Flowers and a rainbow.

Flowers can bring lots of messages.  They can say ‘I love you’

and show how much you care.  They can say ‘I’m sorry’

and be a peace offering.  But for whatever message they bring they will always make you smile, especially next to a cheeky duck!!  Can you see his grin?  This little fellow sits in my hall and grins at me when I leave the house, or come in, when I tread wearily up the stairs at bedtime, or skip (ha ha!) down them first thing in the morning!  No matter what, he is always there…grinning!  I bought the flowers a week ago and they are still shining.  I chose them because of this….

Dad painted this picture for Mum and it hung in  their bedroom.  Now it is waiting to go up in mine.  A bouquet of happiness!!  Other flowers have been squeezing into my cupboards too.  Like this…

and this…

Delicate patterns that are pretty, but hopeless for keeping a hot cup of tea hot!!!   Still, little treasures.

I have been continuing the green and white theme with my little Granny flowers.

It is growing, but very slowly because of these other little goodies…

Hair bobbles adapted from Lucy of Attic24’s flower pattern.

Birthday cards for adults and children…

All neatly packaged in their cellophane bags ready for the Sun Shine School fund raise.

The needles have been clinking too…

Rainbow Babies, pattern courtesy of Jean Greenhowe.  I love their little bobble hats…

(sorry about the hand shake!!!)  Then finally my first Christmas card design for this year.  One with a message…

‘Light and life to all he brings.’

Happy crafting!

Tears and a whistle stop tour!

Our walk around to the Garden Tomb followed the outside of the walls of the Old City.

Out of Jaffa Gate, passed New Gate and beneath these marvellous palm trees.

Across the road from the Damascus Gate, the Garden Tomb is in an oasis of calm in a garden.  In the hustle and bustle of a busy noisy city it is amazing that you can cut it all out and relax.

The path meanders through the garden believed to be that of Joseph of Arimathea, and leads you to a fence over looking a cliff face.  It is known as Skull Hill.

“And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of the skull)…. they crucified him.”  Matt.27 v33

“And Joseph took the body. and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and departed” Matt. 27 v 59.

As you enter the tomb you step over the gutter in which the large stone was rolled and stand in the large weeping chamber.  This area is typical of a tomb of the 1st century CE, and as with many before me I cried!  I cried that he died for me, but then I smiled that he was not there, that he has risen!!

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for he has risen, as he said.  Come see the place where he lay.’”  Matt 28 v 5, 6.

This shows the head stone inside the tomb.

Many people visit the garden including Barnaby,

He came with us wherever we went…

to Ceasarea..

to Megiddo National Park..

where both King Solomon and King Ahab built palaces.

Driving along in the bus..

through Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee..

Visiting the Jesus Boat..

and the Western Wall in Jerusalem..

Down the Jordon valley to the ruins of Masada..

and David’s Waterfall in the middle of the desert at En Gedi..

and lastly, Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls..

One amazing holiday!!  We hope you have enjoyed the tour!!

Now, crocheting.  ONE…

TWO..

THREE..

little gnomes from school!!

Herod’s palace.

Across the road from the Guest House is the marvelous sight of David’s Tower/Citadel.  At the end of the 1st Century BCE Herod the Great built a large palace on this area.  It is probably to this palace that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas.

“When he (Pilate) learnt that Jesus was from the region ruled by Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at the time.”  Luke 23 v7

The bottom courses of stone are from Herod’s time.  He built three large towers to rise over the city and the view today is breathtaking.  The old city of Jerusalem is small and can be seen in its entirety from the viewing platform at the top of this tower.  We just stood and marveled at the sight.

You could say we were ‘gobsmacked’!!!

The photos do not do the view justice.  The sun was extremely bright and the first thing you saw was the dome on the Temple Mount.

Behind are the seven golden onion domes of the church of Mary Magdalene built by Tsar Alexander III in 1888.  Even Barnaby was stunned!

Today, the citadel that you see dates from the Crusades, and houses a museum of 4,000 years of the history of Jerusalem.  Imagine being in and surrounded by so much history!!

These two pictures show the inside walls of Herod’s palace, with newer stones on the top.

The exhibits, completed to a very high standard, show the work of the Romans

and their mosaics and standards,

The Crusaders,

the Temple Rock,

the Ottoman period,

when the minaret was added,

and goes on to record the declaration made by General Allenby at the British capture of Jerusalem after the First World War. It was following this that a lot of the archeology was discovered, for example, the stones for the slingshot..

They are SO round!!

My feelings?  One of wonderment, and of being over awed.  Here was I staying in the Guest House at Christ Church opposite to Herod’s palace, sitting drinking coffee in a courtyard that was on the possible site of Herod’s lower palace, the place where Jesus was questioned.  The last days of His life was played out in and around these walls – boy!!!  I feel very small.

