time at my parents' grave sites. I thought I would meet my sister there but our paths didn't cross. I did run into a couple of her friends.
I may not have to cook tomorrow. I welcome a day off. I was thinking about going to Jerusalem for Shabbat, but I think i'll just stay closer to home. that incident at work made be very nervous. I pretty much know that if I do the brain surgery, it will take me forever, to recover and I will probably not return to work. I will just wait and see what happens. I dread being alone again for Shabbat. perhaps. I will invite a friend to stay over. we will see.
I met someone, whom I dated a few years ago at the yeshiva. he seemed worse for the wear and tear. I promised to meet with him tomorrow to help sort out his medical papers. I have aged and I have put on a bunch of weight but I think I am in far better shape. oh well.....it's an act of charity.
I am pretty sore today. I had a 'moment' today while I was cooking, which might have been the beginning of a seizure. it was an episode, for sure. I saw red fluids while I was stirring the kasha. it lasted for a few moments and was quite scary. I am very tired and worn out. I woke up as usual, at 7:00 a.m. to let the dog out. I decided to lie down for a bit. I woke up at 11:00 a.m. I was pretty surprised that it was so late.
I met a good friend who was visiting from New York after work. we went out to a restaurant to chat. I had some sort of a latte drink. it tasted like a glass of warm whipped cream. I had an awful tooth ache and couldn't really eat anything. it was wonderful to touch bases with my friend. I didn't get home until 10:00 p.m. I never go out at night. it was a nice finish to a very dismal and sad day. I had an emotional time at my parents' grave sites. I thought I would meet my sister there but our paths didn't cross. I did run into a couple of her friends.
I may not have to cook tomorrow. I welcome a day off. I was thinking about going to Jerusalem for Shabbat, but I think i'll just stay closer to home. that incident at work made be very nervous. I pretty much know that if I do the brain surgery, it will take me forever, to recover and I will probably not return to work. I will just wait and see what happens. I dread being alone again for Shabbat. perhaps. I will invite a friend to stay over. we will see.
I met someone, whom I dated a few years ago at the yeshiva. he seemed worse for the wear and tear. I promised to meet with him tomorrow to help sort out his medical papers. I have aged and I have put on a bunch of weight but I think I am in far better shape. oh well.....it's an act of charity.
Monday, December 31, 2018
Tell Me Why I Don't Like Mondays
it is nearly noon time in the holy city of safed. I should be on my way to work but I am very tired. it has been raining non stop for a few weeks. it is a huge blessing for the land but a drag to navigate in. I went to Hadera on Thursday for the festive meal after the thirty day mourning period. my daughter-in-law's grandmother passed and I wasn't able to make it to the funeral. I was going to join my son and his wife for the meal after the official shiva ended but they ended up going the day earlier and I then went to Jerusalem for the rest of chanuka to take care of the grandkids. I felt very guilty that I hadn't consoled my in-law on his mother's passing. I didn't make a phone call because it was awkward talking on the phone in Hebrew.
on Thursday, we had monsoon like rainstorms. I rushed to finish my meals at the yeshiva in order to be able to travel. by car this trip is less than two hours but I wasn't going by car. I waited forty minutes for a bus that ended up not going to Hadera. I jumped on a bus to Carmiel to catch the train. I hate trains. I can't stomach the smell. I am a bus person. the trip to Carmiel took an hour. it travelled through every Arab village and neighborhood along the way. I felt a panic attack coming on.
I had a minute to climb the stairs to the platform to catch the train. it took an hour to reach Hadera. I called my daughter-in-law to ask her for directions to the meal. I thought it was close by. she informed me to go to Pardes Chana. I was in the wrong town. I was on an express train. I needed to go back a stop. the only problem was that I only had a minute to catch the next train. I told her that I would catch a taxi and meet her at Pardes Chana. it was pretty much a twenty minute ride. I never meant for her to have to pick me up. she had just driven from Jerusalem. I wasn't even sure that she had gone.
