Happy Passover to readers!

As always, the days leading up to and including Passover tend to be more than chaotic.

Whether we are preparing for our own seders or visiting others (which means baking special Passover treats to take along), welcoming guests from abroad or going away ourselves for a few days - it is a busy time.

We were in Netanya at a cousin's home for the one seder celebrated in Israel - complete with obligatory scallion-lashings and a matza-eating dog - and were happy to see an old friend (and cousin) from New York at the table as well. Some of the cousins drove down to Eilat for a few days - I stayed home and relaxed in the quiet house. Our New York cousin stayed with us for a few days and we invited still other cousins for Shabbat dinner.

Always a good time visiting and being visited, welcoming and being welcomed, seeing old friends and family.

In Israel, the entire country basically shuts down for the holiday, and because so many people travel out of the city, traffic is light - a nice change. The weather has been great for the most part, warm enough to go swimming, sunny, light breezes. Some of our friends have spent the entire holiday at the Dead Sea, while others went north to the Galilee.

As the holiday ends, I hope that all blog readers have had a good time while sharing family history around the table.