Shake Your Booty

These are not words I expect to hear from my two year old. And yet. I am hearing those exact words from both the five year old and the two year old. Along with the butt wagging.

Also..."Rock and Rooolllll...".

I think I'm living partially in some alternate universe.

Where eating a sister's toenail is acceptable and regarded as fiber.

Oh no...that's this universe. The toenail isn't fiber honey. It's disgusting. Spit that out.

Brilliance

Oh and....

Today a co-worker and friend of mine joined me in randomly humming Jingle Bells. At two separate times. Like we're in each other's brains. We both giggled and felt a little guilty.

But not enough to stop humming altogether. :-)

Hanukkah..ha ha ha....

:::::whistling like I have all the time in the world::::::::::

Oh, what's that you say? Hanukkah is next Tuesday night? Yes, yes I knew that. No, no...I haven't shopped yet. Yes, yes...the girls WILL be disappointed if we ignore it. No, no I can't skip the wax drippings in the old menorah, or the tape on the window from the paper menorah we hang.

Like it or not, Hanukkah is FAST approaching and me, as in many other situations, I am in ...

D-E-N-I-A-L!

I KNOW I don't have to get eight nights of presents but I do need to get SOME presents for the girls and try to plan at least a little bit of a tzedakah portion of the holiday when we give to someone else who needs more than we do. That is a tradition that I need to start and something important for us all to remember. It's not ALL about My Little Pony and The Littlest Pet Shop.

So perhaps this weekend I'll take it upon myself to gather a few things and an idea or two. Yes, I am taking suggestions. No, I don't have any for you. Jeez...

RRrrrrrraaaarrrrgggghhh....

Yes, the children are running circles through the house roaring like "scawy munsterws". My life has become all those commercials you see with kids doing the same thing and the moms looking fed up or depressed or blissfully ignorant. I am none of those things actually. As long as they don't get hurt, I'm ok with the occasional "munsterw" chasing and the roaring...as long as I can hear myself think.

Thursday is Thanksgiving and I am, thankfully, not panicked about it. YET. There's still time. But really, I have WORK work to complete before I can even think about it so I can't devote the room in my mushy pea brain to worrying about Turkey and brines and stuff just yet. That time will come at around 5PM on Tuesday. I'll have to let you know how it all goes.

What are your Turkey plans? Travel? Cooking? Being a guest? I enjoy the cooking and hosting. It's quite satisfying in a lot of ways.

Well, since I doubt I'll be back before the Turkey's in the oven, have a wonderful and warm thanksgiving surrounded by those you love and those who love you.

Wwwooooooooooeeeeeeee!!

Jeez! Will ya look at all those frickin' cobwebs?? Yeah yeah...I suck. What else is new?

This week we had a horrible week in the land of domestic pets. We almost lost our beloved fuffer Gracie to Canine Bloat or Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV). NAAAAAASSSTY!! Thank G-d we caught it in time or I would have headed to work and she'd have been dead upon my return. It was a heart-wrenching, horrible 48 hour ordeal complete with apparent (but not real) bleeding out, emergency surgery, 4 different vets and hospitals and several thousand dollars.

But she's home, and seems to be alright except for the occasional barfing which may be due to the anti-biotics...I hope.

The Bird was/is sick too. Not an easy week.

BUT, the Diner Girl paid us a visit this weekend. It was SHORT as hell, but she was here and we appropriately tortured her with nasty children's television, snot, coughs, and 5 year old humor. Wow....I hope she's willing to return someday! Best part, though, was that she got to meet Ruhlman and Wordstock 2007 here in PDX. Made the whole trip worthwhile.

So check her French Laundry At Home blog to get the skinny on all things Ruhlman and Kuchen from my kitchen.

Another week, another fraction of a dollar. :-) Did I mention Thanksgiving is in a week and a half? Oh, I didn't? Well, it is. Guess I'd better order a bird.

LAAAAAAAAAAAAZZYYYYYYYYY

Well, week after week of grueling work and random days off for the High Holidays (including today) has led me to this one morning. The first time when I woke up, snuggled with the Bird, read a little of my book, watched an episode of the Backyardigans and came downstairs for breakfast with my girlies.

It wasn't until this moment, upon writing about it, that I thought of work. It's been a laaazy relaxing morning, picking through the fridge and what would be a bread box if we had one, to scrounge up breakfast, read a little New York magazine and check in here with you.

My shoulders are low, my back doesn't hurt, and I'm considering crawling back into bed fairly soon. I would like nothing more than to spend all day in bed. I suppose I could but the kids would be bored.

But I look forward to a time when I could have just one day (or several) laaazing in bed, reading, perhaps with a breeze coming through the windows, and maybe the sound of rolling waves on the shore. You know that feeling? I ache for it.

Maybe my honey and I will be able to do that sometime before we're 50.

For now, I'll treasure the opportunity to move a little slower, to not be tied to my desk or my email, to not answer the phone every time it rings. Unless, of course, it's you. :-)

I Shall Not Blog About Work

How droll...
Instead, I shall blog abouot FALL! I loooove fall. It's my favorite time of the year. This is likely because I grew up close enough to the Berkshires in Massachusetts and visited each fall to see the leafy gorgeousness of the colors, smell the crisp air, eat the fresh apples and wear a sweater and jeans in the perfect sunlight.

Fall here in Portland can be like that too. But this morning around 1AM, Fall hit with a vengeance. Wet, driving rain and wind blowing through my curtains forcing me to mop up the wetness with the closest face towel I could find. I had to run through the house and close windows.

But even then, the air smelled so clean, the breeze was fierce and crisp but not cold. I just adore it. Today is gray, with clouds hanging low, and rain on and off. This is what we will have periodically from now through May. I'm ok with that. It makes me want to cook, and bake, and nest.

Chag Sameach to all of you reading who are observant in one way or another. It is my hope that those of you East of here are relieved of your heat soon and that the pleasure of fall and the wonderful colors and smells it brings are to follow shortly. And since much of the weather on the East Coast comes to you from out here in the West, I trust this will be happening toute-de-suite!

Today I'm cooking.

Happy New Year!

I don't have to work today as it's Rosh Hashanah and my office is closed. WOOOOHOOOOOO!!

We had a VERY leisurely morning here if you count making kugel, feeding your children and cleaning a kitchen "leisurely". But it was done on my own time, with nowhere to be (once i made the decision NOT to go to Shul). I feel only a little guilty for skipping services today as I had the opportunity to go ON MY OWN to the grown up service without children attached to me. I thought I really would enjoy going but then I really enjoyed staying home and, right now, I thought that was more important.

My mom is in from the East Coast visiting which is SO nice and the girlies are thrilled (as am I) to have her.

We're going shopping today for two certain little girl birthdays. :-)

Shana Tova to you and yours and may you be inscribed in the Book of Life!

Not what I imagined

So now that I'm a working woman again, I had REALLY been looking forward to a three day weekend. I mean REALLY looking forward to it. Because, after all, I was going to not have to use my brain for three days, or worry about anything, or run around like a crazy woman, or multitask until my eyes bulged out of my head.

And then I realized something.

I still have my children.

So this three day weekend was not all it was cracked up to be, nor did I relax as much (or at all) as I wanted to. Nor did my brain get some relief.

This is a fact - once you are a parent of young children, there IS NO relaxing.

So in some small sick way, I look forward to heading back to work. It's somewhat more predictable. Sorta.

How about you guys? Anything good this weekend? Movies? Beach? Relaxation?

This weekend I head to the beach with one of my very dearest friends and 80-something other women I barely know for a women's retreat. I am hoping that at least THAT proves to be somewhat relaxing. Not restful, mind you, I'm not that dumb, but relaxing would be splendid. Because, dammit, I deserve it.

Bourdain and Ruhlman

Last night I watched "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel to see Anthony Bourdain visit his good friend Michael Ruhlman in the lovely and oh-so-cosmopolitan Cleveland, Ohio.

Much of the show wasn't so much about the heart-attack-on-a-plate food, but about the characters in this particular episode of the show. The comic book writer with his arm in a sling, the crazy dude with the colorful jacket, the Great Lake surfer dude who was so cold he couldn't talk - they were perfect additions to the general comraderie and ball busting between Ruhlman and Bourdain.

But that ball busting was the best part. It's the way friends are with each other, especially good friends. Torture and relentless pestering that hides the true lovely nature of a great friendship.

It made me want to be at that table with them. More than that, it made me want to be at MY OWN table with my friends. The friends who endlessly pick on me, torture me about events long since "forgotten", the friends who know how to make me laugh so that the fingers on my hands can't wipe away the tears of laughter. It's a good thing I have these friends in my life. It's good for my health. I just don't get to sit with them often enough.

Anyway, it was a fun show to watch. Thanks to DG who referred me to that station in time to watch it. And DG...I can't wait to have you at my table some time soon. Or better yet, me at YOUR table since you're the fancy chef these days!

You're up early!

Yes, yes I am.

5AM to be exact.

A headache so huge that I almost couldn't feel the pain. And then I moved.

Advil, water and a trip to the bathroom helped a little. But then I was up. Hey, I still am!

Shocking.

Now to shower and get to work. Thank goodness I know where all the Advil is at work. Something tells me I'll need it.

Have a nice day! :-)

Oh...and....

School starts the week after Labor Day.

Can we all sigh a collective sigh of relief?

Yeeeeesss....that's better, isn't it?

:-)

My Space...is not on My Space

My very brave and talented cousin RH has a page and blog on My Space which I don't visit often enough. This morning I logged on and caught up with her blog postings and happened upon a wonderful PODCAST of her from an Irish radio station (ooooh...how totally hip and updated I am) which was awesome and fun to listen to.

The whole My Space experience feels awkward to me. I have to admit that I approach My Space with the same fear and slight disgust that I approach a stinky diaper. I'm just not sure what's going to happen and just the act of signing in to My Space makes me fear for my email address and the CRAP that will end up in my inbox.