On another note, I actually did some crocheting last night and made my first little man……

just five more to make!

Come follow me.

Galilee is where most of the stories in the gospels take place, and we followed the road a round the Lake to visit many of these locations.  The area is beautiful.  A lot of it is wooded and green at this time of year.

The River Jordon enters the Lake in the north….

small isn’t it?!  Near to here we visited the site of a synagogue at Chorazin.

‘Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom, and healing people who had all kinds of disease and sickness.’ Matt.5 v23.

Barnaby pointed the way to the ritual bath, before leading us to the actual site of the synagogue.

After sitting first at the base of this column, he sat down in the Moses seat where the preacher would have sat to give his talk on the chosen passage.

Lunch time beckoned and our first taste of the St. Peter’s fish or Tilapia.   Be warned!!!

It looked a bit like a plastic dinosaur fish!  It is caught and gutted, and fried whole!  Peeling back the skin exposed the flesh but also huge bones, and this process was repeated on the other side.  We shared one, and Barnaby tucked in too!

We journeyed on to the area, or complex as it is now, where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount to his disciples.

‘Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where he sat down.  His disciples gathered round him and he began to teach them.’ Matt.5 v1 – 2.

I had always taken this to mean he taught the crowds, but it plainly says he began to teach them – his disciples as they gathered round.

We next spent some time on the edge of the Lake at the spot where it is said Jesus appeared to the disciples following his  resurrection.  It is one of the most serene and calm places I have ever been to.

The fishing boat reminded me of his call to ‘come follow me.’

A brief stop in Capernaum before climbing onto the boat for our trip across the Lake,

and I will let the pictures tell the story.

Nazareth

Although we didn’t visit Nazareth until the middle of our holiday, I think it is right that I should start here at the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.   It was extremely hot in Galilee and as you can see we needed sun glasses.

The Basilica can be seen behind Barnaby!  The complex is built over the entire area of old Nazareth, which at the time of Jesus was a very small place.  It roughly stretches from the trees at the end to where I am standing..

and then, again from where I am standing to the old house in the centre of this picture…

The whole area is given over to contemplation and is very quiet.  It is a strange place.  Countries have given pictures or mosaics of their interpretation of Mary and the baby Jesus.  Some of these pictures are beautiful in their own right, but none of them portray them as Jewish.  Their faces are appropriate to the country, e.g. Japan has a Japanese Mary and child.   These pictures are all around the complex both inside the Basilica and out.

You enter the Basilica into a dark space which leads up to and focuses on a small house, believed to be Mary’s.  At the time we went in a small service was taking place around this house.  I had all sorts of feelings but the overwhelming one was that I was REALLY  standing near to where Mary found out she was to have Jesus.  I have read the story so many times in different forms, to children and to adults, but to actually be in that place was mind blowing.  Needless to say I cried!!

To get to the main part of the church you leave by another doorway the stairwell of which was flooded with light. Not only did I loved the colours here, but I found it quite symbolic, for Jesus is the Light of the World and these photos just state that fact.

As I went through the door the light was soft, but it just flooded through the window and the colours grew and grew.  I think you will agree it is stunning.

I felt bathed in Jesus’  love.

This is the window through which the light came.

They were small but the colours were so intense.

Upstairs the Basilica had a completely different feel.  A different light flooded down from the dome, which is a beautiful piece of architecture.

It was crisp and cool in contrast to outside which was HOT!  They have also built over the remaining other old houses, therefore offering a bit of protection.

It was an amazing place, and if you look past all the buildings and focus on that first story, a place you can really feel close to the Lord.

High Tea.

I have been trying to make a tea cosy a month for this year’s challenge and I never thought a tea cosy would present itself in Jerusalem, but it did!!  My host took me and several other ladies out for High Tea.  Where do you go for High Tea in Jerusalem?  Well to the Olde English Tea Shoppe of course!!!  Yes I jest not, there really is an English Tea Shop!  A tea shop with a twist.  It has chandeliers….

Bright aren’t they?! Beautiful silver tea strainers…

Yes, they serve tea made with loose tea.  Trays of tea cups and milk jugs and bowls…

Shame about the sugar packets, but can you see the cake fork?  Then came the tea pot…

with it’s cosy.  It was crocheted – I had a good look – with charming little tassels around the bottom and the top.  But it didn’t have holes for the spout and handle, it had splits and it just plopped on the top of the pot!  Definitely one to make.  The best bit was yet to come.  Remember the cake fork?  I bet you are expecting cucumber sandwiches and cake, well… voila!!

The bottom two tiers are the sandwiches!  Each one a work of art.  Cream cheese rolled in freshly chopped herbs with salmon twirls on top.  Biscuity bases – savoury of course – with shredded vegetables built up like meshes.  Sweet touches with fresh peaches cubed and placed delicately in the centres.   It was amazing!!  Then there were the sweet bites on the top tier.  Little ginger stars, the taste of the fresh ginger was out of this world!  And the scones, served with little tea cups of cream and jam… mmmmmmmm!

