shabbat shalom 04.01.07

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http://shabbat-shalom-jerusalem.blogspot.com/2007/01/shabbat-shalom-040107.html

Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 09:53:38 -0800 (PST)
From: "Linda Whittaker"
Subject: shabbat shalom 04.01.07
To: "Linda Olsvig-Whittaker"

Hi everyone,

This week was mostly a quiet one for me, focused on work and enjoying the feeling of being free from chronic pain in my foot. The antibiotics did their thing, and although my foot still looks rather ugly, I can put a boot on it--which in our current weather is rather important. It's cold here, but we have gone back to normal rainy weather rather than the snow. Rain is cold enough in our stone houses. I wear a thermal undershirt, fleece vest, fleece jacket, wool socks and lined winter boots inside the house, just adding a coat to go out. I'm warm but I look like a walrus.....

Teddy Kollek, our much loved mayor of Jerusalem for about 25 years from 1966 onward, died yesterday at the ripe old age of 95. The city paid its respects to his coffin at Town Hall, and today he was buried at Mt Herzl among the presidents and prime ministers of Israel, probably much better loved than most of them. Teddy was that rare creature, a politician who was totally dedicated to the welfare of the city in his care, rather than to himself. (Not that Teddy was an ascetic--he enjoyed his glass and cigar and gemutlichkeit like the born Austrian that he was--Arnold S., take note.) He moved heaven and earth to make Jerusalem a better place and was always looking for something more he could do for the city. We will miss him for a long time to come. It's great to know a politician can be a blessing rather than a curse....

I acquired another cat today. Absolutely my last one, this house is now topped up with cats. The same folks who gave me Rikki the crippled cat and Genius the toothless cat also gave me this 12-year old female from Haifa. She had been cat in residence at a community center for ten years until the place got a new manager who ordered the maintenance people to "get rid of the cat". (Sheesh, with ten years seniority it is more logical to get rid of the manager, isn't it??)

So the janitor and friends pleaded everywhere, but nobody wanted an elderly cat. Eventually the cat network settled on me......Actually she's a sweet, friendly, healthy female and will be no trouble at all, I think, unlike some of my crew. I'm sure the friends of Kitty will be relieved tonight to know she has a new home, but I hope that manager gets a case of shingles or psoriasis or something else difficult to cure.....kicking an old lady out of her home, that's mean... Big black warts all over his face, that's what HE deserves.....

Not much more to mention for now. At the end of the month I will try once more to go to Petra, over in Jordan. Already got my hotel booked there in Wadi Mousa and hope it works out this time. Looking forward to it, having missed most of the fun during the holiday season due to illness.

shabbat shalom,
Linda
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