Nevertheless, with my signing in, I have thus created my own space on My Space which is literally devoid of any information about me other than my first name. I don't need My Space friends. I don't get to see my REAL space friends so much anymore. My sole purpose of being there is to see her and read about all the cool things she's doing at home and on the road. It's completely worth it.

If you DARE to visit, you should. But better than that is to just go to her web page.

Like A Trucker...

...after a long hard day on the road.

That's how my dog sounds when she sleeps.

So feminine. So lovely.

And sometimes the snores come with the vapors.

Don't you wish you were me? :-)

Oh The Times...They Are a-Changin'

Once there was a day....



When I would savor my coffee.

When I could pee when I needed to.

When email was fun to read.

When I could whistle freely.

When I could listen to music on my PC.

When I could wear flip-flops in summer.

When I didn't have to think so damn hard about what to wear.



Those days are over.



My coffee is lukewarm by the time I get to it.

I go all day without time to pee.

My email keeps coming no matter how often or how quickly I get to it.

I can't whistle for fear of upsetting my office mate.

I have no speakers on my PC.

I'm wearing heels in summer.

And what to wear is something I start worrying about the evening before I have to put it on.



Yes indeed. The life of a working woman.



Now most of you will read this and think of how depressing it is, but really, it's not all bad. I LIKE working. I LIKE what I'm doing. I LIKE where I'm working. And while it's such a major change from the life I led for the past 5 years, it's kind of nice to exercise my brain.



My biggest complaint is VOLUME. The volume of work I have to do is overwhelming. It's hard to know what to do first and how to prioritize. I like to try and THINK about how to do things before having to do them. That is not a luxury I have much of right now. I'll have to adjust how I go about things and what I can rightfully expect for myself.



The worst part about all of this? I miss my friends. I am T-I-R-E-D when I get home and then to make dinner and deal with kids? It's about all I can do to veg out (or blog like tonight) at the end of the day, leaving weekends to painfully run errands which is torture. Yeah yeah I know some of you have been doing that forever. I don't care. I don't have to like it. I'd rather drink coffee, see friends, let the kids play and relax on my weekends.

So, uh, I was in a show a couple of weeks ago. That went well I guess. I got to sing which made me happy. I hope I get a chance to do that again soon. Rehearsals were painful for my family but it was brief in the scheme of things and I was on stage and it felt good. There's just no better place on earth sometimes. But I didn't love the show and I wasn't invested like I normally get and it was sometimes hard to focus. A little scary being on stage and realizing that you've not been paying attention. I don't think I'd like to do that again. But sing? Be onstage? Be in a show? SIGN ME UP!! My most sincere thanks for the handful of you that came to see it. I VERY much appreciated that effort.

What's everyone else been up to? My friend Janice went to China and sent AWESOME photos for me to see. Anyone else doing anything exciting? SHARE!

R.I.P. DinerGirl

Well, not exactly.

She's taking a sabbatical since some other amazing opportunities have come her way and she needs to FOCUS man!

Thank the good Guy or Gal above that she's still cooking through the French Laundry Cookbook.

If you're reading my blog and you haven't checked out that blog about her experiences with Thomas Keller's French Laundry cookbook then you're nuts. GO THERE NOW.

You can thank me later.

Dos Toyotas

Deux Toyoteux

Swei Toyotan-schluggen

Shtayim Toyotot

However, you say it and in whatever language, even those that are made up, my honey and I are in possession of two new Toyota vehicles.

1. A Sienna.
2. A Camry Hybrid.

I feel I must address at LEAST the Sienna because, after all, we did bite the middle-aged bullet and buy a MINIVAN (which, of course, I swore I would NEVER do. How uncool!). But that thing ROCKS and has made my life oh-so-convenient. Both children can climb into the car on their own. Do I really need them to? Well, the Peanut, yes, she needs to get in without me lifting her now. The Bird still needs help getting into her seat but the fact that she climbs into the car on her own is quite helpful.

I have more mixed media in this car than I do at home. Radio, CD Player, Navigation System, DVD Player, XM Satellite Radio, and an auxilliary port for my iPod. Dude, there's no way to ever be bored with what you're hearing.

The Peanut and I really miss the old Jeep. We're sentimental. But the Sienna with it's roominess, smooth ride, media center, automatic doors, etc etc...Well, it really blows that Jeep right out of the water.

And today we picked up the Camry Hybrid which is sooooooo cooooool. Quiet as can be. Most of the same media features except without the DVD player, roomy inside and gets 50 MPG. Can you dig? We traded in a Ford F150 truck for that hybrid. We went from getting 12 MPG to 50MPG. G-d bless America! Or, you know, Japan.

Dat You?

Yeah, dat me.

I so suck for neglecting you all.

It's not on purpose though. My life has changed dramatically since my last posting.

Yes, I started to work again.

Full time and everything.

And yes, I only just started on Monday this week so why the long pause since the last posting?

Well, I had to get ready. Mentally, physically, wardrobe-y. It's been tricky to figure out how to dress these hips since they haven't had to wear a skirt in a looooong time. And my legs? I forced them to see the light of day. And my ankles? They suck.

But that's neither here nor there.

The point is, I started. There is SO much work to do and I will never catch up so I'm doing my best to hit the ground running and keep my head above water and not sink and not speak in cliches either.

I plan to really enjoy this job and stay as long as they'll have me. I hope that's a long time. At least until the Bird is done with 8th grade. ;-)

No seriously...good job. Good people. Good community. People are happy to see me. I am happy to see them. Not in a looooooooong time have I felt that way about work. So, whew!

And thankfully, since I am not the Diner Girl, and I do not take photos of gnarly things and show them to you on this blog, you will be spared the "mise en place" of my feet preparing to into my new shoes. It ain't pretty people. I need Dr. Kay to give me "pretty feet". Was that in DC or NY? Can someone remind me?

Love you all. How's the summer going?

Lottie's gone

My dear friends and family,

Lottie Mendelson, mother of my very dear friend Michelle, passed away yesterday morning after a lengthy battle with leukemia. These last three and a half years or so have been nothing short of a nightmarish rollercoaster in which my friend watched her mother deteriorate from this evil, horrible disease. Periods of true hope and tentative happiness were followed by what seemed to be the inevitable bad news. The battle was nearly won and lost several times during this time with the drama playing out to its end yesterday morning.

Lottie was a great lady. Warm, funny, caring, welcoming and was always happy to see you. She remembered conversations past and always followed up on how things were after you last spoke with her. She made me feel welcome, always, in the relatively short time that I knew her. And she will be missed.

So I am here wondering what to do for Michelle. She is surrounded by family and those who have known her and her mom her whole life, thank goodness and so is supported by many people right now, including us, of course. But I am feeling fidgety, like I should be doing more somehow. I know I will have the opportunity to do so later this week so maybe I should just get started making some food and freezing it. That way when she's ready, I am too and I'm able to make some use of myself.

Anyone know of any web sites that post recipes for casseroles or any other appropriate "shiva" foods?

July 4th - A Celebration

Usually, to mark this holiday of our independence, we throw a huge party here, prep for days, clelan up for days afterwards. This year we bagged it. Not because it wasn't fun to do. It IS! It WAS! But not this year. Too tired. Small child. No desire to clean and prep.

We had a quiet day. We car shopped a little, we BBQ'd here, drank some sangria I made which was really GREAT, watched fireworks on TV and out my window and went to sleep at a decent hour.

Most people I spoke with had a really quiet 4th this year. Maybe the fact that it was on a Wednesday made a difference. I think probably so.

Regardless, I hope you got to take a little time off to refresh yourself a bit. Taking a break is a really good thing.

Enjoy the weekend!

Violet Beauregard

"Violet! You're turning violet, Violet!!"

All because she stole the candy that helped her taste all of Thanksgiving dinner, including the blueberry pie.

I am also turning violet because I cannot eat enough blueberries. They are soooooo good, and huge and juicy right now. Costco sells them in 2 lb tubs here and I am FLYING through them.

I guess it's better than stealing candy not yet ready for consumption.

Roll me outta here...

Insomniaaaarrrggghhh

Yeah. It's back. And I'm damn tired.

But THE SHARK is in town. My father whom I cherish is visiting from "the city". New York City, of course. Like you didn't know...

AND I got a job offer which is wonderful and a great opportunity.

AND I am not thrilled with some of the content for the show I'm in.

Lots on my mind. Going back to work takes me away from my small delicious children and that makes me sad. But having this job means we're all in the same building all day and so maybe I'll be able to visit? Perhaps I'll appreciate the time I will have with them THAT MUCH MORE since it'll be so preciously few hours in a week.

The show I'm in is turning out to be a little morose and sad. But GREAT singing opportunities for me, so I appreciate it. Even if it's not my favorite. And my kid can't see it. Boo hoo. :-(

OK, it's 2:11AM. I have to at least return and TRY to sleep a little. My day starts in a little less than 4 hours. That's about how much sleep I got last night too.

Ach...a sign of things to come? Or a temporary situation? You be the judge.

A Musical Review, etc.

I'm in a show...a musical review of sorts.

Aug. 8,9, and 12 at the MJCC here in Portland. This means that the three of you locals reading this will come (maybe) and the rest of you won't be able to make it.

Alas...it's an interesting piece. I haven't seen the script yet but suffice it to say it's filled with all sorts of Civil Rights scenes and anti-War sentiments. For me, personally, it's a chance to SING MY HEART OUT. I am lucky to have THREE amazing solo opportunities and I cannot wait to sing them. I hope I can do them justice.

Solo 1: I have to summon my inner black woman. We all know she's there. Now I'll get to show her off.

Solo 2: Vashti returns. A little brash, a little raunch, a lotta chesty, low singing. Really fun.

Solo 3: Sweet, more conservative, careful and really pretty. I hope I have voice left with which to sing it all.

