Two hours after arriving

Flights were lonnnnng, but went smoothly - 12 hours on the night flight from Tel Aviv to Philly, 2-hour layover, 1.5 hour flight to Boston, and then a 2 hour drive up to New Hampshire - and then two hours after that, this:
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Not a bad life if you can get it, I could really get used to this vacation thing...
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This weekend it's down to Connecticutt for my cousin's wedding (plenty of family drama in store there I'm sure, but more importantly a chance to reconnect with a lot of loved ones), and then back up to New Hampshire.
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That's it for tonight, jetlag is kicking my ass and I'm heading to bed. More later, and don't forget to check back Saturday evening for Summer Stock Sunday :).
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PS This photo was taken two hours after we arrived, the post was written the next day.
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PPS The motorboat isn't ours - my parents keep theirs on a different lake.
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Just a little something to make you smile

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Found this on the photowalk too. It's bright, casual, summery feel made me smile. I hope it makes you smile too.
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I just got back from the kids' end of the year party for their afternoon program (yes, it's an end of the school year thing, yes, it's nearly August, no, I don't know why they wait this long) and still have a ton of laundry packing to do before we fly to the States tomorrow night so this week's Ruby Tuesday is an in and out stealth post. I apologize in advance if I don't get around to see your blogs, and if you see me hanging out online anywhere tomorrow boot my butt off the computer and tell me to get back to my packing already! After that it's a twelve hour transatlantic flight, then a two hour hop, then two more hours by car, after which we will hopefully arrive, somewhat the worse for wear, at my parents' house in New Hampshire for a month of fun in the (damn well better be) sun (and some work for me along the way, but hopefully not too much).
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Catch you on the flip side!
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Summer Stock Sunday #9 - Sailing, Sailing...

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I haven't been fortunate enough to get out on the water yet this season (I wish I knew the folks on that boat - they had a fabulous day for sailing) but I'm hoping to remedy that as soon as we get to New Hampshire. Just a few more days now and we'll be zipping around on my dad's boat and playing with the new kayaks my parents just bought to lure the kids home to mess around with, and later in the month Jay and I will hopefully get to feel the wind in the sails as well when we head out to the Maine coast for a few days.

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We're hoping too that the skies will finally clear and we'll all finally see some of those hot and sunny days that make New England's all too brief summers such a glorious thing.

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We head out Tuesday night so posting may be a bit sporadic this week as I cram in three full work days between now and then, plus packing for the kids and I for a full month away (Jay is on his own as far as packing is concerned) and the kids' end of the year play for their afternoon program, which for some reason happens only at the end of July instead of at the end of the school year.

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Now it's your turn. Put up your Summer Stock post and then come here and post your permalink (the link to the individual post, rather than to your blog's main page - this makes it much easier for everyone to follow along - you can get the permalink by clicking on your post's title). Your Summer Stock images can be anything at all that says summer to you, but please tag the post as Summer Stock and link back to Around the Island so that we can all find you. Most importantly, have fun with it, and do take the time to visit your fellow participants - it's great fun to see what summer looks like all over the world.

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No Bathing

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This is my favorite shot from last Saturday's photowalk. I like it's edgy, gritty feel, and the fact that the signs were obviously swiped from the beach a few blocks away and put into the window of this old back alley building on the far side of Tel Aviv's Carmel Market.
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Many more windows, most containing glass rather than old plywood I'd venture to say, can be found over at Window Views. Stop by and check it out.
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I'm speechless

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Speechless. A fairly appropriate condition for Wordless Wednesday, wouldn't you say?
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Click to enlarge, if you truly want an up close and personal view of a toilet turned planter

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I'm sneaking this one in as a last minute contribution to Thematic Photographic's "odd" theme as well. When I saw Carmi's choice to kick off the theme last week I knew this photowalk shot had to get in there too.
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In support of foreign workers

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During Saturday's photowalk we came across a group of people protesting the Israeli government's abominable treatment of foreign workers. The government is trying to get rid of them by making their lives untenable, and the persecution has hit an all-time low this month, with even those with legal work permits being forced out of the center of the country to the periphery, far from potential sources of employment. There are stories of parents taken away in front of their (Israeli-born) children's eyes, of people's visas being cancelled, it's one outrage after another against a population to weak to defend itself.
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Yes, some of them are here illegally. Not all, but yes, some. They are here because conditions in their home countries are bad enough that it is worth it to them to leave their families and everything they know behind to come to this country for the "privilege" of scrubbing our toilets. On the whole, they are a hard-working, decent, and highly moral community, and our government is repaying them by making their lives so miserable that they have no choice but to leave. These people are not taking jobs away from Israelis - just go try and find an Israeli cleaner, they're rarer than a two-headed unicorn.
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I've done some outreach work with the foreign worker community and as an Israeli the treatment they are receiving now both horrifies and humiliates me. You would think this government didn't have enough to worry about without persecuting those too weak to fight back.
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I don't know how much good a protest like this one will do, and I have no idea what the "Clown Army" was trying to accomplish, other than attracting attention (though perhaps that in and of itself was enough of a goal), but I'll say this: I was proud to count myself among them for a few minutes last Saturday, and wish I could do more than simply publish a few photos and discuss their plight here on my little blog.
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Click to enlarge any photo (please do, the color is much better that way, it looks way oversaturated in the small version)

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Visit Work of the Poet to see where else red is cropping up this week.

