just over 2 weeks

Yes, in just over two weeks I'll be flying to NY for a couple of weeks' visit.

I can't believe it.

I'm getting to my "can't be," "not ready" mode. I always panic before trips. Suddenly there's never enough time.

Also, my new suitcase seems to have disappeared. I had wanted to lend it to a neighbor and couldn't find it.

OK, I have two weeks...

Shavua tov, what's new?

Just a quick-ish post before attacking the dirty dishes.

Though there's a heat wave here, things are still lovely, especially since the local swimming pool is only a couple of minutes' walk away. And even closer, our merpeset, balcony is shaded, making everything look nicer.


Sometimes it seems like my constant camera-carrying and photographing everything and everyone, is sort of like spying. No, I wasn't hidden, not at all. Actually my neighbor said that he was going to take my picture, but I was quicker!

The Black Cat

According to the goyishe culture which influenced my childhood, black cats are a sign of bad luck. This one is a neighbor, and I don't think that Jewish lore has such superstitions.

Is that so?

puzzled

Isn't it a shame that one of the most intelligence-building activities in kids can cause such a mess?



Last time my daughter and her family were over, I had the dining room table turned around going horizontal, rather than vertical, so we could make room for the puzzles. At least these puzzles have large pieces, so they were easy to find and put away afterwards.

Breathing the Bible

After living here 37 years, I still get a thrill out of the fact that I walk where our forefathers did.

This is Bible Land, the real thing, not some amusement park.

And being a Torah Jew, I celebrate festivals and observe Commandments mentioned in the Bible.

Baruch Hashem!
Shabbat shalom!

This looks good, too!

Don't you agree?

I'll have to try one of these, when I come back from my morning swim. But first I'll refill the ice maker. I hope they're not all alcoholic, since I have to cook for Shabbat and find out how I'm meeting the staff, where I work, for our end of year "event."

Last night

cool by the pool

Sorry, we're a modest bunch and no pictures are allowed. This one shows it being repaired before the summer season began. From this angle, you can't see the well-tended grass, etc.

Swimming in our pool is "separate," either male or female. The first and last hours of the day are 18 and up. Actually, the morning "adult time" is two hours. That's my time to be there. Sometimes I go at night, for that last hour.

There's a major heatwave in Israel, and I didn't leave my house yesterday until the pool became "women" only. When I was cleaning my closet yesterday, I dug out an old bathing suit, so I'd have a second for two swims in 12 hours. I hate putting on wet bathing suits, especially when they're tight.

The air was pleasant, and the water warm. I prefer cool water when outside. Also it wasn't as clean as it is in the mornings. At least I didn't have to slather sunscreen on my face and body.

I spent most of my time side-stroke-chatting with a good friend. We've been close ever since we moved to Shiloh and hardly get to see each other.

The pool is a great social spot for me a my friends. I'll really miss it when I go to the states next month.

Something to be proud of

In that recent meme I did, I mentioned that I'm lazy, but I left out that I'm also a slob.

Ever since I dropped out of Fly babies, I haven't been throwing things out. That hasn't stopped me from buying new things, bit by bit, but over the past couple of years, it all adds up. It got to the point that I just couldn't find all sorts of things I knew I had.

All of my shirts, sweaters and various miscellaneous items live, are kept, in two shelves in my room. There's an unused dresser in one of the kids' rooms, which I recently started using a bit. First I put a large "Pyrex-like" baking dish, which doesn't fit in the kitchen. Then, since I've been having trouble with my knee and shouldn't bend down under the "kitchen-island-table" where the tablecloths are kept, I gave them a drawer. A few weeks ago, I decided to try to organize my hats, mostly of my own crocheting, in another drawer.

The bottom drawer was still empty, so I figured that maybe it would be a good idea to put some of the winter stuff from the shelf in that drawer. I started pulling stuff out and noticed that there really were things I'd never, never wear. So I got a bag for that and took an overflowing basket of sweaters plus to the dresser.

