Summer in Colorado

(With Joseph at a Colorado Rockies game, September 7th)

Shalom to anybody still watching for new blogs from me . . . For whatever reason, there hasn't seemed to be as much material and/or motivation for blogging since returning to the States. Maybe because this seems old and familiar and not of interest. Or maybe I need to look at this from a different angle--now, instead of sharing my life in Israel with friends in the States, maybe now I am sharing my life in the States with my friends in Israel! :-)

Let me try and summarize my first six months back in the States in one paragraph . . . After setting foot back on Colorado soil May 5th, I spent the month of May largely unpacking, adjusting, and spending time with family (including a week with my brother at his home in Arvada). I was quite surprised to find and begin a job in June! I wasn't really anticipating that step until mid to late July, but the perfect job appeared and a brain doesn't think so clearly at midnight! I sent in my resume, was called the next morning to schedule an interview, and started working at a hotel in my town on June 17th. This role is virtually identical to the role I filled in Israel my last eight months there--head housekeeper/assistant manager/hotel supervisor. Basically, the general manager's right hand. I have found this type of position to be my strength.

(Okay, well maybe two paragraphs) June, July, and August gave me quite a taste of what a hotel's busy season is! It is crazy busy and never a dull moment!! Being short staffed sometimes made the summer quite a challenge, but each day worked out--the rooms got done, laundry somehow got done as needed, guests kept coming, etc. I found myself working 6 days a week, 50-60 hours a week. Things stabilized around the end of August; it was an interesting first couple months back in the American work force, but I love my job. It is the perfect job with a great boss and coworkers, and I am so grateful for this opportunity.

Other than working, I haven't had many big happenings, but there have been some fun and special events . . .

As I mentioned, I spent a week down with my brother, Kenton, in Arvada. Although he still had to work (responsible young man that he is!), we spent evenings having fun together, and he took me into downtown Denver on Saturday afternoon. I had such a spectacular time! We went to the REI flagship store--amazing! So much equipment for sale and such a customer friendly store.

The REI store from Confluence Park
Confluence Park is so named because it sprawls around the junction of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River.
After spending time at REI and the park, Kenton and I visited an amazing spice shop and then stopped for boba tea before heading back to his house. (If you've never tried boba tea, it is an experience. Just don't ask your brother to try and explain it before you try it!! The description may color your impression :-)
I went for a walk most of the days while Kenton was at work. A lovely trail following a small creek runs a few blocks from his house, and one could walk for miles.

A lovely spring day on the trail

Arriving back in Colorado in May felt like stepping back a month weather wise. Israel was firmly starting summer, with temps easily in the 70s or 80s each day--sunny and warm. Here, temps climbed into the 60s on warm days, but there were also many cool nights and cloudy/rainy days.

Beautiful sunset over the mountains on June 8th
Later that night, it poured rain and hail. There was over a meter of rain water in the window well; needless to say, Hannah's basement room flooded . . .

Hannah was awarded her associate's degree from Aims Community College the first weekend in May. It was so fun to celebrate with her!

Abbi and I had a little fun with all of Hannah's regalia . . . (this can be completely chalked up to jet lag--had only been home 2 1/2 days!!)
The first time our entire family was together in 16 months. This was about the 27th of 83 family pictures taken that day. After each attempt, a certain family member would say "let's just try one more."

Mom had wanted to do a little welcome home party for me and also a celebration open house for Hannah. Hannah chose to postpone hers a little bit so that she could share the afternoon with me. It was so thoughtful of her, and I was honored to share the party!

The PURPLE cake table . . . (Mom made the cakes)
Hannah and I with a very special family friend (our beloved Aunt Patty) at our combined party
Spring and summer at the Larson home would not be complete without baby goats. Although most of the does had kidded before I returned, there were still some left and I got to enjoy the new babies!
Hannah with one of Savannah's babies
Dixie's beautiful and splashy little girl

July 4th--America's Independence Day for my international friends. I had to work for some of the day, but then celebrated with my family with a barbecued dinner, fireworks viewing, cherry seed spitting, and red/white/blue temporary tattoos!
With Abigail and Emily
August brought with it the county fair. Since I have worked every weekend since beginning my job, I hadn't been able to attend any goat shows this summer with my siblings. The goat show at the Larimer County Fair was scheduled for a Monday; I was excited to be able to watch my siblings show and help Mom and Dad with the show paperwork.

Hannah ring stewarding and holding the next goat Emily was going to show
Emily, Joseph, and Abbi in the show ring with some beautiful goats!
And, what would a fair be without attending the rodeo? I was given complimentary tickets and enjoyed the performance with Aunt Patty. You know you're back in the States when you see the Stars and Stripes instead of the blue and white Star of David.
I had to laugh at this and thought you all might enjoy it. How does one transport a turkey? By wheelbarrow of course! I showed poultry for seven years and learned quite a few tricks in preparing birds for exhibition, but I hadn't seen this before. I didn't get my camera out in time to catch the bird in motion, but trust me, he was getting wheeled across the roadway!!