I couldn't reach her or her mother in the morning. my son made it seem like she wasn't sure about travelling in the rain storm and he told her that I wasn't coming. we relied on him and that was a huge mistake. she and her sister travelled to Hadera to pick me up. her mother and father were extremely grateful that I made the effort to come. I had to wait until after 9:00 p.m. to catch the bus back to safed. it arrived at 10:30 p.m. I was driven to another town to catch the bus. a man stopped to offer me a ride. he was going to Rosh Pina which is about ten minutes from safed. I felt very blessed. but then I felt very scared driving off with a male stranger at that hour. I was also afraid of being stranded at Rosh Pina without a cab.
I declined the ride and waited another half an hour for the bus to show up. I was afraid that the driver might not see me. I also assumed that it would be crowded. the bus was completely empty. I was relieved to get in and get a seat. he made a rest stop and I was able to get small bills for a taxi. he left me off at the taxi stand in safed at 12:30 a.m. and I got home safely. he was a very nice man and very good driver. I had planned to go back to Jerusalem with the kids after the meal but in the end, I didn't prepare an over night bag. I couldn't reach my friend to come over and watch the dog, either.
I thought about going out on Friday to buy underwear, a toothbrush and a change of clothes at the second hand store in Jerusalem. I just couldn't leave the dog alone overnight. the grandkids were very disappointed that I didn't go back with them. I felt really conflicted. I had an awful Shabbat alone. I ran to the local supermarket to buy challah. I ended up buying prepared gefilte fish and root vegetables to make a chicken soup. I didn't make it out for services. i slept most of the day. i was pretty miserable.
i should be at work already. i don't have time to shower. i will call a cab.
on Thursday, we had monsoon like rainstorms. I rushed to finish my meals at the yeshiva in order to be able to travel. by car this trip is less than two hours but I wasn't going by car. I waited forty minutes for a bus that ended up not going to Hadera. I jumped on a bus to Carmiel to catch the train. I hate trains. I can't stomach the smell. I am a bus person. the trip to Carmiel took an hour. it travelled through every Arab village and neighborhood along the way. I felt a panic attack coming on.
I had a minute to climb the stairs to the platform to catch the train. it took an hour to reach Hadera. I called my daughter-in-law to ask her for directions to the meal. I thought it was close by. she informed me to go to Pardes Chana. I was in the wrong town. I was on an express train. I needed to go back a stop. the only problem was that I only had a minute to catch the next train. I told her that I would catch a taxi and meet her at Pardes Chana. it was pretty much a twenty minute ride. I never meant for her to have to pick me up. she had just driven from Jerusalem. I wasn't even sure that she had gone.
I couldn't reach her or her mother in the morning. my son made it seem like she wasn't sure about travelling in the rain storm and he told her that I wasn't coming. we relied on him and that was a huge mistake. she and her sister travelled to Hadera to pick me up. her mother and father were extremely grateful that I made the effort to come. I had to wait until after 9:00 p.m. to catch the bus back to safed. it arrived at 10:30 p.m. I was driven to another town to catch the bus. a man stopped to offer me a ride. he was going to Rosh Pina which is about ten minutes from safed. I felt very blessed. but then I felt very scared driving off with a male stranger at that hour. I was also afraid of being stranded at Rosh Pina without a cab.
I declined the ride and waited another half an hour for the bus to show up. I was afraid that the driver might not see me. I also assumed that it would be crowded. the bus was completely empty. I was relieved to get in and get a seat. he made a rest stop and I was able to get small bills for a taxi. he left me off at the taxi stand in safed at 12:30 a.m. and I got home safely. he was a very nice man and very good driver. I had planned to go back to Jerusalem with the kids after the meal but in the end, I didn't prepare an over night bag. I couldn't reach my friend to come over and watch the dog, either.
