The Moon is Almost Full, Pesach Sheni is Friday

Dreamed twice about slicing a birthday cake. I accidentally cut it very unevenly. The smaller slices were for earlier birthdays and the three big slices were for this and future birthdays. I knew I should take a smaller slice, but I took an enormous slice instead.

It looks as if my order of herbs from the US may (knock on wood) actually be shipped this time. I hope so! Every other time I've ordered it, I've later received an email saying that it couldn't be shipped to Israel.

After showering, I exchanged some text messages with friends and then met Arlan in the park. It's a beautiful day and everyone is enjoying the lifting of some lock-down restrictions. There were some children at elementary school by the park.

The grocery store near the park has never checked temperatures. Today, in the school supply store, my temperature was taken and I had to write my name, temperature, teudat zehut (ID) number, and time in the store on a list.

I managed to get into the Bank Discount phone app today and balance my checkbook for the last two months. 

In the news:

• The Israeli Supreme Court is likely to refuse to block the coalition deal. Apparently the agreement between the parties changed the laws of Israel. (Is the office of the Prime Minister the executive branch-- is there an executive branch? If so, how can Bibi participate in the legislation of the Knesset? I really don't understand the British form of parliamentary government.)
• More newsworthy, according to i24 News, is the fact that the deliberations have been televised.
• Speculation that China covered up the coronavirus to give the country time to make money on sales of medical equipment to the rest of the world. (It sounds to me that the virus was NOT  manmade virus. We may never know whether or not it was spread by an accident at the Whuhan Lab. The CCP was definitely engaged in a cover up, but it was probably a face-saving move initially. I don't think the US would have responded very much differently had more been known.)
• According to i24 News, there were rumors of a coup in Qatar. I couldn't find any articles about it on Google and eventually, i24 announced that the supposed coup was a Twitter propaganda campaign designed to embarrass Qatar.
• A young Palestinian woman in Gaza is leading a company that sell solar panels to residences. There's a shortage of electricity in Gaza, even though Israel rebuilt the power plant that had been hit by terrorist rockets. People not only need to charge their cell phones, but medical equipment-- hospitals are sending people home. It's great to hear of a Palestinian doing something constructive and creative.
• Law students at Tel Aviv University have organized to help Arab citizens to apply for Bituach Leumi unemployment benefits, and they have been successful at getting them there rightful benefits. (Bituach Leumi's website is all in Hebrew and labyrinthine.)
• Throughout the Middle East, people are violating Ramada curfews.
• A plan is being considered that may allow hotels to open by 1 June. 

I am registered to vote in the US presidential election. #BelieveAllWomenWhoSayWhatYouWantToHear

I've stopped feeding cats by the outdoor gym and at the top of Canada Gardens because the nice Russian lady with the dog named Choco feeds them. Flame, Luna, Conan (who may be a girl), Hagudduh, and the other cats at my first stop were all hungry tonight.

No one was at my second stop along Derech Harim. And no one was at the third stop either. I noticed Boudica under a car on the other side of the parking lot. She didn't get up when she saw me, which worried me, but when I came over, she immediately came out from under the car and ate all the wet food I put down for her. Two black cats, a black kitten, and Levannah's Cousin gathered around, so I went back to the usual spot and gave them dry and then went back to Boudica. Boudica's wounds are looking even worse. I wish there was more I could do for her. She stayed by me for a while after she had eaten.

Many of the cats who eat at stop three, also follow me to stop four. One cat always comes running to greet me; she has a white body and a black and grey striped tail. She, Bobbie, and half a dozen others seem to be healthy and well-nourished.

I wasn't at all disciplined today. My to-do list is waiting for tomorrow.

Tonight begin twenty-six days, which is three weeks and five days of the Omer:

What you think of as your greatest weakness can become,
if you wrestle with it, your greatest strength.

Loosening of restrictions

My alarm failed me again and I didn't have the ringer on, so I also missed Arlan's call. (I had woken up at three in the morning and not fallen back to sleep until after five.) Arlan was already in the hills when I finally called him.

I took the bus to the center. Shufersal wasn't taking temperatures before letting customers in; the Russian, non-kosher grocery store was. I picked up a few things at Stock. Alessandra texted me just after I got on the bus heading home, so I got off at her stop. There is a new cat in the neighborhood, gray with dark dray stripes who was very friendly with me. Alessandra and I chatted for quite a while.

When I got home, I realized I was a little achey from the last two day's of exercise, so I gave myself the day off and just read Dune all day.

I've been trying not to think about how long it may be until hotels open again and I can return to work.

In the news:

• Some of the lock-down restrictions were lifted in Israel today. Schools opened in many municipalities; many parents didn't let their kids go. People are allowed to go to the beach, but not into the water. That proved unenforceable in Tel Aviv; cops couldn't keep people out of the Mediterranean. I saw an amazing video taken in near Eilat of a man diving off a boat to swim with a whale shark in the Gulf.
• The Supreme Court heard arguments about letting Netanyahu form a new government. Since he and Gantz haven't been sworn in yet, is he a candidate or the Prime Minister? Any lower government official would have to step down if there were an indictment against him. The Court seems to think they can't overthrow the decision of the voters.
• Israel is asking the Palestinian Authority to allow Arab workers from Judah and Samaria to come back to work. Israel is requiring employers to provide accommodations for them during two weeks of quarantine and the remaining three weeks of Ramadan. 
• The result of Sweden's unusual approach seems to have both detractors and supporters there. I was hoping against good sense that it would turn out better than it has. (My mom's voice in my head is saying, the bleep bleep Swedes like to kill off their old people.)

There were huge numbers of people out this evening! Some walking, many obviously struggling with the start of a jogging routine.

Haguddah and the other kitties appeared from nowhere at the first stop. Boudica was waiting for me this evening. She has developed a runny nose and a sneeze. I sat with her while she ate. None of the other cats that usually meet me there showed up, but most met me at the final stop. I wandered around looking for Gray Tom, but didn't find him. Levannah's Cousin followed me all the way home instead of eating; I think she was offended that I didn't invite her into the building and bring her home.

Today is twenty-five days, which is three weeks and four days of the Omer:

In any relationship that matters to you, deliver praise daily.
Seeing and praising the good in people makes them better people,
makes you a better person, and strengthens the bond between you.