Around The Island

Introducing... drum roll please

2012-01-30T13:58:00.001+02:00

I'm delighted to announce that my brand new line of all occasion photo greeting cards is now available in my etsy shop - with both single cards and sets of four cards of your choosing on offer they're a fantastic and original way to show you care.

Visit Around the Island Photography today to see the full line of photo greeting cards and new photo bookmarks too! I combine shipping to make it easy to grab a few to keep on hand or give as gifts.

For my fellow Israelis - please feel free to contact me directly for shekel pricing and domestic postage rates, and stop by the AMIT Mid-Winter Fair in Beit Shemesh on Monday night, 7-10pm, to see them up close and personal :).

Visit RT2 for more ruby red images from around the world.

Photo Bookmarks are here!

2012-01-29T22:39:00.000+02:00

Whew! I've just finished uploading a brand new line of professionally printed photo bookmarks to my etsy shop - I'm so pleased with how they turned out, click through and have a look for yourself :).

Here's a hint:
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Brand new photo bookmarks from Around the Island Photography

Now to get the greeting cards uploaded! (Have you gotten your sneak peak yet - my Facebook fans are getting a little something extra - like Around the Island Photography on Facebook to find out what!)
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Pssst...

2012-01-27T22:05:00.001+02:00

If you're not already a Facebook fan this would be a great time to become one.

Sneak Peak

Be sure to read the caption on the main page ;).

Flower by a Window

2012-01-23T20:02:00.000+02:00

Wow, it feels like forever since I've posted, I think it's been years since I went this long. Sorry to disappear on everyone like that. I'm about to launch a brand new line of greeting cards and bookmarks and sort of fell into a black hole of graphics and production and print runs for a week or so. The good news is that everything has now gone to print and should be here within the next two days, ready to launch both online and at a crafts fair I'm participating in the first week in February! Squeeeee!!

While I finish running around like a chicken with its head cut off getting ready (not to mention spending many many MANY hours fighting with the cable/internet/phone company over the fact that their infrastructure is collapsing and I've been losing connectivity for literally hours multiple days each week all freaking month long. As we speak the internet is finally back after most of the day gone but the tv is now out. Best case scenario is two more hours... I'm ready to scream and am either going to receive substantial compensation or I'm jumping ship to the competition at the end of this week. I have HAD it with them...) I hope you'll all enjoy this one from the archives. Luckily for me it can do double-duty for both Whimsical Windows and Ruby Tuesday 2, since they seem to be back on the same day again...

Oh, and if you'd like to be among the first to see the new cards and bookmarks be sure to like Around the Island on Facebook - I'll be offering a special introductory discount for all of my Facebook fans :).

When Pigeons Plan...

2012-01-12T21:59:00.001+02:00

Click here to purchase this image from my Society6 shop.
(Go ahead, click through and check it out - it makes a fabulous iPhone case...)

Visity Skywatch Friday for more skies from around the world.

Edited to add a link to Camera Critters too. Thanks for the suggestion Dina, and welcome back from blogland exile!

Sunset at the Beach

2012-01-10T23:50:00.003+02:00

Visit Wordless Wednesday to see what other people aren't saying this week, and Wordful Wednesday to see what they are.

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on Etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Jerusalem Courtyard

2012-01-09T10:18:00.002+02:00

Click here to purchase this print on etsy, or here for an iPhone case or large-size stretched canvas or print.

I'm playing slightly fast and loose with the "windows and doors" concept of Toby's wonderful meme this week (now on Mondays - yay!), but hey, a doorway is a kind of door, isn't it? Works for me :).

This particular doorway is into a small courtyard in the Old City of Jerusalem. I love the way the light falls golden on the walls and paving stones. When the light hits just right Jerusalem truly is the Jerusalem of Gold of song and story.

I'm going to cheat a little bit more while I'm at it (in for a penny, in for a pound) and use this as my RT2 shot for this week as well, since that one went up so early. If you squint carefully you can almost see that the branches on the potted plants are in fact red, and there's a reddish brown paint splotch on the wall too. (Hey, I never said I was very good at conforming...)

Flying South at Sunset

2012-01-05T21:27:00.000+02:00

It's been a while since I've participated in Skywatch. It's good to be back.

Flock of birds heading south as the sun set over the Tel Aviv beach.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Woman with Shawl

2012-01-04T09:22:00.000+02:00

Woman in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem (tweaked a bit for more of a painted effect - it's very dark inside the church and in the original image you could barely make out the woman at all.)

Visit Wordless Wednesday to see what other people aren't saying this week, and Wordful Wednesday to see what they are. More images from my Christmas Eve photowalk in Jerusalem's Christian Quarter can be found here and here.

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on Etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

The daring young man on the... tightrope?

2012-01-02T20:13:00.000+02:00

You really never know quite what you're going to find in Tel Aviv. Over Hannukah, it was Hagay, a self-taught tightrope walker. Silly me, I never even knew there was a tightrope on the beach, let alone anyone who knew how to use it. When I first spotted Hagay I was careful to stay quite far back, afraid to break his concentration, but the moment he was there he beckoned me closer - and started instructing me on what camera settings I should be using to capture the distortion of the "windmill" effect that you see on his arms as he quickly rocked back and forth. It was rapidly getting dark so I had to go pretty low but all in all I think they turned out pretty well. (I'm not sure what if anything Hagay thinks. I e-mailed him a few photos but never heard back...)

I haven't seen a Ruby Tuesday post for this week yet, but if there is one I'm all set, since Hagay was oh so thoughtfully wearing this bright red shirt ;).

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on Etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

File under: not something you see every day

2011-12-30T12:48:00.000+02:00

Thorny crowns on sale in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. I didn't see anyone actually buying one. Maybe the vendors hoped pilgrims would buy them to save for Easter time?

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on Etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Stained Glass Window

2011-12-27T22:50:00.000+02:00

Jerusalem's Christ Church, completed in 1849, is the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East.

Click here to purchase this image on etsy.

This one can do triple-duty for Wordless/Wordful Wednesday and Whimsical Windows, wouldn't you say?

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Poinsettia

2011-12-26T16:38:00.000+02:00

Beautiful red poinsettia in a Jerusalem church.

Click over to this post for more images of Christmas in Jerusalem's Christian Quarter.

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on Etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Merry Christmas from Jerusalem

2011-12-24T22:40:00.001+02:00

I spent the day on a Christmas-themed photowalk in Jerusalem and couldn't think of a better way to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. As a Jewish country you don't see very much of Christmas here in Israel but what it lacks in size the tiny little Christian Quarter of the Old City sure made up for in spirit and pomp and circumstance.

So Merry Christmas from Jerusalem, where the rain thankfully held off until evening so I could get these shots to share with you:

Christmas Tree Outside a Jerusalem Church (St. Spyridon I think? I'm not sure, it was a side entrance and the church was closed.)

Santa's looking very fit this year, don't you think? He certainly seems to be enjoying himself too.

Appointed on June 21, 2008, His Beatitude Fouad Twal is the ninth Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since the reinstatement of the Latin Patriarchate in 1847. Patriarch Twal, a Jordanian, is the second Arab Patriarch following his predecessor, H.B. Michel Sabbah (from the Patriarchate's official website). We had the incredible privilege of being invited into the Patriarchate to hear (and photograph! with permission!) Bishop Twal give his address to the assembled auxiliary bishops, priests and assorted dignitaries before the entire crew set off, with full regalia and a lot of pomp and ceremony, in their official motorcade for Christmas Eve in Bethlehem. Oh, and after the address they handed round brandy and chocolates to everyone, and we all ended up shaking all their hands and exchanging Christmas wishes in the receiving line as well. This guy is head of the Catholic Church for all of Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus. Definitely not something you experience every day.

Procession of priests (note the incense burner) at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Decorations for sale in what seems to be the Quarter's leading (and only dedicated) Christmas store.

