Growing Gardens for Palestine

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Connecting the Human Family Step by Step...

Every May , often around the time we go to the Riverfront Arts Festival, our irises bloom... Irises are one of my favorite flowers.

In Greek mythology, Iris was a messenger god and the personification of rainbows.

Every May, over Memorial Day Weekend, there is a wonderful Arts Festival in Riverfront Park here in central Pennsylvania.... and every every May we go come rain or shine.

I am fascinated by the many ways many different people make our world a better and a more beautiful and interesting place.

Our Riverfront Arts Festival is a pleasant way to spend the day, and no matter how long you stay you never get to see everything- there is just so much! Something for everyone.

Every year we try to find at least one treasure at our Arts Festival-some kind of handcrafted whimsy. This year we bought an oval bowl that seems to become a swan, and two "matched" mugs made to look as if a blue heron is holding the mug with his wings, with his arced neck shaping the handle. As the mugs are handcrafted they are not exactly alike, but close enough to look like a set.

There are many whimsies fashioned for home and garden. One of my favorite garden whimsies are the fountains. More and more artists use recycled material to come up with some new.

This year our garden has been full of birds. Busy birds building nests.

All are a pleasure to watch- but most fascinating and magical to me to me are over in my Fairy Garden, off in the far corner of our back yard.

Up under a bower of blooming clematis is a nest

with one egg

that already hatched.

Mr.

& Mrs. Cardinal

Cardinals build nests, rather shallow nests, off the ground- but not too high as their fledglings often tumble out before they are ready to really fly. The parents continue to care for the fledglings, feeding them and then teaching them what they need to know about being a bird.

I did not see ours tumble out of his nest- but I know he found refuge in my fairy garden.

I'm rather sure that his perspective on it is very different than mine!

My own perspective on our garden is shaped by my own life. Stories I have been told that recall the teller as much as the story itself, and stories that I have read. My memories of other gardens and my childhood. My mood as well as my deep admiration and respect for the gardener my husband. His history and his good humor as well as my own history and good humor and all the many stories that have become part of me- and part of us.

On Monday an iris might make me think of a stylized figure on an urn in a museum or a Wedgwood bowl... whereas on Tuesday the same iris stirring in the breeze might evoke a lively myth illustrated by my own active imagination with the various Gods and Goddesses looking very much like people I might know. On Wednesday the iris might simply make me see the color- and a whole rainbow of possibilities.

In Growing Gardens for Palestine today I am thinking about possibilities, of nesting and building new things out of old... and of travel:

The recent Palestine Festival of Literature Blog captivated me... their website is very much worth exploring. In writing about Bethlehem Michael Palin says "From Raja I learned some of the history, of the old villages of Palestine which were destroyed after the war in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs were forced from their homes, to become refugees. I also something of the beauty of these stony olive-grove-covered hills which I wouldn’t have appreciated without Raja." http://palfest.org/authorsblog.html

Raja Shehadehis the author of the book Palestinian Walks: Notes on a Vanishing Landscape http://books.google.com/books?id=aYQ_8FnVfO8C&dq=raja+shehadeh+palestinian+walks&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0

Palestine Walks: Vanishing Landscape slide show with Raja Shehadeh narrating excerpts from his book http://annies-letters.blogspot.com/2009/04/palestine-walks-vanishing-landscape.html

There are interesting projects popping up, endeavors that help educate and enlighten a person, endeavors that respect both history and all religion as well as help local economies that are in need of money. A win win situation means everyone benefits- such as by Celebrating Palestine with the Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies

Another project that I am really interested in is called The Abraham Initiative. One can take a virtual tour- or an actual tour.

Connecting the Human Family Step by Step

The Abraham Path (Masar Ibrahim al Khalil) is a route of cultural tourism which follows the footsteps of Abraham / Ibrahim through the Middle East. The story of Abraham / Ibrahim's journey, which has been kept alive for some four thousand years in the landscape and memory of this region, records the origin of a spiritual tradition shared by more than three billion people in the world today.

