At JFK Airport

reflecting on the trip back home

our plane, loading up

a stranger in thought

lined up seated

the promenade

Re: The Jetlag

I went to sleep at a normal, for Wed. night, midnight, after watching (sans dozing) Law & Order SVU. I got up at a very normal 3:30am for the loo, and then I slept until my alarm went off around 5:30am.

Could I be finished with jetlag?

Yesterday, from noon till night, I was busy traveling and hardly ate at all. I cooked a good tofu lunch but couldn't eat, so I left it and ate it when I got home close to 10pm.

At 1pm I left my house to travel to my cousin in Neve Ne'eman, Hod Hasharon, by buses. It took almost twice as long as usual, but I had given myself enough time, and I got there with time to spare. Then we went to a funeral in Pardes Chana, which is in the north. Going home was a combination of riding back to Hod Hasharon, tremping and a bus to Ariel from Tzomet (junction) Yarkon. It also wasn't quick, but most important was that I got home safely.

Being busy is probably the best way of conquering jetlag.

Question About Delta Airlines

My friend was given tickets Israel to CA from someone who told here that he couldn't get kosher food for her from Atlanta to California. Could this be so?

I'd appreciate information to give her.

Thanks

The Hardest Part Of Traveling

For me, the hardest thing comes at the end, the unpacking. I can pack pretty quickly, but emptying it all out and putting all my clothes away... that's the tough job. It doesn't matter if it's just an overnight or a couple of weeks, like this trip to NY.

My livingroom is a total mess. I have much too much to put away, and I have to finish in a few hours, since I must get to a funeral. But that's another story, not for now.

Jetlag Report #1

I sincerely hope that it's the first and last report.

Maybe I shouldn't have had the coffee after my nap; maybe the nap was enough. But too late now.

It's well after midnight and I can't fall asleep. I made myself some chamomile tea, filed and polished my nails and next I'll attack the hundreds of emails still awaiting the delete button or some more serious reply.

And I'm not going to deal with pictures until my inbox has dieted.

Down To 466...

....emails to check.

I had a total of over 2,000 when I first checked after getting home.

Now to wash the dishes.

And there's still unpacking and laundry and...

...trying to prevent jetlag. In New York I found that a strong noontime coffee kept me up until bedtime.

I Have Returned, And There's Less Of Me

Yes, I'm back! I landed at 5am this morning. Pictures to follow, G-d willing, eventually.

I've already been to the pool! So I just missed one morning of the season, since it opened on Sunday. There was a nice crowd of women, and many were new to the "women's hours."

After my shower, I weighed myself, and I'm a few hundred grams, about a pound less than before. That's not bad considering that I tried not to make my "new way of eating" a burden to others. It's pretty easy to keep low carbohydrates even eating out. Of course those salad plates and main course with two side dishes (usually a piece of fish, meat or poultry with a simple green salad plus steamed vegetables) cost more than sandwiches. I was glad to discover that I had lost weight and not gained.

I did treat myself to Mint Chip Hagen Daz. I bought a pint and took two nights to finish it. That took self-control, since I could easily have eaten the whole thing in one night. I had another couple of things I normally avoid, but only enough to be polite.

Once my pictures are on a cd/dvd, I hope to write a series of reviews of kosher restaurants in New York.

Travel Gifts?

This year for a variety of reasons, I didn't stock up on gifts to bring people in NY. My annual visit has me gifted out. I just cant think of anything to bring.

I brought a few of my photos, but they're not really new, and I may have given some last year.

I don't even have new pictures of the kids. They're on a cd and I can print them in NY. Yes, this is written before I left, and by the time it's posted, I'll be able to tell you what I'm bringing back to Israel.

Aisle or Window?

I'm just curious. Please reply in comments.

When you fly alone, and you don't have enough people with you to get a row of three, do you request an aisle seat or a window one?

It's like "age before beauty." The aisle is for health, and the older we are the more we need wc access. And the window is beauty.

I found a solution, but first tell me your choice.

To Eat or Not To Eat...When Nervous

In case you're wondering how I'm blogging daily sans internet, I'll let you in on a secret. I've been "pre-blogging." I've been setting up daily posts which should just pop up on the screen everyday.

I hope to be leaving for the airport in just over an hour, and my stomach is in knots. For some reason, this time I'm even more nervous than usual. I had my regular onion omelet this morning, but since then, just a baked apple and cooked vegetables and now a plain yogurt. And of course I drink water.

