I'm grateful for: a quiet day; having something fun to read aloud 'Pigs Is Pigs and other favourites'; watching a lunar eclipse

I don't feel like I have a lot to say. I slept in 'til about eleven. Almost a full night's sleep. I stayed in bed a lot, read aloud to the kids, John read aloud to the kids and me. Ate a little. The pain was much less. Still here but much less.

Zechy was/is (I hope it's just 'was') sick. He felt better, then worse, then better... I have no idea if he'll be in any shape to work tomorrow. I'm rather assuming his boss will be rather out-of-it tomorrow also.

Tonight started Purim. We all, me included, went to shul to listen to the megillah reading (the Book of Esther). The kids put on costumes. I put on my brightly coloured mohair sweater and a silly hat. John and Hans went as biker dudes (no problem there, John was one, and still has his leathers and everything, and Hans copied John). Havva didn't have a costume as her dress tore just before we were to go, but that was okay. Many of the adult women (and older girls) didn't bother with costumes. The rabbi and gabbai were wearing fez (s). No idea how you plural that.

It was a lot of fun. They are louder and more raucus here, but still with a certain decorum that would be missing if it wasn't such a tightly-knit community. After all, everyone is your cousin, uncle, grandmother or sibling here. Except for us few American interlopers... But we are getting accepted, too. And perhaps someday we will be related. Who knows?

There were fire crackers, the small popper kind, and cap guns, and groggers and people clapped and whistled, but not so much because the fire crackers were going off so often, and so often not when the rabbi was reading 'Haman.' The really little kids were scared of the firecrackers. The worst one was this old guy with a beard and a grey suit. He just wouldn't stop. Not that anyone *seriously* objected, but it wasn't nice to scare the kids.

I came home after the megillah reading with Zechy, who was feeling sick again/still. Actually I think everyone came home but then the rest of the family went right back out again to the Purim ball at the mo'adoan (best guess for transliteration). Anyway it is a public building used for community things like the Purim ball.

There was a clown and some stand-up comedians and a costume contest (arranged so that almost every child won some kind of prize) and some games. It seems that everyone had a good time, but I am going only on report, as I was at home. Eliyahu kissed the clown on the cheek - I wish I'd seen that. She called him up and asked him his name and he was *so* shy. She said he was very sweet and asked him to kiss her so he did. I do wish I could have been there for that.

Eliyahu left early being tired and hungry. 'Early' was around nine pm. Poor guy was just about falling over. John fixed him some supper and read some of the andalite chronicles aloud to him, then went back to the party. Simcha also came back 'early.' Around 10:30. She also had some supper, and told me about the whole thing in such excrutiating detail my ears were coming off long before she was done.

Lastly the teenagers came home around midnight, and the lunar eclipse started as they were walking home. We all got to see it, I saw bits as I went back in the house to rest at intervals. Havva sat out in the reclining chair and watched the whole thing. Simcha missed the end because she had gone to bed. The dogs thought it was the greatest thing. They couldn't imagine why we were having a party in the front yard at midnight, but they were so happy to come out and play! Afterwards they just collapsed wherever they came in the house. Silly doggies.

So that was my exciting day. It was good to get out and see the eclipse. It was really cool to watch. I think I may be coming down with whatever Zechy has, I've been getting slightly dizzy and feeling a bit sick. But it might just be from hanging around outside with my head back trying to focus on the moon.

It's 3am and I am really, really tired. I don't quite know why I stayed up this late, but I know it was the right thing to do. Maybe I just needed to be able to write this, and this was the only way.

I'm going to sleep now. Perchance to wake up before noon. A person can hope.

I'm listening to Willy Porter: Paper Airplane

:: 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