it is 3:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I got up pretty early today because I didn't nap on Saturday afternoon. the weather was truly lovely and I sat in my sukkah with my friend all day. I didn't feel like being alone in the sukkah on Shabbat so I called my friend to come. she recently returned from the states and has been coughing up a storm. I had a pot of chicken soup ready made and I quickly made a beef cholent. I had only one potato left but I had a bag of wheat so we had a feast. it was cold on Friday night so we ate pretty fast and retired to the dining room for tea and fruit.
I made it to synagogue in the morning but I felt dreadful. my head ached and my eyes were burning. I didn't stick around to see if they were doing a Kiddush at the end of the service. the cholent was waiting for me and it was quite yummy. I added just a tad of cinnamon. it was so airy and pleasant outside. I read Ecclesiastes out load and broke into the tune of the birds :turn, turn, turn' when I chanted "there is a season to live and a season to die', etc. my friend was not familiar with the megillah. she did know the song.
the kids were supposed to come today for the holiday. I didn't prepare any food because they said we were going to the Sephardi grandparents tonight and the sister's tomorrow for a barbecue. I was planning on serving the rest of the chicken soup when they arrived and make a package of mini sweet potato raviolis. I had tons of salad left and I ran out to the supermarket to buy fruit and fresh rolls. I think I left the fruit at the supermarket. I went to the large supermarket by bus. I bought fresh whole wheat baguettes and a package of non gluten rolls. the grandkids and I love them with hotdogs. I bought a container of non dairy ice cream and a few tuna steaks. and I bought two packages of chocolate eggs. you know, the ones that have the toys inside.
I also bought some lamb kabobs and beef hotdogs for the said barbecue. I had already purchased chicken hotdogs, beef burgers, chicken wings and lamb kabobs. I ran to the pharmacy next door to get acamol for my headache and some anti fungal eye cream for the infection. I couldn't buy the cream without a prescription. I then went to the nut store and bought fresh sunflower seeds, a mix of natural nuts and raisins, dried figs, pineapple rings and dates. I then took a taxi down the road to the discount store to find some toys for the kids. I always have something for them when they arrive. I had been planning on going to town this morning. I needed to buy a pay card for my cell phone. I don't have a line. when I got to the bus stop I realized that I had left the phone home.
I was planning on going back to Jerusalem on Monday night with the kids; after the holiday ended. and of course, I needed my phone. I intended to contact my girlfriend, once I got there, and set a time to meet. I spent quite a bit of money today. when I got home my son called to cancel. I wasn't really upset. I decided to have a quiet holiday with my friend. I felt bad that she might be alone. she wasn't interested in coming out. rain is predicted tomorrow. I quickly took out a piece of beef and threw it into a pot with onions and beer. I added some sweet chili sauce. I then cooked a couple of tuna steaks and a small pot of buckwheat groats.
tonight, we go to the synagogue and watch the men dance with the sefer torahs. I have been doing this for 35 years here. I am not as enthusiastic as I used to be, but I still strive to go. my eyes are burning . we say farewell to the sukkah this evening. we eat in the home tonight. it is customary to have a small meal before the holiday starts. we jews like our food!. the house is clean and i'm pretty much ready for the holiday. I have lost some weight and my clothes are beginning to be loose in the waist. I don't know what i'll wear tonight. I am relieved not to have to walk home late, tonight in the cold from the in-laws. it is a bit unnerving to be alone. it is what it is. happy holidays!
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Monday, October 14, 2019
Festival Of The Ingatherings 2019
it is 8:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed. we are currently in the second day of the festival of tabernacles. I put up my portable sukkah last Friday. I wasn't planning on bothering this year. the kids stayed in Jerusalem and I stayed put in safed. women are not obligated to eat or sleep in the sukkah but traditionally, they do. I had two gal pals come for the evening meal on sunday night. I kept the menu simple. I made a small piece of beef and a small amount of beef meatballs. I had some leftover sweet noodle kugel and I made string beans, beets and a mixed green salad. I also had tahini and chumus.
I went to the bakery on Friday to buy challahs for the holiday but forgot them at the supermarket. luckily, I had some whole wheat raisin challah in the freezer from Rosh Hashanah. I was able to freshen them up in the oven. I actually, baked a spelt carrot cake. it is in the freezer, virtually untouched. I may bring it to the yeshiva when the break is over. my baking is not what it used to be. it has been quite hot here, once again, in the middle east. I rigged up a fan in the sukkah. it has been cold at night but not during the holiday.
