Tu B'Av

 

Tu B'Av ended at sundown. I must say, I didn't know there was this much to this day. It was my most meaningful Tu B'Av since I began on the path of the Torah.

    Our internet went down yesterday just in time for my classes so all I could do last night was watch a video on the subject. But I made up for it today when the service was restored. In fact, I have yet to watch the 3rd and final video on the day and the fullness of its meaning.

    This morning my friends and I did Shacharit on our phones (me using data) and I think sometime during the Amidah the internet suddenly came back, so we concluded the prayers on Zoom. I was very grateful. One of us mentioned how awful it would be if we couldn't contact each other via the internet or phone. Complete isolation. How terrible that would be.

    

    After Shacharit I did some household chores and thereafter came back to my learning about Tu B'Av, did some more chores, walked to he shop and did a Hebrew lesson.

    When I had my nightly Zoom chat with my beloved grandson, he said:

    "Granny, when I come for the September school holidays, can you please have all the ingredients to make those pancakes I like with cinnamon and sugar?"

    I said: "Sure!"

    He said: "And can you please put peas in them too?"

    I said: "So, you want cinnamon and sugar and peas in the same pancakes?"

    He said: "Is cinnamon good for you?"

    I said: " Very good for you."

    He said: "OK, so if we put cinnamon and peas in the same pancakes, it will be double good."

    "I see what you mean," I said.

I love that boy!

    Then some friends from the yeshiva and I gathered on Zoom to watch Lesson Tav of Rabbi Bernstein's Matthew class - may his memory be a blessing - and we had lively discussion during and after the class. We shared some of our days and had a good giggle at ourselves.

    Going back to earlier, I went into the garden and clipped some leaves of the Curry Tree which are now laid out to sun-dry. I also harvested some dandelion flowers to add to the collection of wildflowers I'm currently drying for eating.

    I attended an online class last week about drying food as a preservation method, and I must admit I like the idea a lot. I also have some geranium leaves out to dry. They are almost ready to be stored in their glass jar.

    I love eating out of my garden. This morning for breakfast I had mini quiches made with organic eggs and nasturtium leaves from my garden, topped with organic microgreens. So healthy, nutritious and delicious.

    I am grateful to God for loving me and for giving me friends who can share this walk with me, and that find real joy in our time together.

    I am also very happy to know that I will soon be seeing the life-force that is my grandson again soon.

May the Lord bless your sleep and your dreams.