The giant to-be-given-away bag was over full, and I needed two drawers for all the winter stuff. I made room in a second drawer for them.

Then I started organizing what was left.

I found almost everything I was looking for. A few shirts are hanging in the bathroom, after being showered off. Hopefully they'll dry less wrinkled than they were when I found them. No doubt my overweight body will stretch out the rest.

Now to do "other things."

OK, It's Official!

A Mother in Israel is hosting the next Kosher Cooking Carnival. She aims to post it on July 16.

You can start sending in your kosher food posts, or more accurately, you're hereby reminded to post about kosher food for the 20th Kosher Cooking Carnival. And once they're posted, you send in the link, of course.

• traditions
• anecdotes
• pictures
• cookbooks
• restaurants
• issues in Jewish Law including Shemita
• and recipes, of course

Either send to her at mominisrael at gmail dot com or via blog carnival. If you see anything suitable on other blogs, please send those links, too. And if you're interested in hosting an edition of this monthly carnival, please let me know at shilohmuse at yahoo dot com.

Thanks so much!

Graphics by Mr. Bagel

Epidemic?

More and more of my friends are discovering they're diabetic. Six meals a day has replaced the "2 plus," or "classic 3." It's really frightening.

One friend discovered that she already has heart damage. A while before the doctor had said that she was "borderline diabetic." When she began to panic someone else told her:

"It's nothing; don't worry."

Well, that was the worst advice she ever got.

"If only I had begun taking care of it then."

By the time she had her next checkup, the diabetes was the real thing, plus.

It seems like the ladies are doing a better job keeping the sugar under control, which is confirmed in this Yahoo news article. Of course, there are exceptions.

More and more friends are packing "small meals" whenever they leave home, to keep themselves, or their sugar, stable.

These things make me nervous. The two most common "creeping illnesses," which aren't really noticed, since they develop so gradually, are high blood pressure and diabetes.

Maybe it's just my age bracket, but it seems like an epidemic is hitting.

Saved by Mom in Israel!

Saved by

Mom in Israel,

yessirree!

K C C

Now I can go to NY and see my parents, knowing that the Kosher Cooking Carnival is in very good, capable hands.

Please send your kosher food posts and any other suitable posts, and they're restricted to recipes, via blog carnival.

There's a full listing of the past ones on the sidebar.

Why Rome? Come to Shiloh!

There's a Jewish tradition that nothing is by chance!

How come both The New York Times and Newsweek are featuring Rome as a tourist attraction?

There's a difference between the two. Look at the pictures, and guess which goes to which article.

I still prefer Shiloh. We have the ancient Biblical Tel and the modern swimming pool. It's the only summer vacation spot for me!

Even in this heat

I know that I have readers who are suffering/enjoying winter right now, but here in this part of the world it's summer, a very hot and dry summer.

Sometimes it's hard to eat and we even forget to drink. It seems like I'm always borderline dehydrated.

If I don't find a guest host for July's Kosher Cooking Carnival, I'll just do a slightly earlier August one to cover both months. If you're interested, please let me know at shilohmuse at gmail dot com. And if not, please remember to send me links to posts about kosher food. As we're approaching Shemitta year, when farming takes a "sabbatical," I'd appreciate posts on that, too. Remember, anecdotes, customs, cookbooks, restaurants, recipes--anything kosher!

And as I started in the title, even in this heat, we have to eat, so maybe you'll find some good ideas in the latest Carnival of Recipes.

Tagged? Gevalt!

I got up too early this morning. Since it was only about 15-20 minutes before my alarm, I gave up trying to fall back to sleep because the neighborhood dogs were barking. And I went to bed late, because I was talking to my travel agent who works late hours. I hadn't received the e-ticket last time he sent it. It took ages to arrive, and that's via email, and the third address I gave him. Now the others have arrived. I already printed it last night.

