Day 1592 - a morning workout on the beach. How wonderful.

Something had to give

Day 1591 - we didn't wake up this morning thus no hiking despite our good intentions. But we did start putting the house in order. Unpacking the boxes in the last room, reorganizing the plants and overall some serious thinking of what to do next. And some much needed rest that we obviously needed. I guess one cannot stretch too thin without some breakage along the way. Luckily it's only a Saturday hike.

To late to write

Day 1590 - we are going tomorrow for another section of the Israel National Trail. It's now past midnight and I have less than four hours to sleep so I'm going to skip the writing tonight. But I'm thankful for my life and everything in it. I never forget that.

Forces of Nature

Day 1589 - yesterday was the hottest day on record for this time a year with temperatures over 40c in most of the country. But today was much easier and by evening it was actually chilly. It always amazes me when witnessing the powers of nature. All the technology we have cannot creat these kind of shifts in temperatures or air movement (aka. Wind). We think we, humans, are so strong and powerful and time after time we stand in awe when confronted by the amazing forces of Nature. Tremendous shifts in temperatures, in winds, waves or quakes. We hear so much babble about the distraction we bring on Earth; in one swipe Earth can destroy us all. I humbly look upon these changes and acknowledge the mighty forces at work. The truth is, I am thankful Nature is so powerful thus immune to our actions. I am thankful to be protected by these mighty powers.

So many reasons to be thankful...

Day 1588 - a vendor that watched our back, an amazing class today, some very interesting insights into my own plans ideas and inhibitions. A very good day for the store, for my personal development, for my future. I limited myself to one thank a day; I think I have to expand that. I am so very thankful for so many things, even the very heavy heat could not put a damp on that.

The painting stage is over

Day 1587 - two months after we moved here the painter finally finished his work. Now at last I can finish unpacking the last room. I moved many times in my life and this one, by far, took the longest. But There's no point in getting upset or impatient; in hindsight it will all be something to laugh about and these two months of inconvenience will be forgotten. And the good thing is that it is over now and it's up to us now to finish everything at last. The truth is that I just don't have anymore excuses since there are things I could buy of saw or arrange during this time. But it's easy to delay it when the house is still a mess. Now it's over and the next stage begins. Furnishing and decorating my home, the way I want it to look in the next few years. I am thankful we reached this point of finishing and decorating. I am thankful I have a home of my own I can decorate and beautify.

Day 1586 - my sister has a serious learning disability and she didn't do much with her life, learning wise, because of that. So when few months ago she said she wants to learn reflexology we were very happy and encouraged her to pursue that. But last week she was told she cannot continue, that she is not good enough. Today she had a meeting with the dean of her college to decide what to do, so not wanting to let her fend for herself when she is in a big emotional turmoil and knowing her and her ability to do that, I took the train to meet her there. Sadly I came out of this meeting with the realization that they are right and she probably cannot do that but we agreed to give her few booster lessons and see if it helps before making a final decision. It's sad and frustrating but I can see their point. I cannot even imagine my sister's feelings and hurts. But this is what she has to play with and I will try to help and support as much as I can.

Difficult reality

Day 1585 - a very difficult weekend. My parents' health is deteriorating and my dad might be put on dialysis which practically means my parents have to move to a different city since right now they live in a little settlement more than an hour away from the nearest hospital and going by bus three times a week to the hospital is just impossible. So for the first time since this ordeal started with my dad'd injury more than a year ago, my mom talked about the possibility of moving into a nursing home. It's a good idea but very difficult and a very big turmoil. It's so sad to see them coming to this stage and yet I think it is the best solution. It makes me look into the future and understand that one day I will probably be in the same position and in the mimmediate future to understand even better that my parents' time here is slowly coming to an end. And it makes me very sad.

Day 1584 - it's yet another holiday and I am here at my parents with my daughter. I forgot my reading glasses at home so it's very difficult for me to type - I can't see the screen or the letters and on top of it I'm very tired so my brain is not really a support righ now. So I will go to sleep now and will write more tomorrow.

Twina

Day 1583 - I scheduled a treatment for my very sore shoulder. I really like the fact that in our country alternative medicine is recognized and subs edited by the main HMOs. I got a referral for 10 sessions of Twina treatments. And I already got the first one. I felt much better immediately after but it slowly degressed. But I still, the relief was very noticeable. Second treatment is on Monday and I hope the improvement will be more permanent. And right now I am thankful I can go to sleep now, I am sooo tired.

