it is 10:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. i just took the dogs out for their last stroll. i don't think they really wanted to go out. i took them at 6:00 p.m. and they seemed to have done their 'business'. i did very little today. i ran to the supermarket to buy dog food. i got some corn crackers and some chicken that was half priced. when i got back i went upstairs to clean the porch. it was loaded with pigeon poop. yes, they have returned. i tightened the mesh wherever i found a gap. perhaps, they will stay away until after the holiday. i threw buckets of soapy water all over the place. it looks clean.
as it stands, the entire clan is coming for the holiday and Shabbat. we will be fourteen adults and 8 children and 4 dogs. what was i thinking? i am not doing a lot of cooking for this bunch. i am making one 9x11" lasagna, 4 small packages of prepared mini ravioli, a greek salad, one Israeli cheesecake and one tiramisu. i am also making a fruit platter with two types of grapes, cherries, peaches, apricots, pears and apples. after all, this is the holiday of new fruits. i bought several types of assorted cheeses.
the Sephardi mom is the one who's cooking for this clan. the sisters will bring some more pasta dishes for Friday's day meal. i had wanted to buy prizes for all of the kids today but i ran out of options, cash and patience. i have a few toys for my grandkids that i bought for pesach. if they want they can share the chocolate surprise eggs with their cousins. the upstairs apartment is the perfect hideout to get away from the clan. it is really lovely on the porch. one could hole up there and never be missed.
i mopped the master bedroom floor and cleaned the bathroom. i made up the little crib. i put away all of my clothes and set an outfit out in another bedroom. i left a bouquet of picked wild roses, lavender and rosemary. i also mopped the blog room floor, and the 'blue' bedroom floor. i dusted a lot. i made a cheesecake, a little while ago, for my friends. it is in the fridge. i agonized over not having found blueberry pie filling but the comfiture worked just fine. it was also better quality. i sure hope they like the cake. i will call her husband to pick it up in the morning.
i had a hunk of goat cheese for supper. that leaves one less piece of cheese for the holiday. i have still have a round of camembert, a danish blue cheese, a hunk of pesto gouda and a goat cheese. i will make the lasagna tomorrow and the cheesecake and tiramisu. i will also make up the beds up here. i need to mop the t.v. area floor, the kitchen and dining room floors and the living room floor. i am not going wild with the buckets of water. i will just do a quick wet mop.
i spent a good deal of the day in bed. i just passed out. i got up in the late afternoon and started cleaning the master bedroom. i am pretty tired now. i am still thinking about making oat flour banana pancakes for Friday morning's Kiddush; before we have the dairy meal. we'll see how it goes in the morning. i hope i'll have more energy tomorrow. the house is basically clean and orderly. i'll call it a night and watch some t.v.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
The Plan
it is 8:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed. it is warming up and i'm praying that it won't be excessively hot for the holiday. i took the dogs out at 7:00 a.m. i didn't want to get up but the dogs kind of nudged me. i picked some small roses for the table. they will probably dry out by tomorrow night but i don't really care. it is customary to cut greens and hang them on the walls.
i have a plan of action this morning. i will go back to the supermarket in a moment. i need to buy dog food. i saw a game yesterday and i think i will buy it for my granddaughter. the post office for registered mail moved from the bakery to the lotto store. i had to pick up some mail for my friend who is still stuck in California. i saw that they took over the dog food from the pet store that went under before the rona. it was a bit expensive and high end for my dogs.
i want to wash the floors this morning. i don't think that i will have the strength to use buckets of water. i think i will have to use a wet schemata today. it is a bit alarming how terribly tired i feel. i think i get this way every summer. i want to make the tiramisu today. it is better when it sits for a couple of days. i'll tackle the lasagna and Israeli cheesecake tomorrow. the kids are coming tomorrow. i don't know what to expect. i haven't seen them in months. i hope the baby doesn't cry when i hold him. i made the graham cracker like pie crust yesterday for my friend's cheesecake. it is in the freezer. i am debating whether to bake the cheesecake today or wait until tomorrow.
i am only in charge of the holiday afternoon dairy meal on Friday morning. it will be a combined effort. i bought four assorted packages of mini ravioli. i have spinach and cheese, sweet potato, and plain cheese. i don't know if i should mix them all together or put them into separate pans. i usually just top them with olive oil and parmesan. i used to make two types of sauces. i would do a tomato sauce and i would do a sour cream mushroom sauce. somehow, i stopped bothering. everyone seemed happy without a sauce. someone from the Sephardi clan will probably make pasta and mushroom sauce.
i am also making a greek salad. i am doing it a bit differently this time. i want to make a bed of baby spinach leaves and arugula. i will add chopped cucumbers and cherry tomatoes and top it off with black olives and red onion and feta cheese. voila!! i don't know what to serve them when they arrive. i have some tuna in the pantry. i might have some eggs leftover to make omelets. i was toying with the idea of making my banana and oat flour greek yogurt pancakes. i have real maple syrup in the closet. i would do it tomorrow.
