"You haven't changed a bit!"

Yes, that's what we told each other at the reunion tonight. We see our own fat, grey and wrinkles, but we also saw each other as we had looked when we all went to college together, Stern College.

There was no special number to celebrate; we were just celebrating friendship.

Everyone brought their memories, pictures etc, and I wore my "It takes guts to be a Stern Girl" button.

ahh, yes, and...

I did sleep last night, thank G-d. I "cheated" by taking a melatonin about an hour before hitting the sack. Actually, I fell asleep so quickly, I don't remember my head hitting the sheet, no pillow--bad for the neck.

It could just be that I was sufficiently exhausted and relaxed, but I'm grateful that today is starting after a decent night's sleep. I have a busy day, getting the house in order, going to work and then I have a reunion of my Stern College graduating class, though I'm a drop-out. My college diploma is from Empire State College over twenty years later. They used to have a branch in Jerusalem. I don't know how it is with all classes, but so many of us are still in touch, those who graduated with the class and those of us who dropped out, and a lot of us are here in Israel. So Debbie Klaff Dan put together an official reunion, and we're all invited.

Talking about education, take a look at the latest Carnival of Education! It's a great one!

And that brings us to carnivals... So here's a reminder about the next Kosher Cooking Carnival from Elisheva.

That's it for now. Time to start the day!

Where should I start?

I think that according to halacha, I must start with "hakarat hatov," acknowledging the good done to me. That means that my first responsibility and great pleasure is to thank westbankmama and BagelBlogger for nominating me in the Best Kosher Blog category of this year's Special: Jewish and Israeli Blog (JIB) Awards.

And also to thank "NewsGuy" for nominating my Shiloh Musings for Best Slice of Life in Israel.

That's it so far. I have a confession to make. I have the worst record in this competition. It brings me back to the days when I was chosen last in team sports. Two years ago, I came in dead last in every category nominated. And last year I wasn't even nominated at all. At least it saved me the embarrassment of more "dead lasts." So, since I've been nominated, I hope not to fail so badly again.

There's another week until nominations close if I understand the instructions... hint! hint!

What else was I going to blog about?

Again I made the wrong travel decision. Since it seems like everytime I go to the Central Bus Station to wait for a bus, it's late, I decided to "tremp," hitch hike home. Also, since they changed the bus schedule, routes etc, two things happened:

1. I don't know the schedule by heart any more or at all.
2. It doesn't go up the hill to the house, meaning that even after spending all that money on a ticket I have a twenty minute uphill schlepp home from the bus stop.

So I waited for a ride, and I waited, and I waited and I started getting a bit nutso and waited some more... until the bus came!!!

Yes, I am losing my sense of humor, my sense of proportion. It's time to eat dinner!

Suppertime lyrics
Artist - You're a Good Man Charlie Brown soundtrack
Album - You're a Good Man Charlie Brown

Snoopy (spoken): *growl* My stomach clock just went off. It's suppertime and Charlie Brown forgot to feed me. Here i lie, a withering hollow shell of a dog, and there sits my supper dish.. EMPTY! But that's alright. He'll remember. When no furry friend comes to greet him after school, then he'll remember, and he'll rush out here to the doghouse but it'll be too late. There will be nothing left but the dried carcass of the former friend who used to run and play so happily with him. Nothing left, but the bleach puppy bones of..

Charlie Brown (spoken): Hey Snoopy, Are you asleep or something? I've been standing here a whole minute with your supper.

Snoopy (sung):
Suppertime? Suppertime!
Behold the brimming bowl of meat and meal
Which is brought forth to ease our hunger
Behold the flowing flagon moist and sweet
Which has been sent to stake our thirst!

Charlie Brown (spoken): Okay, there's no need for a big production. Just get off that dog house and eat. (exit)

Snoopy:
Doo doo
Doo doo doo doo.
Doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo.

It's suppertime.
Yeah, it's suppertime.
Oh, it's sup-sup suppertime very best time of day.

It's suppertime.
Yeah, it's sup-per time.
And when suppertime comes can supper be far away?

Bring on the soup dish, bring on the cup,
Bring on the bacon and fill me up.
'Cause it's supper
Supper, supper, suppertime.