And with that, I wish you all a joyous holiday full of all things good. Check back later in the week for many more images from my visit to Jerusalem's Christian Quarter.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T10:10:00.001+02:00

To all my dear friends-in-the-computer,

Wishing you a most wonderful Hannukah, Christmas, Solstice, New Year or whatever you choose to celebrate. Your being here makes my little corner of the internet a far better, far richer place.

Love,
Robin

Charlie Brown Bokeh

2011-12-19T16:30:00.000+02:00

For obvious reasons Israel really doesn't get into the whole Christmas decorations thing, which makes it challenging to take the kind of stunning holiday bokeh images you see all over the internet this time of year. One very small exception is our favorite beachfront bar. Since they cater to a lot of tourists they do decorate for the holidays, if you call a tiny Charlie Brown Christmas tree and a few LED lights decorating. Still, one does what one can, right?

And with that, I give you "Charlie Brown Bokeh" - a few glowy lights from one of the sadder looking trees I've seen. Buy hey, they are colorful.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Sunday Snippets and Writing on Walls

2011-12-17T12:36:00.003+02:00

I love shooting street art and graffiti, so when I heard about Cheryl's Writing on Walls meme I knew it was going to be right up my alley. For my first week I offer this segment of the wall outside famed muralist Rami Meiri's Tel Aviv property (click here to see more of this amazing wall). I love the way all of the artists overlap and work within and in combination with each other to create a giant collaborative riot of color.

And now for the snippets...

Maya spent most of the week home sick so other than too much tv watching and a lot of snuggles on the couch not much got done
She was finally feeling better yesterday so we spent the afternoon wandering around the flea market in Jaffa (long on character, short on quality), eating ice cream, and then walking down the beachfront promenade to our favorite Tel Aviv beach bar.
It was happy hour.
We love happy hour.
There was also a baby's birthday party going on. A bar, even a family-friendly one, seems like a strange location for a baby's party but hey, the food and drinks are good so why not.
After all, we go there with our kids too, and have since they were babies themselves.
While in Jaffa we came across a ridiculously large flock of pigeons.
They looked quite sneaky.
I think this is why...

So what's on your snippet list this week?

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on Etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Today I'm Dreaming in Pink

2011-12-13T21:35:00.001+02:00

Sweetly romantic fine art photograph of this same delightful pink and white gerbera daisy.

Click here to purchase this print on etsy, and here to purchase it as an iPhone case, laptop skin, etc. on Society6.

Visit Wordless Wednesday to see what others aren't saying this week, and Wordful Wednesday to see what they are.

Graffiti Wall - South Tel Aviv

2011-12-12T16:52:00.000+02:00

Section of a long wall in South Tel Aviv utterly filled with brightly-colored graffiti. Looking at the mailbox and surroundings I have a feeling the house inside is owned by renowned street mural artist Rami Meiri, but I wasn't able to confirm that.

Click here to see more Ruby Tuesday images from around the world.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Sunday Snippets - Lunar Eclipse

2011-12-11T21:13:00.001+02:00

(Phew, what a relief to be back again - unless you caught my rants on Twitter and Facebook you probably didn't realize but I was locked out of my Google account for most of the weekend after they mistakenly disabled it! No gmail, no blog, no reader, no nothing! Let's just say it wasn't pretty... Thankfully my very stubborn and quite the genius husband finally found a way to get me back in yesterday before I became homicidal, but it was touch and go there for a while...)

Now for the snippets...

We spent yesterday afternoon down by the beach in Tel Aviv.
Okay to be precise we spent most of the afternoon in our favorite family-friendly beach bar, but both before and after we ogled the surfers taking advantage of the amazing eclipse-induced waves that were rolling in, bigger than any I've seen in Tel Aviv.
The above picture doesn't do them justice, but if you look at how ragged the horizon line looks you'll get a sense of what the sea was like that day.
You can also tell that the locals aren't used to waves this big (or am I supposed to say gnarly or something?) because many of the surfers seem to have spent an inordinately large amount of time getting knocked head over heels into the stew.
Which makes grabbing that winning shot a real challenge - I never did catch the perfect combination of rows of killers waves with a lone rider streaming by, every time I thought I had they wiped out!
We missed most of the actual eclipse, too many tall buildings were blocking the way.
I didn't mind that much since I caught the last one.
We did see a little bit of it on the drive home though.
We also bumped into a college friend and his wife on the beachfront promenade. That was fun, since it's been twenty years since I've seen them.
A certain child's behavior when meeting such friends was particularly ratty, but her spiking a high fever today probably explains why she was struggling more than usual yesterday.
Looks like tomorrow will be an at-home day for us. I see a lot of snuggles on the couch in my future. That's okay, I don't mind :).
Oh, and I'm not allowed to take any photos, but the other one is sporting a brand new set of braces on his teeth (top only). He suddenly looks so much older. I swear he was just born last week, where does the time go?

So that's my list, what's on yours this week?

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors - Inaugural Edition

2011-12-07T08:04:00.001+02:00

How fun - Toby from I Wish I Were a Photographer really missed Mary's old Window Views meme, so she decided to start a new one of her own. Today marks the debut of her new Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors - come play along!

And hey look, I've been wordful this week too - happily this photo can do double duty for both Whimsical Windows and Wordful Wednesday :).

Here's my first contribution, a pair of old windows in Tel Aviv's historic Neve Zedek neighborhood.

I'd have loved a slightly wider shot showing more of the surrounding building but the street was so narrow that this is the best I could do. It's full of character though, which is what drew me to it in the first place.

I'm off to go link up now. Why don't you come along and join us?

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

The Shopkeeper's Gift

2011-12-05T18:35:00.001+02:00

Click here to purchase this print on etsy, and here to purchase it as a laptop skin, iPhone case, etc. on Society6.

Lots of pinks, whites, and even glimpses of red in this gorgeous gerbera daisy, a gift from a shopkeeper's sidewalk stall when I stopped to admire it.

Sunday Snippets - Holiday Card Outtakes

2011-12-04T17:18:00.001+02:00

Lest you think that having a bit of skill with a camera makes it easy, these are just three of my MANY, MANY attempts at a decent photo for this year's cards... (Notice I said decent, nowhere did I actually say "good". Sigh... At least they had fun with it.)

And now for the long-awaited snippets (humor me, pretend you've actually been waiting for them) -

Last week's cold has left me completely and utterly unable to speak. I can barely croak.
The other possibility is that the culprit is all the smoke I inhaled the other night when we turned on the oven to bake bread, not realizing that something had spilled all over the floor of the oven.
In case you were wondering, it's not all that fun to have to open all the windows in the house and crank up the fans in the middle of a December night, even if that is December in Israel, not Siberia.
My daughter just received a sno-cone machine as a belated birthday gift.
She isn't letting the falling temperatures dissuade her in any way from her love for sno-cones.
I however am cold just thinking about it.
Also, my head hurts from all the coughing and croaking.
It's making me cranky.
Luckily, Itai has mastered the fine art of making his mother a cup of tea. Speaking of which...

So, what's on your list for this week?

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My (real) photography (the artsy stuff, not the outtakes of my pathetic attempt to photograph my kids) is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on Etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Reaching Above the Crowd

2011-11-30T08:54:00.001+02:00

Why settle for just average when you can reach for the sky?

Click here to purchase this print on etsy, and here to purchase it as a laptop skin, iPhone case, etc. on Society6.

Visit Wordless Wednesday to see what people aren't saying this week, and Wordful Wednesday to see what they are.

Brazilian Pepper Tree, I think...

2011-11-28T18:45:00.001+02:00

A quick scan of Dr. Google's 2nd cousin the botanist says that this is probably a Brazilian pepper tree, which is not a pepper tree at all but rather one of the sumac family, and is a naturalized resident of southern California and a weed in the Florida Everglades. Not sure which of these two headings it comes under here in Israel, but it's definitely red.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Sunday Snippets - Cyber Monday Sale

2011-11-27T13:35:00.001+02:00

Don't forget that my Black Friday - Cyber Monday sale is still going strong - use coupon code FPOE2011 for 25% off everything in my etsy shop, or if framed prints, canvases, phone cases and laptop skins are more your thing visit my Society6 shop for free shipping worldwide through Monday!

