The Last Hurrah! - R2BC

View from the terrace of King David Hotel

Here we are at the end of the summer holiday? School starts on Sunday. Where did it go? What happened to all those  projects I was going to tackle over nine long weeks of no work (in theory, not including finishing off last year's courses, teaching two summer courses, and preparing for next year's courses)? We traveled some, we had guests from overseas, we went on day trips, we went to the pool, we went to the beach, and we relaxed... a lot. And that's where it went. 

Interestingly, things suddenly picked up a pace for the final week of the holiday. It was a sort of unplanned last hurrah before we return to serious routines for the next ten months. Here's how it panned out.

On Sunday I went out for coffee with a friend and DD was invited to an all-day happening to celebrate the end of the holiday. I forgot to ask who organized the happening but it was all free for members. Knowing the parents of the friend who invited DD, it could have been the Teachers' Union, the Social Workers' Union, or a major children's charity that the family are very involved with. The day was by a pool with an adventure park (zip lines), activities and lunch. DD came home with a new school diary and her fingernails painted. I got a lot of work done at home. Everyone was very happy.

On Monday I met a friend visiting from London, for coffee. She didn't want to travel all the way to my neighbourhood and I didn't want to go into the town centre. So we met in the middle at The King David Hotel. We were the only ones sitting on the terrace overlooking the pool, with the Old City of Jerusalem across the valley. The coffee cost exactly the same as in a crowded cafe but it was so much more pleasant to be in the elegant gardens of the hotel. I don't know why I don't do this more often.

On Monday evening we went to see Hamlet in Motion in the park.

On Tuesday I had to give an exam at my college and meet with some students. Then we popped into DD's school to pick up her school books and a box of school supplies that we'd ordered online. We came home and ticked everything off on the list before going to the Big Shop (it's actually called Big Shop) to get school t-shirts and a couple of sweaters along with anything missing from the supplies list. It's a bit like Primark or Walmart but not nearly as much choice (or quality). However, we managed to do a Big Shop and came home loaded with bags.

DD posing with school supplies
on the table and bags more on the floor.

On Wednesday DD went to her friend's birthday party while I had to go into my school for the opening Teachers' Meeting. All I can say about that is, "oy vey!" To give you  some idea, the renovations that were supposed to be done over the summer, started yesterday. Luckily most of September is taken up by the Jewish Festivals so no one really expects to settle down into a fixed routine until the beginning of October.

This morning we went to the local shopping mall to pick up the last few things that weren't in the Big Shop. Whilst there, DD saw a new school bag that she absolutely loved and so did I. So we bought that on a whim and qualified for another free backpack! The plan was for a pizza lunch in the mall but we weren't that hungry so we came home and ate later (leftover pasta from last night).

This evening we're meeting up with our Summer Holiday Family for a falafel picnic in the park to officially end the Summer Holiday.

So lots of Reasons 2B Cheerful even as we say good bye to long lazy days and hello to earlier nights and ridiculously early mornings. The R2BC linky is back with Becky this week on Lakes Single Mum. I suspect that there will be a lot of cheerful summer holiday endings. Stiff upper lip and all that.