I walked my friend, nearly home, on sunday night. it is about an hour from my home. it was very windy and sand was flying in our eyes. I returned home to find my sukkah had moved and the bamboo 'roof' covering almost blown off. I was quite desperate. I made several attempts to secure the sukkah in it's place but most, unsuccessfully. the noise from the wind storm was quite alarming. it was hard to sleep. it sounded like the end of the world. living on a mountain does that. I awakened to find that most of the posters I had pinned to the material walls of the sukkah were gone. the fake plastic clusters of grapes were intact. go know!.
I was able to have my festival lunch in the sukkah with my friend. we sat in the part of the sukkah that was still intact. I fixed the sukkah last night after the festival ended. I tried to secure it to the metal fence. right now it looks like it is going to storm. nothing worse than a soggy and wet sukkah. there is a memorial service and meal at the synagogue for a lovely lady who recently passed last month, later this afternoon. I wonder if it will be rained out. oh the pressure of sukkot is great. building the sukkah is traditionally, a man's job. last year my neighbor did it for me. the year before my grandson helped. this time I did it myself and it wasn't my best effort. my neighbor did roll out the bamboo roof covering for me. it was too heavy for me. I didn't secure it very well.
I don't think that I will be hosting anyone this week. perhaps my friend will join me for Shabbat, weather permitting. I was planning on doing a barbecue but we shall see how it turns out. I am still a bit bummed out. I shouldn't be. for the moment the sukkah is standing upright and looks okay. the bamboo covering is still in place. on Sunday night, we celebrate the holiday of simchat torah. we do not go back to the sukkah for our meals. the kids are supposed to be coming to me for that. I could save the barbecue for Monday.
I am currently a bit under the weather. I am exhausted and not feeling well at all. I ate too much yesterday and my eye looks inflamed. I am too tired to schlepp to the pharmacy for dexamol and eye cream. I will stay put for now. I am so glad that I did the washing up last night instead of waiting for this morning to do the dishes. the kitchen is straightened up and I am in no shape to do anything right now. I just might have a cup of tea and some dry toast for now.
I went to the bakery on Friday to buy challahs for the holiday but forgot them at the supermarket. luckily, I had some whole wheat raisin challah in the freezer from Rosh Hashanah. I was able to freshen them up in the oven. I actually, baked a spelt carrot cake. it is in the freezer, virtually untouched. I may bring it to the yeshiva when the break is over. my baking is not what it used to be. it has been quite hot here, once again, in the middle east. I rigged up a fan in the sukkah. it has been cold at night but not during the holiday.
I walked my friend, nearly home, on sunday night. it is about an hour from my home. it was very windy and sand was flying in our eyes. I returned home to find my sukkah had moved and the bamboo 'roof' covering almost blown off. I was quite desperate. I made several attempts to secure the sukkah in it's place but most, unsuccessfully. the noise from the wind storm was quite alarming. it was hard to sleep. it sounded like the end of the world. living on a mountain does that. I awakened to find that most of the posters I had pinned to the material walls of the sukkah were gone. the fake plastic clusters of grapes were intact. go know!.
I was able to have my festival lunch in the sukkah with my friend. we sat in the part of the sukkah that was still intact. I fixed the sukkah last night after the festival ended. I tried to secure it to the metal fence. right now it looks like it is going to storm. nothing worse than a soggy and wet sukkah. there is a memorial service and meal at the synagogue for a lovely lady who recently passed last month, later this afternoon. I wonder if it will be rained out. oh the pressure of sukkot is great. building the sukkah is traditionally, a man's job. last year my neighbor did it for me. the year before my grandson helped. this time I did it myself and it wasn't my best effort. my neighbor did roll out the bamboo roof covering for me. it was too heavy for me. I didn't secure it very well.
I don't think that I will be hosting anyone this week. perhaps my friend will join me for Shabbat, weather permitting. I was planning on doing a barbecue but we shall see how it turns out. I am still a bit bummed out. I shouldn't be. for the moment the sukkah is standing upright and looks okay. the bamboo covering is still in place. on Sunday night, we celebrate the holiday of simchat torah. we do not go back to the sukkah for our meals. the kids are supposed to be coming to me for that. I could save the barbecue for Monday.
I am currently a bit under the weather. I am exhausted and not feeling well at all. I ate too much yesterday and my eye looks inflamed. I am too tired to schlepp to the pharmacy for dexamol and eye cream. I will stay put for now. I am so glad that I did the washing up last night instead of waiting for this morning to do the dishes. the kitchen is straightened up and I am in no shape to do anything right now. I just might have a cup of tea and some dry toast for now.
