Always Performing

My youngest granddaughter is full of surprises. There's always some reason she doesn't want to leave gan, nursery school with me, but at least I can usually negotiate with her and find a way to get her to come with me.

Last time I went to take her home, she kept on ignoring me and the teacher who kept telling her:

"Your savta* is here to take you home." 

She and her friend were standing up and singing a Chanukah song together. They were holding invitations (upside down, or at least hers was) to the gan's Chanuka Party and pretending to be reading the words.

She was so serious.  She just kept on singing and singing at the top of her lungs.

Three year olds are so funny.

*grandmother

The Ground is so Dry

We should have had lots of these "winter is here" flowers and lots of rain by now.  It was announced that from today on we must add a prayer to request rain from G-d.

This sort of drought happens every frew years.  Here's an announcement including the text of the prayer from a few years ago.

from Kumah

Remember that only a rainy day is a "nice day" in the winter. May G-d give us sufficient rain, even if we don't deserve it.

Sometimes, I Wish I Could Put up a Sign Like This

Elevator Not Working

Don't we all need "time outs" to recharge our batteries?

I think I'd be worn to a total frazzle if I didn't have Shabbat.  For those who don't know, Shabbat is supposed to be very different from other days of the week.

According to Jewish Law, halacha, we're supposed to tune out from the busy, technological, creating, financial part of life.  Food is cooked in advance and can be heated by indirect heat.  Most of us keep water hot for coffee and tea.  We don't travel, and even the distance permitted to walk is limited.

There are three sets of prayer times, like all days, but the prayers are longer, and there's a prayer added to the morning one.  We read from the Torah.

We function on a different speed, different gear.

I wasn't raised as a Torah observant aka Orthodox Jew.  I was introduced to Jewish Law and Life as a teenager in NCSY and YU Seminars.  It attracted me, felt right, like a comfortable shoe.  When I was young I didn't fully appreciate the full value of Shabbat.  I was too full of energy.  But now, well into middle-age, I really feel that there are physical as well as spiritual benefits to keeping Shabbat.

A friend of mine has a very high-powered/pressured job.  On Shabbat that job is totally put away.  She has twenty-five hours of rest from it. On Shabbat she has Shabbat and family, friends, etc.  Work never impinges.  She credits Shabbat and the rest from work with her surviving that difficult job she has.  Non-Sabbath observers who work with her at the same sort of job wonder how she can get all of the work done in six days.  They need the full week, including Shabbat, to finish.  Shabbat makes it possible.  They would get it all done in six days if they kept Shabbat, too.

It's so important to just take a real break.  You must have noticed that I don't blog on Shabbat.  I don't talk on the phone or go near the computer.  It's wonderful.  My day, my Shabbat is full.  I'm never bored.

Try it, but don't try it alone.  It's best with a community.

Should I Start a New Hobby?

It's not like I have oodles, or any, spare time, but I had so much fun and felt so good beading last week. And I got so many compliments on my necklace that I've been wondering if it's a good idea to branch out and be craftily creative.

my very first necklace, if you don't count the noodles and spools from thread I had strung as a kid

The friend who brought all of the equipment, cutters, wires, beads, claps etc charged me very little for the "ingredients," things I used to make this necklace, and mine was one of the more expensive projects.

My friends insisted that my necklace was like those sold in stores.  So, I began to wonder if could make jewelry as gifts or even sell my handmade jewelry for money/profit.  I certainly don't get anything from writing, blogging etc. And my work salary is the pits.

I'd have to set up shop in one of the unused bedrooms.  We've had an empty nest for years.  One of the bedrooms even has a large desk which could be emptied off and made into a "beading workshop."

To check out this new idea, I went into a popular Jerusalem craft supply store.  I did see a number of beads that inspired me, but I also realized how quickly one could spend money one doesn't have on these items. What first seems to be an inexpensive craft hobby when you think of how much it cost to make one gorgeous necklace can be full of expensive surprises.  I didn't even check the prices of the cutters and wire. The necklace I made also needed glue and other things.  Those who bead a lot also have boards to keep the beads in place while planning, designing and beading, since the beads can easily roll away.  I have to think very seriously about it.

Like photography, beading is an artistic medium that doesn't require a talent at drawing.  When I was young, it seemed that the only criteria for artistic talent was drawing, which I could never do all that well.  I was always drawn to art, and there's a lot of talent in my family, but it always seemed that it had passed me by. Then I discovered photography, which is a great medium for my talents.  Now it seems like I can also develop a different aspect of it by beading.

Nu?  What should I do?

Putting Everything in a Different Perspective

Very bad news from the Bima Ima.  Superman Sam's cancer aka "ninja leukemia" is back.

