When I first started writing this blog, all those years ago, I wrote it with a few readers in mind. One person in particular I hoped read the posts, enjoyed my ruminations and perhaps gained her approval, was my Aunt. I actually don't know how many posts she read. I will never find out now…
Let it snow, let it snow
For readers who are knee high in snow at the moment, look away now. We in the Med see very little of the cold white stuff, in fact here in the coastal plain snow just doesn't fall. Last weekend on hearing the news of a snow fall in the Jerusalem area and the Golan, our…
What a difference a decade makes
Ten years ago today I said good-bye to my family and friends and boarded a plane for the Holy Land. I was about to embark on a journey of life, of discovery, of fear, loathing and love. Ten years on, 3 children, 3 conflicts, 3 homes and a lot poorer I can honestly say that…
Here Come the Blue Skies
The grey clouds keep rolling in and the thunder is in the distance but there is always a chink of blue sky out there, somewhere. Isn't there?
Youth Don’t Leave Me
I may well have slipped onto the slide of middle-age and am currently flying past every marker on route. This week's marker was, at first glance, something only the young do: waiting for concert tickets to go on sale to ensure purchase. Then I realised I was over 40 and my chosen concert was to…
Every teardrop is a waterfall
Our recent Sukkot holiday found us in one of the most beautiful areas of Israel. In the foothills of the Golan a series of rivers snake through the cliffs and canyons providing welcome relief to the searing heat in the summer and dramatic deluges in the winter and spring. The Hermon is Israel's highest…
Here comes the rain again
October in Israel brings Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur and my favourite of all the holidays, Sukkot. You may remember my ramblings about the Sukkah (Succah, Sukka?) that we build in the garden every year. Where we eat, where I spend my evenings quaffing vino and where the kids play. This year, true to form we…
The Great Escape
When I left Israel at the end of July, I left sirens and explosions, booms and rattling windows. Now I am back. The sirens have stopped, normal life resumes. I lived in a bubble for 5 weeks, little or no news, only sporadic social media use, a promise to myself not to read the hate or get…
And so it is
I am rarely lost for words. Ask anyone, I can talk...a lot. I can also write reams and reams. But I am lost for words. I am just so angry and frightened, horrified and sorry, terrified and just plain sad that for the last week or so I just haven't known what to say. Three…
When will it ever end?
I watched an episode of the fantastic series Mad Men the other day in which the character Roger told his shrink that life was a series of firsts and once you realised the firsts were few and far between you realised your life was almost over. Well I am certainly feeling very alive right now.…
39 and Counting 