Thirty Minutes of Wonderful

Five Things I've Learned From Football

2012-02-06T08:09:00.003-05:00

People who know me know I LOVE football. You don’t even haveto know me all that well to know this. It’s right up there with my middle nameand the fact that I’d rather have a cup of coffee, thank you very much. Withall the hoopla surrounding the Super Bowl, here is a list of five things I’velearned from watching football.

1) You can’tdwell on the good or the bad; you just have to move on.

If the quarterback is sacked, if thereceiver drops a pass, if they get caught in a foul, the game doesn’t stop. Theplayers don’t have time to dwell on their mistakes or even their victories.They have to move on. The clock just keeps on ticking and they have to keep onplaying.

2) When you gethit, you have to get back up.

Those players take astounding hits, hitsthat make you think there just is no way they won’t be carted off the field ona stretcher. But up they bounce, sometimes a little slowly or shakily andsometimes with the help of one of their teammates, but up they get. This leadsme to #3.

3) Football isn’ta solo sport, and neither is life.

No matter how great a player Eli Manningis, and he certainly is a great player, he doesn’t play alone. Without hisfront line to protect him, he would never have the opportunity to throw the firstpass. Without Jason Pierre-Paul knocking down passes and Mario Manninghammaking an astounding catch, the Giants can’t possibly win.

4) Other peoplewill take credit for your good work and criticize your mistakes.

I notice that after a game we say (and Iinclude myself) “We Won!” But I wasn’t out there taking hits or making passes. Ican’t even take credit for great play calling. I didn’t even mow the grass, forheaven’s sake. But even worse than that, we also tend to say “They Lost!” andthen pick apart what “they” did.

5) And finally,it’s not over till it’s over.

When the play is over, there’s another play.When the quarter is over, there’s another quarter. When the game is over, there’sanother game. And even when the season is over and it just didn’t go our wayand we completely screwed everything up, guess what, there’s another season.Just wait for it. It’s coming.

Jerusalem, Fin

2012-02-04T02:05:00.002-05:00

To continue... More Jerusalem photos.

This is an excavation from the time of Christ. It is a Roman road and pillars. It is blocked off and is still an ongoing dig. Since this was the Sabbath, there wasn't any work going on.

This is the Dome of the Rock in the background on our way down to the Western Wall. Don't laugh. it was raining and cool and I was trying to stay warm and dry. I wasn't covering my head for religious purposes.

We are told to be circumspect in our attire and dress modestly, but the only place I saw a sign asking for modest clothing and for people to cover their heads was at the Western Wall. And even then, the only place was in the enclosed prayer areas near the wall. The courtyard farther away from the wall did not have any signage for head coverings.

It's a good view of what the city looks like, overall. Very square sandstone-colored buildings, palm trees. It's really beautiful. Those stones on the ground are everywhere, and let me tell you, they are just as slick as they can possibly be. And not a hand rail in sight. And Jerusalem is not flat. Everywhere we went was either up hill or down hill.

There weren't many people around due to many different things. It is winter, fairly early in the day, and the Sabbath. It was probably a good time for us to visit without having to deal with the crowds.

This is the Jaffa Gate, the main entrance to the Old City, and close to where we parked. See those slippery stones again??? They're everywhere! And that flat courtyard is just lulling us into a false sense of security. It'll be the last flat spot we see for a while!

Jerusalem, Part I

2012-01-28T09:28:00.000-05:00

Mike and I took a trip to Jerusalem and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We were fortunate when we visited that it was not very crowded. Today is Shabbat, so there weren't a lot of people around. And it's the middle of winter, so the weather was on the cool side with some intermittent light rain. And we went early.

When we entered the church, we were greeted by some women lying on a long stone, prostrate, kissing the stone. It was a really odd sight. I asked Mike, on the sly, what on earth those crazy people were doing????? He told me the stone is supposed to be where Christ was laid after He was taken from the cross. I have to admit, it set a creepy tone for the entire visit.

Apparently, the top of the hill over the burial site was taken off to expose the tomb. Then the church was built around the supposed site of the crucifixion, where the body was laid, and the tomb. If you look at the frame in the middle of the picture, you can see the actual mountain. The blocks around it are where the church has been built around the site.

This is a beautiful mosaic in one of the chambers of the church.

I have to admit, I like this graffiti a lot, too! And, yes, I DO love Jesus!

And this is the chapel that has been built over the top of the supposed tomb where Christ was laid. Again, they took the top of the hill off exposing the inside of the tomb and then built this chapel over it and the church over that. There was a priest or monk or something at the entrance of the tomb rushing people in and out and yelling at them for taking too long. Wow.

Overall, I have to say the experience was not what I expected. For better or worse, I'm glad I went. Mike had done more reading and had a better idea about what to expect. I just got a whole "Disney World" kind of vibe from the whole place and I guess I'm a little iffy on the whole experience. I'll post a few more pictures later this week.

I Look at Hands... All. Day. Long. And a (not so) Subliminal Message

2012-01-19T13:24:00.002-05:00

I wish I could take pictures of the lovely ladies who come through and their gorgeous jewelry. I'm not a big jewelry person. Don't get me wrong, I like jewelry, but I don't tend to wear it. Partly because I just don't think it suits me but mostly because I'm allergic to nickel, common in most metal jewelry.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Anyhow, the jewelry here is just gorgeous. Big and rustic, mixed metals, unusual shapes, large colorful stones. What I wouldn't do for even one picture! It'll be a mission - finding pictures I can take of those gorgeous rings. There are a lot of diamond-encrusted jewels as well, but I prefer the other more unusual things I see on a daily basis.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

The other thing I see all day long that just befuddles my mind is the weird and tacky nails. Who is doing these ladies nails and when did she lose her sight??? They are really awful... incredibly thick, very long, often very pointed, heavily painted in garish colors, and heavily jeweled. I guess it's just the style here, but the nails don't tend to look very healthy, usually thick and dark. Go here for a little taste. *shudder* What are they thinking???

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

And in case I was too subtle for you...

Let me just say...

Four little words...

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

It's a long story, but I blame Hannah...

Most Popular Posts

2012-01-18T10:35:00.000-05:00

View of the city of Haifa and the lovely weather we've had lately. Blech!

I've posted about 80 times and Blogger keeps track of how many times each page has been viewed, not including emails if you've signed up for those. I was looking through my list of blogs today and noticed that the most viewed blog posts were the ones I would expect, i.e. My First Post, Wedding Photos, Photos of our New Apartment, and our Moving Photos.

But there are a few surprises, at least to me.

The most searched item is "Sharon Fruit." I guess I'm not the only person wondering what the heck this thing is!

The second most viewed post is Boys in the Women's Restroom. Apparently, this is the burning question on everyone's mind... How old is too old???

And the top most viewed post? Froop. What??? I love the stuff, but why is everyone so interested???

Thanks to everyone for keeping up with us. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to pictures from, I don't know, an actual Israeli tourist attraction???? Well, me too! We've had a couple of trips cancelled due to illness or weather. Luckily, we actually live here so we'll get there eventually. Hang in there!

Peek Inside My Closet

2012-01-17T10:36:00.003-05:00

I'm not the messiest person in the world. In fact, it could be said that I'm one of the neater people you might meet. But the bottom of my closet would beg to disagree!

Every day after work, I come home and change clothes first thing, throwing my dirty clothes in the hamper, hanging up jackets or pants that can be worn again, and I kick my shoes off and leave them in a pile on my closet floor. Why, oh why, do I do this??? It wouldn't be all THAT difficult to put them in their place. And then on Saturday or Sunday, I put them all back in their places to begin again kicking them off willy nilly on Monday afternoon. Poor Mike! At least he doesn't have to share a closet with me here.

And another thing... How many pairs of black flats does one person need??? That's obviously a rhetorical question since I seem to have so many pairs. They are obviously the shoe of choice for the hard working woman in Israel. Well, me anyway...

So, How Was Your Week???

2012-01-13T11:48:00.001-05:00

So this is pretty much how my week went.

Sunday: Mike goes out of town for work. I begin feeling sick about noon. By 6 pm, I'm having chills and running a fever. Up all night with chills and fever, aching joints, and MASSIVE headache.

Monday: I decide "Hey. I know. I've been up all night and am incredibly sick, but I'm not running a fever anymore and we're going to be swamped at work. Yeah. I think I'll go to work." Um. Yeah. Anyway. After one hour at work, I realize I'm an idiot and throw in the towel praying I haven't inadvertently infected my entire workplace. Luckily, my coworkers are lovely and supportive and I head home where I proceed to turn the heat in the house up to about 80 degrees and I lie in bed feeling fairly sorry for myself the rest of the day.

Tuesday: Feeling better but having learned my lesson from the previous day, I stay home and rest all day only managing to keep down water, juice, and soda.

Wednesday and Thursday: Feeling much better and I head into work where I am completely swamped but happy to know coworkers can't live without me and looking forward to a relaxing 3-day weekend with Mike in Galilee.

Friday: Find out Mike has to work on Saturday and the wind, rain, and cold weather we have had all week will continue all weekend. Boo. Weekend cancelled.

Can I just say, that even though it was a thoroughly awful week, preceded by an even worse couple of weeks. Yep. That's right. Worse. I am finding myself thankful for so many things.

I'm thankful for a husband who loves me, watches over me, and cares for me. He is such a blessing.

I'm thankful for my health. Even though I was sick this week, I'm reminded I'm not usually sick and I'm so thankful for that.

I'm thankful for being swamped at work. I like to be busy and being busy at work makes me very happy. I'm also thankful to have coworkers who missed me while I was gone and seemed genuinely happy to see me back.

