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.

Shabbat

When I woke up, I was thinking about Kol Emeth. I miss being a participating member of an observant, egalitarian shul.

An hour of exercise, housekeeping, texting with Yossi in Columbia, news, a chapter of The PTSD Workbook, feeding cats, and havdallah.

His siddur and a virtual minyan have been keeping Yossi sane. He and I are going to re-read Dune together. Just this evening, he learned that he can catch tomorrow's emergency flight out of Bogata. He'll meet his father in Florida and they will self quarantine together. A colleague of his will take care of his kitten.

Boudica's left eye has swollen shut, her nose is still scabbed over, and the wounds all over her face are not healing. She is moving better than she used to, and doesn't have as much trouble finding the food, but I really think she needs a vet. I wonder if Gray Tom is very old. Neither his ear nor his pompoms have been snipped. 

Both of them let me come very close to give them food and they don't mind that I sit near them or get up to give the other cats dry food, but they won't let me pet them.

The big, white, healthy cat that I call Levannah's Cousin is very polite. She eats the dry and only thinks about stealing the wet food from the two sick kitties.

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

The more you celebrate the good, the more good you discover that is worthy of celebration.

Beltain

An hour of exercises. Very motivated. Ultimately, they should be my warm-ups for the day. For the next week or so, they'll be my whole exercise routine.

I borrowed a broom and sponga pole (a squeegie on a broom stick) from Sophie and thoroughly cleaned house.

Colored my eyebrows and put some aloe on my skin. After a shower, I had an Israeli salad and rice with tehina, followed by a pudding cup, while watching the end of a movie. (Last night, I'd watched most of a really terrible movie, Roman J Israel, Esq, but today I found myself wondering how it ended. It could have been a much better movie. At least it ended on a positive note.

It was a breezy, bright day, so I took a walk. I studied a little Hebrew and watched two Hebrew videos from Ulpan La-Inyan and a TED Talk.

I lit candles at 6:59, then went down to feed the cats. Arlan came all the way up while Boudica was eating from her can. He had seen Gray Tom at the next "stop." Arlan waited patiently until she finished. Then he waited patiently again while Gray Tom ate half of his can. I took the remainder of his can up to the fridge. Then Arlan and I went to the park to chat and admire the Imposter Louie and the real Louie.

An acquaintance called from the UK to wish me a good Shabbos. He showed me his yard and the wonderful meal he was making.

I ate an apple and honey for a treat and boiled rice for a meal. Kiddush will be recited over beer.

Today is twenty-three days, which is three weeks and two days of the Omer.

For each of us God has a task. Discerning that task,
hearing God’s call, is what gives a life meaning and purpose.