Today's Boqer tov

 When I opened my eyes this morning, I closed them again because I was still tired, pulling my beanie down further over my eyes so I wouldn't see the light and feel driven to get up because the day was proceeding without me.

    A while later I felt myself surfacing again and this time I lazily pulled the beanie up and opened my eyes and before I was even upright began saying the beloved Modah Ani.

    It was only slightly after 8am, so I didn't feel too bad. Although, if you listen to some teachers, one should be ashamed of oneself if one doesn't jump out of bed at 4am and rush to the miqveh! That has NEVER happened to me - apart from the fact that there is NO miqveh in my city!

    The first thing I do after the Modah Ani is let my friend in a neighbouring country know that HaShem has raised me to life for another day. Should the day come, God forbid, that she doesn't get that message from me, it will start a whole series of phonecalls, messages and communications, ending with my children burying me. So I am very thankful that THAT did not happen today! There is still so much to do!

    So, as my eyes were already looking at my phone - not seeing much without my glasses - I noticed there was a notification from SuperProf saying that a new student had sent me a message asking for lessons. I managed to put the phone down and wash my hands and pray the bathroom blessing, opening the curtains, doors and window as I did so. Once the sun was shining into my little sanctuary, I took hold of my phone and came to the laptop, emailing the prospective student. After a few exchanges, I found myself with a  new Grade 8 student for Afrikaans. A few more hours also had me signing up a new Hebrew student. Baruch HaShem.

    Then it was time for Shacharit - we pray for One Hour on Wednesdays and Sundays - and this morning my prayer partner had to take her sick friend to the hospital for her pre-op appointment. We are grateful for the Ashkenazi siddurim - I don't know about the others - which have arrows at the bottom of most of the prayers that you can say instead of the entire missive, in cases where one is pressed for time. Even then, it's a tight fit, but we are so grateful to HaShem for bringing us into the House of Israel and giving us the opportunity to pray with our brothers and sisters. We are beyond grateful.

    After prayer, I went to the shop to get the things I need for Purim and Shabbat - Wednesdays are the days when we pensioners get 10% discount at our local supermarket. So I try to go only on a Wednesday. I sometimes succeed.

    I then finished off my admin work for this tax year for a friend of mine, who pays me for it, for which - again, I am grateful. But having finished the 2025 tax year, there will be a wait of 2 to 3 months before the work for the current tax year begins to flow in. I am therefore doubly grateful that HaShem has provided not one, but two, new students today.

    Another thing I am very grateful for is the friend I have found here in East London that shares this walk with me. We see each other every Friday morning for about 2 hours. Fortunately for me, HaShem saw to it that this year Purim fell on a Friday! So the two of us are going to read the Megillah together - along with some friends online - and then have a small mini festive meal together - which accounts for all the food prep I am doing! Another thing I am so very grateful for!

    Let's see, what else happened today?

I went out into the garden and saw that my black cherry tomatoes are getting flowers! Soon to turn into tomatoes! I saw that 2 of the 3 fennel seeds I planted for a friend who wants to buy fennel seedlings are peeping through the soil. Yayness! But my German Chamomile is still not germinating, even though I planted some more seed closer to the surface. Also, my Anise have been eaten by something, so I planted more. My radishes are growing nicely, but they have also been eaten - I saw a monstrous grasshopper which looked like it might have been the culprit jumping around on my stairs the other day - so I sprayed everything with Neem Tree Oil, which is supposed to keep most pests away from one's plants.

    I spent some time today before Shacharit preparing some material for my Grade 8 Afrikaans student who will start in the new term. I am meeting her mom online tomorrow for the first time to make all the final arrangements. I can't wait!

    I boiled the eggs for Purim's Devilled Eggs - even though my mom, who I had a WhatsApp chat with this afternoon, gave me some good advice on how to deshell eggs and I tried my best to follow her instructions - I somehow got more eggwhite in the bin along with the shells than I would like. I must be the worst boiled egg peeler in the world! Sorry mom.

    I made the potato salad, which at least was successful. The other dishes can't be made until tomorrow as I have no place to store them in the fridge. So tomorrow, which is going to be a hectic day, will have to see me complete all those tasks! Phew!

    The last thing I did today came to an end a few minutes ago. A friend and I read a chapter of the Jerusalem Talmud together online, thanks to Sefaria. We learned that prayer is a holy occupation and any time at all spent in HaShem's presence should be accompanied by clean & tidy bodies and clothes. I will henceforth never attend our online Shacharit prayer meetings in my PJs. 

    God is Holy. If we want to serve Him and be near Him, we should be like He is. The Bible says that in several places.

From me, Layla tov. May the morning see us all resurrected for another day to serve HaShem!