Nothing new, of course. The next is the same as the last, and identical to the one in the middle.
So to break the monotony--We knew a guy once who they said used to preach to his dog, which was a hyperactive Saint Bernard. I wonder what his text was. Maybe "be still." Or "what aileth thee?"
And if you get tired of the daily routine, you can just go out and see how many disappointments you can find. If a guy almost runs you over, you think, what an idiot (him, not me), but anyway I survived. But if a person of the more friendly type says we don't want you here, it's harder to take. And if you're the sensitive type, you think, what an idiot (me, not him), for presuming. And then you can watch someone else's cute kid and remember that you used to have such kids once, and cactus plants are a poor substitute.
So I bought frozen spinach, but it wasn't frozen in leaves, but in blocks of leaves. I think that was intentional, and not just a result of inconsistent freezer temperatures.
And then there are probably things to do, but if I die tomorrow, and they're not done, no one will notice. What is actually essential, anyway? At this very moment, there is probably some right thing to do. If I figure it out, I'll do it. If I can't figure it out, I'll just do something anyway. Is there anything that, if I don't do it today, I will regret tomorrow? I wish I had energy, ambition, wisdom, good health, imagination, or any of the above. The only thing I do have is determination, such as it is.
April 15, 2016
April 12, 2016
Not Quite Summer
I really thought I would be calling it summer by now. But now it's raining and it feels like 40 degrees F. So that means it's spring, which is the uncertain state between winter and summer. The other day we had a little bit of thunder.
Thunder. The moon. Didn't know that the lack of those would make a big empty space in my life. I thought I was a creative person. But how to create something refreshing in the middle of a city I've never figured out.
Somewhere I read a book of poems by a woman who had to work in a factory all day, when she would rather be home and doing regular home-making things. I guess I don't have it that bad. Although at the moment the idea of working in a factory sounds interesting.
It must be time to write a list. There will be 10 items on my list, which means I will have to make 10 decisions. 1) Shall I do this? Answer, yes. So I do it. Check it off. Next. 2) Shall I do this? Answer, yes. (the answer is always yes). Do it. Etc. These 10 items have to be things that can be done in a very short time, maybe 5 minutes or less. Usually before I get through seven or eight, I have regained my ability to make decisions, and after that I don't need my list because I'm rolling. You can call this procedure a sort of methodism. It works.
Thunder. The moon. Didn't know that the lack of those would make a big empty space in my life. I thought I was a creative person. But how to create something refreshing in the middle of a city I've never figured out.
Somewhere I read a book of poems by a woman who had to work in a factory all day, when she would rather be home and doing regular home-making things. I guess I don't have it that bad. Although at the moment the idea of working in a factory sounds interesting.
It must be time to write a list. There will be 10 items on my list, which means I will have to make 10 decisions. 1) Shall I do this? Answer, yes. So I do it. Check it off. Next. 2) Shall I do this? Answer, yes. (the answer is always yes). Do it. Etc. These 10 items have to be things that can be done in a very short time, maybe 5 minutes or less. Usually before I get through seven or eight, I have regained my ability to make decisions, and after that I don't need my list because I'm rolling. You can call this procedure a sort of methodism. It works.
April 1, 2016
Old, old friends
Old friends are long-time friends, and the longer they are long-time friends, they more they become old friends as well.
There is a couple we hadn't seen for 32 years. Only once during that time I contacted L and we had a brief conversation. What an event it was when we met up after 32 years! I wouldn't necessarily look forward to such an event with some people, because you aren't sure how much they will have changed. But these people were exactly as we expected, and we had a great time.
As the high from this wonderful experience slowly wears off, I start feeling really lonely again. So I comfort myself by looking on You-tube to find nice stories of rescuing dogs. And then I water my plants--Jade, Sharpy Jade, Tophy, Zolla, and Aizo. They need me. Too bad they don't bark, purr or say Shalom.
There is a couple we hadn't seen for 32 years. Only once during that time I contacted L and we had a brief conversation. What an event it was when we met up after 32 years! I wouldn't necessarily look forward to such an event with some people, because you aren't sure how much they will have changed. But these people were exactly as we expected, and we had a great time.
As the high from this wonderful experience slowly wears off, I start feeling really lonely again. So I comfort myself by looking on You-tube to find nice stories of rescuing dogs. And then I water my plants--Jade, Sharpy Jade, Tophy, Zolla, and Aizo. They need me. Too bad they don't bark, purr or say Shalom.