I thought about going out on Friday to buy underwear, a toothbrush and a change of clothes at the second hand store in Jerusalem. I just couldn't leave the dog alone overnight. the grandkids were very disappointed that I didn't go back with them. I felt really conflicted. I had an awful Shabbat alone. I ran to the local supermarket to buy challah. I ended up buying prepared gefilte fish and root vegetables to make a chicken soup. I didn't make it out for services. i slept most of the day. i was pretty miserable.
i should be at work already. i don't have time to shower. i will call a cab.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Another Friday Afternoon
it is 11:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed. the sun came out for a bit. I have been thinking about getting to the local supermarket since 7:00 a.m. my dog wakes me up every morning at this time to go out. it has been raining for a couple of weeks. we are truly blessed to have the rain. I have been cabbing it home form work lately. I keep on missing the bus and have no strength to wait a half an hour for another. I have been getting home at 7:30 p.m. and I'm totally beat. by the end of a 6 hour day, my hip starts to hurt and it is difficult to walk.
I was told that I didn't prepare enough food to break the fast on Tuesday. I think they received another 3 students and of course, I wasn't notified. as a jewish mother and grandmother, and not professional chef; it hurts me very much to think that someone went hungry. I work in a small kitchen and it takes me 5-6 hours or more to make two meals for 25 guys. I only have a large built in oven to work with. it takes 2 hours or longer to make stuffed peppers and frozen French fries. I do cook on 4 burners but even soup takes about 2 hours.
the pantry at the yeshiva is depleted and I am at the mercy of the manager to provide me with enough legumes, grains and pasta on a daily basis. I really should come to work before 12:00 p.m. but I can't seem to get my act together in the morning. I linger on the net for hours while I sip my chai tea. one student complained about my serving beans all the time. I make a vegetarian chili every couple of weeks. it takes forever to cook beans from scratch. I have been serving lentils about three times a week to accommodate the two vegetarian students. I think i'll have to reevaluate my menus. how much pasta can I serve these guys?? I have limited oven space, to boot.
my rice is nothing to write home about. I use two cups of water to every cup of rice and it is pretty mushy. I try making bulgur and couscous but lately my couscous flops. yesterday, I made two pans of turkey meatloaf. I threw 5 pounds of minced turkey into a pot of leftover cooked oatmeal from breakfast. I added some spices and a lot of eggs and covered it in the leftover juice from the broiled tomatoes, I served at lunch. I figured it would be a disaster but it actually came out great. I was very tempted to taste it but I didn't want to have to wait 6 hours before I could eat dairy. I like my chai tea with milk.
I had to leave the guys some pasta for their lunch today and I made a sweet noodle kugel for their supper. I also made split pea soup. at the last moment, I cooked up a tray of rice so the vegan would have something besides soup. I hope it was enough food. one of the students asked me if I could make the buckwheat groats, aka, kasha, a bit wetter. the guys leave the food on the electric platter for hours, until everything is like shoe leather. I cannot live at the yeshiva and oversee everything. I would love to don a hairnet and spoon out the food, cafeteria style but alas, I need to get home to my empty house and dog, Tiny.
I do not feel like making food for Shabbat. I am having about 15 people sleep downstairs for Shabbat. an old family friend asked to rent the place for a shabbaton. her son got married this week. the Sephardim make a festive meal on Shabbat for the groom and family. askanazim do a Kiddush on the Shabbat before the weeding. anyway, I didn't accept any money. I once lived at her parents' home many years ago, when I first came to safed. I didn't have the strength to wash all of the apartment downstairs. I did manage to sweep and clean the bathroom. I think it is presentable. I put heaters in every bedroom and set up the electric water urn.
while I ran up and down the stairs, putting toilet paper in all of the bathrooms and turning on lights, I managed to do some plastering in the master bedroom on my floor and on the upstairs wall which supports the hand rail. it was quite loose and had a gaping hole the size of a tennis ball. I filled it in and now it doesn't move.
I am pretty tired. I keep on saying that I do not know how much longer I can keep working at the yeshiva. I do enjoy having some extra cash; especially when I visit Jerusalem. I really have to get down to the supermarket now. I don't feel like getting out of my warm pajamas but I must. I wish everyone a good Shabbos!
