Last Thursday before Ramadan

A lovely bowl of fresh, sweet, juicy peaches from the Golan Heights. That's my dinner. Given to me by a Druze family who owned the orchard. It's the perfect summer dinner ... served on a lovely ceramic bowl with hand-painted olives ( a gift from Greece from Joyce & hubby)

Re: the protest against housing - apparently the sudden sharp rise of rent and housing is due to the ultra-orthodox Jews buying up neighbourhoods at whatever price to de-secularize the area; and that jacks up the prices of housing. No orthodox has yet to take part in the protest. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/why-have-most-religious-israelis-stayed-away-from-housing-protests-1.375448

And what is so typical in Israel - a romance between a Jewish cashier and a Palestinian checkout counter bagger has led to boycotts of a popular supermarket and a call for a segregation of races. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-grocery-store-keeps-arab-baggers-and-jewish-cashiers-apart-1.375301 It's an absolute no-no and the ultimate price to pay is your life. This time luckily it ended in segregation of race and religion.

Bro. Agripino died yesterday and an english monk has been elected the new abbot of Dormition Abbey.

I'm trying to rest these 2 days. It's not easy as I still have work to do, and the heat is oppressive. Even the cacti are dying. And the nights are filled with fireworks exploding because it is the last week before Ramadan. Frankly I don't want to be around for Ramadan ... wish I could move out. Well maybe I can! I'll go for my operation and stay in a hospital far far away.