Simplicity

And now for the snippets (I know you've all been waiting with bated breath. Right? Yes? Okay, now that that's settled...)

Thanksgiving was wonderful - good friends, good food, good times, and good leftovers. What more do you need?
So much to be thankful for.
I just booked an appointment for my son to get braces on. He's not going to be happy with me.
Luckily he only needs top braces, so he'll be done in 8-10 months.
I think that's going to feel like a lifetime to him.
Poor kid. He's young for them too (10.5), so he'll be the first one in his grade.
Many more will join him later, but I suspect that will be small comfort now.
Maybe I can persuade him that they'll make him look older? He likes looking older ;).
Shoot, I forgot to call the dryer repair guy!
Just spoke to him. He forgot to come on Friday. Will (hopefully, I don't think I should dare hold my breath) come this afternoon.
At least it isn't supposed to rain again until the end of the week, in case I have to hang out a lot of laundry.
Have I mentioned lately that I love pumpkin pie? 'Cause I do. Yum.

So what's on your snippet list this week?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T12:47:00.001+02:00

Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sale!

2011-11-23T18:36:00.001+02:00

Get a jump start on your holiday shopping (or pick up a treat for yourself) while you're still in your pajamas and slippers! Use the code FPOE2011 for 25% off all purchases from Around the Island Photography on etsy this weekend - 25-28 November 2011. Beautiful art, great sale, a fabulously unique gift, and best of all - no crowds!

Offer is valid for all shop items, including fine art photographs and custom-designed Photoverse Prints.

A bug's eye view

2011-11-21T17:12:00.001+02:00

A hibiscus flower as I imagine a bug would see it. (Just playing around with orbitals again. Check out the previous post for a really cool one.)

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more ruby red images, and a very happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating!

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on Etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Sunday Snippets - 20 Nov 2011

2011-11-20T08:58:00.001+02:00

Cosmos on Society6

I love how this looks like a tiny self-contained universe, at least to me

Oh my god, Thanksgiving is this week.
I am hosting 24 people this Saturday and haven't even made a shopping list yet.
Yes, we usually do Thanksgiving on the Saturday, since the day itself is just a regular workday.
Thank goodness everyone pitches in with the cooking.
Still, I have an insane number of dishes to cook this week.
Did I mention I'm also invited to another Thanksgiving dinner this week. Yup, two. One as a guest, one as a host.
That's a LOT of food.
Good thing I love stuffing and pumpkin pie.
And turkey too.
Actually, I love pretty much all Thanksgiving food. This holiday is a real favorite of mine.
It's not going to cook itself though, which means I really MUST get to the grocery store soon!
Which also means I need to finalize which side dishes I'm making already!
I sold a peacock iPhone case the other day, too - don't you wish you were the lucky one about to receive this? (You can be you know, it's just a click away. Just sayin'...)
Oh, and it's STILL raining. Four days straight. Very out of character. We need the rain, but still, wouldn't it be better if it just rained, say, from 2am-4am every night instead. I'd like that a whole lot better, wouldn't you?

So what's on your snippet list this week?

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Where water sprites play

2011-11-15T20:55:00.001+02:00

Click here to purchase this image on Society6. If I do say so myself it makes a particularly delightful iPhone cover ;).

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

In my neighborhood

2011-11-14T18:57:00.001+02:00

I have no idea what this is, but it's blooming on a hedge nearby. Oh, and it has red in it, too.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Sunday Snippets - 13 Nov 2011

2011-11-13T18:09:00.001+02:00

Purple Haze (yes, that really is what it's called)

Click here to purchase Purple Haze as a print from etsy, or here for large-size prints and canvases and iPhone cases

If you don't look where you are going when you're out shooting, bad things can happen
If you don't look where you are going in the middle of a group of sharp iron sculptures, you just might go tush over teakettle over a stupid iron pigeon
If you go tush over teakettle over a stupid iron pigeon, you will likely rip up your toe and gash the hell out of your shin (leaving you bleeding all over your new pants and wrecking your pedicure) but self-preservation will kick in in time and you will remain upright. Sort of.
And the pants didn't rip.
Whew!
More importantly, neither did the camera.
BIG WHEW!
Going straight from pigeon-bashing to a girlfriends brunch will help.
So will the champagne you consumed there to celebrate passing your exam.
Two days later you'll be left with nasty scabs and a huge swollen bruise, but will consider yourself very lucky.
You will also be able to use said scary-looking bruise as an excuse to avoid exercise for a few days (hey, it hurts!).

So that's what my weekend looked like in a nutshell. And, I finally got that broken down bicycles image off the top of the blog. My fanatical cyclist soldhiscarsohecouldbikecommute husband was practically having heart failure looking at it. He'll be much happier now.

What's on your snippet list this week?

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Where old bicycles go to die

2011-11-08T17:16:00.001+02:00

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Take me to your leader!

2011-11-07T17:20:00.002+02:00

A whimsical offering for this week's Ruby Tuesday. I saw this a while back at Tel Aviv's Hatikva Market and it reminded me of a funny little alien demanding assistance (perhaps asking to get the darn knives out of his eyes already?).
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Click here to purchase this image as a large-format print, canvas, or heck, even an iPod skin

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Sunday Snippets - 6 Nov 11

2011-11-06T14:40:00.000+02:00

Three weeks in a row, these snippets are becoming a habit. Anyone out there want to join in and do them with me?

I tried very hard to buy my daughter a winter jacket this morning, with no luck whatsoever. After 30 minutes just trying to find parking in the first town I gave up and headed for an outlet mall not too far away. Got there and it was jammed too. Finally found parking, went in to find half the place undergoing renovations, and worse, not a single jacket to be found! Grrrrr...
I did find two pairs of pants for myself though (and two more I'd have liked to have bought - note to universe - please drop a lot of money into my lap, thanks) so it wasn't a total loss, but still, no jacket.
No pajamas for my son, either. Do 10 year old boys in Israel not wear pajamas? It's getting ridiculously hard to even find cheap sweatpants that he can use as pajama pants. What do these kids sleep in?
I'm going to grab one of my own laptop skins off of my Society6 shop to glam my laptop up a bit. I'm thinking of this one. Which one would you choose?

Okay, enough snippets. Time to get off of my far too large derriere and go hit the exercise machine. Sadly, just dressing in workout clothing doesn't seem to be doing the trick ;)...

Humor me while I'm off exercising, tell me what's on your snippet list for this weekend.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Dona Nobis Pacem

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000+02:00

If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.

-- Moshe Dayan (1915-1981)

He's right of course. But perhaps, with more openness, more listening, more tolerance, more genuine efforts to understand, and true support for diversity in the world, there would be fewer of them in the first place, and the barriers to those conversations would be lower.

Dona Nobis Pacem - Grant Us Peace

Better yet, grant us the strength and the wisdom reach out and take it for ourselves.

Blogblast for Peace 2011

Partying like it's 1976

2011-10-31T16:26:00.002+02:00

When I asked my daughter Maya what she wanted for her 8th birthday party she had lots of ~~crazy, insane, over the top ridiculous~~ very well-thought out ideas, but the one she held dearest of all was this, that there should be a disco ball.

Could've been worse, she could have asked for John Travolta...

Happy to oblige, my little disco dancing star.

And in case you haven't heard yet, holiday shopping just got a whole lot more interesting - and easier too! I've joined Society6, an online photography and art superstore where you can order framed prints, gallery wraps and even fabulous laptop skins and iPhone covers straight to your door. I love how they offer so many ways to share my work - in fact, I'm so in lust with those iPhone covers that it's making me with I had an iPhone to put one on! I'd love for you to come by and take a look for yourselves, and who knows, you might just find the perfect gift for that impossible to shop for someone...

Sunday Snippets with a side of Chihuly

2011-10-30T15:51:00.000+02:00

Just because I get twitchy if I go too long without posting a photo...

