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The Home.
Yesterday somebody stopped me and asked how long I have lived here in the Home. I told him that in November it will be three years. He wanted to know if we are happy here. I said yes, it is a very good place. He was a bit surprised and wanted to know more. So I told him and again, realized myself, how lucky we are to be living here at this stage of our life. We have comfort, security and excellent care for the L&M who now needs it. And if I need it, it is there as well. Our doormen, yes all of them, when they see us coming, run out and grab the wheelchair from me and get it gently into the house. When I offered lolly-pops in return, they refused! One took it for his grandchild! But whatever I offer, be it ice cream or Coke, or just a simple chocolate, they refuse.

The staff here is amazing; each and every one of them tries to be cheerful and efficient. They always smile and they even spray themselves with perfume before they enter our rooms! And they come in with a big "Hallo" and a smile ready to help in whatever! They all carry garbage bags in their coat pocket and before they leave, they will always take our garbage with them and replace a fresh bag in the trash can! Not a big deal, but i am very impressed with that!

This Special Program the L&M is on is quite amazing; if at any time, night or day, he needs help, I pick up the phone and within minutes somebody is here. This special service includes food for the L&M, which they bring three times a day on trays. I refused the mid morning and mid afternoon coffees! As it is, the door seems to be opening all the time and somebody walks in! Twice a day they bring medicines, they come to clean... they deliver laundry...as I said it is wonderful but I am a very private person and it took me quite some time to get used to that! It can be quite unnerving, but then, on the other hand, you do have that secure feeling that they are there for you and always available!

I wish you could see the trays when they arrive here. The food is not only plentiful and beautifully arranged, but it looks great and tastes good most of the time! The breakfast is amazing; there is always tuna salad, scrambled eggs one day and a hard boiled egg the next! Sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and red peppers, fruit, bread and butter, cheeses, jam, yoghurts - at least three... they now bring hot porridge as well!... The L&M does not eat any of that; I make toast form the bread for my own breakfast with the cottage cheese and jam. For the L&M I slice a banana, a chunk of melon and a peach or plum... over this he pours the yoghurts, yes, all three! And that is his he-man-breakfast which keeps him going and I believe keeps him healthy. The rest of the "things" on the tray go into the fridge and are used throughout the day in little salads and big ones!

For lunch there is always a choice and they phone for your "special-of-the-day"... there is always a hot great soup! I think they make all their soups based on chicken soup and that is why they are so good. They always offer boiled chicken as a choice; they must do something with all that chicken soup!...

The third tray for the day comes on the dot at 6 in the evening! How they manage that I will never know, but it happens every day! At exactly 6pm the door opens and in walks the last tray-of-the-day! And again, it has cheeses and yoghurts and veggies and and and! All of this goes into the fridge for "future-reference", because by then we are deep into our daily Scrabble game and for that we buy every day pistachios! And believe me, when you nibble on them, and munch on some good cheese with your drinkies for a couple of hours of pure concentration on the game, sometimes longer, you are not hungry for anything else at that time of day! And yes, somebody from the staff always comes back to pick up the tray and if we leave something on it, they feel badly that we did not eat enough!

The activities in the home are quite incredible; every hour on the hour they have something else going on, and one can really find things to do if one wants to. Yesterday, they had a day, celebrating all the people who have birthdays in August! Every month, there is a celebration for peoples' birthdays; I was on my way to it, yes, my birthday was this month, but a friend arrived and so I missed it. Hope I am still around at this time next year so that I will be able to tell you all about this special celebration! For now, its time for another drinkie...

Send your questions to The Wacky Cook: email: debbiemorgenshtern@gmail.com      

Debbie Morgenstern is the author of "My Life in Israel" and other short stories.
"My Life in Israel" can be purchased by accessing this link: "My Life in Israel"