Mostly, I'm thankful for God who is with me through good times and bad. For in him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28

Kite Surfing

2012-01-08T02:53:00.003-05:00

Oh, the joy of living and working with this view.

The weather on Friday was a little windy, and while Mike and I were out at lunch we saw a bunch of people kite surfing. It's an amazing sight.

If you look closely, you can see lots of upside down "U's" which are the kites.

There is a person on a board attached to each kite surfing the waves. Amazing.

Sharon Fruit

2011-12-30T14:19:00.000-05:00

I found a new favorite. Sharon Fruit! They're in season right now and so yummy. Mike says they look like orange tomatoes. They certainly don't taste like a tomato... haha I have to admit I'm completely addicted!

They're persimmons of course. Although, looking online, there are a lot of different kinds of persimmons. So maybe the Sharon Fruit I'm delighting in right now are different than the persimmons I tried in Texas. And didn't like, unfortunately.

While I absolutely love finding something new to love in every place I live, I'm really going to miss these wonderful little fruits when I leave here, so I plan on stuffing myself completely full of them while I can get them!

Germany, Continued

2011-12-23T11:02:00.000-05:00

We had such a great time in Germany. We went to the beautiful old town of Rothenburg and stayed at a hotel right in the center of town. The town is just amazing, like something you might see in a fairy tale with cobblestone streets and gingerbread houses... AND it was Christmas time with Christmas lights and trees and decorations everywhere... AND it even snowed just a tiny bit for us. It was just a wonderful trip.

When we arrived it was after dark.

But there were Christmas lights everywhere and Christmas trees. It was just gorgeous.

If you can tear your eyes away from the good looking man in the foreground (and that ghastly car!), this is a great shot of the amazing old town.

The next morning after an amazing breakfast we walked around in town and down a couple of blocks to the Christmas Market. There were a lot of Japanese tourists there... for some unknown reason... Japanese tourists in Germany at the Christmas market. I just can't work that one out. Anyway, this little Japanese lady grabbed me - and I mean she literally dug her tiny little fingers into my arm - and pulled me over to the Christmas tree so Mike could take our picture. Wow.

The Christmas tree in the middle of the market.

The Kathe Wohlfahrt store is in Rothenburg and since we absolutely love her nutcrackers had to visit. It turned out to actually be two stores across from each other and was amazing! We bought two more nutcrackers!

And the food! I don't even know where to begin! After living in Israel (where the food is really wonderful, don't get me wrong), I was so happy to get some PORK!

Would you like that completely smothered in bacon and cheese???

Yes, please!

Yes. I took a picture of meat... And a loaf of bread as big as your head!

After Rothenburg, we drove south to France, found a little coffee shop, and had coffee just because we could.

Thank you, Mike, for the wonderful Christmas mini-vacation. I had a wonderful time. You are the best! And I love you!

Just a Tiny Taste of Germany

2011-12-21T14:26:00.000-05:00

Christmas lights, a light dusting of snow, foggy breath, mulled wine, apple strudel, perfection.

I have more pictures, but this will have to do for now. We had a wonderful time. The little town Mike found for us to spend a little time in is just magical and the absolutely perfect place to be for a little Christmas break. (Rothenburg, Germany for those interested.)

And yes, the lime green monstrosity is our rental car. I figure they saw us coming a mile away to unload that ghastly thing on us. But it hauled butt all up and down the autobahn, so I can't complain too much!

What?!?!

2011-12-06T14:15:00.001-05:00

Buy at Amazon.com

Has anyone seen these crazy pillows? I don't know what made me think of it. Oh yeah. Mike is gone. Bummer.

My day today included a REQUIRED radio check which means I have to call in on our radio and say weird phrases that would never ever in a million years come out of my mouth. I've been having anxiety attacks all day just thinking about it. Where is Mike to save me from these things???? Oh right. Out of town. Stinker. Of course when I called in they couldn't understand me because I talk too softly. Lovely. I got to do it again. It went something along the lines of...

Me: Post, Post. This is blah blah. How do you copy?
Post: (laughing) This is post. Copy is too soft to understand.
Me: (mortified) Sorry...

Ugh. Someone shoot me, please...

Dinner for One

2011-12-05T11:38:00.001-05:00

Mike is out of town so it's dinner for one with only Perry Mason to keep me company.

The pasta is called bucatini. I thought is was spaghetti when I bought it, but upon closer inspection it has a hole running through it - like a straw. Either way, it is definitely delicious. The sauce is fresh garlic, onion, and tomato sauteed in lovely olive oil with salt and pepper. Yum!

As much as I love mediterranean-type food, dinner for one is a lonely thing! Mike, come back soon! :(

Observations from Tel Aviv

2011-11-30T11:46:00.001-05:00

1. This is a walking city. How on earth the lovely ladies of Tel Aviv roam these lumpy bumpy streets in stilettos is beyond my comprehension. My hat is off to you.
2. Speaking of those lovely ladies, just because you can squeeze into those too-small spandex pants doesn't mean you should.
3. One downside to living in a multistory apartment building is the ride in the elevator with or after that guy's workout. Yeah, I'm talking to you, Stinky. Pee. You.
4. All those odd wet spots on the sidewalk. Yeah. Dawned on me the other day what that is when I saw some guy's Great Dane relieving himself. Yuck.
5. One of the bright spots of my day is watching the doting father putting his adorable daughter on the school bus every morning. Sweet!

And to my own lovely, beautiful, wonderful, adorable daughter, I have all your old country music on my iPod and am listening to it tonight and thinking of you. I love you.

Serious Business

2011-11-26T13:40:00.001-05:00

These signs are on the utility poles here. The top is Hebrew and the bottom is Arabic. I wonder if they have a lot of problems with people climbing these incredibly dangerous looking poles? I mean, I don't need a sign to warn me. They look dangerous!

Menorahs and Christmas Trees

2011-11-23T15:39:00.001-05:00

One of the absolute luxuries of my new job is the amount of time I get to spend with my husband. We see each other in the morning before work. We eat breakfast. We chat. We joke. We laugh. We see each other in the morning at work. We chat. We joke. We laugh. We usually get together at lunch. We chat, etc, etc, etc... Well, you get the picture. It's nice!

During lunch, we walk around downtown. I especially love Ben Yehuda Street. There are all these little businesses, cafes, and shops with knick knacks (junk). I love looking at the Judaica. Or maybe it's just shiny stuff.

poe-TAY-toe, poe-TAH-toe...

Anyway, I love the menorahs. I think they are so pretty. I want one!

There are pomegranates everywhere here. They have these little cafes with piles of fruit in a case and they will fresh squeeze it for you right on the spot. It's pretty neat. Anyway, there were these little silver pomegranates in this window that were so pretty.

I took some snaps just to post, and when got them home to have a look I was really surprised at the Christmas Tree lurking in the bottom corner of one of the shots. So cool!

So far, my favorite thing to do here is to walk around downtown and just look and listen. It's a great experience.

I'm Obviously Suffering a Nutritional Deficiency

2011-11-17T23:54:00.000-05:00

If what a person is craving shows what vitamins or nutrients a person is lacking, what does my overwhelming desire for Vienna Sausages tell me?

Am I severely lacking in chemicals or (as Mike says) chicken backs, chicken cracks, and chicken earwax?

Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy!

2011-11-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

How is it possible that you grew up so fast? I just don't know how it happened. One day you were a sweet, fat baby with a toothless grin and angel soft hair, and the next day you are a grown man with a beautiful wife and a life that would make any parent burst with pride.

You are an amazing man and Daddy and I love you more than words can express.

Happy Birthday!

Thanks, Hannah

2011-11-16T11:52:00.000-05:00

While loading the pictures from the Carmel Market the other day, I noticed something... odd. I have a disturbingly large number of Jonas Brothers pictures on my computer.

Yeah.

Thanks, Hannah.

Carmel Market

2011-11-14T12:55:00.000-05:00

We went to Carmel Market near Dizengoff Center. It was a lot of fun with about a million people (give or take) and about a mile of stalls selling everything from Prada boxer shorts to spices to fresh fruits and vegetables.

It's hard to tell in the picture just how far into the distance the crowd stretches. You'll just have to take my word for it; it was crazy!

We started the day here.

Breakfast at an outdoor cafe, bagel and cream cheese with a cappuccino for me. Yum! It's so much fun to people watch and the food here is delish!

One of the nicest things about eating out here is the slower pace. It's perfectly acceptable to linger over your meal. We were probably there an hour or so, and when we left, people who were there before we arrived were still there!

Coke is definitely international!

<--------------------Look here

See the olive seeds?? They serve olives with everything! Even my bagel and cream cheese at breakfast!

We finished the day here.

The Med is definitely gorgeous! And the weather has been in the mid to high 70s. Just a lovely day!

I'm a STAR!

2011-11-05T01:10:00.000-04:00

Anyone who is interested in what I do and where I work, watch this video. It was released by the embassy and if you don't blink at about the 2:40 mark you will be lucky enough to catch a 3 second glimpse of my work station and the back of my head! lol

I'll try not to let the fame go to my head...

Enjoy!

It Was a Rough Day at Work

2011-10-19T14:25:00.000-04:00

It was a rough day at work today. In lieu of photos I can't post I thought I'd make a grumbly list of what I'm trying to work around.

A List of Things I Don't Have at my Desk

Pens/Pencils/Highlighters
Stapler/Staples/Staple Remover
Paper/Notebook
Paperclips
A Keyboard with Normal-Sized Keys (ie the keyboard no one else in the office wanted)
In/Out Tray
Telephone (That's right... no stinking telephone for me.)
Scanner (A key portion of my job, but no. No scanner for me.)
Chair (A new low. No chair.)

