Holiday Prep

People walk the streets carrying palm fronds - these are not your average palm fronds, these are fronds from an actual palm tree. They are about 10 feet long and one shlepps them in order to use them to cover your Sukkah. I think of all of the different types of schach (sukkah cover) that I've used - Virginia, I don't remember, I'll have to ask my parents, Long Island - cattails and Brooklyn - evergreens and cedar branches ($20 a bundle, I think, as opposed to 6nis each or about $1 and change). Our Sukkah looks nice and familiar with our Bklyn decorations. Max, Natan's friend, when he saw an early webshot of the Sukkah wondered where was Saturn (a hanging deco version of the planet) and I can happily report that Saturn is hanging.

Ira bargained on his lulav and etrog and proudly bought two sets for us - he was pleased with his work. I read in the newspaper that there was a shortage of palms for lulavim and the gov't made sure to import more and now there's a surplus and some will go unused.

So as not to disapoint Jay Brodsky, I can report that we bought lots of good things to eat today in the shuk - cookies and breads at the healthy bakery, fresh figs, plums, various greenery and watermelon, some salads and our current favorite eggplant salad (no mayo with veggies and nice and burned tasting). We also got some roasted nuts and stuff as well as some special finds like hilbeh (fenugreek paste) and spicy peppers from this guy that I found a few weeks ago and some sort of pickled garlic from this old, cute, fat guy who was delighted that we liked it. I did manage to buy a cute tunic sort of thing - just 50nis (can't pass that up) and we also bought a bottle of hootch as we're totally out of scotch. It's a noname single malt but I imagine it will do the trick.

Shabbat starts early this week but managed to get Akiva to the pool for a quick dip with Jess this afternoon. It's hot today. Gabe went with my parents to sister Sarah for yomtov/shabbat and he'll return on Sunday. We're looking forward to a nice Sukkot vacation - no ulpan and no school until the Monday after next.