So bleary-eyed I see that the nosher tagged me. Here are the rules:

The Rules are:Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Here are my answers:

1- I'm not the oldest female jblogger, but I'm close.
2- I have 2 granddaughters.
3- I've lived in 3 countries.
4- I've been fired from a lot of jobs.
5- I have 5 kids.
6- I'm really rather lazy.
7- My parents, they should live 'till 120, are still alive.
8- The longest I've ever lived in any place has been here in Shiloh, 26 years, this coming Sept. 1

Here's the list of unfortunate bloggers who will probably never forgive me:

1- Marallyn, a soul sister
blogger.
2- The Baleboosteh, another great
female blogger. ***I just saw that she's not into memes right now.
3- ~Sarah~, who created my blog
banners!
4- West Bank Mama, who
lives in my neck of the woods.
5- Esser Agaroth, who
lives even closer, but not here.
6- How to Measure
the Years, a young blogger who visited us.
7- Soccer
Dad, whom I met recently.
8- My husband, who may not be too
happy about this.

And now, I did have other things to do, and I hope to make progress on some things today. At least I can start the day in the pool when it opens. Nothing like Shiloh!

f'shvitzed, Pardon My Yiddish

Gevalt! How many shampoos can I take in one day? And Israel always has a water crisis, so to be a good citizen, I should be conserving water.

If I start blogging less, please don't think that I've melted, I'm just adding a new project to my repertoire. If it, G-d willing, works, then you'll be hearing about it, eventually.

I think I'll try sitting on the front stoop.

Choose between me or the smoke!

I was a bit frazzled when I wrote about yesterday's adventures. I mentioned that I had lunch with Marallyn, but I didn't tell you the "fun" part. Great fun or whatever, but it was the springboard for a nightmare.

We planned on meeting at "Max's," a small cafe` on the corner of Ben Yehuda and King George in Jerusalem. I got there exactly on time, and because of the heat, I walked right in. And even more quickly, I walked back out.

It stank. It has been years since I found myself in a place so foul with stale cigarette smoke. As I was catching my breath, I saw what could have been Marallyn scoot in. I took out my cell phone to call her and realized that I had never turned it back on since the dental visit. Once it was on, I called her.

"Where are you?"
"In the restaurant."
"With all that smoke?"
"Are you the lady standing outside in the sun?"

Soon she was out, and the owner or manager was following.

"Your restaurant stinks!"
"It's illegal to smoke in a restaurant."
"I'm going to write about it on the internet, so everyone will know!"

And I've just done it!

Great day!

Can you guess who did these unbeatable graphics? Mr. Bagel, of course. I love it. I wish I had it when I was posting HH #122.

Now to quickly go over my day.

As you know, I finished posting HH #122 before I wen to the pool. Thank you!

After getting dressed, I went to Jerusalem. OK, it wasn't so simple. I must have missed the bus. After waiting, trying to stay out of the sun, for at least a half an hour, a neighbor came. Usually she gives me rides, but today she was carless. I asked her if she brought us "luck" instead.

She did. Soon we were off to.... ok, not Jerusalem, but on our way, in the right direction. We got off at the T Junction to Beit El and within minutes we were in a car to Jerusalem.

I did some errands, had my teeth cleaned and then.... I met, or re-met.... Marallyn and after that Bubbie Channah. I once interviewed for a job with Marallyn. I'll never forget her. No, she didn't give me the job! We had a great talk and I had always hoped we'd meet again. And we did via blogging. And today we f2f-ed.

Then I started walking to the bus station. It wasn't terribly hot. I went on Agrippas to stay out of the sun. It was after 5pm.

I made decent time for an "old bag." But the bus was late. Then while still in Pisgat Zeev it stopped. People started getting out. A flat tire. But I didn't want to hike to the "check post" then wait for a ride.

The driver promised to stop any bus going to Ofra and put us on. Suddenly a regional bus came. He said it was going to Shiloh so we got in. Later the driver said that Shiloh was the last stop.... after Maale Levona and Eli. No way, I'd get off in Ofra. I asked a neighbor if that's what he was doing. "No, my wife will pick me up at the Maale Levona turn-off." He invited me to join. He was very generous and invited a lot of us. Three full-grown men squished into the backseat and a teenage girl sat in my lap next to the driver.

