Photography by Miriam

One of the nice things about being a single parent and packing the house is that I am forced to make time for the kids -- especially at lunch time. The kitchen is packed, so twice this week Miriam and I have gone out to eat at the local cafe --- Cafe-In.

I never leave home without my camera, and since it sometimes takes a while to get the bill, I've taken to offering Miriam the camera. She happily accepts, and has started photographing the flowers and bike. I think she is doing a great job. If nothing else, she is helping me up my Israel Photo count. It stands at 3488 right now. Just imagine the fun I will have one day making a multi-media presentation.

So long green crocs

Alan has been bugging me for weeks. I was going to write years, because it seems that long, but I checked, and it could be at most 3 or 4 weeks. Alan's persistent.

As soon as Alan heard I got a new pair of blue crocs, he decided that he needs and deserves my green crocs. God only knows why. Of course, from his perspective, God only knows why I would want two pair.

Alan moved to Jerusalem as of last Friday, but he was back in Ra'anana today to take his driving test to get an Israeli driver's license. When he called from the Country Club, I told him to come get the crocs. One less thing to pack!

As you can see from the picture, Alan must have planned this all along, as he wore his matching green shirt.

Look for him biking the Israel Ride next year in green crocs.

Last Day in Shul

This shabbas I am visiting Paula at Moshav Habonim, so today was my last chance to attend the Ra'anana Conservative Congregation. Luckily Ella and Yuval were still around to wake the girls and get them off to Kaytana. Up at 6:30AM, showered, shaved (yes, even shaved), and out of the house by 6:55AM. Just enough time to hop on my bike and get to Shul on time. This time I remembered my loose change for Tzedakah, my new tefillin, and my tallis -- I only forgot tissues. Either I'm alergic to the early morning Ra'anana air, or I am alergic to shul, because I can go through a full box of tissues in the time it takes to Daven Shachrit.

I had called Rabbi Resnick last night, and he said I could Leyn, as little or as much as I wanted. Parshat Balak. With everything going on, I decided to be realistic and just read the first aliyah -- all of 3 psukim. Not complicated trope, and just a couple Kamatz Katanim. I was able to master it in the half an hour between 12:00am and 12:30am while doing a load of laundry. I read the first Aliyah without problem, and went back to sit down. Then as I was day dreaming and trying to find my place in the siddur again, somebody calls Yehudah for the 3rd Aliyah. Everybody looks around, and then I realize they are staring at me. Ooops! I don't get that many aliyot, and I've long since forgotten how to recognize my name in Hebrew. Oops..

Ilana, announced the birth of her grandson, we sang Siman Tov uMazal Tov, the Thursday morning crowd wished me good luck and I walked back to Hefetz Haim with Ilana.

Onward to Galut

It's the fourth of July. I'm wearing my "America" T-shirt. Last night Ami and Hagit came by to celebrate by going to "Coffee & Friends" a local coffee shop where Aaron Lightner (father of Dani's friend Adam, and father of Ronit's friend Amitan) was playing acoustic guitar and singing the best of American folk music. We had a very nice evening, and I ran into much of the Tali School crowd. As we walked to the coffee shop Ami commented, "Wow, Ra'anana looks really nice. I never realized that Ahuza was this much of a downtown". At the cafe, Hagit met Robert Finkle (Max's dad, and a native of Swampscott) who explained that Ra'anana is just like Brookline, only there are more Jews. Not a bad description, and since Brookline was one of Ami & Hagits favorite places to live in the US, his comment really spoke to her. The only problem with Ra'anana is that it lacks easy access to the Tel Aviv-Haifa train line that Ami takes to work. A train line is planned for Ra'anana, but I don't think it will materialize for another 10+ years. Of course I am feeling very nostalgic for Ra'anana. I'm going to miss the convient downtown with shops I actually shop at. No $1000 blue jeans on sale on Ahuza. Crocs yes, arts and crafts stores yes, fruit markets yes, bakeries yes. Fancy fancy clothing stores no. (yes, that is a dig at Newton Centre).

The last three weeks in Israel without Dena have been going fine -- though certainly less organized than usual. I'm making breakfasts, lunches, dinners, getting the kids out the door, picking them up (without a car), doing the laundry, and pondering packing. Yes, pondering. Today I started going through Miriam's school work to decide what to keep. I can't believe what she has learned. Words cannot describe it. In one year of 1st grade Miriam has learned to read and write hebrew. She writes page upon page of stories. Her spelling is fabulous -- hardly a mistake. Her handwriting -- beautiful. It is painful to think that she will not have such wonderful hebrew instruction next year, and the reinforcement of all her friends.

Yesterday we (Ella and I) organized a going away party for Miriam. 10 little girls showed up to the most complicated spider web party you have ever seen. Since it is not regular practice to RSVP for parties, I had no idea how many kids to expect, and we prepared for the worst, i.e. 18 kids. That meant we tied up a TON of yarn in the livingroom, and when it turned out we only had 10 kids, we let the winners roll up a second color. Miriam of course finished first, and was delighted to roll a second color. He friend Osnat, complained the entire time, "this is so boring, I'm so bored". I sympathize. Rolling up a yarn spider web can get a little boring. Except for Osnat though, the other 9 girls all enjoyed the challenge, and when they finished offered to take over for Osnat. And what do you think happened? Osnat refused help. Nope. She was going to finish herself, even if she was bored to death :-)

After the spider fest, we had pizza and ice cream sundaes.

There are somethings I haven't yet figured out. Any help is appreciated.
- Dena used to laundry daily. I can't figure out why. I seem to get by with just one load every few day.
- Why do we have so many pots and pans? In the past two weeks I've used one fry pan (eggs), and one pot (rice). What are all the rest for?
- How does Dena manage without a written list from her wife of the schedule and activities for each kid? It's a good thing I have the 3 pages left for me with detailed instructions or I'd be lost. Why have I never had this before? It makes life so easy!