Oh Sister, My Sister

March 29th, the day of my sweet sister's birth.


For those of you who don't know Alicia, you are missing out.  For those who do,  I pray you know how lucky you are to know her!
 


Since we were children, Alicia has always been the calmest out of the 5 Humphrey girls.  She continually remains number five in the ever-fluctuating self-imposed drama scale we've devised.  

Always the first to offer compromises or encouragement, to see both sides of an argument, she is truly the peacemaker of the family.


Alicia, because we are so close in age, we have been friends since I can remember, and it was this friendship that got us through some of the hardest times in our lives.  

Oh, the insane memories that flood my brain could fill a thousand 3-ring binders......but I will try to give a little list:

Playing air mail for hours after it was time to go to bed.  For those uninitiated, this involved throwing a rosary pouch back and forth from Alicia's top bunk to my bottom bunk, or whatever formation we slept in at the time.   I kid you not, this kept us entertained.  For hours.


When you stepped in that basket and broke it and I tried to blackmail you?  Yeah, I was a brat.


How almost every night we'd ask for Dad to bring us honkin' big tumblers of water, then he'd shut the little cubby door almostallthewaybutnotquite for a little light, but I'd get up and open it an inch or two or six more because I was terrified of the dark and you so weren't.


Our "elevator" and "clown" routines of which we were so proud.  The former meant I laid on the floor on my back with my legs straight up in the air hands stretched flat above me.  You stood on my hands, held onto my feet and I either lifted you straight or hurled you through my legs so you'd land on the floor.  The clown routine meant I lay on the couch, you ran from the kitchen and then we did the elevator.  Was it really worth typing all this out?  You betcha.


Dancing in the living room to El Shaddai and making up our own mumbo jumbo instead of the appropriate Hebrew.


Hiding cigs and hooch in between the doors of the "balcony," thinking we were smooth operators.

Sitting on the roof enjoying said contraband.
   
                           

Olden Days.  Coffee Can.  I'm just sayin'.....

The fact that we seriously choreographed a dance to Zombie by the Cranberries, only one of the most un-danceable songs of the 1990s.  But we rocked it. 


Corbettes together forever.

Depending on one another for support, hope and companionship at times when circumstances were dire, when our sisterhood meant the difference between manageable-ish to absolutely soul-crushing pain.  And for the record, this is not an exaggeration.

I feel honored to be your sister, and thankful and humbled. 


We have been one another's maid/matron of honor.  We have supported each other through fertility challenges and rejoiced in the miracles that are our children.  We have comforted and bolstered during c-sections, tended wounds and snuggled babies.  

 Our friendship continues to ripen as we age and we are blessed by a shared tight-knit group friends.  These dear friends in turn have littles who love our littles and weave the beginnings of a new era of memories and kinship.

Hospitality is a way of life for you, the revolving door of gatherings large and small.  You always offer your home with a smile and an open couch/bed/fridge/heart.


Alicia, your sweet and gentle spirit is a testimony to the profound grace of your faith.  Amidst many challenges, your ability for optimism manifests strength that can only be divinely given. 

I love you for all this, and for all that remains unsaid.  You are a lovely woman, and a blessing to this world.

Galilee, el fin and a Proposition

Happy Monday to all!


Now that it's been a few days, let's return to the last segment of our Galilee adventure.


After the Church of the Annunciation, we made a stop at the Babour Mill in Nazareth.  

It is seriously any spice/dried fruit/nut lover's dream come true.  I just wanted to plunge my hand into every overflowing barrel to feel the sharp edges of the almonds, and the curved smoothness of cashews.  I wanted to shove my face into the mound of dried tea roses, paint my face with the vibrant curries and swim in a sea of cinnamon.  

Okay, I totally did not mean to go all City of Angels on you (cheesy '90s Ryan/Cage movie that it is), but seriously, it was YUMMO!!  The sweet workers let us try the products before we bought them.  

 My favs were the dried pineapple and kiwi.  We're seriously thinking that a food dehydrator might be in our future.  Anyone have one?  Thoughts?

After the mill, we piled into the car for our trip to the Dead Sea.


As I went into the surreal waters the last visit, I told Kev to go on ahead and I'd tend to Ceci.  Well, the peeps were having so much fun that what we thought would be a quick dip turned into a float to the mud pits and then a float back and, of course, pics.

