Major "Surgery" in The Plumbing Department, Update #1

 Like many of our friends, we're redoing the bathrooms. It seems to be the home renovation for the 65+ crowd here. 

• widen the doors
• replace the tub with a shower
• get those non-slip floor tiles

In the process, we've, or more precisely our plumber son and the professional he anointed to work for us, discovered that most of the house pipes need to be replaced. 

This is ending up being more complicated and time consuming than the hip/knee replacements many friends have signed up for. Nowadays people almost walk off the operating table, and many are home the next day. While body parts have become bionic, renovating the bathroom is for those who like to break things up and play in the dirt.

This isn't a time to wear my hearing aids. You can't do it silently, though the boys who did the "destruction" worked quickly and were very polite. Honestly, I can't complain. 

After Day #1, we still have water, though I wonder how long that will last. There's also a working toilet by the front door, and the kitchen is still business as usual. 

Today's plan is to take apart the laundry room, so the "final" wash is in the machine as I write this.

B"H, thank Gd, a neighbor has invited us to stay by her, so I was there last night. It was so nice to be out of a building site. But as you can see, I returned bright and early to the computer. Today's cold brew coffee is waiting in the fridge.

More updates to come, Gd willing.

bathroom laid bare, stripped of tiles, sink, etc

container parked across the street for the garbage

Threading a Needle, Quite a Challenge at My Age

I can't remember the last time I threaded a needle to do some mending/sewing, but last night I had to take the plunge. The hem of my all purpose black skirt was history.

The skirt had been bought a number of years ago in a 2nd hand store and is of a fabric made to last forever. I used to joke about that, but the proof is that it has outlasted the thread and ribbon of the hem. Yes, it was that well-made. Since the hem fabric was literally falling down and "flapping," I could no longer ignore it and wear the skirt unmended/unhemmed. Last night I bit the bullet and pulled out black thread plus needle from my dusty old sewing box.

very tiny hole in the needle, but it was the needle in the spool of black thread

In my younger days, pre-reading glasses, meaning decades ago, threading even the most delicate needle was totally effortless for me. But then things began to change. To thread a needle, you need excellent vision and very reliable fine motor skills. Considering how very minute the hole in a needle actually is, this isn't easy at all.

My first attempts to thread the needle were far from successful. Having once been an expert in it, I still remembered a very simple trick. Cut the thread with sharp scissors, so there aren't any extra threads at the end. Since I noticed a little willowy thing, I cut. Actually I needed to try from both ends of the thread before succeeding.

Then I had to remember the hemming stitch. I don't know how long my new hem will last, because the entire skirt needs to be re-hemmed. Either I need to fold over, baste and hem, or I need to sew some thin ribbon all around the edge of the skirt and hem that. But, in the meantime, I can wear the skirt without looking worse than shabby.

It's a relief to know that I haven't totally lost my touch. I used to really sew. But to tell you the truth. Mending was never a favorite task. It's just not creative and interesting enough for me. It's like housework, which I avoid at all costs.

I Took The Plunge and Joined the Pool in Ariel

For two years I've been a member of the "Ariel Pool Whatsapp" group neighbors of mine have set up to offer and look for rides to the pool in the Ariel sports center.

And for two solid years I just couldn't get myself to sign up and become a member.

Every summer I take out a membership and go the the pool here in Shiloh, which is just across the street and down a path. The only complaint I have is that the season is much too short. Three months just aren't enough.

In recent years I've really noticed that my body deteriorates much too quickly and too much during the nine months the pool is closed. Each year, it's worse and never quite recovers as well as the previous year. Staying fit at my age is a full time job. Walking is great, but there are benefits from water exercise that can't be achieved any other way.

I must admit that I'm not a "swimmer." I don't swim laps. I've developed my own, unique water "movement" or "stroke" that I can do over and over, even in designated swimming lanes. I also exercise/dance in the water. I wear flexible "swimming gloves," which increase the efforts of my arms and shoulders.

The Ariel Sports Center is like a spa, with jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, fitness room full of "machines" and treadmills. In addition there are classes, pilates, feldenkrais and yoga. The entire building seems to be nice and clean.

Even after just three visits, I'm feeling better. The Shiloh Pool has been closed for three weeks. I needed the exercise. And while in Ariel, I can also take care of shopping errands. So, it's a win-win, Baruch Hashem.

Beach Day, First Time in Decades

Yes, that's me in the water

The other day a couple of friends and I went off for a very short beach day. The last time I may have gotten fully wet in the ocean at a beach was well over forty years ago. I don't remember much about the water, since I was busy taking care of my three daughters who were pretty small at the time. My strongest memory of that day was the awful sunburn I got on my back. It was probably the worst sunburn I've ever suffered. As a child, being the "dark one" in the family, I was never considered sensitive to the sun, so it was a real shock when I found myself burnt.

