Copabanana
Well-Known Member
Thank you lovemysons. Love to you and to Esther.
Has anyone heard from EstherfromJerusalem?
- Thread starter lovemysons
- Start date
Estherfromjerusalem
Well-Known Member
Hurrah! I managed to log in. I must have done something wrong previously. Anyway, here I am, and I was able to read (just not to write) and it was so heartwarming to see all your posts and your concern. I see that Lovemysons has actually given you my information. So I will just tell you, it is a little bit complicated. My oldest son (who is 53) has been called up to reserve military duty. He's actually in volunteer capacity but our army has called up the reserves and there are very many who are older and who have gone in voluntarily. I think he's crazy. He is a very senior paramedic who has worked on the ambulances for many years, and then he did a long course and became a physician assistant and he works in a large hospital here in Jerusalem in the emergency ward, so I would have thought that would be sufficient. Anyway, nobody listens to their old mother, do they! And the other son who has been called up is Oriel -- yes, Oriel, the one who gave me so much trouble for so many years, and who was the reason for my coming here originally. We have been through some very difficult years with him, but I am very happy to be able to tell you that today he is doing well. He is holding down a job, rents his own small apartment, has a girlfriend, and is living quite a "normal" life. We are so grateful. Anyway, he is now in the reserves and feeling good. I don't think he will actually see combat. He is serving as the driver for some quite high-ranking officer whom he likes. The older son is a combat soldier and obviously I am really worried about him.
The injured grandson's shoulder has been really badly injured. He has a contraption they built out of metal rods and screws to hold all the bits in place while it heals. It seems he will be in hospital for several more weeks, and even then his convalescence will take some time longer.
Many people who are not in the army have volunteered for local civil defence groups. What has happened here was so horrifying and everyone wants to know that they will be able to defend themselves and their families if ever, G d forbid, anyone ever comes to attack people again in their homes like that. Surprisingly, the atmosphere in the country is very positive. People are rallying around to help wherever they can, and it seems like the whole nation has cohesed.
OK, I have been careful not to write anything political, so I hope what I wrote is OK.
Love, Esther
The injured grandson's shoulder has been really badly injured. He has a contraption they built out of metal rods and screws to hold all the bits in place while it heals. It seems he will be in hospital for several more weeks, and even then his convalescence will take some time longer.
Many people who are not in the army have volunteered for local civil defence groups. What has happened here was so horrifying and everyone wants to know that they will be able to defend themselves and their families if ever, G d forbid, anyone ever comes to attack people again in their homes like that. Surprisingly, the atmosphere in the country is very positive. People are rallying around to help wherever they can, and it seems like the whole nation has cohesed.
OK, I have been careful not to write anything political, so I hope what I wrote is OK.
Love, Esther
Estherfromjerusalem
Well-Known Member
P.S. I have to update my details: I am 78 today, so it is all six years old. The main differences are that to date we have 39 grandchildren, 6 of them married, and 12 great grandchildren. And Oriel has been living back here in Israel for the last five years.
lovemysons
Well-Known Member
Oh Happy Birthday to you Esther!!! And you are such a gift to all of us. I hope your day is extra special! 
lovemysons
Well-Known Member
Esther just explained to me that what she meant is that her signature is 6 years old and now she’s 78 not 72 anymore. Her birthday is in July but I told her everyone in Israel deserves 2 birthdays this year so no problem. 
Copabanana
Well-Known Member
It is a pleasure that you are back, Esther. All this time I thought that Oriel was in Australia! It is so wonderful he is doing so well. I pray your grandson heals quickly and completely and can come home soon. Thank you for letting us know how you and the family are doing, and how the country is pulling together. Stay safe! Everybody!
lovemysons
Well-Known Member
I will be praying for your older son and Oriel too. What a blessing it is that Oriel is doing so well now. Some stories have happy endings.
lovemysons
Well-Known Member
Can you tell we’ve missed you Esther! 
Estherfromjerusalem
Well-Known Member
I'm so happy to be back. It feels like coming home to my family.
Love, Esther
Love, Esther
lovemysons
Well-Known Member
Hi Esther…
Just thinking about you today.
Is your oldest who is in combat reserves safe? How is your grandson healing?
Is Oriel feeling important as the driver for a high ranking officer that he likes?
I’m doing okay. As you know Jarod died 2 years ago on Thanksgiving. So tomorrow dear husband and I will just be going to the cemetery and then cooking a quiet Thanksgiving meal just between the 2 of us. No big family event this year.
Afterward I am trying to get dear husband to take me to the casino and splurge a bit.
Hopefully it will end up being an uplifting day.
