I am taking a break from Passover preparation. I do love this holiday though it is challenging for my back. Too much standing, as I cook, not to mention the bending in order to get the house ready is tough, so I try to get off my feet every so often. Yesterday morning Jeff showed me an article from the Chronicle about the places all over the world where you can go for Passover including Orlando, Scottsdale, Puerto Rico or how about a kosher for Passover African Safari? (oy!)
Hmmm...that sounds a little tempting...not the safari, but going somewhere without feeling like a slave in Egypt doing all the shopping, cleaning and cooking. One year we were all with Devora and Andy in Jerusalem which was quite an experience. I got to see some of the pre-Passover customs which are done in a communal fashion. For example, if you wanted to kosher a pot by immersing it in boiling water, you could do a drive by. You got in your car, then handed your pot to someone who would drop your pot in a gigantic pot of water on the street, circle around in your car and pick it back up. Then the last morning when the final remnants of the leavened foods had to be burned, there was a smoky pall over the city from the many little fires in every neighborhood. That is something we would never see here in Oakland!
As I prepare the house for Passover, getting rid of the chametz, I do it in a certain way that I have been doing for years. It puts me in touch with the Jewish women who have prepared their homes for Passover for generations. I remember seeing very old etchings of women cleaning for Passover in the Jewish museum of Amsterdam.
My "tradition" is bringing in my housekeeper Vilma and her niece Patty for a day, and the three of us get down and dirty and do a major cleaning. Jeff brings in the six boxes of our special Passover dishes and utensils which I store in the garage. I chuckle over last year's headlines from the newspapers which cover the dishes. I take out my mother's elegant gold rimmed Rosenthal china that I only use once a year for Seder. I can't help but think about last year when I had just completed my radiation treatments. I am filled with gratitude that I can do this holiday preparation even though it is tiring.
It is also a time I think about my mother. She began her Passover preparation a month before the holiday and she did everything, way more than me, from washing the curtains in the bedrooms to polishing the brass doorknobs. Once she turned over her kitchen we would have our meals in the garage. Her Passover Seders were legendary and she had several families who came to her every year treasuring her marvelous food. My mom's matzoh balls were dense, made of matzoh, the size of golf balls. I guess they could be classified as "sinkers." I make my matzoh balls (shhh, don't tell anyone) from one of the boxes I get at Safeway, either Streit's or Manichewitz. They are light, delicious and closer to the size of a (small) baseball, and definitely "floaters."
The week before Passover I make Jeff crazy. I call it no man's land" because there is not much regular food left, the kitchen is mostly covered for Passover, and Jeff is stuck in a corner in the kitchen trying to figure out what to eat.
The neat thing about this holiday is that every family has its own particular traditions, recipes and interpretations of the customs, but it all seems to work. The important part is gathering around the table with family and friends. My son in law's family has a huge Seder and all the children even the big kids, gets a dollar for finding pieces of afikomen wrapped in foil hidden all over. My daughter's wonderful father in law, wears a frog hat, has plague finger puppets and has his own funny sayings that he says every year.
This holiday makes us remember, not only the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt, which we are commanded to teach in every generation, but our own family stories and especially those who are no longer sitting with us at the Seder table. My Uncle Herman used to say the Seder all in Hebrew and us kids thought it took days to finish. My aunt made a special raisin wine for the children. I think of them. Another relative loved to sing the Passover songs.
Our Seder is a mix of English and Hebrew. One of the best Seder practices I like is if everyone takes the time to bring a little something to share at the Seder, a paragraph even, about some aspect of the story. It is not hard to do with so much available on the internet, just a click away. I learned this from a Seder I went to years ago. It really works well because everyone is more engaged. Our haggadahs are getting worn and the pages where we eat haroset have stains, but I love that too. I suppose I should replace them with something more modern but those books wouldn't feel like "home." We will be treated this year to Elana and Saul's musical talent!!
I have a special box where I keep the haggadahs and some of the things my daughters made in Hebrew school like decorated matzoh covers as well as the "visual aids" they used to bring to the
Seder. They are precious mementos. Our Israeli grandchildren are very well versed in the songs and the haggadah which they study in school. They have the week off before Passover as well as during Passover. The entire country, secular and religious, seems to take off and when we were there traffic was crazy as were places to visit like the zoo in Jerusalem. It was filled with families, from Hasidic clans to Ethiopian groups picnicking with Passover food. This was something to see. It was such a mob that I was afraid we would lose one of our kids. Large families "color coded" their children and had them wearing matching shirts. I could understand why.
When Jeff sees me in the midst of all the preparation, he is tempted to go back to Israel for Seder. That might be a plan for next year but I'm sure some part of me would miss all the preparation which puts me in the spirit of the holiday. Happy Passover!!
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
A Taste of Paris
We are sitting at the airport
waiting for our plane to Tel Aviv after wending our way through the maze of
custom control then security. It is time to breathe and reflect on the last six
days. We had not been to Paris for more than forty years . When we came the
first time, we were kids in our twenties. I had blonde hair to my shoulders. I
still have the picture of when we left at the airport (Jeff in 70's style plaid pants)
with our parents gathered around us saying good bye. Remember the days when
your family could bring you to the gate?
It was my first trip abroad and we were on an
American Express two-week blitz through Europe, then we were going to Israel
for two weeks.Though some of the sites of Europe were viewed breezing by looking out
the bus window, it was a trip I can never forget. We visited London, Rome,
Florence, Lucerne and Paris, a dream come true for me as I had not done very
much travel. Our guide told us he was a count
and we believed him. He looked a tad aristocratic, albeit a bit run down, but
count or not he knew his history.
