NEW PAGE--------NEW DAY

Have you laughed today ? The question came up as the turning point in a very sweet love story that we saw at our Adult Ed program.(Elsa and Fred) I know that laughter helps you live longer, it's been known to help with the healing process and it seems that it can help you in love. I'm not sure if I do laugh every day. Sometimes, my life just isn't that funny. But I'm game. Laughing is something that seems sweeter if it is shared. Laughing is universal. Even if you can't understand a language, in my case , it will be Hebrew, with hand and facial expression, I think you can laugh about many things. Probably ,my Hebrew language skills will be enough to make an Israeli laugh. I remember sitting in a circle with a bunch of women who were meeting for the first time in preparation for going to Paris, France, to run a woman's only marathon. As a way of getting aquainted, we had to each say one word in French. I said "Plaster of Paris" ! That's how bad my language skills are. I suspect that there will be days in Israel when I cry because I am lonely, or frustrated, or scared about the decision I made. It's never too late to know that these emotions are normal and that I will look forward to having more days where I laugh and feel good.

At Shabbat services tonight,the portion included my all time favorite passage "God was in this place and I did not know it" .  I was thinking of having it embroidered on the neck piece of my Tallit. I just need to find someone to do it, or a Hebrew template for my very smart sewing machine. In the service tonight we read a passage that I hadn't noticed before. It says "That there is no way to get from here to there except by joining hands, marching together."  Isn't that so true. I don't know who wrote that line, or even if it is a modern translation, but I would like to add it to my list of personal metaphors . I could paraphrase that line into , it's never too late to get from Florida to a peaceful Israel except by joining hands, supporting a country we need and love ,because for me, that is what I am meant to do.

Tonight , I sat around the table with my family of choice and a few of their children and relations. The age range was 19 to 83. We originally came from at least 5 different states and a few started their journey to this bountiful table in other countries. What we all had in common is that we were thankful to be here , around this table, and with these people. I can't tell you that we discussed anything that will change the world or bring peace to the middle east, but we had conversations with different groups and it was comfortable, it was family at its best. How hard it will be to break away from this family of choice, but it is never too late for me to start pressuring them to come and visit when I do make this dream a reality.

This morning I read the Nefesh B Nefesh group email.Especially now, it is so interesting to read. People, who are making Aliyah in the next few weeks are looking for lift space. Lifts are large containers that hold your furniture, or whatever you are bringing with you. Some people don't need much space and are looking to share , paying for the space. It seems expensive, but I guess that is the price to bring what you feel you can't live without.I think NBN pays some of that cost. I had better check on that. Then there are messages from families asking for donations of long underwear and snacks for their soldier children who are at the front, awaiting orders. Another message is from a pizza palor that decided to deliver pizzas to random families as a token of appreciation for what they are going through. It sounds like a generous idea . One message was asking how to handle a neighbor who was using the neighborhood bomb shelter as a storage area.(You can get fined and jailed. I learned that by the next message). One poignant message is from a family who just lost a Grandfather. They want someone to say a" proper prayer" for him, since they think they are not qualified because they aren't religious. I wonder what happened to that family and why they feel they can't just say what is in their heart.That seems "proper" enough for me. It's never too late to feel a part of the family Israel and hear mundane things like packing lifts, pushy neighbors and emotional feelings of a lost Grandfather.We are all family now.

Thanksgiving is coming, Thanksgiving is coming.This is my favorite holiday. No presents, it's not religious,and you can eat until you drop on the couch , in front of the TV , in a food coma . All you need to have is a turkey and you are in business.Or, have good friends who will ask you to join them . You bring a dish of your hostesses choosing and you are ready to eat. The menu is written in stone, no deviations, no "let's try something new this year". It shouldn't surprise me when I hear that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day here in the U.S. Who doesn't want to go to their roots, if they can,and sit at the table with friends and family and just be thankful for being together.

I had a turkey tease today when two of us from our congregation cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner for our Senior Outreach program. Non of us hesitated to have seconds on everything.I don't know when I will be hungry again, but I know that by the time it is actually Thanksgiving, I'll be at the table with fork and knife, poised to eat that same meal, again, and look forward to having left overs of the same meal, again

Now I am wondering if they make a big deal of Thanksgiving in Israel. Maybe this will be where I start making my contribution to Israel. I can introduce my new Israeli neighbors to an American custom. It's never too late to start putting my favorite recipes away to take out when I get to Israel and Thanksgiving comes around, the fourth Thursday in November, on an American calender . Let's pray that we will all have plenty to be thankful for. I know Israel has turkey's, but where do I get cranberries.?