Yuck!

I did not sleep well; I was waking up all the time feeling sick.

This morning I couldn't even drink my coffee.

Then I got "sicker" than I had been for decades. I hope that's it, and it's out of my system.

Trying to Get Fit

I gave up on Curves, too far from home.
I work the days the pool is open for women.
Keeping in shape, or just trying to keep the status quo isn't easy.
Typing on the comupter isn't recognized as an aerobic exercise, even if I type quickly.

So this morning, a friend and I got together to try to pull back the clock, or at least make time stand still.

We took a nice walk and then went to her house to exercise to some videos. She gave me some to do "homework." Please try to remind me! I can feel the muscles waking up. I hope they'll shrink.

And just perfect timing; my friend cl sent me this:

Very important, do not
delete......
I'm glad I found this
out.
How to weigh
yourself...

I can't
believe I was doing it wrong all
these years.
We must get the
word out.

Sunrise Sunset

This was much more gorgeous "in person."

How about, which is the sunrise and which is the sunset?

And where were the pictures taken?

Of all the nerve!

Well, now for the lowdown, the things I wouldn't write on Shiloh Musings about the elections.

When it comes to my blogging, I've surpassed anything I can blame on being a Gemini. It's more like suffering multiple-personalities syndrome.

I've lost track of the amount of times I've been on the election committee. I've even lost track of the amount of times I've been its chairman. And I'm not the only one. Every time, for countless years, when the yishuv calls a "general meeting" and has to choose an election committee, they ask me to volunteer. Actually this is an improvement. They used to just appoint me, and I'd find out a few days later.

Election Committee has its advantages. It's the Brigadoon committee, since it only lasts 21 days, with a possibility of 21 more. We have a relatively simple job. We have to announce that people should hand in applications to run for office, collect them, announce the candidates and then run the elections, including printing the ballots.

That usually involves a few hours of sitting in the office, saying hello to all the neighbors who come to vote, marking off their names on the list and then counting the votes.

It's fun, really!

The worst is that it sometimes reminds me of work, when people expect us to provide pens, just like some of my students. Isn't it enough that I print the ballots? A few years ago, there were two candidates named Moshe and two named Shlomo. Yes, you guessed it. There were voters who didn't indicate which, so their ballots were invalid. Now they're all typed with little check boxes. And who do you think types them, photocopies them and makes sure they're cut and ready?

Sometimes, ten people come in all at once, and we have to be pretty quick about marking the names, so I don't provide the pen I'm using.

So last night, all of a sudden, a neighbor grabbed the pen that was right in front of me. I let out a scream! He couldn't understand why I got angry. He didn't ask permission; he just grabbed.

He gave it back, but he didn't apologize.

Of all the nerve!

Okey Dokey, Bli Eyin Haraa

I'm just very busy with matters of state, Annapolis, elections, etc and am posting more on Shiloh Musings and The Eye of the Storm.

So visit there, please.

Don't worry. I'll be back.

My Favorite Phototgraphs

Ever since I got my digital camera, over a year ago, I've discovered that it takes great pictures of reflections.


Usually people look at me like I'm nuts when I take pictures of windows and all, but I think of them as works of art without all the fuss and bother.

A New Carnival, At Least for Me

I have a post in Blog Carnival of Observations on Life November 24 2007 .

Interesting carnival. Take a look!

Havel Havelim, Better than Ever!

Soccer Dad's Havel Havelim #142 is a great one!

There are some fascinating posts linked. Some from blogs I'm not familiar with.

Take a gander...

Beta Yahoo?

A few month's ago, after unsuccessfully trying to ignore the little yahoo icon about a "beta" version, they said that those unhappy with it could switch back, I took the plunge, and... I quickly switched back.

Honestly, I can't remember what bothered me, but I didn't like it. I also don't like using gmail. That's why if you send me a letter to gmail, you get the reply from yahoo, plain ordinary non-beta yahoo.