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City Bench, July 2009

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I thought about titling this post "Why?" Why is it that with all the resources of the Western world scenes like this are still far too common?
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I shot this image yesterday, during the Tel Aviv segment of Scott Kelby's second annual Worldwide Photowalk. It was taken in the heart of Tel Aviv's financial district, bank headquarters and high-priced restaurants all around, and just steps away from a group of people protesting the government's abominable treatment of Israel's foreign workers. The contrasts were overwhelming (and quite colorful, come back later tomorrow to see the protest in living technicolor). How is it that with all this wealth all around there is still so much need. Wouldn't a society, OUR society, be better judged by how it treats its weakest elements, rather than solely by the achievements of the wealthy?
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See more images (both mine and others') from yesterday's photowalk here (mine are posted under the username itaismom).
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See more monochrome images here.
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Summer Stock #8 - Tel Aviv Photo Walk

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I spent four hot and very sweaty hours today trundling around South Tel Aviv as part of Scott Kelby's second annual Worldwide Photowalk. These photowalks are taking place in over 900 (yes, 900) locations around the world today, with over 30,000 people walking. I'd checked a while back and been disappointed to see that there were no walks scheduled in Israel. Luckily I decided to check once more yesterday and was delighted to see that there were now three - including one right in Tel Aviv (big props to our photowalk host Lior for taking the initiative and organizing it). Over the course of the afternoon our not so little group wove our way around the southern end of the city from the beach, inward through the colorful and quirky Neve Zedek neighborhood, then into the shadows of luxury highrises and back out through industrial back alleys which haven't changed noticeably in the past thirty years, except for increasing amounts of crumbling plaster and peeling paint, and finally back to the beach to catch the (somewhat disappointing) sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.
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For Summer Stock today I've chosen a few highlights, many more images will follow as I have time to process them in the coming days.
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All images are clickable. Enjoy.
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This was my day today. I had a great, if very hot, afternoon on the photowalk. It was a really interesting group too, ranging from serious professional photographers with lenses bigger than my arm (not really, but nearly) to interested amateurs with little point and shoots, and pretty much everything in between. I'm really looking forward to seeing the images everyone came away with.

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Now it's your turn. Put up your Summer Stock post and then come here and post your permalink (the link to the individual post, rather than to your blog's main page - this makes it much easier for everyone to follow along - you can get the permalink by clicking on your post's title). Your Summer Stock images can be anything at all that says summer to you, but please tag the post as Summer Stock and link back to Around the Island so that we can all find you. Most importantly, have fun with it, and do take the time to visit your fellow participants - it's great fun to see what summer looks like all over the world.
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UPDATE: I, or rather my blog, has been migrated to mister linkie's new server so all is well again in linkie land. I'll add links for those who've posted theirs in comments, for those of you just arriving now please just add your permalink as usual. Hopefully the links will work more smoothly from here on out.
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The neighbor's porch light

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Their patio does obstruct my view of the sunset, but occasionally it works in my favor. Tonight was one of those nights.
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Visit Skywatch Friday for glimpses of other skies around the world.
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Playing catch-up

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Hi! How are you? Great! Me too. I have a confession to make though. I've been a terrible slacker lately and have received a couple of awards that should have been passed on ages ago.

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*hangs head in shame*

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Are you still reading or have you stormed off in disgust at my utter contempt for basic social graces?

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I know, I know. I can't believe it either. What would Miss Manners say, she'd probably revoke my blog license. Oh wait, I don't have a blog license. Whew, I guess I'm off the hook, at least as far as Miss Manners goes.

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Okay, getting back on track again...

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Where were we?

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Oh yeah. It's time to thank the Academy.

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First off, the ever-dashing and full of fun Thom from Hawaii (he actually lives in Hawaii, how cool is that!) bestowed this little gem on me:

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Thom's blog always puts a smile on my face, he's always got something going on over there. I'm not sure exactly what this award means but it looks like all golden and happy so I'm going to pass it along to a few other bloggers who always make me smile as well:

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Flea - I love a blogger who actively sets out to make you smile, and she does it in spades. Flea brightens my day whenever I see her blog pop up in my reader.

