Friday

Fridays here are short days.  Everybody is aware that Shabbos is coming, kids get out from school at about noon all year long and many adults (including Judah) don't go to work.  Banks and government offices are closed.  So today, before Shmittah starts in a couple of weeks, Judah plans to harvest the Cabernet in our front yard, and together with grapes from our neighbors down the street, make a very small batch of wine.
Hillel is getting better, no more fever, and the kids went to school pretty happy this morning.  On Fridays they get special lunches in honor of Shabbos coming -- sandwiches with chocolate spread (it's like Nutella, but without the nut), pudding -- stuff like that.  Hodayah has a birthday party this afternoon and I am picking her and a couple of her friends up from school and taking them straight there.  I have not done pickup before and I don't know if it's chaotic with a bunch of buses or if it will be easy to find them.
The contractor and architect came by yesterday morning to look at the work that needs to be done and hopefully that will start next week.  Things always get messier before they get really cleaned up!

Shabbat Shalom,

Naomi

Our grapes 

The neighbors' grapes

Our grapes again

Our front yard.  Nothing to do with grapes or wine, just showing one of the items on my list :)  When it rains, it becomes a mud pit.  Must get all prep work done before Rosh Hashana because Shmitah doesn't allow for plowing and weeding...

Our lone remaining pomegranate (excited children picked the others...)