Like My New Dog?

I think he's great. Only he's not mine. Mercy, tell me what breed you think he is.

Days of Purim

For several days I have been noticing a few people here and there with costumes on. It's part of the celebration of Purim. In class the teacher told briefly the story of Esther, and then told us how Purim is celebrated today. First of all there is, among the stricter Jews, a fast day. Then there is giving of gifts and giving to the poor. Then there is partying. Whenever the story of Esther is read, and the name of Haman is mentioned, they rattle these little noisemakers that look like clowns and boo loudly.
The wind howled all night last night and all day today. It's cold. But spring is coming, it really is.

An Ordinary Day

Another ordinary day. Got up at seven, which was really too late, hung out the clothes that I washed last night, left the house at 8:00, caught the bus to Ulpan, endured three hours of trying to stir up the old brain. Class is often a bit noisy, which makes it really hard to concentrate. The class is taught entirely in Hebrew, and not everyone gets all of it all the time, so different ones add their own explanations to their neighbors, in whatever language they have in common. On the way home we stopped at the corner market, as we often do, for a few vegetables. Then Al ran down a few blocks to make a doctor's appointment for himself and a chiropractor appointment for me, which didn't work out, but later the chiropractor called back, but he spoke only Hebrew and Russian, so there was a communication problem, but he had someone else call back who spoke English. That was a rambly sentence, oh well. Then nap and homework for both of us. Then I fixed supper, which was chicken and vegetables (onions, squash, mushrooms, red peppers, green peppers, garlic). Now I've got to wind down and go to bed on time for a change, which is hard to do when the going's good, and just as hard to do when it isn't and there's no sense of accomplishment. As soon as I get a chance I want to run over to the vacant lot next door and get a picture of a very red poppy that doesn't bloom when it's cloudy, which it has been a lot lately.

Wordy Post

After reading Sharon's comment about wordy posts, I am tempted to write a very wordy post, all about words, though I'm sure lists of words is not what she meant.
When the kids were little I kept track of their first words. I still have some of those lists somewhere. Some of Sharon's first words were book, bug, ball, baby, bottle, banana, bologna, and thank you. Caleb invented his own words, such as Howky, which was a sore or a bandaid, and Onna, which was a light.
My first sight words that I can read in Hebrew are I, you, he, they, yes, no, because, good, only, this, name, you, there, or, all, too, with, of, who, what. All other words I sound out slowly, if at all. One day I was struggling to figure out RVQH, and finally realized it was my own name. I still am not completely past the stage of turning a piece of paper around twice, trying to figure out which way is right side up. I must know hundreds of words by now, but it doesn't seem to do me much good. I suppose they are like seeds planted in the earth, that will eventually sprout up into usefulness.
Here are the words that I have overheard here and there and understood -- all, bus, direction, electricity, and-a-half, excuse me, how are you, help, want, hear, here, feel, hello, I, moment, no, of, good, simple, so-so, see-you-later, seven, thank you, tired, understand, good morning, what's new, goodbye.
Well, that's the best I can do in making a "wordy" post. Rather digital, I suppose. Odd that you can think without words, but you can't communicate very well without words.

Spring Weather

Spring is here for sure, meaning it's sure not summer. One week it's mild and sunny, the next is cold. It's kind of cozy lying in a warm bed at night and listening to the wind, rain, hail, and thunder. The thunder sounds close overhead, like the earth is close to the sky. In Indiana the sky is closer to the earth. In Texas, the sky is far away but it's bigger.

These weird statues are in a park nearby. They look like a man and a woman with bird tails. Two tails each. Whatever...

Spring is bustin' out all over.

It's supposed to be "June" and not "Spring," but spring comes in February here. You just can't say "February is bustin' out all over."

Almond trees are in bloom.

These purple daisies/asters grow behind our apartment where noone can see them.

Small yellow roses by the hundreds!

Spring Flowers

This anchusa, like a lot of weeds, was a nice-looking, though thistly plant until it put up a flower stalk. Now it's rather ugly, but the flowers themselves are pretty.


This cyclamen is, I believe, the national flower. It likes to grow amid bushes and rocks and comes in several colors.

Sometime I'd like to get a collection of pictures of lantana in all its different colors.

Mustard is blooming everywhere. This one was swaying very slightly in the breeze and it took eight shots to get one that wasn't blurred.

This odd little flower (actually only a fraction this size) is a fumaria capreolata. It also comes in pink, but I like this color best. I wish I could remember where I saw it, so I could see how it's doing.

I don't think I've ever seen a redder rose than this one.