the Sephardi mom will make the evening meat meal and the 3 Shabbat meals. i will be a guest for three meals. it is going to get intense. i ant to pick more roses and lavender. i will place some in the bedrooms. i will buy some crackers or fresh bread for when they come. i have potato chips, corn flakes and chocolate kinder surprise eggs for the kids. i have marvel dolls for my grandson and lol dolls for the granddaughter. i bought them before pesach. i am really anxious.
there are going to be 4 dogs in the house for three days. my kid's dog is actually the size of a large rat. she gets along quite well with my small girl dog. tiny, the male dog is a bully. he has become the alpha male. the male dog downstairs is afraid of his own shadow and highly nervous. he has been known to bite a grandchild or two. tiny doesn't bite people. he has a bad reputation because he chases people and comes off as aggressive. he has become huge. i found him when he was a tiny puppy, hence his name.
i have a plan of action this morning. i will go back to the supermarket in a moment. i need to buy dog food. i saw a game yesterday and i think i will buy it for my granddaughter. the post office for registered mail moved from the bakery to the lotto store. i had to pick up some mail for my friend who is still stuck in California. i saw that they took over the dog food from the pet store that went under before the rona. it was a bit expensive and high end for my dogs.
i want to wash the floors this morning. i don't think that i will have the strength to use buckets of water. i think i will have to use a wet schemata today. it is a bit alarming how terribly tired i feel. i think i get this way every summer. i want to make the tiramisu today. it is better when it sits for a couple of days. i'll tackle the lasagna and Israeli cheesecake tomorrow. the kids are coming tomorrow. i don't know what to expect. i haven't seen them in months. i hope the baby doesn't cry when i hold him. i made the graham cracker like pie crust yesterday for my friend's cheesecake. it is in the freezer. i am debating whether to bake the cheesecake today or wait until tomorrow.
i am only in charge of the holiday afternoon dairy meal on Friday morning. it will be a combined effort. i bought four assorted packages of mini ravioli. i have spinach and cheese, sweet potato, and plain cheese. i don't know if i should mix them all together or put them into separate pans. i usually just top them with olive oil and parmesan. i used to make two types of sauces. i would do a tomato sauce and i would do a sour cream mushroom sauce. somehow, i stopped bothering. everyone seemed happy without a sauce. someone from the Sephardi clan will probably make pasta and mushroom sauce.
i am also making a greek salad. i am doing it a bit differently this time. i want to make a bed of baby spinach leaves and arugula. i will add chopped cucumbers and cherry tomatoes and top it off with black olives and red onion and feta cheese. voila!! i don't know what to serve them when they arrive. i have some tuna in the pantry. i might have some eggs leftover to make omelets. i was toying with the idea of making my banana and oat flour greek yogurt pancakes. i have real maple syrup in the closet. i would do it tomorrow.
the Sephardi mom will make the evening meat meal and the 3 Shabbat meals. i will be a guest for three meals. it is going to get intense. i ant to pick more roses and lavender. i will place some in the bedrooms. i will buy some crackers or fresh bread for when they come. i have potato chips, corn flakes and chocolate kinder surprise eggs for the kids. i have marvel dolls for my grandson and lol dolls for the granddaughter. i bought them before pesach. i am really anxious.
there are going to be 4 dogs in the house for three days. my kid's dog is actually the size of a large rat. she gets along quite well with my small girl dog. tiny, the male dog is a bully. he has become the alpha male. the male dog downstairs is afraid of his own shadow and highly nervous. he has been known to bite a grandchild or two. tiny doesn't bite people. he has a bad reputation because he chases people and comes off as aggressive. he has become huge. i found him when he was a tiny puppy, hence his name.
Monday, May 25, 2020
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
it is 7:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. my eyes hurt. i took the dogs out at 6:00 a.m. this morning and it was not freezing. i changed into a jeans skirt and light sweater and wore a fleece jacket. there were loads of cows this morning out in the field at the end of the street. two were climbing pretty close to the street. they were huge. someone had ridden a horse down the path that we walk and it was filled with manure. the small dog put some in her mouth. my dog in America used to roll in cow's dung.
i went to the supermarket right after i took the dogs back. i needed to finish my holiday shopping. ii managed to get everything on my list. i bought more diary to make a nice cheesecake for my friends. i couldn't find the blueberry pie filling there so i bought some good jam. if they had stocked the frozen berries i could have made my own filling but they didn't have any. we new Yorkers like our cheesecake topped with cherry or blueberry pie filling. my Sephardi daughter-in-law wouldn't go for it so i make the Israeli version of cheesecake with a 5% fat free cheese spread and vanilla instant pudding.
israelis love this cheesecake. one year i decided to use chocolate pudding and it didn't even get served. another time i used a caramel favored pudding and it was totally acceptable. so much for diversity. i was hoping to find a good French vanilla pudding but i had no such luck today and i'm not eating it, anyway. the cake does get topped with whipped cream. i used to put whipping cream in my cakes and now it is a topping. in new York, we always made a sour cream topping. that was then, this is now. Israelis don't have the best palate's.