March 29, 2016
Start Your Tour with Shawarma
Last week I took a tour through Jerusalem (with my own personal tour guide). It was a good route we took, because it was all downhill, starting at Damascus gate and ending at pool of Siloam, and that set in my mind better the topography.
And in addition to a tour I got some good shawarma--probably the best beef I've ever had in Israel. I can't wait to go to the same shop again. Since being in Israel I've been starved for sunlight, moonlight, and good beef.
And in addition to a tour I got some good shawarma--probably the best beef I've ever had in Israel. I can't wait to go to the same shop again. Since being in Israel I've been starved for sunlight, moonlight, and good beef.
March 28, 2016
Cats
Not having a child, or a dog, or even a cat in your life makes it really empty. So right now I'm just going to think about some of the cats we have had.
When I was about three, we had a cat that my parents named after a certain woman we knew, because its face reminded them of her. I heard my parents saying that if she were to come over for a visit, and she found out we had named a cat after her, she might take that as an insult.
Then there was the cat that strolled through the house at night. I loved the cat, but I found it frightening one night when I woke up and saw two eyes glowing in the dark. After that, whenever I woke up during the night, I was careful to keep my eyes closed.
Then there was the cat that got hit by a car not long after giving birth to five kittens. In spite of our attempts to feed the kittens with a doll bottle, one by one they died. The last one was Tommy, who cried loudly for a long time. My brother and I watched my mother bury them in the back yard.
Then there was Paint, who was a black and white cat that looked like he had run through some paint and splashed it on himself. He let us build a tower of blocks on top of him while he slept. When he finally woke up and moved, the blocks fell on his head, so he calmly got up and walked away.
Paint used to climb on the screen door and look in through the window in the inner door. We often saw him hanging there while we were eating supper. Even when it was dark out, you could see him because of his white spots.
After Paint died, we could still see him hanging on the screen. There just happened to be a spot of white paint in the same place where he used to hang.
Then there was Snoopy, who was a BLACK CAT, not a White Dog. She was named after a cat in the Bobbsey Twins. She lived more than 18 years. And there were Missie, who lived 12 years, Blackie, May-may, May-two, Caesar, Black Pirate, Emily, Tootsie, Tiny, Snowball, Mittens, Barney, Silas, Sylvia, Mittens, Doozy, Sam, Arthur, Timothy Smoke, Tiger, Pussy Willow, Calico, and Trouble, who was never any trouble and as far as I know never died. And lots more. I'll add to this list as I think of them.
Some people prefer dogs to cats. They like the close connection you can often have with a dog. But I admire cats because of their self-sufficiency and their wildness.
All the bad things they say about cats are also true of people. But do you ban such people from your life? No, you just learn to live with them, and you appreciate their good points, and don't worry too much about the bad points. You have to have a sort of skill in dealing with them, and any amount of success is very rewarding.
My cat (if I had one) doesn't especially need me, or at least not to the point where she can't live without me. But the very fact that my cat is patient with me and content to live with me makes me feel important.
When I was about three, we had a cat that my parents named after a certain woman we knew, because its face reminded them of her. I heard my parents saying that if she were to come over for a visit, and she found out we had named a cat after her, she might take that as an insult.
Then there was the cat that strolled through the house at night. I loved the cat, but I found it frightening one night when I woke up and saw two eyes glowing in the dark. After that, whenever I woke up during the night, I was careful to keep my eyes closed.
Then there was the cat that got hit by a car not long after giving birth to five kittens. In spite of our attempts to feed the kittens with a doll bottle, one by one they died. The last one was Tommy, who cried loudly for a long time. My brother and I watched my mother bury them in the back yard.
Then there was Paint, who was a black and white cat that looked like he had run through some paint and splashed it on himself. He let us build a tower of blocks on top of him while he slept. When he finally woke up and moved, the blocks fell on his head, so he calmly got up and walked away.
Paint used to climb on the screen door and look in through the window in the inner door. We often saw him hanging there while we were eating supper. Even when it was dark out, you could see him because of his white spots.
After Paint died, we could still see him hanging on the screen. There just happened to be a spot of white paint in the same place where he used to hang.
