Thanksgiving - Israel 2006

Entranceway to Yad Vashem. 

     I can hardly believe it's been 4 years since I went to Israel.  In some ways it seems like decades ago; in others, it seems as if it only just happened.  At any rate, I was in Israel for Thanksgiving in 2006.  What a wonderful trip.  What a beautiful place.  Ha!  I didn't want to leave; and, guess what?  There was a government strike the day we were supposed to fly home... Government strike = airports closed = extended vacation.  I remember that some of the people on the tour were angry about staying extra;  I was thrilled.  Had we not stayed those few extra days we wouldn't have seen "the Holocaust Museum" - the museum of Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes - Yad Vashem - in my opinion, the most meaningful experience of the tour.  Sobering to say the least.  Man's inhumanity towards man. And yet, there were also stories of heroic actions, and examples of the best of mankind.  We stayed 4 or 5 hours; to really take in the  experience would take at least 2 days. I remember, there was not a dry eye leaving the building. Like life, there was only one entrance and one exit.


Me, at the Gateway into Capharnaum


 Earlier in the trip we saw much of Israel's countryside... miraculous agricultural areas that fulfill the prophets of old;  the Jordan River, which, in places, is a roaring river, and in other areas is a mere babbling brook.  Many of us were baptized in the Jordan... let me tell you, it was like icewater!  Also, of interest were the white doves in the trees along the river's edge.  Yes, most everything reminded me of Scripture... We saw Cana, the site of Jesus' first miracle.  And Capernaam (Capharnaum), the home of Simon Peter and Jesus' "home base" during His ministry on earth.  The remnants of Peter's house is still there, almost next door to the old synagogue.
The Scriptures - both Old Testament and New - came to life as we experienced life in the Holy Land.  We saw the seat of Moses in the old synagogue there in Capernaam... Someone offered to take my picture if I would sit in it;  alot of folks were doing that, but it felt disrespectful to me, so I declined.  The seat of Moses is where a visiting Rabbi sits to read from the Torah scroll.

the sun begine to set on the Sea of Gallilee

One of my favorite photos - an oasis in Israel

Shalom y'all - Twyla

 I could probably blog about Israel all day.  But, life beckons.  It's Thanksgiving 2010, and family will be arriving in a few hours.  There are preparations to be made, food to cook, the regular household and farm chores to see to.  Meanwhile, my Hubby has fixed me a wonderful breakfast of latkes and scrambled eggs. And brought the plate to my desk!  Very unusual to eat at our desks!   My husband is my oasis.  So, on this Thanksgiving day I thank Ha'Shem for my marriage which is now almost a year old.

The Cleft of the Rock

my watercolor, "In The Cleft of The Rock"

 
  This morning I went to the opthamologist; then, stopped to buy chicken feed; then, went to vote.  The trip was an interesting experience because the first stop was the eye doctor, where they dilated my pupils, making the rest of my errands interesting to say the least...
     This was my first time to vote in this county.  I thought I knew where to go to vote, so I went to the general vicinity and watched to see where people were parking and what door they were going in and out of. I discerned that a certain annex of the courthouse must be the polling place.  As I entered the parking lot, a lady walked by, and I asked her if I was at the right place to vote.  She said, "Yes.", so I parked and went on in.  (The reader must keep in mind that I couldn't see more than  8 or 10  feet ahead - and  even that was blurry.   I think I must've had an unusual reaction to the dilation drops... I don't remember being THIS incapacitated the last time I had my eyes dilated.)
     So, anyhow, I went in.  Had to wait in one line, then another.  They couldn't find me on their lists.  Not with my maiden name nor my married name.  Hmmmm..... Finally, they looked me up in their computer system and found that I was at the wrong polling place.  I needed to go to the highschool. Thankfully, I know where the highschool is, so getting there wasn't a problem. But, once I got into the driveway, the same dilemna was before me as I looked at the many entrances.  There were posters all over the place, stating such things as "VOTE",  "Vote Here", etc.  Problem was, I couldn't read them until I was practically standing on top of them!  Again, I watched as people came and went; and, decided  on a certain entrance.  It was, again, a good guess.
     There were two lines.  We all  had to go through the first line to have our ID electronically swiped and a voter card issued.  Then,  we waited in the second line  for a computer booth to become available.  It wasn't at all unpleasant.  People around here are friendly and easy to strike up a conversation with.  Although the wait was probably about 45 minutes, it went quickly. After casting my ballot, I wandered back out to the Jeep and toodled on home.  Slowly.  "Toodling" is always slow, y'know?  Nobody in a hurry toodles. Moshe was  mortified, as am I, at my inability to see for these few hours, and to know that I was out driving in that condition! 
     Which brings me to the point of my story.  The painting above is adapted from several photos I took a few years ago when I visited Israel.  I kept seeing  and photographing white doves in various locations.  I saw them at the hotel.  I saw them at the Jordan River where we were baptized.  And I saw them at the Wailing Wall - lots of them, perched on top of the wall, flying about, and this one dove safely settled in the cleft of one of the huge rocks that make up The Wall.
      That's what it's all about.  Next time I need my eyes dilated, I'll make arrangements for someone else to drive.  But today, despite my lack of vision,  the LORD kept me safely in The Cleft of The Rock.

             Shalom Y'all - Twyla