The good life

Amiel is hitting the slopes with Ezra this week!

Lucky girl

I just got back from an amazing spa getaway to Massachusetts!! Thank you to Gilia for this most generous and wonderful back-to-work gift! This was the perfect way to de-stress and get ready for residency orientation at the end of the week.

The 125 acre grounds of Canyon Ranch are stunning. Upon our arrival, Gilia and I took a garden tour with the spa's landscape architect. This gorgeous red poppy was one of my favorites!

The building which houses the dining room and bakery was once a private home. It looks over a huge grassy space, sprinkled with happy buttercups and a handful of white Adirondack chairs. This photo was taken while I was plunked on one of those chairs with a good book.
On our second day, Gilia and I participated in a group hike through the woods. Upon learning that walking poles actually enhance one's workout, I decided to try them. They were lots of fun and helpful for the steep parts of the trail too. Following the hike, we took a 2 mile canoe ride. It was a perfect way to enjoy the outdoors and get the heart rate up!

Needless to say, the spa was exceedingly peaceful. The majority of the property is a cell-phone free zone. In addition to keeping things on the quiet side, this encourages a friendly atmosphere. It is easy to meet new people when one isn't attending to text messages and voicemails.

While our surrounding were beautiful, we also spent a great deal of time attending lectures and classes. Some of my favorite classes were NIA (a hybrid of dance, yoga and martial arts), African drumming and Tai Chi. My most brutal class was aptly named 'Rockbottom.' It has been three days, and my bottom is still sore.

The Canyon Ranch cuisine was AMAZING!! The main diningroom offers a colorful salad bar at each meal, and menu items can be ordered in full or half-sized portions. The desserts are tiny, but scrumptious. For lunch, we often chose to eat on the terrace overlooking the buttercup field. Check out the Canyon Ranch website for tons of free recipes. I can't wait to try the honey tarragon salad dressing, chipotle black bean soup, hummus and ginger cookies!!

Back in Jerusalem

Our last day in Israel was a happy whirlwind of activity. In the morning, we met Dee and Lou, old friends of the Steuerman family, for a delicious brunch of quiches, salads and homemade banana bread. My favorite part were the baked apples and pears. Dee filled them with cranberries and I can't wait to try the recipe for Thanksgiving!

I then met up with a Diamond family friend, Tyson Herberger, and his wife Rebekka. We poked around pottery shops, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and enjoyed catching up. Tyson graciously steered the stroller through the bumpy walkways, though Elijah eventually got overtired and soon became cranky. A week of traveling had finally caught up and he was a sad little camper. Thankfully, Amiel arrived and was able to calm him down long enough to be slipped back into the stroller (where he promptly fell back asleep). We then snacked on bageleh (a doughy ring of bread which Amiel loves) and falafel before going to visit the Kotel.

That night, we celebrate Matan's 27th birthday and Tchelet's 24th birthday.

After dinner, we watched a movie (much of it was in Arabic and everyone had to translate the Hebrew subtitles for me) before saying our goodbyes. We left for Tel Aviv at 1:30 am and boarded our plane to Madrid a few hours later.

To our Israeli family and friends, thank you for making this such a special trip!! We can't wait to visit again!

I love this place

On our second day at Amirim, we slept late and then took a short walk to Dalia's for an amazing brunch.I am a huge fan of Israel-style breakfasts, but this one was by far the best... platefuls of colorful salads, homemade jams, omelets with fresh herbs, fresh lemonade and a beautiful view of the surrounding area. For dessert, we were served mint tea, rum balls and a crumbly apple cake which Amiel deemed his favorite ever cake. We asked for the recipe, but Dalia said we'd need to arrive at 5:00 am if we wanted it.

Elijah and Tchelet

Following brunch, we met up with the Krakows on Har Adir. Matan took us to a spot with an amazing view of the border with Lebanon. We sipped hot coffee and shot this great photo of Hagit and Matan.

To the north

While in Tel Aviv, we met up with Amiel's highschool pal's from Savyon. It was a happy reunion.

Amiel and Gezer
Amiel & Eddie

After leaving Tel Aviv, we drove up north to Amirim, a vegetarian moshav near the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). The Krakows met us there, and we all stayed at Eretz HaGalil, a group of long-cabin style cottages surrounded by beautiful gardens and cozy hammocks. We arrived in the evening and had a fabulous vegetarian dinner at Stupps. The next day, Matan took us to a Druz village for sambuska (a middle eastern-style calzone). Everyone then headed for a boat ride on the Mediterranean while Elijah and I played in Amirim. That night we dined at an Arab restaurant in the village of Rama.

The Israeli Bagel

Quick update!! Yesterday we visited sweet Aunt Geula and then headed to Tel Aviv. Along the way, we stopped by Amiel's old neighborhood in Savyon. After navigating our way to the hotel Cinema in Tel Aviv, we went out for dinner off Dizengoff Street.

This morning, we met Jamie, new boyfriend Noam and the Krakows for a delicious brunch on Ben Yehuda Street.
Shelly and Aunt Geula

After brunch, we visited Amiel's old friend Eddie and then headed to the port for dinner on the beach.

Off to see the Gigi

Last week, Elijah and I flew down to Florida for a visit with Grandma Doris aka Gigi.

