254

Tuesday

My new college students reached the end of their first semester. / Along with their portfolio / I asked each student to bring a conceptual "ID" / consisting of a personal object / that could reveal something they'd like to share about their inner world. / It was a very emotionally moving end of the semester gathering. /

255

Monday

All of a sudden / just like that / I find myself at home alone / can it be real? / I have the whooole house to myself! / A quiet and relaxing afternoon / I make a cup of coffee / throw myself down on the couch with a book / and enjoy few hours in my own company. /

256

Sunday

I decided it was time to deal with the Kinder Surprises that had accumulated. / Used to be / we were only interested in the Surprises / and it was the chocolate that accumulated / Now the chocolate gets eaten and the Surprises land up in a bag. / And who do you think got to assemble all the tiny toys? / It's all my friend Cigale's fault / as it was she who introduced us to this wonderful source of "tiny things" my daughter was so fond of / when she herself was tiny. /

257

Saturday

The eternal Beatles question: / Paul or John? / Roni's answer has always been / George! / So when he heard / Martin Scorsese's / "George Harrison: Living in the Material World" / had been released / it was clear we had a movie date. / Every one of the 208 minutes of the movie was spellbinding. / After seeing it my answer might also be / George! J  /

258

Friday

Outside it's a gray / gray wintry day. / Indoors it's warm and vibrantly colorful / just as I like it! / While I work on my granny stripe blanket / my son reads me the lecture he is preparing on dogs / I love these little moments of happiness. / ♥ ♥ ♥ /

259

Thursday

It was a perfect day with mamoushka and papouchka. / Delicacies were laid on a beautifully set table / followed by breakfast with fascinating friends / looking at the seventieth birthday celebration album I'd restored / and ending with the kind of conversations only the three of us have. /

260

Wednesday

Roni and I went to a manufacturer / my friend Tali recommended / to order the new wardrobe Roni had designed for our daughter's bedroom. / She has been asking for a new one for a long time / as she's outgrown the one she's had since she was 12. / For two weeks she has been reorganizing her bedroom / and getting rid of things she doesn't need anymore. /

261

Tuesday

Today I dropped by the neighborhood community center / to return library books we found we'd forgotten to return years ago. / This center is where I did Tai Chi and Pilates / where my children gave performances / but mostly we refer to it as the Library. / Hava / the librarian / used to phone and let us know about new arrivals / she'd even let us borrow new books before she'd covered them. / Hava is long retired / and today the center serves us mostly as the voting center during elections / and as the gas mask distribution center. /

262

Monday

The moment my back went / my daughter became a responsible adult. / Yesterday she made real chicken soup / and today she and her boyfriend prepared antipasti. / My question is / why do I get to believe in miracles only in moments like these? ♥  /

263

Sunday

I was just standing there / and from nowhere / came the old familiar pain / like punch in the ribs / back pain is back / and with it / pain killers / heating pad / bed. / Looking out the window / I watch gray clouds floating by / and remember O. Henry's Johnsy / from "The Last Leaf on the Tree". /

264

Saturday

Days / months / years / often go by without seeing friends we love. / Even when they live nearby / and we know that whenever we meet we'll have a great time. / Yesterday we decided enough! / Time flew as we talked and reminisced with Tammy and Yoni about / children / parents / health / and work. /

265

Friday

When I was twenty / my friend Gali introduced me to the diverse Patti Smith. / It's been almost thirty years since Gali is not with us anymore / Patty Smith though / is alive and kicking in my life. / When Neta told me she'd recorded / "Patti Smith - Dream of Life" / especially for me / I knew that my memories would be watching this documentary with me. /

266

Thursday

My family loves celebrating. / After papouchka's seventieth birthday celebration / I put together a scrapbook commemorating the event. / Over the years the glue dried up / the photos and the cards fell out. / I have been asked / very elegantly / to fix it when I have a free moment / which I did! /

267

Wednesday

For the last few months / my daughter hasn't been feeling that well. / She's been coughing and dripping. / Finally / our GP send her for an x-ray / and diagnosed / sinusitis. / The remedy: / antibiotics and decongestants. / A week later she still wasn't well / so he sent her to an ENT specialist. / Conclusion: another dose of antibiotics / and a repeat visit in a month. /

268

Tuesday

Today is tomorrow. / Roni Baba returned from Amsterdam / He open sesame'ed his suitcase / and surprises sprung forth. / Sweets / shoes / pez / a big Kimmidoll / who joined her little sisters / and much more... / Roni Baba made sure that my parents join us for the endives and cheeses he also brought back / I had only to provide wine and bread / a great evening! /

269

Monday

Today I received a "second notice" to pick up a parcel / from the post office. / Again I wondered why I never get a "first notice". / From the state in which I found the post office / when I went to pick up the parcel / it's possible that someone besides me / was also really annoyed with them. / The new "toc-toc-toc" magazine was waiting for me / now I finally have it and can relish it. /