I’m not sure why in all of our
travels over the years we had not been back to Paris. Maybe there was a little
of the rumor, ”Parisians are not friendly” or you’ll have to spend $20 for a
coke. Anyway we decided to combine Paris this time as we have with other
European stops (London, Amsterdam, Madrid) on our way to see our family . It is
a great way to adjust to the time and arriving in Israel we are not hit with
the full-on jet lag. We had scheduled this trip two years ago but had to cancel
because of my cancer treatment so this journey felt like an important
milestone.
Because of the recent terrorist
attacks in Paris, we were a bit apprehensive but didn’t think too much about
anything once we got here, caught up in the bustle and magic of this city.
There were some armed police around, otherwise we did not notice too much else
in the way of security. Perhaps ignorance is bliss… When we took the train to
Normandy, I was concerned that there was no security at the train station before
getting on the train or metal detectors or anything. However, what caused me a
little chill was the blaring of emergency vehicles.That alternating sound of horns reminds me of every World War II war movie and Nazi nightmare.
I have to say that Paris is a city that
is easy to love. First let’s get rid of the notion that Parisians are not
friendly. Everyone we met, from waiters to the concierge in our hotel, to
people we asked for directions on the street, was friendly. What is very nice
here is that there is no overt tipping. Before I could even hand the bellman
who brought our bags to the room some Euros, he was out the door. We only had
one experience with a cab driver who took us for a “ride”, but that was it.
For me,
the best part of being in Paris is the ability to walk and discover and then
walk more. And we did walk. I had my Fitbit on and some days we hit over seven
or eight miles. One can’t describe the feeling of stumbling upon a magnificent edifice,
hundreds of years old whether it be an ancient cathedral or a humble home with
stables in the courtyard hidden behind a wall. In the United States, even our
oldest historical sites are “babies’ compared to the buildings here. Our first
hotel was near the Notre Dame. We were in awe of the medieval builders and
craftsmen who could construct a cathedral without electricity, modern machinery
and cranes. We marveled at this over and over.
Our
first day in Paris we took the Hop on Hop off bus to get our bearings. We
visited the Eiffel Tower, the ultimate icon of Paris. It is still awe
inspiring. The weather was cool and we were glad to have brought the right
clothes; long underwear, warm jackets, hats and gloves. That first afternoon we
went to the Musee d’Orsay filled with my favorite Impressionist works. I had
selected this museum because it was highly recommended by Trip Advisor and much
more compact than the Louvre. I find the walking and stopping in museums to be
difficult on my back but I did great in this museum. We saw our fill of Manet
and Monet; Degas and Pisarro. Jeff, who doesn’t rank museums as his favorite
thing to do, thoroughly enjoyed this museum as well.
On the
second day we had a tour of Le Marais, the old Jewish neighborhood, now very
artsy and a treasure of old homes, courtyards, captivating history, boutiques
and restaurants. By chance the tour was just us and our guide Corey, from the
states, now a French citizen, and it was fantastic. We learned about gargoyles and heard stories from when
Paris was occupied by the Nazis. A private tour is a real treat and we were
able to ask tons of questions. Corey also was interested in finding out about
what it means to “keep kosher,” and he had lots of questions for us.
Paris
boasts more than 250 kosher restaurants. Some are falafel or sushi but compare
that to the Bay Area were there currently isn’t one kosher restaurant to go to
for a good meal. However, we unfortunately picked two bad restaurants, one a
kosher Chinese and one a deli. ( How could a hot pastrami sandwich be bad?)
Anyway, we did enjoy our share of crepes and loved the baguettes, a
little sweeter than our sourdough baguettes.
We took
the train to the Normandy area and were met by our private guide Sylvain Kast
at the train station in Bayeux. I had found his name on-line and we had him
booked two years ago when we cancelled our plans and were glad to finally meet
him. We had an intensive nine hour tour of the D-Day beaches, Utah and Omaha as
well as the cemetery which was both sad and inspiring. There was much to learn
about this historic invasion and once again we could ask many questions of our
extremely knowledgeable guide. At the end of a long day, Sylvain dropped us off
at our Bed and Breakfast in Bayeux, a very charming home.
We were only a short distance away
from an incredible soaring cathedral. Bayeux is an ancient town with evidence
of structures like city walls centuries old which we just came upon strolling
around. Though there is a famous tapestry here, we missed it as we had to catch
the early train back to Paris. Train travel is really pleasant and I had booked our
seats on-line very easily.
Back in
Paris, we moved to a fancy hotel (nice to have IHG hotel points!!), the Grand
Hotel Intercontinental directly across from the Paris opera building also a magnificent
structure with classical statues decorating the outside of the incredible building. It was convenient as well
because we walked there from the Gare St. Lazare (train station.) This hotel is
in a bustling area surrounded by department stores such as the venerable
Galleries Lafayette, that I enjoyed visiting. We had decadent hot dark chocolate at the Linz chocolate shop.
There were too many tempting chocolate shops with colorful Easter eggs in the
windows and bakeries with pastel shaded macaroons (yum). The Galleries Lafayette
had a separate gourmet food store jammed with everything one could imagine; rows of
chocolates, pizza, dim sum, a butcher shop, caviar and slabs of lox and refrigerators of ready to eat food for purchase. It was fun
to just cruise through the store. The Intercontinental Hotel was elegant, think the Fairmont and
very pricey in every way.