Of course, tonight, I almost missed my entire rehearsal. SO much going on in my brain. Now with school out I have to get back to organizing three lives in a day. I'm trying to stay afloat and SANE. I'm in no way unique in this. Everyone I know is looking to their friends as if to say, "What are YOU doing later??" Getting the kids together gives us all a bit of an easier time.

If we were on the East Coast, we'd be counting down the days until sleepaway camp and determining when the right age is to send them. Here that's a one week thing. There it's 8 weeks. 8 WEEKS. My kids are going. I'll need a second mortgage on the house, but they're going. Someday.

In the meantime, we'll survive, play a lot and see some friends. Sounds like summer!

Is it possible?

Is it possible that the almighty allergist was wrong??

Is it possible that I'm allergic to all the things he said I wasn't allergic to??

I find that each day is a mystery. I cough, I rub my eyes, my throat hurts on one side every other day or so. It never progresses. Yet, I hack up my lungs each morning, rub my eyes on occasion so that I'm GA-RON-TEED to look 60 when I'm 40, and want to rip out my throat every now and again because it hurts.

Sounds like allergies to me, jerky treat.

Today I will buy some Claratin and see how I do.

I will report back on what I can only assume will be my success.

Blog, dammit!

Yeah yeah... here I am.

I knew YOU were going to say it, so I said it for you.

So, anyone else out there just getting a dearth of friend's bad news?? Hmm???

I am seriously afraid to answer my phone. I literally cringe with each playful ring of my phone. And these are important calls to take! And I LOVE my friends. They are important to me and I want to DO things for them. So when I can't, I feel like I'm letting them down in some way. I realize that this is my OWN problem, of course. I'll get over it, help as much as I can, support as much as I can and that's about all I can do. But it does seem to me that this will be a very difficult summer indeed.

So? Travel plans anyone? Anyone doing anything exciting? Beach getaways? Family car trips? Let's hear your good news! I could use it.

Day camp starts tomorrow for the Peanut and her friends. It'll either be a great summer or I'm going to have to resort to making extensive summer plans with the kids. This is the third summer of day camp. She's either going to like it or not but I'm not going to sign her up again if she doesn't enjoy her summer...again.

The Bird has NO summer plans other than playing around with her peers and their mommies as we wait for their big siblings to get out of daycamp. Seems unfair, it's true, but this is life for the second in line. We'll find some fun, spalsh around, try to keep the TV off and pray it doesn't get too toasty.

Off to buy some bagels. We have some decent bagels now in town. Thankfully made by Jeff Wang and his partners at Kettleman Bagels. He used to make bagels on Long Island! Leave it to me to find the home boy out here in the PACNW. No more rolls with holes for me.

See ya real soon!

Still Here...

Me AND my cough.

It seems to be worst when I wake up in the morning and the crap in my lungs has been stagnant all night long. As if to say, "alright biotch WE WANT OUT" and then it forces me to cough up a lung until I almost barf in my sink.

Aren't you glad you came to read this?

The cycle continues with the Bird's Cold Vol. 2. Damn Chuck E Cheese. Never again. It's a Holy germ factory. And so we begin anew with typhoid Mary...all of 21 months old. I should be sick again just in time for dad to be here visiting from New York. How pleasant for us all...

The fartknockers across the road are testing their fireworks to make sure they'll work on the 4th and every day leading up to that fateful night when my children fall asleep to the sound of quarter sticks of dy-no-mite going off in the neighborhood. Perhaps it'll be pretty enough to make them sleepy. But the 5th should prove to be a crank-o-rama of a day.

We are toying with NOT throwing our annual July 4th festival of fun. I really do love it each year when we see friends we would otherwise never see and eat all day and talk until we can't anymore and the kids play in the pool and the dogs eat leftovers etc. etc.

But I worry about watching the Bird near the pool, or it being freezing and raining, or cleaning up for 8 straight days....I dunno. Better decide soon. It's not that far away. We had 60 people last year!

What else? Last day of school on Wednesday and thus the last day of my temporary admin job at work. I have LOVED doing this job because it was so great working down there with some wonderful people and the most adorable children, including my own of course. But it makes me happy when they wave as they walk past on their way to a class, or when they say hello on their way to the water fountain, or I get a random hug from a little person because I am a mother figure who smiles and talks to them. It's delicious down there. I think it's hard for the staff to see that sometimes because they live it each day in the classroom. But for me, as an outsider of sorts, I see the greatness in our teachers, the love for the kids, the excitement over projects. It's a microcosm of life down there that I have been lucky enough to be a part of for the last few months. I will be sad to see it go...

The Peanut moves up and out of preschool. Can you imagine? When did she get to be too old for preschool? The BIRD goes to preschool next year. I can't stand it.

Anyhow...I'm baaaaaack. With Wednesday being the last day of school and the prospect of having the kids with me more regularly, you can BET I'll have plenty to say this summer.

Stick around...the best is yet to come.

I CAN'T STAND IT!

I am STILL hacking up a lung each day, coughing my brains out with what remains of this cold, flu, pneumonia, whatever-it-is thing that I have. Today the added bonus is the constant ear popping. Like I'm going up and down a considerable mountain, only I'm crossing that magical ear popping threshold about a million times an hour. It's fun! Try it! Not.

But life goes on, babies are had, field trips are taken, etcetera etcetera. The baby that was born was born to my very dear friend. With my illness being what it is, I still have only seen photos of that baby. I don't DARE go see the little pink beautiful girl until I am healthy enough not to hack something up at her. "Hi! Welcome to the world! Here's some phlegm." So for now, I must be content to coo, ooh and ahh over the photos I get to my email every other day. She is delicious and when I CAN go see her, I will hold her and hold her until they have to pry her out of my hands.

Today the Peanut went on a field trip with her class to the Oregon Humane Society. She liked it. She fed a rabbit some raisins. Did you know rabbits liked raisins? There's still a part of me that wonders if she was feeding that rabbit its own poop. But I won't dwell there too long. So the Peanut comes home today to our two dogs and cat and says, "Mommy, I don't want dogs anymore. Well, we can keep Gracie but I don't want Sonny anymore. He's a stinky rat." Of course, I had to laugh because I call him that all the time, but I love this dog like a child. "Well honey, he's staying. Sorry. We'll just try to keep him away from you." "Oh alright..." she said with a huge sigh. My poor Son-Son. He means well but he's a big galoof. 90 pounds of running, jumping, almost 8 year old Weimaraner. Toes get stepped on. Little girls get knocked over. He means well, but he IS a stinky rat boy. But that's the way I like him. :-)

My honey runs a half marathon this weekend. I am just trying to inhale without coughing.
I guess I'll start the 5K35 when I can breathe right. I hope that's very very soon.

How's by you all? Ready for summer?

Total Freakin' Mortification

OK...this is not one of my better weeks.

I've been sick as a dog and in bed every free moment I have had since Monday. Those have mostly been mornings since my honey is traveling on business and I have been lucky enough to bring the Peanut and the Bird to school in the mornings and come home and rest until it's time to go get them.

Today, in an attempt to feel somewhat normal again, I worked this morning, but left feeling horrible and still do. I feel horrible.

But to add to this horribleness, I did something today SO SO horrible that I shudder each time I think of it.

After picking up the Peanut from school, I took her to change for her swim lesson in the Women's Locker Room. Herding a 4 year old is a lot like herding cats. I wasn't exactly on the ball and I was trying to get her in there and changed so when I finally got close to the door, I saw a pretty buff looking, bald headed person with glasses, dressed in a blue t-shirt and black gym shorts heading into the Women's Locker Room. This person opened the door and out of my mouth comes "Oh, this is the WOMEN'S locker room" at which point this person turned around and I realized what I had done. It WAS a woman. A woman CANCER patient no less. I was horrified and said "Oh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking" to which she VERY kindly replied "That's ok. Happens all the time."

If I could do it, my head would be buried DEEP DEEP in the sand. I feel so bad. Truth is, I wasn't really looking and dressed as she was, she looked, to me, like a bald man. She was fit, shiney bald, dressed in blue...still, it's no excuse.

So to you out there whom I SOOOOOO mistakenly took for a man today, I am SO sorry. And I am mortified. More so, humbled and proud of you and all you're doing for yourself. Clearly you work out and it shows. You look to be in fairly decent shape...which is more than I can say for myself.

I APOLOGIZE and promise to keep my damn mouth shut next time should we ever cross paths again. I'll just smile and say "Thank You" as you hold the door for me.

Do they make a Robitussin for Big Mouths and Brain Farts?

Swings = Glee

How can these be MY children???

Woe is me...

This afternoon, I dug out all of the clothing that the Peanut wore the summer before she turned two. I need this stuff for the Bird so I don't have to buy her all new clothing.

I found it all, of course, but it's all in a size or two larger than what the Bird is currently wearing so I'm not sure it's going to do me any good. I'll have to try it out before the summer really hits. If it looks like it's not going to fit in time for the season then saving all of this stuff has been for naught. Meaning, I've got two kids and they're not exact clones of each other in size (or personality...shocker). The Bird is shorter and slimmer than the Peanut ever was...even from the beginning. So I'm thinking that by the time the Bird can actually wear this stuff and the size will be right, we'll be WAY into fall and it'll be useless along with EVERYTHING else in every size to follow that comes from her sister. Alas...my plan is foiled by nature. Curses!

I also found, while digging for this clothing, several beloved articles of clothing and shoes that the Bird SHOULD have been wearing this past winter and early spring and now has COMPLETELY missed the opportunity to wear! I am devastated. These are things that the Peanut wore and we loved loved loved on her. It's only as I'm finding it here that I remember it. And I am sad to see that the time has passed for the Bird to wear it. Sadder still that the Peanut is as far beyond wearing it as she is! They're growing up too fast! This is G-d's way of making people want (and thus have) more children. I'm sure I'll get over it though.

