Sugar High & IKEA

Yea! It's THURSDAY! This means it's the start to another wonderful weekend. I think Thursday afternoon is the best feeling in the world.

Today was a definite sugar high. I ate a few pieces of dark chocolate after lunch, a whole pack of Mentos in the afternoon, a few more pieces of dark chocolate after dinner and now a pack of sour straws after our quick grocery rush. Let's just say I better brush my teeth extra good tonight or the tooth fairy may be seeing a few unexpected visitors :-)

As previously mentioned , I'm a lover of food and a die hard fan of chocolate, especially dark chocolate with mint or raspberry inside. It's my weakness and I let it overtake me sometimes....like today. But you see, sometimes in life we must indulge. I try to be careful and definitely eat a ton of non processed, very fresh products, but in the end, it's essential to throw your hands up, look the other way and let your sweet-tooth do the talking:) I'm convinced it's good for the soul....like tea:)

I've finally decided that I would like the focus of this blog to be non-directional. I'm simply going to chat about whatever is on my mind. This could be events in my own life, things happening in the land, or simply passing thoughts about random items. I hope this doesn't disappoint you. Perhaps, you'll consider this blog your "2 min break" piece of reading for the day. We all need a little distraction to keep our attention span flexed for the long run.

So one funny thing that happened today was my ability to play "interior designer". It was fantastic and don't you know I totally lived it up! :-) You see, our organization just acquired some space in the building next to us - consider it attached to us. My boss asked some lady friends from America who are interior designers by trade to drop by and give their thoughts on potential layout/color/design. We focused our attention on the upstairs portion, which had this huge awkward raised block in the middle of the  floor. This piece was evidently some raised portion of the roof for the floor below. Just another sign of odd Israeli building plans. Nonetheless, the ladies started throwing out paint colors and I couldn't help myself, by throwing out a few ideas too. Well, don't you know, the main woman started telling me that I should first start with the accent pillows then the dividers then the curtains. Before long, I had all eyes on me as if I was going to remodel this huge bare room by myself. It was quite funny. I love art and I love designing, but I'm no natural Martha Stewart. I'm just good at going to a store and throwing my pointer finger around at the items I desire to purchase. By the end of our time together, the discussion had revolved around me going to IKEA and stapling fabric onto a devider...um, really? This my friends will be a true adventure....warehouse designing HERE I COME!

:-)

In Honor of Pesach

My stepmom passed this along to me and it's AMAZING. I highly recommend watching the following video. Chag Sameach!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZKJcHVWI_4&feature=youtu.be

A Toast to Tea!

Funny how this posting starts to catch on once you decide to roll with it. I now think, "oh yeah, I could blog about that..." guess it's the sign that there's much to say or write. Time for tea...almost.

I love tea. I have fond memories all relating to tea. My stepmom and I would drink tea at 4 pm every day when I was in middle school. We'd make a nice cup of English Breakfast Tea and sink into the couch to watch the day's viewing of Oprah. *This is when I liked Oprah...now, not too much * My mom would make tea and coffee for me on Saturday afternoons when I was in high school and college. When visiting my grandma in Boston, we would sit in her kitchen and talk for hours over a  nice cup of Tetley tea. Now, I offer tea to all my friends who come over for a visit. Tea is like the best welcome sign. It says, "Come, rest, let's chat for awhile and let the weight of the world fall off our shoulders..."

Not only is tea amazing as a "thing to do", but consider all the flavors and ways to make tea. It's fun to see the cultures appear when one makes a special brew. In England, it's always a lump of sugar and a little milk. In Asia, we hear of green tea with all the anti-oxidants to keep you growing healthy for years to come. In America, I've seen many people add honey and lemon, especially to fight off a cold. So, what about you? What do you put in your tea?

Lastly, tea is so wonderful that people use it in mottoes and quotes. Take for example the following quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: "A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. " I would tend to agree.

So have I convinced you enough that tea is better then coffee? :-)

On a different note, I saw this video today and promptly starting crying. Yes, the freshly applied face of make-up gently rolled down my cheeks because the duo was that good. I'm a sucker for the underdog. Hope you enjoy the link! Maybe you want to watch it with a good cup of tea :)

Charlotte & Jonathan - Britain's Got Talent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsNlcr4frs4

Post-Posting

Okay, so I know I just finished posting, but after closing the computer, I have a 101 ideas of things to talk about...this is soooo me....always thinking of what to say after-the-fact. So next time, I will discuss why I love tea. I think I shall call the post - Two for Tea, Tea for Two...stay tuned :-)

2nd Time Around

I've been provoked by a friend (in a good way) to restart my blog. So much has happened since the last post that I feel a little lost as to a beginning or re-beginning. The reason that I was afraid to post further is that I didn't want this medium to be a vessel for venting. Over the last year, I've experienced a lot of trials and triumphs. People have hurt me and People have lifted me up. I guess this is life, but the more I experience, the more I want to shout back and throw open the gates...ahh, the blue gate, my blue gate.

So, where's Waldo? We found Waldo in Boston...(a street sign- see below)...hehe...So where's Blair? Well, I'm a married working woman who has dual citizenship, is learning and appreciating the art of cooking, rambles daily in a mix of languages while trying to master Hebrew, and yearns for daily adventure (even if by Internet). My husband is a gem. He matches me beautifully, especially all the funny quirks that come out when a man and a woman actually live together daily. Before I met Yoni (my husband), I was told by a trusted leader that he is "a gentleman and a gentle man." This really describes my Yoni.  We feel so blessed to have a "homey"-apartment with room for people to connect. Yes, connecting. This is my passion. I want to connect with God. I want to connect with my family. I want to connect with our community. I want to connect with friends. I want to connect with the language. I have no difficulty connecting with food and I'm excited everyday to connect with our homeland - Israel.

I can't believe it's been over a year since I've moved here. Where does time go? Is it like the old song - {Time in a Bottle} - can I shelf it in my pantry for a recipe in the future? How I wish....

My days now are a funny melody. I pray every day to be open to the opportunities that come my way. I want to be sensitive to where God leads. It's an adventurous prayer, but fun.

Around the corner is Pesach (Passover). I LOVE Pesach especially in Israel. My favorite thing use to be the Seder. It still in, but now I also love the vacation time that comes along with this holiday since we live in a country full of Jews. We're taking some friends to Rosh HaNikra in a few weeks. Although Yoni and I went back last year (picture below), we didn't go to the tourist site where you can walk into the caves. I'm super excited about going back since it's been 9 years....geezz....we're also taking a little trip to Jerusalem at the end of the chag (holiday). Again, more time to spend with friends and connect to the old city. Most importantly is my beloved's birthday. Last year, I took Yoni to the local symphony while also having a night where we invited friends over for matzah pizza and a movie. My creative juices are still flowing for what to do this year. Birthdays are a highlight for me!

Let me leave it on a this note - a nice one. I hope to be back and maybe this 2nd time, I will be a more successful penmen. Lehitra'ot!