Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 22:06:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Linda Whittaker" <olsvig2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: shabbat shalom 02.05.08
To: "Linda Olsvig-Whittaker"
Hi Everyone,
Back at home again and getting settled. I left Zutphen during the "Queen's Day" celebrations in the Netherlands (the birthday of their beloved queen Beatrice) when the whole country dances in the streets wearin orange hats and clothing, and came back to Israel during Holocaust Remembrance day when the sirens sound and people stand at attention in the streets to remember six million dead in the Holocaust. Makes for a lurch in the stomach, a transition like that. Both countries are going into their holidays, and curiously, both have a memorial day for their war dead on the day before their independence day, which creates another emotional zag. I used to indulge emotionally in these holidays and found it wrenching; now I just watch from the sidelines with some detachment. It's healthier for me.
The week of holiday in Zutphen after my professional meeting was a good rest and a chance to get to know Holland better. (Actually it's Gelderland; Holland is the northern province around Amsterdam, but even the Dutch use the term interchangably with The Netherlands.) Got that Dutch bicycle and explored Zutphen, the water meadows alon the Ijssel River, the old Hanseatic city of Deventer, and Arnhem, which most Americans associate with WWII and the movie "A Bridge Too Far".
Arnhem and many other Dutch cities got truly flattened in WWII and the starvation and suffering in this part of Europe in 1944 is beyond any American experience. But the Dutch are a tough and hardworking people, so today the Netherlands has perhaps the highest quality of life of any country in Europe. The social support system is certainly the best. The country is peaceful and industrious, boring for the tourist perhaps, but satisfying for the people who live there. Personally, it is my favorite European country, not least because I can understand the language fairly well, which sits squarely between English and German, both of which I speak.
I was blessed with good weather most of the time, soft blue skies and the rare Dutch sunshine making pastel landscapes like this:
~Picture in original Email ~PSL
Yes, there are still working windmills in Holland, although most of them now are the giant Danish propeller-type electrical generators. A few old flour windmills continue in operation, mostly making organic flour and other eco-friendly products. (I have my favorite, a tiny windmill in Wageningen which does just that.)
It was a pleasant week, although the damp climate aggravated my arthritis, and my knees still hurt after so much time on a bike. For the most part, it was quiet and I got a much needed rest. The Dutch like to do things in good order and on time, which made my poking around the country go smoothly.
I also attended a Quaker meeting, old friends near Wageningen. This was partly curiosity to see if I still feel the spiritual energy that I used to feel in silent meetings. Sadly, I do not. I am sure the meetings are the same, and it is I who have changed. Worship, whether liturgical or silent, no longer touches me emotionally. So exploring the Quaker option as a supplement to my own congregational activities is probably not going to be much help. It is good to know that before I spend a lot of time on it.
I wonder what has happened. Perhaps as I get older all my emotional systems cool down and I am no longer as susceptable as before to the emotional influences of worship. I just can't get up for it any more. On the other hand I seldom get as upset and angry as I did in the past, so this coin has two sides, and I would prefer the serenity even though it means a certain coldness. However, it is best to know that is the case, and not fault the system when the change is in me.
So, back to life in Israel. My house was in order when I got home, which was a nice change from past experience, and I am gettin myself sorted before I plunge into work again on Sunday. All my house cats and dogs are fine, although I miss a couple of the street cats that I feed on a regular basis, and hope they show up in a day or so.
That's about all for now.
shabbat shalom,
Linda
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