Then there was Snoopy, who was a BLACK CAT, not a White Dog. She was named after a cat in the Bobbsey Twins. She lived more than 18 years. And there were Missie, who lived 12 years, Blackie, May-may, May-two, Caesar, Black Pirate, Emily, Tootsie, Tiny, Snowball, Mittens, Barney, Silas, Sylvia, Mittens, Doozy, Sam, Arthur, Timothy Smoke, Tiger, Pussy Willow, Calico, and Trouble, who was never any trouble and as far as I know never died. And lots more. I'll add to this list as I think of them.
Some people prefer dogs to cats. They like the close connection you can often have with a dog. But I admire cats because of their self-sufficiency and their wildness.
All the bad things they say about cats are also true of people. But do you ban such people from your life? No, you just learn to live with them, and you appreciate their good points, and don't worry too much about the bad points. You have to have a sort of skill in dealing with them, and any amount of success is very rewarding.
My cat (if I had one) doesn't especially need me, or at least not to the point where she can't live without me. But the very fact that my cat is patient with me and content to live with me makes me feel important.
Post-Purim, Laugh, Don't Laugh
Purim is over, and we're back to the humdrum. Especially today, since it's cloudy and the sink is backed up. A bottle of Drano made it worse.
Laundry is piling up and I don't want to wash clothes because the kitchen sink is clogged. No, I don't wash clothes in the kitchen sink. But I am suspicious that the main drain is clogged, and I don't want to risk flooding the floor when the washing machine empties, which has happened before.
When they talk about rain in Israel, that means the sky is cloudy and the pavement is wet. I look out my window time and again to see if it's actually raining, and it's not, but it must have been. I see wisps of clouds floating by that remind me of the really good skies, including clouds, that I have seen in Texas and Indiana. It's hard to get a good view of the sky or the moon when you're in a city. I can hardly remember when I last saw the moon.
For Purim I made myself a hat out of yellow and blue plastic bags. Only a couple people saw me wearing it, and they thought it was funny. I'm not sure why it was funny except maybe because of the bright colors, or maybe it was obvious it was made out of plastic bags. I thought it was actually a pretty nice hat. It was a nice shape, and what's wrong with wearing blue and yellow? Maybe because it was Purim they thought they were supposed to laugh. But what if I was serious?
In some instances I can understand why people laugh. Once I was with a friend who tried to teach me the alphabet in Malayalam. I repeated each letter after her, and sometimes we both laughed because I obviously couldn't make the sounds right.
But another time I was with some Africans and they tried to teach me the letters in some African language. I thought I was doing a pretty good job, but every so often they would laugh. Was I really saying them wrong? Or was it odd to hear African sounds coming out of a white woman's mouth? Or maybe I made a funny face when I said them?
So, ho-hum. What am I going to do today? There are a number of possibilities, but none of them stand out as being important. Maybe I'll just blog.
Laundry is piling up and I don't want to wash clothes because the kitchen sink is clogged. No, I don't wash clothes in the kitchen sink. But I am suspicious that the main drain is clogged, and I don't want to risk flooding the floor when the washing machine empties, which has happened before.
When they talk about rain in Israel, that means the sky is cloudy and the pavement is wet. I look out my window time and again to see if it's actually raining, and it's not, but it must have been. I see wisps of clouds floating by that remind me of the really good skies, including clouds, that I have seen in Texas and Indiana. It's hard to get a good view of the sky or the moon when you're in a city. I can hardly remember when I last saw the moon.
For Purim I made myself a hat out of yellow and blue plastic bags. Only a couple people saw me wearing it, and they thought it was funny. I'm not sure why it was funny except maybe because of the bright colors, or maybe it was obvious it was made out of plastic bags. I thought it was actually a pretty nice hat. It was a nice shape, and what's wrong with wearing blue and yellow? Maybe because it was Purim they thought they were supposed to laugh. But what if I was serious?
In some instances I can understand why people laugh. Once I was with a friend who tried to teach me the alphabet in Malayalam. I repeated each letter after her, and sometimes we both laughed because I obviously couldn't make the sounds right.
But another time I was with some Africans and they tried to teach me the letters in some African language. I thought I was doing a pretty good job, but every so often they would laugh. Was I really saying them wrong? Or was it odd to hear African sounds coming out of a white woman's mouth? Or maybe I made a funny face when I said them?
