Shabbat Shalom

Well, I did attempt it last night. My realization at the last moment that I had not enough flour, nor any active yeast sort of put a damper on my Challah making. However I did have wine, and a nice crockpot stew, and some regular ol' bread. And a candle. I was going for two candles, but we went with one because my candle holders that match one another were in use elsewhere, so I only had the one candle holder.

However, it was my first attempt. Never in my life have I done, or even been part of a Shabbat eve. Lighting and blessing the candle, then blessing the children, (three of them anyhow. The two youngest boys and my oldest. Everyone else was absent) then Kiddush-the blessing of the wine, and the Motzi-blessing over the bread. The blessing of my boys was particulary nice. It felt wonderful to do. In fact, the whole thing felt wonderful.

We began our evening like most evenings. Outside in the backyard, enjoying the beautiful colours of the fading day.

It was so funny...the train went by, as it does a zillion times per day, and both little ones can see the train going through the crossing, as well as hear it. Our hedges haven't grown solid enough yet to block the view. The train was creeping along slowly, with its bell dinging, because for the past twenty minutes it had been stopped right before the crossing... close enough to drop the arms down and start the lights going, but not actually IN the crossing (it does this alot), so cars had been scooting around the downed arms. So, creeping along and dinging the bell and blowing its horn to let the cars know that it was indeed on it's way through now, Demetrio and Dante started doing their little train dance - this dance is, by the way, similar to their dishwasher dance, ambulance dance and a few other machine inspired dances- it involves bending at the knees into a half squat, and then standing back up.. .up down, up down up down, like the little munchkins when Dorothy lands in Oz.

Watching them do their little train dance, my almost 2 year old and my 3 year old, smiling at each other with such joy, the pink skies, the breeze in the trees, I just felt so blessed.

So, my little Shabbat dinner was like a highlight of a perfect evening.

Then today, I put my back out. Totally. Can barely stand, can barely sit. lol But I am STILL very freaking happy.