Jacob not having it

......but he rallied

 I was a bit grumpy (in my adolescent selfishness) as the late hour prevented our jaunt to Ein Gedi to swim in the waterfalls.  So, as everyone else changed and packed up, I walked to a kiosk for a diet coke and a snippet of solitude.  After rejoining the group, I realized that I'd dropped my credit card.

Of course I did.

So, we drove the path I walked and saw just in the knick of time to find a Dutchman proffering my card.  Not in the mood to josh about, I played the game while he teased and pretended to pocket the card, "finders keepers," ha ha, ho ho, smile and stifle a curseword and get on with it.....

During this whole charade, I was aware of a faint engine revving and annoyed car beeps.  Finally getting my card back, Kev put the car in reverse, took his foot off the break and WHAM....collision.

CRUD MUFFINS!  Of course because of my carelessness, we have an accident.


The park was closing, we were in a small corner of a HUGE series of lots, why the heck did this guy need to pull into this area?

 Kev got out and inspected our damage (moderate

and his (almost nil).  

Then when Julia found an almost exact ding on the other side of his bumper, coupled with the spacy drunk-like air with which the guy was conducting himself, our intuition was on high alert.  

Our mutual sense was that this guy was a con-man.  Because we were tired, hungry and ready to get home, we were not in the most charitable mood, and Humphrey-girls-done-been-scammed came out.  Julia took his picture (for which he smiled---what???), and I pushed him to answer what he even needed in this far deserted part of the lot.  He just snickered and poo-pooed our challenges.

Seriously?????  Maniacal Smile.  Ooo, that's a good band name.

What adventure in a foreign land is truly and adventure without some dissonance? 


After the whole charade, we had an eventful drive home and, upon driving up the hill and into Tantur's parking lot, we unpacked and walked into the apartment.