i have a good friend who loves her rich desserts. she always made fun of the low fat pudding cheese cakes that i presented. somehow, she more or less, approved of this Israeli cheesecake. it does have a 27% fat content sour cream. i use mascarpone cheese for the tiramisu. that's 40% fat. i found cheese that was 25% to make the cake for my friends. i hope it turns out well. i have been hitting the cheese, hard lately. my stomach is very distended.
i took a bus this morning to the bank near my home. i didn't have my magnetic senior's bus card and the driver wouldn't take my 2 shekels. apparently, they passed a law that you can't pay with money anymore in safed. i know that in Jerusalem i got into trouble each time i had the kids with me. one bus driver actually, tried to throw us off the buss one time. i didn't feel like going all the way to town to fill up my card. the bus was filthy and the windows were badly stained. i felt ill. it was the first time in months that i got on a bus.
i went to the health food store to buy some more chai tea. i was all out and it appeared that they were, too. i felt so defeated. this is my pleasure in life these days. it used to be coffee. luckily, the store manager found a few boxes for me. i usually buy them in bulk even though they are very pricey. once, i loved going to outdoor cafés in town to have a designer coffee but that was a long time ago. most of us decided that it was a waste of our money.
i wanted to buy real almond extract. they were all out of it. they did have the vanilla. i just bought a small bottle of the McCormick American vanilla extract at my local supermarket. it was quite expensive. i paid nearly $10 for an ounce bottle. the Israeli imitation extracts are awful and sickening. i once liked the rum flavored one but haven't used it in ages. i need my extracts. i put them in my muffin mix, and in my fake banana ice cream and shakes and in my plain yogurts and in my hot chocolate. they enable me to stay away from sugar. i added a fair amount of the almond extract to the tiramisu last year and it tasted just like marzipan. not everyone appreciated it. i thought it was my best tiramisu to date.
they had a coffee extract but i didn't buy it. now i'm thinking that it would have been a great addition and a good substitute for the coffee liquor. oh well.... i can always throw in a shot of brandy or some low alcohol sweet wine. i have an anise flavored extract but i think it will not go well with the sweet cheese. maybe i can sample some. i am afraid of tasting the tiramisu. i am not the kind of person who can eat one serving of cake, or ice cream or chocolate. last year i resisted having any during the holiday and as soon as it was over, i binged ate the entire remains of the cake.
there were quite a few people waiting outside of the bank, which is a few feet away from the health food store. i wasn't so pleased. i needed to get my balance. there was only one person ahead of me near the machines. afterwards, i was tempted to go to the large supermarket to check if they had blueberries but i didn't want to risk it. i did enter the large pharmacy and i regretted doing it immediately. what was i thinking???? didn't i remember that sick people go to the pharmacy to buy meds?. i just wanted to check out the toys there. i needed a gift for the one year old. i left without buying one and i was there for a really long time. i might return tomorrow.
i walked home. i walked rather slowly. i never really picked up the pace. everything hurt. my right leg was cramping up and my right eye was burning. i passed a baby horse and it's mom in an enclosed area. he was so darn cute. i wanted to give him the organic apple that i had bought at the health food store. when i was at the supermarket the apples didn't appeal to me but they really called out to me in the health food store. i wanted to buy dates but i left without buying any. i had some figs at home. i stopped off at my friend before i went home. i had a snack and tea and broke my 18 hour nightly fast.
i just spoke to the Sephardi mom. they were planning on going back to their home for the holiday. i had thought that it would be problematic to have two male dogs in the house. one of the daughters has a male dog. i was afraid that if my male got out we might have a bit of bloodshed. so all the plans got switched. i was afraid that i would have to walk to Canaan and return home late at night to see the grandkids. i thought all 6 kids and 2 babies would be trapped in that apartment with no where to run. there is a playground across the street but in pandemic it is not ideal.
they were going to break up the holiday with the kids coming to me for a day and i vetoed it. i decided to stick it out with the dogs and be super vigilant. this way i can see the kids each day and not have to walk to a different neighborhood. the daughter-in-law gets to be with her whole family for three days and i can run upstairs if i need to rest or escape the noise. i hope it will be a win-win and i hope it will all work out. the dining space downstairs is much smaller than theirs but there is a huge backyard and room for the kids to play and ride their carts. and of course, there are toys here for the grandkids to play with.
i was getting aggravated because i had spent a fortune on cheese products and i was afraid that i wouldn't get to use them. i was even thinking of freezing everything. i think this is the best solution. if my son gets antsy, he can sleep upstairs in the roof top apartment. my grandkids will get to be with their entire family and i'll be around for the whole time. in the past, we split up holidays and shabbats but i think we all have gotten past that now. after all, they have been living downstairs for a few months now. i hope this will benefit everyone. i hope i haven't made it harder for myself.
i went to the supermarket right after i took the dogs back. i needed to finish my holiday shopping. ii managed to get everything on my list. i bought more diary to make a nice cheesecake for my friends. i couldn't find the blueberry pie filling there so i bought some good jam. if they had stocked the frozen berries i could have made my own filling but they didn't have any. we new Yorkers like our cheesecake topped with cherry or blueberry pie filling. my Sephardi daughter-in-law wouldn't go for it so i make the Israeli version of cheesecake with a 5% fat free cheese spread and vanilla instant pudding.
