Love and marriage?

A friend of ours got married this week.

He is 47. He married a 35-year-old woman. They got married, just like Carrie Bradshaw and Big of Sex and The City, in the City Hall of New York. Just the two of them and a witness friend who also took pictures. They sent us the link to the pictures which they posted on the Internet and also uploaded a very short sweet video of the ceremony on You Tube.

Good night, little flower

I was in the bread shop buying bread. After a long day of meetings in Jerusalem I was now back in Tel Aviv. As I was standing at the counter, placing my order, I heard the song. Playing softly in the background. For a moment I thought I was mistaken. But then no. There it was. And even before realising it, there I was, softly singing along with it, suddenly remembering all the words I didn't know I knew.

It is the Italian song of singer songwriter Francesco De Gregori, "Bounanotte Fiorellino". Goodnight flower. About someone who wishes goodnight to his love/wife who is far away. I had forgotten about the song. I don't think I've heard it since I left Italy, at the age of 18.

But suddenly I was awash with memories. Teenagers sitting around the bonfire with a guitar, humming along to this song, boys and girls hugging to keep warm in the cool Italian night. He wasn't even my favorite artist. It was just a song I loved and forgot about. Until today.

So here is the link to the song on You Tube. I looked it up when I came home and I've been listening to it ever since. Just so you can hear what I listened to many years ago and heard again today. Goodnight to all of you. I hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIkosxIvEQw&feature=related

Photo credit: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00676/teenagers-newquay_676811c.jpg

Grazie Mille, Mr Giorgio Armani

Reminiscing about my son MB's Bar Mitzvah, (see the previous two posts), has brought back fond memories of the preparations towards that big day and also a story about the dress I chose to wear at the dancing party we held for family and friends after the synagogue.

So here's the story.

I needed a dress. A party dress. A happy dress. And whenever I need a happy dress the person I think of is Giorgio. Yes. Giorgio. Giorgio Armani. The Italiano.

Bar Mitzva Story: a retrospective of the big day - part II

Ok. Here comes part two. We were at the synagogue. And indeed, it proved to be the perfect choice.
But let me first tell you what happened to my little sweet-faced baby on his road to becoming a Bar Mitzvah. Because 13 is apparently not just a randomly selected age. It appears to be a real watershed in terms of boys growing up.

Because here is what happened to MB:

Bar Mitzvah story: a retrospective of the big day-part 1

A few days before we celebrated the Jewish New Year it occurred to me that we were exiting my son's Bar Mitzvah year. It also occurred to me that most of the posts in this blog have been about My Girl (MG) and not much has been said about My Boy (MB). So this one is for you, MB.

Happy new year

Jews all over the world will be celebrating the Jewish new year tonight.

In half an hour here in Tel Aviv I will light my candles with my family and then we will go over to my mother's house for a family meal. Delicious food, always, and many many people.

Unlike secular new years' celebrations, on December 31, the Jewish New Year is a time for introspection,  leading up to the 10 Yamim Noraim, or 10 days of Awe, that close with the Yom Kippur, a day of  fasting and reckoning in which Jews ask forgiveness to peers and to God for all their sins.

I have spent the morning cooking as tomorrow I have about 20 people over for lunch - but I have taken the easy way out and the meal will be salads and cold cuts.

So now I am sitting in my living room. Surrounded by flowers sent to my by my best friend (a girl) and by my husband and children. I am waiting for everyone to come to the living room to light the festival candles. They are having their showers - and I'm listening to some music. All smells clean. All is quiet. All is good.

As Benjamin Franklin (apparently) said: “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man” (or woman).


Happy new year to all of us.


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When do you delete?

It is probably due to my growing older, but I find myself more and more being confronted by a dilemma that involves new technology and the natural process of life, or rather death.