Shemini Atzeret

We had services this morning for the holiday, and it was just delightful. It was such a pleasure to hear the tunes that our Cantor Phil does. Our new cantor in Orlando has a beautiful voice, and I always enjoy hearing him, but his tunes are mostly unfamiliar to me. Now that we are going there regularly, we are starting to learn these new tunes. Still, it was like coming home to hear Phil and sing all the "old" tunes. It was so much fun. It was wonderful seeing our friends, too. It really did feel like coming home.

Then I played Mah Jongg at Annie's house with Wendy, Sue P., and later Debbie. There were a lot of wall games; I won two games; and Sue won one game. It was a lot of fun. First we had lunch at Annie's house: chick pea soup, salad, whitefish salad, crackers, strawberries. Yummy! After having lunch with us girls and Annie's husband Mark, my Mark spent the time exercising at the gym. Tomorrow we are going to go back to Annie's for my lunch and Mahj. I guess Mark will get an extra dose of exercise this week!

Now we are making dinner back at the Rosen house before heading back to Mishkan Torah for Erev Simchat Torah services. Tonight is the night that usually draws out a big crowd because it's so much fun to take all the Torahs out and carry them around the streets of Greenbelt. The only thing is that it's freezing here tonight. I'm not sure Mark and I brought warm enough clothing. I actually found a pair of little gloves in my car, and I can layer my sweater and my hoodie. Mark is going to put a t-shirt under his dress shirt with a suit jacket and a his light jacket over that and hope it's enough.

I got an email from my neighbor Ken this morning. He saw a bobcat in our back yard on Tuesday. Wow! I would have loved to have seen that bobcat. He also saw a deer in our front yard. I've seen a lot of deer in the back yard and in his front yard, but I have not seen them in our front yard. I love my neighborhood! As homey as it feels to be here at shul with our friends, I do miss my Poinciana house and neighborhood. It's so lovely. I feel so very relaxed and happy there.