Sam enjoyed a short remission after the bone marrow transplant which had been done, not under the best of circumstances, because the preparation treatment didn't produce suitable results.  But sometimes the bmt is successful even when there's still some cancer in his system.  Sam did have remission after the first round of treatment, but that ended.

The doctors no longer have any ideas on how to cure Sam.

Nothing I had planned on blogging here seems important any more after reading his mother's post.

We can still pray for a רפואה שלימה refuah shleimah, complete recovery/healing for
Shmuel Asher Uziel ben Pesah Esther

It certainly won't do any harm.  And we must pray that his parents, siblings, extended family and friends will enjoy good health and find joy in what they have.

Hugs to the family

Starting Something New, Never Too Old

My hobby these past few years has been studying Tanach, the Jewish Bible.  I devote one day a week to traveling by bus and tremp to Jerusalem to take courses in Matan.

One of the courses I've been studying is Al HaPerek, in which we're learning most of the Bible in about six years.  Each week we get questions about a couple of chapters.  Some people study on their own, others as couples, and I'm part of a small group of women.  One thing we all have in common besides a love for, or at least an interest in the Bible is that we never had the chance to study it seriously before.  We absolutely love the idea that this course is taking us through all of the books from Joshua until the very end.  And to be honest, without looking it up, I really don't know what the last book is called.

I must admit that there have been chapters and lots of them that sort of went past me.  Too many names, places, events for me to fully digest and remember.  But I'm soldiering along.  Some chapters are more interesting and memorable than others.  There have been times I've felt stupid and frustrated, but I never thought of quitting.  It's just not on the menu.

My fellow students all agree that the opportunity to study the Bible so thoroughly is something we shouldn't miss.

I look at this as a great opportunity, even though I'd doze in frustration when confounded by all the names in Melachim, Kings, and get totally lost with the lack of "plot" in Isaiah and most of Jeremiah. Now we're starting the Twelve Prophets.  I even found a Soncino edition of the book in our home library.

Very surprising was what I found inside the front cover.  Apparently it had been my book when I was a student at Stern College about forty-five years ago.  I have absolutely so recollection of ever studying from it. Maybe I just bought it for no reason? That doesn't really make any sense.

Whatever...  I'm glad to have it as a reference book.

There's something I'm really looking forward to.  When we finish this series of courses, I'd like to do it again.  I have no doubt that the second time will be much better than the first.

I Felt a Bit Dumb and Confused

It's no secret that I depend a lot on tremps, rides from strangers commuting  to my work, studies etc. That's not to say that I don't know a lot of the drivers.  Frequently I get into a car saying that I'm doubly happy, because not only do I have a ride but I also have a chance to visit with a friend/neighbor whom I really like.

Some people only stop to offer a lift if they recognize someone they know, while others make a point of stopping at every trempiada, place where people get off or wait for rides, just to do that special chessed, mitzvah to help others.  Last night I was in a ride like that from Sha'ar Binyamin. The driver said that he was going to Eli, and not only did he agree to let me off at the Shiloh Junction, but he agreed to go slightly out of his way, two left turns, and let people off at the Psagot/Kochav Ya'akov/Tel Zion roundabout. I have no idea who that tzaddik  is, but I sure enjoyed his taste in music.  And just in case you're curious, about a minute after getting out of his car, someone I don't know came by and dropped me off at my door, which he was passing.  G-d really is great!

A different time, late at night after working a night shift and a series of shorter tremps which took me to every possible trempiada on the way I found myself at the Shiloh-Shvut Rachel "t junction" waiting for a ride up to Shiloh. A car stopped.  I didn't recognize the driver, but I did know the two other passengers.  They were both young people who grew up in Shiloh.  One got off "downtown," near the stores and schools, and the other one was dropped off by his house.

I was the last passenger in the car, so I asked the driver if he was continuing or going down.  I hadn't the vaguest idea who he was.  He replied that he'd take me home.  And he did.  He dropped me off at my door without my having to tell him where I lived.  He knew who I was, and I, especially from the backseat, hadn't a clue who is was.  He must be one of the other kids who grew up in Shiloh. I should have realized something like that, because no words were said between him and the kid he dropped off.

I just feel pretty dumb.

My Most Visited Blog Post is a Recipe. Should I Try Writing a Cookbook?

Considering that my my visited blog post on this blog is a recipe,easiest cake recipe, would it be a good idea to write a cookbook?  Actually, I did try writing one over a period of time.  It got destroyed by a computer virus.  It was simple and humorous.  I even had a few people going over the drafts.