All I can say is tomorrow is another day... and fortunately for me it's a holiday (the final day of Sukkot).

I Must Be a Genius... Maybe...

2011-10-18T05:54:00.000-04:00

We decided to have some Israeli junk food so we bought some things and I thought I'd share the experience.

We bought a selection of things that looked good in the freezer section at the local grocery store.

Top: Falafal
Bottom: Corn patties, bourekas, pizza

A pizza, some frozen falafal, some sort of corn patty or corn fritters, and bourekas which are puff pastry with some sort of filling.

Everything in Israel is not kosher but things are packaged and sold with that in mind. Meat combined with dairy is a no-no so there aren't any pepperoni pizzas available. We bought an olive pizza.

The directions were a little difficult to understand, as you can see. I'm just happy they use regular numbers making it a little easier to figure out some sort of cooking directions.

We guessed 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

It all turned out pretty good, and it was definitely fun which was the whole point. Falafal are chickpeas ground down similar to the consistency of grits and mixed with spices and formed into a meatball-like shape. The bourekas had what tasted like mashed potatoes with sour cream inside. Delish!

The brown balls are falafal and the yellow patties are the corn patties.

By the way, this pan belonged to my beloved Grandmother. My Grandfather wrote her name on it and my wonderful Aunt was kind enough to let me have it. Thanks, Aunt Beth! I love using it!

Mickey D Fix

2011-10-17T05:43:00.001-04:00

Mike and I were watching TV the other day... just some American movie... and I looked over at Mike and said, "I want some McDonalds..." *sad face* He laughed and told me we would have to go get some. There are McDonalds everywhere here so it's not difficult.

Well, he came home from another loooong day at work and had this with him.

BTW... the olive oil in this picture is the BEST olive oil I've ever had AND it was CHEAP!

YUM!

He must love me or something! *happy face*

It's Curtains for Us

2011-10-15T05:43:00.000-04:00

We finally got our curtains! Yay!

We have this long wall of sheers in the living room. It may not look like it on the picture, but it makes a HUGE difference in the apartment... warming it up just a little... Mostly, it gives me hope that when we get the rest of our things TOMORROW (WooHoo!) and when we finally get carpets (who knows when) the apartment will seem a lot less cold and a lot more inviting!

The other windows are just Roman blinds, but even that warms up the space compared to the metal frames around the windows.

One step closer to finally making our new house a home.

Sukkot

2011-10-13T03:57:00.000-04:00

Today, I have yet ANOTHER day off. Yep. It's getting to be a little silly at this point. Today, I'm off for Sukkot. Tomorrow, I'm off for some sort of bike race downtown. Then next week I have yet ANOTHER day off! I just have to laugh at this point. I wonder if this is how people visiting the United States feel around the Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years time of year. Ain't nothing getting done!

Sukkot is the Feast of Tabernacles. We are seeing small structures everywhere built on balconies. The structures look like they have fabric walls and they are covered with bamboo or palm leaves on top. These structures are meant to remind the Israelis of the fragile structures the Israelites lived in during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

During Sukkot, meals are eaten in these structures and apparently some people sleep in them as well. It seems like another family-oriented holiday where families get together to eat and enjoy each other's company.

The holiday lasts 7 days and I'm wondering if the day off next week is the end of Sukkot, but I'm not sure about that.

Mike and I are hanging around today. Nothing is open for the holiday, but it's still nice to have the day off to spend together. We are thinking about going to the movies tomorrow, and I STILL don't have a phone! Ugh! So maybe we will get that sorted out as well when things open back up tomorrow.

So happy Sukkot!

Mystery Meal

2011-10-10T14:39:00.000-04:00

Tonight, we had a little bit of a mystery meal. Not really. But sort of.

We went to the grocery store yesterday and it's a definite challenge trying to figure out what is what. And then there is the fact that at the end of a mind-numbingly challlenging day I'm not as careful as I should be.

Exhibit A: Parsley. Or the thing that so closely resembles parsely but is not... i.e., cilantro.

Now, I like cilantro -- LOVE cilantro, actually -- but I wanted it for the roast chicken with garlic I was making and cilantro wasn't exactly the taste I was going for. I knew I was in trouble when I opened the package, pulled it onto the cutting board, and started chopping. Yeah. That smell is definitely NOT parsely. I would have saved myself some trouble by just smelling the parsely-looking herb, which I usually do even in the states. But no.

Exhibit B: Salt.

How difficult can it possibly be to buy salt??? I like Kosher salt, and we are in the land of Kosher, so I figure I'm pretty safe. Whether it was Kosher salt or regular salt, salt is salt is salt... right??? I mean... how could I go wrong???

Well, the good news - the salt I ended up with is sea salt. Lovely sea salt. It cost me less than 50 cents for about a 1/2 pound of what would probably be $5 or $10 worth of salt in the states. The bad news? It needs a grinder, which I don't have. Ugh.

So. The chicken tasted wonderful... a little odd with the cilantro but good nonetheless. I'll be buying a salt grinder to grind all the lovely sea salt I inadvertantly bought. And I have some cilantro... who knew they even sold it here??? Huh. Yet another day where I learned something new.

Yom Kippur

2011-10-07T08:35:00.001-04:00

UPDATE: Okay... The Israeli television is off the air until tomorrow night! Wow! No TV!

Beginning tonight is the second of three big holidays, Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement. (First was Rosh Hashanah, now Yom Kippur, and Sukkot is next week.)

I don't really know how to describe it. I wouldn't necessarily say that Israelis "celebrate" Yom Kippur as much as they honor it. From sundown today (7 October) until sundown tomorrow (8 October), Israelis fast (both food and water!) and don't use any sort of mechanical device, ie, no driving. This is Israel wide! I'm looking forward to seeing it tomorrow. Apparently, it's quite a sight to see all of the roads completely empty with people walking everywhere. The Ben Gurion airport is even shut down! Could you imagine in the states JFK shutting down for 24 hours for a holiday? It's just an amazing concept.

We were advised to be considerate of those around us by not driving -- warned really! -- or eating or drinking in public or making a lot of noise from TVs, etc out of respect. I'm a little hesitant to take pictures or anything, but I am going to be ready with my camera if it looks like it will be alright.

What a time to begin my new job! It's just holiday after holiday! Monday is Columbus Day, so we are off for that, then Sukkot so another day off. Yay!

Back to Work

2011-10-03T13:27:00.000-04:00

So after the nice, and unexpected, 4-day weekend, I am back to work. I only worked 2-1/2 days last week. The job is MUCH easier than I thought it would be so I have to admit I am pretty disappointed. The other negative is that I couldn't work on the computer last week so I was bored with a capital "buh." Luckily when I went in this morning, I was able to work on my computer and was able to stay busy all day long. That certainly made my day much more enjoyable.

I have to say, my favorite part of the day has to be working with the locals. They are just so great and I'm learning a little bit more of the language every day.

My word today?

שני

Shenee or 2nd

I'm particularly proud of myself for figuring this out. One of the clients asked (in Hebrew), "is this the second stage?" I told them it was "tor shtaayim (line 2)." Then it dawned on me what she said so I asked and Yay! I was right! I love that!

Shonah Tovah!

2011-09-29T04:56:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday, and we are off... Why you ask??? It's Rosh Hashanah, or the Israeli new year! They are wishing each other Shonah Tovah right now.

I started my job on Monday, which is a good thing because Mike has done nothing but WORK since he has been here! I like my job, but I have to admit it's kind of boring. I really like working with the Israelis, seeing them every day, talking to them. It's really great. I mean, that's the whole reason someone goes to another country... right? But the job itself is pretty mindless. I mean, one day and I'm already up to speed. That's just wrong... right? Or is it just me?

I have to say, my desk at work is hilarious. There is nothing on it! And I mean, NOTHING! I would take a picture to show you, but it's not allowed (for obvious reasons). I have a computer with a monitor, a mouse, and an Israeli keyboard with teeny tiny little keys, including the tab, caps lock, and shift key on the left side. It's really hilarious especially since I'm used to typing on one of those split ergonomic keyboards. Other than that, there is nothing. No stapler, no scanner (which I need to do my job), no tape, no paper clips, no nothing. I do have a trash can, but there is no stinking bag in it! haha

Shonah Tovah!

One Lump or Two

2011-09-23T06:20:00.000-04:00

What a week! Like I heard someone say, my whelmed has been over. haha Suffice it to say, there have been tears.

On the positive side, we received our air shipment. Yay! It had important things in it... like my coffee. I haven't had coffee for more than a week. I think I'm overdue!

This lovely little thing (NOT)...

allows me to have this lovely little thing (YAY!).

So I love it in all its hideous ugliness!

The first thing I did this morning is take my favorite mug (thanks Mom!) and my favorite spoon (a Christmas gift from my beautiful daughter while in England) and make a wonderful cup of coffee. And yes... I like a "little coffee with my sugar and milk." I'm not going to apologize... haha

It was glorious to sit with a wonderful cup of coffee made exactly the way I like it and read my Bible first thing in the morning. I haven't felt this good in weeks!

Froop

2011-09-19T06:13:00.000-04:00

I just found the most yummy thing! It's called Froop. It looks like yogurt, and I think it is, but it doesn't taste like yogurt. It is rich and creamy and sweet. Yum!

This one is lemon, which is yummy. I've also had peach and pineapple. Does anyone else think it must be German with the "Muller" brand?

