The long version of our weekend
My brother rightly pointed out that I write what I’m learning and what I think, but not what we actually *do.* So here’s a very long chatty post saying exactly what we did this weekend. Feel free to skim or skip at your leisure.
Friday morning Savta and Avraham came with their driver, Avi, to deliver the washer.
It's beautiful, and works perfectly. But of course to just come with a washing machine would be to come empty-handed for Savta - she showed up with two full shopping bags of food, including a jello mold. "I finally feel like a grandmother," she said, "our relationship has always been so intellectual, over email about books and thoughts. Now I can bring you food!" My father does the same thing, always giving us pita and yogurt and salads - and it made me think, I've never really known what it's like to have family around. Three out of four grandparents have always lived in Israel, one was in Louisiana, and I never had aunts or uncles or close family growing up - just my parents and I. How ironic that I had to come to Israel to experience a larger family!
Here's Avraham and Avi with Simcha. The pictures of Savta didn't come out.
Osher in the new washing machine. Savta brought a cover that goes over the opening, so the cats can sit and won’t fall in.
They left at 11am, after only staying a little over an hour. For lunch we went out with Phil, then came home to rest, then got prettied up for Shabbat services at HUC. Mara gave an incredible drasha (found here the Friday Nov 24th post) about how sex, menstruation, and purity laws are treated in the Bible and Talmud. It was a fabulous d'var torah, all the more because it shocked everyone out of their complacency. The best was that there was a family with two young girls in the congregation, they were maybe 8 and 10 - and they kept giggling throughout the entire thing. "She said SEX! And PERIOD!" How wonderful for Mara - I'll bet money that her sermon was their topic of discussion on the way home. It's what everyone wants, to catalyze change in how people see themselves and the way they teach their children and live their lives.
Then afterwards Leah, a mutual friend, threw a surprise "Mara Appreciation Party." Leah lives in Ramat Gan, about an hour away from Jerusalem, and commutes daily. She stays at Mara's about twice a week, and wanted to show her... um.. appreciation. There were only about 10 people there, just her closest friends, and it was great. She even got a cake for her that said "We love Mara." Phil got Mara to stay late at the post-service potluck dinner, and the rest of us snuck out early to get there before her. She was SO surprised. We stayed chatting til past midnight.
Saturday morning it was damned difficult to get up, but I hopped on a sheirut (10-person taxi) at 9am to Tel Aviv, since the buses weren't running on Shabbat. My dad picked me up from the bus station, where I got dropped off, then we went to see my other grandmother, his mother, in the old age home, then back to his place to visit with him and my brother. Doron's knee is wacked so he's been off of work for the week - it was great to chat and catch up. And - and here's a big "and" - Shula gave me one of her skirts! My stepmother is about 4'11 and tiny - and her clothes fit me now! I'm still in shock. Well, after stuffing the skirt and the food they gave me in my backpack, I trucked back to Jerusalem. Jonathan had spent the day writing, so we caught up a bit and then went to bed.
Today was school - eh - but afterwards we made tentative reservations with a travel agent for spring break. We're planning on going to Greece for three days and Rome for four. This winter break Antonio comes in to visit, and Becca comes in February - we've got such great things to look forward to.
Dinner tonight was baked ziti with Jaimee and Helayne. Then homework. Then at 11pm we hear a knock on the door - Rachelle, I love your daughter! She and Joe brought over freshly baked banana-chocolate chip bread. It was still warm from the oven. We drank tea and talked about our respective weekends, then made Joe blush by making him be British and pronounce things in an accent (e.g. alu-min-ium). I asked him what a tea cozy was, and luckily he had brought one over from London, so he got it from upstairs and showed us. All you Harry Potter fans, now I know exactly what Dobby wears on his head!
And that's all, folks...
Well, here’s one last pic of cuteness…
Friday morning Savta and Avraham came with their driver, Avi, to deliver the washer.
It's beautiful, and works perfectly. But of course to just come with a washing machine would be to come empty-handed for Savta - she showed up with two full shopping bags of food, including a jello mold. "I finally feel like a grandmother," she said, "our relationship has always been so intellectual, over email about books and thoughts. Now I can bring you food!" My father does the same thing, always giving us pita and yogurt and salads - and it made me think, I've never really known what it's like to have family around. Three out of four grandparents have always lived in Israel, one was in Louisiana, and I never had aunts or uncles or close family growing up - just my parents and I. How ironic that I had to come to Israel to experience a larger family!
Here's Avraham and Avi with Simcha. The pictures of Savta didn't come out.
Osher in the new washing machine. Savta brought a cover that goes over the opening, so the cats can sit and won’t fall in.
They left at 11am, after only staying a little over an hour. For lunch we went out with Phil, then came home to rest, then got prettied up for Shabbat services at HUC. Mara gave an incredible drasha (found here the Friday Nov 24th post) about how sex, menstruation, and purity laws are treated in the Bible and Talmud. It was a fabulous d'var torah, all the more because it shocked everyone out of their complacency. The best was that there was a family with two young girls in the congregation, they were maybe 8 and 10 - and they kept giggling throughout the entire thing. "She said SEX! And PERIOD!" How wonderful for Mara - I'll bet money that her sermon was their topic of discussion on the way home. It's what everyone wants, to catalyze change in how people see themselves and the way they teach their children and live their lives.
Then afterwards Leah, a mutual friend, threw a surprise "Mara Appreciation Party." Leah lives in Ramat Gan, about an hour away from Jerusalem, and commutes daily. She stays at Mara's about twice a week, and wanted to show her... um.. appreciation. There were only about 10 people there, just her closest friends, and it was great. She even got a cake for her that said "We love Mara." Phil got Mara to stay late at the post-service potluck dinner, and the rest of us snuck out early to get there before her. She was SO surprised. We stayed chatting til past midnight.
Saturday morning it was damned difficult to get up, but I hopped on a sheirut (10-person taxi) at 9am to Tel Aviv, since the buses weren't running on Shabbat. My dad picked me up from the bus station, where I got dropped off, then we went to see my other grandmother, his mother, in the old age home, then back to his place to visit with him and my brother. Doron's knee is wacked so he's been off of work for the week - it was great to chat and catch up. And - and here's a big "and" - Shula gave me one of her skirts! My stepmother is about 4'11 and tiny - and her clothes fit me now! I'm still in shock. Well, after stuffing the skirt and the food they gave me in my backpack, I trucked back to Jerusalem. Jonathan had spent the day writing, so we caught up a bit and then went to bed.
Today was school - eh - but afterwards we made tentative reservations with a travel agent for spring break. We're planning on going to Greece for three days and Rome for four. This winter break Antonio comes in to visit, and Becca comes in February - we've got such great things to look forward to.
Dinner tonight was baked ziti with Jaimee and Helayne. Then homework. Then at 11pm we hear a knock on the door - Rachelle, I love your daughter! She and Joe brought over freshly baked banana-chocolate chip bread. It was still warm from the oven. We drank tea and talked about our respective weekends, then made Joe blush by making him be British and pronounce things in an accent (e.g. alu-min-ium). I asked him what a tea cozy was, and luckily he had brought one over from London, so he got it from upstairs and showed us. All you Harry Potter fans, now I know exactly what Dobby wears on his head!
And that's all, folks...
Well, here’s one last pic of cuteness…
posted by Michal at 1:33 AM
1 Comments:
Avraham and Avi look great! Avi makes it possible for us to get anywhere we want to go. Hooray for Avi!
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