We're all family, nu?

Good night y'all.

Reflecting on HH #122

First of all, I'm breaking with my usual practice of replying personally to all comments, which have email addresses. I apologize, though I know that most bloggers don't reply to comments, unless there's something very important.

I do appreciate your thanks, but please remember that Havel Havelim has grown and improved only because the jblog world has really become a world of serious journalists.

We have barely tapped our potential.

Following is the letter I sent with the HH #122 announcement. If you're not on my jblogger list, you can read it here.

This is far from my first Havel Havelim, and I must say that the response by jbloggers from all over the world has been amazing! Thank you one and all!

I did not restrict the amount of posts per blogger. That's for a few reasons. One, honestly, I have better things to do than judge which post is better. I know what it's like to write a "great post" Sunday morning, and then, before Monday's sun has set, to write an even better one and find that by the time the week has ended, four or more posts were submitted. I'm no Naomi Shemer, but I remember reading an interview where she was asked, "Which is your favorite song?"

Her answer was: "The last one I wrote." Each song, to me, is better than its predecessors."

So, my approach is to include everything in Havel Havelim.

Another reason is that I work on it all week, and I find it difficult if too many bloggers send their posts at the end of the week, because they were waiting to see which was best. Also, some of the bloggers may forget to send their links.

With the masses of links sent in, I no longer feel it so necessary to search the web.

One thing I ask is that you please announce it, publicize it on your blog. The blog carnivals are to expose the various blogs to more readers. Thank you!

4U-- Havel Havelim #122

I don't want to rub it in, but being a high school English teacher in Israel has its perks, and it also has its miseries. But what better way to celebrate the end of the school year than by hosting Havel Havelim?

Havel Havelim, the international jblog carnival, was established by Soccer Dad, whom I finally f2f-ed. For proof of that, read this entire Havel Havelim to the very, very end. It's now probably the longest-running blog carnival under original management.

The term “Havel Havelim” is from Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, which was written by King Solomon, who built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other “excesses” and finally realized that it was nothing but norishkeit, “havel” or in English “vanities.” I think that King Solomon and his father King David were the original "bloggers." The books they wrote, when you take them chapter by chapter, can easily be described as blog posts. The stones they used to write on made them last, so that we can read them now. I doubt if today's technology will give our words any lasting effect.

I don't want to give this edition an "eyin haraa" as I put this together, but I must say that the quantity and quality of posts jbloggers have been mailing me is very impressive. #122 won't be organized in any way, just haphazard, since many posts came in emails, not the form with the topics. It's ok.

Now for the show:

Can you identify the blessing that inspired this?

Light, darkness, and peace
These, and everything, you made
G-d, King of the world

That's from NY's Funniest Rabbi, and there are more haikus to enjoy. And posts about losses and links.

Barry, the irrepressible English teacher from northern Israel sent three, which he posts on ETNI. One, two, three!

Here are tales of the Trisker Maggid from yitz.

And nuch epes ah chosid wrote Grace is deceitful - שקר החן and about Writers Block. What do they have in common?

There's always something to photograph in Jerusalem.

Not quite perfect posted a perfectly good Torah Numbers Chart.

It's nice when the neighbors work together, even though it would be even nicer if it didn't have to be because of a fire.

This is very interesting from Yid with a Lid about Britain and Concentration Camps. And another about how badly Arabs treat their "brothers."

Dixie Yid mulls over why we sleep.

The Lakewood Venter gives us ...Crazy Colored Child Caption Contest for Charity Post.

Here's Parsha Chukas 5767: Tefillot for Tikkun of Chait, Unity and Rachel Imeinu - Revisited from Moshe Burt.

My husband mocks Ma'ariv newspaper for their incorrect prediction.