I am still busy with my new Australian Shepherd puppy named Jade. Lately she’s taken a liking to tearing up everything she can get her mouth on! So I’m picking up a lot of torn up pieces of toilet paper, bills…she even ate my glasses and hearing aids! But thank G-d I had an extra pair of glasses or I wouldn’t be able to drive!
Well that’s enough for now.
Stay safe. Love you
Keep us posted!
Just thinking about you today.
Is your oldest who is in combat reserves safe? How is your grandson healing?
Is Oriel feeling important as the driver for a high ranking officer that he likes?
I’m doing okay. As you know Jarod died 2 years ago on Thanksgiving. So tomorrow dear husband and I will just be going to the cemetery and then cooking a quiet Thanksgiving meal just between the 2 of us. No big family event this year.
Afterward I am trying to get dear husband to take me to the casino and splurge a bit.
Hopefully it will end up being an uplifting day.
I am still busy with my new Australian Shepherd puppy named Jade. Lately she’s taken a liking to tearing up everything she can get her mouth on! So I’m picking up a lot of torn up pieces of toilet paper, bills…she even ate my glasses and hearing aids! But thank G-d I had an extra pair of glasses or I wouldn’t be able to drive!
Well that’s enough for now.
Stay safe. Love you
Keep us posted!
Estherfromjerusalem
Well-Known Member
Hello all! Sorry I haven't written sooner. I appreciate everyone's concern.
Lovemysons, I'll try to answer your questions. The oldest one is OK. He comes home about once a fortnight for a couple of days. He's got five children (oldest one is 10, youngest one is one and three months, he got married very late, and is now in the middle of divorce, so it's complicated).
With Oriel it is just amazing. He seems to be feeling really fulfilled driving for this officer. He has to wear uniform (he looks sooo handsome!) and even has to carry a weapon. He seems to have landed on his feet, and we are thrilled to see him so happy.
My injured grandson had the metal rods and screws contraption removed, and is now in a lot of pain. His nerves were not damaged so he can move his arm from the elbow down, but not from the shoulder. He will have to go to rehab. He's also had several skin grafts for the holes where the shrapnel went in and came out, so the place where they took the skin from (his thigh) is wounded now too, like a burn. But he is gradually improving, he is at home (his mother, my daughter, is a nurse, which is good) and she said they will start reducing the pain medications now.
Lovemysons, did you get to the casino and splurge? Did you win anything?
I think you mentioned in one post that you are going to start working and that you found a job. How is that going?
I hope your Jade calms down soon. I don't know where you get your patience from!
Love to you,
Esther
Lovemysons, I'll try to answer your questions. The oldest one is OK. He comes home about once a fortnight for a couple of days. He's got five children (oldest one is 10, youngest one is one and three months, he got married very late, and is now in the middle of divorce, so it's complicated).
With Oriel it is just amazing. He seems to be feeling really fulfilled driving for this officer. He has to wear uniform (he looks sooo handsome!) and even has to carry a weapon. He seems to have landed on his feet, and we are thrilled to see him so happy.
My injured grandson had the metal rods and screws contraption removed, and is now in a lot of pain. His nerves were not damaged so he can move his arm from the elbow down, but not from the shoulder. He will have to go to rehab. He's also had several skin grafts for the holes where the shrapnel went in and came out, so the place where they took the skin from (his thigh) is wounded now too, like a burn. But he is gradually improving, he is at home (his mother, my daughter, is a nurse, which is good) and she said they will start reducing the pain medications now.
Lovemysons, did you get to the casino and splurge? Did you win anything?
I think you mentioned in one post that you are going to start working and that you found a job. How is that going?
I hope your Jade calms down soon. I don't know where you get your patience from!
Love to you,
Esther
Copabanana
Well-Known Member
My dog at my hearing aids too! Happy New Year, all.
lovemysons
Well-Known Member
Hi Esther…I’m so glad Oriel is doing so well. This is a “win” for him and is what I think most of our troubled sons and daughters lack in their lives. Hopefully he will build on this momentum when he gets out.
I’m sorry to hear about the pain your grandson has been in. I can’t imagine. I’m glad he’s got his mother the nurse to care for him.
We went to the casino on Thanksgiving day after we visited the cemetery with thoughts about Jarod. We won $6,000! Unfortunately I lost it all within a week but it sure was fun while it lasted. Practically lived at the casino lol
Jade is still being Jade. Sigh…got my old pair of glasses replaced last week, she has already torn the new ones up! Guess I have to learn to put them up in higher places. One of us needs to learn!
Love you Esther.
Stay safe. And happy new year!
I’m sorry to hear about the pain your grandson has been in. I can’t imagine. I’m glad he’s got his mother the nurse to care for him.
