Thursday, September 4, 2008

TT - My Life in 13 Parts

Since I haven't TT'd for the past few weeks I thought I'd use my Thirteen this week to catch you guys up a bit on the goings-on around the island lately:

1. For those of you who haven't been here since I was packing, I just spent the month of August in beautiful, albeit very rainy, New England.

(2. For those of you here via All Mediocre who have no idea why I'm writing in number form, this post is doing double duty as my Thursday Thirteen entry for this week. Come play along with us, it's great fun.)

3. The kids and I went to my visit my parents for the month. They had a ball at "Camp Grandma" while I alternated between being on vacation and squeezing in the (very part-time) work hours necessary to help finance our not so little jaunt across the ocean. My folks live in an area full of lakes and close to the mountains, so adventure was pretty much around every turn.

4. Instead of just taking two weeks off and heading to the States, I took four weeks at half-time. August in Tel Aviv is just hot, humid and generally miserable, and by then the day camp sessions are all over, so we decided the best possible option was to just get the heck outta Dodge. Jay couldn't take the whole month off, but he was able to join us halfway through.

(5. Why do the camps close when there is still nearly a month of summer vacation left, leaving parents scrambling for childcare each summer?)

6. Since I work from home, it was as simple as taking my laptop with me.

7. Don't worry, we also had plenty of time to play.

8. And take lots and lots and LOTS of photographs. New England is an awfully photogenic corner of the world. It would be paradise if they could just do something about those neverending winters. On the other hand, if they did we'd probably never want to leave all that green and all that water to come back home to Israel.

9. We swam, and boated, and tubed, and canoed, and hiked, and toured, and flew actual planes, and enjoyed spending time with our extended family.

10. There were even loons on the lake.

11. Then the kids got the shock of a lifetime when my mother announced that she and my dad were taken my two kids and my niece to Disney World for four days. We adults had been keeping that secret for nearly six months, and they never suspected a thing.

12. They had the time of their lives, despite Hurricane Fay's dumping massive quantities of water on their heads.

13. And Jay and I had a fabulous time NOT being taken to Disney.

What? 13 already? That was quick. I could have said a lot more. (Be grateful I didn't.) Thanks for bearing with me on the numbering thing, and on the endless vacation photos thing. Normal posting should resume tomorrow. Maybe. I think. I hope. I really do hope so, because I miss having the chance to actually sit down and write something more substantial than "this is what I did on my summer vacation". Vacation posts are fine, and photography posts are much more than fine (and having the vacations to write about and photograph in the first place is even better!), but my writing muse has been bottled up for too long and is starting to get snippy. It's way past time to let her out again. Not tonight though, I've got a long overdue and very much anticipated girls night out tonight!

Happy Thursday to all of you. I hope it's a great one.


26 comments:

anthonynorth said...

Sounds like a crazy, but fun, month. It's nice to know it rains as much in New England as in its namesake, where I constantly get wet :-)

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Ooh, have fun on your night out! I am totally overdue for one.

SandyCarlson said...

Sounds like a good adventure all the way around! So you were over our way...I hope you had fun.

Hootin Anni said...

Mmmmmmm, mmmmmm, mmmm, this all sounds like one terrific time.

My T-13 is posted. Last one over to visit me is a rotten egg! :o)

Anonymous said...

How delicious! Fun times for the kids, a little hubby to your self time... YAY!! I was sooo jealous when Janet said she had lunch with you. ;)

Coming back to plurk?

Claremont First Ward said...

Great list, Robin. I'm glad you're back!

Phyllis Sommer said...

welcome back! nice update, i do love the thursday 13 thing.

Anonymous said...

So glad you had a wonderful time! And well done in escaping Disney!

Anonymous said...

The humidity in Israel is crazy! Everytime I am there, my hair is all afro like. Glad you had a nice time in New England, as the weather is probably better!

Maddy said...

I'm sort of cheating as mine won't be up until later, but since I'm here.....

I was going to ask you how to do a blogroll on Wordpress but I had forgotten you were [are] blogspot too. [So you're on the new one until I can fathom the old one]

It was six weeks for us, but fortunately I am in the lucky position of not having to work to pay the mortgage.

I still can't really figure out how people juggle it all these days, although I suppose it must be possible since I did it on my own a couple of decades ago with my daughter.

Here to 'normal routine.'
Cheers

Lori said...

Sounds wonderful. Happy TT my friend:)

pussreboots said...

I can't imagine having the freedom to travel for a month. Happy TT.

Janet said...

While it's nice to vacation, it's equally nice to get back home :-)

storyteller said...

After such a busy month, a girl’s night out sounds perfect! Enjoy ;--)
Hugs and blessings,

Mia Celeste said...

Disney World? How did you ever keep that a secret? I just got back from a trip too. Happy TT!

Disturbed Stranger said...

Sounds like you're enjoying yourselves! Have fun!

I miss DisneyLand :(

Tink said...

It looks like you had a great month, busy though! :)
Thanks for visiting my birthday TT.

Gemini Girl said...

YES- I was at Leonards!!!!! Ha

Anonymous said...

I'm a weirdo who doesn't like Disney World.

I spent two weeks in New England too, South Shore of Boston. We got some rain but mostly it was nice. Walking the beach at sunset each night was my kind of Disney World. I love it!

Shannon said...

SO. Much. Fun! Love it all. Glad you had such a wonderful August. I could really use a month of my mom. Vacation would be bliss. Oh well, back to life. Great 13!

Carol said...

Wow! Lots of action at your place.

Good T-13!

Qtpies7 said...

That would be a great vacation! Especially the kids getting to go away without you! Yah granparents!

Anonymous said...

Istanbul is worse than Ankara! I lived there for 3 months, and its a major reason why despite being in turkey for the majority of our trip we are avoiding Istanbul.

I will miss turkey, NOT the drivers!

But that is awesome that your kids were surprised with Disney. (and that you got the time off from Disney) ;) We surprised a friends sister with that and she was just speechless! it rocked!

Chrissea said...

I'm from New England, but live in Virginia now... you made me miss home! Where were you? New Hampshire?
What a treat for the kid's too. I bet they loved Disney.
My TT is up.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great time and great job keeping the trip to Disney World secret from the kids! Happy TT and welcome home.

Anonymous said...

Tel Aviv? As in Israel-so cool. I enjoyed your 13, but I had to mention your "eyesore". When your blog came up I thought "What a GORGEOUS picture!" Eye of the beholder, right?