After thought: 2:00 p.m. I am having a snack before Shabbat. I bought some chicken bottoms, goat cheese, pitas, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, strawberries, bananas, and 4 cartons of tea. (earl grey and jasmin). the strawberries were on sale but still quite pricey. I paid $10. my bill was over $70. oh well.... I put up some fish and veggies, hard cooked eggs and chicken bottoms and string beans. I may be alone but why not eat well. in a little while I will go downstairs and put on heaters.
ran into my neighbor. tiny, may have knocked up her dog. I am expected to take the puppies and she actually asked if I wanted to take her 10 year old dog, too. really???
I was told that I didn't prepare enough food to break the fast on Tuesday. I think they received another 3 students and of course, I wasn't notified. as a jewish mother and grandmother, and not professional chef; it hurts me very much to think that someone went hungry. I work in a small kitchen and it takes me 5-6 hours or more to make two meals for 25 guys. I only have a large built in oven to work with. it takes 2 hours or longer to make stuffed peppers and frozen French fries. I do cook on 4 burners but even soup takes about 2 hours.
the pantry at the yeshiva is depleted and I am at the mercy of the manager to provide me with enough legumes, grains and pasta on a daily basis. I really should come to work before 12:00 p.m. but I can't seem to get my act together in the morning. I linger on the net for hours while I sip my chai tea. one student complained about my serving beans all the time. I make a vegetarian chili every couple of weeks. it takes forever to cook beans from scratch. I have been serving lentils about three times a week to accommodate the two vegetarian students. I think i'll have to reevaluate my menus. how much pasta can I serve these guys?? I have limited oven space, to boot.
my rice is nothing to write home about. I use two cups of water to every cup of rice and it is pretty mushy. I try making bulgur and couscous but lately my couscous flops. yesterday, I made two pans of turkey meatloaf. I threw 5 pounds of minced turkey into a pot of leftover cooked oatmeal from breakfast. I added some spices and a lot of eggs and covered it in the leftover juice from the broiled tomatoes, I served at lunch. I figured it would be a disaster but it actually came out great. I was very tempted to taste it but I didn't want to have to wait 6 hours before I could eat dairy. I like my chai tea with milk.
I had to leave the guys some pasta for their lunch today and I made a sweet noodle kugel for their supper. I also made split pea soup. at the last moment, I cooked up a tray of rice so the vegan would have something besides soup. I hope it was enough food. one of the students asked me if I could make the buckwheat groats, aka, kasha, a bit wetter. the guys leave the food on the electric platter for hours, until everything is like shoe leather. I cannot live at the yeshiva and oversee everything. I would love to don a hairnet and spoon out the food, cafeteria style but alas, I need to get home to my empty house and dog, Tiny.
I do not feel like making food for Shabbat. I am having about 15 people sleep downstairs for Shabbat. an old family friend asked to rent the place for a shabbaton. her son got married this week. the Sephardim make a festive meal on Shabbat for the groom and family. askanazim do a Kiddush on the Shabbat before the weeding. anyway, I didn't accept any money. I once lived at her parents' home many years ago, when I first came to safed. I didn't have the strength to wash all of the apartment downstairs. I did manage to sweep and clean the bathroom. I think it is presentable. I put heaters in every bedroom and set up the electric water urn.
while I ran up and down the stairs, putting toilet paper in all of the bathrooms and turning on lights, I managed to do some plastering in the master bedroom on my floor and on the upstairs wall which supports the hand rail. it was quite loose and had a gaping hole the size of a tennis ball. I filled it in and now it doesn't move.
I am pretty tired. I keep on saying that I do not know how much longer I can keep working at the yeshiva. I do enjoy having some extra cash; especially when I visit Jerusalem. I really have to get down to the supermarket now. I don't feel like getting out of my warm pajamas but I must. I wish everyone a good Shabbos!
After thought: 2:00 p.m. I am having a snack before Shabbat. I bought some chicken bottoms, goat cheese, pitas, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, strawberries, bananas, and 4 cartons of tea. (earl grey and jasmin). the strawberries were on sale but still quite pricey. I paid $10. my bill was over $70. oh well.... I put up some fish and veggies, hard cooked eggs and chicken bottoms and string beans. I may be alone but why not eat well. in a little while I will go downstairs and put on heaters.
ran into my neighbor. tiny, may have knocked up her dog. I am expected to take the puppies and she actually asked if I wanted to take her 10 year old dog, too. really???