Friday, September 27, 2019
shana tova 2019
it is 12:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I just got home from the neighborhood supermarket. I ran out to buy some chicken. I am craving chicken soup for Shabbat. I bought a ton of meat for the holiday but I was truly fantasizing about chicken. I ended up buying wings. I think it will make a decent soup. when the kids arrive on sunday, just before the holiday; they may be hungry. I usually give them tuna salad. they might just want a bowl of soup this time. my son is recuperating from a sinus infection, so chicken soup might be just, the remedy.
as it turns out, the kids will only be joining me for one evening meal. I have decided to keep the menu simple. no kugels this year. I just bought noodles to make a sweet kugel but they can be used for the soup. I thought about making a bulgur pilaf instead of rice. I bought only a few mini potatoes and sweet potatoes. I think i'll just bake them. I decided not to make tsimis. I throw it out every year. I didn't buy apricots or prunes. they are a trigger for a sugar binge for me. I'm still on my no sugar diet and dipping every thing in honey is not an option for me. I have been putting dates in my smoothies but I haven't gone off the wagon completely.
I made 4 honey cake loaves to give out. I used coconut oil and spelt flour this time. I hope they came out okay. I don't think i'll be having any. I wanted to hit the health food store to buy chickpea flour to make a non gluten honey cake for myself but it was just too hot to get there. I was lucky to have gotten a ride home from the supermarket. I might just head out early on sunday morning to buy challahs and get the flour and a vanilla scented perfume at the pharmacy, that I liked. we shall see. the holiday comes in early. I would cook today for the holiday but the kids prefer freshly cooked food.
I have to prepare a small amount of the traditional foods that are omens for a good year. they include: beets, leeks, gourds, fish head, pomegranate, dates, carrots, apples, black eyed peas and of course, the honey. I bought precooked beets and a bag of the beet leaves, which everyone loves. I bought these strange shriveled up looking string beans, that contain the black eyed peas. I bought a small chunk of pumpkin. they have a green squash that looks like a gourd but is very bitter. I try to avoid it. I bought a quince that I cook up every year for a new fruit. no one likes it. I usually have it all to myself. I also bought a star fruit which basically has the same texture and taste as a red pepper, but slices into stars. I bought a few 'prickly' pears which we call sabras, which grow out of cactus trees. my daughter-in-law likes them.
I bought a ton of fruit last week but I ate it all. I have been coming home late from work and making fruit shakes instead of having dinner. I have been 'sampling' my food at the yeshiva and hitting the carbs pretty hard. I know that I lost weight because the waistbands of my skirts are looser but I don't think it is ten pounds yet. my friend, who is doing the 16 hour intermittent fasting, has dropped over twenty pounds. I'm holding at 12-13 hours of fasting with the occasional 14-16 hours.
I desperately need to wash the floors with bleach today. I am too tired right now. I am waiting for a boost of energy. I just had a fruit shake and two salmon fillets. I'm still tired. I worked until 8:00 p.m last night. I left food for today, tomorrow and for sunday afternoon. I don't have to go in before the holiday to cook. I made them an eggless chocolate cake and a honey cake. I left turkey schnitzels and carrot kugel in the freezer. I even froze a tin of couscous. I hope it is enough. we are down to ten students but I cook more treats for them. the other evening I made flourless tahini and peanut butter cookies.
I wish you all a good Shabbat and a very happy new year.
as it turns out, the kids will only be joining me for one evening meal. I have decided to keep the menu simple. no kugels this year. I just bought noodles to make a sweet kugel but they can be used for the soup. I thought about making a bulgur pilaf instead of rice. I bought only a few mini potatoes and sweet potatoes. I think i'll just bake them. I decided not to make tsimis. I throw it out every year. I didn't buy apricots or prunes. they are a trigger for a sugar binge for me. I'm still on my no sugar diet and dipping every thing in honey is not an option for me. I have been putting dates in my smoothies but I haven't gone off the wagon completely.
I made 4 honey cake loaves to give out. I used coconut oil and spelt flour this time. I hope they came out okay. I don't think i'll be having any. I wanted to hit the health food store to buy chickpea flour to make a non gluten honey cake for myself but it was just too hot to get there. I was lucky to have gotten a ride home from the supermarket. I might just head out early on sunday morning to buy challahs and get the flour and a vanilla scented perfume at the pharmacy, that I liked. we shall see. the holiday comes in early. I would cook today for the holiday but the kids prefer freshly cooked food.