We went to the casino on Thanksgiving day after we visited the cemetery with thoughts about Jarod. We won $6,000! Unfortunately I lost it all within a week but it sure was fun while it lasted. Practically lived at the casino lol
Jade is still being Jade. Sigh…got my old pair of glasses replaced last week, she has already torn the new ones up! Guess I have to learn to put them up in higher places. One of us needs to learn!
Love you Esther.
Stay safe. And happy new year!
Estherfromjerusalem
Well-Known Member
OMG lms, $$6,000!!! Amazing. I hope you really enjoyed losing it all, and having a good time while you do so.
I don't understand why your dog gets your glasses and tears them up. I never heard of a dog doing that!!
Anyway, we are doing OK here. Crayola asked whether we are safe: Yes, so far we have only had two or three warnings of rockets coming over. Jerusalem is really comparatively safe because they don't want to hit their Muslim holy places, and there are many of them too in Jerusalem, although not in my neighbourhood which is exclusively Jewish. So far all our family's soldiers are OK. The injured grandson is doing well -- he has finished with all the surgeries and is now starting physiotherapy. His movement of his shoulder is limited and he has to work on renewing and stretching the muscle which was damaged. Miraculously the nerves were not damaged so he can use his fingers, and he can use his arm from the elbow down. I saw him today, I went up north (they live just north of Haifa) on the train. Because I am sooooo old (!!!!) I can use all forms of public transport free, so I had a whole day's outing and didn't have to pay a single penny!!! That is a comparatively new law for over-75 people.
OK, that's it for now. Love to you all,
Esther
I don't understand why your dog gets your glasses and tears them up. I never heard of a dog doing that!!
Anyway, we are doing OK here. Crayola asked whether we are safe: Yes, so far we have only had two or three warnings of rockets coming over. Jerusalem is really comparatively safe because they don't want to hit their Muslim holy places, and there are many of them too in Jerusalem, although not in my neighbourhood which is exclusively Jewish. So far all our family's soldiers are OK. The injured grandson is doing well -- he has finished with all the surgeries and is now starting physiotherapy. His movement of his shoulder is limited and he has to work on renewing and stretching the muscle which was damaged. Miraculously the nerves were not damaged so he can use his fingers, and he can use his arm from the elbow down. I saw him today, I went up north (they live just north of Haifa) on the train. Because I am sooooo old (!!!!) I can use all forms of public transport free, so I had a whole day's outing and didn't have to pay a single penny!!! That is a comparatively new law for over-75 people.
OK, that's it for now. Love to you all,
Esther
lovemysons
Well-Known Member
Hi Esther!
I did have fun gambling my winnings. But that was December when the casino always tends to pay out. Not so much the rest of the year. So lately I’ve only been going with very little money. But as you know I gamble all of the time so it adds up. Dear husband is a financial advisor now and really does not like gambling. So most of the time I am alone but it is only a 12 minute drive from my house to the casino.
Yes Jade loves to tear things up. Speaking of pooches we lost our Rocky black tri Australian Shepherd to Cancer a week ago. Dear husband and I were very sad about this. He was husband’s best buddy and oh so very smart and loving. He is my profile picture.
I somehow convinced husband that we need a new puppy as we miss having 3 of them. You can see him on a post on Facebook I put out the other day. We love our Australian Shepherd’s. Though there will never be another one quite like Rock. He was very special.
I’m so glad to hear you all are still safe and that you got to take a train ride to visit your injured grandson. You must’ve bright-end his day!
Love you Esther.
Stay safe.
Tammy
I did have fun gambling my winnings. But that was December when the casino always tends to pay out. Not so much the rest of the year. So lately I’ve only been going with very little money. But as you know I gamble all of the time so it adds up. Dear husband is a financial advisor now and really does not like gambling. So most of the time I am alone but it is only a 12 minute drive from my house to the casino.
Yes Jade loves to tear things up. Speaking of pooches we lost our Rocky black tri Australian Shepherd to Cancer a week ago. Dear husband and I were very sad about this. He was husband’s best buddy and oh so very smart and loving. He is my profile picture.
I somehow convinced husband that we need a new puppy as we miss having 3 of them. You can see him on a post on Facebook I put out the other day. We love our Australian Shepherd’s. Though there will never be another one quite like Rock. He was very special.
I’m so glad to hear you all are still safe and that you got to take a train ride to visit your injured grandson. You must’ve bright-end his day!
Love you Esther.
Stay safe.
Tammy
Copabanana
Well-Known Member
I am so sorry Tammy about the loss of Rocky.
lovemysons
Well-Known Member
Thank you Copa. He was awesome! We miss him so much!