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Daryl - I'm a diehard Darylizer all the way - love Daryl, love her blog. How I wish we'd had a chance to meet before my folks moved away from NY. Someday I WILL find the time to get down to the city during a visit back to the States.

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Mojo - for his gorgeous photos, his way with words, and the way he never misses a chance to support or uplift his fellow bloggers. I'm proud to call him friend. Oh, and he's the most prolific blogger I've ever seen. Is there a single photo prompt out there that he doesn't do?

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RivkA from Coffee and Chemo - who always seems to find something to smile about, no matter what life is throwing at her. Her strength and grace inspire me, and I hope I can become half the mother she is. RivkA is actually a real life friend turned blog friend and my life is immeasurably enriched by having her in it.

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And next I want to thank Jientje from Heaven is in Belgium for awarding me this award for creativity. What an honor to be told that my photography inspires her because hers sure inspires me. If you don't know Jientje and her gorgeous images yet go over there now and enjoy a veritable feast for the eyes!

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Shelly from This Eclectic Life gets this one, for her wonderfully creative words (and she's starting to take some pretty cool photos with that new camera of hers too!)

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Jill from The Perlman Update gets this one too because if handling a new baby, two gorgeous and very active older girls and a posting to Chennai, India and all that entails doesn't require major creativity then I don't know what does! You don't even want to know what she just endured flying back to India from California alone with all three of her kids.

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And to Mary the Teach from Work of the Poet, who somehow found the energy to host all three of her weekly photo projects this week, despite recovering from painful oral surgery. Now that's dedication!

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Thank you all for being part of my little corner of the blogosphere.
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Pink Hibiscus

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Visit Wordless Wednesday to see what other people aren't saying this week, and don't forget to come back this weekend for Summer Stock Sunday!
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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre - side view

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I could have sworn I'd posted this image months ago. It was sitting in my file ready to go, and the only reason I can think of that it hadn't actually been published is that I couldn't make up my mind whether I liked it better for Ruby Tuesday or Window Views, so it languished while I tried to decide and ended up forgotten. It did have some stiff competition there against my other window shots so it probably got postponed a few weeks in a row and then eventually set aside as my muse moved on.
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So in the spirit of better late than never, you're getting it now. Hope you enjoy, and while you're looking notice the way the different sections of the facade seem almost to compete with each other, graphically illustrating the ongoing conflict between the different sects of Christianity over who controls which parts of the Church. They can't agree on opening hours, let alone renovations, and as you can see from the walls the problem is not exactly a new one.
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Exposed Rebar

Click to enlarge - there's a lot of detail hiding in there

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Exposed rebar on the underneath of a covered walkway. Looks a bit unseemly but I don't think it's likely to collapse any time soon. Hopefully not anyway because what it's shading is the store where I buy my kids' pajamas.
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Visit Monochrome Maniacs for more adventures in black and white.
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Summer Stock Sunday #7 - Summer in the City

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Summer has hit my little city full on.

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The gardeners are busy sprucing up the place.
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The old men are congregating on the benches along our (little) main shopping street
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And people are looking for novel ways to keep cool while running errands. This boy had apparently had too much of tagging along after his mother and persuaded one of the gardeners to give him a good soaking with his hose before they headed off to their next stop. His mother (the woman in the orange top) was cracking up as she looked on. Pretty ingenious I say, and he was certainly more comfortable than the rest of us, albeit a lot wetter.
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So what does summer look like for you this week?
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Put up your own Summer Stock post and then come here and sign the linkie so that we can all see it too. To make it easier for everyone to find your Summer Stock post please remember to sign the linkie with your permalink (the link to the actual post itself) rather than with your general blog link, and of course to sign only after your Summer Stock post is up. Your understanding and cooperation will make it a lot easier for all our busy bloghoppers to visit and share your summer fun, which after all is what Summer Stock is all about!
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Maya's proudest moment

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Have you figured it out?
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No?
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I'll give you a clue - it's not the rollerskating.
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Now do you see it?
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How about now?

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Yessiree, our very own Divine Miss M (no, not that one) has lost her very first tooth and she couldn't be prouder. In fact, she's been showing it off to everyone she meets, and if they know enough about American kid culture to ask* she's also letting them know that the Tooth Fairy brought her a page of sparkly fish stickers** for her tooth!

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* There is no tooth fairy here in Israel.

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**In a fit of genius (if I do say so myself), just before my older child lost his first tooth I sat him down and told him about the tooth fairy (remember, Israeli kids don't know about the tooth fairy). I explained that she brings WHATEVER SHE WANTS. We don't get to pick what she brings, and it's always something small, because "teeth are small". See this way the tooth fairy avoids all those frantic late night searches through her purse looking for the right change (and I suspect she ends up saving a bit too).

