Baile Rochel Wimps Out of a Swim, But Pumps Iron Instead

Our intrepid golden age athlete, yours truly Baile Rochel, can't handle the cold very well. Yes, heaven for me is sitting in the sauna or soaking in a jacuzzi. My only problem is that sometimes my gold necklace gets dangerously hot, but no sweat.

The past few weeks there have been problems at the pool I belong to. Not only hasn't the pool been hot enough, the jacuzzi barely reaches body temperature. Even before checking the posted temperatures on the wall it's easy to see the lack of thick cloud of steam hovering over it.

One of my friends who drives there is a lot more tolerant of chilly, icy water. I guess she still misses the icy lake water of the "old country." 

The other day when we arrived, I joined the parade of wishful, though cautious, swimmers and checked the temperature readings before even taking off my jacket. It was clear to me that not only was the jacuzzi too cold, but the post-swim shower would be freezing. 

Well, since I was already there in the health/fitness center, I looked for an alternative to sitting in the lobby playing with my cellphone. 

Even though decades have passed since I had stepped onto a treadmill, the high-tech gym called to me. It's also included in the price of my "pool membership" and has been on my "to do" list.

I opened the door and peeked in. Everyone seemed so busy and confidently "at home." I courageously walked around asking:

"Who's in charge?"

At my age, not only can a foolish move be dangerous, but some gyms demand proof of "fitness" before letting us "seniors" try out even the most gentle of machinery. When I finally found the instructor, a female who looked around the age of my oldest children, I mentioned that it "had been a long time" since I last worked out in a gym, but since the pool is cold...

I mentioned that I'd like to try the treadmill, so she showed me how to turn it on and off. For some peculiar reason, my body kept contorting, and I couldn't stand straight, but I soldiered on. I played around with the speed and incline, but I must admit that it felt a lot longer than ten minutes. 

After reporting to the instructor, I let her choose various machines for me. She instructed me in reps* & sets,* making sure to take out or reduce the weights/resistance according to her judgement as to how much my body could safely handle.

About a half hour after I had started, I decided that for a newbie* this was enough. I told her so and then asked how old she thought I am. She took a good look and answered:

"Fifty."

I gave her a big hug and thank you, revealing that I have a daughter of that age. That's the best encouragement any one could give me. I'm seventy-two and not embarrassed to admit it. 

Gd willing I'll be back there, instead of one of my swims each week. And in case you're wondering, that night and the next day I did feel my muscles kvetching, but not as much as I had expected.

*fitness slang

Still More Stories To Tell About Our Early Days In Israel 50 Years Since Aliyah

I've written a bit about our early days in Israel on Shiloh Musings, since it's already fifty 50 years since our aliyah. There's lots more to tell. That first year in Israel was quite a year. We arrived by boat as newlyweds and finished the year as parents of an adorable baby girl.

Davka, our neighbors, even our closest friends in Shiloh, know almost nothing about that first year. It was a full decade before we moved to Shiloh. The one person we knew then in the Old City of Jerusalem, yes that's where we lived most of the first year, passed away a few years ago. That's one of the reasons I offered to tell our story to the senior citizen club, Adarta. Even though it's for our age, we generally don't go to the meetings. When we celebrated our fiftieth 50th wedding anniversary I realized that only two other couples have been married longer than we have. And as olim immigrants who had made aliyah as a married couple, we hold that record as having done it longer ago than any other.

I gave the talk in both Hebrew and English, translating for myself. The most frightening part was being without my mask, but all the audience wore masks and kept distant. 

Many in the audience want to hear more of my stories, so maybe I'll speak again to them.

Photos by Linda Fairman

Another Delivery, Golden Age in Corona Lock-down

To be perfectly honest, we're no longer completely locked-down. But we are restricted. We're allowed out and traveling, even on public transportation, as long as we're masked. A few weeks into the lock-down when corona virus, COVID-19 was growing in numbers, I  signed us up for prepared meals as a treat. Constantly cooking, three meals a day for each of us was getting me down. Even though we're just two people, my husband and I are on different food regimes to try to keep our weights down. His is more portion control of carbohydrates and proteins, while I have to stay away from carbohydrates. The bonus to being on this meal list was getting food staples and toilet paper.