It's not that I can't learn a new one. I've used lots of different email programs over the years: hotmail, eudora, outlook, mozilla. I loved eudora, but it began doing strange things to the computer; the same with outlook, which I didn't like all that much.

Well, now I've been getting worried, since the yahoo homepage changed, and instead of my yahoo and my mail, or something like that to sign into, they have a my beta on one side of the page and regular mail on the other.

I was so nervous about switching the blogs to the beta version, though now I really do like it. The only thing, if my memory hasn't deserted me, it doesn't do which I'd like it to do, which it once did, was to check the spelling on the titles. Otherwise the beta blogger is really better.

So, if anyone has the lowdown on yahoo, I'd appreciate hearing.

Thanks

Expensive US Health Costs

My parents discovered a way to avoid the high price of medications in the states. They found out that many of their meds cost much less here in Israel, and that's without being Israelis or being members of the "sick funds." In ordinary Jerusalem pharmacies, the private ones, not the chains, they can get whatever they need for a fraction of the price.

Sue 'em!

This New York Times article, from which I borrowed the illustrations, laments the lowering of conditions for ordinary airline travelers.

I have little experience on American domestic flights. Luckily, my parents are in New York, so I just splurge on El Al direct flights, which are bad enough. Last summer the toilets were more limited than usual on our flight, since a couple were out of order.

Since it's illegal for us to take liquids on the plane, they can't charge for water. Yes, that's the good news.

Even during the "sleep time," the aisles are full of people trying to keep the blood flowing. Doctors are recommending constant physical activity, since the air pressure (or something like that) is bad for circulation, causing all sorts of blood clots, thrombosis etc.

The big problem is if you're not in an aisle seat, you have to constantly disturb those who are. My last flight had a major foul-up. I took out El Al Frequent Flyer, so I could choose my seat in advance, but somehow I ended up in the middle. I asked the young man in the aisle seat to change with me. I should have demanded a change from the steward staff. The guy insisted that he didn't mind being woken up all the time, and we ended up like some pre-school, all going to the toilet at the same time. And then I'd try to hike around the plane, which wasn't easy. So, I guess the guy didn't sleep much.

El Al serves food, but the free booze was much more limited than before. No more little individual bottles of wine, vodka etc. They poured the wine into a cup, or you could have beer, choice of two types, I think.

The only way of really changing things is for someone who gets thrombosis from a flight in which he/she couldn't get out of the crowded seat to exercise. That person should sue the airlines.

Curving Away

It wasn't an easy decision for me, but I decided that as much as I love my workouts in Curves, Pisgat Zeev, I'm not joining. I had been offered a deal for a trial month, and I'm not going to sign up. It's a great way of getting and staying in shape.

My problem is that I can't get there often enough, and it's not all that easy to get there.

I'll miss it.

Saved by the Bell!

I've had this hankering for popcorn, the real kind, but I've been trying to put it off. There are better things to eat than popcorn, like nothing. Yes, there are worse things, too.

Then, just as I was washing the dishes, trying to postpone temptation, the phone rang. My walking buddy:

"How about walking down to the industrial zone? I have to pay my bill at the green grocers there."
"Perfect. Let me just finish the dishes, say "t'hilim and mincha," Psalms and afternoon prayers, and then I'll be ready."

So, a half hour later we were off.

There's nothing like that clean look after the first rains, before the sun goes down. Everything looks so clean.
The clouds look good enough to eat!
I couldn't stop taking pictures.
Sunset in Shiloh.
Nothing's more beautiful.

I'll have my popcorn, another day.

Fit?

A couple of years ago I was having great fun playing basketball. Of course I was the oldest on the court, always good for the ego, even if I was the worst player.

Unfortunately, within a few months I found myself sidelined with a number of injuries. One heel hurt so much I could barely walk, and then once I found a solution to that, I pulled, probably dislocated, my shoulder. That was a real problem. As a teacher, writing on the board waist-high put me at a great disadvantage. I also suffered an injury to my jaw when a ball hit my chin and pulled that out of whack.

