I'm grateful for: miracles; my lovely new dresses; a hope of swimming.

I didn't sleep well last night. I barely slept. Then I woke up to a blistering hot day, bad pain, and a necessary shopping expedition.

It wasn't a delightful beginning to the day. TH ran me a bath and washed my hair, which was certainly an improvement. I got my hair brushed out as well, since it dries in no time in this heat. I put on one of my new dresses, so the day was improving all the time.

S2 and D3 went with me, S2 because he could drive if necessary, and D3 always goes shopping if she can. She doesn't trust anyone else to get it right. ;-) We went to the store Mega, which was a complete waste as they were out of bagels. Okay, not a *complete* waste. We picked up fake cheddar cheese (you can't get real cheddar in Israel), and some baked beans. But the only reason we went there was for the bagels. Which, I must add, aren't 'real' bagels, either, but they are rolls which look and act enough like bagels to work for us.

We went to Super Sal ('Super Basket'), which, although they chose to transliterate 'super' as part of their name, now wants everyone to pronounce it as 'shufa.' Whatever. Lots of shopping happened there. S2 is out of practice with shopping in general, and unused to shopping with me in a wheelchair, and he kept just leaving me wherever and going off to pick something up, as if I was like the shopping cart, to be left whenever it wasn't convenient. I didn't care for that. D3 took over pushing the wheelchair and things got a bit better. S2 complained about the shopping cart pulling to the right. *sigh* can't win sometimes. We managed most of what we needed there, along with even a few extra treats. Shouldn't've got them, can't really afford them, but you just can't live without some treats sometimes.

Next was Yesh. Means 'there is.' It's what used to be the cheap store. Now they've changed the name, upped the prices, and stopped carrying some things we really like to have. On the other hand, they've started having a deli counter and a fresh meat counter - so it's not all bad. Got all but two things we needed there.

I managed to drive to Netivot (all that shopping was happening in Be'er Sheva), although when we were almost there I wasn't sure I could possibly continue as I was having trouble lifting my foot off of the gas pedal to the brake pedal. Not good. We had to go to Netivot, to the old shuk, because one of the two things we had failed to get was kitten food, and Kitten really needs food, you know? It's been days, because TH kept forgetting to pick it up, first in Petakh Tikvah, then in Netivot, and we'd run out of the very expensive gourmet food in cans that's we'd stockpiled a few of. So, to the old shuk to the pet store there, and as long as we were there D3 bought me some Pepsi in glass bottles (heaven!), and also some chocolate covered raisins.

The rest (I stayed in the car while D3 did the shopping) allowed me to finish driving home, which was good because getting out of the car to change seats with S2 was pretty well beyond my powers. Once home I managed to walk to the back yard. It's the first time in weeks, and a miracle after all I'd already done. I gave some snacks to the goats, but we didn't have much, and I saw the new chicks (we have five new chicks, more than a week old now I think), and gave the rest of the food scraps to the chickens in the big lul.

It was a major miracle. I can't imagine what I looked like walking, I was taking small, slow steps to minimize the pain in my middle, and I couldn't hold on to anything because using my arms added to the pain. I also couldn't sit in the lul, which I usually like to do, to spend some time with my chickens. But I was wearing a new dress, and there was no seat in the lul that wasn't covered with bird poo. When I am going out every day, I can keep it clear, or we put a chair in. Ah, well.

I made it back to the house, and then crawled into bed, and, another miracle, I didn't end up crying from the pain. I don't write about it here, no need for anyone to know so much about the fun and games of this crip life, but far too often when I've had to go out on a bad day when I finally get back into bed at the end, and I can relax enough to feel how bad I actually feel, I end up with tears running down my face. No help for it. I would've thought today would have been one of those days, but for a mercy, it wasn't. Also, TH followed me into my room and helped me get my shirt off (I have to wear sleeves if I go out in the sun), and my shoes, and cleaned my glasses, and generally made the whole process go much more smoothly than usual.

I need to remember to mention it to him tomorrow. I fell asleep earlier and then by the time I woke up again, TH was asleep for the night. Thanks and appreciation where and when it is due.

The pain is creeping back in my middle. I think I have a load of laundry to start, but I haven't figured out yet whether I start it tonight or leave it for tomorrow.

Tomorrow is already plenty busy. We want to go to the swimming pool, which is opened now, and for the first time since we moved here has 'family swim' times. Otherwise swim times are gender separated, and there is no way I could go swimming without TH or someone big and strong and experienced like him to help me get into and out of the pool. Physically impossible. So, we are going to check it out. I really, really hope there are lanes open for swimming. I don't even know if I still can swim - it's been so long and my body has been through so much since we moved to Israel - maybe I just can't do it. But I really want to.

So, first thing to the pool. Then shopping for a couple of things, the one we didn't get today (bran flakes, if anyone cares), some Challah, peanuts and garanim - sunflower seeds. Buy some ice cream if we are lucky enough to find some we like. We looked today and there was nothing. I think everyone else in the Negev had the same idea.

Then home again to clean and prepare for shabbos. At some point we'll have to pick up D2, who is coming down for the weekend again. It's insane. Fortunately, sundown is late enough we have a lot of hours to try and do it all in. I won't get all the laundry done - I never do - but hopefully we won't start the week with an overflowing basket like last week. My best hope.

Now it's after 3am. If I'm going to be able to get out of bed tomorrow, I'd better stop. Who knows if I will sleep, but at least I'll give it a try.

I am so, Bloody Tired, of not sleeping.

I'm listening to Three Dog Night: The Show Must Go On.

:: 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