For
Shabbat we went to a local Chabad house for dinner. It was located directly on the
Champs Elysees. There were many people from all over and Chabad provided a very
nice dinner. Saturday morning we walked to the Grand Synagogue of Paris which
was close to our hotel. This synagogue is the nearest to a grand cathedral,
Jewish variety, that I have ever seen. There were soaring stained glass
windows, incredible chandeliers, an enormous sanctuary, a world class cantor
and choir who were definitely not California style. There were not many people
in attendance, and we decided we way prefer our cozy synagogue on Park Blvd. in
Oakland sans cathedral trimmings. Jeff was honored to be called up to the Torah
for an Aliyah and the locals at the synagogue were quite friendly. We stayed
the first half of the service until the Rabbi started his sermon in French .
That afternoon we took a long walk from our hotel down the Champs Elysees up to
the Arc de Triomphe, a fitting way to end our trip to Paris.
Next chapter...our trip to Israel to see our family.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Remembering Anna
Today many of us are pausing with heavy hearts to remember our dear Anna Hollander. I never thought she would die. She seemed invincible because she lived through so much; surviving the Holocaust as a young girl, the struggles of living in the young state of Israel and getting through the painful personal tragedies of losing her beloved husband Ernie and children, Beverly and Michael before their time. It seems way too much for one person to have endured in a lifetime. Yet Anna had the capacity to keep on going, to emit an endless stream of love to all who knew her. Her beloved Kathy became her daughter after Michael died.
There are so many of us whom she has profoundly affected. What a legacy, to have lived a life with the power to have touched so many, to have imparted her wisdom not to mention her sponge cakes. I knew Anna for forty years, Jeff even longer. He would hang out at Ernie and Anna's house when he was a teenager as a friend of their oldest child, Beverly.
I met Anna when I joined Beth Jacob, though it is almost impossible to say just Anna because "Ernie and Anna" were a team then and until Ernie died one would say them in the same breath. The two of them together could whip up a Shabbat dinner for the congregation. Anna's vegetable soup was legendary. The rest of us might try to help in the kitchen but we were pretty much superfluous.
Over the years I was one of her"kids", one of the hundreds she nurtured as a surrogate mother or grandmother. I loved hearing their stories, especially their wedding day in Israel on the day the state was created when they were on a rooftop and bullets were flying. Their wedding feast was a few rolls Ernie managed to get from the bakery where he worked.
When she saw me, she always rushed over to me in shul with her big smile and a kiss to ask how I was, what my children were doing and later to inquire about my grandchildren.She qvelled when my oldest daughter Devora moved to Israel. She would have loved to go back there to live once again but that was a dream that was not to be.
Those of us who were invited to the Hollander home for a Sabbath or holiday celebration like their legendary sukkot feasts when they invited the entire congregation never forgot their incredible hospitality and their abundant food, course after course served until we were bursting. My recipe binder has well worn pages, "Anna's brisket, ." "Anna's stuffed cabbage."
When I think about what I will most keep in my heart is her spirit which kept shining inside of her despite everything. That is what I would like to emulate. My heart goes out to Kathy, David, Nikki and the whole family. Dear Anna, we will never forget you.
There are so many of us whom she has profoundly affected. What a legacy, to have lived a life with the power to have touched so many, to have imparted her wisdom not to mention her sponge cakes. I knew Anna for forty years, Jeff even longer. He would hang out at Ernie and Anna's house when he was a teenager as a friend of their oldest child, Beverly.
I met Anna when I joined Beth Jacob, though it is almost impossible to say just Anna because "Ernie and Anna" were a team then and until Ernie died one would say them in the same breath. The two of them together could whip up a Shabbat dinner for the congregation. Anna's vegetable soup was legendary. The rest of us might try to help in the kitchen but we were pretty much superfluous.
Over the years I was one of her"kids", one of the hundreds she nurtured as a surrogate mother or grandmother. I loved hearing their stories, especially their wedding day in Israel on the day the state was created when they were on a rooftop and bullets were flying. Their wedding feast was a few rolls Ernie managed to get from the bakery where he worked.
When she saw me, she always rushed over to me in shul with her big smile and a kiss to ask how I was, what my children were doing and later to inquire about my grandchildren.She qvelled when my oldest daughter Devora moved to Israel. She would have loved to go back there to live once again but that was a dream that was not to be.
Those of us who were invited to the Hollander home for a Sabbath or holiday celebration like their legendary sukkot feasts when they invited the entire congregation never forgot their incredible hospitality and their abundant food, course after course served until we were bursting. My recipe binder has well worn pages, "Anna's brisket, ." "Anna's stuffed cabbage."
When I think about what I will most keep in my heart is her spirit which kept shining inside of her despite everything. That is what I would like to emulate. My heart goes out to Kathy, David, Nikki and the whole family. Dear Anna, we will never forget you.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
That Certain Age!!!
So here we are at the end of October and I realize I have not
written my blog for months. Where have the weeks and months gone? We had
a wonderful summer highlighted by the six week visit of our children
from Israel. It worked out really well for them and us as they did a
house exchange with friends in Berkeley who stayed in their place in
Jerusalem. This meant that they had a home base and did not need to shlep quite as much.
However, even with them staying in Berkeley, they still slept in our house a few nights and at the grandparents in Palo Alto. They also spent time in Russian River with my son in law's family, and we took the whole crew, my other daughters, spouses and the little guys, to Tahoe. Their car was packed to the hilt with their kosher food and dishes, and my son in law deserves an Olympic medal for how many times he packed and unpacked. I think they would agree the hassles were worth it. The children loved hanging with their cousins in the Russian River and Tahoe. They also spent two weeks going to the terrific Chabad day camp at Lake Temescal and made some friends with some of the local kids.We are hoping they can do this every summer.