Many people say that nowadays, cookbooks are passe.  When people want to check a recipe they just go online and "google it."

My way of cooking is so simple; it was hard to think of a large enough number of actual recipes I make.  I combine what I have to make foods.  I don't choose recipes and food themes and then go shopping to fit.  I bake a vegetable dish using these things, the sweet potatoes and the eggplants, just layering over onions and topping with pumpkin. Yes, in real life my recipes can be that vague.

My moussaka is also very simple.  I layer onion, eggplant, chopped meat/poultry mixed with some egg and chopped onion, and then another layer of  eggplant and then I top it all with canned diced tomatoes.

It's really not all that hard to cook. But to write up these recipes in a way that would make them seem a bit more impressive, that is hard.

Sometimes I make things that are even simpler.

It's exactly what you see:

• onions
• sweet potatoes 
• squash 
• carrots

Just dribble a bit of oil over them before baking.  What could be simpler?  And it's healthy and tastes great, too.

Jerusalem's Commuter Parking Lot, Good News and Bad News

The good news is that there's a "commuter*" parking lot in Jerusalem near a light-rail stop  As you can see it fills up pretty well.

It's near Ammunition Hill, French Hill, Ramat Eshkol and not all that far from the Mt Scopus Hebrew University Campus and Haddasah Hospital.  

I put the * and quotation marks around the word commuter, because I think of a commuter as one who lives and works in different cities, not just different neighborhoods of the same city.  Ramat Eshkol and French Hill aren't all that far from the center of town, downtown Jerusalem.  And that stop isn't the last stop of the train.  The last stop is in Pisgat Zeev.

It's right by a big high school, stores etc.  People driving in from the Shomron, or Mateh Binyamin, like my neighbors who parked in the Ammunition Hill parking lot had to drive the extra distance, which at certain hours of the day is very slow to park the car and then take the train. In Pisgat Zeev, the train is pretty empty and there are lots of seats, while when getting on at Ammunition Hill, it's sometimes full. It would have made sense to have a parking lot in Pisgat Zeev, too.

Just my 2 cents.

Tooting my own horn? G-d forbid!

I always blog about the most recent postings of the foremost Jewish blog carnival Havel Havelim, right?  So, do you expect me to ignore the latest that was just posted minutes ago just because it's on my other blog, Shiloh Musings?  OK, now, the cat's out of the bag.  Yes, I hosted and posted the latest Havel Havelim.

Blog Carnival

jewish-israel blog carnival aka havel havelim

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I'd be perfectly happy if someone else would do it.  I'm certainly not looking for the honor, but I do it when no when else has volunteered.  That's just the way I am.

HH  floats around the internet.  We organize it on our facebook page.  Links can be sent via blog carnival.  Let me know if you'll like to host an edition.  It's not hard.  Hosts will receive the links and the "instacarnival" from them and should also include other posts of their choosing.

There are really are some great posts there, and not all of them are mine.  If you have blogs and posts to recommend, then please send them in.  And if you'd like to host but are worried, because you've never done it before, I'll coach you through it.  Deal?  There's even a brand new blog included.  Can yo find it?  Let me know in the comments.  Thanks

Historic Jerusalem Building, A Pisher's Guide to Jerusalem #3

Most guidebooks leave out the most important information, the best and most convenient public toilets, 00, W.C.  Having waddled through five pregnancies, raised five kids, residing far from Jerusalem and now at an age when my pelvic floor is reaching the basement, knowing where to find a decent or even barely usable public toilet in Jerusalem is a vital necessity.  That's why I began to post this series:

A Pisher's Guide to Jerusalem #1

A Pisher's Guide to Jerusalem #2

Israel has a lot of medical clinics, and they all must have public toilets.  So if you're desperately looking for a convenient W.C., you can always walk in to use the facilities.  I do a lot of walking in Jerusalem, and sometimes while rushing to and from buses, appointments and classes, take advantage of the public toilets in one of downtown Jerusalem's old historic buildings, the Strauss Medical Center on Rechov Strauss (Street,) in between Jaffa Street and Kicar Shabbat (Square.)

It's a large, historic building which today houses numerous medical clinics of the various Sick Funds and private ones, too.  This building was one of the earlier ones built for Hadassah's medical services in Jerusalem.

In 1929, Hadassah opened the Nathan and Lina Straus Health Center in Jerusalem. In the 1930s, planning began for a new hospital to replace the Rothschild hospital founded in 1888 on Street of the Prophets, Jerusalem.

When I need a W.C. I follow the signs and go up a flight to the Kupat Cholim Le'umit section.  That's the medical organization we are members of, so I figure that I've been paying for those facilities.  Nobody ever asks me what I'm looking for I just look for, which is the way I like it.

