I'm grateful for: a Vermont spring day in the Negev; feeding the chickens and the dogs herding the goats; exercising on the reclining exercise bike and with the hand weights.

Not much to say. It was a rather full day, but full of just normal life stuff. The best kind. I woke up much later than I like, after noon. Breakfast, got on the exercycle. Managed to do a little work with the hand weights. I use them while still sitting/reclining in my exercycle. It's easier for me, the arms give me side support and there is room to swing my arms a bit. Not much.

S3 was invited to a birthday party tonight. What can I say about a mother that is that awful? One of her sons (not the birthday boy) is lactose intolerant, apparently pretty badly. She bought ice cream for the party (in addition to the cake), -- oy! I can't even go there. Such a horrible person. They all (including the mother) ate their ice cream in front of the boy who couldn't have any. He's only six! She wouldn't buy something like frozen yogurt because it's 'too full of chimicals.' And for heaven's sake, it is freezing here! Who needs ice cream when there is hail piling up out-of-doors?

The birthday boy is now turned five. They are nice enough boys, especially considering the parents. But I was glad S3 didn't stay long, and came home and ate some real food.

The weather here is just like a spring day in Vermont. Cold, wet, muddy, windy, dark and did I mention cold? It was kind of lovely in a perverse way. My smaller dog, Chamudah, hates rain, and hates to go outside when it is wet. But when I yelled 'Goats in the shed!' she ran outside with as much enthusiasm as our Australian sheepdog to herd the goats. I didn't stay outside long, it was that cold and bitter. The wind was blowing right into the lul (chicken house), if that doesn't change we're going to have to turn the lul so the chickens get some protection from the wind.

Some fool was driving down the farm dirt (mud) road behind the house pulling a trailer with a minivan with those doughnut tires. It won't surprize anyone that they got stuck. Right behind our house. TH went down to help out, but the driver was absolutely clueless, kept shifting the steering wheel and digging himself further into the mud. Fortunately this is a farm community, so it was a matter of minutes to run down the road and get someone with a tractor to pull them out. The car and the trailer, which they had disconnected and then managed to move the car and get it stuck separately.

I got a phone call from TH when he ran into town for a few minutes, and now I have a metapellet (helper). She'll be coming in twice a week for three hours each, all we can afford. It sounds just about perfect. She already works on this moshav, has just a little bit of English, enough to get us started, but little enough that I will have to use Hebrew, however I can. I'm hoping she can get me started mornings - dressed, maybe a bath and hair washed, at least, and do some housework. Also she's not worried about the dogs, which is a very good thing. Many Israelis are not okay with dogs, particularly big ones. One of ours of course is quite big, and both are very loud and enthusiastic. One reason we've never been robbed so far. ;-)

I talked to RS and S1 tonight, and also D1 and her husband B. I'm a little angry at D1, because it is apparent she lied to me, as well as making a couple of unnecessary and unfriendly comments about S1. I held my peace, it's none of my business, and as long as S1 isn't upset it's none of my business, but I hope she has nothing further to say. If it's a choice I will side with S1, I hope I don't have to make that choice.

Conversing with B. was actually the most pleasant of all. He gave me news I wouldn't have gotten from D1, and we chatted about things here. He said he would make sure we got some recent photos of the kids. And we got off when they lost signal (they were driving).

We have a young woman spending the night. She did once before, and she phoned, I guess she got stranded in Be'er Sheva. TH drove out to pick her up, getting back around midnight. Late night, but S2 got to bed at an almost reasonably hour, and S3 fell asleep with me sitting with him. That was really a treat for me. I also had two cats, Joyce and Sprite, with me in my room today. Almost unheard of. Now I have no critters in my room, which is almost as unheard of. Generally nice, all the way 'round.

I've got to get some sleep. Good night.

I am listening to Abraham Lopes Cardozo: Elohim Eli Ata. It's from a cd Sephardic Songs of Praise. Religious music in other words.

:: 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