It is always remarkable to me how my family copes and deals with the extra stresses of living in Israel with strength and conviction. Jerusalem this time around has been the target of many random terrorist attacks. Andy and Devora do a great job in keeping life as normal as possible for their family. My granddaughter Eliana, AKA, "Lulie" called me to show me her loose tooth up close on Skype which finally came out this morning.
Sometimes my heart breaks. I pray that her biggest worry amidst all the craziness going on around her will be loose teeth. My daughter Devora started a blog where women writers contribute pieces (a personal story, a line from Torah, a song, ....an inspirational thought) as a way to stay strong during these difficult days. I tell her she is my Five Star General of faith and strength.
We also spent a few days in Ashland staying with my sister in law and brother in law at their stunning home, modeled after a French chateaux. My brother in law Stan designed the home which is made of Styrofoam blocks filled with cement and re-bar. You have to see it to believe it! It has gorgeous grounds and waking up in the morning and looking out at the vineyards is breathtaking. We saw two productions of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, including Count of Mone Cristo which was in the outdoor Elizabethan theater. That night it was 95 degrees at 11PM so we were hot and uncomfortable. We saw a version of Cabaret in a local theater which was very well done.
After Ashland we drove to Portland for a wedding. It was our first visit there, and we found it to be a fun city packed with tourists.It was also going to be our fist experience at a gay wedding. The setting was amazing, in front of a scenic lake in a park. We had a great time and were glad to participate.
Another highlight of the summer was celebrating our forty fourth anniversary with our family. This anniversary was especially meaningful to us because last summer was so difficult with me not knowing yet about my treatment plan. We sponsored a big kiddush lunch at Beth Jacob as well and also celebrated our fortieth year of membership there, a big milestone.
My life has resumed to a somewhat uneventful status in regards to my health (thank G-d!) I met with my oncologist in September, and he was in and out of the room in a flash. In some ways I was frustrated because I wanted to talk to him more, but he is so busy and I am doing well so the visit was quick and routine. I have resumed my normal activities and am extremely grateful to have bounced back this well. I have taken several post-cancer seminars and learned that this is not always the case so I really appreciate my return to good health. I will meet with him every four months for a while.
As of November 1, I go on Medicare. Yikes...can it be true? Am I really reaching the age where I become an official senior citizen. I am grappling with that fact. How can I be a senior when I like to dance to Uptown Funke (and I can still dance!!) and sing the lyrics to Prince when they come on in the car. I don't think this is something my mother would have done at almost age 65. Are sixty fve year olds today different than before? I just refuse to think of myself as being old. Call me a "hip" grandma, a "cool" senior, but don't think of me as old!
I am back to my writing workshops and am taking a poetry class as well. I love to write and try to stay positive about the experience. I send my work out to various publications but it is like shooting out darts. One hopes that a few will hit their mark, but it is a tough and competitive writing world and it is easy to get discouraged.
In December we will take the trip to Maui that we had planned and cancelled. This time we are going with good friends who live in Ohio whom we have known since before we got married. We are looking forward to relaxing and spending time with them.
Thanks for reading my blog and hope to be more consistent about writing!!
However, even with them staying in Berkeley, they still slept in our house a few nights and at the grandparents in Palo Alto. They also spent time in Russian River with my son in law's family, and we took the whole crew, my other daughters, spouses and the little guys, to Tahoe. Their car was packed to the hilt with their kosher food and dishes, and my son in law deserves an Olympic medal for how many times he packed and unpacked. I think they would agree the hassles were worth it. The children loved hanging with their cousins in the Russian River and Tahoe. They also spent two weeks going to the terrific Chabad day camp at Lake Temescal and made some friends with some of the local kids.We are hoping they can do this every summer.
It is always remarkable to me how my family copes and deals with the extra stresses of living in Israel with strength and conviction. Jerusalem this time around has been the target of many random terrorist attacks. Andy and Devora do a great job in keeping life as normal as possible for their family. My granddaughter Eliana, AKA, "Lulie" called me to show me her loose tooth up close on Skype which finally came out this morning.
Sometimes my heart breaks. I pray that her biggest worry amidst all the craziness going on around her will be loose teeth. My daughter Devora started a blog where women writers contribute pieces (a personal story, a line from Torah, a song, ....an inspirational thought) as a way to stay strong during these difficult days. I tell her she is my Five Star General of faith and strength.
We also spent a few days in Ashland staying with my sister in law and brother in law at their stunning home, modeled after a French chateaux. My brother in law Stan designed the home which is made of Styrofoam blocks filled with cement and re-bar. You have to see it to believe it! It has gorgeous grounds and waking up in the morning and looking out at the vineyards is breathtaking. We saw two productions of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, including Count of Mone Cristo which was in the outdoor Elizabethan theater. That night it was 95 degrees at 11PM so we were hot and uncomfortable. We saw a version of Cabaret in a local theater which was very well done.
After Ashland we drove to Portland for a wedding. It was our first visit there, and we found it to be a fun city packed with tourists.It was also going to be our fist experience at a gay wedding. The setting was amazing, in front of a scenic lake in a park. We had a great time and were glad to participate.
Another highlight of the summer was celebrating our forty fourth anniversary with our family. This anniversary was especially meaningful to us because last summer was so difficult with me not knowing yet about my treatment plan. We sponsored a big kiddush lunch at Beth Jacob as well and also celebrated our fortieth year of membership there, a big milestone.
My life has resumed to a somewhat uneventful status in regards to my health (thank G-d!) I met with my oncologist in September, and he was in and out of the room in a flash. In some ways I was frustrated because I wanted to talk to him more, but he is so busy and I am doing well so the visit was quick and routine. I have resumed my normal activities and am extremely grateful to have bounced back this well. I have taken several post-cancer seminars and learned that this is not always the case so I really appreciate my return to good health. I will meet with him every four months for a while.