I used the "don't do anything that hurts" method to let all my injuries heal at their own rates.

Last year, I took an exercise class in which I kept discovering things which weren't good for my body, especially my knees.

This year I tried Curves, but the traveling is just too much and doesn't fit my schedule as well as I'd like. I haven't gotten to the pool either. Only once, since ours closed, instead of my pretty steady once a week in the previous winters.

According to an article I just read in the Times, fitness goes away much too quickly. True. I should have trained for the basketball, since I hadn't played for decades.

I asked my NY/NJ daughter to look for some exercise DVDs for me. Any recommendations?

Is It Really Thanksgiving?!?!

I must admit something. I didn't think about that at all when I scheduled this edition of the Kosher Cooking Carnival. We just don't "do" Thanksgiving. We left America for Israel in August, 1970, and since then I think we celebrated it just once. So, don't be disappointed if there's no turkey!

#24

Finishing the second year of the
Kosher Cooking Carnival!

Looking back, here's a listing of all the previous KCC's: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 .

It's really something, thinking about how all this began. A post I had sent to another recipe/food carnival was rejected, because the carnival that week had a theme. The theme was pork. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Was that a blogger version of anti-semitism? I had to react. What should I do, besides protesting to the carnival "owner?" I had already hosted a few Havel Havelim's, so I had some experience with blog carnivals, but I wondered if there would be "a market," any interest in a kosher food blog carnival. I blogged about my dilemma. One of my first and most enthusiastic supporters was Ezzie. He even guest hosted an early KCC. And that's why and how it all began. Quite a few jbloggers have volunteered to guest host. Please let me know if you're interested.

Let's start with some special cater your own wedding punch submitted by Daniel. Sounds yummy! It can be served at any festive occasion.

Daf notes discusses the halachik status of food vows/oaths. Interesting points.

Teddy, last month's guest host posted a recipe for a delicious chicken cacciatore. He seems to be on an Italian roll (bad pun), because here are some Italian Meatballs. There's also a very nice looking recipe for pumpkin bread. I wonder if I can use a fork, rather than a whisk and soy oil instead of canola.

This month, my food posts were mostly about restaurants, like this lovely Jerusalem coffee shop. Yes, and another one, which I actually revisited; it's even better than it was the first time.

This looks amazing: Juggling Frogs' Bread Cornucopia. And Recipe for Donuts "Dunkin-style" (pareve), too.

And would you believe kosher ham soda, whatever it may be, from my husband? He also sent me this link for the Holocaust Survivor Cookbook.

Rafi G. of Life in Israel posts a very informative Shemitta post about Yevul Nochri.

Therapy Doc posts an interesting piece about baking and "substance abuse." It's actually a blog carnival.

Do you make the best cholent? I don't. Thanks to the Lakewood Venter for the link.

Mottel's dessert sounds delicious.

Carolyn presents Make your own cookie cutter from clip-art and a foil pan posted at Juggling Frogs. She's totally amazing!

Try the Raw Peach Cobbler on Natural Family Living.

Read Kosher Newbie's Guilt and Yum. The products are in the states I guess, since nothing seemed Israeli.

Cindy presents Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits (Vegan) posted at Cindalou's Healthy Gluten Free and Dairy Free Recipes. That definitely looks good!

That's it for this month. If you're interested in hosting a future KCC, please let me know, shilohmuse at yahoo dot com. Please submit your posts and any you deem suitable for KCC via blog carnival. The Kosher Cooking Carnival is more than just recipes. Any post about kosher food or kashrut is welcome.

Thanks to all of you, and please post and link this KCC to your blog.

He Must Be Some Great Teacher!

NYC Educator presents Gobble Gobble, the latest Carnival of Education. It's filled with super great posts from all over!

Nothing Like the Winter Sky

Here (by clicking the highlighted word) are some gorgeous pictures by a blogger in Maale Levona to the west of us.