Closeup of one of the Chihuly ikebanas on permanent display at the Litvak Gallery in Tel Aviv.

Just in case they couldn't here me scream all the way in Outer Mongolia - I passed! I passed!
It's NOT snowing here, and I'm barefoot and wearing a tank top. Sorry East Coasters.
Seriously easy and seriously impressive appetizer, a real crowd-pleaser (made even better with my own homemade fig-balsamic jam). The downside - no leftovers ;).
I have had a headache which veers between incapacitating migraine and just painful and annoying more days than not in past week. It is getting REALLY old. (Yes, I'm taking all the appropriate medications, they're not helping. I'm thinking it's the winning combination of stress and the changing seasons.)
The 45 minutes I did on the elliptical machine made me really hungry. I should probably go eat something sensible before it gets worse and I go binge on crap.
Anyone out there interested in sociology? This is a long but fascinating article on regional cultural divisions in the US.
And this is pretty much the coolest landscaping project I've ever seen.

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So what's on your snippet list this week?

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

How do you spell relief?

2011-10-28T22:30:00.003+02:00

I don't know about you, but I spell it IBCLC - International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant - which is what I finally became today after many years of clinical hours, lots of lactation education hours, months of intense studying, an all-day international board exam, 3.5 months (!) of waiting for results, and a nightmare of a bureaucratic screwup which nearly resulted in hundreds of applicants' results (mine included) being delayed for weeks longer than everyone else's, but eventually it was all handled and mid-afternoon Israel time the results were posted.

And I passed and gained the right to put those hard-earned (oh so hard-earned) initials after my name.
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Robin Epstein, IBCLC (and of course fine art photographer, but that's a different hat, so to speak)

It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

A matter of perspective

2011-10-25T18:22:00.000+02:00

Star of David, a breathtaking piece by Czech glass artist Vaclav Cigler currently on display at the Litvak Gallery in Tel Aviv, is remarkable in the way it draws the viewer in. The tiniest change in the viewer's position, in this case just an inch shift, and their (my) experience of the piece changes entirely.

Visit Wordless Wednesday to see what people aren't saying this week, and Wordful Wednesday, where most of the people will be talking about Halloween, but not me since Halloween isn't celebrated here in Israel, so you'll have to make do with artsy-fartsy stuff instead ;).

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Chihuly redux

2011-10-24T19:07:00.000+02:00

Anyone who's been coming around here for a while knows that I just can't get enough of Dale Chihuly's magnificent work, so what a treat to find that a number of his pieces were still on permanent display at Tel Aviv's Litvak Gallery even after the close of last winter's spectacular solo show.

Here's one of my favorites - a black and yellow basket with just enough of a red (ok, orangey-red, but definitely still in the red family) tinge around the top to sneak it in for this week's Ruby Tuesday ;).

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Sunday Snippets

2011-10-23T09:35:00.004+02:00

Fall is a great time to go to the beach in Israel - it's still hot, but not beastly so, and the water is still warm.
Speedos should be banned. Seriously men, I do NOT want that level of information. What you have to offer isn't that attractive. Look around, see how most of the men on the beach are wearing perfectly reasonable shorts-style bathing suits? Learn from them. Emulate them. Step away from the speedos. They are NEVER a good look.
Serve your children and their friends leftover pizza for dinner with decorate your own cupcakes for dessert (both leftover from a recent birthday party) and your house will officially be known as the cool house.
The downside of this is that they will then want to return. Frequently. Where they will be in for a rude awakening when they find healthy food and *gasp* vegetables on their plates. Bwahahaha...
My kids are turning into voracious readers. Readers! Hurray! In Hebrew, but still. Readers!
Two week vacations just a month after the start of the school year are a Very Bad Idea. I'm talking to YOU Ministry of Education. Bad idea. Very very bad. Do NOT like.
After said two week vacation (did I mention it was TWO WHOLE WEEKS LONG?!?) reentry that first morning will be unpleasant, to put it mildly.
However, once you finally do get everyone out the door the house will actually be blissfully quiet again, allowing you to busy yourself with horrible work chores, laundry, dishes and grocery shopping. Careful, or you might wish that everyone was still on vacation...
But, you'll get to drink a second cup of coffee while it's still hot. Speaking of which...

So what are you all up to this fine fall day?

Dusk at the Fair

2011-10-20T20:11:00.003+02:00

Taken just a few hours ago, when at long last it was finally (finally! the months go by oh so very slowly when you're waiting to turn eight) time to take Maya's long awaited and greatly anticipated birthday trip to Superland.

Click here to purchase this photo on etsy.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

1,941 Days

2011-10-18T22:54:00.000+02:00

It's finally over. Welcome home Gilad, welcome home.

The Dark Gate - closeup

2011-10-17T15:28:00.003+02:00

Closeup of my very favorite piece in the exhibition - Bohumil Elias' Dark Gate.
Viewed in its entirety this piece literally took my breath away.

More red images can be found at Work of the Poet.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Messenger

2011-10-11T21:06:00.002+02:00

Closeup of a section of Stepan Pala's Messenger, on display at Tel Aviv's Litvak Gallery.

And on the subject of messengers, let me add my fervent wishes to those spreading throughout the country right now that the messengers are correct, that Gilad will soon be back home in the loving arms of his family. It's been far, far too long already.

Through the Rainbow at the Litvak Gallery

2011-10-10T16:02:00.000+02:00

What do you see through the rainbow? Tall ships? A cityscape? Africa? Something else entirely?

This image is actually the rainbow-colored reflection on the wall of a glass sculpture entitled Memorial Meeting by the groundbreaking Czech glass artist Vladimir Kopecky and is part of Freedom to Create: Beyond the Glass Curtain, an incredible exhibition featuring the work of 15 of the Czech Republic's best-known glass artists on display right now at Tel Aviv's Litvak Gallery. I was lucky enough to be able to spend the morning wandering the exhibit, camera in hand. This reflection is just a teaser - over the coming days I'll be featuring images from this stunning exhibition so be sure to check back often.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more reds (and yellows and greens and blues and all the hues of the rainbow) from around the world.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Slowly But Only Forward in Tel Aviv

2011-10-08T20:17:00.000+02:00

This slogan painted on a utility box in Tel Aviv seemed appropriate to share as we move from the introspection of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, towards the future and promise of the new year. Will this be a year of progress and potential, as individuals and as a nation, or will it be a year of pain and backsliding?

The decision is in our hands.

Simplicity

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000+02:00

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Fire

2011-10-03T15:08:00.000+02:00

Can you find the reds dancing among the yellow flames?

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Shana Tova U'Metuka

2011-09-27T17:49:00.003+03:00

Reuse and Resist - Street Art in Tel Aviv

2011-09-26T18:38:00.001+03:00

Spotted last week near Tel Aviv's Nachalat Binyamin crafts market...

If you look carefully, you'll see that that bright red writing also includes a link to the Reuse and Resist website. Have a look, they've got a good message to get out about the power of art in public spaces.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Picket Fence

2011-09-24T17:35:00.001+03:00

The first Saturday after Summer Stock ends always leaves me at a bit of a loss posting-wise - how about this one to get things rolling. Nothing special, no real theme, just... pleasant.

Of times gone by

2011-09-20T17:51:00.000+03:00

Wrought Iron Bannister, Neve Zedek, Tel Aviv

Click here to purchase this photograph from Around the Island Photography.

Something I saw in a dream

2011-09-19T16:18:00.000+03:00

Click here to purchase this photograph from Around the Island Photography.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more luscious reds from around the world.

PS If anyone knows what flower this is I'd love to know. Thanks.

Edited to add that I think Leora's right, it does seem to be a zinnia. Thanks Leora!

Summer Stock Sunday 2011 - Looking Back

2011-09-17T21:00:00.000+03:00

And just like that another summer has come and gone. Temperatures are starting to drop (all things being relative of course, here in central Israel daytime temperatures have dropped to a balmy mid-to-high 80's (low 30's centigrade)...), and with the falling temperatures and shorter days comes the inevitable end to another year's edition of Summer Stock.

