41

Friday

It's time to say goodbye / and for last hugs. / I dry my tears / and take a deep breath. / Shabbat Shalom. /



42

Thursday

After we were finally done packing and weighing his luggage / people started arriving / as is our family custom / to say goodbye / and wish my son for the summer / a safe trip back to Canada. / The sadness we all felt / was diverted by a bit by game playing. / The summer / though wonderful / went by too quickly. /

43

Wednesday

After teaching / I went to visit my parents in Herzliya / where I'd planned to meet up with my son for the summer / who arrived a little later / so we could spend a bit more time together / before he returns home / in a few days. /

44

Tuesday

This evening I went to Tali and Gil's / for the first brainstorming about my blog book. / We discussed / size / paper type / number of pages / cover... / I agreed once with Gil / and once with Tali. / I've a lot of work ahead. /

To be continued...

45

Monday

I photographed the day my daughter started first grade / and the day my son started kindergarten. / Since / I’ve taken a photo on the first day of school every year. / Today my baby starts the tenth grade. / I look at the photos / often taken under protest / "Oh Mom / do you really have to" / and my heart skips a beat / when I realize / I've only got two photos left. / ♥ ♥ ♥ /

46

Sunday

Neil Armstrong 1930-2012

One evening / in the summer of '69 / while on vacation at my Grandmother's in Morocco / she uncharacteristically / took Diane and me / with her to her club. / I fell asleep next to her / my head in her lap. / She woke me suddenly saying /"Talia! / look at the TV / you'll remember this the rest of your life". / Neil Armstrong / the first man on moon / floated across the screen. / I indeed remember / Neil Armstrong is woven into my childhood memories of Morocco / as a sketch from the project Julie and I are working on reflects. /

47

Saturday

I was first to bed last night / and first awake this morning. / I relished the thought / that after taking Nana for a walk / I'd be spending the day crocheting and reading. / But on opening the fridge I discovered / that there'd been an overnight adolescent raid. / So it's back to the pots and pans for me. /

48

Friday

I was in Paris / before starting my design studies / and went / on Papouchka's recommendation / to "Lavrut" / a paradise / where as a student of architecture / he'd bought art supplies. / I've since had a fondness for art stores / and can't understand why my son didn't want to join me / buying back to school supplies. /

49

Thursday

My new crochet project / which at the moment mostly involves unraveling. / Eventually / probably with Albert's help / it will be a pouffe. /

50

Wednesday

After teaching / I picked Mamouchka up from Herzliya / and we went to Orna Lalo / where she bought the perfect gift / after which / we had a day of fun together. / She's an excellent partner for a day in the big city! / ♥ ♥ ♥ /

51

Tuesday

Today my baby's home leave ended. / We dropped her off at the Tel Aviv central bus station / where she started her journey back to the base / leaving me with the blues again. /

52

Monday

The minute we opened the car doors / the irresistible aroma / hit us. / My daughter / her boyfriend and I / followed our noses. / Next time / I'll remember the golden rule: / Falafel / one eats only at a place one knows. /

53

Sunday

My daughter and I / spent a very strenuous / and challenging morning / redeeming a pretty big voucher / that was about to expire. / From all the many things I really didn't need / I chose a tablecloth / a tin tea caddy / and a saltshaker. / My daughter benefitted too / with three tin canisters. /

54

Saturday

I believe today / was the closest to / "Shabbat Rest" / I've experienced in a while. / Though I did / take laundry down and folded it / hang another load up / take trash out / and do some cooking / mostly / I rested. /

55

Friday

Today we are celebrating Roni's birthday / in the best family tradition. / Starting the morning at a cafe / on to the spa for a couples massage and cava. / Meantime at home / the children decorated and set up gifts and cards. /

I found that one of our favorite restaurants / had a gluten free menu / that would delight my son for the summer. / Unfortunately / my son came home so exhausted / from dog training camp / that we couldn't wake him. / I hope tomorrow / he will not be too disappointed he missed out. /

Happy Birthday my Roni! / ♥ ♥ ♥ / 

56

Thursday

As the sewing machine lessons for music lessons barter hasn't yet materialized / I went to Albert / who patiently / sewed all the pieces together / and Ta Da! / the ripple cushion for my daughter's room is finished. /