The price on the top says "4, 83" which is 4.83 NIS (New Israeli Shekels), and according to my handy dandy currency converter makes this little tub of heaven $1.32. Seems a little high for a tub of yogurt... but maybe well priced for a little tub of heaven? haha

Not a Day of Rest

2011-09-18T11:08:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday, right? A day of rest.

Not here! Today is the first day of their work week, hence the list of people wanting to come to my house today to do work.

Saturday is their Sabbath (Shabbat) and everything shuts down around 1 pm on Friday afternoon with Shabbat beginning Friday at sundown and ending Saturday at sundown, when apparently things open back up for a little late night shopping and entertainment.

Church services here (for Christians) fall on Saturday to account for this local custom.

So today, Sunday, we were supposed to have cleaners come to clean our apartment (they didn't show up - another local custom apparently!) and the water guy just arrived with our water cooler and bottles. I can't wait! I drink a lot of water and love having a water cooler, especially where the tap water is on the mineral-y side.

As an aside... It is a really odd experience to sort of understand what someone is saying when they are talking about you... or me, I guess. After 3 months in Hebrew class (only as an observer), I understand a lot more than I speak. Even though I don't understand a whole lot, listening to our workmen talking about me on the phone or with someone else and sort of understanding what they have to say when they obviously think I don't understand anything is strange. It is giving me a little insight.

Also as an aside to the aside... Americans aren't the only ones who speak LOUDER and s-l-o-w-e-r in their own language when they are trying to make themselves understood! haha

A couple of pictures of the kitchen for someone who asked. (Love you, Denise!)

No, those are not my things... not my orange tray, not my coffee pot, etc...

All of those things are just loaners until we get our own kitchen stuff.

And our Wonderful New Water Cooler! Yay!

It not only does cold water; it does hot water as well. Yay!

The New Apartment

2011-09-16T09:06:00.000-04:00

The new apartment has some positive and some negative. The apartment is on the top floor which is kind of cool. On the negative side, there's not really a view. The view is of other similar apartment buildings. There is a large patio that runs the length of the apartment and we have mostly southern exposure so that is just a wonderful space and I'm sure as the weather cools it will be a lovely place to be. (I've heard in October things should become more tolerable and today was really lovely!)

We have two covered parking spots, which is really great in this heat, and access to them is gated. They are also right next to the doors to the apartment building so luckily we won't have to park and walk a mile to the apartment building, a mile to the elevator, and a mile to the apartment. It's all extremely convenient. We share our foyer from the elevator with only a few apartments so there is very little noise from people coming and going.

On the negative side, one of the bathrooms looks like Liberace might have enjoyed it. The tile is kind of shiny, as in mirrored, but not really. It's very odd to say the least. But on the positive side, there is an enormous skylight and it is bright and very airy.

The weirdly decorated bathroom. That shower is the size of a telephone booth. Luckily there is another bathroom!

The main living area is very spacious, has a large skylight, and a large bank of floor-to-ceiling patio doors which makes the area very light and airy during daylight hours. There is no need to turn on a light in that area until the sun goes down. I love that!

None of this furniture or lamps is ours. It really is awful. The "shutters" on the outside of the patio doors are louvered and moveable and everyone has this or something similar on every window.

The kitchen is also large, light, and airy. There is only one window in the space but it adjoins the living/dining area and is, therefore, very light. The ceilings in the apartment must be high. I can't measure them but they do seem that way and I think that contributes to the cool airy feel of the apartment.

The bedrooms are not very big, but with the exception of one of them they are a good size. There is a lot of light and they have their own air conditioning "zone" so we can adjust the temperature in that portion of the apartment and we don't end up with "hot zones" or "cold zones."

Yeah. What can I say about this furniture but blech! lol

The biggest negative about the apartment, in my opinion, is that there are no curtains or carpets. I think this really makes the apartment seem uninviting. It also makes it a little on the "echo-y" side and I don't like that. We are trying to see what we can do about that. They are supposed to be provided but we don't have them yet, but then yesterday I think someone mentioned that they aren't curtains, they are vertical blinds which made me scream uncontrollably... NOOOOOOO!!!!! We are still trying to figure that out.

The other HUGE negative is the ghastly furniture in the apartment. It looks like 1990's hotel furniture. It literally makes me incredibly despondent when I look at it. (This is no joke or exaggeration. The pictures don't really portray just how awful this furniture is. I really cannot tell you how much I hate this furniture!) There is a ton of it in the apartment. Luckily, we don't need all of it and are going to have what we don't need removed. This still leaves us with a LOT of hideous furniture that I have to arrange/cover/decorate in a way that I can live with. Ugh.

Well, Hello Again!

2011-09-15T05:50:00.000-04:00

Look at me on the internet and everything! Wow! I've been gone a long time! Well, it seems like a long time to me.

We are in our new house. The guy from the internet company just hooked us up. We now have local telephone, internet, and cable. Yay!

We spent all day yesterday going through a 3-page checklist. Yikes! Loads of people to see and meetings to attend. On the good side, there are SO many really nice people here! Yay! On the negative side, we're in the middle of a large busy city where we don't speak the language! Yikes! haha

We are completely exhausted from the flight and still trying to get caught up on sleep AND adjust to the new time zone. We are waking up at midnight every night and are completely beat by 2 p.m. The first day here, I had a total of 2 hours of sleep! We are up to about 6 hours now, but after a week we are completely exhausted.

We are going to an Oktoberfest on Sunday and it seems like it will be a lot of fun. Also, I have some photos of the apartment to share and will post them a little later.

I miss you all already!

T minus 4 days...

2011-09-07T12:33:00.002-04:00

So today is Wednesday, otherwise known as T minus 4 days... and the countdown continues. I have managed to fritter away almost an entire week with lots of sleep, lots of Sudoku, lots of football (the Auburn game was a nail biter!), lots of good food, and lots of time with my kids. It's been wonderful.

Mike left yesterday to visit his dad for a few days and last night is the first night in a week I haven't slept well. I miss my husband!

This morning, my phone decided to up and die on me. I thought I was going to be without a phone for the remaining few days I was in the states. Not a huge deal, but it could have done me a huge favor and just lasted FOUR MORE DAYS! But, it had mercy on me and came back on, so Whew! I mean, I was in the middle of a couple of Words with Friends games... So you know... important things are happening on my phone.

And that just about wraps it up... yep... exciting stuff...

I'm Tired

2011-09-02T00:56:00.001-04:00

1. I'm tired.
2. The furniture is gone.
3. The house is clean.
4. The realtor has the keys.
5. We are visiting our kids.
6. I've finished the horrendously long paperwork for my new job.
7. Its almost midnight.
8. Have I mentioned I'm tired????
There is no 9. I'm tired...

Moving Day 2

2011-08-30T17:37:00.000-04:00

The things going into storage should all go today. I say should because there was some debate about whether or not everything would fit in the crates the movers brought (it didn't) and then whether someone would bring another crate this afternoon (at 5:30 pm) or if someone would come tomorrow. They decided to send someone out this afternoon and here we sit with almost everything ready to go in crates waiting for the other truck to come.

The movers this move have been pretty good. They scratched our floors and even came and told us... not trying to hide it like the awful movers we had in England. And it has been HOT! getting up to 105 degrees with the heat index. Poor guys!

We have surfed the internet on our phones, necessitating recharging halfway through the day, and played on the computer while the poor movers worked themselves into a (horrendous B.O.-smelling) puddle.

We have to clean house tomorrow to get ready for our renters. So, we still have tons to do!

Here are some shots of before, during, and where we are now.

Moving Day, Part I

2011-08-29T22:33:00.000-04:00

My favorite (insert sarcastic voice and head tilt here) thing about movers is their proclivity for bragging about just how great they are. During our 23 years of marriage, we have moved 11 times - this is our 12th move. I know if the mover starts telling me how great he is, how he has never had any damage, how fabulously he is going to take care of our stuff, we might as well kiss our stuff goodbye. The movers today seemed good, honest, funny, but really slow! They were here for 7 hours! Packing for an air shipment (about 800 pounds) and household goods (another 800 or so pounds). They really should have been in and out in about 4 hours or so.

So from the comfort of your home, enjoy pictures of our chaos!

Before the movers arrived

While they were here

After the movers left

Yes, they left my beloved nutcracker! Boo! Goodbye Mr Nutcracker. I'll see you again in a few years.

Round II tomorrow!

One of my Favorite Women

2011-08-27T11:53:00.000-04:00

I am fortunate enough to have some very special women in my life. I love these women and would do anything for them. They have made me a better person and I hope I have done the same for them.

This is my cousin. She is fabulous with a capital "FAB." As in Oh. Em. Gee. She taught me how to swear in sign language. I mean, how funny is that!! She takes me shopping and picks out the best handbags.

She blings me. Yes, I said Bling. That's her fancy schmancy glittery fabulous bracelet I'm wearing. I didn't even have to ask. She saw me and said, "Oh no! You need some bling!" Took my arm and placed her bracelet on me.

She keeps me from being boring. Well, as boring as I usually am. She makes me smile. A lot. We all need people like that in our lives. I'm lucky enough to have many.

Dad Life

2011-08-25T10:31:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite videos. Enjoy!

Happy Dance

2011-08-24T10:03:00.000-04:00

I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! Yay!

I'm doing a happy dance right now, and not just on the inside!

So before the reality sets in of long government forms and background checks and then the sheer terror of a new and completely unfamiliar job, I am just going to sit back, breathe deeply, and enjoy the moment!

We arrive September 12 and I start September 26. Expect to see panicked posts coinciding with those dates.

