Saturday, August 16, 2008

Ibdaa 'to create something out of nothing'

My kitchen window seat is a catch all for many things. There is room to sit, or to pile various books, magazines and papers to be in easy reach. The boys often empty their pockets there. Its landscape changes by the hour depending on who is where and what we need the space for. We keep small treasures there, reminders of things we want to remember, tokens really that help frame the view of our back garden.

Its hard to catch the small creatures that come to our garden with my camera. But I keep trying anyway. One frequent skit is a squirrel that runs along the lower wall and then stops at the small bird bath to drink.

Another is the chipmunk and his mate, small delicate stripped creatures who have entertained us for years with their gentle antics

And there are the Goldfinches whose flight leaves me breathless. And many song birds who come to our flowers and our feeders and our bird baths.

Provide a safe place for small shy creatures and they will come and enchant you.

In growing our gardens here in central Pennsylvania, we have to work with the seasons and the climate and the soil and the flora and fauna that we have- and the time and energy that we can spare to work in our garden.

We also have to hope that the rabbits don't nibble away all the prettiest parts of our hillside garden.

A red sun flower

zucchini

We take a basket up now as our hands and pockets can no longer hold all the bounty from our vegetable garden.

Some days, while scanning the Internet I look at all there is on Palestine and am quite overwhelmed by the huge amount of documents detailing recent history and commentary, plus all the many artistic endeavors and projects and conferences and simply pleasant gatherings large and small.

Ironically much gets disappeared, temporarily- only to be rediscovered again and again and again....

fragment of a Palestinian poem by

Fadwa Tuqan

(The Grande dame of Palestinian letters, is considered as one of the best Arab pioneering contemporary poets. The sister of poet Ibrahim Tuqan, she was born in Nablus in 1917. http://www.sakakini.org/literature/ftuqan.htm )

To dissolve and merge with the grass,

To give life to a flower

That a child of my country will pick,

All I ask

Is to remain in the bosom of my country

As soil,

Grass,

A flower.

To give life to a flower...

There is a charming youtube video Debcha Arabiya of an inspired young girl in blue jeans in an American parking lot dancing an impromptu dance for Palestine.

To give life to a flower...

The Dabka, a traditional folk dance and a community dance, is often performed at weddings and other joyous occasions, and is sometimes referred to in full as the Al Sha'raweya Dabka. The dancing is synchronised with folkloric songs, and themes range from patriotic to traditional.

To give life to a flower...

"Ibdaa" is an Arabic word that means 'to create something out of nothing' .... and from what I can see it very much means to make the most out of what you have.

http://www.ibdaa194.org/index.html

About Ibdaa

Ibdaa, which means 'to create something out of nothing' in Arabic, is a grassroots initiative of Dheisheh Refugee Camp. Its mission is to provide a safe environment for the camp's children, youth, and women to develop a range of skills, creatively express themselves, and build leadership through cultural, educational, and social activities that are not readily available in either the camp or occupied Palestine. Ibdaa strives to empower participants with the confidence and knowledge to face their difficult future, while educating the international community about Palestinian refugees.

11/19/05 IBDAA in San Diego
This event was one of the best attended with the relatively large hall filled to capacity. The performance by the IBDAA troupe from Dheisheh refugee camp was both inspiring and moving.

& recently from an old friend

Al Jazeera.Net

Palestine Street

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/general/2008/05/200861517413358293.html

Watch part one of Palestine Street - The Lost Bride
Watch part two of Palestine Street - The Lost Bride
Watch part three of Palestine Street - The Lost Bride
Watch part four of Palestine Street - The Lost Bride

Watch part one of Palestine Street - The Bride in Exile
Watch part two of Palestine Street - The Bride in Exile
Watch part three of Palestine Street - The Bride in Exile
Watch part four of Palestine Street - The Bride in Exile

I am grateful for every song bird, every poem, every fledgling, every dance troupe, every picnic, every friend, every film, every family gathering, every recipe, every embroidery, every child, every memory, every positive endeavor and every note that helps shape a more beautiful and gracious world... and helps make more real a better future for us all.

for Palestine inspires....