November 28, 2017
on the long bus ride to th Sahar River Bed, we heard amazing stories about the history of the Marmalukes and Salahadid and the Druze transgender Set Shaauda. Our guide, Rami, bumps off stories from ancient history as if were talking about his kids. But he's also a tough leader. After walking seven kilometers on rocky cliffs, he ket us eat lunch and then marched us up Kaalat Nimrod. amother hard to climb place. All was amazing but my feet are no longer moving.
![](saharriverbed.jpg")
I just discovered that I have marvelled at this place at least twice in these pages, and published innumerable pictures here. i don't even know what it's name is in Arabic. Although i know that Kala is castle, and my name Alkalay is "The Castle." but my name is referencing the castle that gave the name to the town, now a suburb of Madrid, where Cervantes was born. And from where the Jews, henceforth named Alkalay, were exiled in the inquisition.
November 29, 2017
Exile by the way is not as bad as genocide. However, a terrible thought came to me during that long walk along the stony slopes. A woman was walking before me who looked something like my aunt Hasia, who was in a work camp during WWII and described a number of marches. The woman before me was more exhausted than i was and this was supposed to be a fun trip. Can you imagine those long walks in frozen weather? Day after day?
i have put in another 3500 shekel in the kitty of the Writers organization to cover the mistakes of the previous chair. it grates on me that i cover these things instead of putting money in my grandchildren's kitty. Will this ever end? I guess if i quit when the last bill is paid and let the others take responsibility for this mess.
November 30, 2017
Ezi tore his achilles' heel tendon today and although he can move his foot, he can't step on it. me with my swollen knee and Ezi with his heel and it makes everything look bleak. but it's no more than what we deserve running around the country and trying to help everyone else out without thinking of what's good for us.
What would be good for us, I wonder. To be pain-free for one. Naches. World peace.
tests this morning. 12 hour fast - well almost 12 hours. We no longer go to the clinic with the instructions so we don't always know what exactly to expect. Today the clinician tells me that the hemotologist as well as the GP has ordered tests. The GP i knew about because I had to remind him that I haven't had blood tests in over a year. But I didn't know that the hemotologist was even thinking about me. It's that one niggling test i do every once in a while that could mean, but most likely doesn't, that i will soon die. (i do this all the time.) The blood part is nothing. It's the urine part that confuses me. the delicate position, the little cup. this time it dropped and i had to beg for another cup. Fellow patients cheered me on, claiming they always have that problem too. There's no privacy here.
So Gilad came over in the evening and agreed that Ezi tore the tendon and at first said it needed an operation but after consultation with specialists agreed it was crutches for 6 weeks and a high-heeled boot. So that's our plan for tomorrow morning.
December 1, 2017
It took hours - and hours - because it was friday it was hard to find a boot. i made the mistake of wearing new shoes thinking i would be home in an hour. so by the end of the day both of us were in pain.
It wasn't the fault of the health clinic. We went to Ramat Hasharon because we were told there was an orthopedist on duty and it took minutes before the nurse sent Ezi for an x-ray and only a few minutes more before the doctor made the diagnosis. But he wanted to put a cast on because it would be hard to get a boot on the weekend. and that's when our troubles began. we were sent from pharmacy to pharmacy.
But never mind that. The patient is now resting comfortably.
And so we now have the opportunity to watch a lot of television. And as soon as Ryan admitted his lies to the FBI we started switching channels for news.
It was an interesting discovery - When Israeli news covers an event they send reporters and cameras, no matter where the event occurs. But Fox news seems to just sit around and discuss things. CNN too.
And things happen here - sometimes terrible things. The murder in Arad last night of a young soldier - i think it was for his weapon - terrible
December 2, 2017
Okay I couldn't go to the demonstration tonight. But I did sign the petition, and i am rooting for those who don't want to let Bibi off the hook.
In secret I must admit that it is exhausting to be a caregiver. Especially when my knee hurts and i have no idea how to handle all the calls and guests.