Sleeping in the Sukkah

Family day on Thursday. Beach on the edge of the Tel Aviv area - really more towards Herziliya area. It was HOT, hamsin hot - meaning hot and dry. We went late as who can bear to be out there baking earlier. The water was quite warm. That is to say it was warmer than I would ever imagine the Atlantic to be, even in early September when it's about as warm as it's going to get. We floated, splashed and swam until our eyes were red with the saltiness. I find the Med to be saltier than the Atlantic and wonder why this is. Akiva enjoyed himself as did the boys, until Natan sliced his foot on a sharp piece of shell. The medic in the first aid room was nonplussed as Natan dripped blood all over his clean floor. He informed us that stuff happens daily and that this cut was not a big deal. Natan is fine and healing nicely although walking a bit oddly as the cut was on his big toe. Jess and Daniel were there with their 2 girls and Sarah and Noam, Miriam and Peretz (Daniel's sister and brother in law) and their 23 year old son, Eliav, out of the army a year and starting University this fall and a family that are close buddies of Daniel, Arielle and Chaim and their 4 kids, ranging in age from 11 down. When the sun sank behind the sea - a beautiful sight, we headed back to Sarah's, where Michael had already fired up the barbie and was in the process of roasting various flesh foods. Joanthan and Barabara joined us with their 4. Everyone had made side salads and other contributions to the meal and we sat and ate and chatted. Beer rounded it all out just fine.

Natan wants to understand the focus on barbecue in this country. If you've ever been to Israel on Israel Independence Day you would know what I mean. There is literally a haze over the country from everyone barbecuing. Israelis love barbecuing. Daniel was shocked that Ira and I didn't ship a grill. Why wouldn't we want to join the fun? We barbecued on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashana. Why not? You can cook on the holiday, why not grill? I've suggested to Natan that we just go with it. Barbecue means good potato salad and that's always a good thing.

After dinner, we set up the sleeping arrangements. Jess and I were both sleeping over at Sarah's for the night. Sarah and Michael live in a 90sq meter apartment or about 1000 sq ft. It is not a big place but we like to say that it expands with ease. Everyone always finds a bed and always gets fed and entertained well. Jess and Daniel took one room and their girls took another room. Natan and Akiva shared the pullout sofa and Noam, Gabe, Ira and I, the sukkah. Their sukkah is a pleasant size and they have comfortable mattresses that we laid out sort of "family bed style." It was great. The weather had cooled down, the street construction that's been going on during the night because it's Ramadan and the workers work at night when they're not fasting, wasn't going on, the air was fresh and fragrant and Gabe wasn't snoring too much. I digress (I am know to snore as well but that's immaterial). Ira and I did well until about 5:30am when the street got a bit noisier and Ira started to sneeze from the flowers and the mattress got a bit too hard and we slept for the next hour or so in the two easy chairs in the living room - heaven.