Missing: Used Bookstore

Anyone know of any decent secondhand bookshops in Yoqneam, Kiryat Tivon, Migdal Ha'Emek, or Afula?

I just ordered this book as a surprise for my daughter - Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth

But it would be so much more gratifying to take her to a bookstore with a great English language selection (yes, she is still more comfortable reading in English. She can read in Hebrew, but not as well as English), of preferably affordable, second hand books and let her eyes get all wide and big, and let her excitedly pick out one or two new-to-her books! I guess it would be great to let ALL my kids do that, as we used to when we lived in Florida. We spent many, many hours, the 4 of them and me, looking through shelves and shelves (and bins, too) of second hand books. Usually ranging in price from 10 cents to $2.

I miss that so much.

So if anyone has a secret, super affordable, second-hand book shop within a half-hour of my house, PLEASE tell me about it...

In the meantime, we're making do with online shopping. Our favorites are Fishpond.com and BetterWorldBooks.com (both offer free shipping worldwide) (use code STARTSUMMER12 for 20% 3 or more used books at BWB!)
Check them out:

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A Tale of Two Parks

We have a membership this year that gets us into many, many National Parks "for free". It has been such a worthwhile purchase, because a family the size of ours gets their money's worth within 4 park visits. And we've been to many more than four!

Our last two park visits were to the National Park at Cesearia, and to the National Park at Bet She'an. While both house ruins of ancient Roman cities, the two parks are so completely different.

Cesearia was spectacular because of the sea. The ruins - eh. But the sea. That was gorgeous, blue, the Mediterranean... there is something so calming and wonderful about the sea. It's different from the ocean. When we lived in Florida, we used to go to the beach and bask in the glory of the Atlantic Ocean, which is stormier, rougher, larger, more overwhelming than the Mediterranean Sea...

Bet She'an is in a very, very, low valley. Quite far from the sea. It is hot and muggy and a place I had planned to go to in winter, not once summer had unofficially arrived. But today wasn't supposed to be quite as hot, and we decided to go to Bet She'an when it would still be bearable...

Bet She'an's ruins were spectacular. The earthquake that destroyed the city so many centuries ago also managed to bury enough of the ruins that so much was still intact. The ampitheater. That was amazing. The columned streets. Incredible. Looking down below at the main columned road after climbing the Tel, you could really see that this city was something special. And we got to discuss that with the kids. That despite Rome's power, might, architectural feats, etc, all that marble and basalt stone couldn't withstand Hashem's earthquake. And Rome eventually crumbled, and yet... here we are today. Still here. In Israel. In the Land of the Jews. In our Land... It was truly spectacular.

Trains and Planes

Recently, we visited the historic train station at Kfar Yehoshua, which is a moshav that neighbors our pretty little town. The site is a small one, and it has old train station buildings (Ottoman period), some of which have been restored and are in use as the  museum, and some are crumbling ruins. It's really quite interesting. The train that ran through here connected Haifa to the line that ran through Jordan and Syria. However, the train stopped running once the War of Independence broke out, and it was never rebuilt.

Well - soon it will be. Israel Railways has announced a plan to rebuild the "Rakevet Ha'Emeq"! There will be a train running from Haifa to Bet She'an again in the next few years. But - why is Kfar Yehoshua still a stop? Why not Kiryat Tivon, Ramat Yishai, and Migdal Ha'emek?

I can only hope that they'll build a great shuttle system!

While we were at the train museum, we caught some up close glimpses of army fighter jets flying low overhead. Actually, we see these jets a lot. The other side of our town basically backs up to a very large airbase. The Air Force practices overhead a lot (although usually higher in the sky). My kids really think it's cool. It is such an impressive reminder of the strength and might of our Israeli Defense Forces. And we get to see it almost every day!

On Being Tired

At first, we made Aliyah and I thought I was so tired because of jetlag, too much to take care of, and anxiety.

Then, my husband went to America for a couple of weeks, and I stayed in Israel with the kids. I thought I was tired because it was a lot to do all by myself, and I wasn't sleeping well at night while he was away.

Then, I started having awful asthma attacks, but I was still in my Toshav Chozer waiting period to get back on Kupat Cholim ("returning citizens" - not new immigrants - sometimes have to wait 6 months to get back on a gov't sponsored health plan. Circumstances vary by individual) and my traveler's insurance plan wouldn't cover my asthma, so it wasn't being managed well. So I thought I was tired because I couldn't breathe.

That went on for about 8 months, even after I got onto Kupat Cholim. It took a while to get it under control. Once I could breathe again, we were getting ready to move to a different town. I thought I was tired because of all the work involved in moving.

Then we made a Bar Mitzvah right after the chagim. I thought I was tired because it's a lot of work to try to pull of a frugal Bar Mitzvah celebration, and we had lots of guests from overseas rotating through our house.

Then, life got back to normal, whatever that means, and I thought I was tired just because it's a lot of work to homeschool 4 kids and do everything that seems to fall on me.

Then I got shingles, and I thought I was tired because I was sick for a month.

But now, that's over. And my doctor sent me for bloodwork. And now we know, I'm tired because I have low iron and my thyroid isn't working right.

Now, I have to muster up the energy to go back to the doctor. But I am so tired...