Moving Madness

2011-08-23T10:23:00.001-04:00

My house is a mess.

I'm irritated with my wonderful husband.

And I actually snapped at my sweet daughter yesterday.

Yep. I officially have "PCS" mental illness, otherwise known as moving madness (or in Britain "mad cow disease").

Boys in the Women's Restroom. How Old is Too Old?

2011-08-22T11:16:00.000-04:00

Here's a question with, I'm sure, a lot of different answers.

How old is too old to bring a boy into the women's restroom?

This isn't something I've ever been too concerned about. Frankly, it's not something I see all that often. And I am definitely an overprotective mother, so I tend to sympathize even if I don't agree. But this weekend, while at the movie theater with my husband, I saw what had to be an 8-year-old boy in the women's bathroom. And I say 8 trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. When I asked Mike how old he thought, he said 10. To be honest, I was thinking 10 as well. But, like I said, I was trying to give the benefit of the doubt.

Now, understand, we don't live in New York City or Los Angeles. And this wasn't an airport where I might understand the apprehension of allowing your 8- to 10-year-old boy to venture alone into the men's restroom. This is a small town movie theater on a Saturday afternoon.

There were about 3 or 4 young girls in the restroom all looking sufficiently horrified. And Mike brought up a good point, what if a man brought his 8- to 10-year-old girl into the men's room?? That sounds so ridiculous I'm sure no one would even think of doing such a thing. But watching this boy walk out of a stall in front of the shocked row of young girls waiting was really jaw dropping.

So what do you think? Is 10 too old for the women's restroom? Or perfectly understandable?

Donuts make the World go Round

2011-08-20T18:46:00.000-04:00

How's this for totally random. I have definitely had donuts on the brain today. That's what happens when I am getting ready to move and eating cereal twice a day because I don't want to buy anything that I will have to throw out. Popular quotes and idioms kept popping in my head... replacing key words with "donuts." And yes, I had a witness to my insanity.

Ahem...

Allow me to demonstrate...

Give me donuts, or give me death.

Donuts don't kill people, cholesterol kills people.

You can have my donut when you pry it from my cold dead fingers.

And my favorite...

They may take our land! But they'll never take... OUR DONUTS!!!

*sigh* I need a donut.

Random Friday Musings

2011-08-19T09:11:00.000-04:00

A little randomly...

I found the most beautiful shoes for the wedding at the last minute. I'm really glad I didn't wear the shoes I had originally purchased. I spent so much time on my feet and they were just so high!

And Yes, someone did take pictures of my shoes at the wedding and then sent me a picture!

Also, I promised a picture of Ashley when she graduated and I completely forgot with all the excitement with the wedding. But she worked hard and certainly deserves heartfelt congratulations!

Ashley and her wonderful family

Things are really clicking along at a fast pace for our move. We still haven't rented our house, but the moving company is coming for a pre-move survey today, and the movers will start showing up in a week. Yikes! Mike and I went through a ton of old paperwork yesterday for about FOUR hours or so! and managed to burn out our shredder in the process. We are pretty organized and keep fairly up to date. But even so, that was for about 3 years of stuff and adds up to more than an hour per year! I have spent all morning planning how to keep more up to date than that to save us another long, tedious clean out!

Twinkies

2011-08-18T10:25:00.000-04:00

My dad took this picture of my mother and my daughter at the wedding. I love this picture!

Does anyone else think my daughter looks like my mom??? I think they could be twins! (Or Twinkies, like my Aunt Beth says!)

I Love My Brit TV

2011-08-17T07:00:00.008-04:00

One of my favorite things about Netflix is being able to watch tons of old shows, new shows, and my favorite Brit TV. While watching Midsomer Murders, an okay British murder mystery series, a young Orlando Bloom appears (2000)! AND, he plays a male prostitute and thief. AND, he gets killed off less than 30 minutes into the show! Ha!

About an hour into the show, the two main characters talk about The Lord of the Rings, and one of them says, "I never read it. It's all dwarfs and fairies. phhht." Ha!

We Love Our Friends and Family

2011-08-16T11:49:00.000-04:00

We are so blessed to have good friends and a loving supportive family. So many friends and family came to the wedding. I only managed to capture pictures of a few of them, and some of those pictures were captured by other people who were kind enough to take pictures with our camera while we were otherwise occupied. I can't wait to see the photographers pictures mostly because I'm hoping for good pictures with these people whom I love!

We love these friends like family and like to be around our family like friends. My daughter has a lovely saying about our long-time friends and our close knit family. She says it's so nice not to have to explain anything to them. They already know so we can just relax and be ourselves around them.

This is one of my very best friends. I call her my Proverbs 31 woman. She is "a woman of noble character... worth far more than rubies... she speaks with wisdom... faithful instruction is on her tongue." She would disagree, but her modesty just makes me love her more!

This is my sweet and beautiful niece. She is an amazing woman and the first grandchild to graduate from college in our family. She just began her teaching career and I'm sure she will be her students' favorite teacher! Her dad and step mom were also there, but I didn't manage to capture them!

This is our daughter with a family friend. She has been our friend for so long, I forget we aren't related! She is always there for us, and what I wouldn't give to live next door to her just so I could see her every day! My daughter grew up idolizing her and wanting to be just like her. She is very tall and my daughter wanted to be "just as tall as Aunt Leah." Well, I think she succeeded!

I'm going to apologize to Shawn and Carolyn for this photo, but it's the only one I managed to capture! Hannah took it and managed to catch them mid-chew... Sorry! But I love them so much and wanted to include them in this post. We met them a few years ago when we were living in New Hampshire and fell in love with them and their wonderful children and their parents. They have been a huge blessing to me personally and to our family.

There were so many more people I wish I had pictures of from the wedding. As pictures become available, I will definitely post more!

Wedding Pictures!

2011-08-15T14:10:00.000-04:00

For those of you unlucky enough NOT to be at the wedding of the century (forget Will and Kate... This is IT!), I have some photos to share.

L-R My daughter, The Bride, and 2 of her friends.

This is from the wedding rehearsal. It was so much fun spending time with my soon-to-be daughter-in-law and our respective families.

The Groom and The Bride

They look really relaxed and ready to get married, don't you think?

Our wonderful family

And, drum roll please, the wedding pictures.

L-R The Bride's elder brother, The Groom, a friend of the Groom, Hubs, The Bride's younger brother

They all look relaxed, don't they? Someone asked my son if he was nervous at all and he told them he wasn't and was ready to get married. So Sweet!

Aren't they beautiful!

This is one of my favorite pictures. The pastor is praying for the new Mr And Mrs and The Bride is grinning! It makes me so happy!

The Chapel where they were married is just beautiful and the pastor, who is the pastor of the church where my daughter-in-law and her family are members, was wonderful. It was a beautiful ceremony, very moving (Yes, I cried!), and just a wonderful, memorable experience.

The Bride and Groom at the Reception

The reception was at a really lovely old restaurant which is a converted gas station. The location was beautiful and the food was excellent.

L-R The Groom, The Bride, Hubs, Me, and My Daughter

Our lovely new family! I literally cannot say enough good things about my new daughter-in-law! She is a wonderful, amazing, beautiful, selfless, kind, generous, amazing (have I mentioned she's amazing???) young woman, and we are absolutely blessed beyond measure to have her as a member of our family. Also, her family is so wonderful! I truly feel as though our two families have been joined together and Mike and I are the richer for it.

To my sweet new dilly of a daughter-in-law and my son, I love you both! You are truly wonderful, amazing people and I'm blessed to be a part of your lives. Thank you!

To my new in-laws, thank you for a spectacular day! Thank you for sharing your amazing daughter with us. And thank you for your selfless inclusion of Mike and I in your family. We are so blessed!

To all of our friends and family who attended the wedding, who came from far and wide at great expense and sacrifice to share this wonderful day with us, Thank you! It made our experience richer and much more memorable and I'm blessed to have you!

To all of our friends and family who were unable to attend, thank you for your well wishes and prayers! We love you and you were missed!

Yay, Ashley!

2011-08-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to The Sweet and Beautiful Ashley on her graduation!

We are so proud of you!

It was so incredible to see Ashley sitting in the crowd of college graduates and walk across that stage. She is an amazing young woman and Mike and I are delighted to add her to our family.

After the graduation, Ashley's dad took us all to lunch and we had a lovely time with lots of talking and laughing. Good company and good food is the best way I can think of to spend time!

Yes, I took pictures. No, I can't download them to my computer. The cord to the camera is in one state and the camera is in another. Bummer. I'll get the pictures up soon.

Just for you, Robyn

2011-08-04T14:10:00.000-04:00

In my guilty pleasures post yesterday, my cousin reminded me of another guilty pleasure we share... beautiful bags! So, in honor of my lovely cousin whom I love so very much, feast your eyes on this lovely bag...

Isn't it beautiful????

5 Guilty Pleasures

2011-08-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

1. A good book late at night while the world sleeps.

Girl Reading

2. Movie marathons with the people I love.

Family Watching TV

3. A good glass of cold white wine.

Relax Riesling

4. Oreos with peanut butter spread on top.

Oreo with Peanut Butter

5. Trashy gossip sites like TMZ and The Superficial.

The Superficial

The Job Interview

2011-08-01T08:17:00.000-04:00

I just had my interview. It was by phone, of course, since I'm not actually there yet. But much to my surprise, instead of being one-on-one on the phone, it was on speaker phone (which I hate) with a group of people! aaaaahhhhh!!!!

THEM: "Now, why don't you tell us about yourself and why you are interested in this job."

ME: ".... uhm..." as I start to shake.