Thank you so much to everyone who has come here and shared their summer adventures and memories, it's all of you coming here each week that make Summer Stock what it is.

For now, one last shot of summer's beauty and then it's onward and upward towards Summer Stock 2012 - same bat time, same bat channel!

So for one last time this year, who's in?

Holy cow, I did it!

2011-09-17T18:28:00.003+03:00

I managed to change up my blog all by my very own self and (at least so far) nothing important has gone kablooey! Yay me!

I'd been thinking for quite a while that the old look wasn't working for me any more. I did love it, but it was designed back when my blog had more of a written focus and was really too busy for a photoblog. I've been wanting a cleaner more streamlined look for a while but it took until now (and a LOT of behind the scenes messing around with my practice blog) before I was brave enough to take the plunge.

So what do you think? Does it work well for you? Look clean? Load more quickly? Any other changes you think would help?

Inquiring minds (that would be me) want to know ;)...

Seagull at his post

2011-09-13T21:58:00.000+03:00

Painted Turtle

2011-09-12T16:33:00.000+03:00

Hauled out of the lake this summer by a passing teenager to show my kids, then returned to the water a moment later. Can you see his red stripes?

We remember, 10 years later

2011-09-10T18:00:00.000+03:00

BlogBlast for Peace 9/11 Remembrance

I hadn't looked at a calendar when I scheduled this to be the final edition of Summer Stock Sunday 2011.

This year's final edition has been postponed to next week, Saturday-Sunday 17-18 September.

Where the Fairies Dance

2011-09-07T23:38:00.002+03:00

Click to purchase this photograph from Around the Island Photography

Of course I can't say for sure, but if I were a fairy I'd certainly want to dance here.

Buoys

2011-09-06T19:31:00.002+03:00

Spotted off of Maine's Mount Desert Island, from the Cranberry Island Ferry.

Click here to purchase Buoys from Around the Island Photography.

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The Parenting Brigadoon - Good First Day of School Pics

2011-09-05T16:16:00.000+03:00

Like mothers all over the world, I ~~force~~ gently and lovingly encourage my children to pose ~~miserably~~ joyfully for that elusive Brigadoon of parenting - a good 1st day of school picture.

Here, on the cusp of 5th and 2nd grades, is this year's attempt, and believe me, this was the best of the bunch. Maya's still fairly willing. Her brother on the other hand... Still, they're pretty cute, if I do say so myself. (Oh, and they're actually both wearing shirts with their respective school logos but I've waved my photoshop wand and caused the logos to disappear - no reason to unduly tempt the internet nasties...)

More red photos can be found over at Ruby Tuesday, which I'm rejoining after a long and unintended summer break :).

Summer Stock Sunday - Quichee Gorge before the Hurricane

2011-09-03T21:00:00.001+03:00

With kids here in Israel starting back to school yesterday and the US celebrating Labor Day this weekend I have to admit that it's time to start facing the inevitable winding down of summer and approach of fall, and with that the end of this year's edition of Summer Stock Sunday. We'll go one more week after this one and then Summer Stock 2011 will wrap up for the season on 10 September, so be sure to save at least one more summertime shot to share next week, it will have to last us through until next summer after all.

This week I'm sharing this shot of Quichee Gorge in Vermont, where we camped just a week before Hurricane Irene slammed through and put most of it under water, including sweeping away most of a 141-year old covered bridge. The flip side of nature's tremendous beauty is its tremendous power for destruction. From paradise to disaster in just a few short days.

Beautiful, isn't it? Hopefully it will be as lovely and peaceful as this again very soon.

Sunshine on a Stalk

2011-08-30T21:45:00.000+03:00

Summer Stock Sunday - Hurricane Irene Edition

2011-08-27T21:00:00.014+03:00

It's Saturday night, 27 August. As I write this we're sitting in my living room back home in Israel, where the day saw bright blue skies and temperatures down to a perfectly reasonable low-90's, flying out Friday just before Irene hit the east coast. Irene's not expected to reach New Hampshire until tomorrow (and then just as a tropical storm, not a full-force hurricane) so we weren't really in any trouble leaving Boston yesterday, but my heart is with all of you in the full path of the storm and I wish you and everyone on the east coast safety for both you and your property and a speedy return of your lost power too.

In deference to Irene's fury, I thought some rain would be in order for this week's Summer Stock. These particular drops (as opposed to quite a few drops that came pouring in on us in Vermont last week and drove us from our no longer anything even close to dry tent into my parents' warm and dry, albeit suddenly very cramped, camper in the middle of the night, but nevermind) fell on a leaf by Acadia's Jordan Pond, I love the way all the little droplets reflected the light right back again. There's probably a metaphor for us all in there somewhere but I'm completely jetlagged and not feeling coherent enough to find it right now...

Stay safe and dry everyone, and check in when you can!

Summer Stock Sunday - Jordan Pond

2011-08-20T21:00:00.003+03:00

Shoot, this didn't auto-publish when it should. We're in Vermont and all is well. Sorry for any confusion.

By the time you read this I'll be camping with a large chunk of my extended family near Vermont's Quechee Gorge (in fact, it's already after midnight and I really should be packing instead of blogging). We're still having a wonderful time here in New England and have pretty much been on the go constantly. Between visiting relatives and multi-day trips around New England I feel like I've barely spent any time here in my parents' very lovely town. My "must do" list still has all sorts of things on it but we'll only have one more day here in New Hampshire after we return from Vermont, so yet again we'll have to leave some undone in the hopes of getting to them next year (note to self: buy the dang butterscotch chips to take home - out of all things, don't forget that one!).

While I'm off gallivanting around Vermont enjoy this images of Acadia's Jordan Pond. Extraordinary, isn't it? How can you not fall head over heels for a place that looks like this even on a cool and foggy day?

Hopefully I'll be able to check in while we're away, the campground says they have free wifi...

Hope you're all having a wonderful summer, wherever it's taking you!

Summer Stock Sunday - Acadia National Park

2011-08-13T21:00:00.020+03:00

Jay and I are up in Maine this week celebrating our 20th(!) wedding anniversary and enjoying the wonders of Acadia by both land and sea (which now that we've finally managed to connect to the inn's wifi I can tell you about - sorry for not visiting you all earlier this week, we didn't have internet for the first part of the week). Yesterday we went hiking (me) and biking (him) and then after lunch went off to Seawall to go tidepooling. We didn't have much luck at the tidepools (I think we got the tides wrong) but to our delight right across the street, literally 4 or 5 feet from our car, we saw this not so little fellow chomping down on wild rosehips. We were so close we could actually hear him chewing!

After the beaver was done with his dinner he took an extra branch back to his lodge for a later snack. You can see him swimming along with it in the shot below, and that big pile of sticks on the far side of the brush is his dam.

With a sight like that on Thursday we weren't sure that the half-day kayak trip we took today (Friday) would compare but oh boy did it - first we caught a glimpse of a harbor porpoise off in the distance, then we saw a bald eagle up in a tree, and then we saw literally dozens of seals start popping up all around our boats! What an incredible sight, one even surfaced just 10 feet in front of me! (I think that was a little too close for his comfort because he took one look at me and dove straight under again, to resurface a safer 20 or 25 feet away.) I wish I had pictures of them because it was one of the most incredible things I've seen in my life, but I was scared to risk my camera in a dry bag out in the middle of the water. I shouldn't have worried, the bay we were in was as flat as glass, but I will say that not having a camera allowed me to really focus on being present in the moment instead of obsessing over getting the perfect shot, something I should probably remember to do more often. What an incredible gift we received today, even the guide was amazed at how many seals were surrounding Jay's and my boat.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we'll take the ferry over to Great Cranberry and Little Cranberry Islands for a bit of an island ramble and then it's time to stock the cooler with fresh-caught lobsters and head for home. It's been an amazing trip, reminding me yet again why Acadia is one of my very favorite places on earth, and so worth the 5 hour drive from New Hampshire to get here.