Thursday, December 13, 2018
HomeAgain
it is 7:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I just got home from work. the yeshiva had another chabad holiday and I needed to make another holiday feast for 25. I didn't cook as much as I did the last time. I was pretty tired. I arrived back to safed on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. and went straight to work. I was in Jerusalem for 7 days. I worked very hard to leave meals for last Wednesday and Thursday and left on tuesday evening on the 6:00 p.m. bus to Jerusalem. I usually make three courses for each meal. it can be rice, lentils and meatloaf or carrot kugel, mashed potatoes and meat patties. I usually serve soup at lunch time. today, I made a very thick pea soup, baked potatoes, garlic bread with leftover rolls and an Israeli salad.
yesterday I made a sweet noodle kugel and a carrot kugel for tonight. it's pretty much a carrot cake only you mash cooked carrots instead of grating them. the consistency is different from cake. I never have noodles at the yeshiva so I use spaghetti and break it into small pieces. I made a zucchini kugel today and spent a lot of time squeezing the liquid out of the veggies. I also made rice, carrot and sweet potato tsimmes, coleslaw, Israeli salad, Chinese meatballs, oatmeal kugel and string beans in tomato sauce. we had a lot of oatmeal left over from breakfast so I added soy milk and a ton of eggs and some flour and made a kugel. I made a sweet and sour meat sauce using a lot of soy sauce, ginger, garlic and tomato paste and vinegar. I rolled small balls of chopped meat into the sauce. I didn't add any filler.
I was planning on making an eggless chocolate cake but I ran out of steam. It took so long to do the washing up and cleaning the counters and stove top. I sifted 2 kilos of flour and it took forever. the flour was embedded into the counter top. I was covered in flour, too. I forgot to put out the chumus. perhaps, someone will remember and get it. I was so tired and I just wanted to get home. I also had to cook up a ton of macaroni for tomorrow's lunch. if there isn't enough food, there is plenty of nosh and store bought cakes to eat. I did all I could.
I stopped off at the bank before I went to work. I went through all of my money in Jerusalem on the kids. I took cabs everywhere. I took them to the movies and the jamboree. I bought small toys everywhere we went and spent a fortune in a second hand clothes shop on chatchkas for them. I also spent a fortune at the local food shop. I couldn't make it to a supermarket. each trip cost me over $100 dollars. we bought pizza a couple of times and plenty of candy each day.
I also stopped off at the post office in town. before I left for Jerusalem, I mailed a hand made cruelled bedspread to my niece. my mother made it over 40 years ago. I bought the kit at the museum in new York. it was a bicentennial replica. well, it never made it to my niece. it cost about $50 to send it. I think it was sent back to Israel. my niece moved to a new house and it wasn't forwarded to her. I am planning on going to the post office up here tomorrow morning to see if it is there. I was heartbroken thinking it was lost forever. I really hate to spend the additional money to send it back again. what can I do?? the package included a prayer book from world war two that my mother used. she was a sergeant in the WACS.
the kids are coming to safed for Shabbat but will stay at the Sephardi family. I am totally beat. I was alone with the kids for a week and had to get them to Chanukah day camp and also take care of the new cat. I had to clean out the cat box which was simply awful as well as feed the creature. I had to get the kids showered and referee their fights. I had to cook and make Shabbat meals for us. it was not really a vacation for me. it was hard work. I also had to keep the house clean. I didn't do laundry because I don't know how to use their machine. I didn't have access to internet the entire time I was away. anyhow, I made it through and came back to work. and now I am free until Sunday. whoopee!
yesterday I made a sweet noodle kugel and a carrot kugel for tonight. it's pretty much a carrot cake only you mash cooked carrots instead of grating them. the consistency is different from cake. I never have noodles at the yeshiva so I use spaghetti and break it into small pieces. I made a zucchini kugel today and spent a lot of time squeezing the liquid out of the veggies. I also made rice, carrot and sweet potato tsimmes, coleslaw, Israeli salad, Chinese meatballs, oatmeal kugel and string beans in tomato sauce. we had a lot of oatmeal left over from breakfast so I added soy milk and a ton of eggs and some flour and made a kugel. I made a sweet and sour meat sauce using a lot of soy sauce, ginger, garlic and tomato paste and vinegar. I rolled small balls of chopped meat into the sauce. I didn't add any filler.
