Darn that Dude

We are, BH in the throes of the rainiest month in Israel. Cue: The Dude

For those of you who don't know what a "Dood Shemesh" is, it's a water tank that heats the water for the whole house from solar energy. For the most part, in a ridiculously hot climate, this is a fine idea. But for the month and a half of not much sun outside, there is not hot water to be had unless you turn it on manually. And for some reason we can't seem to remember to turn on the hot water "dude" in enough time to get us hot water for showers. Or baths. Or washing dishes. And it's really, really annoying.

TPH and I are in the passionate midst of the Dance of the Dude, and it's not romantic. It's kind of like the heat in R; I turn it on, he turns it off. I sneak back upstairs and turn it on, he makes some pretense of going upstairs, and turns it off.

Otherwise, this was a great week for us, BH and I was telling my local SIL that I am feeling good, felling settled. We're still a far way from all the way there, but we'll take each small victory as it comes.

We found and finalized a Gan for N next year, and I am so happy with the teacher and the place. We even recommended it to my SIL and my niece will be joining him next year, too! Then came even better news...A got accepted to the Middle School that he really wanted to get into! We've been worrying and ringing our hands, especially because some classmates got their acceptance letters last week, and some still haven't. But BH, he was smiling ear to ear. It was the first time he actually had to apply to somewhere and have that feeling of "Did I really try my best, because suddenly, these things matter!". I've decided that these are good things for a 6th grade boy to think about. Yes, school counts. Yes, effort matters.

So, between the two schools and the new apartment, we are starting to feel like things are falling into place. Granted we have to actually move into the new apartment, but hey, we're getting there.

Now, if only I could get a hot shower.

Mazel Tov SM and EM!

We get a Mazel Tov! My brother "SM" got engaged to an amazing, sweet, beautiful and wonderfully kind and sensitive girl, with great priorities. (Did I miss anything? What more could there possibly be? She really is an amazing chickita!)


And as happy and excited as we are for the couple, it's hard to be so far away. BH we at least know her, so that makes it much easier. IY"H some of us will make it for the wedding, but so begins the next string of smachot that we'll be absent for :(. Needless to say, the past day or two I've been feeling kind of distant. 


Then Hashem sent me something to make me smile tonight, a reminder . BAW was saying Shema and doing the bedtime rituals when he urgently called me upstairs. I dropped everything and ran up, worried. He was laying in bed with S and R and told me to listen to S sing his daily davening. S started again for me in a sweet 6 year old sing-song:

משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם, ותן טל ומטר לברכה על פני האדמה. אבינו מלכנו שלח רפואה שלמה לכל חולי עמך ישראל. והחולה שירה בת מעיין. והחזר את חיילי צה''ל (צבא הגנה לישראל) הביתה בשלום. ואת החיל החטוף גלעד בן אביבה שליט 

שיר המעלות אשא עיני מעין יבוא עזרי

"Mashiv HaRuach U'Morid Ha'geshem, v'tein tal u'matar l'vracha al pnei ha'adama. Avinu malkeinu shlach refuah shelaima l'chol amcha yisrael, v'lichol cholei amcha yisrael, v'hachola Shira batMaayan. V'hachzeir et chayalei tzahal hganah l'yisrael habayta b'shalom, v'et chayal hachatuf Gilad ben Aviva Shalit.

Shir Hamalot Esa einay...."

"Make the wind blow and the rain fall, and give dew as a blessing on the whole ground. Our Father, our King, send a full recovery to all of the sick of Am Yisrael, and to the girl Shira Bat Maayan. And return the soldiers of Israel to their homes in peace, as well as the soldier Gilad ben Aviva Shalit. 

Shir Ha'Maalot...."

How beautiful is that? These 6 year old boys are davening every day for the return of Gilad Shalit. I don't know who the "cholah" is, and would love to hear if anyone knows who she is. I did a search but didn't come up with much. 

So while it doesn't make me miss my family and the current simcha any less, it's just another gentle reminder that we are here, and it is good.

It is very, very good. 

Rain, Rain, come right away!

Those of you who are my friends on FB know that I take a special delight in announcing the never ending heat over here in the Holy Land. My personal favorite is the little cactus symbol they put on the weather sites to show that it's REALLY going to be a scorcher. Rarely has there been a day below 80 since we arrived here in July, and it makes my kids giggle that it's almost chanukah, and it's 83 degrees outside. They pride themselves on never once wearing long pants to school, and continue to insist that they are hot enough to stick with shorts. However, all kidding aside, we're pretty desperate for rain over here. 


Today has actually been declared as a day of fasting and tefillah for rain by the head Rabbinate of Israel. Due to the increasingly desperate state of drought, they have requested that anyone that can fast does. Arutz Sheva has all the latest here. So please, with the excitement of chanukah in the air, don't forget us over here, in the worst drought that Israel has seen since 1962. 


Keep us in mind and in prayers.