And here's Question & Answer With Chabakuk Elisha - The Kherson Geniza: Chassidus & Historical Accuracy from A Simple Jew.

Solomonia has some surprising news about the Hamas Prime Minister.

Barbara wonders about G-d.

I agree with Shmuel, Inspirations from the Golan. Just lovely.

Shvach Yid writes about the Rebbe. And so does Life of Rubin.

Cross-currents is pleasantly surprised by an article in the media.

Last year, Israel went to war for Gilad Shalit, but he's still in enemy hands. Here's some news.

Here's some impressive news about Israel on Planck's Constant.

Lemon Lime Moon writes about real action heroes.

Treppenwitz follows up a possible family link.

The Chainik Hocker writes of jigsaw men.

Slightly Mad is coming together for laughs.

This was very, very, very off, off, off Broadway, not even the same continent!

Read The Best Father’s Day Gift Ever on Temunot.

For a little Parshat Shavua, Kadima is a Korach kind of party.

Here's something special from Fred.

Not quite a Trojan Horse, but Marallyn's UPS story makes a good reason to boycott them.

One, two, three strikes you're out at the first ballgame!

If you need a laugh, read Judy Gruen's latest.

I'm (a) biologist writes an excellent post about being a working mother in Israel.

Cosmic X protests the "gay parade."

Here are two posts from Circus Tent. Both concern the fact that "Gimmel Tamuz is the 25th Yohrtzeit of HaRav Reb Shneur Kotler, z"l, Rosh Yeshivah of BMG in Lakewood, and father/father-in-law of the four current Roshei Yeshivah." Money talks at BMG (the other gimmel tamuz) and 3 Tammuz was the end of the line ------

The 19th Kosher Cooking Carnival is at Baleboosteh. It's a great one, and if you're interested in hosting an edition, especially this coming July's, please let me know. Thanks!

Irina writes about her experience attending the farewell event of AJC for the departing German Political Consul. As usual, her observations are fascinating.

Travel to Israel offers ways to commemorate the Lebovitcher Rebbe.

And Yitz has a very full post of stories about the Rebbe, including one about Rav Shlomo Carlebach.

Read the J Blogger Interview Featuring Dafnotes! on Jewish Blogmeister. And for more on ~Daf Notes~ check out: Coffee Heated by a Gentile - Yevamos 46 - Daf Yomi, Computers Searches Cannot Fool Reb Chaim and NOT KOSHER ENOUGH - Yevamos 45 - Daf Yomi.
And there's The Bostoner on Fish & Ba'al Teshuva by Tal Moshe Zwecker.

Ari tells about Poetry With Trop In Early Baltimore: Part I.

From Life in Israel, Israeli man marries donkey (video)—don't worry. It's a joke.

For the greatest jpix from the past two weeks, the Bagel Blogger brings you the 10th JPIX Carnival! Submit a post to the Next JPix Carnival The 11th will be at the Baleboosteh, and if you're interested in hosting contact Mr. Bagel.

Read about the young Jewish Israel author, Shifra Shomron.

NY's funniest rabbi is getting serious.

Here are some Torah Thoughts on Parshat Chukas.

Rafi G. tells a Halitza story.

The Zionist Youngster writes about Dr. Reality-Based and Mr. Fiery Ideologue.

According to Sin of Expulsion: Gay Bash a Bust, But Watch for Precedent.

From the Elder of Ziyon: A Psychological History of Palestinian Arabs, part 6

Yid with a Lid writes some strong things against the Chabadniks who call the Rebbe the Moshiach.

Oh, wow, the Seraphic Secret also f2f-ed with Kesher!

Frumhouse writes of "joobs;" the male jbloggers will be disappointed, but the females will relate!

From Little Green Footballs we have A Visit to Fatah's Torture Chamber.

According to Beyond Tshuva, You Don’t have to be in the Middle to be in the Middle. He also writes about what he considers the biggest sacrifice he made when becoming frum.

Joshua Pundit shows how unsuitable Blair is to be envoy. And more on the same, from the Spine.