I hope you're all having a wonderful summer. Sign the linkie and tell us all about it :).
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Summer Stock Sunday - Loon on the Big Lake

2011-08-06T21:00:00.003+03:00

We're having a wonderful time here in New Hampshire enjoying family, watching cousins pick up right where they left off a year ago, eating ourselves silly (yikes) and staying away from the computer so we can really enjoy this gorgeous New England summer. This little corner of the world truly is paradise - at least for 2 months of the year ;).

Today's agenda included watching Maya and my niece in a play (skit) at theater camp, peanut butter fudge ice cream (and no I didn't share, the kids had huge scoops of their own choice of flavors (and by the way, cotton candy ice cream is in fact as awful as it sounds)), and an afternoon of boating on the big lake, capped off by watching this beautiful guy diving for his (her?) dinner.

So what have you been up to this week?

Summer Stock Sunday - Dorothy, we're not in Tel Aviv anymore...

2011-07-30T14:00:00.012+03:00

Arrived last night. Photo taken on a beautiful walk in a nearby park (gotta love this town) this morning, edited at 4:30am - thank you jetlag...

It rained lightly the rest of the day (still is in fact), I'm glad we got the chance to get out into the woods to stretch our legs and get some ~~bug bites~~ fresh air before it started. The rest of the week is supposed to be beautiful though so we're off to the lake for swimming and a picnic ~~tomorrow~~ today (did I mention that I've been up since 4am and it's now tomorrow already?) (not so much off to as strolling down the block to - have I mentioned that this is a great town?), where my sister and family will hopefully join us by midday. My kids are beyond excited that the cousins are arriving, and just in time for ~~tomorrow night's~~ tonight's street party too. Last year's fair brought some great photo ops, I wonder what tomorrow's will bring.

What's summer brought you this week?

Catch you on the flip side!

2011-07-27T15:53:00.001+03:00

Thanks so much for all the well-wishes on my last few posts, I really appreciate them.

In an effort to keep up the heightened level of craziness that is my summer I finished the exam and went straight into a laundry and packing frenzy since the kids and I are leaving for our annual trip to New Hampshire at 5:30 am. (Potential homerobbers be warned - my husband is still here, we've got security bars on all the windows and I have a VERY aware neighbor. Definitely not in your best interests, there are much easier targets all around. Just in case you were wondering ;)...)

My next post will be from (hopefully now much cooler) New England.

Catch you on the flip side :). (Our children will have no idea whatsoever what that means, will they? Sigh...)

Done and Dusted

2011-07-25T19:24:00.001+03:00

Well, I'm done. It was grueling but it's OVER.

Now the wait. No results until the end of October.

Summer Stock Sunday - Nearly There

2011-07-23T21:00:00.011+03:00

Amidst all the craziness that is studying for my exam (this Monday - I'm as ready as I can be, but still, aack!) I still managed a bit of fun here and there. The fact that I was double-booked for this past Thursday evening just added to the craziness. We first attended this:

Maya's final dance recital
(Yes, a full month after school let out and all the other activities were long over, just one more reason why she will not be returning to this dance school next year. On the bright side, at least they didn't LOSE my child and not even freaking notice(!) this time - and yes, that's the main reason she will not be returning.)

And then the second Maya's group left the stage (leaving my incredibly wonderful neighbor and my son to collect Maya and bring her home where a sitter was waiting, no, don't worry about her, she gave the plan her blessing and she LOVES having sitters, so much so that I kind of worry what they're letting her get away with...) we raced out of the theater and back to our car so that we could race through Tel Aviv to the National Stadium to be on time for this:

Yes, that is Paul Simon down on that stage, and yes, he put on one absolutely incredible show - two straight hours on non-stop music - the new stuff, the single stuff, and oh so very much of the mind-blowing Simon and Garfunkel stuff. Simply incredible. Thank you Paul, and thank you MGabby19, whoever you are, for sharing your clip with us.

So what did you all get up to this week?

Summer Stock Sunday - Studying Like a Crazy Person

2011-07-16T21:00:00.002+03:00

So you might have noticed I haven't been blogging much the past few months... It's because I'm studying to take the lactation consulting board exam and am up to my neck in this book, and a whole bunch of others equally big and heavy and full of massive amounts of complicated information, from anatomy and physiology through to virus transmission, biochemistry, counseling skills (the easy bit thanks to my years as a breastfeeding counselor, thank heavens there's at least one easy bit...) and so so SO much more. Pretty much anything and everything that relates to the field of lactation counseling (hyperbilirubinemia protocols in the asymptomatic neonate, anyone? No? How about whey:casein ratios in human milk at various stages of lactation? Or perhaps management of the breastfeeding dyad when mom contracts Hepatitis B immediately after birth? Or the baby born (god forbid) with a serious birth defect or neurological syndrome? or...? See what I mean?) My husband even took the kids to Eilat (a resort on the Red Sea coast) for the weekend (a company-sponsored getaway) so that I could stay home and study in peace. Which I did. And am. And am about ready to go certifiably looney from.

9 days and counting...

Wish me luck!

Summer Stock Sunday - Jerusalem Science Museum

2011-07-09T21:00:00.001+03:00

It's a good thing that Summer Stock is more about fun than great photography because I had a lot of the former this week and none at all of the latter...

The Jerusalem Science Museum is a great place to beat the summer heat for a few hours. The kids had been asking to go back for a while, so now that it's summertime and they don't have school or camp on Fridays we figured it was time to head up to Jerusalem and spend the day learning new things cleverly disguised as a fun day out, and of course gathering up good material for Summer Stock - including:

Remarkably mediocre snapshots of the kids doing their thing

And a larger than I'll admit to number of attempts to capture this exhibit showing how "something" (magnetism? electricity? No idea, I didn't actually read the sign. Whoops.) made the paper clips in this bowl jump up and stand at attention every time you pushed the button. Seriously cool, even if don't have any idea what it was supposed to be teaching me.

So what were you up to this week? Fourth of July celebrations? Beach vacations? Just bumming around? Wherever your week took you come share it for Summer Stock Sunday :).

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T08:39:00.001+03:00

Summer Stock Sunday - Joe Cool

2011-07-02T21:00:00.003+03:00

It's hard to keep up that Joe Cool act when your mom keeps shoving a camera in your face, isn't it? Sometimes your innate sense of fun just wins out, despite your best efforts (and that Alfalfa-esque sticky-uppy bit in the back of your hair doesn't help either LOL).

Itai, at yet another end of year party

The kids finished school Thursday and summer vacation has now begun. Camp starts on Sunday and there are all sorts of good things planned for this summer. Time to let the good times roll!

Name that Photo Contest!

2011-06-27T16:35:00.003+03:00

(You'll forgive me if I go for that "purple with a hint of magenta is in the red family" thing, right? Especially since I'm desperate for your help? I'm not above groveling you know. *grovel grovel grovel*)

This is one of a series of three images I created this weekend of a purple (oops, I mean reddish-tinted of course) chrysanthemum. I'm really pleased with how the turned out and would like to list them in my etsy shop. The only catch is I'm utterly and completely stumped for titles, or at least for titles that aren't "Purple Chrysanthemum 1, 2 and 3".

So here's where you come in:

Put on those creative thinking caps you've all got and suggest some titles, either for the series or for the individual photos. If I choose your title for the etsy listing I'll send you a 5x7" (or metric equivalent) copy of your choice of the three images.

To keep things straight we'll call the photograph featured here "Purple Chrysanthemum 1". Purple Chrysanthemum 2 is here and Purple Chrysanthemum 3 is here.

Leave your entries in the comments please, and have fun with it. I can't wait to see what you come up with. (Ok, actually I'm desperate, so please play. Pretty please with a cherry on top?)

UPDATE: THEY'VE BEEN NAMED AND LISTED AND CAN BE FOUND HERE, HERE AND HERE. CLICK TO SEE THE IMAGES AND THEIR NEW TITLES IN MY ETSY SHOP.