I have to prepare a small amount of the traditional foods that are omens for a good year. they include: beets, leeks, gourds, fish head, pomegranate, dates, carrots, apples, black eyed peas and of course, the honey. I bought precooked beets and a bag of the beet leaves, which everyone loves. I bought these strange shriveled up looking string beans, that contain the black eyed peas. I bought a small chunk of pumpkin. they have a green squash that looks like a gourd but is very bitter. I try to avoid it. I bought a quince that I cook up every year for a new fruit. no one likes it. I usually have it all to myself. I also bought a star fruit which basically has the same texture and taste as a red pepper, but slices into stars. I bought a few 'prickly' pears which we call sabras, which grow out of cactus trees. my daughter-in-law likes them.
I bought a ton of fruit last week but I ate it all. I have been coming home late from work and making fruit shakes instead of having dinner. I have been 'sampling' my food at the yeshiva and hitting the carbs pretty hard. I know that I lost weight because the waistbands of my skirts are looser but I don't think it is ten pounds yet. my friend, who is doing the 16 hour intermittent fasting, has dropped over twenty pounds. I'm holding at 12-13 hours of fasting with the occasional 14-16 hours.
I desperately need to wash the floors with bleach today. I am too tired right now. I am waiting for a boost of energy. I just had a fruit shake and two salmon fillets. I'm still tired. I worked until 8:00 p.m last night. I left food for today, tomorrow and for sunday afternoon. I don't have to go in before the holiday to cook. I made them an eggless chocolate cake and a honey cake. I left turkey schnitzels and carrot kugel in the freezer. I even froze a tin of couscous. I hope it is enough. we are down to ten students but I cook more treats for them. the other evening I made flourless tahini and peanut butter cookies.
I wish you all a good Shabbat and a very happy new year.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Cleaning Up My Act
it is 10:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed. I just finished washing the kitchen and dining room floors, yet once again. the place reeks of pish. the puppy is incorrigible. I threw in a load of laundry and just put in a batch of duvet covers. I am just trying to clean up my act. I also scraped off a bunch of slime from the yeshiva's kitchen floor yesterday. I am on a mission. the kids are coming to safed for Shabbat. I don't know if they will be sleeping here but i'm sure they will be leaving their toy Yorkshire puppy with me. it will be sheer pishie pandemonium with the two untrained female puppies and my male 4 year old male dog, tiny.
yesterday I ate at the yeshiva. I seldom have a meal there. I made tabouli salad, hash brown potatoes, red lentil dahl, Israeli salad and ratatouille. I had a yogurt drink on the taxi ride home and I didn't have anything else. I haven't broken my fast yet. I made rice and hot dogs for the dogs this morning. I might just have a hot dog sandwich before I go to work. I am waiting for a gas canister delivery. I need to clean the downstairs apartment. we are going to have my grandson's birthday party on Saturday night. I already ran out yesterday to the party goods store to buy spiderman balloons, banners, napkins, party bags, and disposable table cloths.
I skipped the plates because they were exorbitant in price. they didn't have matching cups so I bought a bunch of red and blue plates and cups. I think it will be swell. I ran to rosh pina to buy him a very expensive collectible 'it' clown doll. I actually waited an hour for the bus to get here and it was full. I was lucky to find a seat. I ended up buying two dolls so I decided to save one for Chanukah. I didn't buy any candy for the party. I spent enough on the gift and party goods. I hope they don't cancel on me. I don't know if they are planning to have Shabbat lunch here with me so I will buy some food just in case. everything is always a last minute decision. I don't work that way.
I usually would have already shopped for rosh hashannah but I still don't know the plans this year. who knows? perhaps they are staying in Jerusalem for the holidays. one must be flexible. at 68 years old, this is not an easy feat to do. I have no idea as to what I will make for lunch today. I didn't seem to lose any sleep over it yesterday. I watched an old movie and went to bed at 2:30 a.m. I have been catching up with movies lately. and my favorite cooking contest from Australia is currently viewing. yeh!
8:30 p.m. : the guys came with the gas balloons but they didn't take a credit card. I had absolutely no cash on me and haven't picked up my checks at the bank. luckily for me, my neighbor was home and lent me the money. I just came home from work and stopped off at an ATM machine to repay my neighbor. I had to take a taxi home. I was wasted. I was ready to finish up my cooking around 5:00 p.m. when the manager came in to let me know they were expecting 35 for dinner. they were apparently, hosting a meal for a bride and groom and I had already prepared enough for my usual group of about 17.