WHISTLES (first four measures)
da-doo-m-ba-dah
za-doo-buh ya-ba-doo-ba
suppertime

Doo doo doo doo dot doot.

Br-r-ing on the dog food, bring on the bone
Bring on the barrel and roll me home
'Cause it's supper
Supper, supper, supper
Supper
Super, pepper upper
Supper
Super duper suppertime

'Wintertime's nice with the ice and snow
Summertime's nice with a place to go
Bedtime, overtime, half-time too
But they cant hold a candle to'
My
Suppertime
Ohhh yeahhh!
'Hello home listeners.. how are ya?'

B-r-r-ring on the hamburg, bring on the bun
Pappy's little puppy loves everyone
'Cause it's supper
supper supper supper
supper
super pepper upper
supper
super duper suppertime

Gospel chorus: Snoopy (scat style):
Suppertime! Whoo!
Suppertime! Whoo! Yeah!
Suppertime! Bring on the meat!
Suppertime! It's time to eat.
Suppertime! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Suppertime! hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Suppertime! Oh Yeah!
Suppertime! Bring on the food.
Suppertime! bring on, bring on the
hamburg
Suppertime! Bring on, bring me
some hotdogs
Suppertime! Bring on, bring on the
doctor!

Snoopy (wild riffling improvisation):
bring on bring on
gimme food gimme water gimme somethin to chew
gimme food gimme water gimme somethin to do

Charlie Brown: NOW CUT THAT OUT! Why can't you wat your meal quietly and calmy like any other dog?

Snoopy (very softly): So what's wrong with making mealtime a joyous occasion?

(boldly, broad tempo, full voice):
Supper,
Supper, supper,
Suppertime!!!

"bus business"

I'm in an email discussion group on Jewish topics.  A big one recently is the new bus lines here in Israel. The buses are segregated; women in the back, like negroes in the old south. 

It has branched into a discussion about chareidim and how they relate to women.

Here's something I wrote about it.

All this correspondence on the thread of "ladies in the back--where there are less seats--buses" has finally enlightened me why, when there are crowds to get into buses and other treasures, the people who push into me the most are chareidi men.  Yes, it's true, and apparently the reason is that since they "don't look at females" they just consider me invisible.  That's why they push into me and the other women.

I'm serious, and I wonder how many others who have been writing so enthusiastically on the topic actually travel on buses, especially here in Israel.  Being "carless," (sans car,) I'm an expert.  I'm also old enough to no longer be surprised when people get up and give me their seats.  Lots of people graciously do.  Females of all ages, "persuasions" and dress codes and most men, even some Arabs on Jerusalem lines like the 6.  The only group which never has, unless my advanced age caused some senility, happens to be chareidi males.

That's a first person report from the front line.

Batya

http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/ 

http://samizdatblogfree.blogspot.com/

http://me-ander.blogspot.com/

http://shilohpics.blogspot.com/

---

Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.

sleeping when you can't sleep

Last night was one of those when sleep just didn't come on schedule. It's not like I suffer from insomnia, since, bli eyin haraa, it's a rare problem for me.

There are all sorts of tricks to try to fall asleep, but my most successful is to drag my blanket to the living room and get on the couch. Even when we had an awful one, I always slept better on it than in my own bed. So, after blogging, that's what I did last night. The big problem now is that I'm starting my day on insufficient sleep.

I'll just have to survive it. At least I woke up on time. That means I can go to the pool. Baruch Hashem!

blogger's back and...

... I can't fall asleep!

Blogger was under the weather, or under the knife or just "maintanance" as they call it. And for whatever peculiar reason, I just can't sleep. That's rare but a problem, especially when it happens on a Tuesday night, since I get up early on Wednesday to go to the pool. Or at least I hope I'll be up early tomorrow morning--of course, that's if I fall asleep. and it does happen a lot on Tuesday, maybe since I have to get so jazzed up when I teach a full "day" in the afternoon.

So I guess it's time to visit... blog visits, since at 1am, I can't go knocking on doors.

First, we're going to celebrate with Sarah, who's celebrating one year of blogging! Mazal Tov!!

If you want to learn something new about moze, read this!

The Pragmatician shows just the technique needed to get English into my students' heads!