Day 1582 - a very nice morning with my daughter, just the two of us. How wonderful. It's precious time and I totally appreciate that and so very thankful. It was a nice little visit. It was her first time to stay in my new home since the mive was a day after she left for her world tour. She was here with her boyfriend and last night we stayed awake very late and talked to no end. It gave me a chance to know him a little more. I am very thankful for this visit, for a chance to host them here, for the opportunity to spend some time with them.

Birthday and more

Day 1581 - it's my son's 29th birthday and he is celebrating it here, in this country, for the first time since he was two years old. How very special. So I didn't get to see him, which is normal as we get older and busy in our own lives, but it's still so cool and so special. And to add more fun my daughter is staying here tonight. It's so nice to have a nice and pleasant home where I can have host my kids; it's so nice to have a place I can call home again. Where I can get comfortable and my family can do that. A house we can start turning into a home. So here we go, our roots are getting deeper into the fabric of this place. We become part if the landscape, not stranger with every passing day, with every passing year. I am so thankful I came back here. So thankful to be here. So thankful two of my kids are now here. I am so thankful.

On the beach, again

Day 1580 - its tuesday, our short day at the store, so we took full advantage of a nice sunny day warm and calm and made our beach debute of the season. It's was so beautiful and so pleasant. Just a perfect day. I love this city and I love its beaches and with a very busy schedule I don't get to spend much time there so every chance is a gift, and the seasons's first is even more special. We had to leave before sunset but I will come back for them. I am thankful I live here in this beautiful city by the sea. I am thankful for every ray of sun, for its warmth and the blessings it brings. I am thankful to be here on this planet for yet another spring and enjoy all the abundance around me.

A hot summer day

Day 1579 - a very hot day and a very hot evening. Hot enough to turn the AC on. I am not going to sleep like that since I think it's unhealthy but I want to cool the room just a bit. By now it's pleasant outside but the house absorbed the heat all day and it will take hours for it to release it. But no complains, I actually enjoy this early summer day. And I especially enjoy a very good and very quiet AC in my house. In the previous one I had none.

It's finally done

Day 1578 - almost four months after moving here my son finally completed his paperwork and officially became a new immigrant in our country. A testement to burocracy that our country is very good at, but also procrastination on his part. But the bottomline is what matters and that is a very positive one. He finished everything and got what he wanted so much. So now it's official - almost five years since my youngest daughter and I moved here, my son joined us and became the third (and probably the last) of our family to move back here. I am so happy and so thankful for that.

Enjoying a day with my kids

Day 1577 - four days after her return from her trip I finally met my daughter. We had a family meeting all the three of us. It was so great to see them both and to hear few stories. I am looking forward to next week when we meet again and have a better presentation on her computer instead of an iPhone. But the most important thing was to see each other and spend time together after such a long time apart. She looks good and so very happy to have gone through it and to be back. Some of her experiences were unsettling and I am so thankful she got out of it fine and took the que and left Nepal three days before the earthquake. It could have been a very different story if she was trying to push through when the going got really rough and the weather turned ugly. She was smart enough to listen to her intuition and get out of there on time. I don't have enough words to thank for that. It was so good to see her after such a long time away and all these adventures...

Day 1576 - another blessed Friday. Another satisfying ending to a very long and exhausting week.

DY 1575 - at 10:30 pm the mason came here to finish up the floors here. Still in repairs mode of the new house. I guess we are not the only people working long hours.

Way too late

Day 1574 - it's few minutes past midnight and I finally made it home. A very long day indeed. And I am just too tired to blog right now. But I sure am thankful I have a place to put my tired body and head to sleep.

Thoughts upon her return...

Day 1573 - my daughter is back after almost two months abroad. I didn't see her yet but I will in a few days. This trip is almost mandatory for the youth here after getting out of their military service; almost like a rite of passage. But as we discovered it can be very trying and not a cookey cutter. Everyone is different and has different needs and tolerance for extreme conditions. above all her timing was not the best. With two big earthquakes it is literally a ground shaking experience. She was lucky enough to leave Nepal two days before but it was still too close and shook her to the core. But I think that at the end of the day, this trip is so very important. You have the ultimate freedom on one hand and the feeling of invinsibility and on the other hand you push yourself to the limit and really learn a lot about yourself, what you are made of, what are your needs and what is too far. I am so happy she went through this experience but more than anything else I am so thankful she is back and unharmed. I didn't think of it as such but these past few weeks proved that even survival is not a given in that part of the world and under these conditions.

