My Trip

So, I am leaving to Israel this Wednesday. Scary thought after the latest bombing, in the area that I will be staying. But nonetheless, I will be going on that plane Wednesday afternoon I"YH. I am excited, nervous, scared...Etc...
You see, I haven't been there in five years, and it is due time that I go. BUT this is my first time I will be going away from my family for so long. I have never left the kids and hubby for a week! Yes one full week. A vacation!? I will definitely miss my family, but I do hope to take in the sights as well, and of course bring back gifts for the family.

But this trip will be hard on me. After all it has been FIVE years since I have been there. When I used to go every year, five is a very very long time not to be there. SO much to say, so much has happened.... And to go with so many people standing around...Is not what I am interested in...And then to meet with family afterwards...NOT the time I would like to see them. But what can I do. After all this is why I am going. It has been five years since I have been to my fathers (aleh hashalom) kever. FIVE years. I went right before I got married, and after that...No time was right for me. This year I decided I am going to go no matter what. I need to. I want to. I have to.

So, I hooked up with one brother and made plans with him for our trip. We will fly together and stay together. The family that lives there comes to the Beis Hakvaros for a minyan on the yarhzeit and my brother says Kaddish. Been a long time since I have been there for that. It gets harder and harder on my brother as he is a Kohen, but B"H my cousins help out and make it possible for him to go as close as possible. There will be a minyan of cousins. Cousins whom I haven't seen in five plus years, and who would like to see them now at this occasion? Not I! But what choice do I have? I would love to see them, but at an emotional time? I am not interested...But I will get over it. And will go daven at other family kvaros while I am there. So much for a vacation, right?

But, I am there for about a week, so only one morning will be sad...And I can make the most of the other days. I have friends who I have not seen in ages, along with cousins and places to visit! I will try to make an agenda for myself, and of course hook up with my sister who is coming in just for Shabbos and the Yarhzeit.

Any suggestions on what/where to go and see, sign the guest book and let me know. I will be checking it till I leave...

(chanie, you reading this? I updated so often...Don't get used to it :-))

IY"H by you

I am so excited! I am so happy. My friend, from camp, and we go waaaaayy back, just had her first baby, after Ten years of waiting. TEN YEARS! That is a very long time and it was worth it all for her just to see this tiny little baby, and hold HIM in her hands. Finally. A newborn baby to hold. And the best part it is HERS!

I got the phone call a little while ago while I was feeding the kids supper. The husband calls me. "Hi, how are you.." Then my brain registers. He never calls unless...UNLESS...Hey, WHAT's NEW? I asked...And finally he tells me. She had a baby yesterday after 46 hours of labor. FORTY SIX hours!! I had to sit down...Is she okay? Is the baby okay?? BH all is well and or on the way to recovery. Whew. A sigh of relief and then I go to blurt out the usual.

"I was right" "I knew it was a boy" I am so happy for them. So happy for my dear friend. A name for her father. A baby of her own. The feelings and emotions at this bris IYH, I will try my best and make the trek...Just for her...After all I was there for her by her fathers Levayah...And now a year and a few months later...A name for him..BH. I am so happy.

A full circle!

IYH by all of you...bkarov!

Sale
What a day. A metziah. It all started with my brother calling me on Friday on my way home from work, asking if I wanted a Graco doll carriage. You see, the carriage was on sale, and it was real cheap. I told him to take two for that price. Not sure what I would do with two, but thinking my friend might want to ebay it for me.
Well, all doesn't end there. He called me after he got home and told me the store was having a NINETY PERCENT off sale on Sunday. 90% off the entire store. HELLO!! Do you guys know what this means? Just move the decimal over one place to the left, and that if your purchase price. So what do you think I did this lovely Sunday morning. You got it. I went with a friend, and drove out to the city, NYC and went shopping for toys! Such a shame it wasn't clothing or anything else, but toys are good too.
You see this store is not your ordinary toy store closing up shop. This expensive toy store is HISTORY in NYC and Chicago, and in a lot of movies. It is sad to think that this store is no more.
FAO Schwartz. Gone. Closed the doors today for the last time. No more hearing, "It's a small world after all..." when you walk into the store. Or see the HUGE clock in front, or the piano that plays by itself. IT is all gone. Today the store was packed. Jammed pack with people shopping like crazy! And why not? Dolls were selling for a mere $2.50, Activity tables for $8.80, Fifteen dollars for a normally priced $150.00 item. IT was unbelievable. You have had to be there to believe it. I mean the bargains you were getting, the price you were paying, so little and getting soooo much...

What a shopping experience that was. But like I said, it was only toys and kiddie things. There is a limit of how much you can give a child without turning them into to spoiled children and overloading them on toys, dolls and accessories before they demand it from you. So what do you do? You buy all the things because they are so cheap and it you can't just pass it up...but then you need a whole new place just to store all what you have bought. I guess you can say people have gone overboard with the purchases. There is a limit of how many dolls a girl can have, and how many carriages, or accessories she needs for her "baby" or "babies". They make every real baby accessory on a smaller scale for the dolls. It is unbeleivable.

So another piece of history has shut the doors.