Read this unbeatable Ode to Bloggers from the multi-talented Bagel Blogger. Don't worry bb, I'm still blogging!

The latest from social worker frustrated mom sounds pretty good. You must see those wild illustrations she posted.

Akiva writes about Jewish women and war and female Israeli soldiers. Now, imho, if all able bodied men did their jobs, there would be no room in the army for women!

NYC Educator reports on state of NYC Education; I think it was better when I was a kid.

Baleboosteh tells a very disturbing story.

Marallyn's back home.

Ezzie talks about economics. Rent sounds outrageous, and they only have one kid and aren't paying tuition yet. Nu, when are you joining the blue and whites?

Jameel tells us what he loves about Israel. I'll add one story of my own, which happened on Rosh Chodesh. I was benching after having felafel at "Shalom's" and the guy working there said: "Yaala v'yavo," to remind me to say the special Rosh Chodesh addition to the prayer. It's like when buying kitchen appliances, and you can ask the salesman what can be tovled, dipped in the mikvah, ritual bath.

Here's a wonderful story on Heichal Hanegina.

And westbankmama has some disturbing news.

That's it for now; it is the middle of the night, and I should be half way through my sleep, and my room is cold, and I'll try to fall asleep again.

We're all family

Sorry, I didn't take my camera along, so this won't be illustrated...

Last night we were at a Bar Mitzvah, one of the neighbor's kids, here in Shiloh.

• The food was absolutely delicious.
• The mother and sisters were all dressed beautifully.
• The cake was out of this world.
• Everything was perfectly decorated.

It was a "totzeret Shiloh" event, since

• the professional caterer is a neighbor
• the expert French seamstress/designer is a neighbor
• the baker is a neighbor
• the "set" designer is a neighbor

Yes, Baruch Hashem, we do have every talent here, and more than that. As the mother of the Bar Mitzvah boy said:

"As I say at every joyous occasion, we have very little family here in Israel, and we're so happy to be in Shiloh where you're our family."

Many of us here are in the same situation. One of the great things about Shiloh and similar communities is that we've become family for each other.

We have a debut!

This is awarded to Ya'aqov of Esser Agaroth on his excellent debut Havel Havelim! Of course, if I had the skills of Bagel Blogger, I'd be able to fill it out.

HH#101 is such a feast of posts, you'll need something good to eat while you're reading it, so I suggest taking a look at the latest Carnival of the Recipes, where you're certain to find something tasty.

And since we're talking food, don't forget to get your kosher food links in for the 14th, wow! is it really 14 already? Kosher Cooking Carnival!!! Please send your kosher food links of all sorts to shilohmuse at yahoo dot com or via blog carnival.

Enjoy!!

Avihu Chai!

Avihu Chai, yes, since he's called Avihu Chai! Avihu lives, yes, Avihu lives, since his nephew is called Avihu Chai!

Maybe it sounds better in Hebrew.

The bottom line is that the baby is named after his uncle, with the addition of the name "Chai," life.

For those who don't know the story, here are a few of the posts I've written about the family:
The Night Before Rosh Hashanah
“Aish Zarah—A Strange Fire”
To Feel The Earth Under Our Feet

Our main synagogue here in Shiloh was packed. The entire yishuv was invited to the "Brit Milah." Both sets of grandparents live here, and that is their shul. Avihu Chai's parents both grew up in Shiloh. To say there wasn't a "dry eye" is an understatement.

May he grow up, be healthy, wise and strong, both spiritually and physically, ad me'ah v'esrim shannah, and may his family enjoy good health, smachot, etc.

No Smoking!

When I was young, smoking wasn't considered bad; it was considered "grown up." All the grown ups smoked; at least that's how it seemed. And they smoked any where and everywhere. That was in New York.

Some places had smoking and no smoking sections. Not that it helped much, since the air, smoke-filled, filled the no smoking sections.

Eventually the no smoking laws and places became more common, even here in Israel.

The smoking began to bother me, in principle more than anything else, and I considered it a "challenge" to keep the air around me "smoke free."

During the days when we went to the movies, I used to insist that people stop smoking near me. It was easiest when I was pregnant; I'd just tell them that the smoke made me puke. I admit that I lied, since I didn't have that problem when pregnant, but it really was a great line. Everyone's afraid of pregnant puking ladies.

