Circle time, sukkah time

Here's a rare shot of my sometimes-sung hero of the Sukkah world... putting up our sukkah over a week ahead of time. Amazing!

Went with Elisheva and the Littles to "visit the relatives" today, ie the graves of my grandparents. Tried desperately to figure out which Tehillim you're supposed to say when you go there, but all I could find were mentions that you're supposed to say Tehillim: thanks!

So I did, I took a tehillim and actually said a couple. Then we ran around finding rocks to put on the headstones and then we left. Well, not to make too much light of it. We actually do take our time, reading the names, seeing who's related to whom, who was born and died when, all that stuff. And I point out to each kid which relatives have "their" name.

Gavriel Zev fell asleep in the car and I was dreading shlepping him in the carseat around from site to site, but then it turned out they've redone all the roads into Bathurst Lawn and I was able to park three seconds from the grave. Well! Makes you want to visit the cemetery more often!

Elisheva said it was creepy seeing the half-complete headstones, like with one spouse's name engraved, just waiting for the husband or wife to die so they can finish the stone.Then we shook off the gloom by making fun of the people with weird names. The Lipsyc family is right next to my grandparents, and I can't help it; I always snicker at that one... you picture a dead guy, singing along with the lyrics... well, lip-SYNCHing, right? You got that, right?

At Beth Tzedec cemetery, we found my mother's family, along with the future site of my parents' graves. I was reminded of the Northern Exposure episode where they were trying to figure out how many graves they needed to dig before winter frost set in and they couldn't dig anymore. So they (probably Ed) were going around asking people how they were feeling. I almost felt like we should put up a sign or start digging or something, before winter - and the serious chemo business - sets in around here.

We also discovered two columnar apple trees at the cemetery! I have been eyeing these in the Vesey's catalogue (or somewhere else I saw them) and thinking we could find space somewhere for a couple of these... ha ha ha... but it would be cute. But we only found two good apples, so Naomi ate one and we gave one to the baby.

At my parents' for supper, I told them my usual, which is "regards from your parents." It always takes them a few minutes to figure out... no clue why.

But then, after supper, my father asked if I would visit him there. Well, what do you say to that? He's joking and not-joking and the end result, of course, is SO not funny.

And then he said his in-laws bought him a plot and wondered if he should buy me one, too.I hummed and bluffed my way through somehow.

No, I don't want them to buy me a plot.

Yes, I will visit him.

Yeehaw.

He does start chemo on Wednesday, with a 4-hour marathon toxin infusion session. I hope it is quick, not too brutal, and over soon.

<3 J