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Summer Stock Sunday - 1st Grade Graduation

2011-06-25T21:00:00.001+03:00

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No worries for those who've asked, we're not still sick - just buried under an avalanche of end of the year activities, extended work deadlines (meaning my project still hasn't ended), studying for the IBLCE exam in late July, and a host of other commitments...

Continuing last week's end of first grade theme, another major event in the calendar was Maya's graduation ceremony. (Israeli elementary schools are very big on end of year events, each kid has had numerous different ones, most during non-school hours and all requiring various purchases and attendance commitments by their parents, hence the atrociously neglected state of my blog... If you think I'm exaggerating, she's already had two, the writing on the white board is the details for the third (an evening class picnic on Monday night, with water activities, parent attendance required, and please bring a drink, a bathing suit and a change of clothes), and Wednesday night she's got both an end of year event at her afternoon program AND a friend's birthday party. It's crazy, my 7 year old's social calendar FAR exceeds my own.)

Here's Maya receiving her certificate from her teacher. Her "oh my god my teacher is KISSING me!" body language cracks me up.

So what are you all up to this fine summer week? Play along and let us know :).

Cherries!

2011-06-20T15:57:00.000+03:00

I'd be out buying some of these deep red beauties right now - and trying hard not to eat them all before I got back - if both of my kids weren't home sick today. Looking at the empty cavern that is my refrigerator I'm afraid we'll all die of scurvy long before whatever virus this is gets us!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Summer Stock - Sefer Torah Party

2011-06-18T21:00:00.003+03:00

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Summer time also means the end of the school year, and if you're a first grader here in Israel that also means a big event where you are formally given a copy of the Book of Genesis (which your parents had to buy and put on your bookshelf months ago, so not exactly a surprise) in preparation for beginning to study the Torah (the Old Testament - the Jewish Bible) in second grade (yes, the Bible is a required subject even in the secular public schools).

In Maya's school (which is not the same elementary school her brother attends, or even the other one he's going to next year, but that's a subject for another day when I feel like raising my blood pressure and having a big league world class rant against our worthless excuse for a mayor, but nevermind...) all four first-grade classes held a combined ceremony on the school's outdoor stage the other night. They dressed in the traditional white, sang songs, danced dances, and some of the children, Maya included, came up to the stage individually to recite a line or two in front of several hundred beaming parents and teachers. After about an hour of singing, dancing and reciting the gold-covered books were passed out and it was time for a picnic dinner and the traditional giving of small gifts from the PTA (in this case a decorated cookie shaped like a Torah scroll, a tiny little book of psalms (why? what child is actually going to read them?), and a few taffys. I'm sure it won't surprise you to hear that the cookies and the taffy were the bigger hits.) Once they were properly fed, watered and sugared up for the rest of the evening it was time to head home, tired but proud, and put the book away until they start studying in earnest next year.

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PS My Arty Craft is turning one and Kathy is holding a giveaway to celebrate! One lucky reader will win a 5x7" photograph of their choice from Around the Island Photography. It's open for two more days, so head over there and leave Kathy some comment love now for your chance to enter.

Lunar Eclipse, 15 June 2011

2011-06-16T18:03:00.000+03:00

What a perfect subject for my return to Skywatch Friday after a "life got in the way" (i.e. I had no time to shoot much of anything, including skies) hiatus that went on far too long. I had a fantastic and completely unobstructed view of last night's lunar eclipse right from my patio. Even the clouds stayed away until after the moon was completely covered. Here are a few images of the eclipse as it happened, and then a collage showing how it progressed.

Enjoy!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Pickled Vegetables

2011-06-13T17:29:00.000+03:00

With their red tops, these Middle Eastern style pickled vegetables for sale at the Hatikva Market were just crying out to be featured for Ruby Tuesday, don't you think?

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Summer Stock Sunday - Flip Flops

2011-06-11T21:00:00.008+03:00

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If it's summertime it must be flip flop season - I've been putting mine to good use, and this shoemaker in Tel Aviv's HaTikva neighborhood certainly looks prepared for the long, hot summer season.

What on your agenda this summer? Join the Summer Stock gang and let us know:).

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PS My Arty Craft is turning one and Kathy is holding a giveaway to celebrate! One lucky reader will win a 5x7" photograph of their choice from Around the Island Photography. Leave Kathy some comment love over at My Arty Craft now for your chance to enter.

Like my work? Here's a chance to win a 5x7 of your favorite print!

2011-06-11T15:23:00.002+03:00

My Arty Craft is turning one and Kathy is holding a giveaway to celebrate! One lucky reader will win a 5x7" photograph of their choice from Around the Island Photography. Leave Kathy some comment love over at My Arty Craft now for your chance to enter.
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Tel Aviv's HaTikva Market

2011-06-06T18:55:00.000+03:00

Doesn't this just make you want to run out and buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables? It sure does for me, especially those gorgeous red cherries!

Visit the 2011 kickoff edition of Summer Stock Sunday for more images from my photowalk in Tel Aviv's HaTikva Market (and while we're on the subject, did you play along this week? If not, what are you waiting for - join in the fun next week with this great summer-themed photo project - the more the merrier :)).

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Welcome to Summer Stock Sunday 2011!

2011-06-04T21:00:00.002+03:00

And just like that, winter is over and summertime is here, and with it the 2011 edition of Summer Stock Sundays - the place to share all those great summer memories each Saturday at 2pm EDT (9pm here in Israel) - post your favorite summertime shot to your blog and then come here and sign the linkie so that the other participants can find you to visit, and of course a comment here is always welcome :).

Here's mine to get things rolling - because what says summertime more than watermelon?

This giant pile of watermelons were on sale yesterday morning at Tel Aviv's Hatikva Market. But how to choose?

How to know which stall really has the "number 1 watermelon"?

Many of the stalls take one and cut it open to show their customers the quality of their fruit. This one looks good to me, don't you think?

I didn't actually buy one on yesterday's photowalk (you'll be seeing more of that in the days to come - it was good fun and quite a success photographically) because I already had one at home, but ours too was delicious and extra refreshing when we ate it at the pool this afternoon. (As an aside, did you know that Israelis don't generally serve watermelon in slices to eat while the juices run down your chin? Nope, they cut them up into bite-sized chunks and serve them with forks. Often, especially for outdoor meals like our picnics at the pool, they just hand out forks and everyone helps themselves from the communal bowl, one piece at a time. A bit more prep-time up front but a whole lot easier to eat this way.)

How's your summer shaping up so far? We'd love to see what you're up too so jump right in and join the Summer Stock crew!

Summer Stock Sunday - who's in?

2011-06-02T13:15:00.000+03:00

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Yikes, this year's Summer Stock Sunday nearly got away from me! Luckily Hip Chick was here to give me a much needed ~~kick in the tush~~ polite reminder that it's already June and high time we got started!

So... *drumroll please*

It is my great pleasure to announce that the 2011 edition of Summer Stock Sundays will kick off THIS WEEKEND.

What's Summer Stock you ask? Why, it's this:

Each week, beginning THIS VERY WEEKEND, 9pm Saturday night Israel time, 2pm EDT, we all come here to share our quintessential summertime photos. What says summer to you? Is it the pool? The beach? A backyard barbecue? A comfy old pair of flip-flops? Grab that camera and snap a picture! Whatever summertime looks like in your corner of the world this is the place to come share it - put up your post and then come add your link to Mr. Linky. Visiting other participants is encouraged, after all, sharing is what blogging is all about.

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Don't worry about whether your photos are museum-quality or not - Summer Stock isn't about perfection or The Pursuit of Serious Art. It's about summer - about kicking back and having fun, in whatever form that takes for you.

So grab those cameras and get ready - it's summertime and it's happening right here around the island!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Orchids

2011-05-30T19:01:00.000+03:00

More orchids, this time with a hint of red. Utopia was really a photographic goldmine...