And as it came we sang songs.  Anything to do with tea – Tea for two, and I’m a little tea pot, both songs and others, sung with gusto by all twelve of us!! Before we started our treat we also sang our thanks with Shabbat Shalom.   I said it was an English Tea Shop with a twist!!

We’re back!!

Boy oh boy!  Where do I start?  We have had the most amazing 10 days in Israel and I really do not know where to start!!  It was just mind blowing!  So while I get my thoughts together over the next few days, here are a few moments to keep you going and guessing!

Barnaby came too!

From Old Jerusalem….

to the new.

The blue sky at Ceasarea on the Mediterranean…

to the gentle waves on the Sea of Galilee.

From orange hues on floors…

to boxes of oranges.

Tropical moments…

to barren wilderness.

And the comical pout of the camel!!

A country  of contrasts in every way possible.

Getaway 2

Jesus commanded us to love one another and I have seen so much love this week!  Get Away is a holiday at home for the elderly; for those who find it hard to have a break from the normal humdrum of life.  The ‘Team’ have given their all into making three days very special for about 40 guests.  We have been singing, fun-exercising, drinking coffee, eating sumptuous meals and playing Beetle.  We have visited Egypt, Jordan, and Israel without a foot leaving the ground! Generally having fun and giving love to each other through care and attention.  The Team deserve all the praise they are given by the guests!!

My part in this holiday was to provide some of the crafts and these pictures tell some of the story.

Lots of stamping…

and cutting and sticking…

and Hama beading…

and Iris folding.

Then from this to this…

to this…

and finally..

Aren’t they great?!!  The plate bottom right was made by a blind lady.  She enjoyed putting the papier mache on which she could feel wet against dry and the pattern came from a stencil which she could again feel.  She came up with a very ingenious way of putting the border on.  One amazing lady!  Their ages?  Late 70s to early 80s.  Brilliant!!

Each day has finished with a short service or thought for today on the Easter message, showing us the love that God has for us.  I thank everyone at Get Away for the love I have felt.  So I encourage you to go out and share you hidden talents and gain a lot of love!

Easter.

Easter is often seen as the more low key celebration of the year.  Christmas is bright, loud and very glittery!  A time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and a time to get the family together!  A time to be joyful and often very over the top.  Easter is a time for relaxing and just chilling out.  But should it be?  Yes, Easter should be thoughtful on Good Friday, but it should be joyful and loud on Easter Day!  For that is the day we acknowledge what Jesus actually did.  He died and then rose to life!  It is a time to celebrate new beginnings!  For in dying He took all of the things that we should be sorry for, and in return gave us forgiveness.  We should be joyful that because of God’s grace we can be free to start again in a new life!

Now I always decorate the house for Christmas in a traditional way – you know in gold, red, and lots of green – but Easter I usually just bring in flowers.  Well this year, prompted by some exciting posts on other blogs about getting ready for Easter, I have decided to start my Easter decorating box!  Over the coming years I shall add to it and build up the collection, but this year I have been busy with my hook and made two of these to start it off.

I shall call them Chuck and Cluck and they have found a home in the hall.

They are ready to greet two very special visitors who are coming tonight.  Dotted around the rooms are some more greetings.  In the bedrooms..

something to nibble, and something to browse.

Henry came out to play in the other bedroom.

And downstairs yet more nibbles!!

So have a thoughtful and relaxing time this Easter, but a very happy and joyful one too!!

Purple patches.

I was stood looking out of the window yesterday when I got the call!  The flowers in the garden are really coming together now and a lot of them are purple!!  Now you know how I love purple and these little beauties were shouting ‘take me, take me!’  Not literally but pictorially.  So I gave in and with my camera in my hand I ventured out into the cold stiff breeze.  If anyone saw me they would think I was mad.  It was really blowing a gale, but between the gusts these pictures emerged.  I hope you like them!

I love the way the grape hyacinth poke their heads between the dense foliage.

These little clumps are everywhere.  Completely wild but oh so pretty!

This photo doesn’t do  this little polyanthus justice.  The flower is a really deep purple.

All the flowers on this hyacinth have not come out, but I rather like the fact that it looks like blue bells.

The aubretia deorates the edge of the rockery.  I love the way it cascades like little rivulets between the rocks.

And lastly the peirwinkle.  The gust caught me out with this one!!

“And so I tell you not to worry….. Look at the birds flying around: they do not sow seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them!  Aren’t you worth much more than birds?  Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?

And why worry about clothes?  Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves.  But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers.”  Matthew 6. v26 – 29

Yes,  God is good!