Watching the World Go By

Watching the World Go By

This orange and white cat happily watches the world go by.

(Check out the Friday Ark, up at The Modulator. The next Carnival of the Cats will be up at Scribblings on Sunday.)

Equal Opportunity: Not

Equal Opportunity: Not

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation offers free bar mitzvah services at the Western Wall. Nice of them.

What do they offer to girls who want to celebrate their bat mitzvah? Zip, zero, nada, nothing.

In fact, if you look closely at their advertisement, you will see just what they consider to be the proper role of women and girls at a bar mitzvah. (Click on any image to enlarge it.) Hint: try the upper right-hand corner of the poster.

A closer look:

Yes, folks. According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the sole role of women who are celebrating the bar mitzvah of their sons and grandsons at the Wall is to stand on rickety plastic chairs and peer over the divider at the celebration taking place on the other side.

How’s that for an educational message to half the Jewish population?

Yirmiyahu Minds the Store

Yirmiyahu Minds the Store

Yirmiyahu was a shop cat
Up in Zikhron Ya’akov.
He supervised the people in a clothing store,
And he always wished them “Boker tov.”
Yes, he always greeted them with “Boker tov.”

Yirmiyahu is, of course, the original Hebrew for the name we know as Jeremiah. Boker tov is Hebrew for “Good morning.”

Yirmiyahu knows that in business, a good atmosphere is vital. He is always careful to give a friendly greeting to customers.

Running a business is a big responsibility. Sometimes Yirmiyahu has to show a bit of fang just to remind people that as friendly as he is, he won’t put up with any nonsense.

Keeping the books straight is a difficult and thankless task, but Yirmiyahu does an impeccable job. Every shekel is accounted for under his careful supervision.

Even a busy working cat has time for a skritch now and then.

Shop cats bring joy to the world.

(Catch the 126th edition of the Friday Ark up at The Modulator. Next week’s Carnival of the Cats will be at Pet’s Garden Blog on Sunday.)

A Walk in the Garden

A Walk in the Garden

There is a lovely garden near where I live, and this morning I took a friend to see it. I also took some pictures. (Click any image to enlarge it.)

One anemone:

Another anemone:

Sweet fennel in the rock:

Mushrooms after rain:

This garden, which is an absolute treasure, reaches its peak during our brief spring, though it is beautiful all year long. I’m very grateful that we have it.

Rakefet Sighting

Rakefet Sighting

The brief Israeli spring approaches, then withdraws. Today we had a clear morning and thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Before the heavy rains fell, I spotted my first rakefet (cyclamen) of the season:

Just Add Purr

Just Add Purr

Seen during my travels: a cat kit, complete with kittycat!

Where do I get me one of those?

(Check out 125th edition of the Friday Ark at The Modulator. The next Carnival of the Cats will be up at When Cats Attack on Sunday.)

Adventure in Jurassic Park

Adventure in Jurassic Park

No, not the movie. The pet-supply store.

Just before its final turn, the bus I ride home passes a small pet-supply store called, in Hebrew, Park ha-Yura—or, in other words, Jurassic Park.

The proprietor, Zemira, loves animals with her heart and soul. She leaves dishes of food and water in the store’s vestibule for the neighborhood cats. Although the store does not sell pets, it has its own working cat, a lovely gentleman by the name of Coca.

Minding the store:

Taking inventory:

Since the counter passed muster, Coca can continue on his rounds:

Zemira lives right nearby, so on Shabbat, when the store is closed, she takes food and water to Coca so that he can be happy on the day of rest, too.

Park ha-Yura: a Jerusalem gem!

Many Thanks

Many Thanks

I’d like to thank all the people, friends both here and abroad, who held my hand during a particularly stressful episode in my life recently. It is not anything terribly serious, but it is also something that I am not free to blog about.

Thank you for bearing with me while I obsessed. Thank you for your kind words and support and good advice. Thank you for understanding.

I’m still feeling somewhat stressed about the whole thing, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was before, in large part thanks to you.

I appreciate your being there more than I can say. Thank you so much.

I’m Over It (Mostly)

I’m Over It (Mostly)

But it sure took a long time leaving ... and it’s not completely gone yet. I’m no longer contagious, but it’s still the tail end.

And what a long tail end it is. I can’t wait till it’s entirely gone.

I hope it skips me next year.