By retracing this journey, the Abraham Path provides a place of meeting and connection for people of all faiths and cultures, inviting us to remember our common origins, to respect our cultural differences, and to recognize our shared humanity. The path also serves as a catalyst for sustainable tourism and economic development; a platform for the energy and idealism of young people; and a focus for positive media highlighting the rich culture and hospitable people of the Middle East.

Thanks to the generous welcome which has been extended by host communities along the way, the first walking sections of the path are now open to travelers: www.abrahampath.org/visit.php.

As the path unfolds, we invite you to join us in this historic endeavor...

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Twittering

Spring in Palestine

by Ismail Shammout

Every minute new technologies emerge that help give voice to Palestine. And all over the world people are saving tidbits for and about Palestine.

IMEU Home > Palestine in Photos Palestinians in the West Bank city of Qalqilia celebrate Jerusalem as the capital of Arab Culture 2009. (Maan Images)

Jerusalem Capital of Arab Culture 2009

Ever watch how a bird makes a nest. It is much the same way one weaves cloth- one strand at a time. Each strand counts. Every heartbeat is part of humanity- every life worth something to someone.

In trying to sort through the veritable avalanche of news and opinion on Palestine it is easy to get distracted and/or overwhelmed- easy to loose sight of the big picture.

PALESTINE MAPS

Home > Palestine Facts > Maps > Palestine

Maps are a useful tool. Maps can help us understand the lay of the land, and they can help prove trends, and as such they are a valuable resource for anyone interested in simply exploring the facts.

Maps can also help us learn where people come from, what wild flowers bloom there, as well as the best time to plant things wherever we might live now.

Another spring is here- and another year for growing Gardens for Palestine... each in our own way:

Earlier this month my clever husband fixed our back yard fence over by the driveway, putting up lattice, making it look so much more gardeny. I am utterly delighted with it. This past weekend we planted bulbs and seeds in front of it.

We also worked on the front garden

and our Fairy Garden

and our hillside garden.

Our gardens are frequented by many different birds. Their songs are heavenly... I am very grateful for my husband's hard work in making our home such a welcoming place.

In watching our seedlings grow and our flowers bloom, year after year, I am always enchanted by the way they reach for the light.

Last week I had Jury Duty:

"Citizens of the United States have enjoyed for over 200 years the right to have their cases decided by a jury of their peers. Jury service is not merely your responsibility - it is also a cherished right." http://www.ccpa.net/index.asp?NID=1964

The rule of fair and just laws is a constant process here in America, and we are all part of that process in one way or another. Our justice system asks a randomly selected jury to bring who they are and what they know to the table to deliberate the case.

"Jury service is one of the most important civic duties. You do not need any knowledge of the legal system to be a juror. The protection of rights and liberties of litigants in federal courts is largely achieved through the teamwork of judge and jury." http://www.uscourts.gov/jury/welcomejuror.html

Headlines tend to focus on the negative and the nasty and the outrageous, and TV sitcoms tend to celebrate the rude and highly dysfunctional but reality is there are many admirable and decent people in this world of ours- quiet heroes that go about their business every day with compassion and good humor- and good manners.

The Golden Rule is a universal idea- shared by all of humanity.

Unclench your fist... Live by the Golden Rule

Last year NOVA did a fascinating program on the Wisdom of the Crowds: Ask enough people to estimate something, and the average of their guesses will get you surprisingly close to the right answer. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/04.html

As time goes by we really do become enlightened by civilization itself. Some of us are inspired by the arts- some by science- some by all the other many options out there- the many ways to approach life itself.

As time goes by more and more people who know and love Palestine will find ways to help free Palestine.

A little twitter here, a tweet there, it adds up. Word spreads. More and more people are more and more likely to notice and remember and treasure Palestine in positive ways. To honor Palestine with dignity and grace.... to help fulfil the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights- including but not limited to FULLY respecting the Palestinian refugees inalienable legal, moral and natural right to return to original homes and lands...

"International law protects weak and strong alike, and we ignore its continuing abuse at our peril." George Bisharat

"WHEREAS recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..." Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Rivers of paint...