israelis love this cheesecake. one year i decided to use chocolate pudding and it didn't even get served. another time i used a caramel favored pudding and it was totally acceptable. so much for diversity. i was hoping to find a good French vanilla pudding but i had no such luck today and i'm not eating it, anyway. the cake does get topped with whipped cream. i used to put whipping cream in my cakes and now it is a topping. in new York, we always made a sour cream topping. that was then, this is now. Israelis don't have the best palate's.
i have a good friend who loves her rich desserts. she always made fun of the low fat pudding cheese cakes that i presented. somehow, she more or less, approved of this Israeli cheesecake. it does have a 27% fat content sour cream. i use mascarpone cheese for the tiramisu. that's 40% fat. i found cheese that was 25% to make the cake for my friends. i hope it turns out well. i have been hitting the cheese, hard lately. my stomach is very distended.
i took a bus this morning to the bank near my home. i didn't have my magnetic senior's bus card and the driver wouldn't take my 2 shekels. apparently, they passed a law that you can't pay with money anymore in safed. i know that in Jerusalem i got into trouble each time i had the kids with me. one bus driver actually, tried to throw us off the buss one time. i didn't feel like going all the way to town to fill up my card. the bus was filthy and the windows were badly stained. i felt ill. it was the first time in months that i got on a bus.
i went to the health food store to buy some more chai tea. i was all out and it appeared that they were, too. i felt so defeated. this is my pleasure in life these days. it used to be coffee. luckily, the store manager found a few boxes for me. i usually buy them in bulk even though they are very pricey. once, i loved going to outdoor cafés in town to have a designer coffee but that was a long time ago. most of us decided that it was a waste of our money.
i wanted to buy real almond extract. they were all out of it. they did have the vanilla. i just bought a small bottle of the McCormick American vanilla extract at my local supermarket. it was quite expensive. i paid nearly $10 for an ounce bottle. the Israeli imitation extracts are awful and sickening. i once liked the rum flavored one but haven't used it in ages. i need my extracts. i put them in my muffin mix, and in my fake banana ice cream and shakes and in my plain yogurts and in my hot chocolate. they enable me to stay away from sugar. i added a fair amount of the almond extract to the tiramisu last year and it tasted just like marzipan. not everyone appreciated it. i thought it was my best tiramisu to date.
they had a coffee extract but i didn't buy it. now i'm thinking that it would have been a great addition and a good substitute for the coffee liquor. oh well.... i can always throw in a shot of brandy or some low alcohol sweet wine. i have an anise flavored extract but i think it will not go well with the sweet cheese. maybe i can sample some. i am afraid of tasting the tiramisu. i am not the kind of person who can eat one serving of cake, or ice cream or chocolate. last year i resisted having any during the holiday and as soon as it was over, i binged ate the entire remains of the cake.
there were quite a few people waiting outside of the bank, which is a few feet away from the health food store. i wasn't so pleased. i needed to get my balance. there was only one person ahead of me near the machines. afterwards, i was tempted to go to the large supermarket to check if they had blueberries but i didn't want to risk it. i did enter the large pharmacy and i regretted doing it immediately. what was i thinking???? didn't i remember that sick people go to the pharmacy to buy meds?. i just wanted to check out the toys there. i needed a gift for the one year old. i left without buying one and i was there for a really long time. i might return tomorrow.
i walked home. i walked rather slowly. i never really picked up the pace. everything hurt. my right leg was cramping up and my right eye was burning. i passed a baby horse and it's mom in an enclosed area. he was so darn cute. i wanted to give him the organic apple that i had bought at the health food store. when i was at the supermarket the apples didn't appeal to me but they really called out to me in the health food store. i wanted to buy dates but i left without buying any. i had some figs at home. i stopped off at my friend before i went home. i had a snack and tea and broke my 18 hour nightly fast.
i just spoke to the Sephardi mom. they were planning on going back to their home for the holiday. i had thought that it would be problematic to have two male dogs in the house. one of the daughters has a male dog. i was afraid that if my male got out we might have a bit of bloodshed. so all the plans got switched. i was afraid that i would have to walk to Canaan and return home late at night to see the grandkids. i thought all 6 kids and 2 babies would be trapped in that apartment with no where to run. there is a playground across the street but in pandemic it is not ideal.
they were going to break up the holiday with the kids coming to me for a day and i vetoed it. i decided to stick it out with the dogs and be super vigilant. this way i can see the kids each day and not have to walk to a different neighborhood. the daughter-in-law gets to be with her whole family for three days and i can run upstairs if i need to rest or escape the noise. i hope it will be a win-win and i hope it will all work out. the dining space downstairs is much smaller than theirs but there is a huge backyard and room for the kids to play and ride their carts. and of course, there are toys here for the grandkids to play with.