Other times on buses, once it became illegal to smoke on a bus I would enforce it. Once I was only taking the bus around four stops, so I was really anxious to finish my mission quickly. And I succeeded. I got the guy to stop and put out the cigarette, just before I got off the bus.

When I was recently in the Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel, to meet a Nefesh B'Nefesh flight, I was overjoyed to see a new development, a "smoking box." OK they call it a "Smoking Zone." So of course I took that picture.

Numbers speak

I really ought to stop checking the JBlog Central.

There was a time when I found both Shiloh Musings and me-ander in the top listings. Then me-ander dropped down, and Shiloh Musings was around number 19 or 20. Not long ago I noticed that it was up to 8 or 9. And then it seemed like some sort of campaign to knock it down.

Not all of my posts are super great, and there's no objective criteria for what constitutes a great post. But when one of my political posts, illustrated with a photo (which I took) and then commentary on an article which is then reproduced gets "1 out of 5," you know that it's to knock it down in the standings.

Here's the important, crucial question:

• What constitutes a good post?
• What constitutes a poor post?
• What constitutes a great post?

I've hosted quite a few Havel Havelim's, and I've read more than my share of blog posts. I see a definite agenda in the ratings by some of those who obviously have nothing better to do than to spend their time giving low numbers when they don't like the message.

As an English teacher I have rubrics to help me mark compositions. And yes, they really help. I also use rubrics for project work. I'll make them up according to what I want to "weigh" more. They can include aesthetics, grammar, vocabulary organization etc.

When I blog, I do take all this into account. The other day when I was walking around, I noticed a terribly tattered flag and photographed it. Then I used it to illustrate The Tattered Flag Flies in Sderot. OK, I admit that I slightly "stretched it" by using a flag flying in Shiloh for a post about Sderot, but it's not a bad post. Many high-ranking posts are just copies of articles, and that includes some of mine. As of this moment, it has a phenomenal 131 points total but a 2 out of 5 average on jblog central. That's political, no doubt. A lot of people are using their limited voting power to knock me down.

Bagel Blogger has a voting system set up at the end of each post to get readers to vote, but that's beyond anything I can do, and I don't' think I should.

Enough kvetching. I have to get ready for Shabbat.

Not even a month?

It has been quite a month for us in Shiloh.

Just four weeks ago, I reported on a small local funeral, when the mother of a neighbor passed away. Then just a week later, another neighbor's mother died. When I went to visit her, she wondered about the saying that "bad things come in three's" and maybe we should "break an egg," a custom in many cultures to prevent a third tragedy.

I guess we didn't do it, because a couple of days later two sisters in the community lost their mother.

This coming Sunday is the "shloshim," thirty days after the death of the first "passing." In Judaism mourning is divided into certain "milestones." In short the first being the week of formal mourning, "shiva," then the "shloshim" and then the 12th month and full year. There is a gradual lessening of the Laws and Restrictions on the mourner for a parent until that first year is complete.

Sunday will also be the brit milah (circumcision ceremony) of a great-grandson born to the third mother to have passed away. And on Monday is the Bar Mitzvah of a grandson of the first one. Amazingly, the date was actually decided on before the grandmother's death.

I hate to write cliches, but life does go on.

The secret behind my legendary vegetable soup!

Yes, legendary. I used to make my vegetable soup in such an enormous pot that I just had to give it out to neighbors, since there was no way we could finish it. I have a neighbor who insists that it helped her get through some exhausting times. Others keep hinting that I should resume giving them containers of it.

I developed the recipe when I worked as a cook in a day care center. I must admit that my early attempts at cooking for the kids were rather disastrous. And one thing I kept insisting to my boss:

"I can't cook soup, so don't expect any!"

But I wasn't fired so quickly, and by the time I quit, since it was a difficult job, I had fans, lots of fans.