And now from the Shiloh Junction while waiting for a ride.

And here's the winter sky to the east soutwards from my house.

Busy and Trying Not To Blog Obsessively

For me blogging obsessively is making sure to blog almost every long computer session, both morning and night. Now I'm trying to "wean myself" off, or at least seriously reduce, yes, my weight, too.

I wrote a post about blogging on Shiloh Musings. It's sort of explaining how those of us who would love to be be free lance writers are pretty much shooting ourselves in the foot, or feet. What do you think?

I'm all set to post the latest Kosher Cooking Carnival, but every time I post it early it wrecks havoc with the listings, so I'll wait. Yes, that does give you another few hours to send me more links. The more the merrier!

I've been busy organizing our local elections. That's for next week.

And now... the dishes await, grime and all.

Scenes From a Wedding

Last Thursday night we were at a gorgeous wedding in Jerusalem.


There was too much food.


Impressive fireworks.


And we took some of the flowers back to Shiloh to decorate the Sheva Brachot--post wedding celebrations. That was a lesson in "confidence." My friend was asked to collect the flowers. She brought buckets, but as the wedding wound down, she and her kids didn't quite know how to procede. What would people say? Could they really just go from table to table taking away the flowers?

I told them not to worry. "Lehavdil," different but, let's learn from Olmert. There he is, the country's least popular ever Prime Minister, with single digit approval ratings. Does he ever show any insecurity about it? No. He enters rooms with a big confident smile on his face. He says and does the most outrageous things and just dares everyone to defy him. He must have read every "self-help" "how to succeed" book ever published.
I'll help. We'll just go, with a confident expression on our faces, from table to table and collect the flowers.

So, that's what we did.

Curves #5 Busy and Lucky

Fifth visit to Curves. This time was the best of the stretch workouts. I can't remember the routine and have to get one of the instructors to show me. I was never good at memorizing. She seems so surprised at my flexibility. I guess my fat fools them. The regular circuit isn't really strenuous enough for me.

When I was on the bus going to town to meet a friend for lunch and chat, I realized that my gold bracelet wasn't on. I couldn't really remember if I had put it on. For over four years it was on 24 hours a day, since the clasp was broken. Finally last summer, when in New York, I had my mother's jewelry repairman fix it. I kept debating whether or not to call Curves to see if it had been found. But I wasn't sure if I had it on at all. Quite a dilemma. I convinced myself to stay calm.

I had a busy day. I met my friend and we went to the nice coffee shop I had been to with my baby the day of Yochai's brit milah. This time we couldn't smell the coffee. It was full with a lunch crowd and lots of people were eating with their laptops open. There was a more extensive menu. The lunch deal was great! Three courses:

• yogurt or salad
• sandwich or large salad
• coffee with cookies

Then I walked to my photo place to print a couple of pictures, killed the waiting time buying cabbage and squash in the shuk, picked up the pictures and walked to the bus station. Got myself a cheap umbrella on the way. Rain expected. Even got a ride up the hill, straight to my door.

Did lots of things including dinner. Oh, yes, finally before going to bed I looked for my gold bracelet. It was home all the time.

If I don't post...

...that's good news.

Internet, blogging, computer games etc are addictions.

I'm glad I grew up all those decades ago when we played outside and rode our bikes and skated and took walks and went to the pool. We went to playgrounds by ourselves and rode buses and went to the World's Fair in Flushing Meadow. We didn't need parents to arrange play dates. We just knocked on our friends' doors or found them playing outside. We didn't need constant adult supervision and guards.

There was nothing to be addicted to. I feel so sorry for these kids in the Korean camp to get them off the internet.

So why am I on the computer?

Very Powerful HH #141

YID With LID presents a powerful, hard-hitting Havel Havelim. He calls it the Save Israel Edition.

I highly suggest you visit and then read the posts included.

Annapolis logo by Ellen

Curves- Pisgat Ze'ev East

It's ladies only, so you can't see the inside, but here's the door.



