no words

this has been a sad day. most of you probably know what happened last night down here. i am still stunned, i am still shocked. what were they thinking to begin with? yesterday this article pretty much summed up my feelings. today.... no words, just filled with sadness.

against the wall

we had a good time camping at the beach. first day we almost blew away. the wind was quite rough. i have some great photos too, but still have to sort them. i am hopelessly behind in my photo sorting, making my 365 project on flickr a bit of a joke these days. i have the photos though, just didn't sort and upload. one day, one day. soon.

so, it was windy, i tell you. and there's something about wind. not so much the sand in the food, in the eyes and in the tent. it's the way it isolates you, like being stuck in the middle of a giant centrifuge of white noise.

yesterday was warm and with much less wind. i brought my crochet work, sketch book and a book (i'm reading jonathan safran foer's eating animals - it's been hard for me to get started on this book. i'm still flirting with the introduction. somehow, i suspect, it will collide with my love of a good steak).

obviously i didn't touch any of it. is it just me, or do you also have a hard time "doing" anything at the beach?

now we're back and the week started and there's no choice here: plenty of things to do. i have a packed week ahead of me, and some hard decisions to make. yes, still having concerns and worries about what to do for my twin boys in the future. this must be a good example to show, that knowledge, information, research, good advice and talk only help so much.

in any case, i really hope i will finally make my way back to corner view and weekword. have a wonderful week.

beach moments

the beach season has started. actually it's been going on for a while, but may is the official beginning on the public beaches with all day life guards.

we are going beach camping this weekend. it should be fun.

days and nights in the garden

i think it's pretty clear from the photos what this vacation with the family in our home was all about, no? relaxing during the day, and eating and drinking during the night.

we did go to the beach and we did venture to the city as well, but mostly we stayed at home. there was some reading, talking, a lot of ping pong, bug collecting, cooking and running around.

among other things the menu included bbq and salads, wine and water, fruits and roasted marshmallows, creme brulee and mojitos.

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this week is all abut getting back to normal and that's good too. wishing you all a wonderful new week.

saying goodbye

youngest brother and girlfriend left before the weekend, oldest brother and family today. parents are staying a bit longer. it's been great. we had many plans, but didn't do much. lots of beach, hanging in the garden, long meals with good food and general chaos. good times.

if i had gone to denmark today i would have gone straight to hear joanna newsom. she has been a favorite for a while and is playing in copenhagen tonight. that would be magical.

i will slowly be working my way back into blog world. i have been missing it, even if i did have a good time.

sweet pastels

a favorite photo from the past and the last of a flower in the field behind the house.

i still have my family visiting and have been seriously disconnected from the computer.

i hope you are having a lovely time. i will be back, but right now my time is so filled with real life people and activities. i didn't even have time to empty my camera and share some of the many photos i have taken.

mother

word of the week is mother, chosen by the super-talented and clever aris of peekadoo. visit her blog to see the other participants of this week.

and have a wonderful weekend. i will enjoy mine a bit more than usual, as i have not only my mother by my side, but my entire family, all staying with us for the next week. yay!

summer red

we have had some beautiful hot days here. my parents are visiting, and we have done a lot of gardening, enjoyed good food (with our red potatoes from the garden :), and plenty of ice.

my computer time is limited again, but i guess that's what happens when the sun is shining and the family is around. two more days and my brothers and their families will join us.

a prairie sunset

most days i don't especially enjoy all the toys scattered all over the house. but sometimes a lone toy left behind on the dining room table makes me smile and pause for a moment.

here's to a beautiful weekend.

story

sometimes you just need to stop and listen, the stories unfolding from our memories, triggered by a sound. true to what was and an inspiration to what will be.

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wordweek is back. this week it is story. for more participants, go see the beautiful space of rachel.

i am so happy this started again, and i hope it will help me get into a creative mood after a little dry spell. but mostly i am happy to "meet" the weekworders, old as well as new.

so, off to a bit of cleaning. my parents arrive today, and i like to pretend we don't live in a dirty mess :)

waiting, anticipating

tomorrow my parents are coming, and in a week my two brothers and their loved ones will be here too. they will all be staying with us. i am so excited. we all are.

wishing you a beautiful weekend.

gray on gray

these espadrilles from american vintage are my new favorite shoes right now. i love the dark gray. the day i bought these i - once again - passed by ikea. i was looking for something else, which i didn't find, but then i saw this beautiful woolen throw by kazuyo nomura. it brings back memories of summerhouses in denmark with old woolen blankets smelling of sun and sea. and i love the pattern.

and talking about gray. it's time for kittens on the front porch. i am constantly chasing the boys away, they are dying to pick them up and cuddle them, but they are still tiny tiny and not to be touched by us. not to mentioned that the proud mama is very anxious when they are near. and we just can't have anything like this happen again.

corner view - garden

a little over a year ago we still lived in the center of tel aviv in an apartment. and even if we did have the beach and a little park right next door, it still is something else with a garden. to just open the door and step into your own garden. i love the stillness that can be found there, the space and activities possible, to grow things, to follow the seasons. and i love the freedom it gives you as a family, allowing everyone to do his or her own thing, while still being at home and together. 

and most recently i loved that it allowed us to improvise a lag baomer bonfire. and since it was just our own little lag baomer event we were absolutely free to mix some traditions. in denmark you pretty much cannot have a bonfire without snobroed (dough rolled around a stick) and then baked (or burned) over fire. when done (at least on the outside) you can stuff it with whatever you like. sausages, jam, cheese or, like we did, nutella.

the boys loved this dinner. and so did i. there's something about outdoor meals, especially those you make yourself over open fire - even if it is just bread and baked potatoes.

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and now, let joyce of a perfect beginning be your guide through many more garden adventures.

pretty much done

D plays beach volley ball in tel aviv most weekends. sometimes i tag along with the kids. after a couple of hours of sun, sand and sea - and being spoiled with milkshakes and french fries - they are pretty much done for the day.

like a magic dance

the storks are passing by these days on their way north. they are feeding on the fields surrounding us, and when the evening falls they rest in the tall eucalyptus trees. i took the kids for a bike ride this weekend and we saw them up close. such huge birds!

yesterday dudu called me from the car as he was driving towards our house. he told me to go out and look up. what a sight. there's something about the way bird formations change. like waves, still then rolling, turning, changing directions in several layers. like a magic dance on the sky.

full circle shesek

they were blooming in november and december. around march we had the green fruits and a month later they were yellow and ready. as i write this they are already too ripe, those i didn't manage to gather. it's a two week season, then they turn dark and dry.

i collected enough for one big glass and three small glasses of jam. i added a few of the apples from the garden as well and made it with cinnamon and a bit of brown sugar.it's very tasty. 

again, thank you so much for all your sweet comments to my recent posts on my concerns for my twin boys. i am much more relaxed now. like so many of you pointed out, children grow in different pace and their development depends on so many factors. they are still so young.

i still have some things that need sorting out, and even some decisions to make, but it doesn't stress me out the same way, i don't have this nagging feeling that time is running out, that i must do something right here and now. and hey, we just had a great weekend with beach, bonfire and bike rides.

have a wonderful week.