Chana gives us a guide to Jewish Chicago. So, if I ever visit my cousin near there, I'll know what to do.

Mottel has Smicha! Look at all the pictures his proud mother took!

From the Israeli Satire Laboratory, we have: Olmert: Hamas Takeover – Opportunity For Peace With Settlers!

Life in Israel posts a very Israeli story about a hitchhiker.



There's a well-known Passover song that teaches the significance of numbers in Judaism. So, yes, we, or most of us, have no problems with numbers up to 13. Soccer Dad posted a number quiz from his nephew's Bar Mitzvah, with many, many more. Try it!

Scottage asks US Kills Children In Afghanistan ג€“ Will This Light The Fuse? And on the "lighter" side he writes about the sexy Israeli women in the Maxim spread to attract horny male tourists to Israel.

Will more "gestures" bring Israel peace?

My husband sort of won against the NY Times.

Reb Chaim HaQoton has updated his classic Ruste Taurus essay.

DAG has opened a T Shirt Store; take a look. And DAG also posts about the new strawberry halachot. Will we ever get to eat strawberry jam again?

Tamar Yona was at the parade.
Akiva asks if we want the Moshiach now.

tnspr569 has landed back in chutz l'Aretz. Good luck! Hope to see you back home real soon.

Toronto Pearl and her husband heard some great Jewish music, From Kol Nidre to George Gershwin.

What should we eat on those late Friday night Shabbat meals?

Carl's Corner
Unlike many bloggers who may have sent me as many, links if not more, as Carl did, Carl sends the week's supply in one large package, and I can't spread them around. So I just find it easier to give him a special corner. They are always interesting, so dig in and enjoy.

Israel Matzav: Thinking outside the box
What Hamas really wants
How much for a Nobel Peace Prize medal on E-Bay?
Israel Matzav: Israel to attack Hamas in Gaza?
Israel Matzav: Olmert goes to the US to schnorr for Fatah
Israel Matzav: Hamas bans Gaza terrorists from wearing masks
Israel Matzav: Who's to blame?
Israel Matzav: US and EU taxpayers paying Hamas
So much for the 'Hamas-free' 'Palestinian government'
When Congress says "jump," Egypt asks "how high"
Alan Johnston is caught in a clan war
Fatah's torture chambers - do they matter?
A definition of terrorism

*Very few people trust the media, so if you want the truth, read blogs!*

Sultan Knish writes the truth of today's Goliath.

For the truth about Rashid Khalidi, read Sandbox!

And for the truth about Hamas, read Secular Blasphemy.

And for the truth about Abbas, read The Colossus of Rhodey.

And for the truth about what ordinary "Palestinians" think read History News Network.

On In Context, you'll read the truth about what Israel does for the Arab fighters.

Meryl Yourish writes the truth about how Italy punishes war criminals.

The Gates of Vienna tells the truth about Europe.

Schvach tell the truth about Britain's latest boycott of Israel.

Danny Bermant tells the truth about who's to blame for Hamastan.

What's the truth about the Evangelical Christians? Read Schvach Yid.

Read about the true crisis on Israel and the Sin of Expulsion.

Neil G. tells the truth about Zionism.

Mark tells the true story about Holy Land Baseball.

Read the truth about American support of Arab terrorists.

Law hawk tells the truth about what's going on between the Arabs and Israel.

Sultan Knish tells us the truth--Reductio Ad Occupationum - Blame Israel for Everything .

Rafi G. tells us the true story behind the scenes of the OSIRAK bombing!


Ezzie give us a true lesson in micro-terrorism.

Yid with a Lid tells the truth about Jimmy Carter's Legacy.

On Seraphic Secret, we learn the truth about the Arabs.

Meet the true Bibi Netanyahu. He's definitely not on Israel's right.

Yid with Lid tells the truth about Arthur Waskow.

