Kids visiting Jerusalem

Birthday kisses--and this wasn't the only one!!
Five sheet cakes, 100 people, PARTY!!!

Great time of year in Jerusalem

It is a great time of the year in Jerusalem. Last semester when we went on field trips with the students, we would look out and only see brown. Look now! It is green. It's cool and pleasant. It's wonderful.
Flowers are in bloom--(Dome of the Rock in background)
Poppies everywhere--
Stay this way forever--

Petra

Our Jordan/Petra trip was amazing. After walking for a kilometer through a narrow gorge, it opened up into the city of Petra, which was inhabited by the Nabataeans, an Arab people who made this city, and lived in it for over 400 years. They carved their city in the cliffs of sandstone, making temples, arched gateways, tombs, theaters, and the most famous monument, The Treasury (the picture shown). It truly is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World discovered in 1812.

Spices, Vegtables, and Bread

There are places in Jerusalem to buy spices...( a creative tower of spices)

...and vegtables...(what a sweet lady)

...and bread. (Yum--love the bread here)

Therapy and Stress Relievers

Putting a puzzel together is great therapy




Driving in Jerusalem is quite a stressful ordeal. I take a deep breath, clench my fists around the steering wheel and head out. I say to myself. "I really don't want to do this." And then the thought comes back to haunt me--the thing I always said to my kids--"You don't have to want to."

Traffic laws here, and signs, and signals are only a "suggestion" of how to drive. The light signals turn yellow before the red light AND before the light turns green--at which time everyone behind you starts honking. It is like they are trying to create a honking melody. Cars nudge into your lane with no notice. Scooters and people appear out of nowhere. You never plan on going anywhere in a hurry--the traffic is always busy. And all cars have dents and scratches. (I wonder why)



If you get lost, (which I have done quite ofter) there is nowhere to pull off to rest your mind and figure out where to go. You just keep going around and around, listening to the honking melodies, until at last you see the "Mt. Scopus" sign and heave a sigh of relief because you are headed in the direction of "home,"-- even if you haven't found where you wanted to go. And if you happen to get lucky and find where you wanted to go, don't shout "hur-ray" to loud because, where do you park??!!



To "lose yourself " is to "find yourself" has a whole new meaning. I know the more I get lost, the more I will find my way around. It just has to happen.



In the meantime we need our therapy, stress relievers, and comfort foods.






Homemade cinnamon rolls are great "comfort
food."




Tanner is getting some comfort.

I know we were going to try to

kick the habit---but a big bottle

of Diet Coke in the fridge has become

essential.