Thursday Thirteen #5 - Hibernation

Well, here I am - doing it all over again at another Thursday Thirteen. I haven't posted much in the last week - the reason? Hibernation. The ideas have been percolating. Well, that's a lame excuse. So, I'll spare you the other if's and why's, although you'll find I'm greatly amused by some.

So let's get it on...since I'm rather late posting this up.

1. I've been observing a lot. Walking around. A lot. All over Squirrel Hill. And taking buses. It's a great place to walk and it's not misty or freezing cold so I don't feel chilled all over again. When you feel you've come to a rusty spot at night or during the day or in your mind, walk. It helps wonders.

2. Trying to reconnect with family and friends, finding it's easier said than done. The culture of voice mail. Woa is me! I think my name is all over the place. Where is everybody??

3. Getting into the fall swing of things. My-my. Halloween is just everywhere I go - from crisp fall collages on doors' to strange icy looking faces to make that superstitious eye again.

4. I've been hittin' the library. Seriously, I'm mad about the Squirrel Hill library. When I can't escape the mind of my ideas, I swamp and vegetate over a book or better yet, there's a book fair this weekend, anybody?

5. We've been digging up dinosaur bones at the Pittsburgh Museum. Walking through Schenley Park. Watching birds in the sky. I know I'm on a sabbatical but it's also fun to be a mom. Especially in the evening when Ivry comes from the JCC. He's hold his little black spider and says, "Mommy, food!" So I know I'm there for him. It pares or rather balances the hours in front of a screen.

6. Exploring Pittsburgh. Beside the Steelers, we need to know and explore the other areas. So we did that today giving me a much needed respite from the computer to put things in perspective. We went to Shadyside to pick up Haim's check (yay!) and then via Penn Avenue down to the Strip district to pick up some wholesome small bag of wheat, hummus, (we miss Osem from back home, but this one was pretty flavorful), a homemade bottle of olive oil, some dried peaches and mangoes, bread, did I mention hummus? (Israelis says 'hoomoos'... I'm telling you the flavor is in the pronunciation!) We also purchased a new cell at the AT and T place in the most desolate and abandoned looking street. Making our way downtown doing some banking stuff before heading back to Squirrel Hill. Pittsburgh's districts are so regional and so close in proximity. So different than NYC .. but I digress.

7. Finding time to be with Hubbie. Need I say more?

8. Doing some reflecting. And researching about second careers. The career counselor gave me some homework to do.. Again, more voice calls. My name's everywhere.

9. Finding time to exercise.. I'm taking yoga twice a week at the JCC. It's about time. Nothing like yoga to help start a mindful, peaceful day.

10. Attending a writing group twice a week and an Israeli's women's group once a month.

11. Talking to strangers. The nice lady downstairs misses her granddaughter and surprised Ivry with a stuffed toy pumpkin with a happy face. I yelped secretly in glee. Ivry responded to her by saying he was going to call his uncle Elan. (He lives out in San Diego) She didn't understand him as he said half of the sentence in Hebrew, but we both ended up introducing ourselves which struck a very short but nice chat.

12. Finding my American side. This is both confusing and interesting. It's weird too. I haven't been able to find the right hide so I'm hibernating until I find the right insides. But no thanks, no junk food, especially Wendy's or McDonald's for me. Ick. Don't know how people live on that stuff.

13. Finding my spiritual side. Every Friday night, I debate whether to go shul shopping. So far, I've attended only one shul. But I have my eye on another... and another... just keep hopping.

Happy TT Everybody!