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Honey is Sweet

I'm having a life - 2007-10-21

It's hard starting to write. I've had so many full and exciting and happy days, and each one I looked forward to coming here and writing about it -- and either fell asleep or there was so much going on I just couldn't hope to write anything.

So now I doubt I can even remember all the things and how the days went. Thursday was a trip up to Petakh Tikvah. We stopped in Sderot on the way up north. Sderot is the city which has been most targeted by the kassam rockets, and we try to help support the businesses there when we can. The city is holding out seemingly well, by the way, and in none of our trips there have we been 'lucky' enough to experience a missile attack.

Anyway, the purpose of the trip to Sderot was to find a Western Union outlet, to get money orders in dollars to send to the states, one to pay a debt, the other to send Hans a little something to help out. Can't afford more than a little something. Honestly can't afford what we sent. But, I'd rather help my son and put off buying either a larger television or new computer (or both). Although I *really* wish it didn't have to be a choice.

Buying a larger television isn't really a luxury for us. We don't actually watch television per se, but we do watch a lot of movies and educational videos and so on. Our television is an 11" flat screen that we bought for when we were living in the Winnebago. It worked, there. Now, not so great.

The new computer also. My old laptop died, and this computer is quickly becoming unable to do the things I need it to do. Ah, well. In Gd's time and all of that.

So adventures in Sderot included trying to find the bank. Then, finding the post office with the Western Union happening serendipitously, trying to negotiate the whole process, which, we never did. We ended up exchanging our shekels for dollar bills, which I then mailed off with a prayer in security envelopes. Oh, and on the way out, we THEN discovered we could have bought traveler's checks, and at a better exchange rate, too.

I shopped in a local grocery, where there were Oranges. In Israel you don't get fruit out of season, except apples really. Finding oranges for sale this time of year is a real treat. The new crop of oranges will be appearing early in the spring, a much appreciated I can tell you. The oranges didn't even look too bad. I maybe should add that our growing season is reversed compared to most of the U.S. and Canada and the U.K. and... We grow things in the winter here, when there is usually not killer heat and it rains. Also, while it might get down below freezing for a few hours some nights, things basically don't freeze here.

But I digress. :-)

Finally having done everything we could during the visit to Sderot, we headed up north. We found ourselves with a trampist (hitch-hiker) who was going to Tel Aviv, and spoke just enough English to confuse all of us. Lessee, 'us' was John, me, Zechy and Eliyahu. Simcha and Havva stayed home because they both had to work. Must be nice.

John drove, dripping the trampist off first, then taking Eliyahu to play with his friend David, then driving himself to work. Zechy and I went shopping. A fun time was had by all. Meaning Zechy and me. And El'yah, but I meant the shopping. We shopped an organic/health food store, the school supplies store (calligraphy pens, nibs, ink, brusher for Zechy), a housewares store ('tupperware.' It's not, but it's what we call all plastic food storage things in our house), and a supermarket.

We'd initially planned to go further and visit a pet store owned by our favourite South African oleh, and the American store - the store which imports all the American food for those of us who want real hot dogs and bagels and so on. They have Hershey's Kisses! And, and, and... *sigh* But I was just about dead on my feet, and instead we picked up Eliyahu (David had hysterics - I felt so bad for the poor guy, and his sister who was in charge), and went to visit friend in Bareqet.

The visit was a HUGE success, if it was today I'd write it out in detail, but it's all just too much now. John took a bus down to meet us, and we went home where I arrived exhausted but happy.

Do I remember that evening? No, I do not.

I know I didn't fall asleep early, and I got up around eleven on Friday to go to Be'er Sheva with Havva, and then to visit the Baba Sali's grave. Simcha came with us, and while we bought groceries, she bought beads and beading supplies, and picked me up lunch at the McDonald's. On the subject of American food ... I am really not a huge fan of McDonald's, I haven't been since sometime in elementary school (when it was the biggest treat to go there for lunch.). But sometimes I really seem to need red meat. You know, beef. From a cow. McDonald's is the only place I can be assured of getting actual beef when I need it. So that's good.

The trip to the Baba Sali's grave was less successful. We parked by the memorial, which is not the grave, then Havva walked over to the graveyard, and couldn't identify which of the fancier graves might have been his. I couldn't walk that far, and Simcha chose to stay with me, which was nice. The memorial was probably quite nice when it was built, but hasn't been kept up, and there was a great deal of trash on the ground. Some of the mess also was clearly things torn up and thrown around from our little rainstorm the other day.

Still it was a really nice time. Havva is determined to find out which is the actual grave and visit it before she goes to work in Petakh Tikvah, which is next week. *Gasp!* I hope Hashem smile on it, since she wants it so.

When we got home I collapsed again, this time intending to sleep and rest as much as possible before exerting myself for anything. That was my plan at least. Hashem had other plans, that unfortunately included my little guy getting sick. Very sick. Poor Eliyahu. He threw up, and moaned, and dozed, and threw up some more. When there was nothing left to throw up he just moaned about his legs aching and his hands, and how his stomach and his head hurt. He dozed a little bit, but was restless and the sound of a voice, any voice, disturbed him. He slept right through the dogs' barking, though. We watched My Man Godfrey, which is still a terrific movie. Then Eliyahu and I moved to my room, and I sat up with him pretty much all night.

Even though he had a fever which got quite high at a couple of points, I was never really worried, just felt sorry for him. It was a rough night. He finally fell into a real sleep sometime after 3am, and I didn't sleep until after 5. Then I woke up around 11, so that kind of blew any hope of my catching up on rest and sleep. I did try later on, shooing everyone out of my room, to get some more rest at least, but Eliyahu started to feel a bit poorly again, so he lay in here and listened to Fluke, the audio book, for most of the afternoon.

Of course, here I am still awake at almost 2am, so it's all kind of hopeless, isn't it? After havdalah (the end of shabbos), Eliyahu went to watch a movie and then to bed. I ended up on the phone with my brother and sister (at the same time - positively unheard of), and then John phoned Jessica, and didn't reach her, but we did get to talk to Hans a bit. He hasn't any more conversation than he did last time though.

We finished reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix aloud to Eliyahu, and have started the next one (don't ask me to remember the name).

I know a big part of my good spirits the last few days is just being able to do things. I'm far from all better, and what makes a big day for me is nothing special for the able-bodied, but that doesn't matter. I'm having a life, and it's not just being in my room on the computer, or reading books. I would really like to get used to this.

Well, I'm all in. It's now after 2am, and I am going to try for some of that sleep, that knits... If my nutty dogs will permit now. One of them was just making the oddest noise outside my room. I hope you all have days as happy as some that I've just had (not El'yah's illness, of course). Good night

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