Ahh, there's no place like home.
~~~~
For those observant readers, you may recall my tale of a guest blogger.  

He promises to make good on his pledge within the next 3.14159265358979 days.


Speaking of guest bloggers, I have a proposition to make.


So as to stir things up a bit, and relieve your Danielleisms-weary eyes, I'd like to give an open invitation to anyone else who'd like to do a guest post.  

Perhaps you have a book, film, painting you loved and would like to share a reflection.  Maybe you have a video of you doing a stupid human trick.  Maybe there's a recipe, a phrase in Elvish, a deep thought you want the world to know. 

Now is your chance.  

I'd love to see this blog evolve, especially upon our return to the States, as a forum of sorts for fellow beauty seekers.  I know you're out there!!


I'd love to have 3 guest bloggers this month, so do it up, folks.  

Email, facebook, telegram or skype me with your willingness and ideas.  


Will you be brave enough to share your slice of beauty?


Over and out.

We are safe

Thank you for your emails, skype calls, and facebook messages.

We are all safe, as we were nowhere near the central bus station when the bomb went off.

Kevin and Jacob were, however, 2-3 minutes away from the bus station the day before.

Honestly, it melts my brain and freezes my blood to think about losing my boys, to think about how quickly our lives can change from one moment to the next.  The comfort and stability we nestle ourselves in, whether here in Israel or smack dab in the US, can disappear and times like this make us grateful for our health and safety.

As I posted on facebook, this is the first civilian attack like this in years, so I'm hoping and praying it's isolated. Kevin and I feel safe staying right now, but we are open and ready to leave if needed. We trust it will be very clear either from ND or the embassy as to the need to evacuate.

As of now, no group has taken responsibility for the attack, the news of which has been conveniently left out of much US news.  There have been no new travel warnings submitted by the state department, and defense secretary Gates' conveniently timed visit and message of work towards peace will hopefully settle some of the rising tensions.

We pray for those who were injured and for their families.  We pray for the British tourist who died in the attack.  We pray for continued work toward peace between Israel and Palestine, and between all warring countries.

Galilee Adventures...part III of IV??

Thank you again, cherished readers, for sticking with me during my writing drought.  It means so much to me to know that you feel included in our journey, as that is my hope in writing on my corner of the "cloud."  You may have trouble getting me to stop posting now that I'm back at it again.

After spending a gob of time tonight editing photos, making collages and getting distracted by music and anything shiny, I've decided to tack on one more post after this.....at least.  :)


But, first thing's first. 

Back to Nazareth we go. 

Well, by Monday morning I was quite impressed with how we all held up.  Aside from a few lost tempers and bicker spats, everyone was in one piece.  

The first stop of the day was the Church of the Annunciation.


Just a short 5 minute walk from the Inn and we were there.  I realized after editing my photos, I don't have a single picture of the whole church front, but alas, I'll share what I have:

For those who are curious, the Church of the Annunciation is built upon the area traditionally regarded as the place where the angel Gabriel came to announce to Mary that she would bear a Son.  

Before even entering the church, we strolled along the outer wall which contained beautiful mosaics of Mary and Baby Jesus from dozens of different countries, most of which clothed Baby and Mama in the traditional garb of their respective lands.


Taking our time, and a picture of (almost) each one, we were amazed by the breadth of variety and beauty.  Aside from a few creepy/goofy ones, they were gorgeous, but I'll let you decide for yourself.  Oh, and don't mind the super huge sizes.  I wanted you to be able to see as much detail as possible.

Though I loved so many of them, these might have been my favorites:

 To me, this is reminiscent of Klimt.  Anyone else?

Silly gate---this one is from Bolivia

 Did you have a favorite?

Now, of course I have to share some of the more humorous ones:

Jesus loves the Scouts too!!

This was actually going to be a favorite, but for one thing.  Now, I love me some JP II just like the next gal, but his placement in the picture made me laugh out loud, not gonna lie.  I want to like it for it's intended reason, but I like it like I like a holographic Jesus.

 

ANYHOOOO, after looking around some more, we went inside.

I will admit, the church's 1970s vibe was a bit off-putting at first, but it was so peaceful with subdued natural lighting, that I was moved.  

Kneeling on the ground, with my head to the cold floor, I fell into a quiet meditative prayer.  These opportunities come rarely, so I enter in, without regard for how strange I might look.


There, on the floor of the church, in the land of Jesus' childhood, I prayed.


I prayed for all mothers, that they might follow Our Lady's example of graceful strength and unconditional love.


I prayed that, like Mary, we will proclaim a hearty, "yes," that we might sing our own Magnificat for the gifts God offers us.


I prayed for all of you, my family and friends, that you might know peace amidst the buzzing, spinning pace of your every day.

Galilee Adventures, Part II of III

But before I do that, I want to capture a few thoughts


My kids amaze me.  Of course any mother thinks this of her children, I recognize that.  It's just overwhelming to see their little personalities (or big personalities) develop and strengthen.  Also, now that Ceci is communicating and running about, she and Jacob can actually play together and I rejoice in the moments they squeal with delight at some silly shennanigans.  

