May 22-May 26, Eilat

We got up early and started on the scenic road down to Eilat. Along the way we stopped for a wonderful lunch overlooking the crater in Mitzpe Ramon. It is amazing how rustic the heartland of the desert is.

We stayed in a beautiful hotel setting in Eilat with amazing views of the mountains in Jordan which change colors as the sun moves across the sky.

We took the shorter route back up the coast for our last night in Jerusalem. We had an amazing dinner party with the Stewart family and then breakfast the next morning with David's friends Miri and Eldad. Eldad took us on a tour of the Israel museum where as you can see, Aunt Shirley was right at home in the sculpture class.

May 21, K'far Blum

Our day in K'far Blum was a busy one. We drove up to Metula to see the border with Lebanon as you can see in the first 3 pictures.

We also went kayaking on the Jordan River. When we were paying for the trip, I told the attendant that I wasn't sure 'grandma' was going to be happy spending 2 hours on a boat, so they didn't charge us for her. She had a great time, but was very disappointed that even though I had told her to sit up as far as she could, she still wasn't in the picture. I told her that was because we didn't pay for her, so they wouldn't let her be in the picture.

View of the Hula Valley from our hotel.

I took Aunt Shirley to a kibbutz where they make honey. They have a beehive built right into the window so you can see the bees. Below, is a picture of Aunt Shirley tasting the different honeys.

Some pretty purple flowers along the road.

May 19, Netanya

Yesterday was a bit of a cloudy day so we got on the road again. We checked into a hotel in Netanya, on the beach. We went to a party in Tel Mond for Shavuot that was held at the home of Miri and Gil Tal. I was initially a little anxious as to how Aunt Shirley and Uncle Alex would do with the group since they speak absolutely no Hebrew, but it worked out OK since the hosts and some of the guests spoke English.

Netanya is a city about halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa, built along a mountainous shoreline. Tom and David went to Ramat Bet Shemesh to spend Shavuot with a family friend of David. The first tow pictures were taken from the window in my room. The third was from the beach.

From the beach looking up at our hotel which in the middle of the picture.


Aunt Shirley and Uncle Alex think I am their personal photographer while relaxing at the beach...which they like to do a lot.

Nice surf here.

Time for a snack at the beach.

A view from the top of the promenade.

Uncle Alex reliving his childhood...buying corn on the cob from a street vendor by the beach.

May 17, The Graduation

The Big Day is finally here. In the morning Tom and I found a local laundramat so that we could catch up with the dirty clothes. I had gotten sunburned the day before so I spent my time 'chillin' in the hotel until we got ready to go to the graduation. I was so excited...and the pictures below show the event.

David with Jay Feldman. David was vice-president of the class, Jay was President. Jay is another Michigan boy. He will be doing his residency in the ER in Las Vegas.

The graduates were asked to 'thank' their families for the support of the last 4 years.

Tom waiting for David to cross the stage.

Tom putting on the hood on David.

David with the Allen family. We spent Shabbat with them last week.

David with the Stewart family. David has been friends with them since his days at U of M.

David with his roommate, Steven Shama.

All of us with the new Doctor!

Proud grandparents!

Proud parents!

The party was held outdoors...it was beautiful.

The doctors celebrating!

David with his friend Annie, who also graduated and is getting married next week.

David's classmate who will also be in the Philadelphia ER with him. His wife will make shabbat dinners for them!