Safra-Knit

In 1990 I graduated from college, and had no clue what I wanted to do with my life.  I decided to spend a year in Israel and take some time to think about my future.  I went to Kibbutz Ulpan and then did a volunteer program in what was then the development town of Beit Shemesh.

While on kibbutz, I met a few of the non-Jewish volunteers; one from Alaska and another from Wisconsin.  These were individuals I never would have met under “normal circumstances.”  One was a dairy farmer, the other an Air Force pilot.  I think for all three of us it was a pivotal time in our lives.

Jump ahead nearly 20 years, and we managed to have a reunion of sorts during my visit to the US.  You might wonder what would a dairy farmer, airline pilot and a religious Israeli librarian have in common, but we managed to have a wonderful day together, chatting, walking around and reminiscing. The thought that kept going through my head is whether or not any three people could be put together and get along so well…it just seemed so natural.

I’m not sure where I’m going with this, but after 7 years of living a rather homogeneous life, it was nice to have some diversity. (But isn’t it funny to note, that all three of us consider Israel to be a central theme in our lives?)Technorati Tags: israel, reunion, friends

So, we’ve moved on to the next stop on our tour, and the hubby is here.  Just having him here has improved the situation. I don’t think that he is the only disciplinarian, but I do think that the girls like testing, so they do better with two people telling them the same message.

The  kashrut and shabbat issues here aren’t as bad because hubby’s mom isn’t as into cooking for us, so the grill is the only in house cooking. Also Shabbat won’t be too bad because there is an eruv.

I slept until after 6AM, so that helps as well….

Hopefully I’ll also have time to get some knitting done here.

Thanks for all the well wishes and suggestions!

I haven’t posted in nearly a month, and I’m in a deep funk, so I don’t know if posting is the right way to go….  I’m currently in Florida…nearly half way through my month long trip to the US.  My current thoughts aren’t very positive….

• My kids are treating each other more horribly than usual.  Not only that, but they don’t show any respect to me, my parents or any other authority figure.  I feel that this is a reflection on me, and not a positive one.
• Being religiously observant with family that isn’t sucks…no sucks doesn’t begin to describe it.  I have never felt so alone religiously in my life.  Firstly, I’m rather apathetic about my Judaism…despite being Orthodox, so it is even harder when I do "minimum" and I can’t get any support for that.  Shabbat with children under ten without an eruv, or with a semi-eruv….keeping kosher when your kosher dishes are being treyfd…early shabbat…how many things have I had to transgress for Kibud Av v’ Em….and even that is being kept up on a wire.
• Tomorrow will be gatherings with other family members, and other issues will come up.

I really need a vacation…from parenting, from my family…but within Judaism.  I don’t see it coming up in the near future.