Thursday, July 30, 2009

Props to my SIL!

B&N DbD display

Development by Design is having a trial run in Barnes & Noble! Very exciting for us! If you know anyone near any of these stores, please send them to stock up on any kid gifts they will need for the next year! If we do well, we expand to all B&N Stores!
West Patterson, NJ
Paramus NJ
Alphretta,GA
Mishwaka, IN
Framingham, MA
Cary, NC
Madison, WI 53717
Rockville, MD 20852
(plus 4 more we haven't located yet.)

Getting the word out

From Rav Yehonatan Chipman, grandfather of the child in need:

Appeal for Blood Donations

July 29 2009. My infant grandson must undergo a major life-saving medical procedure—bone-marrow transplant—in the coming days, and there is urgent need for blood donations, from which short-lived white blood cells will be extracted. Healthy donors with types A+, A-, O+ and O- are asked to report in person at the Blood Bank at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah: Sun-Thurs: 8 am – 7pm; Fri: 8 am – 1 pm. The initial visit is to give a blood sample for screening and testing; those found suitable will be asked to return one evening for an injection to stimulate production of white blood cells, and will return the following morning. Important: please tell the nurse on duty that the blood is for Erez Chipman.

For further information, please call the Blood Bank at Beilinson, 03-937-7023; Sivan, the contact person on behalf of the family, 054-467-6144; Ika, Erez’s father, 054-536-6101. Unfortunately, for technical-administrative reasons all samples and blood donations must be made at Beilinson; my apologies to all my Jerusalem friends for the inconvenience, and my deepest thanks in advance to all those who make the effort to contribute.

Please forward this message to anyone you know who can help.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Monday, July 20, 2009

5 + 1 shouldn't = pay for 6

On today's shopping list was laundry detergent. I don't have any particular brand I use, I generally buy whatever is on sale and has the most benign scent.

On the shelves today at Mega were two 6 kilo bags of detergent from Colon. One was labeled 6 kilo and priced at 58.99NIS.

The other bag was labeled 5 kilo +1 free and was priced... yeah, 58.99NIS.

No one was at the manager's desk so I asked one of the cashiers why they're the same price if one is advertised as being a kilo 'less'. She mumbled something about it being the company that charges that price and I should take it up with them.

So is the principle of the matter and a refund of about 10NIS worth the hassle I know will come by dialing the toll free number printed on the bag of laundry detergent (right above the line 'Kosher for Pesach and all year')?

And... if anyone (in Israel) happens to be at a different supermarket like Rami Levy or Shufersol, etc. and you happen to notices the Colon laundry detergent, let me know if they're selling the 5+1 free kilo at the 6 kilo price...

Thursday, July 16, 2009

With Netzarim at one end of town...

What CAN he be thinking?

Ah, Mayor Ron, this stroke of 'genius' may cost you the election when your term is up...

Sunday, July 12, 2009

What will this year bring?

Last year we were supposed to go to the US on July 15th for almost 6 weeks of a summer vacation.

A month before we were due to fly, I got a call from the landlord, telling us they wanted us out by the middle of August and they didn't want to renew our lease. Well, technically we didn't HAVE a lease, but they didn't want to rent to us.

Needless to say, we were all upset. The landlords refused to rent to us until November, even though we were willing to pay the higher price they were asking (we soon found out they were under pressure from certain Yishuv members to get us out of the Yishuv for reasons still unknown to us).

We had to cancel our vacation and instead of simply packing for a trip abroad, I now had to pack up an entire house. And find a place to live.

We were all devastated about the canceled trip and I grew depressed. And I knew that as July 15th arrived, my depression would worsen. So would my stress levels.