I quickly, defrosted another 2 pounds of chop turkey meat to add to my meatball mixture and broke up 2 bags of spaghetti into tiny pieces to make a noodle kugel. I sliced up a dozen or more egg tomatoes and made a salad with onions. I had already baked a carrot kugel and eggless chocolate cake and cooked white rice and green lentils. I didn't finish until 7:00 p.m. I stopped off at the party goods store and got more things for the birthday. I got home and ate a cold hot dog and that's it for tonight's food intake. I had a tuna patty and a couple of lentil patties at work before I left. that's quite enough of food today.
yesterday I ate at the yeshiva. I seldom have a meal there. I made tabouli salad, hash brown potatoes, red lentil dahl, Israeli salad and ratatouille. I had a yogurt drink on the taxi ride home and I didn't have anything else. I haven't broken my fast yet. I made rice and hot dogs for the dogs this morning. I might just have a hot dog sandwich before I go to work. I am waiting for a gas canister delivery. I need to clean the downstairs apartment. we are going to have my grandson's birthday party on Saturday night. I already ran out yesterday to the party goods store to buy spiderman balloons, banners, napkins, party bags, and disposable table cloths.
I skipped the plates because they were exorbitant in price. they didn't have matching cups so I bought a bunch of red and blue plates and cups. I think it will be swell. I ran to rosh pina to buy him a very expensive collectible 'it' clown doll. I actually waited an hour for the bus to get here and it was full. I was lucky to find a seat. I ended up buying two dolls so I decided to save one for Chanukah. I didn't buy any candy for the party. I spent enough on the gift and party goods. I hope they don't cancel on me. I don't know if they are planning to have Shabbat lunch here with me so I will buy some food just in case. everything is always a last minute decision. I don't work that way.
I usually would have already shopped for rosh hashannah but I still don't know the plans this year. who knows? perhaps they are staying in Jerusalem for the holidays. one must be flexible. at 68 years old, this is not an easy feat to do. I have no idea as to what I will make for lunch today. I didn't seem to lose any sleep over it yesterday. I watched an old movie and went to bed at 2:30 a.m. I have been catching up with movies lately. and my favorite cooking contest from Australia is currently viewing. yeh!
8:30 p.m. : the guys came with the gas balloons but they didn't take a credit card. I had absolutely no cash on me and haven't picked up my checks at the bank. luckily for me, my neighbor was home and lent me the money. I just came home from work and stopped off at an ATM machine to repay my neighbor. I had to take a taxi home. I was wasted. I was ready to finish up my cooking around 5:00 p.m. when the manager came in to let me know they were expecting 35 for dinner. they were apparently, hosting a meal for a bride and groom and I had already prepared enough for my usual group of about 17.
I quickly, defrosted another 2 pounds of chop turkey meat to add to my meatball mixture and broke up 2 bags of spaghetti into tiny pieces to make a noodle kugel. I sliced up a dozen or more egg tomatoes and made a salad with onions. I had already baked a carrot kugel and eggless chocolate cake and cooked white rice and green lentils. I didn't finish until 7:00 p.m. I stopped off at the party goods store and got more things for the birthday. I got home and ate a cold hot dog and that's it for tonight's food intake. I had a tuna patty and a couple of lentil patties at work before I left. that's quite enough of food today.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Shabbat Shalom
it is 6:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. it is about a half an hour from candle lighting. I made Shabbat lunch for about 35 people at the yeshiva. I prepped most of the food yesterday and came in this morning to finish. I made two separate pots of traditional beef stew that stays on the electric platter all night. I got canned garbanzo beans and navy beans which made the job easier. I added barley and white potatoes and at the end I threw in some sweet potatoes. I kept on tasting the stew and it was sweet so I kept on adding salt. I finally realized that I wasn't really adding salt. I had grabbed a bag of sugar instead. oh well...
I made a huge amount of pasta salad and a quinoa salad with craisins and roasted peanuts. I also made an egg salad and a large amount of tahini sauce. I mashed up two industrial sized cans of tuna with some mayonnaise. I cut up several packages of herring into bite sized pieces and added hot peppers. I couldn't do anymore so I left the raw vegetable salad for the manager to do. I cabbed it home at 4:00 p.m. I worked for 4 1/2 hours. I was truly tired. yesterday I worked for 6 1/2 hours. the yeshiva guys were happy to see me today. they expect an exceptional lunch. sorry to say that I made very basic Shabbat food and nothing exotic today. I would have liked to make a cake but I simply ran out of time.
at home, I broiled two chicken bottoms for myself and the dogs and made a piece of salmon in the toaster oven. I cooked some fresh string beans, white rice and a pot of black beans. they are actually still cooking. they take so much time. I am ready to shower and relax. I will pop off to bed early tonight. that's if the new puppy lets me sleep. she is very hyper on the bed. wishing you all a good Shabbos.