I was planning on making an eggless chocolate cake but I ran out of steam. It took so long to do the washing up and cleaning the counters and stove top. I sifted 2 kilos of flour and it took forever. the flour was embedded into the counter top. I was covered in flour, too. I forgot to put out the chumus. perhaps, someone will remember and get it. I was so tired and I just wanted to get home. I also had to cook up a ton of macaroni for tomorrow's lunch. if there isn't enough food, there is plenty of nosh and store bought cakes to eat. I did all I could.
I stopped off at the bank before I went to work. I went through all of my money in Jerusalem on the kids. I took cabs everywhere. I took them to the movies and the jamboree. I bought small toys everywhere we went and spent a fortune in a second hand clothes shop on chatchkas for them. I also spent a fortune at the local food shop. I couldn't make it to a supermarket. each trip cost me over $100 dollars. we bought pizza a couple of times and plenty of candy each day.
I also stopped off at the post office in town. before I left for Jerusalem, I mailed a hand made cruelled bedspread to my niece. my mother made it over 40 years ago. I bought the kit at the museum in new York. it was a bicentennial replica. well, it never made it to my niece. it cost about $50 to send it. I think it was sent back to Israel. my niece moved to a new house and it wasn't forwarded to her. I am planning on going to the post office up here tomorrow morning to see if it is there. I was heartbroken thinking it was lost forever. I really hate to spend the additional money to send it back again. what can I do?? the package included a prayer book from world war two that my mother used. she was a sergeant in the WACS.
the kids are coming to safed for Shabbat but will stay at the Sephardi family. I am totally beat. I was alone with the kids for a week and had to get them to Chanukah day camp and also take care of the new cat. I had to clean out the cat box which was simply awful as well as feed the creature. I had to get the kids showered and referee their fights. I had to cook and make Shabbat meals for us. it was not really a vacation for me. it was hard work. I also had to keep the house clean. I didn't do laundry because I don't know how to use their machine. I didn't have access to internet the entire time I was away. anyhow, I made it through and came back to work. and now I am free until Sunday. whoopee!
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Oh Chanukah
it is 5:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. it is the third night of Chanukah. it is the 10th anniversary of my mom's passing. I am going to Jerusalem on the 6:00 p.m. bus. I just got back from work. I was hoping to leave earlier but I still had to sort out some meals for Wednesday and Thursday. I have been cooking since sunday to cover these days. today, I made falafel and chips, salads and fried eggplant. I sometimes make soup, too, but today I was busy cooking white bean chili, rice, mashed potatoes, green lentils, spaghetti and organizing the meals. I hope it will all work out.
I was supposed to stop in hadera to make a shiva call but I was too tired to travel. I didn't sleep a wink last night. I was so worried about organizing the house, and the meals for the yeshiva that I kept running items in my head. I gave the local chabad shul $100 to do a Kiddush for my mom and I spent about 100 shekels on cakes for the yeshiva. I just lit a memorial candle for her and I lit the chanukiah. I won't be able to visit her graveside until after Chanukah ends. I'm sure my sister went to the grave already.
I guess it's time to get ready to leave. I just had to run outside and get my very male dog unstuck out of another dog. can it get any weirder??
I was supposed to stop in hadera to make a shiva call but I was too tired to travel. I didn't sleep a wink last night. I was so worried about organizing the house, and the meals for the yeshiva that I kept running items in my head. I gave the local chabad shul $100 to do a Kiddush for my mom and I spent about 100 shekels on cakes for the yeshiva. I just lit a memorial candle for her and I lit the chanukiah. I won't be able to visit her graveside until after Chanukah ends. I'm sure my sister went to the grave already.