As of November 1, I go on Medicare. Yikes...can it be true? Am I really reaching the age where I become an official senior citizen. I am grappling with that fact. How can I be a senior when I like to dance to Uptown Funke (and I can still dance!!) and sing the lyrics to Prince when they come on in the car. I don't think this is something my mother would have done at almost age 65. Are sixty fve year olds today different than before? I just refuse to think of myself as being old. Call me a "hip" grandma, a "cool" senior, but don't think of me as old!
I am back to my writing workshops and am taking a poetry class as well. I love to write and try to stay positive about the experience. I send my work out to various publications but it is like shooting out darts. One hopes that a few will hit their mark, but it is a tough and competitive writing world and it is easy to get discouraged.
In December we will take the trip to Maui that we had planned and cancelled. This time we are going with good friends who live in Ohio whom we have known since before we got married. We are looking forward to relaxing and spending time with them.
Thanks for reading my blog and hope to be more consistent about writing!!
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Grandparenting; my first mammogram
When our family arrives from Israel, we have our little ritual at the airport. Both sets of grandparents anxiously hang out in the waiting area. When the children see us,they come tearing down the hall into our arms.Andy's mom has snacks like tangerines and juice for the children and Odwalla juice for my daughter. We hear about their adventures on the plane. This last time, our youngest, almost five, was a trooper and sat the entire flight busy with art projects and watching videos without falling apart. This was nothing short of a miracle as in the past my son in law had to walk him back and forth for hours. Our middle granddaughter made it without getting airsick.Another small miracle.
I marvel at the fact that even though we had not seen them for six months, it is as though they live across the city, not across the world. I attribute this to the marvels of modern technology. They see us on Skype, at least a few times a week. This is not to say it is a perfect visit, with the three grandchildren calmly chatting and telling us about their day. Usually one of them is hanging off the desk chair, another is doing gymnastics in the background and someone else is fussing about whatever. I used to say "be careful" so often when I thought they would get hurt, they started calling me "Savta- Be- Careful."
Often because of the time difference, when we talk to them in the morning, they are exhausted after their busy days. We try to see them every week before the Sabbath which is inherently a hectic time. They have finished their baths, they are wearing Shabbat clothes or sometimes just their jammies and their parents are rushing with the final preparations before the Sabbath. The computer gets shut off. We won't talk to them then until Sunday.
However hearing our voices and just seeing us even for a few minutes every week, even hanging upside down, makes them feel close to us. Both sets of grandparents have made many trips to Israel and the children will be waiting on the balcony when we get out of the cab excited to jump in our arms as though we just saw them without any distance between us.
We are thrilled that our Israeli family will be here for six weeks. They did a house exchange with old friends from Berkeley who are staying in their house in Jerusalem. This is great for all of us. They have a home base and don't need to shlep quite as much to see everyone as we can go to them. They will take some little trips and the children will go to summer camp for two weeks as well. And I get a break from constantly cooking and cleaning which I do when they are in my house though we will have them over often.
My oldest granddaughter spent a night alone at our house and it was a pleasure to have her. I took her for a manicure, to the kosher bakery for borrekas, to Amba (the only kosher restaurant in Oakland) for dinner and of course there was a little shopping interspersed in there. At nine, she is fun to be with. Our middle granddaughter went with her Poppa and helped him deliver Meals on Wheels . Her treat was a big scoop of Baskin Robins ice cream. The other grandparents who equally adore our little ones (and we gladly share our time with them) took the children swimming and shoe shopping. We all went to the Oakland zoo one day. We had a BBQ at our house. This was just in one week!! Because our children observe the Kosher dietary laws strictly, there are hardly any places to go out to eat, and we do lots of cooking.
Besides the children arriving,last week was a significant milestone for me as I had my first mammogram after my treatment. Thankfully everything was fine. I hope as time goes on it will get easier, but it was stressful until I got my results. I only had to wait a half hour as I had an immediate follow up appointment with my radiation oncologist.
This week I will participate in a study at UCSF about the effects of chemotherapy in causing neuropathy, which is tingling or numbness in the hands and feet that is a common problem after taking certain chemo drugs. There are 750 participants in the study. I was lucky in this regard as I did not get this side effect, and they were very interested in having me participate. I had to fill out an extensive questionnaire, they will take blood, and put me through some exercises and tests. It will take around three hours.
This summer is especially sweet for Jeff and I, and we are filled with gratitude, not only to have all of our children and grandchildren close but to treasure that I am doing so well.
I marvel at the fact that even though we had not seen them for six months, it is as though they live across the city, not across the world. I attribute this to the marvels of modern technology. They see us on Skype, at least a few times a week. This is not to say it is a perfect visit, with the three grandchildren calmly chatting and telling us about their day. Usually one of them is hanging off the desk chair, another is doing gymnastics in the background and someone else is fussing about whatever. I used to say "be careful" so often when I thought they would get hurt, they started calling me "Savta- Be- Careful."
Often because of the time difference, when we talk to them in the morning, they are exhausted after their busy days. We try to see them every week before the Sabbath which is inherently a hectic time. They have finished their baths, they are wearing Shabbat clothes or sometimes just their jammies and their parents are rushing with the final preparations before the Sabbath. The computer gets shut off. We won't talk to them then until Sunday.
However hearing our voices and just seeing us even for a few minutes every week, even hanging upside down, makes them feel close to us. Both sets of grandparents have made many trips to Israel and the children will be waiting on the balcony when we get out of the cab excited to jump in our arms as though we just saw them without any distance between us.