The wonders of nature

Day 1572 - a thunder storm in mid May; something very unusual here in our country. It started with a two hours long lighting show before the rain started, and the best part was that it was a might show so we were at home and could fully enjoyed it. It was such a wonderous display of nature's force in action. And we just set there, on the porch, lights off to have the best effects of the lightnings. I felt so thankful for this amazing show that was taking place in front and all around us.

Day 1571 -

Day 1570 - a beautiful day sunny but just enough windy to keep it pleasant. Enjoying the porch, the vista and a very relaxed weekend. I sound so boring but I really needed that time. Meditating, sunbathing, eating, resting and fully recharged for a new week. As I always say, life is in the tiny details of our daily life. We just have to lift our gaze and look around us and of course look inside us as well. Happiness is our to grab or loose.

A clean house

Day 1569 - coming home at the end of a long week is always a good thing. Just to be able to kick off my shoes and r e l e x is so wonderful. And to come home to a sparkly clean house is even better. Moving here I decided that I just don't have the energy to clean my house. That if I have one day off in a week I don't want to spend it cleaning. So I am ready to give up restaurants and many other things and have that money ready for Friday for my cleaning lady. I had cleaning lady for many years but when I moved here I decided I can do it myself and save. But now that I am in the store or studying or working in the mall it is just too much. So moving into this house was a trigger to change that. And I have to admit it sure contributes ell to my quality of life. I am thankf I can afford that.

Meditation

Day 1568 - starting the day with a meditation session is a very good start for the day. It takes only 20 minutes and it brings such calm and clarity into every action thereafter. Sure it did not bring the abundance I was looking for but it did bring it to the store. And the most important thing - I don't do it for any outcome other than to quite my mind and bring more intention and awareness to my day. And that is something worth working towards.

Back to my class

Day 1567 - after a month off, due to holidays, I am back to class. And a very interesting one at that. Communication, active listening increasing awareness. Isn't our journey here on earth is all about that? To be present, really present and to be able to see the one in front of us as a separate being, not just a projection of our distorted prism. It sure made me thinking. How can I do things better, how can I improve my listening and observation skills. I heard much of it before but in a different connotation and with less tools than what I have today after a year in this venue. And now it all falls into place. I hope that with time I will be able to use these powerful skills and get better at listening, differentiating and with time to develop my intuition as well. For now I am thankful for every new thing I am learning. I am thankful I can afford to take all these classes. I am thankful for every new skill and idea I encounter. I am thankful to my partner for shield wrong so much of the burden of the store so I can pursue my dreams.

Half a day off

Day 1566 - Tuesday is our half day off. We established that only few weeks ago and it was a wonderful idea. Now we have a day we can do things like shopping or cooking or today planting and above all, it breaks the week and we come back the next day wre fresher and ready for anything. It's even more important before our especially long days. I am thankful we decided to take some "us time"

Persistence

Day 1565 - when we decided to build a website for the store we envisioned a serious online activity. We thought it will seriously contribute to our bottomline. And it has to be active to justify its cost and the hours of maintenance it requires. It didn't really work this way and in real life at the beginning there were several months without even a single purchase. But like everything else, time and persistance in advertising are the magic formula to success. In the past two months we see a growing activity there as well and today, for the first time we had two orders in a matter of minutes. We are not yet where we envisioned we'll be but this is a serious step forward. And it comes to show one more time to never give up. That success will come to those who are ready to work hard and long and have an unwavering vision. We learned that so many times in the past, and it's always proves itself to be true.

A new month is here

Day 1564 - a new month means you have to start it all over again. We start every month with zero sales and climb from there. It's like recreating it all over again but yet, there is a momentum built up. By now we have a nice costumer base and many of them come every so often or send their friend. Others see our google ads. The overall is encouraging. The monthly sales keep growing and we can feel the change, as if we turned a corner. I hope I am not optimistic too soon but I would like to think its for real. And we do not lay on our lorrels, we keep working at it every day and rack our brains for more ways to get on the radar of our potential costumers... But for one day I can go to sleep happy after a very good day and hope for even better tomorrow. Not hope but try to imprint my wants into the thinking matter of the universe.

Day 1563 -

Day 1562 - Friday night, at last. And we have our first visitor in this apartment, my son. We spent a very pleasant evening on our porch