The building isn't full yet, but there will soon be neighbors.

New Guest-Blogger

No, not here.

Sylvia Mandelbaum, evicted from Gush Katif by the Sharon-Olmert Disengagement debacle, is now posting on Shiloh Musings.

Welcome to the family, Sylvia. I'm very excited by the new addition to the Shiloh Musings staff.

Curves #4, Wedding and TV

Not in that order!

Crazy day yesterday. Things done, but time wasted.

I had to be in Jerusalem to audition for a TV talk show. It's a private initiative, which is all I can say for the moment. A few months ago, I had been asked to be part of a different one, which never got off the ground. If anything happens with this one, I'll let you know.

They served sandwiches for lunch, and of course I ate too much.

Afterwards, I had nothing to do for awhile. The Curves I've been going to does the "siesta" thing between 12 and 4, so I was stuck and feeling rather bloated. I walked around Jerusalem. My bag on wheels was packed with my Curves clothes, towel and clothes and shoes for a wedding, so I couldn't go shopping. But I passed by this book store, "Stein's 2nd hand and whatever books" on King George Street. Even though I never buy books, since we have too many and I can always borrow. But I went in after seeing some translated Judaica thinking that maybe they have the one book I do want, Biblical Samuel, in Hebrew-English. Inside was another woman who had been at the audition; I guess I wasn't the only one with time to waste. I have been looking for the Soncino edition. They had it, and I bought it! Baruch Hashem. I soon called Marallyn to tell her the good news.

I wandered some more, window shopped and finally got on the #6 bus to Pisgat Zeev, Curves. I got there over half hour early and sat outside reading my new book. I had a nice workout, shower, got dressed and made up for the wedding, wasting as much time as possible. It was still much too early.

I took the bus to French Hill, more time to waste. I went into a coffee shop and had an awful "French Vanilla," while I read the book some more to stretch out the time.

Then I slowly, slowly walked to the Hyatt. I stepped into the lobby and saw a bride all dolled up. Funny, she didn't look like the neighbor's kid. Then I realized that she wasn't. It was an Arab family. I guess the hotel has more than one wedding some nights. Then I glanced at the elevators just as the bride, from my neighborhood stepped out. I started taking pictures of her and her friends and accompanied them down to the "reception area."

Beautiful wedding, to much delicious food. I'll, bli neder, post pictures and more stories about it.

I still have dozens and dozens of emails to answer and Shabbat to prepare and picture cd's do burn and....

I'm Getting to Work on The Kosher Cooking Carnival

Just a reminder, it's time for me to start putting together the Kosher Cooking Carnival.

Hint! Hint!

Please send your kosher food posts in via blog carnival.

Thanks

Ooops!

Saturday night our sun-heated hot water was cold, so I turned on the electric boiler. A short while later, I noticed that the red bulb was off. Strange. That had never happened before. Something must be wrong with the boiler, bulb or something. So Sunday morning I called our friendly friend the electrician. He told me that it could be the bulb, so check if the meter is spinning when on. It didn't seem to be spinning, so it seemed like something was wrong.

Yesterday he came over to check it out. Yes, it seemed dead when he checked the wires. Then he went to the electric box. Oops! Yes and double oops!

The fuse switch was down. I didn't know that the boiler had its very own fuse switch. I had checked the other switches near the boiler one in the house and they all worked.

It wasn't a total waste of a visit which does cost money. I had asked him to change the switch to one with a "clock," so we can set it to go on and off in advance.

Well, I never claimed to be perfect.

Washing Machine "Gmach"

A "gmach" is a "loan fund." Sometimes, actually usually, it's not money loaned out. It's "services" or things as varied as pacifiers when stores are closed, cribs, cars and more.

Over the years I've washed my clothes in many homes when my washing machine was out of order. Today, a neighbor brought over a load.

That's what neighbors are for.

