Observations about life in Israel from a Canadian immigrant's perspective.
A flatbed truck offloaded a hydraulic drill behind our property. It shuffled into position, cranked its beak high, then pounded the rocky ground with force, shattering boulders and all else that had sat silently beneath the earth’s crust for millennia. Boom. Boom. Then boom. Deep holes were dug and metal foundations were inserted, man marking… Continue reading “Grow, Grow”
“When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness.” Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Photo by Zoltan Tasi It was dawn. We sat outside with our morning coffee listening to the birds. Relaxed, we breathed in the refreshing morning air, a rare moment during an Israeli… Continue reading Nocturnal Nemesis
The sirens have halted across northern Israel — for now, no panic running to a shelter or rude night awakenings from ballistic missiles heading our way. Central Israel, however, is still being woken by incoming missiles from the Houthis, with some five million Israelis forced to flee for safety every few days. There have been… Continue reading Shake Off The Fear
I am recovering from 12 days of war and didn’t realize how much fear my body was holding until the threat was over. I ache deep in my bones, crave sleep and more sleep, can’t focus, and walk around dazed. Yet I am also feeling an incredible sense of relief, joy, and wonder. Horrific damage… Continue reading Falling From the Sky
Sometimes I feel like I am losing the plot. Be it my garden plot, the Israel plot, and the state of the world plot, nothing makes sense. And with no solution in sight, I am resigned to an interminable hope that peace will come. Someday. Somehow. These are the times that drive me into my… Continue reading Sisyphean Gardening
Come spring, our food forest is flourishing. Delicate, fragrant blossoms from March have since transformed, gifting us with tiny apples, apricots, almonds, plums, and juicy mulberries. Because the Torah halacha of orla proscribes no eating of the fruit for the first three years of a tree’s planting, we look at this fruit with great anticipation… Continue reading The Barn Swallows’ Picnic Lunch
Rosh Chodesh Nissan. As the sliver of a new moon appears in the night sky, Israelis gather en masse to protest against the government. In their anger, frustration, and despair, they are fighting against fellow Israelis, threatening to shut down the country. Leaders in the opposition parties are fueling the fight, rubbing salt into already… Continue reading The Power of Kindness
Meet Bob, Sushi’s new boyfriend. Bob recently came into our lives via a love note. It was a bit of a shock, but since Sushi was spending lots of time away from home, we suspected something was up. But we did not anticipate “Bob.” Sushi even pulled an all-nighter, arriving home one morning looking tired… Continue reading Sushi and Bob
Sunday, January 29, was the official end to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah. Yet the ‘war pot’ remains on the stove, simmering away on a low heat. The refugee family that was living here has returned to their northern border home and is rebuilding a life among debris. Yet nothing feels resolved or safe. In a… Continue reading Shifting on Wobbly Legs
Today was like most others. It was not the same as other days; rather it felt like this is how most people live. Today, the first day of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, I walked out of the house and around the garden with ease, liberated from fear, released from an overworked and domineering… Continue reading Peaceful skies
Life in Israel 