I'm grateful for: a real rain; books; good friends for my children.

It's raining! It's raining, it's raining, it's raining, it's raining, it's raining!! I doubt if most people can appreciate how wonderful it is. Just smelling the rain is a such a delight I can't describe it. It is a proper rain, too, not the few raindrops we get between May and October, not even enough to constitute a small cloudburst usually, not the deluge of winter (when it can rain non-stop for days on end with a ferocity the rain can't seem to manage most other places in the world that I've been). A rain shower. The smell of the rain - so beautiful. And the wet smell after it stops (it has stopped now), equally beautiful, although different of course.

The one sour note? Some fool lit up a cigarette upwind of me just a few minutes after the rain started. So I've got my head out the window inhaling deeply, and ... yeah, well. The people here just have no appreciation. Not just for the rain, for most of the things that we look for and love. My family just doesn't belong in this place. *Sigh*

So, back to the day. No sleep again last night, but the feeling of accomplishment for having gotten everything backed up properly at least. I woke to day and couldn't get back to sleep around 9am. Tzvia was due to show up, so I figured I'd stay up until she arrived, then go take a nap. I don't know exactly when she arrived, it was in good time. She brought Avraham along, so Eliyahu and he vanished and played happily until it was time for them to go. She brought Michal to play with Simcha and spend the night. I did see the girls a couple of times today, generally for a moment at a time. I am so glad that they have friends like that.

Tzvia left with Avraham a little after noon, but of course then I didn't manage to go lie down. I also didn't make it into the succah today at all. Not so good, but I know I am doing my best. Several exciting dizzy spells today to remind me that I really am still a cripple. Whee, fun.

I had a good day, chatting with the kids, playing on the computer. Havva sent me a link to a Star Wars blooper video. Hans (I think) sent me to a different link. I got one from my friend Mark J., in the states, and one from John. I didn't watch all of them. Only so many hours in a day.

We also got a huge surprize today. Simcha went for the mail and came back with the news that there was a package waiting and it had to be paid for. ??? I sent her along with about 200 shekel, since I didn't know how much it would be (no where near that expensive, of course). And lo-and-behold, it was from my mother (in honour of my dead sister Monica's birthday), the Twilight Zone season 1 special edition set. Wow! We spent a few minutes trying to figure out what that was about. Feeling guilty for not sending money, or, gosh, I can't imagine. She sent something rather expensive, that I really like. I think she must be sick. Very sick. Or something.

I haven't yet written the thank you note. It should be extra-special full of gushing happiness, after all I was absolutely delighted when I first saw it. But I'm not quite sure I can do that in a letter. And I am *NOT* phoning her to talk on the phone. Major ugh-yuck that. *sigh* Something to worry about tomorrow, I guess.

Lessee, I did finally go lie down some time around four o'clock, and slept until around 7pm. the kids carried on just fine. Simcha made spaghetti for supper, the teen-agers were available for whatever might be needed. Neil too, I suppose, but he was doing his impersonation of a ghost today. Whatever.

John left work early to drive to Shoqeda to meet some people and find out about what is possible. He was very well received apparently, and talked to at least two people who may have houses for rent. He is supposed to hear from one of them tomorrow. So, things might be moving forward, for all we know. :-)

He was also able to return a Scooby-doo dvd we had bought, and then found it was in Italian. The guy at the Tower Records told John he doesn't usually do that, but would do it for John because he liked the ZZ Top thing John had going. For the record, John has a long, largely untrimmed beard, and was wearing what I think is an Australian bush hat. That's as ZZ Top as it gets. Silly. But it proved me wrong (I'm very happy to be proved wrong), and we now have the first two disks from the new Scooby-doo television program. I hope it's good.

He was ALSO able to pick up a new power cord for the laptop, on which I am typing as we sit. You don't want to think about how much it cost. Okay, *I* don't want to think about it, but they were willing to take three payments, and the first one won't be billed until next month. So it works, I guess.

After John got home (very late), he made me some supper (I slept through the spaghetti), and after he got some work done, and reading some more Megamorphs to Eliyahu, he and I watched the first episode on the first disk of the Twilight Zone set. Really good. After watching current television for way too long, one forgets what a very excellent job they did, how good was the camera work. It seems as if colour, special effects and laziness have taken away an awful lot of the skills that made these classic shows great. Maybe I'm just being narrow-minded or judgmental or something, but when I think of the last three 'suspense' movies I've seen, and compare the camera work to that one Twilight Zone (Or Hitchcock, or an awful lot of old musicals even), it seems a sad loss. Why can't we have colour, and special effects, AND great camera work? I just have to wonder.

Enough of me shooting off my mouth on that nonsense. I should be trying to sleep (as usual) as we are supposed to be getting up in less than five and a half hours to head to the Dead Sea. Finally. It should be a very long day. I am SO not complaining! However, tonight it was the rain that kept me from sleeping, and how can I be upset about that? I can still smell it on the air a bit.

Have I mentioned that I am bleeding again? I'm sure I did. It worries me a bit, how I will manage at the sea, but I am for sure going, I am going in the sea, and I will cope somehow even if it means bringing a whole dozen diapers, several changes of clothes, and hiding out at intervals to deal with things. I think it will be find, actually, but of all the rotten luck.

Havva is not coming, and we are not bringing the dog (poor Chamudah). But we have to think that if the trip goes okay and it seems all right we can bring her the next time we go. Because there will be a next time. I intent to buy tons of the Dead Sea salts and the mud to send to people, so if anyone is interested, let me know. It's very cheap there, and I know what they charge for it anywhere outside the seaside. Bad sentence. Such is life.

We are going to meet up with Tzvia and her family on the way there (they live someplace on the way), and we will spend the day there together. That will be particularly nice because we won't have to do much to entertain the younger kids, they will do it for themselves. And her teenagers and mine will probably keep each other occupied as well. Yippee!! I just can't wait.

Well, I can. And the waiting will go quite easily if I just fall asleep. Which I have no doubt I will soon after I shut the computer.

I had meant to write, though, that I am having a problem, being stuck, now, in the middle of four books (not including the Megamorphs). Eight Bells and All's Well, something of an autobiography by the man who captured (with his crew) the U-boat that is now on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago; The Man who would be King and other stories by Rudyard Kipling; The 39 Steps by Buchan (I can't remember his first name, although I'm sure it's John); and Icefields by Thomas Wharton. I can't figure it out. KNOWING I was already in the middle of other books, I still started reading the next one... I don't know how I will ever finish any of them reading at a speed of maybe a dozen pages a day. I'm bringing a couple of them with me tomorrow, I figure I will undoubtedly be able to find some time to read then. I hope.

I don't usually do this, get caught up in several books at once. *sigh* Must be grateful. Remember before the lift came and we hadn't enough books to go 'round. Yeaaa, books! :-)

I'm listening to someone(s) yelling and generally being loud outside, and some large truck engine driving away. Reasons to live in the country: 1am is usually a quiet time of day.

:: Yesterdays : Tomorrows ::

~~~Last Five Entries~~~
Hi and goodbye - 2010-10-15
I'll be moving on - 2010-10-10
Gold membership and stuff - 2010-10-10
Decisions, decisions - 2010-10-07
Days to go - 2010-10-06