A glorious weekend ahead here in South Florida. Down here for an aunt's 70th birthday celebration including a special Shabbat morning service. It also gives me the opportunity to spend some time with my 92 year old grandmother - an amazingly sharp woman who kicks my ass at Scrabble and cards.

She also eats like a horse if someone else does the cooking, i.e. me or a restaurant and has already talked me into spending Sunday at a casino with her, engaged in another of her favourite pasttimes, gambling. She's amazing at cards and I hope some of her luck rubs off on me, though nickel slots are more my thing. I'm really fortunate to have her around and healthy. We should all be so fortunate. I hope she's shared her genes with me as well.

The weather here, so unlike what I left back in Toronto, is a nice bonus. Palm trees, moist air, brief afternoon cloud bursts. Love it! Really recharges my batteries after days and nights on end spent under glare of hospital flourescent lights.

It's also a bit of a mini family reunion, what with the various people who've come to celebrate my aunt's birthday. And a return to synagogue for me, after a long absence. I am being called up for an aliyah so I hope I haven't forgotten how to hoist the Torah toward the celing. Oh and the little part about not dropping it, the penalty for which is to fast for 40 days.

More stories to share as the weekend progresses, I'm sure. And maybe some photo/video.