©2006 Publications International, Ltd."Lavender is an aromatic herb originally hailing from the
On weekends, when he might have free time, I often ask my husband to take me to the grocery store. I can drive myself but I really like life better when he drives. I can sit back and happily day dream out the window, idly watching the passing scenery and seasons. I find being a passenger with my husband at the wheel very pleasant and relaxing. Sometimes we listen to classic music, sometimes we listen to rock, or jazz, or the news on NPR. Sometimes we simply enjoy a bit of peace and quiet with no need to listen to anything at all, except perhaps the car's well tuned engine.
I like the way my husband shifts gears and makes the engine race- but not too much. But what I like best is he has eagle eyes. Often he will see some wild creature and he'll point it out, slowing the car so I can notice it too. Owls, egrets, hawks, butterflies, cats and mice... and deer. No matter how urban the environment seems to be, he has a knack for noticing wild life, both flora and fauna.
I like having him in the grocery store too. He has a knack for knowing what fruit to buy. He is very serious as he studies each specimen with care. Some he smells, some he gently squeezes testing for firmness, and all get a close visual examination.
I too know how to examine and buy good fruit- but the real trick he has is in knowing which fruit our kids will eat this week. Whatever tempts him, usually tempts our sons too. Whereas I simply don't have that magic touch, even if I try to buy what I think he would buy for them. The basic formula, which I call the Fruit Rule, is also true of deli meat and breakfast cereal and what to have for dinner. (It also applies to what movies to rent). All in all, as the boys have grown older, getting man sized appetites, I save a huge amount of time, money and bother with my husband's help grocery shopping.
Yesterday, on the way to the grocery store, my husband said, out of the blue: "It's time to start thinking about planting the lavender seeds, we have to plant them in a few weeks."
Lavender... loverly lavender. I adore the stuff. We have problems growing it here in our backyard, but my husband keeps trying anyway. His uncle, Amu Zuhair, has a huge fragrant hedge of lavender on his farm that overlooks the Jordan Valley. The lavender hedge is below the back porch and there is a bright red railing where you can lean and simply relax into the view while smelling lavender.
In the Middle East Friday is the day off and it is always a pleasure to be invited to some one's farm to enjoy the day with relatives. Cousins of every age get to play together and usually there is a scrumptious feast. Sometimes the gatherings are huge, and sometimes they are small. Although visiting family and friends does not have to be limited to Friday. Anything but. Family is very much your social life every day of the week.
One weekday visit to Amu Zuhair's farm his charming daughter, on hearing that we were there, showed up with a tempting array of traditional delectable deserts- all homemade. And we had hot tea served in little glasses. It was wonderful- better than many a four star restaurant.
My dear friend, The Lady of the Links, sent me an intriguing link recently about "Birth Right Palestine" http://www.birthrightpalestine.com/. I was utterly delighted and entranced, it sounds like a great project- and perfect for Palestinian Americans with no immediate family living in the Middle East, who want to connect to and learn more about real life- in Palestine.
"Birthright Palestine is a unique program created by Native Palestinians for Diaspora Palestinians."
Birth Right Palestine will teach you Arabic, no matter what level you might be on (Arabic Lessons). I was very impressed that they can accommodate a huge range of needs and abilities. If you don't speak Arabic they make sure you are staying with a family that has at least one English speaker while you learn beginning Arabic. "Beginning Arabic teaches students colloquial spoken Arabic in the Palestinian Dialect." And if you do speak Arabic they will teach you to read, speak and write classical Arabic.
But what is really compelling is that they try to place you with a family, a family that will fed you traditional food as well as make you part of their life while you are there :
Host Families
I would call this "Birth Right Palestine" a noble and necessary endeavor...Looks to me like many people every where also doing what they can to be growing gardens for Palestine, in many different ways.Being that you are a Palestinian born outside of Palestine, we are assuming that your parents did not leave their native homeland by choice and rather unwillingly abandoned their homes due to the grave difficulties that they faced under occupation and war. Thus, your parents, as well as their descendants (you) are technically refugees. You are a refugee because the reason you are living in a foreign state is due to the fear of persecution in your homeland simply for being born an Arab.
Thus, all participants will be living with host families in the Dheisheh Refugee Camp. These families will adopt you as a family member and care for you as one of their own. They will allow you to penetrate the local social-life by inviting you to family events, such as weddings, funerals, clan meetings, family-visits, etc. They will help you improve your Arabic language skills through daily practical use, and accommodate your every need...[more]
There were numerous thoughts flickering through my head as to what direction to go in my blog Growing Gardens for Palestine for today. So many tempting thoughts and ideas pop up all though out the day on what I might do. I've started to keep a list for it simply because it is fun to think of all the different ways one might honor and remember Palestine- and peace... and gardens.
Last night I thought I was going to meander off into music and started gearing myself up for that, but then this morning I felt mosaics would be more fun to think about today. But somehow gatherings is what emerged, as I looked at pictures of lavender and wondered about what to blog.
And so today in a private personal level in growing a garden for Palestine, it is time to start thinking about planting lavender.... " Many people appreciate lavender (Lavandula angustifolia or Lavandula officinalis) for its aromatic fragrance, used in soaps, shampoos, and sachets for scenting clothes. The name lavender comes from the Latin root lavare , which means "to wash." Lavender most likely earned this name because it was frequently used in baths to help purify the body and spirit. However, this herb is also considered a natural remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and anxiety to depression and mood disturbances. Research has confirmed that lavender produces calming, soothing, and sedative effects." http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lavender-000260.htm
"In the Middle East... one finds a group of interrelated names that have an independent origin:
Arabic khuzaama [خزامى] " http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Lava_ang.html
Planting lavender- and pleasant memories.
Any garden is a good place for gatherings, for family and friends to met up and enjoy the fresh air and beauty of the day. Some people have garden weddings. And so in growing our imagined public garden for Palestine I would make sure that weddings and other such celebrations are welcome, especially children's birthday parties. I would shape space for groups and have chairs and tables available. Tables with embroidered tablecloths- but more on that detail some other day.
Every guest in all their finery would arrive to walk through the key shaped entry, remembering and honoring historic Palestine- every inch of it, and lavender would be there somewhere in my garden for Palestine, near a fountain, so you get both the sound of splash as well as the fragrance of lavender in the air, washing your spirit clean.
Rub your hands into lavender and the fragrance clings and you can carry it anywhere.
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