Speaking of Ceci communicating, she is developing quite the vocabulary and animal impressions.  She currently says:

            'nana      (banana)

            Dada

            Mama

           Dayknnng (Jacob)

           Nawnaw (no no)

           Daaaow (down)

           Nahi Nahi (night night)

           Bah Bah (bye bye)

Animal Sounds:
elephant, tiger, cow, cat, dog, fish

Body Parts she identifies:
Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Belly

Oh, 
        just one little more tangent, ok?


History:  The first time Ceci discovered a belly button, it was Kevin's, so whenever she sees a belly button, she points and says, "Dada!" 


Tangent:
Ceci is obsessed with this lift-a-flap book that was actually Jacob's (thanks Aunt Madeline and Uncle Mark), and she runs over to (most of the time) Kevin or Jacob or me to read it to her.   The animal page is favored, although she does enjoy the fruits and vegetables. 


When they come to the apple, Ceci points to the small concave of the apple from which the stem protrudes, then pulls up Kevin's shirt and points to his belly button and back again saying, "Dada!"


Girlfriend, only your little mind would find the yet observed similarity between apples and belly buttons.  Seriously, y'all, go to your nearest apple and belly button and observe!

200 points for creativity, 2 million points for randomness.  That's our girl!!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, where were we?  Ah, yes.  Back in the Galilee.


After Mass at Loaves and Fishes, we decided to go in search of food and then a national park called Gan Hasholosha which has natural springs, waterfalls and water temps of 80-some degrees.


We stopped at a gas station which looked deserted but was staffed by this spacy dude who tried to sell us the same unleaded gas at 2 different prices, depending upon which pump we used.  After a good laugh, we opted out and went to a nearby restaurant for salads, hummus, pita and drinks.  It was an Israeli version of a diner, complete with random gnome figurines and tchockes.  


With full bellies, we made our way to Gan Hasholosha.  The drive was about an hour, and we dozed, soaked in the sunshine and splendid views. 

With it being off-season, the parks close at 4, so we only had about an hour and a half there.  As we drove in, I couldn't contain my excitement.  Jacob and I, already in our bathing suits, ran down the hills to see this:

 

 

AMAZING, right ?????   

I pretty much could have spent all weekend there.  Because it's technically winter, we basically had the entire place to ourselves aside from one other tourist family and a few bundled non-swimming Israelis.


There was a friendly lifeguard who welcomed us heartily saying, 
"Welcome, welcome, this is our second Eden." 


Yeah, buddy, I'm pretty much gonna have to agree..... 








 
 The water was sublime, like tepid bathwater which sounds horrid, but with the warm air temp it was perfect.  We went below the waterfalls where the water was shallow, reveling in the fact that we were swimming in waterfalls in the middle of March.  After a bit, we moved to deeper waters, as I kept getting nibbled by itty bitty fish.


We stayed to the last minute, rode home in the dwindling sunlight, managed traffic and got back to the Inn in time for early bed for the kiddos and food foraging for the rest of us.  Aside from a short wake-up from Ceci, the kids slept really well again.


On Monday morning we woke to the delicious traditional Arab breakfast that came with our stay.  Our bellies filled up with fresh fruits and veggies, fresh pita, salty cheese and the like.  


After packing up our things, dropping them at the car, our next stop was the Church of the Annunciation, but that's a story for another day.  :)   


Oh, I suppose I'll give you a sneak peek to leave off:

Avoiding Reflection

That's been my deal of late.  

Partly, it's been the evil plague that has haunted me these last few days.  Honestly, all I could do was sleep most of the day yesterday and today.  The longest I was able to sit upright at any given time was about 10 minutes.  Thankfully, my bout came at the end of Ceci and Jacob's.  Anyone who knows my children can attest that for them to sleep for huge chunks of day, you know they are sick!


Also, we've been blessed with so many experiences, exposed to such places that most people only dream of visiting.  Even one site could take hours of visiting and processing, and we go to 3 or 4 at a time.  Like: 

Oh, no biggie, let's just go to the Cenacle and King David's tomb and oh, sure why don't we descend to the 3, 000 y/o Hezekiah's tunnel (for more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezekiah%27s_tunnel and for the record my curvy pseudo-claustrophobic self did not dare enter that tunnel of darkness!).  On our way out, we may as well pray at the Western Wall again, along with observant Jews and Christian pilgrims and bridal parties and soldiers.  Sure, why not?


I seriously think I should have a little buzzer embedded in my body to constantly remind me that yes, this is my reality right now.  Yes, I'd better take note, observe, immerse, reflect, share all that I am experiencing.  Out of honor for the gift of our time here, in the name of those who will never come, and for the enduring memory of my children and children's children that they may know the holiness and significance of this land.


Because so much has transpired, I'm going to work my way backward.  At Kev's prompting, I'm going to break it up into a few posts.


