It's Been a Few Days...

...since I have written, but I have a good excuse! It has been SOOOO busy, BH, that I have been collapsing at about midnight every night and just too tired to write by that point. So, I am taking the time to write, first thing this morning (Monday) about the past couple of days.

Shabbat...another beautiful Shabbat here in Maale Adumim! Besides the gorgeous weather in the evening and the scrumptious meals we ate out, there were a couple of things that really struck me over Shabbat. In the afternoon, just before Mincha, I went a little early to go sit and learn in the Shul. On my way, I was struck by how many dozens and dozens of young children there are here! It was such a beautiful sight to behold. I actually said to myself, outloud, I wish President Obama were here to see this! (And my next thought was that I wish all of you reading this were here to see it, as well!)

The next thing that struck me was the scene I saw upon entering the Bet Kenesset. One hour before Mincha, there was a father-son learning session. I KNEW this was going on and (wrongly) assumed that I would see a handful of fathers and sons. Imagine my shock when I walked in to see at least 100 fathers/sons learning in Bet Midrash style learning. The ages ranged from 3 years old to teenage years. I was amazed at was a Torah-basd community we had joined, BH!

Every Friday night between Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv, there is a speaker. The speaker is chosen the week before from the members or attendees. This coming Friday night (Shabbat Chazon) will be my turn already. I am looking forward to sharing a (brief) Dvar Torah and will let you know how it goes (obviously, it will be in Ivrit).

SUNDAY...a VERY busy day. Both Andy and I had busy days for different reasons. I traveled to a city near the airport called Or Yehuda for a job interview. The trip was VERY long, but apparently worthwhile, as I will soon find out, I hope. More on that possibility in the near future. But to get there, I had to go to Yerushalayim, then to Tel Aviv then to Or Yehudah. We lost about 30 minutes on the way to T.A. due to a car accident.

In the house, Andy had the guy from the stove company out to hook up our stove. It got all hooked up, and then he when he went to put in the grates/shelves. Hmmmm...no grates/shelves. Where are they?? Long story short, they are sitting in the Mall here in Maale Adumim in one of the branches of the stores where we bought the stove! So...we will get those today. The gas (for the stove top) will not be turned on till Thursday...Hey, we are getting closer every day!!!

Someone also came to measure for our shower and bathtub doors and was in and out in a jiffy (Hope he measure right).

WE HAVE AIR CONDITIONING!! In what was yet another group of people trapsing through our home, we got both the upstairs and downstairs fixed, and we are good to go!

After returning from Or Yehuda, I proceeded to finish the first 5 (of 12) bookcases, setting them up and putting Sefarim on them. Once I have emptied the area of boxes of Sefarim, I will build the next set of cases and put THEM where the boxes of Sefarim were before. It truly is like one giant jigsaw puzzle.

So, off to begin my day and write a proposal for the job possibilty I have. Then, back to the bookcases and loading of Sefarim. By the way, before you pity me too much for all of this work, consider where I am while writing this: I am sitting on the baclony/mirpesset outside my bedroom looking at some of the most beautiful mountains AND in the direction where I see the area where the Jews waited to cross the Jordan when coming in to Israel. Not bad, eh?