So, I'll either have some hardly worn clothing to sell on eBay or I'll lend it out to the two girlfriends who are having girls this summer and pray they can use it. They'll be the most stylish girls on the block for sure!

I'm Fine, Me Too, We're Fine, And How Are You?

Well, that's a lie. I'm not fine.

For the first time in a relatively long time, I feel like total crap. My throat is RAW and my tonsils are so swollen that one is in danger of shaking hands with my uvula. Did I spell that right? Did I ever think I'd have the need to spell that word? Um, no.

Today, my honey was kind and took the kids to visit his parents. They had a marvelous day up on the mountain where they live. My in-laws put in a swing set for the kids and they spent some good time sliding and swinging and having a good time.

I blissfully slept for about an hour after they left. It was wonderful and quiet and warm. It only lasted an hour though, then the raw throat woke me up and I spent the rest of the day in bed watching "Band of Brothers" on the History Channel. Not the most uplifting program but well acted none the less and it taught me a thing or two I hadn't known. Overall, would I have been happier watching old Fred Astaire movies? Heck yeah! But it's Memorial Day so that wasn't going to happen. But hey, a day in bed with Sunset Mag. and some handsome men on TV and the chance to nod off now and then? It was glorious and I feel better for it.

So, the weekend wasn't a total loss. We went yesterday (when I was feeling a touch better) to a Crawfish boil at our friend's house. It was a nice afternoon, we caught up with some old and new friends and the Peanut discovered her knack for eating crawdads which she enjoyed immensely at the ripe old age of four. She had an audience of amazed adults with her. These things were boiled in garlic and onion and tabasco and who knows what else? But she likes herself a little spice so she enjoyed it and it didn't blow her face off with hotness.

We're about to have a week of weather in the 90s. I hate hot.

Hope you guys had a nice weekend and did something exciting or fun or saw friends or even better...the beach.

SYTYCD

Yes, folks, it's that time again. Time for Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance". The surprise summer series hit returns for Season 2.

Two things you should know:

1. We don't often get hooked into series television and don't watch ANYTHING really on a regular basis. (Unless you count Comcast On Demand Noggin programming for kids).

2. We NEVER EVER watch anything on Fox. But this is an exception. Some people have "House". We have "SYTYCD".

The basic gist of it is that it's "American Idol" for dancers. And while "Dancing With the Stars" was fun at times, this show is different because they're just regular people looking for a break. Just like Idol. But we don't watch American Idol. Why? We both sing and it's completely PAINFUL to listen to these folks most of the time. Why torture ourselves?

But we don't dance and so we watch with reckless abandon as these kids dance and audition for the judging panel of three. It was painful and exhilarating to watch last night. Some of these kids are ridiculously talented. Some of these "dancers" aren't dancers and it was hard to watch their dreams essentially shattered on National TV. Some went in knowing they'd never make the show but wanted (and got) their 15 minutes of fame (Dancing Derrick anyone?).

It's a fun show.

What wasn't fun was that both The Peanut and The Bird, in their copycat dancing endeavors last night, BOTH smacked their faces within 5 seconds of each other. The Peanut has a nice shiner. The Bird, a small bruise on her cheek. We're amazing parents.

What are you guys watching?

The Bird Has A Cough

Yes, it's true. A cough. It sounds nasty, and at night and in the morning, she sounds awful. This has, however, not dampened her spirits at all. She's still feisty as ever, gets into EVERYTHING around here and fights with her sister over toys, chairs, dolls, you name it.

Last night she decided that getting up at 2:30AM and being unwilling to go back to sleep was the right route for her. I grabbed her and took her to bed with us which was a major mistake because I NEVER sleep with her in the bed. Her father, can roll right over and sleep in an instant. I had to rub her back a little, let her stroke my arm, make sure she was covered, make sure she was BREATHING (yes, still...does that ever stop?). At 5:30AM I decided I should get into bed in the guest room. I slept hard for about 20 minutes and then she was up. That's it!

So I am like the walking dead today. You can see me, but you're the only one who's really sure I am there. Because my head is in a fog...but not so foggy that I can't kvetch to you about it.

I think I'll go rest now. Wish me luck.

Directives From G-d

Tonight, my friend John, when describing this foundation he's started (almost a movement really) described one of his last moments with his mom who died this past December after battling cancer.

She was uncomfortable and he said something like, "Can I be helping you in some way?" and she said, in a rare moment of clarity, "It's too late to help me, but you can help other people."

She died very shortly thereafter.

John has been very busy trying to do just that with the motivation from this exchange powering him forward. I'll get into all that in just a moment, but what struck me is how often we hear of exchanges similar to this. When a loved one is on their deathbed, coming in and out of consciousness but for one moment in time, says something, in a clear voice and seeming very lucid when that hasn't been seen for ages as they lay dying.

As he relayed the story this evening he wept. Sad, of course, for the loss of his mom. But through this directive, I feel like he has been given the gift of focus and strong belief. He has gone out and created 5K35 (her room number). He has designed running shoes, t-shirts, and a helluva a presentation that he's shopping around with some great success to motivate people to give of themselves and their wallets to further cancer research.

Because of the name 5K35, there seems to be many ways to call attention to the cause. Run (walk) 35 5K races, walk or run a 5K loop for 35 days in a row. Challenge your chubby friends to run a 5K before they turn 35. The list could go on.

So in honor of John and his mom, I plan to walk 5K each night through June (and into July) until I've walked for 35 straight evenings. If I can promote 5K35 while I do this, I will through a t-shirt or hat we get made up or something. But I'd like to challenge you local folks (or anyone else out there reading this) to join me if you like. We'll get a team together for the Komen walk in September here too.

But if this isn't a reality for you right now. Then hug your friends and loved ones and donate to the Susan G. Koman Foundation or to Livestrong or to the Foundation of your choice.

Because G-d willing, it shouldn't be us stricken and if, G-d forbid, it is, then we'd want all the research in the world to help us to live through it and survive.

And there's something to be said about John's interaction with his mom that night. These moments of clarity are like directives from G-d to go out into the world and do good work.

John took it to heart and I am so proud of him.

Totally Awesome Swamp Adventure

My shoes after the 5K walk I did last Saturday?

No.

My honey's shoes after his long morning run?

Definitely. But not in this case.

The poopy wipe from the Bird's morning butt explosion?

Swamp Adventure, yes. Awesome, NO.

The Peanut's latest Smelly Guster?

Er...uh...no.

No friends, it is the song that is burned into my brain at this moment from a certain Backyardigans DVD we own. KILL-ME-NOW.

There was a time in my life when I couldn't stop humming the alto line to the Faure Requiem. Or to Tuxedo Junction. Or to "I Love My God He's On Parole..." .

But Totally (totally) Awesome (awesome) SWAMP Adventure? I know no other line but that one. And in my motherly weakened state, it's about all I can sing. In my head. Over and over.

These are the kinds of things that keep me up at night. Well, one of the many things that can keep me up at night. Believe me, there are many things that would too. But I JUST KNOW that at 3AM, this little ditty (all one line of it) will be crankin' through my pea brain.

Oh wait, did I say pee? BRB...

OK, back.

I have a pea bladder too. I know the rest of you do too.

Well, not YOU maybe. But the rest of you do.

A List for all you Diner Girl fans who blessedly read this blog too:

TOP FIVE THINGS I'D LIKE TO DO THIS WEEKEND BUT WON'T
5. Clean out the garage
4. Rid the girls' drawers of winter clothes
3. Shred the (one, two, three, four, five...) SIX bags of material sitting next to our shredder
2. Get a mani/pedi
1. Leave for a romantic beach vacation, complete with hammock and frou-frou drink with umbrella (I can dream, can't I?)

In retrospect, "Like" might be too strong a word for some of these items. Nevertheless, this is shit that needs doing, among many other things.

But I hear it'll be raining. Maybe I can expedite that beach vacation...

What do you have planned?

DG, don't rub it in. Enjoy the beach. :-)

Sing silly song, giggle, repeat...

Kids are easy audiences.

Trying out a new joke? Find some kids first and try it on them. You are GA-RON-TEED a laugh!

Today (and every day) in the car, the Peanut made me sing one line from a song over and over and laughed EACH time (along with the Bird who wanted a piece of the action). It's a silly song, with a silly little roar at the end of it. Even I giggle. It's THAT silly. :-)

I think, though, that I laugh more at their hilarity than the song. I mean, there's no funnier sound than two small children laughing hysterically at something as silly as a miniscule little roar from a kid show.

Ah, if I could bottle that sound. I'd make a million bucks.

I Thank You and My Nose Thanks You

Dear G-d,

Thank you for the wonderful, spectacular weather we've been having. The sun puts everyone in such a wonderful mood. The light in the evening allows our family to sit outside and be together. The drab winter clothing has been (finally) put away until the fall and we are showing a little more skin.

However, the lovely breezes you're giving us carry the smells and pollen from every blooming thing directly to my nose. And my nose has a separate appreciation for the spring. It apparently doesn't like spring.

And I'm sneezing. We're all sneezing. A lot.

Can't we all just get along?

Oh the drama...

My daughter will make an excellent actress someday.

To most she will be convincing.

Your heart will ache along with hers.

Your eyes will well up along with hers.

And I will squarely tell her..."Go to bed."

Because she's an actress. And every good actress needs her beauty sleep.

Smelly Guster

When I was a child, my brother and I had no end of delight when making what our family called a "smelly guster". This was any combination of leftover food on our plates topped lovingly and freely with ketchup, a ton of salt, pepper, peas, whatever we could smush around in there and make disgusting. We did this feverishly and often. Smelly gusters were also what was left in your ice cream bowl when the ice cream is all melted and the chocolate sauce (or whatever) was all swirled around in it. This Guster was delicious.