After her 3 week visit, Erica headed home Tuesday morning and Julia and Tom left in the wee hours yesterday morning.  Visiting a foreign country, visiting a family in a foreign country, visiting a family with two very active children in a foreign country can present many challenges, and they were troopers.  It was lovely to have them and they will surely be missed!

SO, Julia and Tom arrived early last Saturday morning (3:45ish) and after a bit of sleep, we all piled into the rented car for a holiday in the Galilee.  We had a GPS for back-up, but mostly depended on my navigation and map-reading skills, which I get strange satisfaction from, I must admit.  With a sky full blue and sun, off we went.

On the way to Galilee, we made the requisite stop at the sea level sign.  We all scaled the abstract hand sculpture, (I can't remember who took what pics)

 Auntie and Jacob even rode the stinky camel.  :)  The camel keeper was a hilarious man, who made us all get pictures with our faces shoved up against the beast, who seemed to be rolling his eyes and saying, "Yeah, this is my life."

Onward to Tiberius.  As the land is incredibly hilly and the car was hangin' low, we only did about 60 mph, thus enjoying the long and winding road.  We chatted, snacked, took pictures and sat in comfortable silence.  The kids did wonderfully, and it was so sweet to see Ceci doze easily off to sleep as needed and to observe Jacob's growing obsession with Tom.  :)

Let me say, I've been a lot of places, and this corner of the world is one of the most lush, hilly, GORGEOUS areas  I've seen.  Just when I thought the varied sun-kissed green hills couldn't get any more beautiful---there, just around the curve---more and more beauty.   These measly pics taken from the car do not come near doing justice to the amazingness. 

The Sea of Galilee

The Sea of Galilee!!

I can imagine Jesus learning carpentry in Nazareth, walking the hills of Galilee, sitting on the shore of the Sea with his peeps and teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 


Tiberius on Saturday was a somewhat sleepy tourist town, mostly because it was Shabbat. 

 We sat by the sea, skipped rocks and spaced out.  It's unbelievable that people can pop over to the beach for a weekend stroll, touching the very water upon which Christ walked. 

We shared a schwarma (roasted meat with salad, tahina and fries in a pita), shopped a bit and watched the children dance to the random '90s music playing in one of the open air bars.  Ceci and Jacob both did their own versions of interpretive dance, Ceci's akin to squats and Jacob's to street dancing.  Awesome.

On toward Nazareth, there was a light sprinkling amidst the sun and we saw the most vibrant, clear rainbow any of us have ever seen.   

The next pics are courtesy of Erica:

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Isn't that just divine artistry?


We made our way to Nazareth via Cana.  Cana was busy and crowded and, though I was surrounded by family, I had a sharp pang of loneliness.  Amidst all the travel I've done and all the travel I hope to do, I have never before felt so foreign.  There is something very Lenten in this longing for familiarity, for belonging.  It is the restlessness which propels us toward God, and what better place to come closer to Him than in the land of his childhood?


We made our way through the maze-like streets of Nazareth without getting lost---virtual fives all around!!   After parking in the garage, we walked the cobblestone hills, into the Old City of Nazareth in search of our inn.  It was a quaint adventure, with dusky light peeping from above the walls and narrow passageways, steeped in the scents of food, animals, people.  After a bit of a walk, we came to a miniature door.  I kid you not, this was a magical green door that opened into a gorgeous courtyard.  

Picture courtesy of Erica

The Fauzi Azar Inn, which I found after hours of obsessive research, is a 200 year old restored Arabic mansion.  With stone walls high painted ceilings and a welcoming staff, I knew we had chosen a good place.  (I'll post more pics of the Inn when I get them from the other peeps).


However, there was a bit of a catch.  In the interest of saving money we decided to stay in a dormer room.  When I verified with a staff member a few days before the trip, she said they don't normally have families stay there, but that we could have it.  I of course, just assumed that is would be ours and ours alone.

Ummm....I was wrong.


We were staying in a hostelish dorm (gorgeous though it was).  And there would be a combination of 6 different strangers staying with us.

MEEEEEP!

"Okay," I thought, "We can do this, right?  Uggh....no, I can't face the possibility of simultaneous middle-of-the-night meltdowns by both kids and ensuing half-asleep confrontations with strangers."

There was another room available, but it would be an extra $100 on top of what we already paid, so we decided to make the most of it.

THANK GOD, the other boarders were wonderful

 [although there was an odd German man who, upon coming into the dark room with most of us asleep, stripped down to his birthday suit, bent over to put on p.j.s and....well...let's just say I will never open my eyes in the middle-of-the night in shared sleeping quarters again...]

Anyhoo, the first night we were all asleep by 9:30/10 and by some miracle the kids slept the entire time, even though there was quite the chorus of snorers and nocturnal bathroom breaks.

After our 6:00 wake-up time, we made our way to Tabkha for a Mass on the Sea with the seminar group.  We got to the area just fine, but after looking along the shore for 30 minutes to no avail, we  went to Mass at the Church of the Loaves and Fishes instead.  It was a lovely church, with an inner courtyard that just exuded peace.

And with that view of Ceci's adorable impish grin, I shall leave you until the next installment.

Oh, and if you are interested in the links to my gajillion picasa web albums, please let me know and I can email them to you.

Sweet dreams!