About turn

The US was quick in "absolutely" denying it gave Israel the green light to attack Iran - thus pulling the carpet off Israel's feet. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443739359&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull and http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1098425.html So what's next?

Meanwhile the Palestinian top muslim cleric is banning marriages unless swine flu free certificates are issued to the people involved. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1098434.html and http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443744354&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

If you yet haven't realised, the Mass readings these few weeks are back on the Book of Genesis. There're pretty long stories for the 1st readings, and many we all know from childhood. But it's always great to read through them slowly and with new eyes, and you'll be wonderfully surprised how many new things there are in the story that you haven't realised!

My ankle still hurts and my feet are still a little swollen. Am trying to rest but not too successful. Did some 2 hours of gardening in the front courtyard next to the Condemnation chapel. Sounds strange doesn't it? It's the place where we recall Christ was made to carry the cross and begin the Way of the Cross. Thousands of pilgrims come here - some cry, some kneel, some kiss the ground, some go barefeet, many imitate Christ by carrying a cross and walking uphill to Calvary. You won't think that I'd be doing some gardening right there on the spot - planting cosmos, petunias, portulacas and some other summer resistant annuals. But I think creating a small lovely garden on that spot will give a tranquil, contemplative space to the otherwise unfortunate turistic atmosphere that some groups carry with them. And of course my greatest worry is not the groups but our porter who has an uncanny disability to recognise a flower and pull it out - "rubbish" he calls it; apparently there's no arabic word for "weed". He destroyed $100 worth of spring plants we planted a couple of months back.