So it comes as no surprise to me that the Peanut, in her infinite wisdom, is a Smelly Guster maker. Recently, this fine Guster maker as shown herself to me in the form of a little creation that started with a Rich Golden Round cracker from Trader Joes and a strawberry Gogurt. To this was added some berry flavored applesauce, some crumbled turkey bacon, and chocolate sauce (because she knows I like chocolate). "Here mommy! Taste it!" No thanks, sugar.

This morning, after a lovely dinner here with some friends and their own 4 year old, I came into the spotless playroom to discover, in the play fridge no less, a Smelly Guster with disgusting potential. I never ever would have even known it was there. But the Peanut sneakingly checked on it. And I caught her.

"What's in there?"

"Nothing"

"No, really...what's in there?"

"Nothing mommy!"

"Open it up please..."

To my shock and horror there was a BUCKET. Filled with brown water and slices of equally brown banana. Also a kiddie frying pan with the same concoction and a small tupperware container of the same.

"Oh, shame on you...", I say with my best mommy deep tones as I rush the stinking bucket of sliced banana and banana water to the kitchen downstairs.

But as I was downstairs rinsing out the whole thing, I thought to myself, she's four. And she's a MASTER Smelly Guster maker. She's a STEALTH Smelly Guster maker.

And secretly I was proud of her.

Of course, I didn't tell her I was proud of her. But I did tell her that I wasn't mad and asked that she do that in the kitchen from now on instead of over the carpet in the playroom.

We're off to breakfast now....who knows what the future holds for The Master Guster maker.

:-)

Jam On It...

Jam on it...

J-Jam, J-J-J-J-Jam on it.

Wickie wickie wickie...shaddap

Isn't it amazing that this could once be such a popular song? And yet there are brilliant song writers out there, like my cousin Rebecca.

Oh, and Butterfly Kisses? Don't make me slap you.

I have this friend...

There's really no chance she'll read this blog but I'll not mention names anyway. Though DG will know and comment (or choose not to because the topic is old already with us...).

But I have this friend. She used to be one of my closest friends. She has always been a very busy person. Mostly because I don't think she knows what to do with herself in "down time". She doesn't enjoy down time. When you're at rest, she's moving forward; looking on for what else to do.

Regardless, though, we live quite far away from each other. As most of you know, I left my family and a good bunch of important friends on the East Coast when I moved West. She was one of them. I hate to use that past tense but as our lives have moved on, she has proved to be less and less of a friend.

I have reached my limit of reaching out and making efforts. I have tried and tried to be understanding, and open, and willing to let things slide because I know she's a loving and generally giving person. It's just that in the last 3 years or so, she's been less and less giving of herself. I find I'm doing all the giving and she's doing the taking.

I get calls when she's at her most upset about something. I talk with her about it for hours on end. I get calls when something is making her nervous and when she wants to talk it through. And I talk with her about it for hours on end. But she doesn't return my calls. She keeps claiming she's coming to visit but never makes any plans.

I don't know who she talks to anymore but I know that I am sooooooo tired of talking to her.

So I tried email. When the phone doesn't work, email is a good second chance. I would email her and tell her what's happening and try to find out what's going on with her (as a follow up mostly). I never got responses.

But she was sending me a million bad recycled jokes. No note attached as to why she thought it was funny. Just a straight hit of the forward button and it was sent on to me.

So I told her to stop. If she can't find the time to call me back or email me back or to respond to maybe something that *I* want to talk about, then I CERTAINLY am not interested in the horrible jokes.

So then I heard nothing for a while. And then she called and chatted to me like nothing had been wrong and we were just picking up like nothing had changed. Except I realized that it has changed.

I'm done. Friendship is not that one sided. I'm tired of giving and getting nothing in return.

Thank goodness I have you. :-)

Oh another day...

Motherhood is tough.

To love and give when you want to shut down and ignore is really hard. And knowing there's no end in sight for the whining and poking and pulling and ignoring and the whining (did I already mention whining? Wait, lemme say it again. Whining. There.) for a few years seems like a painful eternity at times.

And yet there's deliciousness hidden in these moments too. When my 19 month old snaps back at me with attitude that she's picked up from me or her sister more likely, it's hard not to laugh. When a few silly faces can evoke giggles and brightness in their eyes, it's like heaven on earth.

But it's all very hard to put into perspective when you're exhausted all the time.

Money (like lottery winnings) would help because, if nothing else, we could take a long luxurious vacation or two during the year. Needless to say, we don't do that. Just any recharging of the batteries is a scheduling snafu half the time and it gets so hard to do on a regular basis that it's just easier not to bother.

But then I feel like this...worn down by my own life half the time. Glimmers of hope here and there, but mostly just tired and in need.

Depressing post, eh? It's just that you're checking and reading and I'm posting. This is how I feel today. It's not every day. I don't think.

I did have a good meeting last night at Federation. I am constantly surrounded by really smart women. Thank goodness. Not only there...I mean, definitely there, but in other parts of my life too. Smart women. They like me, they must be smart. :-)

Anyway...off to get a good night's sleep I hope. That should help to recharge a bit. Perhaps then I can post in a more positive way tomorrow! :-)

Life has changed...

...and not for the better.

Countless times in my life, in various work or school scenarios, I have commented to my friends about the weirdo that always sits alone in the back of the classroom, or about the whackjob in Accounting who is wound so tight you think he or she is ready to "SPROING!" In one job I actually mapped out the route to the closest stairwell in case this particular person showed up with a rifle.

That never happened, of course, perhaps I was being paranoid. But the thing is, now, that kind of thing seems to happen all the time.

Remember when it was just postal workers going...well, postal? We didn't see or hear about this kind of thing all the time. Maybe it was happening then too but the press didn't cover it? Or maybe it's just that life is getting so much more violent.

The tragedy at Virginia Tech is completely horrifying. If I was paranoid before, then you can guarantee that paranoia now. I have eyes in the back of my head. I don't trust people I don't know to be good people. I am wary of strangers anywhere near my car, my house, my CHILDREN. I make sure to know all the parents that I possibly can at the Peanut's school. I don't trust anyone who can't look me in the eye.

While I was at GWU in the 80's, the school was filled with kids just like me, and kids from ALL over. Weirdos, hippies, japs from the tri-state area, pot heads, tight wads, international students from countries I had never heard of...we had our fair share of whack job students. But I never felt that I was threatened in any way. I never felt that if I went to class, perhaps this would be the day that the crazy kid comes in and kills people. The thought never entered my mind.

How can we not weep for a generation of children who will always know fear in places that should be safe?

The news from Virginia Tech this week was a tragedy for the families of those killed or injured, of course. A horrible, senseless tragedy. But the shockwaves are huge because it means that life has changed. And our sense of normal has changed. Does it get worse than this?

Next come the boils and locusts...right?

Yeah, I know Passover is OVER and we're back to our usual bread products, but the hail we've been having makes me think otherwise.

It's not golf ball sized hail, or even really pea sized hail. It's like raindrop sized hail. It's just that it happens about every 40 minutes. And has for the last 2 days.

Anyone who lives up here in this part of the country knows that this is typical spring weather for the Pacific Northwest. It'll pour, then pour hail, then clear up, then we get an amazing rainbow, and then the process starts all over. While this is great for most of our crops and we learn to expect it, it gets TIRING. And the days get looooooong when you can't go out and play. I know it's been enough when everyone starts walking a little slower, everyone's grumpy, and even my 4 year old complains about the rain. "It ALWAYS rains here..." like she's had some experience living elsewhere in her life.

Suffice it to say we're all expecting to have a dry and warm May because we DESERVE it. Plus, that means better weather for the rest of you, right? Right.

So put away the matzah and think good thoughts. Or else the locusts and frogs will be upon you.

What a week!

This past Thursday, Barbara, Nicole and I (my travel companions to Israel) spoke in front of our local Federation's Allocations committee on the importance of sending money overseas to the JDC and JAFI.

The Allocations committee is charged with taking the money raised by our local campaign and dividing it among the locally supported agencies as well as the UJC which supports JDC and JAFI.

The overseas portion of our campaign has been woefully undervalued lately with some local concerns taking precedence. Our job, this year, was to bring our overseas needs into the forefront and remind the committee that we have a responsibility to support our global family too.

In preparation for Thursday's presentation, I was a wreck. This topic is so important to me and I wanted to get it right. I wanted to portray what I saw on my trip in a clear way so that the committee would have no trouble seeing what I saw even though some of them have never been overseas.

I poured over my notes, did some research online and wrote the story. And I think it turned out pretty damn great.

I believe it all went very well. All three of us spoke eloquently and passionately. The feedback has been very positive.

In about a month we'll know if we did the job we set out to do. That's when all the local agencies will have presented and the committee goes into deliberations and makes their decisions. I'll keep you all posted.

Otherwise, my honey had a good trip to Columbus and saw Aunt Mary which was fun! I wish I had been with them. We had a lovely Shabbat dinner with our friends the Tanzers. The kids are doing well and we're all looking forward to warmer and sunny weather. We had some yesterday and we took advantage by blowing a million bubbles!

Off to a baby shower! Hope you're having a good weekend!

Oh....and....

That last LA comment was not a dig on my dear friends Ms. Tanzer. I love YOU but I don't have to love LA. Besides...you are petite and pretty and could do the scene back in the day and I am...well...not. Not now, at least. And while I could do the scene in New York back in the day, I am personally not interested in the LA scene. So there.

But if you and DG wanted to show me the non-stuck up, scene lovin', botox ridden part of LA, I might be interested in a personal tour.

On to the next thing...

Passover is all but over at this point. We have eaten our fill of Matzah and assorted other Passover faves and so far the pooping has still been easy for us all thank goodness...

On to the next thing. I am proud to be making a presentation this Thursday night to my local Federation Allocations committee on the importance of saving some dollars to send to overseas efforts like the American Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Agency for Israel. I need to work up some appropriate talking points so I can get my facts straight. I'll work on some of that today.

