New Page------New Day

I just read where another athlete was caught taking performance enhancing drugs. I wondered what would happen to me if I took those drugs. Would I be able to put the dishes in the dish washer quicker. Or maybe I could read a book quicker. I already have a heavy foot when I drive, so driving faster would not be in my best interest.

I feel sad for the athletes . They still train hard, they still sacrifice a lot of personal time to get to where they are and they still have so little confidence in their ability that they choose to take drugs. Maybe it is our fault for making hero's of them.

What if we gave the same drugs to writers and poets. Would lesser abilities now become best sellers and award winning .We could pay big ticket prices to hear and see artists. There could be commissions formed to determine if these artist took drugs, they of course would say they thought that they were taking vitamins. Would we enjoy their works less if we knew that drugs were doing the talking. We could level the playing field by making it mandatory for all artists to take these drugs . I'll have to think about this while I laze around the house trying to get rid of my head cold. It's never too late to put a different spin on enhancement drugs.

A summer cold to me is like an oxymoron . How can you be cold in the summer, in Florida. Then how can one head feel so heavy and sinuses drain so much stuff. Who even gave me this cold ? Show me someone I don't care for and I will pass it on. I am willing to share.

Oh well, I'll get over the cold and find something else to complain about.

I won't complain about the rain we have been having .It's pretty predictable. Watch the clouds forming and you can just about time when they will open up and pour,for 20 minutes. My Canadian neighbor, when she left to go back to Canada, put out a potted orchid. With the rains , it has thrived. She left in mid April and that orchid is doing beautifully with no help from anyone. I have to take a picture and send it to her. At this rate, she'll be able to bring it indoors when she comes back in October.

I do have one complaint about this cold that I have. Coffee just doesn't taste all that good to me. I'm sorry about that . I'll get over this too. It's never too late to grab some tissues, blow my nose and go on with whatever needs doing.

This morning as I was walking Cricket, I saw two blue jays and two red headed woodpeekers. All in the same tree. I was wondering if I could count the two bluebirds as my sign . The sign that goes with stating my intention weeks ago. I had just choosen the wrong day to sight my sign. It was raining that day and I have to give the birds a lot of credit for staying dry.  I would go out in the rain , but the birds stayed where ever birds go to stay dry. Today was a blue sky day. The birds were making up for the rain that we have had the last wo weeks. It did rain today, but not on my street. That only happens in Florida. It actually was raining on one side of the street and not the other.

I guess I do know that seeing these bluebirds does not count . I will state my intentions another time, but when I do, I will take the weather into account.

It is never too late to keep stating my intentions, which can change, according to the weather.

Tonight I had a group over to talk about going on another Temple trip to Israel . It was a compatable group. I hope we can all go to Israel together. I always get excited when I think about a return trip to Israel. I know where I want to go, I know what I want to eat, I even know what I want to buy.

My favorite place is the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv. I could spend several days just viewing their collections. And they have a wonderful cafe. A place that I really don't want to go to again is Yad Vasham in Jerusalem. That is hard to see more than once. I didn't go through the whole exhibit. I couldn't go through the the whole museum in DC either. It is just too painful.

I want to eat street food. And breakfasts. My mouth waters to think about the Israeli breakfast. You don't eat lunch after one of them. Cheese seems to taste better in Israel. And there are many varieties put out at breakfast. In fact, I can't remember eating lunch after these breakfasts. And every hotel serves this kind of breakfast.  There are cafe,s for a snack. You do not leave Israel hungry.

And I know what I want to buy. I want to get some more hats. I happen to like hats, especially on a bad hair day. Last time I went, I bought scarf's. I will move on to hats.

It's never too late to day dream about another trip to Israel. Who knows,the dream might come true.

It can rain cats and dog,or more likely,slugs. When I was walking Cricket the other morning ,there were two of the largest slugs I have ever seen, in a puddle at the curb. The rain must have pulled them to the surface and they were just floundering in this puddle. At first, I thought that they were actually cat fish. These slugs were at least 10 inches long and pretty fat, for a slug. They had no scales, they appeared to have whiskers,and I thought that they may have swum out of the sewer. Weird and large. I had to get Bob to come and see them, then I went to Google to see what they really were. They were a variety of garden slug, not to be confused with a snail. I felt really sorry for these two slugs. I knew that they weren't going to make it and I was right. Later I found one of them ,dead, but not the other. I hope it got to a safe place, where ever that place was.

I don't feel the same way about that racoon who keeps getting into our garbage can. I don't want to see him dead, but I would be happy to have it turn over someone elses can. Or it could learn how to pick up the mess he makes. It is never too late to feel bad about an animal out of its natural habitat, but please put a bungee cord on my garbage can cover.

