Moving weekend

I don’t think I’ve spoken about my mother’s house yet.  It all started with water pouring from her bathroom ceiling vent.  We got it checked out, and it turns out, not so much just the vent that’s sodden.  The entire bathroom ceiling and walls and ¾ of my mother’s bedroom ceiling and walls are completely soaked.  And today, we found out that the drywall that’s soaked apparently contains asbestos.  So the back half of the house has been unusable, and will be literally ripped out next week.  Thank goodness for house insurance.  She’ll have to move out for a week and everything.

Oh yes, did I mention that this all happened Friday afternoon, as we were getting ready for services?  It was a hard mental turn-around, but we did it. 

The service at Temple Israel (really the JCC, since the temple itself is being renovated) honoring Miriam and myself was wonderful.  It was at the JCC.  The pre-oneg before had so many hors d’ouvres, it was like dinner.  My nametag said “Rabbi Loving,” which was very surreal. J

As for the service itself, there must have been 150 people there, it was standing room only at the sanctuary (they brought in extra chairs, and it still wasn’t enough).  People were there from all corners of my life: Carol, my own preschool religious school teacher; Ben and Danielle, two kids who I taught in 6^th grade before I left for rabbinical school; parents of a girl I grew up with but hadn’t seen in 15 years; adult students of my mother’s who I’d only met once or twice before; my 1^st grade teacher in secular school; family friends, and more.  Miriam and I have known each other since early childhood, grew up together, and so many of her people were there too, we truly felt surrounded in the bosom of family.  During the regular sermon time, both of us spoke for a few minutes (I remember saying “if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes you as a temple to raise a rabbi")  and by the end, everyone was crying.  After the service I went out with her and her fiancé to Main Street in Seal Beach, and we schmoozed about upcoming jobs, relationships, parents, and life.  It was very celebratory! 

                                      

Saturday was the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific with Gwen and Sylvan.  What a fun place for kids!  They had tanks with fish of every size and color, and huge maps of California and educational videos on the ecosystem.  We watched a sea lion show, pet some starfish and stingrays, watched the seals being fed, saw the penguins, and overall, had a great time.  Following that was lunch with Eric and Jean, and then the all-important nap time.

Sunday, Father’s Day, was even better.  We went to El Torito for their breakfast buffet… mmmm I’ve missed horchata!  And good fajitas.  And pico de gallo.  And tamales.   And avocado as an automatic side to everything.  And of course, good flan.  (No offense to Don Pablo's in Cinci, but it just didn't compare.)  Jonathan left to drive to Sacramento, mom took the kids, and then…

Gwen and I went SHOPPING!!!   Clothes shopping, for a professional wardrobe.  It was incredible, I’ve never been on a spree like that.  I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, with her in the back, two sales clerks bringing in clothes, and a seamstress (literally) hemming at my feet.  Talk about surreal.  I can’t thank her and Sylvan enough.

Then, of course, it was back to kids.  And packing.  The movers arrived at the Sacramento house  with our furniture on Monday, I flew up with the kids, and here we are!  (Note though: I do NOT recommend flying with two cats and two kids alone, especially when the littlest one was hit by a vomiting bug. Not fun).  

The house is amazing.  But filled with boxes.  There are a ton of pictures from the past week, to be posted shortly.