And one of those "only in Israel" extras, they have the prayer one is to say after "eliminating" on the wall nearby for an extra convenience.

Use in good health.

I Bead Like I Cook

This week my fb group friends and I got together for an afternoon of beading in Jerusalem.  I had never done that before, though I do remember stringing noodles and some "Indian crafts" at Jones Beach which required making things out of tiny beads of bright primary and secondary colors.

I found it very difficult to get started, but once I figured out exactly what should go in the center.  I had a theme, at least a color theme.  Then I began gathering beads to fit the colors.  I piled them all up in a plate making sure I had even numbers of all of the really nice ones.

Everyone else seemed to have an easier time making these decisions. After I finished the center of my symmetric necklace I slowly chose what would surround it.  Bead by bead, first one side and then the other, so they'd match exactly. Once I had all my ingredients, then I began the real work.  I couldn't envision the necklace before getting the beads, and I decide what to cook according to the food in the house.

Every once in a while someone would finish their new jewelry and happily show it off.  Of course some patterns, or lack of them, made the work easier.  Why did I choose such a complex idea and such tiny beads?  I had to keep my reading glasses on all the time!

We were even joined via Skype by a member who lives abroad.  Finally we all completed our new jewelry.

And that includes mine!

Thanks to Hadassa for bringing the beads, clasps etc and teaching us how to make the gorgeous and fun jewelry. (The pictures of me were taken by Jessie.)

Another "Caption This!"

I just spied this the other day and just had to photograph it.  What do you think?  Tell  me in the comments, thanks.

Jerusalem Streets, Small City and Rav Ovadia's "Shloshim," Thirty Days after Death Momorial

No doubt that the police traffic arrangements and the set up of screens in the area of the Jeruslaem Sanhedria Cemetery on the day HaRav Ovadia Yosef's family got up from shiva (the seven day intense mourning period) were good practice for today's shloshim (30 day after death) events.

Here are some pictures I took of the set up on Rechov Bar Ilan, near the cemetery three weeks ago for the end of Shiva.

I have to be in Jerusalem and I plan on using the light-rail for Jerusalem traveling and avoid the streets.

More Five Shekel Food in Jerusalem

For some strange reason, the only five shekel food places mentioned in the mainstream media here in Israel are those in Tel Aviv.  The day of municipal elections the television stations kept comparing the lines for ns5 coffee with the empty polling stations. I don't get to Tel Aviv much, so I can't say much about it, but I do get to Jerusalem at least once a week.

The first ns5 food place I know of in Jerusalem is by the main entrance to the CBS- Central Bus Station.  I haven't yet had a chance to see if the low prices have influenced the various food stands inside, but I did notice that one of the nosh places on Rechov Yaffo in the direction of Center 1 has begun offering five shekel food items.

Ken yirbu, may the trend spread.

PS I like this menu, very suitable for the people who pass by and don't read Hebrew all that well.  I've always been in favor of this sort of pictorial advertisements that require very little brainpower.

Reviews are welcome in the comments, thanks.

Edible?

After a few rains, I just noticed something on my citrus tree outside.

This past spring, for the first time in quite a while there had been some flowers.  Then the flowers were blown away, and I pretty much gave up all hope.

Many years ago I bought a lemon tree from a proper nursery and planted it.  To say "It was a lemon" is a rather sick joke, since we never got any lemons from it.  About sixteen years ago my elder son brought home a small seedling that may be an orange tree.  He planted it near the lemon tree.  I can't remember which is which, since we never get fruit from them.  Maybe this is from his tree.

It's still a bit early in the season.  I wonder if they are edible.

Double Jewish Blog Carnival- Havel Havelim and Kosher Cooking Carnival

Cross-posted on Shiloh Musings

I've decided to make history and combine Havel Havelim and the Kosher Cooking Carnival this week.  I'm the default host for both, and it just happens that they're both due to be posted this weekend, Havel Havelim Toldot and the Kislev Kosher Cooking Carnival.

The blog carnivals are still two very separate ones, HH is weekly and KCC is monthly, but this seemed like a good opportunity to introduce the different blogs, readers etc to each other.  And I'd also like to remind all of you that you're welcome to host an edition of either or both.  It's a wonderful way to get to know other bloggers and have them get to know yours.

Of course, reading and sharing the blog carnivals isn't restricted to bloggers. Blog carnivals are internet magazines, plain and simple.  You certainly don't have to be a blogger to read blogs. And you don't even have to be Jewish to read Jewish blogs and Jewish blog carnivals.  But the blogs themselves are Jewish ones; that should be clear.