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Golden Apples of the Sun

2011-05-27T22:09:00.000+03:00

Golden apples on sale at a Ramat Gan greengrocer, spring 2011

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Jacob's Ladder 2011

2011-05-24T21:51:00.001+03:00

It really just doesn't get any better than our annual ~~pilgrimage~~ visit to the incredibly wonderful Jacob's Ladder Music Festival. Nope, just doesn't get any better than that. Pure bliss. Amazing music played by and for lots of good friends, great weather, beautiful scenery on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and the most family-friendly festival you could possibly imagine. (And if I didn't have a chance to visit your blog last week, I'm sorry, and this is why - Wednesday was all about packing (we camp there for two nights, so a bit of a production and by Thursday we were living it up at the festival.)

Featured here today is the always outstanding SONiA of Disappear Fear on tour from the US, who we were also lucky enough to host for a house concert last week. Even more fun, she asked if I'd shoot some photos of her while we were at the festival (a little intimidating, I confess, since I'm a fine art photographer not a portrait one but it was a lot of fun and great for me to step out of my comfort zone). It was such a treat, too, to be able to give back a bit to someone who's brought me so much joy through the years with her beautiful music and poignant lyrics, and a great subject too with a real spirit of adventure and a beautiful smile.

Oh, and the whole family had a great time too. See, I told you it just doesn't get any better than this, didn't I?

Visit Wordless Wednesday to see what else people aren't saying this week, and Wordful Wednesday to see what they are.

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Yellow Pompoms

2011-05-18T00:46:00.001+03:00

Acacia Blossoms, Nes Harim, April 2011

Visit Wordless Wednesday to see what else people aren't saying this week, and Wordful Wednesday to see what they are.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Not mine, and also not dead

2011-05-16T14:13:00.000+03:00

No, mine's not dead yet either. It's doing just fine thankyouverymuch (especially to those so-called loved ones who made cracks about three week life spans and death masks).

This ~~pink~~ red-tinged sweetheart is growing beautifully at the Utopia Orchid Park, a breathtakingly gorgeous installation about 40 minutes to the north.

And no, I didn't manage to kill it just by taking it's photograph. At least not yet.

(I think I've got a bit of a complex, wouldn't you say?)

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

The Musician at Rest

2011-05-15T23:30:00.001+03:00

Traditional Bedouin musician, Rahat Coexistance Festival, May 2011

Today especially I would like to be reminded that there are those that still view being good neighbors as a moral imperative. That see coexistence as a virtue, not a threat.

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

63 Years Young - Israeli Independence Day

2011-05-10T21:19:00.001+03:00

Israeli Independence Day 2011 - Happy 63rd Birthday to this old-new land! If you will it, it really is no dream.

Fireworks were viewed (from right outside my house and yet I still didn't manage to have a tripod at the ready and the camera settings were all off - I really never learn), performers were heard, shaving cream was sprayed (by the older kids, it's a tradition and an unholy mess, don't ask), meat was grilled, friends were visited, and a grand Independence Day was had by all of us here around the island.

Not even a little bit dead (yet)

2011-05-06T14:09:00.000+03:00

Alive. Very very alive. Not dead. Not even a little bit dead. One might even be tempted to say thriving (should one be a tempt the fates sort of person, which I am not).

What is this miraculous undead object you ask?

Why, it's this -

This gorgeous orchid was given to me on Passover by a dear friend who is probably the only person who knows me well who didn't believe that I have the dubious talent of being capable of killing even plastic plants, the only one who didn't believe that every live plant that enters my home ends up keeling over dead just in self-defense!

She didn't just gift me with this thing, this stunning orchid is one she raised herself with her very own hands and is only the second one she has ever given away.

This is a lot of pressure to put on a self-declared plant murderer.

(She said she knew that even if I did manage to kill it that at least she knew it would be well photographed before it's demise. I've managed to keep it alive for several weeks already so I figured I'd better pull out the camera quickly before something happened to it.)

I've been quaking in my crocs (really in my flip-flops but that didn't rhyme) but at least so far it is absolutely, positively, very very much not dead.

It's even got a new blossom that just opened up! Go me!

(quickly spits three times and throws salt over her left shoulder to avoid upsetting the fates or angering the plant gods...)

So what do you think? Not half bad hey?

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Showing Off

2011-05-03T22:08:00.001+03:00

Visit Wordless Wednesday to see what else people aren't saying this week.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Finally!

2011-05-03T08:12:00.000+03:00

A family portrait - all four of us - and everyone looks pretty good. I think the last time we had one of these Maya was an infant. She's 7.5 now, it was definitely time.

And hey, it's even got some red in it.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

Never Forget - Never Again

2011-05-01T22:37:00.001+03:00

This post was originally published on April 20, 2009. It bears repeating.

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Tonight marks the beginning of Holocaust Remembrance Day here in Israel. All places of entertainment will close, radios will broadcast only soft, quiet music, and the whole of Israel will embark on a day of quiet contemplation, remembering all those lost to the evil and the madness, among them most of my father's extended family, all the relatives he never got to know, the cousins he didn't get to grow up with, because his grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and their families, friends and neighbors, were murdered by the butchers in a world that had gone insane.
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Tomorrow morning at 10:00 a siren will sound, and for two minutes all of the country will come to a standstill. Cars on the highway will stop driving. Meetings will cease. Shopkeepers will stand silently at their tills. Pedestrians will stand quietly where they are. No music will play, conversations will halt, and all classes will stop, as we remember the six million and those who fought to save them, and vow "Never Again".
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When the siren again falls silent activity will resume, but at a quieter, softer pace, at least for a while.
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Never forget.
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Never again.
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Around The Island

Introducing... *drum roll please*

Photo Bookmarks are here!

Pssst...

Flower by a Window

When Pigeons Plan...

Sunset at the Beach

Jerusalem Courtyard

Flying South at Sunset

Woman with Shawl

The daring young man on the... tightrope?

File under: not something you see every day

Stained Glass Window

Poinsettia

Merry Christmas from Jerusalem

Happy Holidays!

Charlie Brown Bokeh

Sunday Snippets and Writing on Walls

Today I'm Dreaming in Pink

Graffiti Wall - South Tel Aviv

Sunday Snippets - Lunar Eclipse

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors - Inaugural Edition

The Shopkeeper's Gift

Sunday Snippets - Holiday Card Outtakes

Reaching Above the Crowd

Brazilian Pepper Tree, I think...

Sunday Snippets - Cyber Monday Sale

Happy Thanksgiving!

Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sale!

A bug's eye view

Sunday Snippets - 20 Nov 2011

Where water sprites play

In my neighborhood

Sunday Snippets - 13 Nov 2011

Where old bicycles go to die

Take me to your leader!

Sunday Snippets - 6 Nov 11

Dona Nobis Pacem

Partying like it's 1976

Sunday Snippets with a side of Chihuly

How do you spell relief?

A matter of perspective

Chihuly redux

Sunday Snippets

Dusk at the Fair

1,941 Days

The Dark Gate - closeup

Messenger

Through the Rainbow at the Litvak Gallery

Slowly But Only Forward in Tel Aviv

Simplicity

Fire

Shana Tova U'Metuka

Reuse and Resist - Street Art in Tel Aviv

Picket Fence

Of times gone by

Something I saw in a dream

Summer Stock Sunday 2011 - Looking Back

Holy cow, I did it!

Seagull at his post

Painted Turtle

We remember, 10 years later

Where the Fairies Dance

Buoys

The Parenting Brigadoon - Good First Day of School Pics

Summer Stock Sunday - Quichee Gorge before the Hurricane

Sunshine on a Stalk

Summer Stock Sunday - Hurricane Irene Edition

Summer Stock Sunday - Jordan Pond

Summer Stock Sunday - Acadia National Park

Summer Stock Sunday - Loon on the Big Lake

Summer Stock Sunday - Dorothy, we're not in Tel Aviv anymore...

Catch you on the flip side!

Done and Dusted

Summer Stock Sunday - Nearly There

Summer Stock Sunday - Studying Like a Crazy Person

Summer Stock Sunday - Jerusalem Science Museum

Happy Fourth of July!

Summer Stock Sunday - Joe Cool

Name that Photo Contest!

Introducing... drum roll please