Cracks me up

Today for the first time I baked a cake with my grandson Yoavi (2 and a half). He insisted on breaking the eggs and naturally I didn't let him. But he said "Want, want". Ok so I braced for running white madness followed by egg yolk massacre.

To my complete shock, mister "going on three in February" gently but surely knocked the eggshell on the edge of a cup and proceeded to release the content as if he had been in the kitchen for his entire life. "Pure luck", I told myself. Not at all, he firmly cracked open the other two eggs.


Nathalie

Motherhood 101, 102, 125

Today for the first time I had a strange conversation with my 3 year-old grand-daughter Mirl, in the succa. She heard a baby crying in an appartment above and asked:

- Where is his mother?
- The baby's mother is right next to him, she is comforting him, I answered.
One minute passed and the baby cried again and Mirl asked again:
- Where is his mother?
- She is with him.
- I don't hear her, said Mirl.
- But she is there, I said.
- Are you sure? Enquired the 3 year-old.
- Yes , I am sure.
- But I don't hear her voice.
- Even when you don't hear her voice, a mother is here.

Mirl laughed and laughed. But I did not. I was saying to myself "And when a mother is gone, you still hear her voice".


Nathalie

What a ride

Today for the first time I was riding in the bus to work, a short trip that I do not mind standing up in the bus. But a young soldier got up and offered me his seat. And I did sit down and it was more comfortable than standing. I guess there is more to getting older than gray hair.

David

Two sons, one succa

Today for the first time our two sons insisted on building our succa, without me getting involved. Which I almost did. And they did a great job.

David

Hung Up

Today for the first time I told a very good friend I had work to do and basically hung up.

Did you ever end a phone conversation simply because you were hurt and disappointed? It has happened to me before, I am a grown up person, been there, done that...

But it was the first time with this specific friend, and maybe, after 3 decades of unconditional friendship, I finally came to realize the unconditional part should be a two-way road.


Nathalie

The Tree on Teller Street

Today for the first time I noticed a tree on Teller street in Rehovot, whose trunk grew half from the sidewalk and half from the street. The curb was not elevated and there were no cracks to be found.

It seemed as if someone had inadvertently deposited the tree in this awkward manner. Someone with a distracted mind, apparently.


Nathalie

First Time Buyer

Today for the first time I encountered the French word "primo-accédant".

The translation of this real-estate term into English is "first time buyer" a straightforward and understandable term, clearly a known word. Did I fall asleep all these years while the French were manufacturing new words with the only purpose to annoy me? I am pissed off. But then again, this is all about the joy of breaking new frontiers, isn't it?


Nathalie

Color photos from 100 years ago

Today for the first time I looked at color photographs taken between 1909 and 1912 in the Russian empire.

I was fascinated by the description: " Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944) undertook a photographic survey of the Russian Empire with the support of Tsar Nicholas II. He used a specialized camera to capture three black and white images in fairly quick succession, using red, green and blue filters, allowing them to later be recombined and projected with filtered lanterns to show near true color images."

What is your favorite photograph?

Thank you to Stephen Epstein for sending this link over Facebook and allowing for this meaningful experience.


Nathalie

Fruit and Vegetable Wash

Woman with a Mirror, Picasso

Today for the first time I cleaned my mirrors using a spray called "Fruit and Vegetable Wash".

While not all actions can be explained nor justified, let us say in my defense the label clearly indicated "helps remove soil, dirt and wax from the surface of fruits and vegetables".

Watch me next time when I set out to clean a piece of fruit. Options are mind-boggling.


Nathalie

Macedonian

Today for the first time I started learning Macedonian when reading a famous Macedonian primer written by the Greek government in 1925.

Macedonian, a Southern Slavic language, is used by about 1.5 million speakers in Macedonia, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, the USA, Canada and Australia. Macedonian has a Cyrillic alphabet.

See you later!

David

Gummy Fish

Today for the first time David and Nathalie had gummy fish on Rosh Hashana standing for "fish head".

Wow this was a first, thanks to our host and dear friend Shachar.

That we may be as the head and not as the tail!