We are thrilled that our Israeli family will be here for six weeks. They did a house exchange with old friends from Berkeley who are staying in their house in Jerusalem. This is great for all of us. They have a home base and don't need to shlep quite as much to see everyone as we can go to them. They will take some little trips and the children will go to summer camp for two weeks as well. And I get a break from constantly cooking and cleaning which I do when they are in my house though we will have them over often.
My oldest granddaughter spent a night alone at our house and it was a pleasure to have her. I took her for a manicure, to the kosher bakery for borrekas, to Amba (the only kosher restaurant in Oakland) for dinner and of course there was a little shopping interspersed in there. At nine, she is fun to be with. Our middle granddaughter went with her Poppa and helped him deliver Meals on Wheels . Her treat was a big scoop of Baskin Robins ice cream. The other grandparents who equally adore our little ones (and we gladly share our time with them) took the children swimming and shoe shopping. We all went to the Oakland zoo one day. We had a BBQ at our house. This was just in one week!! Because our children observe the Kosher dietary laws strictly, there are hardly any places to go out to eat, and we do lots of cooking.
Besides the children arriving,last week was a significant milestone for me as I had my first mammogram after my treatment. Thankfully everything was fine. I hope as time goes on it will get easier, but it was stressful until I got my results. I only had to wait a half hour as I had an immediate follow up appointment with my radiation oncologist.
This week I will participate in a study at UCSF about the effects of chemotherapy in causing neuropathy, which is tingling or numbness in the hands and feet that is a common problem after taking certain chemo drugs. There are 750 participants in the study. I was lucky in this regard as I did not get this side effect, and they were very interested in having me participate. I had to fill out an extensive questionnaire, they will take blood, and put me through some exercises and tests. It will take around three hours.
This summer is especially sweet for Jeff and I, and we are filled with gratitude, not only to have all of our children and grandchildren close but to treasure that I am doing so well.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Catching up... why I like my Zumba
It has been a while since I have written. Life has been blessedly uneventful. I am feeling really well and getting back to normal or what I call my new normal. I wish I could say that I could completely wash out my memories of last year and my cancer treatment, but that is not possible.I hope and pray as time goes on, those memories will fade. I am reminded of the new me every day I see my super short silver hair but I am getting used to it....slowly.
I took a post-cancer seminar on "survivorship" at Alta Bates Summit Hospital and learned that the post-treatment period can be quite challenging. During treatment one is engaged in a battle like a soldier. After treatment there can be a let down. As much as one strives to have a positive attitude, emotions and feelings and anxieties will surface and fatigue and depression are common. Thankfully I am doing great. Jeff keeps saying to me YOUR"E BACK!!" I did not know it at the time, but writing my blog was extremely important as it gave me a vehicle to express my feelings during my whole ordeal. This has made my recovery easier.
Because of my Ashkenazic background, (Jews whose family is from central or Eastern Europe), there is a concern about a possible genetic connection to breast cancer. I decided to have the testing for the BCRA genes. My sister went with me to meet with the genetics counselor at 1600 Divisadero and to take notes. Linda concluded it would be good for her to be tested as well. The genetics counselor, a lovely young woman, took a detailed family history of illnesses in our family going back to grandparents, aunts and uncles and charted the results. Sadly my father's parents, having been killed during the holocaust, were a blank slate in terms of any genetic history. Listening to what we could piece together about our family, the genetics counselor was fairly confident that we did not have the BCRA gene as there is thankfully not much cancer in our family history.
My sister and I left her office and headed downstairs to the lab for a blood test. We would get the results in about a month. The test checked 26 genes in all which predicted whether there was a possibility of developing certain other cancers or diseases. I was a bit apprehensive about doing this test but felt it was important.
As we left the building, we kept cracking each other up by coming up with a list of funny family traits we were sure we inherited like shopping. It was a great way to relieve tension and we laughed until we practically cried.
When our appointment came to get the results, we went together. I was a little nervous but not crazy with worry. I had an instinctive feeling that we did not carry the BCRA genetic markers for cancer. The genetics counselor greeted us with a big smile and told us right away that we did not carry those genes . I felt a huge sigh of relief because I was afraid for my daughters. The counselor told me that my cancer was "spontaneous" as 90% of all cancers are. Who knows what started those deviant cells growing?
I have been asked to participate in a study for UCSF. Because UCSF is a teaching hospital, there are many studies which one might be asked to join. This particular study is about one of the common side effects of chemotherapy drugs, neuropathy, which is tingling or numbness of fingers, hands and feet. Thankfully I was spared this side effect and never got any numbness. The nurse who called me about particpating was very interested in me because they are trying to find out why some people don't get neuropathy. I have to fill out an extensive survey and go to UCSF on Parnassus for several hours of tests of such things as my balance and reflexes. And yes, they want my blood...too!
I'm very happy to be back exercising. The favorite thing I do is my Zumba for seniors class on Friday mornings at the Oakland Senior Center. The teacher is terrific and a great dancer. I love moving to salsa music and have so much fun that I don't think of it as exercise. In the front of the class there is a woman who comes every week whom I can't help noticing. She can't keep the beat at all, doesn't follow the teacher and somehow makes up her own steps. She has a great time and it doesn't bother her in the least that she can't dance a lick. I think that's a good way to live...do your own thing, enjoy life and don't worry whether you are in step.
I took a post-cancer seminar on "survivorship" at Alta Bates Summit Hospital and learned that the post-treatment period can be quite challenging. During treatment one is engaged in a battle like a soldier. After treatment there can be a let down. As much as one strives to have a positive attitude, emotions and feelings and anxieties will surface and fatigue and depression are common. Thankfully I am doing great. Jeff keeps saying to me YOUR"E BACK!!" I did not know it at the time, but writing my blog was extremely important as it gave me a vehicle to express my feelings during my whole ordeal. This has made my recovery easier.