i was getting aggravated because i had spent a fortune on cheese products and i was afraid that i wouldn't get to use them. i was even thinking of freezing everything. i think this is the best solution. if my son gets antsy, he can sleep upstairs in the roof top apartment. my grandkids will get to be with their entire family and i'll be around for the whole time. in the past, we split up holidays and shabbats but i think we all have gotten past that now. after all, they have been living downstairs for a few months now. i hope this will benefit everyone. i hope i haven't made it harder for myself.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Now What? Play By Play Weather Report
It is 9:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed. i am breaking my 12 hour nightly fast with a toasted pita. i decided to have a lox sandwich with some Philadelphia cream cheese. i actually bought it for the holiday of Shavuot; which falls out on Thursday night but i decided to treat myself to something special. i have never before seen Philadelphia cream cheese with the appropriate kashrut certification here in safed.
i have been searching for cheesecake and tiramisu recipes since i woke up. it is freezing. after about two weeks of an excruciating heat wave; it turned cool. i took the dogs out on Saturday morning and had to wear a sweater. it went from temperatures of high 90's to mid 70's in what felt like, just a moment. this morning we had a rainstorm of some intensity and the temperatures dropped to the 60's. once again, my house was cold. i slept with a woolen blanket.
on Friday i started to open up some windows to get some air. i had several fans going. it was just bearable but the house was still very uncomfortable. on Saturday morning, i opened up all of my windows to let the cool air in. by nightfall the house was no longer a sauna. on Saturday night i had to close some of the windows because it was getting really cold. this morning i had to shut all of the windows because it was raining inside.
now the sun is out and the sky is so very blue. and now the sky is covered in clouds and it looks like another storm is on the way. i managed to take the dogs out for a quick run around 7:30 a.m. we didn't go all that far and we avoided any grassy areas because it was full of mud. i even put on my rain boots. i had made plans to go to town this morning. i don't think i'll chance it now. i started to get a cold last night. this is so very unsettling.
two of my daughter-in-law's sisters came on Shabbat with their 4 children. one sister and family stayed over. the kids were like penned in animals let out of a cage. they hadn't been outside to play in months. they got to ride scooters downstairs and they were elated. the weather was marvelous. i went to my friend's in the morning and sat on her porch while her husband read the torah portion. it was nice to be outside. i have been holed up in the house during the heat wave.
i joined the family downstairs after lunch and schmoozed for a few hours. the kids were all outside playing. i brought down a lot of my kids' puzzles, leggo and toys. the kids wanted to investigate what i had upstairs but i didn't want the dogs to get out so i didn't let them come in. they have been here with my grandkids loads of times but his was the first time they came by themselves. i had bought some gifts for them before the quarantine but i didn't manage to give them out before they left.
my friend stopped by in the early evening and i went back to her house. i read some psalms and came home before Shabbat ended. it was getting really cold. i was exhausted. i did, practically, nothing and yet i was very tired. i got into a warm house dress and ended my shabbat. i didn't hear the families leave at night. i was on the computer looking up holiday recipes.
4:00 p.m. update: just went out for a quick walk with dogs. i wore my heavy winter coat. it is sunny, breezy and very cool. i thought about doing a supermarket run but i will stay in. i am very tired and am staying in bed today. i just saw a couple dozen cows in the valley at the end of my street. many of them were lying down. to my recollection, this was a first for me. who knew? i also saw a tiny baby calf walking with his elders. how enchanting!
i have been searching for cheesecake and tiramisu recipes since i woke up. it is freezing. after about two weeks of an excruciating heat wave; it turned cool. i took the dogs out on Saturday morning and had to wear a sweater. it went from temperatures of high 90's to mid 70's in what felt like, just a moment. this morning we had a rainstorm of some intensity and the temperatures dropped to the 60's. once again, my house was cold. i slept with a woolen blanket.
on Friday i started to open up some windows to get some air. i had several fans going. it was just bearable but the house was still very uncomfortable. on Saturday morning, i opened up all of my windows to let the cool air in. by nightfall the house was no longer a sauna. on Saturday night i had to close some of the windows because it was getting really cold. this morning i had to shut all of the windows because it was raining inside.
now the sun is out and the sky is so very blue. and now the sky is covered in clouds and it looks like another storm is on the way. i managed to take the dogs out for a quick run around 7:30 a.m. we didn't go all that far and we avoided any grassy areas because it was full of mud. i even put on my rain boots. i had made plans to go to town this morning. i don't think i'll chance it now. i started to get a cold last night. this is so very unsettling.
two of my daughter-in-law's sisters came on Shabbat with their 4 children. one sister and family stayed over. the kids were like penned in animals let out of a cage. they hadn't been outside to play in months. they got to ride scooters downstairs and they were elated. the weather was marvelous. i went to my friend's in the morning and sat on her porch while her husband read the torah portion. it was nice to be outside. i have been holed up in the house during the heat wave.
i joined the family downstairs after lunch and schmoozed for a few hours. the kids were all outside playing. i brought down a lot of my kids' puzzles, leggo and toys. the kids wanted to investigate what i had upstairs but i didn't want the dogs to get out so i didn't let them come in. they have been here with my grandkids loads of times but his was the first time they came by themselves. i had bought some gifts for them before the quarantine but i didn't manage to give them out before they left.
my friend stopped by in the early evening and i went back to her house. i read some psalms and came home before Shabbat ended. it was getting really cold. i was exhausted. i did, practically, nothing and yet i was very tired. i got into a warm house dress and ended my shabbat. i didn't hear the families leave at night. i was on the computer looking up holiday recipes.
