greetings from me

Hello Everyone,Wow! 8 months - almost anyhow. Time time time. First,we are all well and healthy. We are blessed! Lifecontinues to be full and exploding out through theseams. Full and alive. We are really living our dreamand things are falling into place. We had a new first yesterday. Josh asked me (out ofthe blue) if I could please drive him to hisgirlfriend's house to hang out with her a little bit.Girlfriend's house? 'Mom, I really wnat you to meether. She is so nice!' So, he says to her: "HI Kleel,how was your day?" Too funny and too sweet. Where to start? Drew and I are still sleeping onthe floor and hopefully today we will go to Ikea andbuy a bed for us. Nothing fits our King size bed so wehave to buy two twins and bolt them together. FYI.don't move across the world with American king sizenothin'! It is winter here. Much different than Boulder,days of 65-70 degrees have popped up. Much more rainbut the most interesting and challenging thing is thearchitecture of the houses. The houses are fullydesigned for sweltering hot summers and not forwinter. We do not have central heat. We have two airconditioner/heater units in living room and our room.All other rooms are wet-cold. Electricity is a premiumprice around here so as much as possible it issweaters and warm booties. In the morning my bedroomcan be a cool 50 degrees! Lovely! one has to have asense of humor about it all. Very moist around here aswell so every couple of months we need to wipe themold that grows on the walls off. Kind of weird. Atleast my hands don't look like lizard skin like theydid in Boulder. Drew got a job! yeah! He works at the local (5minute walk from the house) German Christian ToxicFiltration System producing factory. Go figure! Heworks in the carpenter area building stuff. I justfind the whole concept hysterical. They are also themain manufacturers of gas masks here in Israel. Canyou believe it? Our town has the German gas maskmaking factory. It is run and owned by a group offundamentalist Amish-like Christians. They came in the70's to make Israel great for the Jews to return to sothat the Messiah could come and have it work out forthe Christians so that they can move into their nextdeal. Kind of like chess don't ya think? Maybe we areall god's big chess game? hee hee. Anyhow, no Englishspoken there for him. Only German and Hebrew. Drewspeaks Hebrew all day long which is the main bonus. Anyhow. I am doing a first today and hence theletter writing at 5 am. I am teaching my first course.It is in lumbar spinal mechanics. It is to a smallgroup of physical therapists. It is for 4 hours a weekfor 4 weeks. Kind of nervous but got to try it. See ifteaching is in the stars for me. My army work is a ton of fun. Cutest boys (oops -men) you have ever seen. They are wonderful andmotivated beyond belief. A therapists dream. I still commute to Jerusalem 1 x week for asmattering of patients there. My home practice isinching along. slow slow slow. I imagine it would pickup if I did some advertising but just don't have theUMPH for it right now. It will come. Everything is a bit easier. I can read the bills,I can even pay them on-line. Getting gas out the gasdispenser with a credit card still is a 50-50 chanceit works. Don't ask! So, it is still usually fullservice for me. One of the best perks about Israel is surely thefood. the best best best. Great middle easternrestaurants. Competitive humus places everywherealthough the Arabs are surely the best. I drive intoan Arab town on the way home from Jerusalem and buyoodles of humus for Drew and the boys. Zach and Josh are plugging along. Both 'hookedup' right now so you would think the complaining wouldstop. I guess it is the blue print for life. No matterif you are 'attached' the complaining goes on. Bothare conversationally good in Hebrew. Actually all ofus are. Drew is amazing. Overall our life here is good and even great attimes - at least this very second it is. There are ofcourse the continuous ups and downs but we are makinga good go of it. The funny thing is that I don'treally think of the states much and pine for thingsthere. I am not really that kind of person that thinksof what was. I do mostly miss friends and hanging outand laughing with my girlfriends and patients. Beinglight. Letting my shoulders drop a couple of inches.Just feeling like there are no cares in the world. Iguess that is why God put The Rio on the map! - haha. No margarita joints around here. No body I knowdrinks alcohol really. It seems to be that Isreali'shang out with friends, spend time with their children,shop and go out to eat for their relaxation. More holidays are coming next month. WE justpassed through the holiday of celebrating the birth ofTrees. Everyone goes out, hikes, plants trees and eatsdried and fresh fruits of every sort. We are thankfulfor all the variety and blessings that we have. I wenton the cutest hike with the army base--all 800 ofthem. We went to a forest for a little ike. When wearrive at the destination, we got off bus and then hadbreakfast, then walked another 10 minutes and atedried fruit and cakes. Walked another 20 minutesthrough this beautiful forest and planted some trees,listened to a short speech and ate some more. We thenhiked back to the buses and ate lunch of sandwiches,cream puffs and grape juice. It was so cute and sweet.Just imagine the logistics of 4 meals for 800 with in3-4 hours. I love the new adventures. I am learning for sureabout a lot of things. I start a language school nextweek which meets 2 hours a week. I wish all of you agood weekend and shabbas. Send me angels of luck formy new teaching experience today. 4 hours in front ofa group of people? What the heck will I say? I guess Ican always revert to travel stories. Those are myfavorites as you all know I am sure. ha! love love loveAdele