F... Attack

I hear them coming. They make little licking and sucking noises. They get closer, closer, TLUK!

This is it, they attache themselves to my stomach, my legs, my behind, adjusting ever so slightly so installation is permanent.

I try to say 'no', I try to shake them off, I stretch, jump, cycle, try to shake them off in water and on land but the attachment is strong.

They are calories and they will not let me go! (literally, I'm heavier).

Amish and Phili Trip - Contacts

As promised, here they are:
The Mennonite info center offers a guide-in-your-car deal for $44, two hr. tour.
Independence National Historical Park is free, get you tickets at Indi hall in the morning of your trip.
Wilbur Chocolate factory is tasty but a waste of time tour-wise. Same minus 'tasety'goes for Julius Sturig Pretzel Bakery .
Landis Farm was great, would have been even greater if they added home cooked breakfast.
Reading Terminal Market is a fun place to grab lunch, as well as Marathon Grill on Chestnut.
Betsy Ross House was fun to stroll in, plus they have actors in period clothing answering questions inside.

Good weather in New Jersey

It has been a wonderful weekend, full of sunshine, birds chirping, one good birthday party, one great dinner with friends, now I just need to lose some weight and gain some employment and I'll be great!

What makes you happy?

First Thanksgiving Away from The Everitts

Fourteen yeers ago, ven ve came to dis cuntry.... OK, we were a little younger and with no accent, but we had dreams as big as any pilgrim and we had coffee parties instead of the tea one. Ours had cakes, some more wobbly ('cause I made them with my special system of 'ready or not, it's time for you cakes to go out!') We had them in California, too. But all that don't matter because we had them with our family away from our own families and they became our family.

This is the story of us and the Everitts. Laurie would tell you things as they are and would always be there to advise, comfort and just bitch around; Nolan has lots of patience, great at explaining things, is a wonderful artists, fun to be with but lucking on the bitching. We miss them a lot.

Nevertheless, the holidays must go on, so we had our Bostonian friends over (no tea in site), grandma Sharon's stuffing, one un-pardoned turkey, ultra expensive dish wear from Swoozies (never buy there again?), roasted potatoes (never try new traditions when you're away from home), home-made corn bread (Trader Joe's is half an hour away, unfortunately), homemade cranberry sauce (I made it and it was yummy), one great chocolate mousse by Ora and two egg less pies (did I really forget the eggs or was it an attempt to free us, once and for all, from the bad cholesterol?). Best of all - I made Laurie's best dish of the holiday - carrot Jello:)

We went around the table saying our thanks and it was quite nice, but Everitt-less.

The ultra expansive yet good looking dishes and napkins awaiting the crowd...


Chef Arnon drove all the way from Boston to rustle our turkey, accompanied by the singing sous chef Stav....

Gaby and her favorite part of the turkey....

Let us all dig in...

Arbel and the balloon....

Memory match....

Screens, screens, and nothing but the screens....

Happy holidays to you all, keep celebrating and don't forget to count your thankings....

Our Boston Trip

I came back in love with Boston. The architecture, the food (Legal Seafood and others), the vegetation, the air, the history laid against the modern - everything was so beautiful in this city and we had a wonderful time.

Chestnut St.in the quint Beacon Hill neighbourhood is just AMAZINGLY beautiful.

Taking a swan ride is fun, as long as you come in season for it. Pay attention to your driver's thighs - it's a pretty good workout...

Window shopping at Newbury Street - it's fun to see how windows were designed to lure you in(not that I need much luring)...

The Children's Museum is a wonderful place to spend some quality fun time with your family.With many interesting exhibits, Arthur,Japanese and the climbing structure, all of us had a ball!

Having a tea pot just on top of Starbucks.....

Boston has walking tours around the city, called Boston by Foot. We took one the Little Feet tour, the basic for families kind-of-tour.

The Food Market and Politics

It's sunny now in CA. It's rainy here. Sorry, I had to compare. My kids compare, too and that's when the Food Market begins. They discuss what he got and why, why did she get less, what will I get later and, of course, what will he get if he ate his vegetables. But she LIKES vegetables. So that's not fair. "Fair is a complexion, desired by many, true, yet a skin condition" I want to say to skip the bickering routine once and for all but no, nothing will take my kids' mind off their usual routine. Hey, who am I kidding? It's my routine too. I secretly LOVE the Food Market routine, because at a certain point in time, just after the great disappointment of whomever is not getting dessert or what they WILL get for dessert, a little bit before the usual upset of the end, they start THE FOOD MARKET. "I'll give you this if you'll share your dessert with me" says the little one, she's the brain-in-training. But the older knows better, he knows she'll work her charm and get away with much more than was bargained for and so he calculates his steps carefully. In the end they reach an agreement that would have put experienced politicians to shame, so detailed and full of nuances it is, I feel proud of my strategically conniving kids. So I sit at the dining room table and think of what we should fight about next.