4:00 p.m. update: just went out for a quick walk with dogs. i wore my heavy winter coat. it is sunny, breezy and very cool. i thought about doing a supermarket run but i will stay in. i am very tired and am staying in bed today. i just saw a couple dozen cows in the valley at the end of my street. many of them were lying down. to my recollection, this was a first for me. who knew? i also saw a tiny baby calf walking with his elders. how enchanting!
Friday, May 22, 2020
Getting Cool
it is 7:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. candle lighting is in a few minutes. fresh flowers are on the table and the food is on the electric platter on a timer. the house is still pretty uncomfortable but it is getting cooler. they predict temperatures in the mid 70's. that's pretty amazing considering that we've had 93 degree heat for about two weeks.
yesterday i took advantage of the family downstairs being away. i did some laundry and i dragged down a closet two flights. i collected all of the packages of foods and about twenty pounds of potatoes and put it on the shelves. i collected another bamboo closet and mounted all of the pots and pans that were lying on the floor. i was worried that i might offend the Sephardi grandma but she was very thankful.
it was incredibly hot and i was completely wasted. i was glad that i didn't go to hadera for the birthday party. they didn't come back until midnight. although; i would have loved to see the kids; i wouldn't have lasted a 12 hour day out away from home and the dogs.
i made a simple meal. i potted chicken wings with carrots and sweet potatoes and added chickpeas. i also made a very course chumus sans tahini. i broiled a small fillet of salmon and grated raw beets and carrots. i managed to bake banana oat flour muffins. they taste exactly like banana bread except they aren't sweet. i shopped for Shavuot and ended up spending a true fortune on cheeses.
i decided to make a lasagna, greek salad, grapes and cheese platter, tiramisu and cheesecake for the holiday. i also bought lox and herring and Philadelphia cream cheese. the sky's the limit. i don't know exactly how this holiday/Shabbat will play out but i am taking it easy. i lugged up the baby crib and we'll just have to wait to see where everyone decides to sleep. i prefer having just my immediate family upstairs with me.
yesterday i took advantage of the family downstairs being away. i did some laundry and i dragged down a closet two flights. i collected all of the packages of foods and about twenty pounds of potatoes and put it on the shelves. i collected another bamboo closet and mounted all of the pots and pans that were lying on the floor. i was worried that i might offend the Sephardi grandma but she was very thankful.
it was incredibly hot and i was completely wasted. i was glad that i didn't go to hadera for the birthday party. they didn't come back until midnight. although; i would have loved to see the kids; i wouldn't have lasted a 12 hour day out away from home and the dogs.
i made a simple meal. i potted chicken wings with carrots and sweet potatoes and added chickpeas. i also made a very course chumus sans tahini. i broiled a small fillet of salmon and grated raw beets and carrots. i managed to bake banana oat flour muffins. they taste exactly like banana bread except they aren't sweet. i shopped for Shavuot and ended up spending a true fortune on cheeses.
i decided to make a lasagna, greek salad, grapes and cheese platter, tiramisu and cheesecake for the holiday. i also bought lox and herring and Philadelphia cream cheese. the sky's the limit. i don't know exactly how this holiday/Shabbat will play out but i am taking it easy. i lugged up the baby crib and we'll just have to wait to see where everyone decides to sleep. i prefer having just my immediate family upstairs with me.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Less Is More
it is 11:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed. i got up at 6:00 a.m. and took the dogs out. i broke my nightly fast of 12 hours and had some salmon. i then had a banana, peach and strawberry shake. i just had some peanut butter. i hope that it will hold me for awhile. it is still hot outside and very uncomfortable inside my home. it is a real sauna.
i went downstairs to the first floor apartment. it is lovely and cool. some of it is underground. my place is just miserable. i took a short walk last night with my friend at around 7:00 p.m. there was a cool breeze. it didn't last that long. i sat on a bench near the synagogue talking with the Sephardi grandma. she had tons of things to do that night. i called a friend and schmoozed. i later took the dogs out around 11:00 p.m. and it was nice and airy. i watched television until i passed out.
the Sephardi family is going to hadera today for their grandson's first birthday. i was invited and had a ride. i declined. it wasn't because of the virus. it was the heat. i couldn't deal with being gone all day and being confined in one place with so many people. hadera is usually hotter than safed and more himid. my kids will be going there, for sure. that's family, Sephardi style. i admire it from a distance.
the whole clan may be descending on my home on Shavuot. i am expecting a crowd. the Sephardi mom will prepare all the food for a 3 day holiday/Shabbat. i will buy some fruit and cheese and possibly, a couple of packages of ravioli. i might join the crowd in the evenings but i will stay up here for the day meals. i usually prepare lasagna but the Sephardi grandma made one to take for the birthday party. Shavuot is less than two weeks away. no one needs another lasagna. i was planning on using ricotta and mozzarella rather than the Israeli cottage and yellow semi hard cheese. whatever....