I'll pack some fruit and another yogurt, and then I'll just make do with whatever is served. There's no low carb food on El Al. Worse comes to worse, I'll gain back some of the weight I've lost. By the time this is posted, the trip should be almost over. It's not worth obsessing about food during a two week visit. I'll stay away from cakes etc, but I will have some Hagen Daz mint chip ice cream.

And in a few days, I'll report back, G-d willing.

Diet Fads And Fashions

When prepping for the Diet Support Group, I've gone through old diet books which have been gathering dust and grime on the kitchen bookshelves.

One magazine, Bestways, from 1982 described a weight loss diet similar to what is popular now, but all of my other books stressed three meals only, no snacking and keep lowering your calories when "hitting a wall."

All of this reminds me of the inflexible instructions mothers have been given, ever since doctors (males) have gotten involved in babycare. When I gave birth in the 1970's and 1980's, we were given the same instructions my mother got. Babies should only eat every four hours. Nowadays, adults are told to eat every 3-4 hours. Have the pediatricians changed their instructions?

My kids did best on a natural every two hours or so, more or less.

Food for thought...

Enlarging The Shiloh Elementry School

The Shiloh Elementary School opened its doors for the first time in modern days, on September 1, 1981. It had three grades, 1, 2, 3. There were eighteen students in total. A few more moved to Shiloh within the first couple of months, expanding the student body by about three more. Then one family left before the year was over, reducing it by two.

It was located in the upper (my) neighborhood that first year and used three small buildings. The following year it moved all the way to the bottom, near Tel Shiloh. The classrooms were various caravans, mobile homes and other prefab structures.

Then a "proper" school building was built in the middle of Shiloh. It has since been expanded a few times. Since my youngest graduated over ten years ago, I've lost track. And now it's being enlarged again.

Gypped! Where's Summer?

It seems like I was gypped this year. Luckily I brought a sweater to New York. I should have brought much heavier clothes. Most days have been cold and rainy. My sister and niece from AZ are really feeling winter.

I bought one cheap umbrella in Penn Station, which was a waste of money and not all that cheap. The metal felt sharp when I opened it, and it kept blowing out in the wrong direction. It has clamped our hiking schedule. My sister and I have had to drive to the supermarkets for our morning shopping, though we hope to walk back from the library and buy lunch at Bagel Mensch. Then we go to see our aunt and cousin in Oceanside.

This post is brought to you by/at the Great Neck Public Library.

Building For Jews In The Land Of Israel

Neighbors bought this house, and now they're expanding it. There's a terrible housing shortage in Shiloh and in many of the Jewish Communities in YESHA. There haven't been enough new housing starts in recent years, so people are competing for the few houses on the market.

Perfectly Dried Flowers

I photographed these flowers a few weeks ago, when I was taking a walk here in Shiloh. They're just perfect for dried flower arrangements.

Sans Internet-What To Do With My Coffee?

Don't let this fool you, nor all the pre-dated posts I prepared before flying to NY, but I'm sans internet. Not everyone is connected in the 21st Century. My parents aren't.

My sister and I are trying to set them up to make aliyah, move to Israel, and Nefesh B'Nefesh is geared to the internet.

But back to the question in the title. Luckily, one of their money-wasters is the daily New York Times, real paper edition, delivered to the front door. So, instead of deleting my 558 plus emails, number flashing on this screen, I read the paper with my coffee, rather 1950's I guess.

Now I'm in the Great Neck Public Library on a guest pass.

If you have any advice experience re: helping elderly parents make aliyah, I'd be grateful for words of wisdom. Thanks

Under The Bridge

Different angles, different views. There's so much construction going on in Jerusalem. The Calatrava string bridge.

Amazing Jerusalem Sky

These pictures were taken Erev Yom Yerushalayim, the eve of Jerusalem Day. After the Moskowitz Zionism Prize at Ir David, David's City, we went to one of the Jewish Buildings near Mount of Olives. There were fireworks going off in the distance.

Popular Mode Of Travel

When I first arrived in Israel, summer of 1969, motorcycles were a very popular mode of travel. Even families used them by attaching a side thingee, in which a couple of kids could be seated.

Later on as Israel became more affluent, these small motorized vehicles became rarer. Now, I've noticed more and more on the roads, and more are being driven/ridden by females.

I think that it's a matter of "money speaking," since they cost less to run than cars. Being a motorcycle rider is "in" in some circles, though I find them very dangerous and frightening.

Spring Blooms

If you're looking for flora/botany information, names of the spring flowers and all that... sorry to disappoint you. All I can offer are pictures of flowers blooming late spring here in Shiloh, Israel, the mountain region.

I find beauty in every season, even just walking in my neighborhood.