I have new music for my violin. I need help with the timing. I learned how to read notes pretty easily. But the timing is difficult for me. I can do the 4/4 times OK. That's just up and down, up and down with my bow.  Everything else is complicated. I don't know if it is because I have talked myself into thinking it is hard, or, if it really is hard. I am working on this by having my husband play the notes on his keyboard, with the correct timing. It's fun to play together. We don't have a lot in common and this playing together is a good thing. I've told before how opposite we are. The fact that we have been married for close to 60 years has nothing to do with having anything in common. But playing music together is special. He is patient and I am a slow learner. He will play a piece over and over for me until I think I have it. It is slow going but he doesn't complain. My violin teacher will be pleased with my progress. We have been playing duets and I seem to always finish before her.

It's never too late to keep working on my timing. I'll get it, sooner rather than later, I hope.

(Sorry about the funny printing size.Something attacked my computer)

I wrote an essay tonight for our Temple's monthly newsletter. It was about Yiskor

and the reading of names. I love to do research and I always include my sources. How could I write an essay and not give credit. Especially when it is about Judgement and atonement.

I am one who believes in asking to be included in the upcoming Book of Life. I am not taking any chances. There are still things that I need to do. I have a few more adventures to accomplish.I want to make sure that I am on the right side of the page.

In writing my essay, I learned a lot about the subject of rememberance,and charity. I thought that making a contribution to your temple was a new thing, a way to generate needed income for your Synagogue. But I learned that giving to charity has been around for a long time. It's nice to know that we are continuing a tradition.

I used to be told that I should leave when they are saying Yizkor because my parents were still alive. That may have been attributed to superstition ,where if we stayed, it might put God on notice that my parents were very much alive. Now I learned that it is a Mitzvah to say Yiskor. I'm glad I stayed. I always find the service so emotional. It always touches me. It's never too late to remember my loved ones , even if it makes me sad.

It must be hard to make good Chinese food. Living in paradise, on the west side of Florida, hasn't made it easy to find a good Chinese restaurant . I've been to 4 and none were that great. In Chicago there is a China Town. We would go to a restaurant that was on the second floor walk up . It wasn't particularly clean, but the food was outstanding. In New York there is a hugh Chinese community and my favorite Chinese restaurant is there. The place is always crowded, you have to share tables, the waiters don't speak an English that I can understand, but the kitchen is wonderful. Why can't we have the same kind of place here in Paradise. Probably, until we get a larger Asian population, Chinese food will not get much better.

But the food isn't what makes a good experience, it is the company . An evening out with friends makes everything taste good. Talking about food makes a good evening. Even as we eat, we talk about food. If you can't relate on a professional level, or a sports level, you can always relate on a food level. Who doesn't like to eat .Eating transends golf, bridge, religion,income and tennis.

It's never too late to keep looking for that great Chinese restaurant, but go with a bunch of good friends. It makes everything taste better.

I am disappointed. It is raining almost every afternoon and I have not yet seen a rainbow. I always look for the rainbow after a rain. People have tried explaining to me that you need certain circumstances to have a rainbow. I don't really care about theory, I want the real thing, the rainbow.

Rainbows make me feel good. When I see one, I want to share the view with everyone .

When we lived on the 38th floor of a high rise, facing east and overlooking Lake Michigan, I occassionally saw a rainbow. That was magical. I think that is where I first became enamored with rainbows. When I see a rainbow here, I usually have my feet on the ground. Never mind, 38 floors above Chicago or at sea level, it is still magic.

I don't know where I learned that rainbows are a covenent with God, but that makes sense to me. Who else could take rain,clouds and sun and come out with the colors of the spectrum. And notice how it curves. I keep looking for that pot of gold at the end. I don't think that it is gold waiting at the other end. I think the reason we don't get to the end is that it would be the end of of our hopes and dreams. It's never too late to keep looking for that rainbow because my dreams are attached to it.

Another rainy day and evening. I am thankful that it is rain and not snow. And when I go outdoors it is humid and warm and not icy and cold. I still get excited about our good fortune to be here in Paradise. I marvel how it can be sunny one minute and in a blink, the rain is so heavy that I can't see across the golf course. The rain has been coming down in a different direction than usual and hard.

If you are still, you can see little frogs frolicing in the puddles. And flocks of birds are settling in to eat what ever they eat. I have noticed a number of flying things that I call mesquito hogs. I was told that everyone else calls them Dragon Flies. In New Orleans, they are mesquito hogs. That's what they do,eat mesquitoes.

This rainy weather is hard on dogs. Maybe some larger dogs will go out in the rain, but Cricket won't. I don't know how she knows that it is wet outside. I pretend to be excited about going out, making my voice sound enthusiastic and I dangle the leash near her. She's not impressed.

I like the rain. Especially at nap time. A nap on a rainy day is special and we have had some good nap days, lately. It's never too late to not feel guilty that you like to take a nap on a rainy day ( and on sunny days, as well.)