I have also been charged with writing up a little something about my trip for the modernjewishmom.com web site. She wants to have something up by Israeli independence day -Yom Ha'Atzmaut. Gotta get cracking on that too.

We're still on spring break here. I don't know where the time has all gone but there's a day and a half left and I don't think we've accomplished too much. Thank goodness there was some sun and some warmth and some playground visiting. That's all over now that it's pouring and cold again. Ah, Oregon.

Anyway, just thought I should check in and let you know I'm still here. You might be bored but I don't care. I'm doing this for me.

Oh, dumbass thing of the month: Apparently some friends of a friend are really into this ridiculous crap. Can you stand the stupidity?

Anyone out there doing anything fun? Cool? Interesting? Going anywhere swell so I can live vicariously? My dear DG was recently in LA and I enjoyed hearing about her exploits there. She does it right and is connected and has fun. I'd have fun if I went to LA with her. Otherwise, it's my most hated city.

Second Night...

Whew, tough, but wonderful and lovely in its final form.

The day was stressful in the leading up to it. But everything was done on time, came out well, and was enjoyed by our small group. We did a short, very kid friendly seder for the babes and 4 year olds among us (5 in total) and they did as well as could be expected. The food was delish, the singing was fun, the wine was poured, we completed a portion of the Seder and we were happy with the outcome.

Next year I'm planning ahead. A friend offered to help me plan. I'll definitely take her up on it.

I hope your Seders were wonderful and meaningful.

Let's all try not to eat too much Matzah...if ya know what I mean.

First night...

I never even got to dinner.

By the time you've eaten the matzah, then the Hillel sandwich, then the egg, then the gefilte, then the matzah ball soup , and then maybe some salad, who in the hell as time for dinner?

Not me. I skipped the dinner part.

Dessert I couldn't skip though. Such interesting things you can do with matzah farfel!

We had a glorious time with our friends who are incredible and very generous hosts. Our table company couldn't have been more fun, the kids cooperated, the Bird fell asleep in her high chair rather early on and stayed asleep the whole time, right in the middle of the action. The Peanut got to hand out her Plague masks and finger puppets and enjoyed seeing the grown ups trying them on.

It was a lot of fun. Warm, loving, funny...how better to celebrate if I can't be with my own family back East?

I hope your Seders were fun and not too lengthy. More than anything, I hope you are starting traditions that you enjoy.

I think this is my favorite holiday.

Chag Sameach! (This is the more correct way of wishing you a Happy Holiday.)

Dayenu...

I love a party. Especially one I can throw. I love inviting people and having them come and enjoy themselves. I stress out over but love the cooking process and making good things and seeing people enjoy it all.

So it came as no shock to me that when I looked down at my Seder list and counted people and children, the number was at 37.

Now normally, when we have a big crowd like that, it's a BBQ and everyone's outside, or milling around, or sitting on the sofa or whatever. Hell, we've had over 60 here for BBQs in the summer. But 37 for a sit down dinner and a Seder? For the first time in my entertaining life, I had to stop the madness and cancel. CRAZINESS.

I wish I had it in me. I think I do, I just think I came to the realization too late. If I had ALWAYS planned for that number, we'd be fine. I would rearrange a bit, rent what I needed and prepare in enough time to get it done. But this was more of an organic growth. And I was caught unprepared.

It makes me a bit sad because we would have had such an interesting crowd of people and kids, some Jews, mostly non-Jews, and some who have never been to a Seder before. I still WANT all those people here, I just cannot accommodate them all this year. I'll have to figure out how to do it sometime.

Anyway, we'll still celebrate here, just more intimately, with our regulars.

Chag Sameach my lovlies...more later...

I'm doing it.

We're having seder here. Second night seder. I will learn to delegate and it will be fun for all.
Now on to the menu planning...

The Highs and the Lows

So since my last posting, I spent a weekend (well, a few days not necessarily on a weekend) alone in San Diego with my honey. We were quite lazy with our time. Tooled around La Jolla, drove up the coast a bit, spent several hours on Coronado, saw seals on the beach, ate good food and drank a lot. It was so nice! But...

It was a little foreign too. I think that when we have date night, as rare as that is, it's nice to go out and have dinner or see a movie, or friends, and easy to stop worrying or thinking about the kids. We're close to home, we'll be there in a few hours, so the brain (and thus the shoulders) relaxes. But when we were away, as I mentioned, it just wasn't enough time to relax and get away from parent mode. We'll have to try for a week or more next time, somehow. That ought to do it. :-)

A nice bonus to the trip was that I got to see some lovely ladies from my Israel trip who live in the San Diego area. We got together for lunch and had a really nice time. It was good to see them out of the context of the big group and I got to talk to them more in this one lunch than I did the whole trip. I hope we can manage to all get together again when I'm next in town or in case they ever make it to PDX.

Also, since my last posting, I have started a part time job at the Peanut's preschool as an Admin Assistant in the mornings. Yes, this is EXACTLY what I went to college for! No, but, I have to say that I am loving it. The work is easy, the people are primarily friendly, the environment is pleasant, the kids are adorable and the rest of the staff is great! I'll do this through the rest of the year until school ends. Beyond that, there are no current plans to have this position next year (not in the budget), so I'll have to look for something else. We'll see how it pans out. Right now, I'm happy, the Bird is in daycare down the hall and seemingly enjoying it, the Peanut pops in from time to time, I have some workout time, life is good!

On to Passover. I am hosting a second seder. I haven't heard back from some invited guests yet on whether they plan to grace us with their presence. I am wanting to UNinvite them. Ugh. In all seriousness, though, this is a big job, feeding a lot of people. I am considering, even though I didn't say it out loud, whether or not I am really in the mood to make this effort. I don't know if I want to. But if I don't, I'll miss it and then be mad at myself. So I'll plow through and make it happen and we'll be happy, I hope. Exhausted, but happy.

And so on and on it goes. Daily the Peanut continues to test my patience and the Bird continues to test gravity by falling a lot. She got her first nice goose egg on her head. Purple and blue and lovely. Thank goodness her bangs cover that most of the time.

What's new with you all?

And May I Just Say...

That even though I am a suburban, Oregon living, mom of two little girls, I still LOVE LOVE LOVE R.E.M. and tonight they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame which I accidently caught on "VH1 Classic" of all things. Eddie Veder (whom I also love) did a fine fine job of putting into words why R.E.M. is so awesome, introduced them and then R.E.M. played the Waldorf Ballroom.

Wow.

They still got it. Thank G-d for small favors.

I saw them in 1983, opening for the Cowboy Junkies who opened for U2. And about 7 times since then. I loved them then and still do.

I just never get to listen to them.

Well, maybe sometimes, in between Backyardigans songs and "Hello Everybody".

Tonight they played from Murmur which was a treat and a damn nice reminder that I still like great music.

What the...?

So wasn't it just New Year's Eve?

I realized today that Passover is just around the corner, a mere two weeks or so from now. While this isn't huge HUGE news since I don't go through my house with the traditional feather and candle looking to sweep crumbs of bread products out of the house, I DO prepare a seder and I need to get a-cracking.

I fell asleep looking through recipes today. Will I survive the cooking and preparations?

Passover is one of my all-time favorite holidays. Mostly, I think, because I always had so much fun with my cousins at Seder time. I want my kids to feel the same way with their family and friends. Passover is something to look forward to that's special and unusual and filled with ritual.

I used to call my cousin Julie each Passover to see what she was wearing to Seder. This was WAY before we were teenagers. It's just that if SHE was in a dress, I wanted to wear a dress. If she was in a skirt, I wanted to wear a skirt. And later, as we got a little older, if she was wearing knickers (or gauchos or whatever), then I wanted to do the same. Every year we'd dance the Dayenu dance in the hallway at my cousin's apartment and sneak into the next room and pet their Dalmatian, Trilby, who spent time locked away because my uncle was allergic. We looked for the afikoman and received cool looking coins as a prize and later we made fun of my stepfather who called it the "Africoman" or at least that's what it sounded like. Shmueli sang "BIM Hay Rah" and pointed is finger and we all sang "Hail Renee" and "One Little Goat" around the table.

While I can't repeat these memories with my own kids, we can come up with our own traditions over time and I want them to feel that special feeling about Passover that I do.

The Peanut is getting old enough to sing at least one of the four questions. I can't wait. :-)

I hope your plans are coming along. And if Passover isn't your thing and maybe Easter is, then I hope your peeps are fresh and the grass doesn't make it into sneaky places in your homes where you find strands of it months later.

Spring is upon us and there's much to do! Time to get cracking!

So where were we?

I met with the headhunter and we went through my resume from top to bottom. It was a good exercise for me since I realized that if I really WAS looking for a job, I really need to READ my resume and remember what I did all those years ago. I think I did pretty well. But anyway, it was a netwrking interview which means we just met. She had nothing specific in mind, but now she knows me. I hope if anything mindblowingly perfect for me comes along, she'll call.

I did realize that I never stay anywhere for a long time and I also realized that the string of jobs I've had here in Portland with maybe one exception have all ended in the eventual dissolution of the company or group I was in. I PROMISE it wasn't me making that happen. I somehow feel it doesn't say much for the kinds of companies that have attracted me or that I've been attracted to.

But NOW I am working at the Peanut's preschool as an Admin, part time in the mornings and it'll be great. Simple work, satisfying in that fulfill-the-organization-need gene I have, nice people, close to the kids. I'm happy about it. And I get to work out. Which I will start once I fill out my paperwork.

Oh, and for all you New Yorkers...while you're approaching 14 degrees this evening, I'm SURE you'll want to know that today, here, in Portland Oregon, in what is still, technically, winter, we had cloudless blue skies and hit about 65. AWESOME.

I hope tomorrow is the same and I hope I get to spend a little more time outside enjoying it. And if you'd like to too, COME VISIT.