While all this was going on, my husband and I decided that after our move, we would get back on the fertility treatment wagon and go through the process of trying for another child. See, I suffer from PCOS and our son was the result of a year of fertility treatments. Of getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to head in to Jerusalem twice a week for uncomfortable ultrasounds of my uterus and ovaries and blood tests to check hormone levels. Of injecting myself with hormones until I was black and blue. Of having to arrange to be in Jerusalem overnight for the IUI because you only have an hour window of opportunity from the ah.. 'collection' to when the sperm needs to be at the clinic for cleaning. And the dreaded 2 week wait until you can take a pregnancy blood test. The only silver lining was that at 9 months postpartum, despite nursing full time, I had gotten my period on my own for the first time in 5 years (sorry if this is TMI). And I'd been fairly regular, although I had no way of knowing if I was ovulating.

So with the move and canceling a much needed vacation and weaning a child who had no interest in weaning (breast feeding can affect a woman's fertility) and the logistics of treatments with a toddler, I was severely stressed and depressed. And I knew that when July 15th came around, at some point in the day, I'd find myself in the shower, crying.

On the evening of July 13th, I mentioned to my husband that I 'was late', but since my cycles were always erratic, I wasn't particularly worried or excited. He said he'd go to the pharmacy the next day and get a home pregnancy test. I smiled and nodded and decided to humor him. See, one way many of us cope with infertility is at some point we accept the fact that if we want to have children, we need the extra help of medical professionals. The idea of getting pregnant 'on our own' stops entering our minds because the hope and then disappointment is often too much to bear.

It is recommended to use 'first morning pee' for these tests so I figured July 15th would be the day I find out that once again, I'm simply late.

At 3 a.m. The 14 month old woke to nurse and afterwards, since I needed the bathroom, I took the test. If I had known it would be positive, I would have waited and I would at least have gotten 3 or so more hours of sleep. I refused to believe the plus sign. I couldn't wrap my head around the plus sign. In a daze, I woke my husband up (sort of) and told him I took the test and it was positive. He mumbled something about being good news and rolled over and went back to bed. At first I wasn't sure if he'd heard me. I simply got back into bed and tried to sleep and tried to process the news and failed miserably at both.

Needless to say, I canceled the appointment with the fertility specialist and made an appointment with the OB.

And at some point on July 15th, I found myself in the shower crying. In shocked happiness.

Here we are to this summer. In addition to a yummy toddler, I'm nursing a delicious almost 4 month old. Once again we've had to cancel our summer plans to go to the US because the landlord's family is miserable where they are and they're moving back. So after a few minutes of panic, I went online and after a harried 2 weeks search, we signed a TWO YEAR lease on a pretty little row house duplex. For less than what we're paying now. Ironically, this year we're moving on July 15th.

I wonder what August 4th will bring this year... You can be sure I'll be playing the lotto that day.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Anniversaries of sorts

Today marks the 12th anniversary of my Aliyah. Some days I can't believe it's been only 12 years and other days I can't believe it's only been 12 years. Next week will be my 7th move since making Aliyah (including the move to Israel itself).

Here's to hoping the next 12 years will be less mobile, maybe even we'll have the ability to (finally) buy a house.

And June 19th was my 10 year divorce-ary...

Clips from the Cantor's concert

I ended up going and had a better time than I thought.

Here is Barchi Nafshi:


And here is Chad Gadyah, performed by Cantors Alberto Mizrahi and Jackie Mendelson:


They had about 70 cantors from the US and Canada come and while most of the songs were in Hebrew, there were a couple that were a mix of Hebrew and English and one song each in Russian, Yiddish (although this was a medley of songs), Ladino and Spanish.

In addition, the Cantor's Assembly gave composer/conductor Charles Fox an award and he conducted the philharmonic in a new composition of his music from the movie Victory at Entebee.

Monday, July 06, 2009

Chazzanoot Concert tomorrow!

Tuesday, July 7th in Park haNachal in Ariel at 8 p.m., there will be a free performance by 70 Chazzanim (and possibly Chazzaniot, so you've been forewarned) from North America.

All are welcome to attend.