The technique I developed makes a great soup. I never make the same soup exactly. It's always different, and it's always good. It can be frozen.

my vegetable soup--basic guidelines--

I make it parve (neither meat, nor dairy) in an enormous pot
It's a two pot affair from the lady who doesn't believe in two bowl cakes
It has no set quantities; it stays good for a week and there are always neighbors,
parentheses means optional, and other things can be added

2 pots, because some foods need to be cooked in water and some in oil
I like a good pea soup, but you can use canned beans--then only one pot

1- check (for tiny stones or bugs) and cook split peas (and barley) in the smaller pot,
pour boiling water on it and keep it cooking for at least an hour. If you have a good pot, leave the flame off for some of it, but it must be covered. If you're low on fresh vegetables and have some dehydrated vegetables, cook the dehydrated with the peas
2- In your largest pot, saute in any simple cooking oil--I use plain soy--onions, (fennel, fresh garlic, celery root, parsnip-parsley root, whatever root vegetable except sweet potatoes, which are added later), carrots--cover and cook on low flame, no burning
3- (celery, squash, potatoes, cauliflower, almost any non-green vegetable) slice and add, when carrots begin to soften--(you can use frozen of same description but at a much later part of the process)
4- When the vegetables are cooking, add the peas or beans to them with the addition of boiling water. (Then add the sweet potatoes)
5- Season however you like; try cumin!
(6- when boiling well, add the matzaballs)
cook for about an hour
enjoy

Practice Tests

I should have taken a picture of the little darlings today doing their practice tests. My seniors--12th graders are getting ready to take the "English Bagrut," national final exams.

It's a complicated process since there are three, oops! four tests to the test. Does that make sense? OK, to make it more complicated exact, there are three levels to English testing, and three written tests to each level.

They are known by their old labels, 3 points, 4 points and 5 points. In those days if a graduate wanted to go up a level, they needed to take the entire exam again in the higher level. So the "powers" decided to "go modular." Now there are a slew of tests to be done. A, B, C are 3 points, needed for a minimal high school diploma, C, D, E are 4 points, considered minimal for university application, and E, F, G are 5 points. There's also a required oral interview, and half the points for that are based on how well the student can discuss a "project" they've done in English.

The result is that instead of just testing them in their last year of high school, we spend a good portion of the last two years dealing with testing. I must admit that I only teach English in the 9th and 10th grades. After that my priority is getting the kids ready for "bagrut."

Some of you may be wondering why davka in January? Isn't the end of the year, the prime testing time in June? We are in the northern hemisphere, right? Well, with all the tests we now have the option to use a "winter test time."

So today, I joined my boss, the English co-ordinater, as we gave a shmorgesbord of tests to the seniors in two consecutive testing sessions. We used photocopies of old "bagrut" tests.

Honestly, I had a good time.
One reason--I didn't have to prepare and teach difficult classes.
Two--the kids were great. This is my favorite class. They were serious and well-behaved, especially my students. They've sure improved over the last year. If you would have told me a year ago that I'd be writing this, I would have thought you nuts.

I guess we never should give up on them; one never knows how they will turn out.

From a different perspective

It's funny. Whenever I leave my house for a "walk" I turn left. I think it started during my jogging days well over twenty years ago. My neighborhood is perfect for fitness walks, running and jogging, since it's circular and pretty level. To get up to our neighborhood you have to climb, but once you're here, you're at the top and can enjoy the view. The extended circle (including the newer part of the neighborhood) is over a kilometer, probably just under a mile.

For some peculiar reason, yesterday morning when I left I turned right. Suddenly it all looked so different. I hadn't seen it from this angle before.

Twenty-five years, and it was like a new neighborhood. Some gardens were suddenly open for viewing and others were totally closed, while from the other side, it's the opposite. There's something very refreshing about seeing a familiar place from a different perspective.


Shiloh has a strange climate. I couldn't get over how the date palm tree, which needs a warm desert climate can grow side by side with a pine tree, which thrives in the north. They're common in New York, where palm trees don't grow. It's rather symbolic of my neighbors a real international mix of great people.

The thing that caught me totally unaware was my image in a window as I took pictures.

I must do this more often.

Attacked! The strangest thing

The past couple of days I keep finding ads, as comments, on one particular post. So I have to keep deleting them. I have no idea why they davka keep picking that post to attack. It's not like it's a particularly popular one.

Another strange thing, on a completely different track is that since Sunday's fast, I've had more energy. I'm not as tired at night and have been going to bed later. It happens sometimes after fasting, since fasting is a cleansing of the body. What seems ironic, is that I felt awful that day, freezing cold, and a spot on my back hurt terribly. I just sat around and did nothing. It was rainy, and if felt like night all day, sort of like flying from here to NY on the midnight flight.

