The Damascus Gate

 

Dearest Neighbor has been wanting to take us to the Damascus Gate for about a year and we finally went. Despite this and that dietary restriction, we had a great, TASTY time.  After, we walked through the nearby basilica.  Yikes!  Usually, I would prepare my kids beforehand, but as this was a last minute decision... Whoa!  "Don't jump down the stairs!"  "Don't go up on the sanctuary!"  "Don't touch the holy water!"  "Don't blow out the candles!"  I felt as though I were restraining a pack of wild dogs amidst a plaza-ful of pigeons.  -a sigh-  Let's just say it was training for our future visits to Rome, Paris and London.  I wish!  

Fun with the Ethiopian Hug

 

Church

 

Thanks, Ty.

 Bye, Jack.  Thanks for 16.5 years of falafel and Uzbek fire carrots.  It's been tasty.

Bonjour, Jacques!  Nice to meet you!  Here's to 16.5 years of tastiness!

And you know what else speaks to me?

 Swamped cedars in the sun and lilacs in the living room.  What?!

My heart's language

The City dragged a local beach of its obstructing driftwood the other day, heaping it next to a parking lot for the taking.  Rob's been collecting firewood for Fridays and I've been dreaming of a backyard table.  It turns out that driftwood, just like that greener-than-green, west-of-Portland temperate rainforest, speaks to my soul.  Wow.  -a lovely sigh-

Family meeting

We had our first official Family Festivus the other day.  And it was a success.  It turns out that I deserved that Jerstead-Agerholm gold and black Mediator t-shirt of the '80s, even though I was useless to Kevin and Quentin at the time.  Ha!  Girumy is a master of recapitulation and Ty is as sincere as they come.  The children would like to celebrate monthly, although I don't think that I have the mental capacity for that.  We'll see.