Blogging the home front

A number of readers have observed that posting has been a bit sparse lately.

It’s not that I don’t have anything to blog about. Quite the opposite, in fact.

For instance, I have several recipes to post. Also, our neighbors made an afternoon brit (i.e. a bris, for those of you in the Old Country), and I want to write an amusing comparison between the typical Israeli brit and the typical American bris. Finally, I’d like to introduce you to the Great Shiputzim Family Birthday Cake Debate (also known as “The Resident Ulpanistit v. Her Father and Brothers”).

In other words, standard Our Shiputzim blog fare: lighthearted, whimsical, and funny.

However, now really isn’t the time for these types of posts. After all, there’s nothing remotely lighthearted, whimsical, or funny about the fact that:

• The IDF is fighting for its life against murderous terrorists.
• A significant percentage of Israel’s population has to spend their days and nights cowering in bomb shelters and security rooms.
• TSG and ENG now have a number of “new kids” in their class and gan (respectively). These kids come from families who chose to leave their homes and enjoy a brief respite from the rockets. Note that many of these same families stayed in our neighborhood once before – when they were expelled from their homes in Gush Katif.
• A few days ago, TSG – whose teacher’s son was called back to his unit on the first Shabbat of the war – wondered, “Why do the Arabs keep shooting missiles?” An excellent question, but the answer - “because they hate us,” – is one that even the adults can’t understand. How is one supposed to explain this to a little girl?!
• One of the Resident Ulpanistit’s friends sent an email to our local email list that she is available for babysitting, “even in the morning.” I was momentarily surprised that a high school girl would have time to babysit in the morning. But then I remembered that a number of rockets have fallen near this particular girl’s school and that her school is now closed for the duration.
• We keep hearing about more sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers who have headed out to war.

In short, although life B”H goes on, the war is never far from our thoughts. We pray. We recite Tehillim. We discuss. We analyze. We wonder. We worry. We hope…

So, tell me please, dear readers, what would you like me to blog about?

יהי רצון מלפניך ה' אלוקינו ואלוקי אבותינו שתהא השעה הזאת עת רצון לפניך ושתשמע את תפילתנו ובקשותינו