Times Have Changed--Easy to Call

My generation was always told to limit phone calls, since they're expensive. Growing up with family and close friends in Connecticut and New Jersey meant an expensive phone bill for us in New York. And of course, my moving to Israel meant calls were a fortune. We needed an overseas operator and had to decide whether to call person to person, more per second, but then we wouldn't be billed unnecessarily if they person we wanted wasn't there.

My kids are on the phone long distance all the time. They remind me that it doesn't cost any more to call New York than it cost to call "orange" to "pelephone." (Two Israeli cellphone companies.)

Last night after my husband returned home, I first called my "baby" in New York. I sang him our family "birthday song," which I learned almost fifty years ago in Girl Scout Camp. I could barely hear his reaction, because of the noise in Giants Stadium.

Then we called two "shiva (condolence) calls." A friend's mother passed away. They were very "touched" that we called. I usually see them every visit to New York, but this summer they had been too busy. Both of his parents had been ill, and now his mother passed away just three months after his father.

After that I called my Connecticut cousins. My most elderly aunt passed away last week at the age of about 96. They were totally amazed. For them overseas calls are rare. Their kids are in the states, and they don't travel abroad. Actually my aunt used to. She was a university professor and would go on tours sponsored by some professional group. She even visited us in Jerusalem, when we lived there.

I'm glad I called. Email just isn't the same.

Curves #3 and Nice Breakfast for Lunch

My ride into Jerusalem was great. I told my neighbor, the driver, about some of my ideas about Parshat Toldot, this Week's Torah Portion.

I finally paid visit #3 to Curves. I walked the two kilometers or more from where I had been dropped off. It's a good warm-up, especially since I don't find the half hour Curves routine very "aerobic." I can walk a kilometer or two at a reasonable pace without breaking a sweat or needing to stop. I'm not talking about "speed walking," just faster than a normal stroll. The Curves routine works on muscles--all the body and flexibility.

After that I took the bus to downtown Jerusalem and met my daughter #1. We had lunch in a nice place. I think it's called, Dulce Latte, or something like that. It's on Jaffa Street and Lunz. Actually, on Jaffa, they sell "take-out," and you have to enter the restaurant on Lunz. There was a branch of "Coffee Shop" there before.



As you can see, it's fixed up nicely. We ordered two meals and shared half and half. One was a very full Israeli Breakfast, eggs, salad, cheese etc. And the other was their Portabello Mushroom "salad." I was disappointed with the mushroom dish, since there were tons of croutons as a filler. They absorbed the color of the mushrooms, so I found myself eating fried bread, when I really wanted mushrooms.

Later we wandered around and did some shopping; though I didn't get to pick up some things for the baby, even though I had promised. Luckily, when I got off the bus in Shiloh, I saw the lights on in the store here. She had everything, Baruch Hashem, so I bought it and lots of the next size tights for my older granddaughter. I had bought a lot on sale at the end of last winter, but she got so big, she already needs the next size!

HH #140!

Caught me just in time. I was about to go onto other things.

You must take a gander at Life in Israel's HH! This edition of Havel Havelim is chock full of great posts, including from blogs new to the carnival.

Shavua Tov and Chodesh Tov!

Increase Your Vocabulary "via Rice"

Not that "Rice!"

This is a computerized vocabulary exercise by some organization which claims to donate rice according to how well people play the game.

Honestly I know nothing about the organization, but it was fun to see that my guesses were good. I didn't get to the highest levels, but I think that I did OK. I'll have to try it again when I have time. Certainly better than computer FreeCell or Spider Solitaire.

A Present!

Yes, do you see all those new shelves?

Our old, very first, couch (Hazorea made bought in 1971 discounted with our "immigrant rights,") sans mattresses had been in that spot. It used to be our "guest bed." Now we don't have much in sleep-over guests, just the kids, who claim that the dust-filled air of the den could prove fatal. The couch, made of top-quality teak, was where I put the clean laundry before folding it. It also held tons of other things.