i will make a tiramisu and a cheesecake. i'm thinking about getting some Philadelphia cream cheese and lox. i cannot cope with cooking anymore. i have a water leak from one of the pipes outside. i recently had the new part put in by a plumber. i can't remember when he was last here. i just called him and he remembered coming here. who knows how long this has been going on? my water bill will be huge. it's always something. he said he might come later today. who knows what he will charge? it isn't a major project.
i have been pulling torah books from my shelves since after pesach. i am constantly thinking about downsizing. i, honestly; do not read most of these books anymore. i read a lot of things online. i decided to donate them to a local English bookstore. when i was working, i would taxi over to the store. i started fantasizing about relocating to Jerusalem and started getting rid of things last year. it was a pleasure knowing that other people would enjoy reading these books. i have a rule of thumb about clothes hanging in my closets. if i haven't worn something in over 2 years, i discard it. so i started to apply the same rule to my bookshelves.
i saw an Englishman on ophrah a few years ago; saying that you can lose pounds off your behind by simply,weeding out things from your closet. it works. so does the intermittent fasting; although from what i recently read; i am doing it all wrong. i eat way too many carbs and not enough fat and protein. i have very few summer weight clothes and have been schlepping around in the same jumper all week long. i need to wash it.
i pulled down a set of torah portion commentaries, that i haven't used in ages; and it started me going for more this morning. i had megillahs that i don't use and non fiction jewish themed books; that i don't read and many more books. i was waiting for the heat wave to end to go to town tand bring the books to the store. i didn't even know if the store had reopened recently. i got a brainstorm. why not call the lady from the bookstore to come to me and pick them up? i found the phone number and left a message. she just happened to be in the neighborhood and was here in about twenty minutes. wow! i feel freer. i feel lighter.. less is definitely more these days.
i think i'll slip downstairs to do some wash while the family is out of town. i do very little during this heat wave. i get up early and fall asleep for hours. i feel like an old lady. i am only turning 69 soon. my mom was super active until her mid 80's.. she made Aliyah then and slowly started going downhill. she also had serious health issues. what will be with me???
i went downstairs to the first floor apartment. it is lovely and cool. some of it is underground. my place is just miserable. i took a short walk last night with my friend at around 7:00 p.m. there was a cool breeze. it didn't last that long. i sat on a bench near the synagogue talking with the Sephardi grandma. she had tons of things to do that night. i called a friend and schmoozed. i later took the dogs out around 11:00 p.m. and it was nice and airy. i watched television until i passed out.
the Sephardi family is going to hadera today for their grandson's first birthday. i was invited and had a ride. i declined. it wasn't because of the virus. it was the heat. i couldn't deal with being gone all day and being confined in one place with so many people. hadera is usually hotter than safed and more himid. my kids will be going there, for sure. that's family, Sephardi style. i admire it from a distance.
the whole clan may be descending on my home on Shavuot. i am expecting a crowd. the Sephardi mom will prepare all the food for a 3 day holiday/Shabbat. i will buy some fruit and cheese and possibly, a couple of packages of ravioli. i might join the crowd in the evenings but i will stay up here for the day meals. i usually prepare lasagna but the Sephardi grandma made one to take for the birthday party. Shavuot is less than two weeks away. no one needs another lasagna. i was planning on using ricotta and mozzarella rather than the Israeli cottage and yellow semi hard cheese. whatever....
i will make a tiramisu and a cheesecake. i'm thinking about getting some Philadelphia cream cheese and lox. i cannot cope with cooking anymore. i have a water leak from one of the pipes outside. i recently had the new part put in by a plumber. i can't remember when he was last here. i just called him and he remembered coming here. who knows how long this has been going on? my water bill will be huge. it's always something. he said he might come later today. who knows what he will charge? it isn't a major project.
i have been pulling torah books from my shelves since after pesach. i am constantly thinking about downsizing. i, honestly; do not read most of these books anymore. i read a lot of things online. i decided to donate them to a local English bookstore. when i was working, i would taxi over to the store. i started fantasizing about relocating to Jerusalem and started getting rid of things last year. it was a pleasure knowing that other people would enjoy reading these books. i have a rule of thumb about clothes hanging in my closets. if i haven't worn something in over 2 years, i discard it. so i started to apply the same rule to my bookshelves.
i saw an Englishman on ophrah a few years ago; saying that you can lose pounds off your behind by simply,weeding out things from your closet. it works. so does the intermittent fasting; although from what i recently read; i am doing it all wrong. i eat way too many carbs and not enough fat and protein. i have very few summer weight clothes and have been schlepping around in the same jumper all week long. i need to wash it.
i pulled down a set of torah portion commentaries, that i haven't used in ages; and it started me going for more this morning. i had megillahs that i don't use and non fiction jewish themed books; that i don't read and many more books. i was waiting for the heat wave to end to go to town tand bring the books to the store. i didn't even know if the store had reopened recently. i got a brainstorm. why not call the lady from the bookstore to come to me and pick them up? i found the phone number and left a message. she just happened to be in the neighborhood and was here in about twenty minutes. wow! i feel freer. i feel lighter.. less is definitely more these days.
i think i'll slip downstairs to do some wash while the family is out of town. i do very little during this heat wave. i get up early and fall asleep for hours. i feel like an old lady. i am only turning 69 soon. my mom was super active until her mid 80's.. she made Aliyah then and slowly started going downhill. she also had serious health issues. what will be with me???