So, uh, yeah...

I have a meeting today with a headhunter.

She actually originally called me to discuss someone else who was using me as a reference. After a 40 minute conversation, she asked me what I was now doing.

Anyway, I told her that I wasn't ready to work just now but to check back with me in two months.

She called me two days later and wanted to meet me immediately.

So I'm not sure what she wants but I told her that I won't just work anywhere. It has to be wonderful and meaningful if I'm going to be away from my kids. Oh, and I don't want to mentally or physically bring my work home with me every night.

So, basically, I have needs. They'll be hard to fulfill. But I'm interested to know what she has to say and what she has in mind and WHY she needed to meet with me so soon!

I'll keep you posted.

Deep breath...and let it out...

So last night we had this Federation event I helped to organize.

It was supposed to happen in January just before my trip but it was pushed off due to snow. Of course, it's been snowing here for the last two days, giving us just a little bit of a scare that we'd have to reschedule again. But thankfully we didn't have to and the event went as planned.

It was in a very cool (and quite literally cool) space. An art gallery filled with wall sized incredible pieces. It was like being in a SOHO gallery space here in PDX. So a little unusual for sure. But it was big and open and lit well and the music was grand.

It was called "Ask A....Food Critic". It was the first in what I'm hoping will be a series of events (ie. Ask A...Master Gardener, Ask A...Pediatrician, Ask A...whatever people are interested in) that are similar in hopes of getting people to know the committee that I'm on a little better and perhaps get involved in Federation. These events are strictly outreach related so there's no pitch other than a short announcement telling people who we are and why we do what we do.

I think it all went SWIMMINGLY last night. Everyone had a great time. We met some new people, got the names of some restaurants we're going to try if we EVER get out without the kids.

Our guest of honor was funny and charming and intelligent and perfect for the event. I think we could have been there for hours asking her questions. So I am REALLY pleased at how it turned out.

And now, I can breath again. At least until the next event. Whenever that may be....

Back to the grind...

If you are here looking for my Israel entries, please see the Blog Archive to your left and select the entries starting with "The First Night" and going through "Day 6 - The Last Day". Thanks!

I am back to the usual grind and in full swing. I have (still) bouts of insomnia and last night was no exception. Plus, BOTH kids were up at various times and so that threw me off even more. UGH. My honey and I leave for San Diego in a couple of weeks for a few days alone together WITHOUT THE KIDS. I cannot wait. I wonder if I'll sleep better. I suspect I will. Not having the dogs in and around the bed should help too.

I just sat with the Peanut on the sofa for 15 minutes and fell asleep. She woke me up my jumping on my abdomen and scaring the daylights out of me. NOT funny.

I will be in my synagogue's Purim Schpiel in two weeks and it promises to be a rollicking good time filled with silliness, bad costumes, and a rough idea of the Purim story. Only 2 reheasals left and I have a lot of lines to memorize and music to memorize as well. I hope I can get it all done! I can remember random crap, songs, and phone numbers from the 70's when I was a child, but who knows if I'll be able to manage cramming more info in there. We shall soon see.

I'll let you know how it all goes...

Day 6 - The Last Day

We had breakfast all together in a conference room since we started the day out with a workshop. While it was (still) delicious, I missed the big "to-do" in the main breakfast hall. Alas, I'll have to go back again. That, or learn to make my own Israeli breakfast.

I've hinted at workshops throughout these blog entries while not really addressing them. I was chosen by my local Federation to go on this Women's Leadership Mission to Israel. It was a tremendous honor. And so, while we were in Israel encountering all these amazing things, we also "worked". We learned about public speaking, we learned about leadership and qualities of a leader, we learned about solicitations and handling difficult situations, and we learned to use the skills we have and the skills we learned to come home and be leaders within our Jewish communities. The five women who created this trip for us and ran these workshops have taught us valuable life lessons. Confidence, humor, trust, self-realization...I could go on. They are an amazing group of women and I am so thankful that they wanted to get this mission going and that I was able to join them for it. So a BIG HUGE shout out to Lori, Paula, Mim, Anne and Betsy. I doubt you're reading this, but you all are an inspiration, not only for your leadership skills but also for showing us all what friendship looks like. Long distance friendship at that. THANK YOU.

After our workshop, we rode the bus into Talpiot which is a suburb, I guess, of Jerusalem to go visit Susan's House, a workshop of at-risk youth. I've highlighted Susan's House here as a link to their web page. But when I last checked, it wasn't entirely working. Keep checking though (and I will too) because it's totally worth the visit.

Susan's House was built with love by her husband, Eyal. The VERY brief synopsis of how this all came about is that Susan and Eyal had a mutual friend who lived to be about 32 years old and was not at all supposed to live that long. When he died, Susan wanted to start a foundation in his name. She wanted to open a paper workshop to help at-risk youth to learn a trade. When Susan, herself, passed away, Eyal made it his mission to complete this dream on her behalf. They saw a need to help 15-20 year old kids who weren't cared for. They work with abused kids, kids with issues at home with physical violence, kids with sexual identity issues who feel they cannot go home, etc. At Susan's House, they bring these kids back to life through business and art. Eyal and his friend Tal and others built this operation on their own. They knew people through their work, they made connections, set everything up and THEN went to the government and the JDC for additional help. They ASKED KIDS what they needed and then provided for them. They helped to find them jobs in paper or glass factories, they helped to set up apartments to provide them with a home so that they could live independently. The kids have no art background but find it in themselves to create the most beautiful things...beads, glass plates, paper products. We were in awe.

The JDC (Joint Distribution Committee, remember from Day One?) supports non-profit businesses like this to help further their work by connecting them with the right government ministries to help financially support them. The JDC is simply a middleman in this case.

We were lucky enough to hear first hand from one of the kids at Susan's House about his experience. An 18 year old named Ronen who, before Susan's house, wasn't studying or working. He had been with Susan's House for two years and he felt that it was home to him. He was strengthened by his experiences there and it helped to encourage him to go back to classes in the evenings. Before Susan's house, he trusted nobody. He went there and felt support and that he was worth something. Now he is responsible for sales at Susan's House as well as glass cutting. He still attends night school and is completing his education. Someday he wants to be a businessman.

Ronen stood in the center of our group of women, with Tal by his side. It was clear how proud Tal was of Ronen. We ALL were proud of Ronen for the things he has accomplished for himself. We realized that the room was filled with kids with similar stories, all working hard to make beautiful things and to make something of themselves rather than vanish in the streets. It was incredible to see the work that they did, first hand. And to hear their stories and FEEL the love and the trust. If I could, I would have purchased every last thing in that room to help support this program.

So, of course, I could NOT buy it all, but I did my share and carted what I could back to the states. I am hoping to get to them to tell them I cannot access their site because I would like to buy more and send you all there too. Aside from just buying to support them which is a worthy endeavor in and of itself, the things they make are beautiful and sophisticated and would bring me such pride to use them or wear them back at home. Each Shabbat I use a plate that I purchased there. It has such meaning to me and is a constant reminder of their struggles to find self-worth and a place in this world just for them.

Here's a shot of Tal (on the right) and of Ronen cutting some glass. They were busy at work.





Here's a shot of the bead making process which some of us were encouraged to try (I didn't).

We caucused here at Susan's House. This is something they do on missions and I had heard many mixed things about what to expect. So I'll just tell you what is was for me. We all sat together in a big circle and, one by one, spoke about our experiences on this trip and what it had meant for us. It was a very emotional, warm, friendly circle of committed and devoted women. We all had our reasons for coming. We all had VASTLY different levels of giving. But at this moment and in this circle, we were the same. Because emotion, and devotion to the cause, and our committments to bring this knowledge back to our communities and get others as excited as we are...THAT is why we were chosen to come and THAT is why we were lucky enough to see and do what we saw and what we did. Some people upped their campaign gifts at this time, others didn't. Some people divulged what they gave and others didn't. But what mattered is that we were moved enough by our experience to bring the message home and share it. It is SUCH an honor to be able to do that. I value this experience right up there with the top experiences of my lifetime. And I'll talk about it as long as I have an audience to hear it.

After our caucus, we had a late lunch at a nice restaurant with special guest Zev Bielski who is the Chairman of the Executive of JAFI (The Jewish Agency For Israel) and the World Zionist Organization. We were supposed to meet him earlier in the week but were at least lucky enough to meet him over this lunch.

I want you to know that he did me an INCREDIBLE PERSONAL FAVOR which I won't get into here yet because I want to know the outcome first. Once I have the full story I will fill you all in. Suffice it to say, it spoke volumes about how important we were and how important the work that we do in our communities is to the Jewish people at home and especially in Israel.

After our lunch, which was running us quite late, we had a free afternoon with which to pack our things and do whateve last minute shopping we needed to do. If I had the time, I would have gone back into Old Jerusalem to visit the Wall one additional time before leaving. But I needed to pack and I missed out on some shopping since I took that time to spend with family (WAY more important). With a few friends, we hit Ben Yehuda street for an hour to see what was worthy of the trip home. There were so many beautiful things. But I got what I wanted and high tailed it back to the hotel to pack.

Interesting to note at this point, that our weather had been simply beautiful throughout the week. But this evening while we were shopping on Ben Yehuda, the rain and wind rolled in. We made it back to the hotel just in time before the skies opened up and the rain started to fall.

We packed. We checked out. We loaded our things onto the bus and said goodbye to the David Citadel Hotel, our home away from home. I hope to be back someday.

We rode the bus to a great restuarant (Schleifer) for one last group dinner. We said our goodbyes to each other since many of us were not leaving at this time, and we loaded the bus and headed to the airport.

The flight home was cramped at best but SAFE and isn't that the most important thing? We vowed to stay in touch and we do through a blog that Nicole lovingly set up for all of us. Of course, once we were in NY, we all split up through customs and then went on our merry ways with not a lot of fanfare. It was sad, sure, but we were focused, at this point, on our destinations and getting home in one piece.