I did make everyone laugh a couple of times and at the end of the interview they sounded in a good mood, if that counts for anything. Maybe they were just happy to be done talking to me. But they asked if I brought cookies and cakes into the office. That sounds like a joke, right? So I told them I'm an excellent cook and make a killer Snicker Cake that is my grandmother's recipe, if that would help me get the job. Big laugh from them! Yay!

Well, the job sounds incredibly interesting. Much more interesting than I originally thought. So, where before I was hoping to get a job, now I'm REALLY interested in this job! They hooked me!

I should hear something next week. Fingers crossed!

I'm Happy, Pa!

2011-07-28T15:46:00.000-04:00

I got a job interview at the Embassy!

That's Right!

Uh Huh!

WooHoo!

Happy Dance!

40% Chance of Rain

2011-07-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

It might rain. I'm not sure. What do you think?

I Ain't Giving Into It (no, no, no)

2011-07-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

Anxiety is an insidious beast creeping up like a hungry lion ready to pounce without a moment of warning. Hmmm... sounds suspiciously like the enemy to me.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:7-8

I'll confess I have really had a battle recently with this beast. Within myself, I see a proclivity to negative thinking. In my mind, I think I'm preparing myself for the worst, should that happen. But really, I'm dwelling on the worst case scenario and setting myself up for mounting anxiety. With all of the great changes occurring in my life at this time, I need to be on my toes to guard against this.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:9

For those fellow sufferers out there, hang in there! I'll pray for you and you pray for me. We'll get through this!

Moving, Round 2

2011-07-25T11:58:00.000-04:00

Mike and I are back from our second round of moving. Last week, we moved Hannah. Boy, that was a chore! But luckily, we had Joshua to give us a hand and make the move so much easier. This weekend, we moved Joshua's things from his old apartment into the new apartment he and Ashley will share when they marry. We also moved Ashley's things from her old apartment into the new apartment. Two UHaul truck loads and miscellaneous things in various cars. But many hands make light work and luckily there were a lot of hands to share the load. Ashley's parents and her younger brother made the trip down from Huntsville to help move. They were a huge help as Mike and I were already worn out from helping Hannah move the previous weekend. It's always nice to see them, as well, and we had a nice visit while moving and Ashley's dad was nice enough to take us all to lunch and a well-deserved break! Our soon-to-be in laws are just wonderful people!

Today, Mike and I are completely exhausted and glad we don't have another round of moving next weekend! In fact, I think next weekend Mike and I will book some couch time and a movie marathon broken up with the occasional nap!

Serendipity

2011-07-21T07:00:00.004-04:00

I found this website by happy accident and what a great find! I spend hours looking at various things. Everything from beautiful homes

Kitchen of the Day

to funky nail polish designs for Hannah

Nails

to yummy-looking recipes

The World's Greatest Sandwich

My advice? Whatever you do, do not click on the link. Like a friend of mine says, it is a total time suck.

Whatever you do, Do NOT Click Here!

Yoga Pants and Mylanta

2011-07-18T07:00:00.005-04:00

Thank you, Lord, John seems to be on the mend. The doctors let him come home from the hospital and he is recouping at home with Mom and Dad. He has a very long recovery process, though, and I hope everyone will remember to keep him in your prayers.

Mike and I are on the road again bringing our children some of our furniture as we are moving soon and it will go into storage anyway. This is part I of MCMLXX road trips we will be taking in the next six or seven weeks before we move. This week, we deliver furniture and help our daughter move into her new apartment. Next week, our son will be moving. Then a couple of weeks after that, The Sweet and Beautiful Ashley will graduate from college. (Yay! Ashley! We are so incredibly proud of you!) Then Someone is getting married. And on and on and on the road trips go...

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we have to sell our van, continue to sort through everything making sure everything is ready to go into long term storage or with us to Israel -- and never the twain shall meet, I don't need 110 lamps in 220 Israel and I don't want my pots and pans in storage. Then we have to make sure the house is ready to rent AND make it look presentable enough that someone will actually want to live there.

And then there is the list. And I mean The List. Things that we are buying to take with us to Israel because after all we are stinking Americans and we like certain American things. Like my Keurig. It may be 110, but it's going to Israel with us. So I am buying up those little Keurig cups like nobody's business. Yes, I can buy them online and have them shipped, but who knows how long that will take and I want a big supply. Then there is suntan lotion. Yes, suntan lotion is available for sale in Israel but we have been told that it is very expensive. And anyone who has seen my complexion (think Mylanta) knows I need all the sun block I can get. Then there are the bargain basement yoga pants I wear like they are going out of style (Target) and the conditioner I use on my hair (Phyto 9) and the specific dental floss that Mike and I like (Reach Total Care), and on and on and on it goes. It's never ending.

The countdown has begun!

Get Well Soon, John

2011-07-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions.

Psalm 107:20

It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Wedding

2011-07-12T15:31:00.000-04:00

The Beautiful Wedding Couple.

They are so Stinking CUTE!

The Beautiful Wedding Shoes.

Maybe. I'm practicing walking in them. I'm more a Converse/flip flop kinda gal.

The Beautiful Wedding Kitty.

Okay. She won't be at The Wedding. But I had to include a Kitty picture for Lyle. I know how much he loves them. lol

Two Days of Culture Training

2011-07-08T14:33:00.000-04:00

Mike and I were lucky enough to have 2 full days of culture training for our impending move to Israel. The training was so interesting and enlightening it made me wonder why on earth this is not provided to every single military person for every single move. (Well, cost is the answer but that was a rhetorical statement...)

We spent two days with a PhD in anthropology who had spent many years in Israel doing graduate work. She is a fascinating woman and made what could have been a very dry presentation incredibly interesting. It was absolute luxury to sit with her for two days and pick her brain.

She started the first day talking about the history of Israel. Did you know that Israel has been at war 10 times since 1948? That works out to about one every six years. That's just incredible. We also learned that every person (men and women) must serve in the military with the exception of the most orthodox of orthodox Jews, the Haredi. We learned about a very interesting Israeli spy, Eli Cohen. We learned that there are many Israeli citizens who are not Jews.

The second day, we learned about surviving day to day in Israel and why all of the history we learned the previous day is applicable in every day life. We learned a motto of Israelis is "aharay" meaning "after me." Israelis can be pushy and because of this we need to be "nudnik" meaning "pushy." We learned that Israelis have no patience for political correctness or "dancing around the truth." They want the plain truth and will think we are trying to hide something if we are less than forthright.

We learned about secular and religious holidays and which are important and why and where to go and what to do on those holidays. For instance, we learned Purim (ancient for dice) is important in Israel because of political issues. Apparently, we should visit the ultra orthodox area of Jerusalem where on Purim the orthodox Jews will make effigies (a no-no... remember, no graven images) of Ahmadinejad and hang them like Hamen was hung.

The most interesting thing I learned is how important community is to an Israeli. How helpful an Israeli will be when I need them, how they will even mess up their entire day's schedule just to help out a total stranger, and how Israelis are incredibly generous and hospitable. This will be a tough assignment, there is no doubt, but I think it may prove to be one of the best assignments we have ever experienced.

What I've Been Watching

2011-07-06T12:52:00.000-04:00

Mike and I went to see Transformers: Dark of the Moon. What can I say about this movie that doesn't sound too negative?

hmmm...

*crickets chirping*

I've got nothing.

We saw a preview for Moneyball which looks promising. I don't normally like sports movies, but this one looks good. The other big negative for me; it stars Brad Pitt. I'm not a fan. Oceans Twelve. Need I say more? So, I'll have to think about whether I'm willing to risk my hard-earned money on this movie. If you like sports movies, especially ones based on true stories, I would certainly try this one out.

We also saw a preview for Real Steel. I am a huge Hugh Jackman fan and I am really looking forward to this movie. I suppose it may fall into the sports movie category, but I think it will be more of a science fiction-type movie.

And finally, we saw the first preview I've seen for the new Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. With the exception of the Mission: Impossible II, which had weird John Woo filming and incredibly looooong fight sequences, I love the movies. And this one looks like a good one.

(S)He Who Laughs Last...

2011-06-28T06:27:00.000-04:00

I have been accused by a certain cousin *cough* *cough* Lyle *cough* *cough* of posting way too many pictures of my cat. In fact, I believe his words were something to the effect that my cat should have her own FaceBook page. Well, (not so) unnamed cousin, I happen to think there is a market for that. Ever heard of LolCats??? Huh??? Who's laughing now???

Besides, all my babies have flown the nest and she's all I have. *sniff*

So this is what Annie and I have been up to this last week.

We've watched a lot of the Casey Anthony trial. Annie thinks she's guilty but hopes she gets a fair trial. I prefer to reserve my unbiased opinion until the outcome of the trial. But then, Annie is more opinionated than I am.

We've done a little lounging around on the couch. It's our favorite place to watch movies.

And we've stayed cool in the house with the unbearable heat we have had lately. This is Annie's new favorite spot.

What I've Been Watching

2011-06-27T11:13:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend, I watched Mrs Brown. It is a good movie that I enjoyed - not great but pretty good. It has Judy Dench who is fabulous, of course. I wouldn't expect her to be anything less than amazing. She plays Queen Elizabeth in the period after her husband Prince Albert dies. Any anglophile will appreciate the beautiful countryside in which the movie is set and much of it takes place in Scotland. For those of you who like Judy Dench in As Time Goes By, Geoffrey Palmer who plays Lionel is in this movie alongside Judy Dench. He plays some sort personal assistant to Queen Elizabeth and is also just amazing as a court schemer who also seems genuinely fond of Queen Elizabeth. Billy Connolly plays John Brown who is a former servant of Prince Albert at Balmoral. Queen Elizabeth brings him into her own household as a reminder of her beloved Prince Albert and she develops a close relationship with him. A big surprise in the movie is the sudden appearance of Gerard Butler who plays Billy Connolly's brother or cousin. I read that this is his first movie and he is just great in it. And, for all those Gerard Butler fans, there is a nude scene! I definitely recommend the movie.

