pot·pour·ri - by Jim & Linda

Potpourri

pot·pour·ri

   [poh-poo-ree, poh-poo-ree] 

–noun

1.

a mixture of dried petals of roses or other flowers with spices, kept in a jar for their fragrance.

2.

a musical medley.

3.

a collection of miscellaneous literary extracts.

4.

any mixture, especially of unrelated objects, subjects, etc.

Although this blog is a "mixed bag" of sorts, we hope is will also be a pleasant fragrance!  Here's a few miscellaneous pictures and tidbits of life in Israel..... Please remember to click on any picture to view it larger (then click the back arrow to go back to the blog).


Speaking of "bags", although milk is offered by the carton or jug, the most common way to buy it (and the cheapest) is by the BAG.  It has a little less than 1 quart of milk and costs about $1.75 per bag.

You then put the bag in the pitcher so it can be poured...

Here is one of the kitties we feed, she is looking for dinner 

for her 4 kittens and orange kitty friend.

This is a view of the Pools of Bethesda.  It is located in the Moslem Quarter of the Old City.  In the background you can see the Arab neighborhoods as well.

Arab markets just inside Damascus Gate.

Arab markets just outside Damascus Gate :)

"Sefer Torah" store - these are beautifully ornate and hold 

the scrolls of the Torah (Bible).

The sporting rivalries don't even end in Jerusalem - knitted 

kipas (head caps) for every fan...

View of a field in Bethlehem.

A minaret (tower attached to a mosque that announces the calls to prayer) in Bethlehem.  Bethlehem is an Arab town, run by the Palestinian Authority. 

Yea! Domino's pizza!  For the first time in 20 years we live within the route to have pizza delivered to our home.  Thing is, 2 medium pizzas cost about $23 USD - with a coupon....so we'll stick with our homemade pita pizzas :)

There are scooters for almost every business you can think of in Jerusalem.  Domino's, UPS, postal mail, even the hospital has one.  They are the quickest way through traffic - they don't wait in line like the rest of the cars, but weave their way through the cars & buses, drive on sidewalks & pedetrian roads, and even the wrong way down a one way street.

We're sitting in the Coffee Bean on a Friday afternoon with some friends while the workers were "cleaning up" for Shabbat.  We thought we just might get washed away....

View from the Mount of Olives looking at the Southern end of the Old City - the Jewish Quarter, the south end of the Temple Mount, the Southern Excavations, and the Davidson Center - sloping down into the Kidron Valley.

Now this is a form of transportation we had not seen before! 

Makes me think of the golf carts people drive around in the States.

In the winter months (rainy months) we had giant snails - about the size of a golf ball!  When walking home in the dark, we had to watch where we were going so we wouldn't step on them,

they're not so fast to get out of the way...

We've also seen 2 very large porcupines since we've been here - one was just a few buildings from us,

and the other in the government buildings area....

So you've heard of the Appalachian Trail?  Well here's the Jerusalem Trail!  There are many pleasant places to go walking in Jerusalem - and all around Israel.  There are also many National Parks that offer hiking, with amazing views and adventures that probably wouldn't be allowed in the States....

A shepherd with his sheep.

Picture from a local hospital that Jim visited with some of our volunteers 

to pass out teddy bears and hugs.

There are several murals around the city on buildings.  The whole left side of this building is a mural.

Here's a different form of "artwork" along the road between Qumran and En-Gedi.

Dead Sea on right.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 

 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

An end to another beautiful day....

Funny how God shows little things to us along life's way that make us smile.  

We began writing this blog 2 days ago, but hadn't had time to finish and post it.   Earlier today, a new volunteer from France gave us a small gift she brought with her - a small packet of potpourri!! 

May our lives be a musical medley

 that is a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.