57

Wednesday

Hayim / the technician came / to service the air conditioning compressors. / Roni cleaned the filters / and I cleaned all the rest ... / the house is cool and comfortable again. /

58

Tuesday

Tomorrow / my students return from vacation / to an intensive second semester. / The first lesson is a studio class / in which I usually play music. / As my speakers are no longer working / Roni bought me an excellent / and no less important / beautifully designed / speaker. /

59

Monday

Gila and I went to the exhibition of the Japanese fashion designer / Yohji Yamamoto / at the Holon Design Museum. / A great way to start the day! /

60

Sunday

My son went to work at kibbutz Afikim's dog guide trainer's camp / and the three remaining teens went to see "Ted". / Having seen the trailer / I called Annicka / and asked if she'd like to see "Hope Springs" with me instead. / As usual/ she agreed. / Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep's acting / as well as the issue of renewed intimacy / touched me deeply. /

61

Saturday

I just came back from "Michael" / a play that received the Fringe Theater Best Play Award. / On the stage were five talented actors. / It seemed / that everyone around me enjoyed it thoroughly / but somehow / after fifteen minutes / I lost track. /

My daughter / my son / my son for the summer / and I visited my parents. / Mamouchka / the superb cook / made us her finest salads / divine gazpacho / wonderful spaghetti / gluten free delicacies / and a delicious fruit salad. / As always / the only thing rivaling the food / was the company. /

62

Friday

I've always maintained / that a mustache on a woman / with the exception of Frida Kahlo / isn't a flattering feature. / Today I put on my new and very charming mustache / and watched Roni preparing Shabbat dinner. / I like this role reversal. /

63

Thursday

On the way home for vacation / my daughter called / asking if I wanted to go downtown with her. / We started / at Nahalat Binyamin / Tel Aviv's textile hub / and chose velvet backing / and tiny pom-poms edgings / for the cushion I'm crocheting her. /

64

Wednesday

I could have frozen many moments for today's post. / Folding laundry / making beds / taking out garbage / J.'s housecleaning day / the kids / walking Nana… / I chose the five new Pez I found at our local grocery store. /

My son for the summer / told me this morning / that he had a gluten intolerance reaction. / He was poorly all morning / and later started running a temperature. / We researched the internet to confirm that the medication we had was in fact gluten free. /

65

Tuesday

The project Julie and I have been engaged in / for the past few years / has reached its last stretch. / All that remain are covers / prologue / and epilogue / which we will do in turn. / Today I packed it for shipment / tomorrow it will start the journey to Washington DC. /

66

Monday

We set the date / for this examination for a minor procedure my son requested / late in May. / What can I say about my son? / Beyond being smart / sensitive / generous / and gifted / he is also beyond cool / hamsa hamsa / tfu tfu tfu / (touch wood). / ♥ ♥ ♥ /

67

Sunday

The place we agreed to meet was so crowded / there was only place outside in the grimy / noisy / heat. / Few steps away / we discovered Mate / an Irish pub. / It was cool and dim inside. / As always with Eli / it was fun! / Only as we were leaving / I noticed the pool table. / Now I have no choice / I have to go back. /

68

Saturday

Within less than an hour / Rona / hugged us / unpacked the gluten free food she brought / discussed a logo and business card dilemma / showed me her finger knitted carpet / drank a glass of water / admired my daughter's latest shopping spree / hugged us again / got into a cab / and left. / Absolutely the brightest hour of today! /

69

Friday

I received two parcels yesterday / but only got round to opening them today. / One was the new "toc-toc-toc" magazine / and the other a postcard album of Nick Cave's "Soundsuits" that Julie sent me. /

70

Thursday

In Hebrew we say: / "third time an ice cream" / which means / third time lucky. / After two attempts this week / Tali and I finally managed to meet for coffee today. / Once again she brought up the idea / of publishing my blog as a book. / I'm wondering if it's relevant ... /

71

Wednesday

Today I received / "Grid Index" / a fascinating book / by the German architect / artist / musician / Nicolai Carsten. / As a designer and teacher / grids are an integral part of my life. / His grids are so geometrically complex / that at a certain point they become textures. /