270

Sunday

Today was Color Theory at college. / The color wheel / primary and secondary colors / and a short Bauhaus lecture: / Itten / Albers / Kandinsky / Gropius. / New names soon to become old acquaintances. / Draughting / coloring / gouache on paper. /

271

Saturday

If. / If only I was brave and free spirited / I would go to the Burning Man event in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada / where I would drive around in my spectacular vehicle statue / have occasional lovers / ride the topless bike race and do drugs. / But I am not. / The closest I will probably ever get / are the "Burning Man Voyage in Utopia" books I have / and movie I went to today with Neta / who's the perfect partner for this journey. /

272

Friday

Over a year ago / we discovered that one of my son's milk teeth had not fallen out / the permanent tooth was growing backwards / and hadn't pushed it out. / This led to surgery and orthodontics. / My son was miserable when he realized that his adolescence would begin with braces / and all that it involves. / Once a month we go with him to the orthodontist / Dr. Rosemblaum / whose loveliness sweetens the ordeal a bit. /

273

Thursday

Whenever I go to "Tatti" / our neighborhood delicatessen / I feel a bit like I'm at French "Boulangerie". / I bought a delicious black olive bread (only on weekends) / two cheese flûtes / a halva yeast cake / quiche poireau / and two bottles of Merlot. / Scrumptious!!! /

274

Wednesday

Tomorrow / as he does every two weeks / J. will come to help me clean the house. / My part in preparation for this "event" is cleaning the upper floor: / the master bedroom and bathroom / the balcony and studio / changing all the linen / and countless loads of washing. / Dusting the shelves in my son's room / marks the end of my part / and the start of my weekend. /

275

Tuesday

"Light and Shade" – Drawing on the right side of the brain / Today was my college students fourth drawing class. / Drawing each other's portraits / focusing light in a dark room / filling shade with black gouache. /

276

Monday

A busy morning at college / checking portfolios / and the wing inspired pattern designs / for the end of semester presentations. / And now the part I always have difficulty with / giving the whole process a grade / a number that will reflect two semesters of progress for each one of my students. /

277

Sunday

There're things / like mending clothes / I'm really not good at. / We have an "Albert Shelf" / and when there're enough clothes on it to fill a bag / I take them to Albert's workshop in Azrieli Center. / He always welcomes me warmly / we have a long-term relationship. / I give him the bag / return an hour later / pay / mission accomplished. / Is this not a perfect arrangement? /

278

Saturday

It happens periodically. / Today it started the moment I got back from the pool. / Mom... I want a dog! / I listen to all the reasons why now is the best time to get a dog. / My daughter: / "It can be my nineteenth birthday present / and the dog will be able to get used to me before I start army service". / My son: / "I'm a dog trainer... I'll look after him". / And conducting this ritual / "the boss" / egging them on / encouraging them / all of them looking at me / waiting for an answer... / 

279

Friday

I have a wonderful dentist! / I see him twice a year / it always feels like I'm visiting a friend. / It wasn't always this way. / As a child I was terrified of dentists. / My mother / realizing I had a problem / found a dentist who specialized in treating children with dentistphobia. / Now I can go to any dentist. / For thirty years I went to a dentist who / though very professional / reminded me of Orin Scrivello from "Little Shop of Horrors" / finally at the age of forty I switched dentists. /

280

Thursday

I am a bit picky / when it comes to movies. / I don't like / horror movies / thrillers / movies about social injustice / or tearjerkers. / "Groundhog Day" is one of my cult movies / I've seen it many times / and watched it again with my mother today. / The movie raises a philosophical question: / if I had the opportunity to awake countless times to the same day / how would I use it to live a fuller life? /

281

Wednesday

Sometimes I decide it's high time to see people I love / whom due to hectic schedules / I haven't seen in a while. / This morning it was Miri. / At "Zorik" / a colorful cafe she chose / we attempt to fill in the gaps since our last meeting. / The morning passed too quickly / leaving a taste for more. ♥ /

282

Tuesday

Black & White / there are days / although rare / that the moment I open my eyes / I feel it's going to be that kind of day / traffic jams / inefficiency at work / family stress / everything is tense / "After all / "Tomorrow is a another day" . /

283

Monday

Tomorrow is the deadline for our three journals project exchange. / I'm working on the finishing touches to my double-spreads / in which three final concepts were expressed. / I notice that over the years / the gap between my vision and its application has narrowed / and as always … I can start everything again from scratch. /

284

Sunday

My son is a news junkie / and loves being the first to tell us the latest updates. / He just informed me that Yaffa Yarkoni / our "Forces' Sweetheart" / had passed away / "Did you know her?" he asked / "certainly" / I answered / and showed him the "Children's Songs" record / that my father brought back from Israel for me / when we were still living in France. /