This week's adventure was different. First of all, it's part of my:

• Why not? Let's do it.
• If not now, when?
• Take advantage of every opportunity.
• Live it up...
• Pleasures of retirement. 
• Etcetera...

We had a full day together starting with our weekly Tanach, Bible studies, then lunch in IKEA, my first visit there. For ages, I've been calling myself: 

"Probably The Only Person Who Has Never Been To IKEA." 

Now my husband is the sole holder of that title. And since he doesn't like shopping, he may hold it even longer than Queen Elizabeth has held hers.

IKEA was chosen as the lunch venue, since not only is it strictly kosher, but it also charges relatively little for a meal. If you're wondering if I bought anything in IKEA, just a little thing to prop up my phone and some paper napkins. I wasn't even tempted by anything else.

Since we had guessed that the beaches would be empty, and we wore modest bathing suits, we went to Palmachim Beach. It was a good choice. The end of summer vacation meant that few people were there. It's also a lovely beach, clean and with all the facilities we needed.

We took turns falling, but I had no problem getting up.

As an extra treat, we had some ice cream. I must admit that I ended up tasting some of the beach water, which was saltier than I had remembered. One thing that surprised me was the oily feel of the water. I don't remember ocean water as oily. Please don't tell me that it's pollution. Since we sat on folding chairs, the same ones we had taken to Shakespeare last week, oops I still have to blog about that, we didn't get full of sand. I must admit that I didn't shower off before leaving. The natural ocean water was a pleasure after three months of pool chlorine.

The trip back to Jerusalem was without delays, and miraculously I made it in time for a Shiloh bus. Again Gd was good to me, since Yermiyahu Street was clear, and the ride home was relatively fast and uneventful.

"Joys of Retirement" for sure. We must do it again.

Life in the "Senior Lane"

Today at my mosaics class I was having a lot of trouble visually focussing on the work I'm doing. I felt awkward and couldn't see it the way I needed, considering that I have to fit small pieces of glass in all sorts of spots. This wasn't the first time, but it was the worst. My glasses were fine for everything else.

I began trying to raise the wooden tissue box, which I'm decorating. Working on it became easier, and suddenly I realized why.

MULTIFOCALS

Yes, I wear multifocal eyeglasses, and each "level" of the lenses is calibrated for different distances.

In order to work well with the sides of the tissue box, I needed to raise it. Once I found a solution, everything became easier. It was also better for my neck to have the project raised. I could sit straight and be more relaxed. I felt stress free. Next time I do a project like that, I'll have to bring something, so working on it will be more comfortable.

Living it Up in Retirement, New Life

As many of you must know by now, I'm retired, and I'm having great fun. For the very first time in my life I'm enjoying "school." I'm studying in two different places, Matan and the senior citizens program in Ofra.

One of the extra enjoyable "bonuses" in the Ofra program is our interaction with the students. We study in the girls high school. I like to say that we're a three generation family in the school, since two of my daughters are graduates, I have granddaughters studying there and now, so am I.

Today we heard a presentation by girls studying graphic arts about how they designed the logo for our program.

It has an "eye-catching" wise owl look, which really grabs attention and honors our wisdom. The large Hebrew writing says:

מועד ג
moed gimel (3)
"third chance*"

Followed by:

כיתת וותיקים
kitat vattikim
senior citizens class

The girls chose the gold color for the phrase "golden age," which as you know is one of the euphemisms for the elderly.

We had a wonderful time looking at the graphics exhibit about the special programs in the high school of which ours is one.

*moed is a testing time, and usually there are two, moed alef (1) and moed bet (2.) A euphemism for post-retirement is the "third" stage of life, which is alluded to in the logo's moed gimel.

Oy, Nobody's Immune

I had great plans for tonight. It was a chance to mark off yet another dream from my Bucket List. I was going to audition to be in a play. I don't think I had been in a play since some Hebrew School Purim play in the Oakland Jewish Center, Bayside, NY, when I was about eleven. I had a small role  which included a solo sung to Queen Esther, which had words something like:

"Oh, Ester lovely queen
Go pray before your king
and plead our Jewish cause
... cruel Haman's Laws"

The Women’s Performance Community of Jerusalem will be putting on a play in a few months, “HIDDEN – The Secret Jews of Spain."



And I was hoping to be in it. OK, just a small role, but now it doesn't look like a good idea. So, I canceled my audition slot.

Why? You're probably wondering. The truth is that my hip has been giving me trouble, so I'm afraid to commit and wary about having to dance to choreography not suited to my body. Too much standing isn't good for me either. In addition, the traveling isn't easy, but I would have made that work. Maybe they'll let me get involved later on, in a way that would allow me to get on stage for the finale, all costumed and sing with everyone... Gd willing.