On our first morning, Elijah woke up to find Papa Fred in the room. Unfamiliar with his surroundings and unable to find Mommy, he clung to Papa like a baby monkey.
Posing with Gigi and Doggy
Papa and Doggy

Little Sugar River Farm

Amiel and I just returned from a blissful weekend at the Little Sugar River Farm. We clearly needed a vacation. Much of the 130.2 mile ride to Albany, Wisconsin, was spent declaring how beautiful the view (from the interstate) was and how much fun we were already having (sitting in the car). After the sun set, the glow of the city slowly faded and the sky filled with stars. We switched on our "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, and Amiel made fun of my fumbling to turn on the brights. After twisting and turning down a dozen country roads, we finally found a gravel driveway with a perfect little house at the end. We were greeted by our gracious host (Frank) and escorted inside for cheese, home-grown tomatoes and Spotted Cow beer. Frank had the lights dimmed down and a mix of low-key tunes playing. It was just perfect.

Frank lent Amiel a guitar for the weekend

This is a view from the interstate. We pulled over to the shoulder, and I poked out of the sunroof while the cars whizzed by.

The guesthouse itself is a gem. The wood floors and furniture were gorgeous. My favorite feature is the lighting. There are an abundance of windows and the natural light pours in. In the night-time, virtually every light is on a dimmer and there are little reading lamps in all the right places.

I love this shot of a neighboring farm. I think it would be fun to have an old barn for hosting big parties and sleepovers.
I was particularly curious about the carefree tendrils swishing outside the house. They looked like dill gone wild, but we learned that they are actually asparagus.

I loved sitting on our porch swing and watching the prairie grasses sway in the wind.
It was fun to just wander in the fields. We could pick whatever we wanted to eat or cook. These zucchini blossoms caught my attention, but they were too pretty to disturb.
On Saturday, we stopped by New Glarus for a Swiss-inspired lunch and bakery treats. We then drove on to Mineral Point to poke around the art galleries. We found an old area of town called Shake Rag Alley (named for the miner's wives who shook dish towels at mealtime). We had fun poking around the old buildings and gardens.

Before leaving Mineral Point, we stopped at the Brewery for an excellent dinner. En route to the farm, we were chattering away and got a wee bit lost. After stopping for directions (and an explanation of cow chip throwing), we eventually made our way back to Albany. Unfortunately this entailed a U-turn which was prompty followed by the all-too-familiar-flashing lights of a squad car. The cop greeted us casually from his vehicle. We excitedly explained that we had gotten lost, but had finally found our way. He said that was fine but U-turns are illegal on a highway. We apologized and he miraculous let us go without so much as a warning.
In addition to produce, the farm is full of beautiful flowers and industrious bees. Frank is a beekeeper; and we had a big jar of honey waiting for us in the pantry, perfect for spreading on toast or savoring by the spoonful.Zinnias have always been one of my favorites. I love the vibrant pinks and happy oranges.

A pretty garlic blossom
Frank with his dogs, Juneau (with Frank) and Tiva (in front). One night, Frank cooked us a gourmet meal fresh from the fields; corn chowder, grilled salmon, roasted potatoes, cucumber-dill salad and homemade strawberry ice-cream. Amiel deemed the ice-cream orgasmic, and everything was so amazing that I couldn't even pick a favorite. On Sunday, we took a leisurely bike ride down the Sugar River bike trail.
A highlight of the trip was enjoying farm fresh eggs. The night we arrived, Frank took us to the chicken coop to collect eggs for the next morning's breakfast. A view of the guest house from the fields. We were sad to leave and can't wait to go back.

Short but sweet

Elijah and I just returned from visiting my Grandma Doris in Boca Raton. My sister, Deborah, joined us, and I must admit that having her there was a huge bonus. In addition to her entertainingly crude company, she was a huge help with Elijah and a fun people watching companion at the airport. Though shy at first, Elijah quickly warmed up to his great-grandma and was soon running around the house exclaiming "Gigi! Gigi!" Other trip highlights included: seeing Cousin Sheryl and meeting her darling baby, piling into Grandma's bed with Deb and Elijah every morning, eating at Aunt Susan's house where the food always rocks, splashing in the pool with Deb and Elijah, and staying up late to eat pie and watch movies with Grandma.

Deborah, Hannah, Elijah and Sheryl
Grandma Doris on the patio
Elijah and Deb snuggle poolside

I once read that swaddling your toddler is a sign you are ready for more children. Don't know about that, but there is something very cozy about wrapping up Elijah in a big, fluffy beach towel.

Visiting Anna, Dell & Henry

Once upon a time I was sad and lonely in Wisconsin. If not for the Dunns, I would have never survived med school (seriously). Anna and Dell welcomed me into their life and for that I will always be grateful. They are amazing friends, and Henry is the kind of kid I hope Elijah grows up to be like. Anna chronicled our Texan adventures much better than I ever could, so check out her blog for the story of Elijah's first rootbeer float (don't tell Amiel) and more photos!

Henry & Anna outside the Alamo

Henry, Dell & Anna at the Riverwalk

Henry prepares to feast on Anna's tasty popovers.

Elijah at the Pottery Barn Outlet

Elijah & Anna at the Guadalupe River


We miss you, Anna, Dell & Henry!!