So many months into Covid now, and probably so many more to go unfortunately.
Just missing getting out and down to Florida for a little vacation.
The palm trees. The sun. The beach. A little fun.
This isn’t forever, right?
Hopefully, let’s pray, Covid will be over and we can live again in freedom and without fear of contagion every moment of every day, day, day. 😉
(Credit Photo of artwork: Andy Blumenthal)
What a cute little dog.
Little fur ball.
Ready to play.
Love for the family.
A companion and friend.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
This figurine is pretty funny to me.
It reminds of a childhood friend who was a fighter type.
Whenever somebody got on his nerves, he would bellow out in his machismo way:
I kill your whole family with one punch!
Honestly, it wasn’t all that scary a threat even as it echoed.
But it was comical when everyone else would mimic the saying at the slightest annoyance.
Kids are people too, wakadoo wakadoo! 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
There is an old adage that:
The enemy of my enemy is my friend
Both bacteria and viruses are enemies of people in that they often make us sick.
If they can make us sick, why can’t they be used to fight and make each other sick (i.e. destroy each other).
Thus, bacteria can be our friend, if we use them to destroy viruses, like Coronavirus.
Why can’t we create a “virus-eating bacteria” (and vice versa “bacteria-eating virus”) to destroy these little monsters that are infecting and killing us?
Let our enemies kill each other! 😉
(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Great song: David and Shaul from Ehud Banay’s third album, ”The Third/Hashlishi”
The song is about the “bipolar” feelings of King Saul toward David (then the next king of Israel).
Here are the lyrics:
כולם מזמן הלכו לישון
רק שאול ער, קודר
מרים לדוד טלפון
A late-night hour
Everyone is long gone to sleep
Only Shaul is awake, cheerless
He calls David up over the phone
אולי תקפוץ אלי, יא דוד
נפשי אגם שחור
תביא איתך את הגיטרה
כי באצבעותיך אור
Maybe you should stop by, Ya David
My soul is a black lake
Bring the guitar with you
For you have light in your fingers
דוד בא מיד רגוע,
מתיישב ומכוון
את המלאכה היטב יודע
עוצם עיניים, מנגן
David comes right away and he is calm
Sit down and tunes (the guitar)
The job he well knows
Closes his eyes, he plays
עשר אצבעות לדוד
קצה כל אצבע – קרן אור
כשהוא פורט על המיתר
הזמן זורם לו לאחור
Ten fingers David has
The tip of each one – a ray of light
When he port on the string
The time is flowing backwards
שאול מבפנים קרוע
קרבות בתוך בטנו
אוהב-שונא, ומקנא
מכור לחברו
Shaul is torn inside
Battles in his stomach he has
Love-hate, and jealous he is
Addicted to his friend
דבר מה אפל נופל
השד חוזר להשתולל
סכין נזרקת באוויר
פתאום יש בין השנים קיר
Something dark falls
The demon is back to a rage
A knife is thrown in the air
Suddenly there is a wall between the two
דוד מתחמק משאול
אבל שאול לא מוותר
דוד שוכח וסולח
כששאול מתקשר
David is avoiding Shaul
But Shaul is not giving up
David forget and forgives
When Shaul call up
בוא שוב לנגן לי דוד
קח אותי לכוכבים
בוא שוב לנגן הלילה
שיר געגועים
Come again to play to me David
Take me to the stars
Come again to play tonight
A song of longing
בוא שוב לנגן הלילה…
Come again and play tonight..
בוא שוב לנגן הלילה
שיר געגועים…
Come again and play tonight..
A song of longing..
(Kudos to my Ulpan teacher, Rivka D. for sending me the video and to Izchak, my wonderful son-in-law, for providing the Hebrew/English lyrics)
Shabbat Shalom says the Moo Moo Cow.
Shabbat Shalom says Leo The Lion.
Shabbat Shalom says the Gefilte Fish.
Shabbat Shalom says the Long Beak Pelican.
(Photo Credit: Andy Blumenthal)
So I hurt my back last week.
Incredibly painful.
Difficult getting up from sitting or laying position.
Today, I was trying to walk it off a little.
One of my kids was walking with me taking good care of me.
We ran into a neighbor.
She was nice and asked about what happened.
I told her in brief and said how grateful I was for my daughter taking me for a little walk while I try to heal with G-d’s help.
She smiled and said how lucky I was (which I acknowledged).
I asked if she had any kids, thinking that she did.
But she goes to me:
I have no one!
I was a little surprised that she didn’t have anyone and how she said it.
I sort of repeated it quizzically.
She goes:
Well I did have a cat but she was 19 years old and I had to put her down.
I felt really bad for her, especially since I know she had an operation this last year and is planned for another one coming up.
I said that we’re her neighbors and friends and that she can call on us whenever she needs someone.
This whole thing just made me so upset–no one should be so alone.
I really pray that G-d has mercy on his children and that no one should be alone and that we should all have caring and loving people around us always. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So I heard this interesting saying yesterday, which goes like this:
Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother that is far off.
I looked it up and saw that it is actually from Proverbs 27:10.
Thinking about it a little, I understand that obviously people that are close by can more easily be there and help one another than someone else who is far away.
At the same time, I always learned growing up that:
Blood is thicker than water.
Family is family, and friends are friends. Family is forever, but friends can come and go.
Yet you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.
There are some friends that go back decades to childhood and they are almost like family.
Also, there are sometimes family that are disassociated or even “black sheep” of the family.
I guess in the end what’s most important is how we feel about each other, treat each other, and are there for each other.
Whatever the designation–family or friends–we need each other. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
This week I learned about the Three Levels of Relationships.
Level 3: Family/Friends
The highest form of a relationship where you are being authentic (i.e. yourself), you share deeply about yourself (thoughts, feelings, desires, mistakes, etc,) and you are vulnerable.
Level 2: Professionals
The middle level of relationships in which you are seeking to build trust and respect, you share some information (i.e. appropriate), and you expose yourself a little to the other person.
Level 1: Acquaintances
The most elementary of relationships that is superficial in nature, there is little personal sharing of information (i.e. mostly when you are asked a question and you feel comfortable answering it), and you remain guarded.
This is a good way to assess your relationships–is it a level 1, 2, or 3 and are you behaving appropriately within that, so that you trust, communicate, and collaborate effectively. 😉
(Graphic Credit: Andy Blumenthal)
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