The true intentions behind the "humanitarian" flotilla to Gaza (May 2010)

Take 2!

Since I was in the hospital when we were supposed to do Nati's Upsherin, we've rescheduled. If anyone thinks they can make it, please PM me for the details.

Some humor

Worth a thousand words

What does the above photo say to you? What message do you think the artist was trying to get across? And what message to you get from the hospital that has this in front of their GYN/OB/maternity building?

Does anyone know where I could find c-section rates, by hospital, in Israel?

Crazy 2 weeks

The cliff notes:

Went to the hospital Tuesday, May 11th for 4 days of IV antibiotics for a month-long 'sinus infection' that wasn't responding to oral antibiotics.

Sunday, May 16th I had a CT scan. I was told the CT showed something and I was scheduled for surgery on Monday the 17th.

Which I got bumped from... and because Tuesday night - Wednesday night was the holiday of Shavuot, it means light rotation and they weren't going to reschedule the surgery until Thursday.

Tuesday one of the doctors recommends IV steroids to see if that will clear things up. It didn't help.

On Wednesday I'm told they will most likely do surgery on Sunday.

Thursday morning I let the doctors have it. I was tired of getting different answers to my questions depending on what doctor answered... it seemed like 5 doctors had 10 opinions and each one was reading the CT differently - I had a sinus infection, I didn't, I did but not so bad, I had a tumor and they want to biopsy and the best - the CT shows issues on the right side but my symptoms were mostly on the left side.

But in the mean time, they weren't sending me for more tests, they weren't changing my protocol... just jerking me around.

So they gave me a furlough to go home Thursday and I had to come back Saturday night for surgery Sunday morning.

Near as I can tell, they first had to cut away a deviated septum in order to even see the sinuses... so the surgery took almost 2 hours... all of which I was awake for. My sinuses seem fine. I go back in 10 days to discuss the results of the biopsy.

So I'm almost at square one with what my headaches are.

אחים שלנו

English translation:
This is what our brothers in the north see every day.

And this is what he hears...

And this is the view our brother sees in Netanya.

To frequently hear this.

And our righteous brothers in Jerusalem see this.

And these are the sounds/voices that fill our brothers.

This is what our brothers in Tel Aviv see.

And hear...

And there is another brother.

We don't know where he is.

But this is what he sees every day.

And this is what he hears.

It's been long enough. (Enough time has passed)

To return Gilad.

Been MIA

I've been in the hospital (Tel haShomer) since May 11th. Suspected sinusitis that wasn't responding to regular antibiotics. Went in for 4 days of IV antibiotics... that started around midnight on Tuesday.

IV antibiotics did nothing. CT on Sunday was inconclusive to I was scheduled for surgery (FESS) on Monday. Got bumped off the schedule. Because of Shavuot though I was told I'd have the surgery Thursday.

On Wednesday I was told I wasn't having surgery on Thursday, they were thinking of trying a new protocol (aside from IV antibiotics, a CT and 1 day of IV steroids I have had NO other tests or treatments done) so if I have surgery it won't be until Sunday... probably.

This morning the doctors came in and talked over my head (basically part of the problem is the CT says I have issues on the right side but the doctor can see and I can feel the issues are on the left side) and I was told I could go home for Shabbat but I need to be back Saturday night for the surgery on Sunday.

I'm still in pain.

So that's how I spent Shavuot and Nati's Upsherin is postponed.

Egg Cream Photo Essay

Cast of characters: A fresh bottle of cold seltzer, cold milk, a good brand of chocolate syrup, a tall glass and a spoon.


Fill your glass almost halfway with milk and add a generous squeeze or two of syrup.




Holding your spoon over the cup, pour the seltzer over the spoon so it splashes and foams.


The tricky part is mixing the syrup with the milk and seltzer. It's called an 'egg cream' probably because of the white foamy head that looks like meringue when made correctly.

Don't stir the milk. Put the spoon into the glass and with short whipping motions, you're going to mix it - keep an eye on the foam though and make sure you keep the foam white.

Drink immediately.

Coming to terms...

I'm pushing 40.

There, I said it. b'Ezrat Hashem I'll be 39 at the end of the year. My oldest will be 19 in August and has a somewhat serious boyfriend. She's in 12th grade but will be doing a certified daycare course through the high school next year in addition to taking 2 Bagruyot (Israeli matriculation exams).

Then there's the 18-in-August year old daughter who has decided to go to the Army when she graduates next year. Next week, we're making an Upsherin, b'Ezrat Hashem and the 14 month old keeps me busy by needing PT, having eating issues and 'failure to thrive'.

If I weren't so chronically exhausted, I'd say I don't FEEL like I'm almost 40... I 'feel' like a... oh, 32 year old :)

Hubby and I have basically decided we're done having kids and the next 'babies' will be grand...

So I'm trying to come to terms with that on well, two levels.

The first is from an 'end to my fertility' perspective. I had a bout of IF after being diagnosed with PCOS soon after I married hubby. Our Upsherin celebrant was the happy result of a year of treatments... and then a surprise spontaneous pregnancy. So I had the roller coaster of being fertile, then IF then back to fertile and now... well who knows. But we're basically done... although I don't show any signs of being anywhere near perimenopausal.

And then there's the fact that my 19 year old is dating... and all that entails.

So (and this is mostly for the ladies)... how do/did you deal with 'having your last' (and KNOWING it would be your last) and having your first child enter the dating scene (and all it eventually entails)?

We're having a party...

This is the evite I made for Nati's first haircut/third birthday.

I can't believe he's almost 3!

אני יהודי

I posted this a while back but this version has subtitles.