After Passover we got a couple of half-empty cartons of stuff, but this week we received lots more.

Besides the toilet paper, which we won't have to buy until next winter, there were beets, oranges, onions, potatoes, carrots, sesame paste, pasta, rice, cookies, salt, sugar, dates, tuna fish, jam, canola oil, long-life milk and a great challenge to fit it all into the pantry. BTW that's just a partial list of what was very efficiently packed into the cartons.

We're on a very limited income, and I will find a way to use pretty much everything we've received. I've blogged recipes for some of the food made with the goodies we've gotten.

I'm grateful that we're here in Israel, and the government is being generous. Most municipalities or regional councils have been providing similar packages to senior citizens. And, yes, if you're wondering, everything is strictly kosher.

Take care. How are you managing?

Beach Day, First Time in Decades

Yes, that's me in the water

The other day a couple of friends and I went off for a very short beach day. The last time I may have gotten fully wet in the ocean at a beach was well over forty years ago. I don't remember much about the water, since I was busy taking care of my three daughters who were pretty small at the time. My strongest memory of that day was the awful sunburn I got on my back. It was probably the worst sunburn I've ever suffered. As a child, being the "dark one" in the family, I was never considered sensitive to the sun, so it was a real shock when I found myself burnt.

This week's adventure was different. First of all, it's part of my:

• Why not? Let's do it.
• If not now, when?
• Take advantage of every opportunity.
• Live it up...
• Pleasures of retirement. 
• Etcetera...

We had a full day together starting with our weekly Tanach, Bible studies, then lunch in IKEA, my first visit there. For ages, I've been calling myself: 

"Probably The Only Person Who Has Never Been To IKEA." 

Now my husband is the sole holder of that title. And since he doesn't like shopping, he may hold it even longer than Queen Elizabeth has held hers.

IKEA was chosen as the lunch venue, since not only is it strictly kosher, but it also charges relatively little for a meal. If you're wondering if I bought anything in IKEA, just a little thing to prop up my phone and some paper napkins. I wasn't even tempted by anything else.

Since we had guessed that the beaches would be empty, and we wore modest bathing suits, we went to Palmachim Beach. It was a good choice. The end of summer vacation meant that few people were there. It's also a lovely beach, clean and with all the facilities we needed.

We took turns falling, but I had no problem getting up.

As an extra treat, we had some ice cream. I must admit that I ended up tasting some of the beach water, which was saltier than I had remembered. One thing that surprised me was the oily feel of the water. I don't remember ocean water as oily. Please don't tell me that it's pollution. Since we sat on folding chairs, the same ones we had taken to Shakespeare last week, oops I still have to blog about that, we didn't get full of sand. I must admit that I didn't shower off before leaving. The natural ocean water was a pleasure after three months of pool chlorine.

The trip back to Jerusalem was without delays, and miraculously I made it in time for a Shiloh bus. Again Gd was good to me, since Yermiyahu Street was clear, and the ride home was relatively fast and uneventful.

"Joys of Retirement" for sure. We must do it again.

Last Day in "School"

Yesterday was the last session in of the Vattikim b'Kehila, Seniors in the Community, Senior Citizen program I had attended in Ulpanat Ofra, the Ofra Girls High School. The attendees came from all over the Benjamin Regional Council.

During the year I had been attending classes on Thursdays, but for the "camp" our group was cancelled, and I joined the Monday group, which was much larger. Even though I hadn't been studying with them throughout the year, I knew many of the group. I've been living in Shiloh for thirty-seven years, and have gotten to know people from most all of the communities in the region. Our children have gone to the same schools; I also worked in Yafiz, Shaar Binyamin for six years. And there have been many other ways to meet people.

The coordinator brought in many interesting speakers. There was an "inspirational speaker," who encouraged us to fulfil our dreams, write and live a "bucket list." The head of the program for handicapped and special education told us about what is done for the children, and their families, who need more help. Now there's a local program, Lev Binyamin, right next to the high school where we've been studying. Before then, children had to be bussed to Jerusalem and sometimes further.

We learned more Tanach, Bible and about each other.