...Up Out of the Mud

Rivers of paint
run through my blood

Rivers of unequivocal color
up out of the mud

huts to palaces
every home

where ever tint can roam

every floor
every wall
every tile
every hall

every costume
every dance
every embroidery
every glance

huts to palaces
every home

every garden
every wood
every field
every could

huts to palaces
every home

where ever ever ever
an I might roam

The Fairy Garden Poems # 47

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Christ was a Palestinian

And unto us
a new era is born

The Phoenix
rising from the flames
of "Israel"

In seeing the Israeli made myths
and violence now

as the information age explodes

We Know

We know that what was remembered then
was for power- not for truth

We know that Israel usurped land and rights- and even the story itself

Now and then

We know that Israeli crimes
are all the more wrong as they claim
to be for God

We know

Now and then

We know that the only known political fact
is simply that the prophet and savior
Christ
was a Palestinian...

And we know that he deployed
Parables to free the people
from tyranny
of every type

Parables
to compel humankind to be both human
and kind

Parables
not guns

A dialog
not guns

Life
not death

We know that Christ is resurrection...

and we know that Palestine was then- and will be again
somehow

We know

and this faith
shall light our way

no matter what

This faith
will transcend the hate mongering
and sorrow and suffering...

This faith
will heal
the many wounds

made by "Israel"

and the many mistakes
made by all people
trying to find peace
in a troubled world

This faith will rebuild Palestine
one day

This faith will free the people
one by one
to transcend the many tyrannies
of our time

For Christ really was- is and always will be
a Palestinian....

Friday, December 19, 2008

Anniversaries- and Accountability

Nativity Trail 2009
(& The Alternative Tourism Group)

This month is more than merely the month we celebrate Christmas.

This month is also the month that marks the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - written in 1948, the wake of the Nazi Holocaust in hopes that clearly affirming and explaining basic human rights might help shape a more positive and peaceful future for all people.

This month is also my own anniversary, marking the day when my husband and I got married.

Many many many Christmases later, as I carefully decorate our Christmas tree it is good to look back on our years together, counting our blessings. Life has not always been easy (or fair), but we have managed to, day by day each day in turn, rise to every challenge- and survive. Good intentions help immensely- and so do compassion and empathy... and hard work.... and focusing in on the positive... and attention to detail...

Every year at least one if not more of our Christmas ornaments and decorations gets broken.

We try to fix what we can as many of our ornaments are symbols collected through out the years... symbols of ideas and people and places and times that we want to remember and cherish:

It might seem silly to have an old pair of baby socks on the tree- but those little socks have decorated our tree since one of my babies pulled them off their adorable little wiggly baby toes years and years ago.

Some of our ornaments have been more recently purchased, such as little wooden ornaments made in Palestine from Olive tree wood.

I like the idea of investing in Palestine- and investing in peace... a just and lasting peace for all people.

I also believe in investing in America- and our ideals of true liberty, justice and equality for ALL.

And I believe in investing in beauty and the arts- and poetry...encouraging the best, and the most inspiring.

Investing in Civilization

The Internet is an amazing gift- allowing us to communicate with far away family and friends- and complete strangers. What we post and the emails we exchange and forward can help open up hearts and minds- make connections & keep connections... help reaffirm human dignity and decency.... help civilization survive.

The opposite is true too... but from what I can see most reasonable and intelligent people tend to ever so politely and quietly walk away from the impossibly rude and crude and cruel and stupid and insulting and deceitful, preferring not to waste time and energy on totally negative pursuits, leaving hate mongers free to think they are winning... when really they are not.

There are countless people world wide worth listening to and learning from, and the more we reach out beyond our own small circle of friends and family to appreciate various perspectives and insights the more we enrich our entire world and our own selves, in much the same way that ancient trade routes enriched communities all along the way.

Last week I came across a fascinating op-ed in one of my favorite newspapers, The Jordan Times, which I blogged for my notes for letters- and for inspiration for myself :

"The 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights could have been a propitious occasion to reintroduce the “duties of individuals” ...."