Because of my Ashkenazic background, (Jews whose family is from central or Eastern Europe), there is a concern about a possible genetic connection to breast cancer. I decided to have the testing for the BCRA genes. My sister went with me to meet with the genetics counselor at 1600 Divisadero and to take notes. Linda concluded it would be good for her to be tested as well. The genetics counselor, a lovely young woman, took a detailed family history of illnesses in our family going back to grandparents, aunts and uncles and charted the results. Sadly my father's parents, having been killed during the holocaust, were a blank slate in terms of any genetic history. Listening to what we could piece together about our family, the genetics counselor was fairly confident that we did not have the BCRA gene as there is thankfully not much cancer in our family history.
My sister and I left her office and headed downstairs to the lab for a blood test. We would get the results in about a month. The test checked 26 genes in all which predicted whether there was a possibility of developing certain other cancers or diseases. I was a bit apprehensive about doing this test but felt it was important.
As we left the building, we kept cracking each other up by coming up with a list of funny family traits we were sure we inherited like shopping. It was a great way to relieve tension and we laughed until we practically cried.
When our appointment came to get the results, we went together. I was a little nervous but not crazy with worry. I had an instinctive feeling that we did not carry the BCRA genetic markers for cancer. The genetics counselor greeted us with a big smile and told us right away that we did not carry those genes . I felt a huge sigh of relief because I was afraid for my daughters. The counselor told me that my cancer was "spontaneous" as 90% of all cancers are. Who knows what started those deviant cells growing?
I have been asked to participate in a study for UCSF. Because UCSF is a teaching hospital, there are many studies which one might be asked to join. This particular study is about one of the common side effects of chemotherapy drugs, neuropathy, which is tingling or numbness of fingers, hands and feet. Thankfully I was spared this side effect and never got any numbness. The nurse who called me about particpating was very interested in me because they are trying to find out why some people don't get neuropathy. I have to fill out an extensive survey and go to UCSF on Parnassus for several hours of tests of such things as my balance and reflexes. And yes, they want my blood...too!
I'm very happy to be back exercising. The favorite thing I do is my Zumba for seniors class on Friday mornings at the Oakland Senior Center. The teacher is terrific and a great dancer. I love moving to salsa music and have so much fun that I don't think of it as exercise. In the front of the class there is a woman who comes every week whom I can't help noticing. She can't keep the beat at all, doesn't follow the teacher and somehow makes up her own steps. She has a great time and it doesn't bother her in the least that she can't dance a lick. I think that's a good way to live...do your own thing, enjoy life and don't worry whether you are in step.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Cruising
We are one week back from our Caribbean cruise on the, Navigator of the Seas, part of the Royal Caribbean fleet. The ship was leaving from Galveston Texas. We flew in to Houston and decided to to visit the Johnson Space Center before heading to Galveston. The Johnson Space Center is known around the world as the home of NASA Mission Control,
International Space Station Mission Control and astronaut training. We took several tours and got an overview of the first historic manned rockets of the early space programs.
We spent the weekend in Galveston which is a charming seaside city on the gulf of Mexico still getting back on its feet after a devastating hurricane in 2008. There are some areas which have not yet been re-built. We stayed in the Seawall area and took a long walk along the beach to the old town area called the Strand. Galveston was a port where immigrants landed in the late 1800's well has quite a colorful history as a bustling port and home to thriving casinos. Our favorite way to see a place and get a feel for it is by walking. We even found a historic synagogue building which is no longer in use.
Our first night in Galveston we were entertained by a booming thunderstorm and lashing rains which we watched from our hotel room facing the sea. Jeff almost jumped off the bed with the crash of the thunder. We are not accustomed to that kind of show put on by mother nature. On Sunday, the day we left for the cruise, the weather had turned beautiful and warm with crystal clear blue skies.
The ship had been refurbished several years ago and was elegant with a stunning atrium dominated by a magnificent glass structure. The promenade deck featured stores with typical wares; liquor, jewelry, merchandise with the ship logo. Years ago these shops were much more appealing to me and there wasn't one tzothzke I wanted to take home. There was even a pub and wine bar as well as several specialty restaurants.
The ship, which carried over three thousand passengers, ran like a well-oiled machine. Every time before we entered the dining room we spritzed our hands with Purell from a disinfectant stand or one of the ship's attendants would give us a squirt. They were concerned about viruses spreading which has happened on some ships.
Because we have taken a number of cruises over the years, we could see changes which I would guess are done for cost-cutting purposes.Our room steward, a woman for the first time, was in charge of thirteen rooms without an assistant. She was always rushing, and we could see she was a very hard worker. Our waiter also was hassled and some of the meal service was quite slow. Tipping which used to be a production on the last night of the cruise,handing out envelopes to the water and steward, is now automatically applied to our standing credit card account.
The food was very good and abundant, more than anyone should eat. However there were no midnight buffets (already on the last few cruises this was the case) not that we needed them...! There was no outside pizza or grill or sushi bar as on previous cruises. There was a constant push to buy alcoholic beverages and many people buy drink packages which we don't do.
The excursions off the ship can be quite pricey and one has to read between the lines to figure out if the excursion is really what we want to do. In Riotan Honduras, we spent a low key day at a lovely beach. In Belize we went with a group on a boat to go snorkeling over a coral reef which was fun. The snorkeling equipment is much easier to use than I remember and the swaying coral reefs and fish were amazing.
After the snorkeling, our excursion included several hours at another beautiful beach with soothing, temperate water. We spent several hours in the water just floating around.