This weekend, I also saw a movie recommended by Mike's Hebrew instructor, Walk on Water. It is an Israeli movie filmed mostly in English but with large portions in Hebrew with subtitles and a small portion in German with subtitles. It takes place for the most part in Israel and takes the viewer on a tour of Israel with stops in Tel Aviv, Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea. The views are spectacular and as someone soon on my way to Israel it is a great way to see an overview of the country that is not a documentary or travel video. The movie is about a Mossad agent who experiences a personal tragedy previous to an assignment. I liked the movie but Mike didn't. I wouldn't recommend the movie to those squeamish with subjects frequently present in foreign films.

You are Way More Creative than I am

2011-06-24T15:52:00.000-04:00

My tiny little mind is always busy pondering something and email addresses and their origin has occupied me lately. I see so many people with incredibly creative email addresses. In this day and age, it is so simple to create our own email address and, in fact, many email addresses. So what does what we create say about us?

My husband and I have the same email addresses we have had for years. We move so often with his job that our physical address and phone number change frequently. My email address is simply my name. If I could, I would have a FirstName@LastName.com address. What does that say about me? Does it reflect a simple lack of creativity? Could it mean I'm terribly self centered?

I find other people's email addresses so much more creative than mine.

My husband's email address reflects his love of his children.

My mother's email address reflects her love of cooking.

My father's email address reflects his pride in his military service.

My daughter's email address reflects her love of Brit TV.

My son's email address is simply the one assigned to him by the college he attends.

I have a cousin whose email address creatively reflects her full house of kiddos.

Social media Slang of the Day: SMH = Shaking My Head

TL;DR

2011-06-23T12:20:00.000-04:00

I'm a big lover of social media. I love FaceBook. I love Twitter. I love being able to watch the news, a television show, or a movie and go online and see what other people have to say about it. I'm a little too addicted, probably, and have infected Mike with my addiction.

When we watch Deadliest Catch, which we L-O-V-E, we are often also on Twitter reading the comments of others watching at the same time and discussing what we read and posting our own thoughts.

I'm watching the Casey Anthony trial online now and reading Twitter comments. I find it interesting what others are saying about what is happening in real time. On the BBC Radio Suffolk last night, even they were discussing the Casey Anthony trial and all the "tweets" (Twitter postings) about the case. In fact, the subject of the interview stated that most of the spectators in the courtroom are posting to Twitter throughout the case!

In this media, I've had to learn the slang necessitated by the 140 character limit of a text message. Now in real life, slang and acronyms drive me bonkers - just ask my mom or my husband or my kids. It makes me insane. But I readily accept its use in social media. In fact more than that, I really love figuring out what the slang means. It's like some sort of a puzzle. And I learn a new slang or acronym almost every day. My new one for today? IMO = in my opinion. There, we've all learned something.

And by the way, TL;DR means too long; don't read. Ha! Too late!

Happy Birthday, Baby

2011-06-22T06:00:00.006-04:00

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, you were made to be my man...

We're two kids hitching down the road of life.

Table for two on a TV tray.

Buckle up, Baby, it's a bumpy ride.

I don't need nothing when I'm by your side.

We got something that will never die.

Only God would know the reasons but I bet He must have had a plan.

I love you, Baby. Happy Birthday!

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. Psalm 32:8

What I've Been Reading

2011-06-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

If you love historical fiction like I do, especially World War II, then you'll like The Second Objective by Mark Frost. It's a fictionalized account of an operation that took place during the Battle of the Bulge. Approximately 150 German soldiers were sent behind American lines dressed as American soldiers to cause havoc among the allied forces. My favorite part is the hero is a criminal investigator... for the Army, but still, you can't have everything.

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal is a great book and a departure from the type of books I normally read. It's an account of an interesting case which caused national (and international) headlines when a purported member of the Rockefeller family kidnaps his daughter. Of course, he turns out to NOT be a Rockefeller but a German immigrant who has been living in the United States under assorted assumed identities for approximately 30 years.

Finally, I'm a huge fan of the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. I was happy to hear that One Shot is going to be made into a movie... and then I heard Tom Cruise is to star in the movie. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'm not a big fan of Tom Cruise, but I do like some of the movies he is in. The Jack Reacher character is an enormous personality, of course, a loaner, a former US Army officer, who is a one-man wrecking machine when it comes to sorting out bad guys. I don't know if he can pull it off. But I have to say, I'll be at the movie theater to find out so either way Lee Child will make $8 off me!

Yay, Yay, and Whew

2011-06-17T20:37:00.000-04:00

Today has been an interesting day. Mike finally received word that his orders are in the works again with an early September departure date. So Yay! He finished up his online language class today and will go back to Charlotte to finish the final portion of his one-on-one language class. Yay!

Joshua called today with the good news that his acceptance to graduate school is official. Yay! He'll be attending Auburn for his graduate work. I'm not sure what his major will be, something with microbiology I think. He has worked extremely hard and we are so proud of him and relieved to have official word. I know the sweet and beautiful Ashley is as well. They signed their lease today for their first place! So exciting!

And finally, in the Why is it, Part III category, my beloved laptop needs to have major surgery. Boo. I thought it was getting sluggish, but when Mike used it he noticed it was really not working very well at all. We have exactly the same laptops and his is not having the same troubles. He called Dell and luckily it is still under warranty and all the work will be carried out for free. Whew!

Why is it? Part II

2011-06-15T18:05:00.000-04:00

Let's add the internet modem on the blink, replacement cost about $100, with less than 2-1/2 months till we move. It's not like we can do without internet access for the next 2-1/2 months. And it's only Wednesday... Let's see what will break tomorrow.

Why is it?

2011-06-14T11:59:00.000-04:00

Why is it that everything is so stressful before a move? Why is it that everything breaks down? Needs to be serviced? Takes twice as long? Won't come in when it is due? Our To Do List is enormous. And just when we think we have it whittled down to a manageable size, something else crops up.

A few things that cropped up this week:
1. The irrigation system needs some things done to it. When the season started, the landscaper noticed one of the heads isn't working and a few other things.
2. The cruise control in my car decided it doesn't always want to work, so now we have to take it in and see what the problem is.
3. It is time for me to renew my transcription credential, which I did, but now I'm waiting on my new certificate of proof. They tell me "it could take a while, but don't worry about it, your old credential is good until September." Um, yeah, I finished everything early because I'm supposed to be GONE in September!

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

2011-06-13T11:13:00.000-04:00

First, the new news on the orders situation. There isn't any, news that is. We are still in limbo. Boo. It isn't like the government to keep people waiting. I mean, usually they are so "Johnny on the spot." Right? hmmm... Anyway...

I want to thank everyone for following me on my little blog. I am really surprised how many hits I'm getting considering 1) the blog is only a few weeks old, 2) I don't really talk about anything the slightest bit interesting, and 3) as someone told me this weekend, "There's just too much reading..." hahaha

I'd especially like to thank the people from India, Hungary, Argentina, Antigua, Chile, Canada, and Australia. As far as I know, I don't know anyone there and I can't imagine why on earth you would find my blog interesting but thanks for all your attention.

But back to my family and friends, the people I have in mind when I write, I appreciate you keeping up with me, with the good, the bad, and even the boring. Thanks!

My (least) Favorite Things

2011-06-10T11:26:00.000-04:00

Paying bills
Grocery shopping
Laundry
Sweeping and mopping

Guess what my To Do list looks like today???

For Your Viewing Enjoyment

2011-06-09T15:36:00.000-04:00

I just synced my phone and here are some random pictures...

I don't want to scare anyone, but this is a weird thing I do. I like a book I just read, so I look up the author on Wikipedia and find a list of the books he has written. Then, instead of writing down book titles, I just take a picture with my phone and keep it in Photos file until I have read all the books. (You might think I would conclude that last sentence with "all the books I'm interested in." But no, I'll read ALL the books. I'm like some sort of author stalker.) This particular list is Ken Follett.

Yes, these are my feet. I said these were random! I was shopping with Hannah and tried on a pair of super high heels. I wasn't sure if I liked them or not, so I took a picture to mull over later. hmmm... I'm still not sure. I guess I still need to mull.

And finally, this was taken yesterday. I was bored with a capital "buh" and decided to take a walk on the beach. Such a beautiful day! But the picture doesn't do it justice and is destined for the trash.

Guess Where I Have Been

2011-06-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

Ahhh... bliss. I got to spend a tiny bit of time with my two sweet babies. Hannah and I went shopping, of course, and we all spent a lot of time catching up. It's truly amazing how much I can talk, and talk, and talk, and laugh, and cry. It's so wonderful to spend even the smallest amount of time with them.

Unfortunately, I missed the sweet and beautiful Ashley as she is working her internship out of town this summer. Boo.

We have a little family tradition. On the last day of our visit, we all meet at Waffle House for one last meal and a final bit of family time before I hit the road and they get back to their busy lives. It's the small things that make life so wonderful!

I love you both and can't wait till our next visit!

Bummer

2011-06-03T12:10:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like Mike's orders have been put on hold. Bummer.

We may go on time. We may go later. We may not go at all. Like I said, Bummer.

