I'm grateful for: friends like Malki; chickens setting on a large clutch of eggs; finding a bit more money in the budget (how DOES that happen?).

Today. Eventful, many different events, none huge, but not small, either.

We all (John, me, Zechy, Simcha and Eliyahu) sat down for our hour of dedicated schoolwork. All of us working on Hebrew except for El'yah, who really did quite well writing words in English.

Hans phoned from his grandfather's. He's happy, all is well apparently, he picked up a Star Wars special dvd that has him extremely pleased with himself. We chatted for quite a while, then he had to go to eat some breakfast.

I managed to get my phone off the floor and found four messages on it. One was from Adina, who I called back. When I told her I was returning her call she told me I was wrong, and that *I* had phoned *her.* I got off the phone rather quickly after that.

I talked to Leigh, got directions to her house where the Yom HaAtzma'ut picnic is starting out (we end up someplace nearby I believe). And set a date for her and her kids to come out and see me, the first Monday in May, I believe.

I phone Malki and we talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, and talked ... So much I can't even begin to go into it all. Kashrus and my horrible mother and talking about rearing and homeschooling children with disabilities and winning and, oh, so many things. It was very good for me even if I had trouble eating my supper and was late getting outside to feed the chickens.

I DID get outside to feed the chickens, while I was there Adina phoned again. I survived the phone call and was able to keep it mercifully short.

We finished reading Journey to the River Sea aloud today. Such a terrific book. Thanks so much Anna for sending it, we all loved it so much! Havva, who won't listen while others read aloud, has now taken it to read it to herself. And John wants it next to read to himself the parts he missed of the reading aloud. Cool.

I introduced the book The Hole in the Wall to Eliyahu. It's a children's book I have from 1931 which has such a delightful story. It's a picture book and is a first edition so we keep it generally in a safe place, but Eliyahu was ready for it. He liked it a lot.

John and I decided to do our 'night out' together tonight rather than Monday, our usual night, because that was we can spend tomorrow night preparing for the picnic on Tuesday. First we had to run to Netivot having discovered there was no popcorn in the house. Can't have a date night without popcorn.

While we were driving, John suddenly swerved to the right and drove up on the curb. I was quite frightened but he explained that the siren had gone. On Yom HaZikron (Remembrance Day) a siren is sounded and we stand quietly for a minute or two in honour of those who have died since the founding of the modern state of Israel defending us. We missed the first moments, but I would have felt really bad to have missed it. Good going John (It's hard to hear the siren in the country and over road noises).

We played a rail game. It was fun, and we didn't get into any of our petty bickering or misery making. Almost a minor miracle. I finished off my birthday cake.

The International Herald Tribune and Ha'Aretz both acknowledge, in a backwards, pretend-it-isn't-happening kind of way that the 'disengagement' from Gaza was a mistake. These are extreme left-wing papers that would probably rather have staff members cut their own throats than make such an admission.

There was another item in the news, similar only in that someone or something did something absolutely uncharacteristic, that seems almost unbelievable, involving actually acknowledging reality despite their prejudices and worldview. Really bugs me that at this moment I can't remember what it was. *sigh* It wasn't in France, anyway.

Havva made an appointment to go to the Chinese Acupuncture school for a tour and to find out about it. I am very excited, trying not to push too hard or anything, but it seems so absolutely perfect. Okay, it would be perfect for me if I could do it. But I can't. And Havva is interested. I have to stay calm and let matters take their own course. This seems like a remarkably good school from all I have heard about it.

It's now warm enough at night to sleep with my window open. I moved the heater out of my room, giving me much more maneuvering space.

Took all of Havva's cd's, figured out what she had on them, then consolidated all the photos onto one disk so she can find things and it's all much simpler/easier now.

I can't remember anything else, besides reading and replying to a few emails, and reading my buddies here. And maybe adding a few photos to my fotolog. I honestly can't remember about that.

Tomorrow John goes to work, and Havva is going to visit her friend in hospital in Tel Aviv. So I'd better at least try to get some sleep. It's after midnight now.

I'm listening to the dog two doors down barking his fool little puppy head off.

:: 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