I made a huge amount of pasta salad and a quinoa salad with craisins and roasted peanuts. I also made an egg salad and a large amount of tahini sauce. I mashed up two industrial sized cans of tuna with some mayonnaise. I cut up several packages of herring into bite sized pieces and added hot peppers. I couldn't do anymore so I left the raw vegetable salad for the manager to do. I cabbed it home at 4:00 p.m. I worked for 4 1/2 hours. I was truly tired. yesterday I worked for 6 1/2 hours. the yeshiva guys were happy to see me today. they expect an exceptional lunch. sorry to say that I made very basic Shabbat food and nothing exotic today. I would have liked to make a cake but I simply ran out of time.
at home, I broiled two chicken bottoms for myself and the dogs and made a piece of salmon in the toaster oven. I cooked some fresh string beans, white rice and a pot of black beans. they are actually still cooking. they take so much time. I am ready to shower and relax. I will pop off to bed early tonight. that's if the new puppy lets me sleep. she is very hyper on the bed. wishing you all a good Shabbos.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Back To School
it is 10:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed. summer is definitely over although we are still experiencing hot weather. I went to the local pool yesterday but it was empty and I didn't have a gal pal around to hang with. I left after about an hour. I am not one to do laps or serious exercise so it was boring for me. I cooled off a bit and then stopped off at the supermarket to get some fruit. I bought two packages of ground almonds to make non gluten blueberry muffins. the recipe called for a cup of greek yogurt. I had eaten chicken and traditionally wait six hours until eating dairy; so I used orange juice. I only added a bit of maple syrup so they were not sweet. I am still on a non sugar regimen. they actually kept their shape and resemble real blueberry muffins.
I had an ice coffee shake one day at the pool and a yogurt, peanut butter and date smoothie in Jerusalem last week. and except for the fruit flavored yogurts I had, that is all the sugar I've consumed in months. I don't think that I have dropped a lot of weight but my waistline is definitely smaller and the jelly belly is going down. I am still doing the intermittent fasting regimen. it is my only safeguard against overeating. it is like second nature to me now. I do not feel deprived. there really isn't anything much that tantalizes me. I could benefit greatly by portion control but I am not there yet. I still enjoy a full appetite.
I need to go to work today. I had a two week, non paid, break from the yeshiva. I think there are only about ten guys presently there. I just had the repairman come and finish repairing the screens. it is wonderful having new screens. I feel so grateful. unfortunately, the pigeons returned to the upstairs balcony with a vengeance. I repaired the netting as best as I could but I didn't shovel up the poo yet. what a drag! speaking of poo; I just got a new puppy. my grandson's friend, on the next block, had a Chihuahua/pincher that I fell in love with. I offered to babysit the puppy because I really loved it.
last week, the mom of the little boy, called to ask me to keep the puppy. apparently, she can't cope with work and three small children and a puppy. I offered to hold onto the dog until she wants it back but she didn't want it back. I forgot how hard it is to have a puppy in the house. I am constantly tripping over her and her pee. I take her for walks but she doesn't know how to poop outside. she finally peed on a diaper pad outside the house this morning but still poops in the living room. she is also hyper. she has a lot of toys to play with. my big dog, 'tiny', isn't thrilled with having a puppy in the house. he has eaten all of her puppy chow and doesn't let her near the water dish. she wants him to play with her. it is very exhausting.
my biggest fear is that she will run away. she is very tiny right now. her name was 'stay' but I call her 'teeny', now. I had three Chihuahuas in the past, and one was the love of my life. he died young. another one, I gave away to a great family because my female pincher was torturing him. he had a very happy life and recently died. the third one was on loan from my son and she was horrible. thankfully, she was returned to the breeder. I will have to have teeny fixed soon. I will not have the male dog castrated. it is against jewish law.