So, ho-hum. What am I going to do today? There are a number of possibilities, but none of them stand out as being important. Maybe I'll just blog.
March 18, 2016
March
In some respects March is just the same in Israel as in Indiana. There is a feeling of spring in the air, but the reality is COLD. And bits of rain and wind, and it drags on and on, and you wonder if spring will ever come. Actually it's not quite as cold as Indiana, it's just that I have no patience with cold anymore.
Spring is not so dramatic here, but it is spring. Almond trees have been blooming, and sycamore trees are starting to leaf out. I start thinking ahead to all the things I will do as the weather gets better. This is the time of year when I used to like getting seed catalogs and planning a garden.
The wind was high enough one day to blow my three tiny jade plants off the balcony. I found two of them down below and rescued them. Other plants are growing well, except the four Mexican heathers, which I had thought would be easy to grow. They aren't called Mexican heather here, but they're identical to the ones I used to have in Texas.
Purim is this week, and it's a time when people are a bit crazy. You see people dressed in various costumes, which they do for a whole week, both children and adults. I don't ordinarily care for silly stuff; but when the rest of the year is a bit dreary, Purim seems like a good time to break out of the rut. Last year I kept my eyes open for something I could do to celebrate Purim which would be a little bit jolly but still within bounds. One day I saw a middle-age or older woman dressed conservatively, with plain dark colors and a long skirt--but she had a very conspicuous purple feather stuck in her hat! Ever since then I have been wondering where I might find a purple feather like that.
Today I rode my scooter here and there and tried going in stores where there isn't really room. Sometimes there isn't room to turn and I have to back out. Even riding on the sidewalk is tricky, because you never know when a car will be parked on the sidewalk. There are apparently no laws against it, although you have the right to be annoyed if they are in your way. Though actually I am not annoyed--it's just part of the adventure to either squeeze by with an inch on either side or find a new route.
I drove past a few marathon runners. A little girl was sitting on the curb cheering them on. Occasionally she would yell, "If Trump can run, so can you!," which always brought a smile from the runners.
Marathons. Brings back a memory of a nice summer night a few years ago when I ran 90 strides. I thought at the time I would add to it bit by bit until I could run _______. It never happened. I never even got to 91 strides. Today I can run about zero. Sometimes when my coffee doesn't taste quite right I have to debate with myself whether it's worth it to walk a few steps back to the kitchen to fix it, or just drink it as is.
Spring is not so dramatic here, but it is spring. Almond trees have been blooming, and sycamore trees are starting to leaf out. I start thinking ahead to all the things I will do as the weather gets better. This is the time of year when I used to like getting seed catalogs and planning a garden.
The wind was high enough one day to blow my three tiny jade plants off the balcony. I found two of them down below and rescued them. Other plants are growing well, except the four Mexican heathers, which I had thought would be easy to grow. They aren't called Mexican heather here, but they're identical to the ones I used to have in Texas.
Purim is this week, and it's a time when people are a bit crazy. You see people dressed in various costumes, which they do for a whole week, both children and adults. I don't ordinarily care for silly stuff; but when the rest of the year is a bit dreary, Purim seems like a good time to break out of the rut. Last year I kept my eyes open for something I could do to celebrate Purim which would be a little bit jolly but still within bounds. One day I saw a middle-age or older woman dressed conservatively, with plain dark colors and a long skirt--but she had a very conspicuous purple feather stuck in her hat! Ever since then I have been wondering where I might find a purple feather like that.
Today I rode my scooter here and there and tried going in stores where there isn't really room. Sometimes there isn't room to turn and I have to back out. Even riding on the sidewalk is tricky, because you never know when a car will be parked on the sidewalk. There are apparently no laws against it, although you have the right to be annoyed if they are in your way. Though actually I am not annoyed--it's just part of the adventure to either squeeze by with an inch on either side or find a new route.
I drove past a few marathon runners. A little girl was sitting on the curb cheering them on. Occasionally she would yell, "If Trump can run, so can you!," which always brought a smile from the runners.
Marathons. Brings back a memory of a nice summer night a few years ago when I ran 90 strides. I thought at the time I would add to it bit by bit until I could run _______. It never happened. I never even got to 91 strides. Today I can run about zero. Sometimes when my coffee doesn't taste quite right I have to debate with myself whether it's worth it to walk a few steps back to the kitchen to fix it, or just drink it as is.
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