Everything seems to be happening ... and nothing seems to be happening. You know that feeling. The weather is once again blistering hot but the nights get chilly. People are in summer mode ... school children are ending their exams soon. The holidays will soon begin.
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| Creamy-white lilies in bloom |
What is a little worrying is the firing of missiles from Gaza into Israel for the past week. Israel has retaliated each time with bombings at suspicious sites inside Gaza. It all smells too familiar ... like last year's Gaza war. Security helicopters have been flying low for the past 2 days over Jerusalem ... and soldiers are more than usual in the streets. There must be news that something is up. Let's hope this will pass over and summer for once can be a happy and terror-less time for everyone to enjoy.
Chinese tourists are flocking into the Holyland this month. Tomorrow a cruise ship with a few thousand chinese is arriving ... and the City will be flooded. Local chinese speaking guides are super-happy as they charge US$350 a day for their service while the normal rate is only US$220. It's big money.
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| Orange lilies |
Back to the domestic scene ... meaning my little garden and pets, things are good. The finches have produced over 12 babies, the canaries have produced 8, Miss Bird is happy and calm ... and the lilies are blooming vigorously although they are quite late. The agapanthus are also blooming but this year we have only 2 florets. Last year we had 11.
I've been dreadfully busy all week ... and definitely will continue to be so through next week. This morning I had to start work at 5am cleaning the bird cages, feeding the birds, watering the garden then immediately presiding the italian Mass for Corpus Christi at home, then rush off to the Armenian Basilica to preside the Armenian Mass at 9am, then rushing off to do chores in the City till 12pm, presiding at lunch prayers then off to a meeting at 2pm ... and this is just one day. For the last 2 days, I've slept 5 hours in 48 hours. "Exhausted" is an understatement.
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