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From a distance, the world looks blue and green

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I took this last summer out the window of my father's airplane as we traveled to visit my beloved and much missed aunt for what I knew would be the last time. She's been on my mind a great deal lately as the family prepares for both my cousin's wedding and the first anniversary of her death, with no small amount of accompanying drama.
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This photograph, together with the song, helped me to see beyond the current friction and emotion to the greater picture. My aunt would have loved this shot, I wish she could have seen it, though not nearly as much as I wish she were here to see her son walk down the aisle. Perhaps somehow, in some way, she will. From a distance.
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I'm offering this image for both this week's Window Views and Thematic Photographic's distance theme (as well as last week's aviation theme, which I was too distracted to get in on, so I might as well go for the trifecta now). It obviously struck a very deep chord in me, I hope it strikes one in you as well.
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As a minor aside, I would very much have liked to give credit where it is due and show you a clip of Julie Gold singing her wonderful song herself but I couldn't find one so I went with the much more well known Bette Midler cover. If you do ever get the chance to hear the original on the Four Bitchin' Babes' Buy Me Take Me Don't Mess My Hair album it's well worth the listen, she's got a gorgeous voice (you can hear a tiny clip on the page above, barely enough to whet your appetite).
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Spaghetti Race

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Head over to Wordless Wednesday to see what other people aren't saying this week.

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Birthday Cake for Breakfast

What? Doesn't everyone eat chocolate-frosted carrot cake for breakfast? No? Well too bad, it's my birthday and my kids can serve me cake for breakfast if they I want. It was good, too.

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Forty.

I've "changed area codes" as they say here in Israel. I'm now further away from my college years than it took to reach them in the first place. The music of my youth has become the stuff of nostalgia, the muzak you hear in an elevator.

So far forty feels pretty good. Better even than thirty-nine. This past year I learned, finally, to really accept myself and love myself for who I am, and ironically that gave me the impetus and strength to change a few things that needed changing, not the least of which were (are) physical. I'm committed now to a leaner, healthier me and am well on the way to getting there (20 pounds lost so far and still going). I'm not dieting, I'm implementing an overall lifestyle change - really internalizing those healthier eating habits, making exercise a part of my daily routine, making smarter choices and just as importantly not beating myself up on the occasions when I make an equally conscious choice to ignore the smart choice and do what I damn please - like eating a big piece of birthday cake for breakfast.

I feel good about myself, and good about life in general. It's had its bumps in the road, and some of them have been whoppers, but I'm not losing sight of how good things are overall. I've got an amazing husband who I still love now as much as I did when I married him eighteen years ago, two terrific kids, a comfortable, safe home. Heck, I even have a jacuzzi now. I sure didn't see that one actually coming to fruition. Life is good. (spits three times and throws salt over shoulder to appease any capricious fates that may be listening)

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have coffee to drink and a shopping trip to embark on - it is my birthday after all. (God help me, I'm going bathing suit shopping on my birthday - not sure it's smart, but the sale that's on now is too good to pass up so I'm risking my self-esteem and heading out to the land of the three-way mirrors).

Roar, sort of

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Saw this on a nearby home a while back. Both the knocker and the door were painted the same flat boring shade of off-white, no contrast at all. Bar a tiny bit of rust it was a monochrome shot just the way it was, but I converted it to true black and white and upped the contrast a bit to give it some definition and keep the knocker from fading completely away into the background. I wish I could remove the ring from the lion's mouth though, the poor thing looks completely worn out from holding it there for all eternity.
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Summer Stock Sunday - Happiness is a Spongebob ice cream

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Whether it's yours

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Or better yet if you've already finished yours and have now persuaded your little sister to share hers too

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Happy Fourth of July to all the Americans out there. I hope you're having a wonderful celebration - and that you're immortalizing it in photos!

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Growing up the Fourth of July was one of my very favorite holidays - we always spent it with dear family friends at their lakehouse in the Finger Lakes of Upstate NY, having the kind of fun childhood is meant to be about. Those days are gone now but their memory returns with every jump into a freezing cold lake, sight of a boogie boarder, or taste of homemade strawberry ice cream.

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What will your family's Fourth of July memories be made of?

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Old City Window redux

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Another window shot from Jerusalem's Old City this week. I'm leaving it to speak for itself because it's quarter to one in the morning and we've only just gotten home from a very special evening of wonderful music in memory of a dear friend, who left us much too soon but left the precious gift of his songs behind. My head is too full of his words to find any of my own tonight. I'd rather hold onto the magic just a little bit longer.
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