My dislocated shoulder is starting to feel better. I can even reach for things without always feeling that sharp pain, Baruch Hashem, bli eyin haraa. My doctor told me to just be patient, since it was healing on its own. My brother-in-law the chiropractor warned that it would take months. Yes, it has. I hope to resume basketball in another month, G-d willing. My basic treatment was just to avoid anything that caused pain, since pain meant strain, and strain means that it's being injured/stressed.

Many, many years ago, when I don't remember who used to send us Prevention Magazine, I remember reading an article about how someone cured him/herself of back problems. The method is very simple:

Do as much as possible, except when the movement causes dangerous sharp pain. With time, movement expands and strength returns. Pain is a warning.

That's how I've handled all sorts of "injuries" ever since. For some people, the hard part is distinguishing between good and bad pain. Forget about no pain no gain; it's not true. When you're really stimulating a muscle, there's a "burning" sensation, which is good, but it's very different from the sharp pain which must be avoided. And it's always important not to overdo it.

I have to get ready to go to the pool. When my shoulder was really sore I couldn't even do a lot of simple movements in the warm water. Yes, very frightening.

Strike out

The striking method isn't working; I found my entire blog struck, like a plague descended.

An old friend found me while googling another old friend, whom I once mentioned in a blog. And thanks to Ezzie for teaching me how to "strike out words." (Only problem is that it made a mess; still working on it.)

Small world, since he's the nephew-in-law of this old friend.

I didn't find anything related on google, but as you probably noticed. It's not working exactly right. It's sort of like the "Sorcerer's Apprentice." I got it going, but I can't control it.

The "striking" and "bold" just can't be controlled.

trying to upgrade

I've noticed for a long time that there are lots of bloggers who know how to "cross things out," as they write. I even copied something which showed up crossed out, but I couldn't remember how it looked in the html. So now, I will experiment.

I just put a comment on meryl yourish, and the comments there have all sorts of "clicks," which offer text "enhancers?," so I'm going to try something....

How's this? OK, it worked, but I don't know the shortcut. What I did was ctrl/b, then in html, I substituted "strike" for "strong." It's a bit convoluted, and I'd greatly appreciate the shortcut. hint! hint!

Another thing I haven't figured out is how to use all those "things" in my post titles, such as links, bold, etc. While I'm at it, I recently saw that another blogger had a colored background under words. I'd love to know how to do that, too.

I'm thanking you all in advance, certain that someone will be willing to help me, please!

great musicians and "trends"

Cosmic X writes about a great guitarist he heard play at a wedding, Dani Maman: Jimi Hendrix With Peot. It reminds me of a great drummer, also a Danny, who was popular about 15 years ago. In his day job he taught "Toshba," Jewish studies, in the Ofra Girls High School. I have no idea where he is now, haven't noticed him playing for a long time. But that could be because I don't see the bands much at weddings.

The trend here even among the "dati," Modern Orthodox, is to make the dancing even more and more separate. That means that not only do we dance separately, (no mixed male/female dancing,) but mechitzot (barriers) are put up, so the men can't see the women dancing. Frequently, the women's dancing is at a far corner of the hall. This is even when the tables are mixed seating.

One of the results is that I'm no longer familiar with the bands and have no idea who the musicians are.

Give me a recipe for those bagels!

I used to work in a bagel place, Beit HaBagel, The Bagel House of Jerusalem. We made real, boiled-first-then baked bagels. They tasted like my memories of bagels from New York.

The latest Carnival of the Recipes is very festive and there are lots of recipes to try, even if you're kosher, but no bagels, of course. I guess it's one of those things better to buy than to make at home.

Now why do I have bagels on my mind? I'll tell you. The one and only Bagel Blogger has hosted the 100th Havel Havelim, and it's as good as those pumpernickel bagels I'm dreaming of. OK, even better--no calories!

So I suggested you try some, it's a jumbo, the biggest bagel--oops! the biggest Havel Havelim, I'm sure!

Not only are there posts from the previous week, but there are some golden oldies, too.

Between those two carnivals, there's plenty to nosh on, food for thought, nu?!