It's definitely a good program, and I'm glad that I participated this past year.

Living it Up in Retirement, New Life

As many of you must know by now, I'm retired, and I'm having great fun. For the very first time in my life I'm enjoying "school." I'm studying in two different places, Matan and the senior citizens program in Ofra.

One of the extra enjoyable "bonuses" in the Ofra program is our interaction with the students. We study in the girls high school. I like to say that we're a three generation family in the school, since two of my daughters are graduates, I have granddaughters studying there and now, so am I.

Today we heard a presentation by girls studying graphic arts about how they designed the logo for our program.

It has an "eye-catching" wise owl look, which really grabs attention and honors our wisdom. The large Hebrew writing says:

מועד ג
moed gimel (3)
"third chance*"

Followed by:

כיתת וותיקים
kitat vattikim
senior citizens class

The girls chose the gold color for the phrase "golden age," which as you know is one of the euphemisms for the elderly.

We had a wonderful time looking at the graphics exhibit about the special programs in the high school of which ours is one.

*moed is a testing time, and usually there are two, moed alef (1) and moed bet (2.) A euphemism for post-retirement is the "third" stage of life, which is alluded to in the logo's moed gimel.

Kotel Tunnel Tour

Yesterday, the senior citizen program I study in went on a tour of the Kotel Tunnels with the students who worked with us on our "stories" for the multi-generational project of the Museum of the Jewish People, formerly the Diaspora Museum. I must tell you that if you've been there before, unless it was a very short while ago, you'll find it totally changed. Also, there are a number of tours and activities offered. I doubt if you'll be bored if you go again.

Most if not all of us had been there before, but none of us had participated in the activity we did there yesterday. Bli neder, I'll write more about the activity in a future post.

For example, this enormous and impressive hall hadn't been emptied out the last time I was there.

My Weaving Project, Finally in Use

Almost a full year after finishing my weaving project, I finally found something to do with it. You may notice that it has no name, other than "weaving project," because I never knew what I'd do with it. I just learned and experimented with weaving techniques. I hadn't done any real weaving since I was a little girl and made "potholders." 

Because of the spontaneous, unplanned patterns I had fun creating, I ended up with a strange shape, rather than a rectangle. And as it "settled," it became even less of a rectangle. One of the enjoyable things about weaving was that I could even take it home as I worked on it. It didn't leave a mess, nor did I have to change into clothes that could get messy.

This year, cleaning for Passover and trying to get rid of things, I even thought of giving it to my son's dog. Yes, I was that desperate. One of the reasons I didn't give it to her is that she's much bigger and wouldn't enjoy or fit sleeping on it. Then, also as my pre-Pesach purge, throwing things away, I decided to dump our two bathroom mats. That's because every-time I laundered them dirt would clog up the washing-machine filter. So instead of either buying another mat or using floor rags in the bathroom, I decided give my weaving project a purpose.

What do you think?

Now I really have a reason to smile!

What can one do with a work of art like this?

Removing the "work of art" from its loom.

Unthinkable: Day Without Phone, Oops!

I must admit that I was very lucky. Somehow, my phone slipped out of my pocket yesterday as I was getting out of a neighbor's car. Part of my borderline OCD is that I check for my phone frequently, especially after leaving the house or a car etc. It's not even something I think about.

My friend and I got to Ofra, got out of the tremp, and... yes, the phone wasn't on me. We immediately called it from my friend's phone. No ringing, no vibrating, no phone.  I looked on the street we had crossed, no phone lying there waiting for me to rescue it. We didn't remember seeing anyone walking just after us who could have taken it.

Next, I called my husband and requested a few things:

• notify the kids that I'd be incommunicado for the day
• contact the neighbor (or his wife)) who had given us the ride
• contact our son who has the number of the kitchen contractor that I'd be incommunicado for the day

And then we went off to class, the senior citizen program we attend in the Ofra Girls High School, aka Ulpanat Ofra. My friend was very impressed at my calm attitude considering that I can get hysterical too easily. Luckily I still carry my camera on me and was able to photograph our activities.