"....This phasing out of the duties of individuals meant a devolution of this dimension of human rights at a time when this complementary feature of human rights is much needed in order to attain more balance and symmetry between rights and duties of individuals" ‘Dwarfing’ the declaration by Walid M. Sadi http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=12745

Duties and rights are in many ways two sides of the very same coin as we the people seek to make the world a better place for more people.

When I was growing up and my mother did some stranger a favor, they would want to repay her but she would smile and say; "It's a favor- pass it on"... and they would smile warmly in response and promise that they would. That's a treasured lesson I very much took to heart- as have many who have benefited from the kindness and generosity of others... as well as good examples... pass it on...

My mother-in-law is the queen of forwards- most of them deliciously funny- some a bit naughty... but none are intentionally cruel. Most are heartwarming and adorable- mood lifting- and entertaining. Some are simply informative. Some are hard to fathom. Many she has received from her friends and she passes them on to friends and family.

Everywhere on earth there are decent and good people quietly and gently and each in their own way being kind to and about family and friends- and strangers. That's civilization. No one person or government or religion owns it- it belongs to all of us, as one wonderfully diverse humanity learns to get along.

My advice to my own children as they learn to accept responsibility for their own choices and their own future is to make making priorities a priority. Every choice you make has ramifications, so be mindful of how you choose to spend your time- and thought-and money:

You can not control what others do- but you can control your own response.... and the messages you send... and you can help shape a better world where all children have a chance at a decent life....

Mainstream media work... Help free Palestine with positive thoughts and efforts: As always (for good stories, and honest stories that help explain the very real plight of the Palestinians) PLEASE go to the link to read the story in full- to help let the newspaper know the story is popular- and to help bring in ad revenue for those newspapers who dare publish Palestinian perspectives... & feel free to write the newspaper a comment, note or formal letter.

...for Palestine Inspires

Monday, December 15, 2008

Giving Gifts

Sorting through all many tempting photos I've taken of my family and home since the last time I blogged Growing Gardens- and all many tempting themes... I keep coming back to one theme that seems most important- and none of my own personal photos really fully express what I want to write about today.

Giving Gifts.

I think the first gift we are ever given is the gift of positive thoughts.

Hold a newborn and you can not help but be drawn into their eyes as they are drawn into yours... and you can not help but hope for the best for this child... this gift of life.

The gift of positive thoughts.

In living a gentle, civilized life, over and over I try to bring the best of myself to my family and friends... and to the organizations and ideas that I believe are worthy endeavors, worthy investments of my own time and energy.

Every day I am blessed for I am married to a good and decent man. Yeah ok he is not entirely perfect- but he is perfect for me...

He is a good man and a good husband and father who daily gives the gift of his time, and the gift of his wide knowledge, and the gift of his hard work, and the gift of his great sense of humor to help make our world and our home a better place.

The gift of positive thoughts.

This week three important appeals for donations have appeared, like the three wise men. Each organization is different- and yet all three are very concerned about one subject that concerns my family- and that is Palestine.

I often blog these organizations' appeals because I think they are important... not only as it is VERY important to give money to help worthy endeavors, but also because each appeal helps explain their core mission, and their goals- and what they have accomplished.

The first best gift you can give is good thoughts... and then if you have a bit of money to spare, please feel free to invest it wisely in good ideas- and decent organizations that seek to help educate America about Palestine.... and the crucial importance of respecting the Palestinian refugee's inalienable legal, moral, natural and sacred right to return to original homes and lands.

Right now, more than ever, the people of Palestine need our help.

Mainstream media work... Help free Palestine with positive thoughts and efforts: As always (for good stories, and honest stories that help explain the very real plight of the Palestinians) PLEASE go to the link to read the story in full- to help let the newspaper know the story is popular- and to help bring in ad revenue for those newspapers who dare publish Palestinian perspectives... & feel free to write the newspaper a comment, note or formal letter.

Growing Gardens for Palestine

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Connecting the Human Family Step by Step...

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Twittering

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Rivers of paint...

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Christ was a Palestinian

Friday, December 19, 2008

Anniversaries- and Accountability

Monday, December 15, 2008

Giving Gifts

It Being Sunday - a poem by Anne Selden Annab

Links