In Cozumel, our third stop, I went to a hotel with a group to learn how to make margaritas, several types of salsa and to learn salsa It was an enjoyable experience and I now make a great salsa... though I'm still perfecting my margaritas. Jeff stayed on the ship and had a lazy, relaxing day.
The evening entertainment on the ship was good and included singers, dancers, comedians. Every night there were shows as well as other musical entertainment and several "themed" events and of course a casino. There is plenty to do or you can opt to do nothing much at all...! This ship even had a climbing wall and ice skating rink. You can be sure Jeff and I were not participating in either of these activities but you could find us enjoying the hot tub and the salt water solarium pool.
One thing we observed over and over is how friendly and polite Texans are from the bellman at the Houston hotel, to waitresses in Galveston, to guests in the ship's elevator, to people I chatted with in the hot tub. What is it about Texas? Are people taught good manners as part of their Texas culture and upbringing? We met a lovely couple at our dining table from a small town in Texas and enjoyed our time with them very much. I was surprised to discover the wife played mahjong on Tuesdays just like me!
I brought four different caps and my wig but never wore it once. My "new look" is a fringe of very short silver hair which I have been told looks very chic...(oy!) If you would have said to me before I started cancer treatment that I would "rock" a very short natural hairstyle, not colored or highlighted, I would say , impossible, no way. Yet, here I am enjoying my liberated hairdo. We'll see how it looks as it grows in but for now, my wigs are officially "retired."
The best part of the cruise was sitting on our balcony contemplating the vastness of the ocean and reveling in our time together and my return to good health.
We spent the weekend in Galveston which is a charming seaside city on the gulf of Mexico still getting back on its feet after a devastating hurricane in 2008. There are some areas which have not yet been re-built. We stayed in the Seawall area and took a long walk along the beach to the old town area called the Strand. Galveston was a port where immigrants landed in the late 1800's well has quite a colorful history as a bustling port and home to thriving casinos. Our favorite way to see a place and get a feel for it is by walking. We even found a historic synagogue building which is no longer in use.
Our first night in Galveston we were entertained by a booming thunderstorm and lashing rains which we watched from our hotel room facing the sea. Jeff almost jumped off the bed with the crash of the thunder. We are not accustomed to that kind of show put on by mother nature. On Sunday, the day we left for the cruise, the weather had turned beautiful and warm with crystal clear blue skies.
The ship had been refurbished several years ago and was elegant with a stunning atrium dominated by a magnificent glass structure. The promenade deck featured stores with typical wares; liquor, jewelry, merchandise with the ship logo. Years ago these shops were much more appealing to me and there wasn't one tzothzke I wanted to take home. There was even a pub and wine bar as well as several specialty restaurants.
The ship, which carried over three thousand passengers, ran like a well-oiled machine. Every time before we entered the dining room we spritzed our hands with Purell from a disinfectant stand or one of the ship's attendants would give us a squirt. They were concerned about viruses spreading which has happened on some ships.
Because we have taken a number of cruises over the years, we could see changes which I would guess are done for cost-cutting purposes.Our room steward, a woman for the first time, was in charge of thirteen rooms without an assistant. She was always rushing, and we could see she was a very hard worker. Our waiter also was hassled and some of the meal service was quite slow. Tipping which used to be a production on the last night of the cruise,handing out envelopes to the water and steward, is now automatically applied to our standing credit card account.
The food was very good and abundant, more than anyone should eat. However there were no midnight buffets (already on the last few cruises this was the case) not that we needed them...! There was no outside pizza or grill or sushi bar as on previous cruises. There was a constant push to buy alcoholic beverages and many people buy drink packages which we don't do.
The excursions off the ship can be quite pricey and one has to read between the lines to figure out if the excursion is really what we want to do. In Riotan Honduras, we spent a low key day at a lovely beach. In Belize we went with a group on a boat to go snorkeling over a coral reef which was fun. The snorkeling equipment is much easier to use than I remember and the swaying coral reefs and fish were amazing.
After the snorkeling, our excursion included several hours at another beautiful beach with soothing, temperate water. We spent several hours in the water just floating around.
In Cozumel, our third stop, I went to a hotel with a group to learn how to make margaritas, several types of salsa and to learn salsa It was an enjoyable experience and I now make a great salsa... though I'm still perfecting my margaritas. Jeff stayed on the ship and had a lazy, relaxing day.
The evening entertainment on the ship was good and included singers, dancers, comedians. Every night there were shows as well as other musical entertainment and several "themed" events and of course a casino. There is plenty to do or you can opt to do nothing much at all...! This ship even had a climbing wall and ice skating rink. You can be sure Jeff and I were not participating in either of these activities but you could find us enjoying the hot tub and the salt water solarium pool.
One thing we observed over and over is how friendly and polite Texans are from the bellman at the Houston hotel, to waitresses in Galveston, to guests in the ship's elevator, to people I chatted with in the hot tub. What is it about Texas? Are people taught good manners as part of their Texas culture and upbringing? We met a lovely couple at our dining table from a small town in Texas and enjoyed our time with them very much. I was surprised to discover the wife played mahjong on Tuesdays just like me!
I brought four different caps and my wig but never wore it once. My "new look" is a fringe of very short silver hair which I have been told looks very chic...(oy!) If you would have said to me before I started cancer treatment that I would "rock" a very short natural hairstyle, not colored or highlighted, I would say , impossible, no way. Yet, here I am enjoying my liberated hairdo. We'll see how it looks as it grows in but for now, my wigs are officially "retired."
The best part of the cruise was sitting on our balcony contemplating the vastness of the ocean and reveling in our time together and my return to good health.
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