I forgot how expensive it is to have puppies. I am not one of these people who spends tons of money on a dog. I will have to buy her a sweater. in the meanwhile, she is chomping away on a giant chew bone of tiny's and has been eating his large dog chow, while he ravages her puppy chow. does anyone else see a certain irony in this?
my grandson will be turning ten in two weeks. I hope they will come to safed for his birthday, which falls out on Shabbat. they stayed with me for about five days during their break. we spent a lot of time at the pool and the cheap toy stores. I blew my salary on them. we went to an arcade in rosh pina and I blew over a hundred dollars that evening. I also lost my cell phone that afternoon on the way to said, arcade. I took them back to Jerusalem at the end of the week and stayed for a couple of days. their mom had to go back to work. we went to see the new 'dora' movie and I took them to a maul the next day. we met up with my girlfriend and had a pizza. the next day I went to meet my friend alone and we saw a really bad action movie and then had an early dinner.
it was unbearably hot last week and I felt wasted each day. it was good to get home, but I couldn't move for a couple of days. I went to the pool on friday with my friend and we stayed in the water til about 3:00 p.m. it was so refreshing. I don't really swim well but I love being in the water. I did start swimming across the width of the pool with my friend. I am not motivated by myself. I cannot believe that Rosh hohsanna is just a month away. it's time to buy honey and start making cakes. I am not so inspired with the family being in Jerusalem. I am trying not to stress out over the plans. I will be happy not having to make any holiday meals. last year I was invited to join the kids in Jerusalem and I made a mistake and stayed in safed, it was the worst holiday I have ever experienced without the grandkids. I hope this year will be more festive.
I had an ice coffee shake one day at the pool and a yogurt, peanut butter and date smoothie in Jerusalem last week. and except for the fruit flavored yogurts I had, that is all the sugar I've consumed in months. I don't think that I have dropped a lot of weight but my waistline is definitely smaller and the jelly belly is going down. I am still doing the intermittent fasting regimen. it is my only safeguard against overeating. it is like second nature to me now. I do not feel deprived. there really isn't anything much that tantalizes me. I could benefit greatly by portion control but I am not there yet. I still enjoy a full appetite.
I need to go to work today. I had a two week, non paid, break from the yeshiva. I think there are only about ten guys presently there. I just had the repairman come and finish repairing the screens. it is wonderful having new screens. I feel so grateful. unfortunately, the pigeons returned to the upstairs balcony with a vengeance. I repaired the netting as best as I could but I didn't shovel up the poo yet. what a drag! speaking of poo; I just got a new puppy. my grandson's friend, on the next block, had a Chihuahua/pincher that I fell in love with. I offered to babysit the puppy because I really loved it.
last week, the mom of the little boy, called to ask me to keep the puppy. apparently, she can't cope with work and three small children and a puppy. I offered to hold onto the dog until she wants it back but she didn't want it back. I forgot how hard it is to have a puppy in the house. I am constantly tripping over her and her pee. I take her for walks but she doesn't know how to poop outside. she finally peed on a diaper pad outside the house this morning but still poops in the living room. she is also hyper. she has a lot of toys to play with. my big dog, 'tiny', isn't thrilled with having a puppy in the house. he has eaten all of her puppy chow and doesn't let her near the water dish. she wants him to play with her. it is very exhausting.
my biggest fear is that she will run away. she is very tiny right now. her name was 'stay' but I call her 'teeny', now. I had three Chihuahuas in the past, and one was the love of my life. he died young. another one, I gave away to a great family because my female pincher was torturing him. he had a very happy life and recently died. the third one was on loan from my son and she was horrible. thankfully, she was returned to the breeder. I will have to have teeny fixed soon. I will not have the male dog castrated. it is against jewish law.
I forgot how expensive it is to have puppies. I am not one of these people who spends tons of money on a dog. I will have to buy her a sweater. in the meanwhile, she is chomping away on a giant chew bone of tiny's and has been eating his large dog chow, while he ravages her puppy chow. does anyone else see a certain irony in this?
my grandson will be turning ten in two weeks. I hope they will come to safed for his birthday, which falls out on Shabbat. they stayed with me for about five days during their break. we spent a lot of time at the pool and the cheap toy stores. I blew my salary on them. we went to an arcade in rosh pina and I blew over a hundred dollars that evening. I also lost my cell phone that afternoon on the way to said, arcade. I took them back to Jerusalem at the end of the week and stayed for a couple of days. their mom had to go back to work. we went to see the new 'dora' movie and I took them to a maul the next day. we met up with my girlfriend and had a pizza. the next day I went to meet my friend alone and we saw a really bad action movie and then had an early dinner.