We really needed more shelves, or less books, so the kids collected for a present. I understand that they also got my parents to chip in.

I staked out one shelf for myself, one for the grandchildren stuff and one to store the laptop and sewing supplies.

Son #1, aka the trekker, took care of the ordering, via a friend who's working for a Shomron furniture store, and the assembly installation.

I certainly have the greatest kids!!!

No Cc! Bcc, Please

I don't know about you, but my email is getting full of spam and more spam.

I also get unnecessary mail, since people send out letters to lots and lots of people with all our addresses exposed. And then a few of the recipients reply all, and then we all get mail, extra mail we don't need.

So when you send a mailing, don't Cc, please Bcc, so the addresses will be hidden. Yes, some of the email programs demand one exposed address. So use someone who doesn't care, or use your own.

Thanks!

A Drop of Winter

In Israel, winter means rain. At least we hope and pray that there will be rain, since it doesn't rain in the summer, more than half the year.

We had a few drops of rain. Enough for me to have to hang the wash in the living room.

Another sign of winter is a more gorgeous sky during sunrises and sunsets.

Today, davka, the sky is summer blue, but the weather report is for "light rain." Just let me dry my clothes first.

You Are What You Wear!

One of my cousins is a very successful costume designer. He works all over North America, even for a famous circus. By producing, designing or finding the right costume, it makes it easier for the actor to convince the audience that he/she is the character.

I know that as a teacher, certain colors somehow get better behavior/attention from my students than others. Teaching is theater. That's something I've been saying for a long time.

But if you think about it, our everyday choice of clothes and appearance is as important as my cousin's profession. We're all actors. We're all "on display."

I'm very interested in this book, SOMETIMES YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR, by Rabbi Eliayu Safran.

An Israeli High School

Some of you may find this site very interesting. It's the internet site of Jerusalem's Boyar High School.

I find it very impressive.

Educating... Internationally

The latest Carnival of Education is up, and it's great as usual. There are all sorts of posts from all over.

And talking of education, I greatly expanded my Shiloh Musings post A Calling? and the new version is on the Opinion Page of Arutz 7.

About the strike, it seems to be ending, though I wouldn't dare guess what the deal is. But I guess that next Monday night will be a long one. We have a parent-teachers meeting where I work.

Your Old Judaica Tells a Story...

... and wins you two round trip tickets to Israel (or $1500) and other prizes. Deadline to enter is December 31, 2007.


The name of the contest is “Judaica across America”.

The contest is open to residents of the US.

How to win?

Send them a photo and a related story of your old Judaica.

NJOP, along with an antique and judaica expert, will be judging the photos and stories. You can find all the details and conditions here:

Check the Ingredients

Fake food is the big thing in fancy restaurants.

Plain, old-fashioned natural unprocessed food is looking better by the second.

I was raised on whole-wheat bread and salads and vegetables every day. Today's avaunt garde chefs are using ingredients not in the food groups.

"Yuck!"

That's the nicest word I can think of.

Bungled Translation

This is a real doozie!

Some Israeli reporters were invited to Holland by its Foreign Minister. They were asked to send their questions in advance. The minister was flabbergasted. Here's some of the correspondence.

"Helloh bud, Enclosed five of the questions in honor of the foreign minister: The mother your visit in Israel is a sleep to the favor or to the bed your mind on the conflict are Israeli Palestinian, and on relational Israel Holland," began the e-mail.

Apparently, the journalists trusted an internet translation service to translate from Hebrew into English. Read all about it, and have a good laugh.

Remember, laughing is healthy!

Getting More Complicated

I was trying to figure out how to get a second visit to Curves this week, so I thought I'd go today, Tuesday, after work. Last week I had gone to visit my daughter and grandchildren, even though we originally thought that Thursday would be a good day for me.

But now it looks like I won't do either. I may not even get to work, even though I have a quiz already planned.