Throughout the morning I did make lots more calls on my friend's phone until I knew for sure that mine was being well cared for. And about eight hours after leaving the phone in the car, I picked it up from my neighbor. 

All in all, I'm rather proud of myself for getting through the day with a smile on my face.

Jerusalem, Looking for Our Old Home

Last week the "Senior Citizen" program in Ulpanat Ofra I go to on Thursdays had a trip to Jerusalem. Gd willing I'll write more about it on a different day. For me, the highlight was seeing the model of Jerusalem which is used by the committee that approves new building projects and changes on existing buildings. We all circled around the model trying to identify neighborhoods and buildings. Some members of the group were excited to find their old homes. I searched for our old apartment in Bayit Vigan and then was told that the neighborhood wasn't included in the model. I found other places I know well and where some of my children live, but it was disappointing. Actually a very large amount of Jerusalem isn't part of the model. Jerusalem is so much bigger. They would need a number of models and large halls to accommodate today's Jerusalem, even so miniaturized. It really would be a fantastic project to construct.

Guess Which I Drew

We did chalk or pastel drawing yesterday. I am not good at this sort of thing.

Some pictures were joint efforts and others individual.

Can you guess which are mine...

Fun Evening of 60s Music in Jerusalem

Last Tuesday night I had a wonderful time with old friends, some whom I've actually known since the 1960's. Yes, that dates us, but as the saying goes:

"The alternative would be worse."

At our age, when most of us are retired or super busy with post-retirement activities and even businesses, we try to live every second to its fullest. We all know that the more difficult time of old age can begin without warning any time at all, Gd forbid.

When I saw an event on my friend's facebook page, Back to the 60s - Cafe Night & Music in Jerusalem for last Tuesday night, I quickly checked if I could join her. And I'm glad I did. Not only did I get to spend an enjoyable evening with that friend, but lots of other friends from the 60s came over to say hello. I hope to attend more of their events, as long as the organizers don't mind.

I got a kick out of the fact that such young performers knew the songs I sang in my teens.  This was more of a "singalong," 60s "kumzitz," than a performance. The repertoire was a combination of folk music, Beatles and a bit of Rock 'n Roll, since Twist and Shout had us literally shouting along. And I doubt if I was the only once who had to force myself to stay seated. My body wanted to dance!

I got more information about the group from one of the organizers:

This is a volunteer effort to answer the needs of the active adult (50+ years old) English speaking community. As the neighborhoods of Armon Hanatziv, Arnona and Talpiot are far from the center of the city where there are programs, Shlomo Fisherowitz and Carol Silk decided to create an answer to the needs by developing Anglos of South Jerusalem at the area matnas. Contact for the group is by email at aosjerusalem@gmail and/or via the Facebook page.

My many friends who live in the area are excited about the activities, as I am. I thank the organizers and wish them good health and many more productive years.

An Advantage of a Poor Memory

To be honest, I haven't had a great memory for decades. I don't think it was all that bad when  was young, very young. But in more recent decades I trust my sense of logic and observation to help me get things done. That's especially true when it comes to using modern appliances and equipment, like the smartphone and computer.

I discovered quite a while ago that the instructions are usually on the screen, and most versions are based on the same sort of logic.

Way back when... I'd never touch a new appliance, whether a blender or oven without reading the instruction book cover to cover. And I even read the entire Dr. Spock baby/child healthcare book from beginning to end when pregnant with my first. The instructions and warnings I carefully memorized have cluttered my brain long after the appliances ceased to function.

In recent years, not only did I find the booklets' written instructions more complicated than the "menus" on the screen, but there's no way I can remember them all. A number of years ago during the days of "word processors," I helped out in an office, and the secretary begged me to take over the computer, since the program wasn't the same as most of us had at home. In all honesty, I couldn't see any real difference.

When I visit the states, people generously offer to let me use their home computers, which are inevitably completely different from mine, apple vs a simple pc. Within a few minutes I adjust. And recently, I've helped lots of friends to function on their computers and smartphones. None of them have the brands and models I own. I just work slowly and look carefully at the screen. So many things are basically the same, even iphones and android models.

I hardly notice when the computer or phone does an automatic update. Just read, and you'll find what you need. It's not all that hard. Don't forget the "undo," Ctrl/Z. It's a lifesaver...