Send your links for the next edition of Havel Havelim via blog carnival, and at the same time you may discover other “carnivals” to visit and enter. You can also use those forms to send kosher recipes and other kosher food posts to the Kosher Cooking Carnival. Blog carnival also has a great listing of recent carnivals for your sidebar. You can either get one for a specific carnival, like HH or KCC, or a general one.

Just a note:
I've been taking my turn at hosting Havel Havelim for quite a while, (maybe Soccer Dad will tell us when my first was,) and I'm awed by the growth and changes in the jblogging world. There are such richness, depth, intelligence and perception in the posts I've read. Also, now jbloggers know to send their posts. I'm pretty sure that this is the largest Havel Havelim I've ever hosted, and almost all of the posts came either from the blogger or from other bloggers who felt that they should be included. It's definitely a privilege to be of this period of time and part of the international jblogger community.

Thanks to Soccer Dad for his hard work keeping this going, and if you want to host, please let him know at dhgerstman at hotmail dot com.

This appears in the UberCarnival.

Please put up a blurb on your blog alerting readers to Havel Havelim and the fun they'll have reading the various posts. Thank you!

Yes, that's Soccer Dad on King George Street, Jerusalem! I just wonder what happened to the picture he took of me.

I should have quit after the chopped liver

Friday night, I went to bed feeling pretty sick. I had that "heavy, naughty, shouldn't have" feeling in my bloated stomach.

We're at the time of the year when the days are their longest. It gets dark late, OK, not as late as in Europe or Canada or Southern South America etc. But it gets dark later than my regular dinner time.

That means that our Friday night Shabbat meal, by the time my husband is back from shul, a one minute walk from the house, I'm not really in the eating mood. But I eat. Yes, I'm one of those. Put a plate in front of me, and I empty it, but not into the garbage, and we don't have any pets.

We started the meal with Yaakov's chopped liver. I'm on an Israeli food list, and whenever someone asks where to get the best chopped liver in Jerusalem, there's one answer.... Yaakov. Actually, he's our neighbor and he runs a butcher shop in Jerusalem. Chopped liver doesn't "keep." You must eat it within a couple of days, so no matter how much my husband buys, we must finish it and fast! Certainly in the summer, it must be ingested on Shabbat at the latest. Well, we had a lot of chopped liver and no guests. Half for Friday night and half for Shabbat morning; prayers are over pretty early here.

I had salad with the liver, and I did feel full, but I ate chicken and veggies afterwards anyhow. j What a mistake. That was a bad night.

The next day, I knew what to do. No food after the chopped liver. That was especially, since we sponsored a kiddush in honor of hubby's 60th. I didn't eat much at the kiddush, just a slice of the best Jerusalem Kugel, Rivka's, another neighbor, but she's based here, and some herring and salad. And remember, I had been sick and not eaten much during the week.

Yes, B"H, I did feel better.

Much later in the afternoon, I visited neighbors who said that in the summer, on Friday nights they can't eat the heavy meals and take in (start) Shabbat as early as possible, eating a dairy dinner.

old one, almost forgot

A few months ago I posted this: "Gevalt! I was tagged!"

I had forgotten all about it when suddenly I was notified of a comment on it. Somebody, the originator?, compiled the answers to discover what he could about bloggers.

Blogger, are You Experienced?

I hope I didn't foul things up for him, since I see that I made mistakes...

ooooops!

ps--something else
I wish I could just post the Havel Havelim already. Some of my favorite bloggers haven't sent me anything.

another of those quick notes

Yes, it's just over an hour before candle-lighting, and I have plenty to do in the kitchen and house.

Havel Havelim is progressing nicely, bli eyin haraa. Stay tuned.

I'm still weak from this summer flu. I'm trusting that I'll be fine on Sunday, since I'm supposed to be back to the dentist for a torture session--oops! cleaning, but what's the difference? Last time I was there, she told me to fill up on "rescue" before the next one. I hope it helps.

It doesn't seem like I'll have the energy to wash the floor. There's still one more veggie dish to cook. And the water to boil and food to heat and things to put away...
so...

Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorah!

slept through the night

Baruch Hashem!

For the first time since this cold began I slept through the night. I didn't get up for anything! That's really good news.

I only got up when I heard my phone alarm. I've just spent over an hour on Havel Havelim, adding more and more posts. I read them all and don't use the "pre-composed" stuff that comes with the blog carnival notices. Too many carnivals are just listings. It's not that I'm doing anything "creative," but I am making an effort to make the various posts sound worth reading.

A couple of months ago I stopped submitting to one of the "other" carnivals, because not only did the host only use the "pre-written" lines, he also complained of the "hard work." And that was a carnival totally composed of submitted posts, no graphics no nothing that took any effort or intelligence.

Enough ranting.

G-d willing HH #122 will be posted Sunday morning Israel time.

PS I'm looking for someone to host the July Kosher Cooking Carnival. Please let me know if you can, shilohmuse at yahoo dot com

Great Team!

Earlier in the day, I posted that the Baleboosteh had the 19th Kosher Cooking Carnival up, and now her husband, the irreplaceable Mr. Bagel has now posted the 10th JPIX Carnival!

Wow! I'm impressed! Such talent, such dedication!!

PS If anyone's interested in hosting KCC, please let me know, and if anyone's interested in hosting JPIX, please contact Mr. Bagel.

Taking it easy

Not because I'm on vacation, but because I have a bad cold. Yesterday I didn't even leave the house.

My friend came over to see the end of The Siege. She agrees that it's a great movie. She can't understand why it wasn't a big hit.

Afterwards I watched Dead Poets Society again, but this time with all the extra stuff. It's amazing. I'd love to have my students compare it to White Squall, but my kids aren't on such a level.

Today I went to the pool for just a little bit.

I have to cook for Shabbat. So far, no guests, and maybe I shouldn't invite anyone.

Making progress on Havel Havelim.

Thanks to the Baleboosteh for the 19th KCC!!

The best yet, yummiest Kosher Cooking Carnival is up on Baleboosteh!!

Thanks so much!

KCC includes all sorts of posts about kosher food, not just recipes. Please send me your posts, or any suitable ones you see, by email or the blog carnival form.

I'm looking for a guest host for July. If anyone can do it, please let me know at shilohmuse at gmail dot com. Thanks

Making a better world for the next generation

If only the teacher-bloggers were running the schools. There's more common sense in The latest Carnival of Education than I hear from our Minister of Education.

Risky Toys

Do we need advanced laboratories to choose safe toys?

Lead paint and other dangerous things are getting more and more common in the toy business, since China is the production site for many internationally respected toy businesses and the site of the bargain toys, too.

The Chinese don't have reliable safety laws.

Beware!

It's getting really hard to be a doting grandmother!

What a way to start my vacation!

This has happened before. I expect and plan for a "last lesson," and then I discover that we had it already. That means that just before, sometimes the same day, as the "last lesson," I discover that it was canceled. Meaning that we had the last lesson, but we didn't know it at the time.

Yesterday I schlepped a bag full of movies, cassettes and DVDs to show the kiddies, to Jerusalem to the dentist. I had made the appointment early enough, so I'd have enough time to recover and arrive to work on time, even though I didn't have time to go to the pool. Then on the way to the dentist... guess what!

"I have good news for you. You don't have to come to work today. The school year is over."
"So, I schlepped all this for nothing?"
"I guess so. Enjoy yourself."

And then I had a filling changed. That's fun. Isn't it? Honestly, I was surprised. He used some new kind of Novocaine, and it really didn't hurt that much, when he was doing it.

Then I took a bus to downtown Jerusalem, did a few errands and then ran cross-town to catch the bus home. Maybe that wasn't all that good an idea.

By evening, I had an awful headache, and I'm not a headache person. I also had a cold, and my mouth hurt from the dental work.

I went to bed early and managed to sleep. Now, B"H, I feel a bit better, but still stuffed up.

At least I can take it easy.

I'm on vacation!