I was thinking of all of the names of dogs that have been in our family, extended family , or belonged to friends .We had or still have dogs named: Mike ,Golda,Sam,Charlie, Charlie Two,Maude,Odin,Rudy,Berny(short for Berenaise),Tommy,Spot,Jake,Wally,Bob,Lola,Sally,Cricket,Rain,Inkey,Zeke,Andy,Keliph, and Kando.(Kando is the most famous.She has her own web site and has been featured on several TV programs.)

Then, there is Bandit,Ricky,Sunshine, Lucky,Jasper,Nickey,Poppy,Kookie,Sophie,Molly and,Besherit .

That's a lot of dogs, and these are the names that I am remembering. Mostly the dogs have names I would associate with humans. One thing is sure, how could anyone in our family now name a child after one of these names. It's a good thing that Jews name their children to honor a late family member. The exception is the dog ,Bob. We were visiting our daughter and her husband in Colorado when this dog kept trying to adopt them. They kept telling the dog to go home and I think that the dog said he was home. The dog, Bob, lived a long wonderful life with them.

I have no idea why I brought these dog names up, but it's never too late to make a note that they all give or gave their owners unconditional love.

I am getting much better. My violin playing has made a giant leap. It's about time. Things that were so difficult for me a few months ago are now a little easier. I still sound shrill at times, and our visiting dog, Lucky, still howls when I practice, but on the whole, I feel pretty good about my progress. My teacher says it is because I play in an orchestra. I thought it was because I practiced, but I understand what she is saying. It has given me a confidence about playing with others. It made me focus , it improved my hand, eye coordination and it developed both sides of my brain. At a certain age, learning a new skill can be intimidating, but age has its advantages. I have the motivation, I have the time and I have no pride. I don't mind making mistakes. Since I am doing this for personal satisfaction, there is no pressure to be perfect. It's never too late to take that instrument out of the closet and just play.

The world looks and feels better when the sun is out. Years ago, I got that dreaded phone call in which my Daddy said that my sister ,who was 7 months pregnant, was in the hospital in critical condition from lobar pneumonia. I was advised to come home, because she might not survive. When I got off of the plane in New Orleans, I thought to myself that how could anybody die today. It was a brilliant blue sky, the sun was shining, it just couldn't happen on this kind of day. Thank God, it didn't happen and she recovered and later had a daughter.

The sun has restorative qualities. It's like a nap. It is therapeutic. I believe in naps and I believe in blue sky and sun. Is sun an omen for good luck ? Happiness? I really believe that more good things happen when the sun is out.

I am caught up in sun because of the rainy weather we are having. I would be willing to share with those communities that are experiencing intense heat and horrific fires.

It is never too late to take a few minutes, put on some sun screen and enjoy the blue sky and sun light. It can be a good thing.

I've been keeping up with the Nefesh B Nefesh group emails, and the subject lately has been on being ripped off when taking your Israeli drivers license. Scam can happen anywhere. It seems that you need an instructor to get your license, not just a licencened Israeli friend to go with you. Hence the scam effect. And you flunk, many times over, so, each time you take the test, you have to have an instructer. So many Anglo's are writting in about this scam, that it has been noticed by the bureaucracy and that office will probably be more regulated.

Cell phones were a big issue for several months. Now, it is banks. I am learning a lot about banking and credit cards. Bank of America is very popular.There is some issue about having an American address if you have an account , but live in Israel. Just like the states,on your tax form, you are asked if your have a foreign bank account. I always stumble on this question when I fill out the questionaire from our accountant. I have $10 in a Swiss Bank. It was a family joke. I've had that account for over 25 years. No interest earned. Too bad. I still bank from Chicago. I don't know what this means ,but we used to have a personal banker. I used to get a birthday card, but not the last few years. I guess it's not so personal anymore, but I am more loyal than my bank probably is.

I also learned that when you see an ad for a three room apartment, it means that it is a two bedroom with a living room .Closets are extra . Landlords can be evil, so get a lawyer to read your lease. Especially since it will be written in Hebrew.

I have a lot to learn. It is never too late to keep reading my Nefesh B Nefesh emails, even if I don't always understand what it is all about.

This daily rain that we are having has been wonderful for our container garden. I notice that the grass is growing so fast that when Cricket steps off of the asphalt onto it, the grass seems to come to her belly.

A negative to this rain,thunder and lightening is that Cricket is so frightened that she trembles for several hours and then falls into a deep sleep. I have a "thunder shirt" for her, which is similar to swaddling her. It's supposed to sooth her. It does help, but she still shakes. At least she doesn't howl. Our late , great Wally howled during thunder and lightening storms. Which was pretty funny, considering that Wally was ,in appearance, such a manly dog.

This week we will have our favorite doggy house guest. Lucky will be with us for a few days, while his family moves to their new home. I bring him up because Lucky howls when I play my violin and  I  was wondering what he will do when we have more of this lightening and thunder while he is with us.

It's never too late to start thinking if my lap is large enough to handle two shaking dogs if I have too.