The Waiting Game is Over

I published The Waiting Game on February 26.  On the 28th February at 8.30 a.m. - (or close to then) the wail of the siren over the country.  The war has begun. And so, here we are again.The dreaded sound like a cross between a rattlesnake and a vampire being beheaded and bones being dragged across glass - the alert that causes us to behave like Pavlovian dogs.  No matter what we are doing - sleeping? taking a shower? peeing, or heaven forbid, even worse? drinking coffee? out walking? in a car? All hearts jump as one, our heart beat way harder and quicker than is healthy, the blood courses through our vascular system like a raging river. Our adrenaline does whatever adrenaline does, and we wait - like for a lottery.  For the siren - will the missiles be in our area or not? when is the siren coming? When it does begin we have 90 seconds to get to a shelter. 10 seconds if you are in the north of the country. 15 seconds in the south.  And off we go. And sit down, and nod at our fellow sheltermates. and everyone clutches their phones, and we wait - again.  We nod at each other each time there is a boom, and say something inane like, "close, another one, and another, ooh."  This time we wait for the booms to end and the notification that we can now leave the shelter.

Till the next time.

And we watch  -  the same talking heads, and we know that we are not being told everything, or shown everything - but people have been killed - in shelters, out of shelters.  Lots of damage - the Hezbollah has joined in, the UAE countries are being bombed. Khomeini is no more.

And so already three days have been spent.

The Waiting Game

Nervewracking.   Like Waiting for Godot.

Yesterday, whilst scrolling through short vignettes by those who know exactly what is happening, and when it will happen, or may not happen. (I am of course referring to the confrontation between USA and Iran) I saw a hilarious video.   Khomeini stands next to He Who Shall Not be Named - - Khomeini shakes his fist at him and shouts:  "Decide already, you are driving me crazy."

I think this is yet another state of insanity. That the world awaits the whim of idiot monsters.  And as for the pundits, ...... 

So, yesterday I received a whats app from my niece, the mother of 2 children, one of 8 and the other 5.  That morning their school had an earthquake drill  When they came home her son asked what to do if there is an earthquake and at the same time an air raid siren. Her daughter suggested they be divided into two groups - one group will go outside and the second group will go to the shelter.  After a few minutes the groups will change places.

Only in Israel.

Some Photos

 

I have been hiking, taking photos, doing pencil drawings (obviously I am copying Illustrations).  Other than that, watching The Lincoln Lawyer, and reading and rereading Jan Phillip Sendker's trilogy - The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, The Heart Remembers, A Well Tempered Heart.  Knitting also, and doing yoga, etc.

Uncertainty

This is the permanent way in which I/we - now live.  There are some things that so far continue as they always have.   Day follows night - the sun and moon continue to rise and set.  Monday follows Sunday. Shabat continues to be shabat.   We still count from 1.

The weather is no longer like it used to be.  Animal and plant life have changed - the entire world appears confused.  Will Trump attack Iran, Will Iran attack Israel, what about Greenland????? What about Gaza???  Ukraine?  We are in the hands of utterly insane men who worship power and money above all else.

It is an all consuming task to remain centered, which is, I think, the only thing to do. 

At last we have rain, of course too much - so flashfloods, sinkholes, accidents, drownings, but along with it carpets of yellow and here are the first harbingers of spring.

Happy New Year

 

I wish all a Happy New Year.   I do not expect miracles.  Peace and Goodwill to all is a nice thought, but does not appear to be realistic.  What I wish for everyone is health, and inner peace, and the ability to ride the various waves that come our way.