We are in better shape than the poor guy Mike is supposed to replace. He is in Israel with his family, has taken his kids out of school, has sold his car, and made some sort of living arrangements at his next assignment, all because he was supposed to be flying out in the next week or so. Yikes.

So now we wait... Bummer.

I Love My Brit TV

2011-06-02T13:34:00.000-04:00

Most everyone knows I love my Brit TV. Let's face it; I can't get enough. Keeping up Appearances is a favorite and the ever-popular Are You Being Served? I love Last of the Summer Wine and of course Judy Dench in As Time Goes By. The 1940s House may not be as well known, but it was great as well. I've even passed on my love of Brit TV to Hannah who loves Dr Who (she didn't get the scifi thing from me!). And thanks to Netflix I've found two new British TV shows to love.

Downton Abbey

This is a sort of Upstairs, Downstairs sort of show set in the early 1900s. Due to the sinking of the Titanic, the inheritance of the estate is thrown into chaos. It is completely engrossing and touches on many issues of the time. I will be anxiously awaiting the new series!

I thought this was a miniseries when I originally watched it, but I found out it is an actual series. So Good news: Season 1 is out and is GREAT. Bad news: Season 2 is scheduled to air in June so who knows when it will be out to watch on Netflix.

Doc Martin

Doctor Martin Ellingham is a surgeon who unfortunately develops a fear of blood (bad news if you're a surgeon!) and goes to rural Cornwall as a general practitioner and the small town's only doctor. It is funny and sometimes serious and has the usual running storylines of British TV series. I actually laugh out loud and cringe...

This is a series and Seasons 1-4 are out on Netflix with Season 5 scheduled to be aired this year. Yay!

Speaking of Food...

2011-06-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

I found this video on Israelity, a site with tons of interesting information about Israel. I really want to try bourekas. It looks yummy!

Field Trip!

2011-05-31T09:16:00.000-04:00

Mike's Hebrew instructor has been kind enough to include me on some "field trips." Our latest "field trip" was a visit to a Kosher grocery store and restaurant, Gleiberman's, which is apparently the ONLY Kosher grocer in Charlotte, NC.

Does Gleiberman sound like a super hero name to anyone else? As in... GleiberMan! with a giant "G" on his chest...

We ate lunch and had a look around at all the yummy goodies. The potato knish was calling me but I love hummus and take every opportunity to consume as much as humanly possible.

After lunch, Mike and I bought tons of snacks... you know... to share. Riiiiight... share with our kids. Well, that's my story anyway. Here's our haul.

There were some Bamba, which I have had before. They have the shape and consistency of Cheetos but taste like peanut butter. Yum!

My favorite, though, was the Manbo. mmmmmmm... Yummy s'more-like confections dressed in shiny blue tinfoil.

Doesn't that look yum???

Books I'm Reading

2011-05-29T14:04:00.000-04:00

I've fallen in love with a new author. I tend to find an author I like and then read every single thing he or she has written. My newest find probably has a lot to do with our impending move. The author is Daniel Silva and he has written a series of books about an Israeli spy called Gabriel Allon. The books are full of art and history and Gabriel, and his team, travels all across Europe in search of "bad guys" and to protect all manner of "good guys" -- from protecting the children of a Russian oligarch from their father to protecting the adult daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to the UK from terrorists.

The first book I found was The Defector which is one of the later books in the series. I liked it so much I looked online to see what other books Daniel Silva had written and much to my delight there is a whole series. Yay for me! I immediately sought out the first book in the series and have worked my way almost all the way to the end, including reading The Defector again in its appropriate place.

I'm currently reading "The Rembrandt Affair." I should say devouring it. Silva's books are definitely edge-of-your-seat, can't-put-it-down stuff! I'm a little sad that I'm almost at the end of the series. Silva has another book, Portrait of a Spy, coming out July 19. I can't wait!

Someone Made My Whole Day

2011-05-27T07:00:00.003-04:00

Conversation with an elderly lady while waiting to check out at the register after lunch.

Lady: I just wanted to tell you I've seen you in here before and you and your husband are so cute!

Me: Aw... Thanks!

Lady: How long have you been married?

Me: 23 years.

Lady: (With a surprised look on her face) That long? I thought you were newlyweds!

Me: (Smiling ear to ear) Thanks!

Enough about me... Let's talk about you!

2011-05-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

I don't think the people around me, the people I'm closest to, know just how much I value them. Oh, I'm sure we all collectively know we have some sort of vague impact on the people around us. We are all familiar with the "it takes a village" concept. But when it comes to specifics, I'm not so sure. I tell the people around me I love them. I even try to be specific. But how valuable are you? How am I different today because of you? -- and that is YOU singular, the person, not you plural.

My favorite movie is "It's a Wonderful Life." One of the reasons is Mary. I am her, or she is me... When George wishes away his life and then goes back to Bedford Falls, or Pottersville at that point, he sees Mary closing up the library. Mary who was color and light has become gray and a mere shadow of herself. That is me. That is how I see myself without all of YOU... all of YOU singular... all of YOU who invested yourself in me.

The husband who keeps me from being too serious and brings laughter and generous displays of love into my life.

The parents who give me freedom to be me and don't stuff me into a mold forcing me to live life as they see it.

The grandfather who used to call me his "numero uno" grandchild. I know I wasn't his favorite, I was the first, but even now that phrase brings me sheer joy!

The grandmother who listened to me. I mean really listened. In a house full of people, she looked directly into my eyes and listened to my heart.

The grandfather who filled his car in the days of no air conditioning with a load of grandchildren in the blazing heat of Texas and took us 20 miles to the pool... then snow cones after... with a whistle and a grin.

The uncle who borrowed a Porche from a friend and let me drive all day long as a surprise 16th birthday present.

The aunt who invited me every single summer to stay and treated me no differently than her own children.

The uncle who gave me encouraging words of wisdom during a very dark time and prayed over me.

The beautiful, elegant, fun-loving aunt who asks me to spend time with her. Me!

The uncle who took me to B movies and hang gliding lessons.

The aunt who during my first Christmas away from home invited me into her home and showered me with much-needed attention and, much to my surprise, many small, thoughtful gifts.

The aunt with the perfectly clean home and the astonishingly well-prepared food who showed me what is precious is the people in her home, not the things.

The fiercely-protective aunt who showed me that I am worth fighting for.

Not to mention cousins and friends. I literally could go on and on. I could write a post about every single one of you. I am so blessed to have all of YOU in my life. Thank you to you all!

I'm Looking for a Camera

2011-05-25T10:01:00.000-04:00

I want to take great pictures. I need to take great pictures. Let's face it, there are going to be a lot of photo ops in Israel and my current mode of taking pictures, i.e. my iPhone, just isn't going to cut it! So, Mike and I decided we need a good camera.

It needs to be digital, of course.

It needs to take good pictures.

It needs a lot of memory.

It needs to be idiot proof (me, not Mike!).

And my own personal preference, it needs to be on the small side. I don't like to "lug" stuff and I certainly don't want to mess with additional lenses or flashes.

Can you just see me lugging this thing around????

Oh, and did I mention I don't want to spend a fortune?
So, what makes a good camera? What is good resolution? What is good memory storage? And then there is battery life, ease of use, etc, etc. And what about the ability to make video clips? Is this a good idea?

Does anyone have any good suggestions? Cameras that they have had a lot of good experience with and could recommend?

The World is Smaller Than We Think

2011-05-24T06:00:00.004-04:00

One of the things we are doing to get ready for our move is learning the language. And let me tell you, Hebrew is just as hard as it looks. Or is it...

I have been working hard -- okay, not that hard -- at learning the Hebrew language and its characters. It's complicated, let me tell you. For one thing, there are no stinking vowels. Ugh. But that's another story. What I have found interesting is the fact that a lot of words in Hebrew are the phonetic representation of words I already know. For instance:

פיצה

means pizza. It doesn't just mean pizza -- it says "pizza!"

While looking online, I saw a sign which read "Beergarden." It wasn't the Hebrew for beer garden; it said "Beergarden" in Hebrew characters. This is a revelation for me and could obviously make my life much simpler.

In my study of Hebrew, I've found many words I'm already familiar with. For instance:

Sandwich = Sandwich
Coffee = Cafe
Jeans = Jeans
Sweater = Sveater

I believe as long as I order sandwiches and coffee while wearing jeans and a sweater I should be in pretty good shape!

Keep up with me, will you?

2011-05-23T14:37:00.000-04:00

It's been so nice to be back in the states for the past 7 years, and back in the South for the past 4 -- I can't believe I just wrote those words -- 4 years in one place. Wow! That must be some sort of record for us or something! But all good things must come to an end... and it's time for us to get back on the road.

As we get ready to move in a few months, I hope everyone I love so very much will take the time to keep up with us, and to that end, I've decided to give this whole blogging thing another try. I'll try and do my part and write lots of posts and put up loads of pictures. I hope everyone I love so much will take some time and read and make comments and ask questions and basically just let me know you love me back. Because, let's face it, it is All About Sondre! (Robyn - That's for you!)

In all honesty, this is a tough one. Moves are difficult anyway, tedious, hard work, chaos, but we've always just packed up our sweet little family and hit the road. But this move, well, Mike and I are doing this one on our own. And while it's easier in so many ways -- no kids means no school districts to worry about, no orthodontists to find, no transferring this or that subject in school, on and on -- it's also so much harder leaving my sweet kids behind. No midnight movies, no soulful talks, no cooking favorite meals.

Keep me company online. Cry with me. Laugh with me. Go with me. I love you all!