Nicole and I spent the night in New York before leaving for PDX the next night.

When Nicole and Barbara and I see each other, it's different now. We have had this amazing shared experience. Without words we exchange glances of relief upon seeing each other because we experienced something so special and we genuinely MISS each other.

Immediately we had a big Federation women's event here in Portland called Connections. Nicole was the co-Chair of this extremely successful event, Barbara spoke eloquently about her experiences on our trip, and I cried like a baby.

I hope that I feel those emotions for a long time. More than anything I am SO proud of US for giving what we can and for doing what we can do for our community. Every part of our effort is filled with meaning and intent. Every dollar we give is meaningful as well. To know where that money goes is, without equal, the most important lesson I have learned. It will be my personal crusade moving ahead.

Thanks to all of you for reading and for caring enough to read all of these entries about the trip. I realize that I have here some people who do not and will not normally read my blog and that's cool. But I thank those of you who normally read this blog for your patience while I took the time to write this all down. It is so important to me to remember as much as I can. This was a project that I needed to complete. For me. And I'm glad if you benefitted from it too.

And now back to my regularly scheduled programming. Life in general.

Day Five

I am not particularly observant of the Sabbath. I know this comes as no shocker to most of you. But I very much respect those of you who keep the Sabbath. That said...

Saturday, Shabbat morning of our trip, the group had the opportunity to spend the morning Shul hopping and finding a place for services, or to sleep in (a VERY much needed option for most of us). I used this first opportunity of a large block of un-planned time to visit with my cousin Len who was kind enough to pick me (and Nicole) up after our quiet breakfast and take us to see Tel Aviv, roughly 45 minutes away from Jerusalem. We would not have otherwise had this opportunity on this trip so I was pleased to have the chance and thrilled that Len would be our tourguide.

We left a virtually silent Jerusalem, got on the highway and headed West into the fog and humidity of Tel Aviv.

I must stop to make one note here: Jerusalem is DRY. Or, rather, it WAS dry when we were there. So dry that I couldn't drink enough water to quench the thirst on some days. My skin was SCREAMING and my lips were chapped and it was a constant battle.

Our morning in Tel Aviv solved that issue for me in about 5 seconds flat.

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are like comparing apples and oranges. Tel Aviv was sleepy when we got there but not because everyone was in Synagogue. They were sleeping in, or walking dogs, or heading to the coffee shops. While Jerusalem prayed, Tel Aviv was waking up from a small hangover (ok, not really but you get the idea). Tel Aviv is a city with tall and modern buildings, palm trees here and there, pretty people walking big dogs with coffee in their hands, some shops starting to open for the day. This is just NOT a scene you would see on a Saturday in Jerusalem. Well, most of Jerusalem.

Len first drove us over to a large unassuming government municipal building and parked the car. We walked up some stairs onto a plaza and then he explained that this was the spot where Rabin was shot. He had been speaking in this plaza (where we stood) then walked down the stairs that we just came up and was shot by someone (an Israeli) who had come from behind the stairs.

There are markers and placards of this event to view. How strange to see the plaza in which we stood, filled, in these photos, with thousands. It was such a quiet and unassuming marker of this major event. There is a small memorial now at the bottom of the stairs (photo below) and it was a solemn but important thing to see while we could.



We then took the car to the waterfront and parked it and walked for a long while down a great paved promenade along the beach...at the Mediterranean...it's blue, and gorgeous, and the fog was lifting and it was blue...really blue. A beach I REALLY would like to go back and enjoy with some time someday. The air was warm, and salty, and so different from the air we had been breathing for the last four days. It was a really nice change of pace, also, to be so relaxed and not to have to run on to the next thing. Below is a shot I took from the promenade. I realize, now that it's uploaded here, that it doesn't NEARLY describe the beauty of this beach and the color of the water. So PLEASE...use a little imagination and trust me.





As we walked along the promenade, we headed towards Yafo (or Jaffa or however you normally spell it). (In Israel it's Yafo I believe.) It looked like this beautiful old oasis jutting out into the water at the end of this modern city. We walked all the way down the promenade, through what looks like a fish market (and smelled like one) and up some tiny staircase/corridor with water running down it. Up and into Yafo we climbed. A lot of the old buildings and stairs here were built with that same Jerusalem stone used throughout Jerusalem. It's very old and uneven and SLICK as can be with water all over it. It was tough to climb these stairs in our rubber bottomed walking shoes. But we managed and got to the top and into this lovely plaza that, when it's not eary Saturday morning, you can tell is such a wonderful place to come and eat at a restaurant, or walk through the streets, or see people performing. And the view is incredible, looking out towards the Mediterranean or back towards Tel Aviv. It was such a cool place and a wonderful and very different experience than all we had seen and done thus far. Yafo, like Tzfat, also has a lot of artists living there and there were beautiful things to see all along our walk up onto the plaza.

We stopped into a small Gelato shop and had some cappucino and talked and caught up a bit. Len is VERY knowledgable about where we were, Israeli history, Israeli culture. He told us a lot and we soaked it all up, asking question after question about the people, the places, the feelings, the news, everything. It was so nice to have an Israeli perspective on the things we see and hear only through the American news media. I can tell you that these two perspectives are not the same. No surprise there.

We enjoyed our coffees (and the smells from the Arab bakery next door) and then walked back to the car. Our morning had to come to an end so that we could make it back to Jerusalem for an afternoon with the group in the Old City. Here are some shots of Tel Aviv/Yafo:


This is a small museum along the promenade. I don't remember what museum, but I liked the way the new building was stuck into the shell of the old.




This is the view of Yafo from the promenade.


Here's Nicole walking up the steps in Yafo from near the bottom where we entered.



Here's me and Len near the top of those stairs.


This is the view out to the Mediterranean. The street up here was lined with restaurants. How cool would it have been to have lunch in one of them? They weren't open yet when we were there.


This is the view back to Tel Aviv from Yafo. The fog was lifting as we left to head back to Jerusalem.


Once we got back, we bid farewell to Len until dinner time, regrouped with the rest of the ladies, and walked back into the Old City for a scavenger hunt of sorts. It was a crystal clear, gorgeous day back in Jerusalem and we spent the afternoon on what's called a Jerusalem Tourgame. We were split into 6 groups of 5 and sent out, competing against each other, to hunt for certain landmarks in the old city and to answer a series of trivia questions which could be answered by seeing things along the way as described in our materials. We were sent to look at ruins, notice certain things about them, and answer very specific questions about what we were seeing. The route we took and the questions we were asked basically took us on an extremely detail oriented and very historical and thorough tour of the whole Jewish quarter. It was PENOMENAL. I CANNOT wait to do it again. It was incredible! The ruins were amazing, the Jewish quarter was beautiful and the history lesson learned was invaluable. I highly recommend it to anyone who may have the chance to participate. We ALL had a great time but my team won! Woohoo! We were quite proud of ourselves. :-) Of course, the margins were slim at best between all the groups. We all did a spectacular job and I think we all really got a lot out of the experience.

Some of the sights:

The Dome of the Rock and the Muslim Quarter

This portion ruin showed us the type of archways, built in Herodian times, that were within great rooms and halls. From this ruin we could tell how they were built, how big the room was, and how they were supported. What you can't see, because it's so bright, is that beyond this is the Temple Mount and then in the distance was the Mount of Olives.


This ruin is of the original wall around the city of Jerusalem from the time of the FIRST temple (I believe...I need to check that). To the left was inside the city and to the right was outside. While looking at this ruin we learned why the wall was built this way (thick like this to discourage those who might try to dig or pound their way through), how tall it likely was (roughly 10 feet higher than this), and some of the methods of protection used in the construction of the wall (it's thickness for one, and some evidence of outer walls in front of the wall as decoys).


The winning team! Beth, Cheryl, Shani (the game leader), me, Diane and Mim. The certificate says "This certificate is awarded to (blank - insert name here) for his/her participation on the winning team in Ross Culiner's Exploration Game in the month of January in the year 2007. We are supposed to hang it on the Eastern wall of our homes as a reminder of where Jerusalem is.
:-)



This was a great way to end our experience within the Old City. We would not be back, on this trip at least. It was a nice way to say goodbye. For now. Isn't it beautiful?

As the sun set on the Old City, we walked back to the hotel for Havdallah with Rabbi Kelman. Nicole and I ran out of there right afterwards to meet Len once again. He took us home for dinner which was a WONDERFUL experience.
I had met Len's family on a limited number of occasions in the US when he was home to visit. It was a real treat to see them again in their home. Ilana, Len's beautiful wife, made Nicole and me feel very welcome. She is a wonderful woman. Len and Ilana met on a Kibbutz as teenagers, practically, and have been together ever since. Her family is originally from Morocco and she is dark complected and so are their 4 kids. Liad and Maor are in their 20s now. When I last saw them, they were gangly teenaged boys and they spoke practically no English. Now, they are grown men, VERY active in the military and truly gorgeous. Liad speaks great English and Maor is getting better with his as well. Liad will be married this spring and his fiancee is beautiful. These big boys have two younger siblings. Shir and Dor, 13 and 10. Just as beautiful as their older brothers. Nicole took all the great photos of everyone and I will post them here as soon as I can. My apologies to our family members reading this and wanting to see them.

We had a rollicking, very fun (very delicious!) dinner together. Just as a family dinner should be. We talked and laughed and planned future visits. I learned things about my family that I never knew before. It was truly hard to leave at the end of the night knowing how long it would be until we saw each other again.

Hopefully not another 10 years or so.

We returned to the hotel exhausted from the day, thrilled for the experiences, and warmed by our family time with Len and Ilana. A true highpoint for both Nicole and me. I cant wait to go back.

Next: Day 6, our last day: Susan's House, Zeev Bielski from JAFI and dinner at Schleifer.