Trying to Learn Names of Local Plants

Growing up in New York, I had a pretty good grasp of the names of the local flora, especially after successfully completing a Girl Scout Badge which required not only recognizing the trees by their leaves, but also their barks. Well over a half a century later, I really don't remember much, but even thirty-forty years ago, when my children were young, it wouldn't have helped much. Here in Israel, I never knew the names of the local plants.

Due to different climates and continents, the native flora here in Israel and my native New York have very little in common. And you can't really expect the same sorts of gardens to grow in both places. I do have roses, which grow in New York, but we just don't give them the care they need to blossom much.

Last Thursday at the "Vatikim," "senior citizens" program in the Ofra Girls High School, a substitute teacher gave us a nice talk about plants according to the month they appear/flower. She'll be teaching my 2nd grade granddaughter this year.

I'm sure that most everyone else in the room knew all the material presented, but for me it was new. So I took pictures in hope to actually remember a bit of it. Here they are:

chazav, flowers before leaves come out

chelmonit named for yolk of egg which is same sort of yellow

marva

rakefet grows in hidden places like between rocks

duda'im, mandrakes mentioned in Bible as good for fertility

I'd need to hear the lecture a few times to remember more.

Last Mosaics for a Month

Retirees don't get "vacations," but our "activities" do. So, very sadly, the next few Sundays I won't be enjoying my "arts & crafts" with the other "senior citizens." Yesterday I finished off one mosaics project and started another one.

Besides using two shades of green, this one has a lot of strong solid colors and is very different from my others. 

I really like the oval shaped wooden boards the best, but we've been all out for quite awhile. That's why I had been doing round ones. But then yesterday, I couldn't even find a round board, so I started a square. That's a very different challenge.

The colors and the shape of the board give me inspiration, and I found the square very disorienting. Because I'm not used to dealing with all these straight lines, I decided to frame the outside edges first. When working on a round or oval board, I frequently start from the middle, then frame it and finally fill it in. This time I really felt that I was starting from scratch, like when I did my first couple of mosaics.

I'm not very happy with this one. It's missing something, and I hope that when we resume sessions, in about a month I'll solve the problem. What do you think?

More Mosaics

It never occurred to me that I'd have so much fun doing mosaics. I'm so glad that it is the main craft we do in our little "senior citizens workshop" once a week. There are a couple of reasons for this. We have a couple neighbors who can lead it, and one of them is a retired teacher, so she's good at explaining what to do. she's available most weeks.

And of course, we love doing mosaics. I'm having an absolute blast. It's definitely a new favorite art/crafts medium. All of our work is a bit different. There's no "right" and "wrong." And I don't have to make my "projects" look like anything in particular. I let the colors guide me.

After next Sunday, we're on "summer break." I'll miss the fun creating something. I do still have a small weaving project to complete. It's home, so if I feel the need to do something artsy, I won't have to go crazy, like "withdrawal."

Here are my two newest projects, that already have the filler, and they're home.

And here's the one that isn't finished yet. I have to paste more colored pieces and then when it's fully dry, after the summer break, add the filler/sealer.

As you can see, I vary my work, depending on my mood and how the colors "want" to be. There's a certain dynamic in it that I have no control over...

Progress on Weaving Project

someone else's weaving project

Yesterday at the "senior citizens" crafts activities we were back working on our weaving projects. It had been a pretty long time since we did weaving. I had brought mine home and did some work on mine at home, but not the past couple of weeks. So I was really excited about having the opportunity to devote a solid couple of hours on mine and get some feedback from others. The night before I very carefully wrapped it up with all the yarns/strings I had, so I could take it to the club house.

Everyone was amazed as I unwrapped it. They hadn't a clue as to how it was shaping up.



As soon as everyone saw it, they agreed that it's "unique." That's probably the best way to describe it.

I definitely got a lot of weaving done yesterday and had a good time socializing too. Just another few hours weaving, and it's finished, Gd willing. Then I'll bring it to the teacher so she can tie up loose ends...

PS No, I don't know what I'll do with it. Honestly, I haven't a clue.