it was unbearably hot last week and I felt wasted each day. it was good to get home, but I couldn't move for a couple of days. I went to the pool on friday with my friend and we stayed in the water til about 3:00 p.m. it was so refreshing. I don't really swim well but I love being in the water. I did start swimming across the width of the pool with my friend. I am not motivated by myself. I cannot believe that Rosh hohsanna is just a month away. it's time to buy honey and start making cakes. I am not so inspired with the family being in Jerusalem. I am trying not to stress out over the plans. I will be happy not having to make any holiday meals. last year I was invited to join the kids in Jerusalem and I made a mistake and stayed in safed, it was the worst holiday I have ever experienced without the grandkids. I hope this year will be more festive.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Living Life In The Fast lane part 3
it is 3:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed. we have another 4 hours left to this fast. I am feeling better than I thought I would but I still haven't made it out of the house. I've been in bed for most of the day. I did manage to wet mop the kitchen and dining room areas plus the two back bedrooms. I have been watching holocaust survivor documentaries all day. I just turned off a documentary about how the nurses and doctors of the third reich murdered so many innocent people with physical and mental defects. I had had enough. at least, the survivor stories are hopeful in spite of the immense brutality.
I can't wait for this fast to end. I am thirsty and a bit hungry. it is too hot for me to travel to town to go to the yeshiva. I don't feel like taking a taxi, either. I left food and hopefully it is enough. the manager can put out cakes if any are left from Shabbat. let him improvise. I am staying put. I think last year the other manager called for pizza.
I didn't catch a Shabbat nap yesterday. I was afraid of being up all night, fasting. I usually can't sleep on Saturday night. I finished my novel about a knitting club and the main character succumbed to ovarian cancer. definitely a bummer! but good to be in sad mode before the fast of Tisha B'av began. I couldn't fall asleep and looked for a good holocaust film. I settled on Spielberg's, 'Munich'; the one about the Mossad's revenge murders of the masterminds who killed the Israeli athletes at the '72 Olympics. I finally hit the bed before 3:00 a.m. I stayed in bed for a good while this morning.
I have my blueberry cornbread and a salmon steak ready for me to break the fast. last night I had a tuna sandwich on a whole wheat roll with humus for my pre fast meal. I could have had chicken but I didn't feel like eating any. I didn't have any for lunch, either. I stuck with the salon steaks. I gave most of the chicken to my dog. I finished off the package of kale. I really love it. I hope they still have some left at the supermarket. I am tempted to run down to the store now but I don't feel like getting dressed. perhaps it would be good to take a small walk. every inch of me hurts.
tomorrow night is the first night of the three day klezmer music festival. I think that the daughter-in-law might come with the grandkids. I wish I was already on vacation. I can't wait to return to the outdoor pool. it's been 9 days already. I want to jump in the water right now. these last three hours are going to be a killer.
8:00 p.m. fast is over. yahoo! don't know which was harder; not eating and drinking or not watching videos and regular broadcasting all day.
I can't wait for this fast to end. I am thirsty and a bit hungry. it is too hot for me to travel to town to go to the yeshiva. I don't feel like taking a taxi, either. I left food and hopefully it is enough. the manager can put out cakes if any are left from Shabbat. let him improvise. I am staying put. I think last year the other manager called for pizza.
I didn't catch a Shabbat nap yesterday. I was afraid of being up all night, fasting. I usually can't sleep on Saturday night. I finished my novel about a knitting club and the main character succumbed to ovarian cancer. definitely a bummer! but good to be in sad mode before the fast of Tisha B'av began. I couldn't fall asleep and looked for a good holocaust film. I settled on Spielberg's, 'Munich'; the one about the Mossad's revenge murders of the masterminds who killed the Israeli athletes at the '72 Olympics. I finally hit the bed before 3:00 a.m. I stayed in bed for a good while this morning.
I have my blueberry cornbread and a salmon steak ready for me to break the fast. last night I had a tuna sandwich on a whole wheat roll with humus for my pre fast meal. I could have had chicken but I didn't feel like eating any. I didn't have any for lunch, either. I stuck with the salon steaks. I gave most of the chicken to my dog. I finished off the package of kale. I really love it. I hope they still have some left at the supermarket. I am tempted to run down to the store now but I don't feel like getting dressed. perhaps it would be good to take a small walk. every inch of me hurts.
tomorrow night is the first night of the three day klezmer music festival. I think that the daughter-in-law might come with the grandkids. I wish I was already on vacation. I can't wait to return to the outdoor pool. it's been 9 days already. I want to jump in the water right now. these last three hours are going to be a killer.
8:00 p.m. fast is over. yahoo! don't know which was harder; not eating and drinking or not watching videos and regular broadcasting all day.
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