A Weekend in the Desert

Well we are two days in and relaxation is finding a way into our lexicon, ohhh I think the spa might have helped with that.

But we have seen Debbie and Brad and had dinner at the YardHouse very nice and then last night we saw Leslie and Bill with dinner and catching up at Matchbox and then a little stroll through Palm Springs followed up by breakfast with Leslie and Bill and then a little spa time for Barry, Leslie and me.

But we have parted ways until next year in the desert and hopefully autumn in Portland.

My Wonderful Valentine

very often I say to the kids that I hope they can find someone who makes them as happy, content, and complete as Barry makes me. And even though I write this on valentines day he makes every day feel like valentines day.

When we first met 15 years ago I didn't know my life would end up being this great but my eyes did.... I know what a weird statement. But if you had been one of the people who knew me back then and asked me about who I was seeing you would have seen my eyes light up... I don't know what it actually looks like but I do know what it feels like and even now as I am typing I can feel this smile come over me and from what I have been told the smile goes with the eyes.

So back to my wonderful valentine, I am reminded from a scene from "Yours Mine and Ours" when Henry Fonda is explaining to the oldest daughter what love is really all about and it is very very true it's not the romance it is the day to day routine of living together. And we do it all Work, Family and just us it is the day to day routine that I enjoy the most.

The way we have worked together to make a single family out of his and mine and where we are not always together as a single group to often we are always a family and that is because of my valentine.

In Judaism there is a line from Song of Songs

אֲנִ֤י לְדֹודִי֙ וְדֹודִ֣י לִ֔י

I am my Beloved and my Beloved is mine

He has blessed my life and with that I hope we can set a good example for our children on how to love one another and then work on helping the world.

I hope everyone can find the someone to share the line from Song of Songs with because it is a wonderful feeling.

Why I love Timeshares

I know how lame... but when I think about what a vacation is suppose to do for you...give you a chance to rejuvenate, rest and go at your own speed.




So being able to have a breakfast (the most important meal of the day) that I like without having to get dressed or pay for room service (so this morning I whipped up a batch of scones to have with the coffee of his choice and my favorite tea) that is the first reason that I love timeshares.

The next reason is the space (I know some are smaller than others) but to have a room for sleeping and a room for living is great. Then there is the ability to have that any where I want to go, I know banking takes a little more patience and creativity but if you think of it as an adventure than it works.

But the most important thing about timeshares is actually and memory and a desire.... I know what a combination. My parents who I think were the first documented timeshare addicts (they own 6) use to take one of my children with them somewhere alone if they wanted to do nothing but the pool they could, go to the zoo they could and sometimes they would even bring the rest of us with them but not always but there was always room to be comfortable and enjoy where ever they were. Now I have no grandchildren yet (the kids swear to that) but I am looking forward to continuing the tradition.




oh yes and who could not like the view from our balcony as we enjoy our breakfast?

Losing a Child

No I didn't ... but my heart is going out to someone I don't know who has
In shul earlier today Maeva told me about a friend of Lee's who had been killed by a drunk driver
Then I saw Samantha's link on Facebook that she has become a fan of RIP Avi Schaefer (I joined the group also). Then I Goggled him (yes Barry has taught me well) and I found that this was not just someone's child that had been lost and that alone would have been enough to generate this kind of sadness, but he was more in a very short time Avi had made an impact that some of us can not in many lifetimes over Avi has touched many and touched them in a way that will keep his memory alive.

But I digressed (what else is new) from my original title Losing a Child no one wants to but we don't always get what we want....

Some of my friends have scolded me in past how can I send my children to Israel, not that we shouldn't have an affiliation with Israel but how can I send my children to somewhere that has so much terrorist activities? and then I think about Avi who was killed by a drunk driver right here in the USA.

So I will continue to keep thoughts of Avi in my heart and prayers and hope that my children will continue to go out and explore the world, follow their hearts and chase their passions because sometimes keeping a child close to home where you can continue to protect them doesn't neccessarily keep them safe and it will deny them the opportunity to live.

3 Long Months

I keep meaning to get back to blogging and then something stops me before I even sit down at the computer.... but right now I am in the car, in traffic following a Subaru with a parrot in the back seat...Bear is driving and we are off to the desert for the long weekend.
so here is my goal for this trip ...

2 entry's a day for the next 4 days ..... and yes this one counts as 1.
to get my draft posts finished

so here we are in out little hybrid off to the desert to see Leslie and Bill and Debbie and Brad and just a little married time. You know the Empty Nest will be here sooner than we think and we have to get ready.

So as always when I come back from a long absence a quick inventory:

Celia: has been home a year this weekend and she is very happy.
Nathan: is in San Diego riding his bike and I'm not sure what else
Samantha: is still up in Davis working with Masa and sharing her love of Israel with anyone she can
Morgan: is a Happy Little Golden Knight (University of Central Florida)
Ashleigh: is getting ready to graduate ( I know who would have thought this day would come) and...she will be off to Nativ 30....and then it will be just Barry, me and the dog.

So we have 85 miles to go and then I will look for some pictures.