There will be another funeral. Yes, that's the second in a week. This time a neighbor's father. He made aliyah to be with her and her family after his doctors had "given him" just weeks to live. Baruch Hashem, HaKodesh Baruch Hu was more generous and gave him the gift of almost a year with his daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

One Friday afternoon I got a call from my neighbor. Was I under too much pressure? Would I be available to help with something for just a few minutes? I insisted that I was fine and couldn't imagine how I could be of help. She said that the entire clan would be over for Shabbat, and they needed me to photograph them together with her father. It was a pleasure.

Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet
HaMakom Yenachem...

Curves Visit #2

I went to Curves again today in Pisgat Zeev east. I remembered how to do most of the machines, not all. The staff was busy with new customers or whatever, and I didn't get help with the stretches. So I followed the charts and did what I felt like doing.

I walked there, like last time but a different route.

I still like it. Let's see if I can get through the month.

Back at the Cemetery

Very unplanned.
A funeral.
He wasn't known as "sick."
Sudden heart attack on Shabbat. Was conscious when put in ambulance.
All the best equipment. Medics told the doctor that she needn't come.
Then, on the way to the hospital, fatal attack, dead.
A midnight funeral, after Shabbat.
Thousands from Shiloh, Shvut Rachel and all the area.
We all walked with the shrouded body.
From the Mishkan Tabernacle Synagogue, to the Aidot Mizrach North African Synagogue he helped established and lovingly maintained to the entrance of Shiloh he passed so often and then to his final resting place in the cemetery which overlooks the road.

Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet
Zacharia Gi'at, Z"L
Furniture-maker and Driver
Husband, Father, Grandfather

HaMakom Y'Nachem...

I still don't think of myself as a feminist, but...

... I sent my Shiloh Musings post about the "separate buses" to The Hungover Edition of Feminism at its Finest. Take a gander!

Sticky-taped, staying up for a while

Please pray for

A Refuah Shleimah

Full and Speedy Recovery for

P'nina bat Sofia Zlata

Please keep praying.

I have added this to my sidebar, so this message will no longer be on top.

Less Posting

I may do less posting.
I hope to do less posting.
I'll "only" post pictures and food related stuff and the "personal."
I'll try not to post just to post and keep the "numbers" up.

Bli neder (this isn't an official "oath.)

I still have Shiloh Musings and The Eye of the Storm. So, I'm just trying to eliminate the fluff.

I'm trying to find more time for other things.

Lots to Do Today

Lots to do , yes, it's Friday, my "day off." Tomorrow's (actually from tonight) Shabbat, when I "do nothing," just enjoy Shabbat.

All the cooking is done in advance. I just cut the salad before sitting down to eat.
The house is cleaned.
This week, like last, we have guests for the two main meals.
No telephones and no computer. Lights are turned on and off automatically.

Even though I wasn't raised in a Torah observant home and had no idea what Shabbat is until well into my teens, today I just can't imagine how one can survive without Shabbat, this "day off."

Shabbat Shalom

Reducing Curves at "Curves"

I finally made it to Curves, to see if it can be my new fitness program. They opened a branch in Pisgat Zeev, and I took a month's trial membership. Let's see how it works out.

So far it seems great, and I feel fine, even though I walked too much to get there and back to the bus. It's a bit further from the bus than I had thought, but I survived day one, and I can always take buses and taxis, like I did for the Neve Yaakov pool.

I'll keep you updated.

Very Educating

This week's Carnival of Education is done as a narrative, a story. I've hosted lots of carnivals, and I've never managed to do anything like it. I get so totally overwhelmed that I'm lucky to get the right link to the blurb.

In another few weeks the Kosher Cooking Carnival should be posted, and there's no way I can do anything as impressive. Sorry.

Take this as a hint, not only to check out all the great posts in the Carnival of Education, but to send me links for the Kosher Cooking Carnival. I'm always collecting links, so please send yours in and anything you find which is suitable. Please send the links via blog carnival.

Thanks and Shabbat Shalom!