Those interested in knowing more can join our facebook pages, Havel Havelim and Kosher Cooking Carnival. For more information about hosting you can contact me at shilohmuse at gmail dot com.  I'll coach you through it, if you need.  Send in your links via blog carnival, HH and KCC.

I'm going to mix up all the posts, without letting on which blogs they're from.  So have fun reading, commenting and sharing, please.  Also please share this combo-carnival.

5 Shekel Food Made it to Jerusalem! 
Which Country is More anti-Jewish, Qatar or Israel?
Corn & Cheese Fritters with Pear Salsa 
Israeli Sovereignty, the Key to True and Lasting Peace
What a Waste!
Director of Rabbi Riskin's Interfaith Center Appeals for Funding to Build Church in Jerusalem - Jewish Israel
Chaos Theory, Goedel's Proof, and Halakhah: Thoughts on undirected Halakhic process
Kale and Butternut Squash Salad 
Daylight Savings Time, I'm not a Fan

In The Footsteps Of Theodor Herzl
That person….
To Parents of Singles
Pear Cornbread
The Elephant in the Room, A Review 
"Tzohar Law:" Torah vs. State Under the Chuppah 
Great Deal on a Tuna Salad at Cafe` Hillel Express 
Leading Religious Zionist Rabbis Declare That MK El'azar Stern is an Epikoros 

Photos of The Jerusalem Central Bus Station Synagogue
Chanan HaChatan (2 Quick Shabbos Recipes)

Controlling the Panic, Thank G-d

HaAdom, HaAdom HaZeh
Poem for Passing

Stuffed Potato Boats with Tuna

8 Things to See Now on Jerusalem Streets
In Memory of My Father

Here are the two official endings from Blog Carnival's instacarnival:
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of kosher cooking carnival-kcc using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of jewish-israel blog carnival aka havel havelim using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Controlling the Panic, Thank G-d

Today is the first Friday in Israel post-Daylight Savings Time.  I have to keep reminding myself that I have much less time to do all the Friday, pre-Shabbat chores.

Usually when I work on a Thursday I take out my yoman, little pocket diary/calendar, and write down next week's schedule. I had been about it a couple of times during my shift, but I was always distracted, and then my boss told me that she still had to go over it and finalize it.

Recently, I've been keeping the yoman,  in a little bag with my equally small and pocketable T'hillim (Psalms) and Mincha Siddur (Afternoon Prayer book.)  I used to wear a second "fanny pack," wearable pocketbook which had them and meant that I always had those little books with me.  By wearing two "pouches" or "fanny packs" I was able to keep my cellphone and ravkav (public transportation ticket) separate. There are those who say that the phone can erase the pre-bought rides.  But recently to take pressure off of my back and pelvis, I started wearing only one.  And being a female, whose clothes don't have pockets most of the time, I need my phone, wallet, keys and camera in the pouch on me all the time when out of the house. And to make things more complicated, now I have to move the little bag around to make sure it's always "with me."  I have my Matan day backpack, in which my Bible studies books "live," and my work backpack which houses things I just need for work and is big enough to hold most of the shopping I do at Rami Levy each time I go to work in Yafiz.

Yesterday I had morning shift.  Now that we're no longer on Daylight Savings Time, I find myself in a rush to find the time to say my T'hillim (part of a group in which we commit to say certain chapters daily) and doven mincha pray the afternoon prayer before the sun begins to go down.  I've been working an hour or more after the end of morning shift recently.  That means that sometimes I have to use my "break time" for those things.  Yesterday I signed out first and then sat down near the exit to start.  But, you guessed it, I couldn't find the bag with those three little books.  I had no way of knowing if I had just left them at home or the bag had gotten lost.  There wasn't enough time to just say "so I'll doven and say T'hillim at home.  I needed to do it immediately.  I had no idea who would have those books, but I did know where I could possibly find them.

There's a small synagogue in the Rami Levy Supermarket.  I ran there, turned on the lights, found some books and quickly began T'hillim. I was planning on staying there until I had finished everything, but suddenly there was an announcement on the loudspeaker for Mincha.  Since there's no Ezrat Nashim, women's section, I took the siddur outside and finished dovening where I had attempted to start, near the exit/entrance.  I then reentered the store and asked a man near the shul to return the siddur for me, did my shopping and went home.

I kept telling myself that I had heard that you can go to the "citypass" Ravkav office and they can reproduce the card if it's lost, because all of my ticket purchases and travel are computerized in their humongous data base.  But, Baruch Hashem, thank G-d I found the small bag on the table.  So I was right. There was no need to panic.