I guess it's time to get ready to leave. I just had to run outside and get my very male dog unstuck out of another dog. can it get any weirder??
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Getting It Together
it is 7:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I've been home for hours. I went to the local supermarket this morning and spent over $200. I needed to get staples for my friends who are returning from the states. I also bought a lot of food for a friend who dog sits for me. I am needed in Jerusalem next week. the kids are going off for a vacation to eilat. they have a brand new cat and are very worried to leave it alone. the grandkids have day camp even though it's Chanukah. I will try very hard to cook up extra meals and leave them for the students on Wednesday and Thursday. I already told them that I will be gone on the following Monday and Tuesday. I hate taking breaks from work but after that epic 9 hour 'banquet', I am genuinely tired and cooked out.
I came in to work at 1:00 p.m. I had a taxi take me home first from the supermarket and then to my friend's home and last, to the yeshiva. it looked like there was already food there. there was leftover food form an event last night and some leftover dinner that I made. I took a platter of cut up raw veggies and added an Italian dressing over it. I put the leftover lentils and pasta on the electric platter. I was really tired and felt like cabbing it home right there and then. I threw some tomatoes and onions and red peppers into a pot and added olive oil and some spices and fresh garlic. I added a couple of cans of tomato paste and cooked it for awhile and then pureed everything. I added a bit of soy milk to make it 'creamy like'. there was tons of leftover rolls and a giant fancy mousse cake.
I individually bagged the rolls and placed them in the freezer for next week. the manager said to use them for bread crumbs but they were still quite fresh. he was going to put the cake out for breakfast bit I froze it instead. let them have it as a treat on sunday night, the first night of Chanukah. it's a custom to serve dairy besides all that fried food. I am intending to make a lot of potato latkes for their supper. as apples are very expensive, I will buy canned applesauce and spice it up. I think i'll make a thick pea soup, too. that ought to fill them up. I will make a greek salad too. I can't really add cheese as the kitchen is not dairy. I will figure something out.
I cooked a bit of spicy, saucy chicken already and made some brown rice and sweet potatoes and placed it in my friend's fridge. I also broiled some chicken wings. I had some leftover turkey neck soup from my thanksgiving Shabbat last week. I defrosted it and strained it so there wouldn't be any mushy veggies. I thought about making a cholent but I think that I will make a small shepherd 's pie instead. I can share it with my friends, if they have arrived in the morning. I am beat and will call it a night.
I came in to work at 1:00 p.m. I had a taxi take me home first from the supermarket and then to my friend's home and last, to the yeshiva. it looked like there was already food there. there was leftover food form an event last night and some leftover dinner that I made. I took a platter of cut up raw veggies and added an Italian dressing over it. I put the leftover lentils and pasta on the electric platter. I was really tired and felt like cabbing it home right there and then. I threw some tomatoes and onions and red peppers into a pot and added olive oil and some spices and fresh garlic. I added a couple of cans of tomato paste and cooked it for awhile and then pureed everything. I added a bit of soy milk to make it 'creamy like'. there was tons of leftover rolls and a giant fancy mousse cake.
I individually bagged the rolls and placed them in the freezer for next week. the manager said to use them for bread crumbs but they were still quite fresh. he was going to put the cake out for breakfast bit I froze it instead. let them have it as a treat on sunday night, the first night of Chanukah. it's a custom to serve dairy besides all that fried food. I am intending to make a lot of potato latkes for their supper. as apples are very expensive, I will buy canned applesauce and spice it up. I think i'll make a thick pea soup, too. that ought to fill them up. I will make a greek salad too. I can't really add cheese as the kitchen is not dairy. I will figure something out.
I cooked a bit of spicy, saucy chicken already and made some brown rice and sweet potatoes and placed it in my friend's fridge. I also broiled some chicken wings. I had some leftover turkey neck soup from my thanksgiving Shabbat last week. I defrosted it and strained it so there wouldn't be any mushy veggies. I thought about making a cholent but I think that I will make a small shepherd 's pie instead. I can share it with my friends, if they have arrived in the morning. I am beat and will call it a night.
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