Monday, May 18, 2020
Like A Hat Wave
it is 7:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. it is 93 degrees and rising. it is deadly. people my age have been warned to stay inside. sound familiar??? i am exhausted. the house is really hot. i have an overhead fan going on in the television alcove. it keeps me alive. i find that i am passing out a lot. i wake up during the day in the middle of a movie or series. i took the dogs out at 6:00 a.m. and thankfully, there was a cool breeze. i walked over to the nearby supermarket and bought some salmon fillets and a bunch of fruit.
by the time i got home, around 7:00 a.m.; it was already really hot. i took the dogs out at 4:00 p.m. and they looked really overheated. we didn't go very far. last night, my neighbor drove me to the bank. i wanted to check the balance. i cannot venture out in this heat. it was very nice last night at 8:00 p.m. i was craving strawberries today, but there were none at the supermarket. i have been trying to watch the calories. i think i put on a bit of weight lately.
i am drinking a bit of water. there really isn't anything that calls out to me to eat. i made a matzah fry for lunch and i had a yogurt and fruit for breakfast. i just had a couple of non gluten corn crackers with some peanut butter. i had an early supper of canned tuna, spinach leaves and sliced beets. i think it is too hot to eat any more tonight. i will keep drinking. i feel like a real shmatta.
i have been watching a lot of television and documentaries. i binge watched the fifth season of 'power' and i saw 'film stars don't die in liverpool'. that got me watching Gloria Grahame movies and television appearances. what a wasted life, i lead. i had a long chat with a friend this morning. i haven't heard from her in months. i was covered in sweat after the phone call. my legs hurt and i'm very uncomfortable. this is a double whammy; pandemic and heat wave.
safed is pretty virus free. it's really a mountain village more than a real city. i haven't seen any preschoolers or kindergarten children on the block. i take the dogs out at 6:00 a.m. usually and i'm back at home until early evening. i was thinking about going to get my mail but it is still too hot. i might head out at around 9:00 p.m. with the dogs. they are crashed on the cool tile floors. they are pretty wiped out. i know they want people food but i am not into doing any more cooking tonight. they had portions of my matzah fry before.
i should get myself up and showered. i feel really awful. i don't have many summer clothes. I've been wearing the same light weight jeans jumper for days. i think a cold shower will pick me up. my head has been throbbing for a couple of hours. i am in the middle of reading 'eat, pray, love. it did take me a while to really get into it. i like her writing style. it reminds me of my blog. i never saw the movie.' i tried to read 'olive Kittredge' after i saw the series recently; but the print was just too small. i feel like i am not contributing to world humanity or society. i feel like a sloth. once it cools down a bit i will get moving.
by the time i got home, around 7:00 a.m.; it was already really hot. i took the dogs out at 4:00 p.m. and they looked really overheated. we didn't go very far. last night, my neighbor drove me to the bank. i wanted to check the balance. i cannot venture out in this heat. it was very nice last night at 8:00 p.m. i was craving strawberries today, but there were none at the supermarket. i have been trying to watch the calories. i think i put on a bit of weight lately.
i am drinking a bit of water. there really isn't anything that calls out to me to eat. i made a matzah fry for lunch and i had a yogurt and fruit for breakfast. i just had a couple of non gluten corn crackers with some peanut butter. i had an early supper of canned tuna, spinach leaves and sliced beets. i think it is too hot to eat any more tonight. i will keep drinking. i feel like a real shmatta.
i have been watching a lot of television and documentaries. i binge watched the fifth season of 'power' and i saw 'film stars don't die in liverpool'. that got me watching Gloria Grahame movies and television appearances. what a wasted life, i lead. i had a long chat with a friend this morning. i haven't heard from her in months. i was covered in sweat after the phone call. my legs hurt and i'm very uncomfortable. this is a double whammy; pandemic and heat wave.
safed is pretty virus free. it's really a mountain village more than a real city. i haven't seen any preschoolers or kindergarten children on the block. i take the dogs out at 6:00 a.m. usually and i'm back at home until early evening. i was thinking about going to get my mail but it is still too hot. i might head out at around 9:00 p.m. with the dogs. they are crashed on the cool tile floors. they are pretty wiped out. i know they want people food but i am not into doing any more cooking tonight. they had portions of my matzah fry before.
i should get myself up and showered. i feel really awful. i don't have many summer clothes. I've been wearing the same light weight jeans jumper for days. i think a cold shower will pick me up. my head has been throbbing for a couple of hours. i am in the middle of reading 'eat, pray, love. it did take me a while to really get into it. i like her writing style. it reminds me of my blog. i never saw the movie.' i tried to read 'olive Kittredge' after i saw the series recently; but the print was just too small. i feel like i am not contributing to world humanity or society. i feel like a sloth. once it cools down a bit i will get moving.
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