Weekend Hospitality

I spoke too soon. I've got strep also. Fortunately, the antibiotics should knock it down. This explains some of the symptoms. So far, 24 hours and still no relief. Should be soon, or we'll have to change meds. Such is life, Elliot

My wife and I both have had a sinus infection for at least two weeks. We finally went to the doctor and were prescribed antibiotics. I really don't like being sick. I get fatigued easily and spend most of my time sleeping. Its not relaxing, since I wake up coughing and hacking after a few hours. One of my kids woke up this morning with a fever and sore throat. Guess what, strep! More antibiotics. Thank god for modern medicine. I'm sure I would not have lived past childhood had I been born 200 years ago. Get well soon, Elliot

Lots of unusual things happening this shabbat.  First, one of our good friends has been on vacation with their family for the past three weeks.  They should have arrived back home on Monday, but because of the snow storm in the US, their flight was cancelled and the first available flight back arrived today, friday afternoon!  They will be eating with us tonight (assuming that they can stay awake) and at a friends tomorrow for lunch.  I talked to them just before shabbat and they sound pretty wiped out. This weekend at shul, there is an "event".  The shul has brought in a professional chazan and choir.  I am personally totally opposed to chazanut in prayers because I believe makes prayers into a broadway show.  I pray to talk to God, not to attend a performance.  Thankfully, the shul is big enough that there will be another minyan without the performance. One of my fellow students is coming over for dinner tonight and to play Settlers of Catan...

My wife is part of a book club where they all ready the same book and the get together to talk about it. Each time they meet at one of the members houses and that person is supposed to provide something to eat. Ideally, the food is somehow related to the book that they will be discussing. This month, the meeting was at our house and the book was Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri . It is a set of short stories about the Indian American experience. So, I was tasked to make Indian food. I love cooking unusual (for me) foods, and this was a great challenge. Fortunately, I had the perfect cookbook for the task: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi. My version was published in 1987, but the recipes are still fresh. This evening, my menu included: Simple Yellow Rice (pg 11) Chickpea and Ginger root salad (pg 363) Crispy-fried Eggplant slices (pg 461) Garden Tomato Soup (pg 241) Spiced Creamed Spinach (pg 259) Everything was very tasty. The book club loved the food and ...

Yesterday, we participated in a Settlers of Catan tournament and fundraiser in support of AV Israel. AV Israel is non-profit organization dedicated to helping hearing impaired and deaf children learn to listen and speak.  The Hashmonaem team brought 6 people to the event, a full fifth of the contestants (31 people played).   We placed first and third, winning the first rounds and then crushing our opponents in the final round.  What can I say, strategy gaming is fun.  In addition, the entrance money went to a good cause. This shabbat is cold and rainy in Israel.  Wonderful heavy rains cover the country and the streams are full of water.  To make it even better, we were invited out for both meals!  Tonight, we will attend the third annual family dinner with our relatives from the community.  There are between 40 and 60 of us now living in Hashmonaem; first, second and third cousins.  The dinner is pot-luck, and of course, we are bringin...

Very busy day and hence I'm posting just before Shabbat (again!).    My wife is running an event this weekend and will not be eating any meals with us.  arghhhh.  On the other hand, I can make non-atkin's friendly food, so all is not lost. We have two young ladies staying with us for Shabbat and a friend is eating over for both meals.  It will be small meals (for us).  The gaming crowd is expected to show up anyway, so the house will not be empty. Shabbat Parshat Vayeshev Dinner - 10 Hot-Sour soup (turkey stock base) Pargiot in wine sauce Garlic Meatballs with potatoes Noodles Zucchini and carrots Lunch - 9 Split roast chickens Restaurant wings Hard boiled eggs Rice salad Creole Eggplant The food smells great! Shabbat Shalom, Elliot

I saw an interesting article this week about a 47 year old father in Israel who donated a kidney and part of his liver to his 19 year old son.  The transplants occurred over a period of six months, first the liver and then the kidney, six months later.  The articles claim that this type of double transplant is extremely rare, probably because they are from a live donor. What I found most interesting that the articles got a significant amount of press in the ultra-orthodox community.  In fact, I first found the article at Etrog News .  It was picked up by Yeshiva World news and then by the Jerusalem Post and other mainstream papers.  I suspect that the father in this story is ultra-orthodox, but there is no mention of his background in any of the articles. First, the ultra-orthodox condone and encourage live organ donors, so this is indeed a positive act.  Those same organizations are opposed to organ donations from cadavers because of a concern that doc...

I don't know why or how, but after the Thanksgiving event and weekend, we have been under the weather and slightly depressed.  Perhaps its just the relative lack of sunlight in the winter, or perhaps its the flu and illnesses that are going around.  Everyone in the family is just a bit off. We have been on a roller coaster with the Army the past two weeks as my oldest son is trying to find a new unit.  We have learnt all about protectzia.  When things don't go your way, you call everyone you know to try and find the right angle.  We will be much better prepared for the next child, as our oldest has really broken new ground. Our transplant recipient has been struggling with mouth sores for the past two weeks.  They are painful, and the doctors are unsure about their cause.  More tests, and meanwhile, we sit through fifteen minutes of gargling twice a day with three difference mouthwashes.  We hope that they will identify the cause soon, as its ha...