Good-bye for now

When your mouth is full of Hebrew-letter refrigerator magnets, it’s difficult to keep that sweet, husky baby babble from becoming garbled. Something funny was happening in the mouth. I could tell because baby couldn’t grin up at me with that “come on, I know you say not to do it, but how wrong is it really,” look as she hung on the opened oven door. No, her mouth was too full of the alphabet of the language that soon, please G-d, she’ll be speaking.

After making sure none of the magnets had come loose and become swallowed, I re-rolled the toilet paper she’d begun unrolling in the bathroom. I picked up the printer paper scattered all over the living room, and then I pieced together the printer she’d taken apart.

O no o no o no o no. It’s the end of the world as I know it. And yes, I feel fine.

I’m moving to Israel for the next 6 months or so, so this will be my last post for a while. It’s thrilling to think that baby will learn to speak Hebrew (not just eat the Hebrew alphabet on the refrigerator) just as she begins to talk.

I promised family that, while away, I’ll start a blog of baby photos so they can keep up. Obviously, this will be boring to anyone besides family, so I'm taking a break from Ima Shalom for a while. I’m also planning to post a literary mapping project I just got a grant for. I hope to do video “tours” of three cities regularly featured in contemporary Israeli literature, by as many and as diverse a group of writers and poets who will agree to it.

In the meantime, I’ll keep reading you all on Ima Shalom.

Before I go, thank you all for the community you’ve shared with me. Ima Shalom, thank you for the generosity of spirit that led you to share your blogspot with us. And for your generosity off the blog.

Gluckel, thanks for your insightful, thoughtful sincerity. Mahotma, it’s a pleasure to read someone who takes such pleasure in her life. Thanks for reminding me.

Joyous Jewess, good luck with your twins; thanks for your inspiration. Mamamia, thanks for your sweet sketches. Ima-ma: best wishes for healthy little ones.

I’ll be a visiting professor this spring, living in Tel-Aviv. I keep pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming (of course, dreaming would be nice, too, sleep being at such a premium these days). Come visit!