Nesting

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What a difference from last week! I was really glad I went to the emergency room last Sunday night because, otherwise, I would have worried about the pain in my left shoulder and arm all week. It was a lot easier when I couldn’t find a comfortable spot while sleeping to know that it was muscle pain keeping me awake. Last night was the first night that I wasn’t awakened by the pain and I can feel that it is dissipating a little more every day.

Saul and I both suffered from overdoing everything these last two weeks since Thanksgiving. His joints suffer when he eats too much salt and retains fluids. My stomach suffers when I eat things like pickles and chocolate. We have both been very conscientious this week and both of us are beginning to feel dramatically healthier. We have unfortunately discovered that, at this age, a few days of falling off the wagon and a worrisome downward spiral begins to develop.

The weather was rainy and cold most of the week—a good time for nesting. Saul enjoyed his finals week, finishing up everything, including grades, for the semester last Thursday. During the week he cooked pancakes for his students at Chestnut Hill College, a college tradition, and attended some meetings and celebrations. I didn’t mind hanging around the house, cooking and baking. I like my nest a lot.

Friday, Larry had a Masonic funeral to attend and did not join us for dinner. Only Beth joined us for Shabbat dinner and was so tired out by her week that she was especially delighted that her nest is right next door. Dinner was homemade challah, chicken soup with Saul’s delightful dumplings, smoked turkey, kohlrabi coleslaw, black and white rice, and pareve chocolate mousse crepes. We had the peace of knowing that Ari had returned safely (and triumphantly) from his business trip to Austin, Texas, when we fell asleep that night.

Ken stayed with Mom while we attended services at Melrose B’nai Israel-Emanu El on Saturday. Rabbi Addison spoke again about the necessity for Jacob to absorb those characteristics of Esau that were distasteful to him as a child in order to grow as a person, to develop compassion and understanding of others to enable him to make peace with his brother. When we arrived home, we had a leisurely lunch of leftovers and took a long Shabbat nap—very restorative. Saturday evening, while Saul made some more bread pudding for Mom and watched t.v., I tried to catch up with my computer work and did some blogging. We slept late on Sunday morning. Beth agreed to come over for a couple of hours to stay with Mom so that we could shop together to finish gathering everything we need to prepare a new members dinner for about 100 people next Friday at the synagogue.

Mark, Saul’s cousin Shira’s husband, sent us some photos from Saul’s cousin, Eliezar’s, 60th birthday party this past weekend. I can’t believe how old we are all becoming! The last time we actually visited them in Israel was in 1990. Back then, we were middle aged. We all look like we remember our parents looking, now.

Last night and this morning I was able to make the final tweaks to my publication so that it is ready to go to print. Tonight, the family is coming here for pizza and cookie swap. Tomorrow and for the next three days, everything will be about getting the dinner together. Various congregants have agreed to stay with Mom. I hope the weather will be nice and that Mom will be up to joining us there for dinner on Friday. Last year, there was a warm and wonderful atmosphere and ambiance to this dinner. I hope I can help duplicate that feeling again this time.