One of the things I really wanted to do was go to a Rockies game. I procrastinated most of the summer, so then Joseph and I were left with very few options when we combined our schedules with the Rockies home schedule. We were able to go to a Wednesday night game; the Rockies were hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Walking (limping in my case) towards the grand Coors Field entrance
Looking out at the field from behind home plate
However, our seats were not behind home plate :-) We still had a great view--could see strikes and balls and got to watch the outfielders in action up close.Something unique to Coors Field--the blue line running around the stadium near the top marks exactly one mile above sea level.
Unfortunately, the Rockies lost the game that night. Despite the loss, Joseph and I had such a fun evening. Some nearby fans were entertaining, we got our hot dogs and nachos, and enjoyed walking around the ball park.

So now, you are all mostly caught up on my summer! Coming up next--either a few more pictures from the last couple weeks in Israel or a review of my Colorado fall and short holiday in Denver . . .

Last few days of sight seeing (Part 2)

Looking west down Gershon Agron street, April 26th

I apologize for not getting this post up faster--the pictures have been uploaded for almost a month, but I haven't seen to find the time or mental focus to write anything about them. Part of the reason for that is six weeks after returning from Israel, I was honored to be offered a full-time job at a hotel here in Windsor! I was not anticipating finding a job that fast and am so grateful. However, I once again have limited time to write and blog.

But enough excuses--here's another glimpse at one of my last sight seeing days in Israel . . .

After a couple days walking around and through Jerusalem's Old City, I spent most of Tuesday, April 26th in the western New City. Jerusalem's Great Synagogue had been on my list for a long time, but I found it hard to fit in. You might be wondering why . . . mostly because it is only open for visitors until noon, and I did not want to be up and bushy-tailed that early on my days off! :-) But with two weeks at my leisure, I had lots of other mornings to sleep in . . .

In Israel, Pesach (Passover in English) lasts for seven days, the first and last days being a bit more ceremonial than the middle of the week. The international Jewish community, however, celebrates an 8-day Passover feast. Okay, here's where I try not to confuse anybody--there are those who live outside of Israel, travel to Israel for Pesach, and retain their eight-day celebration. So, while all the shops had been closed on Monday for the final day of Pesach, there were still some holding services in the synagogue on Tuesday for their final day. The downside to this was I wasn't able to take in my camera and photograph the interior of the synagogue (it is beautiful!). The upside was I got to sit in on some of the Jewish prayer service. I didn't understand every word (it was in Hebrew), but I picked out some words here and there. The experience was special and memorable.

For more history on the Great Synagogue and a few interior pictures, go to http://www.jerusalemgreatsynagogue.com/EN_HomePage.aspx.

The first synagogue on this plot of land was built in 1958, but the current building was completed in 1982 at a construction cost of $18 million. The building was constructed in the style of the Jewish Temple that stood in Jerusalem two thousand years ago, and it was inaugurated on Tu B'Av 1982 (wikipeda has a fascinating article on that specific date). The synagogue was dedicated to the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust as well as fallen soldiers of the IDF. (The building is visible in the top picture, just to the left of the tall building and above the trees)

The outside of Jerusalem's Great Synagogue--it really is "great", seating 850 men and 550 women. You can imagine the height of this building when compared to the people standing outside the doors. The windows are stained class and are beautiful from the inside with the sun streaming through them.

The dedication plaque to the left of the entry.
A closer look at the doors . . . the doorkeepers were quite kind, but unfortunately I couldn't take my camera any further.

A random picture as I walked back down Jaffa Road to the Old City . . . this is Jerusalem's version of a fabric store

After a relaxing afternoon at Christ Church, a friend and I went to the Israel museum that evening. This had also been on my list for the 16 months I was in Israel--I have no idea why I didn't get there sooner.

I have been to the Israel Museum on two of my three previous trips to Israel. The museum visit was scheduled for the first day of the tour my first two visits. As some of you know, traveling so far a distance aggravates vertigo for me, and it takes two or three days before balance is restored. My memories from my first two visits to the museum consist of dark edges around my vision, extreme lightheadedness, and concentrated efforts to not faint. Not very pleasant! In 2008, the museum was not scheduled for the first day in Israel--it ended up on the day I was confined to bed for 24 hours per doctor's orders. Unbelievable. I was so looking forward to actually seeing what was in the museum!

And I was not disappointed. Tal allowed me to spend a bit over an hour in the archaeological wing of the museum--that is a long time for somebody who's not into archaeology that much! It's not my number one interest, but I love to see all the finds from Bible times. Especially since I've visited so many of the actual locations--I can picture where the pieces came from. I was torn between being excited to be there and being disappointed I wouldn't be able to fit in a second visit before returning to Colorado.

After the archaeological part, Tal took me on my own private tour through the art wing. To be honest, if I had gone by myself, I probably would have skipped these exhibits altogether. I would have missed out bigtime! There was a whole Jewish history exhibit that was fascination, complete with reconstructed synagogues from around the world. Even the fine art exhibits were much more intriguing than I ever anticipated, largely due to my guide! Tal explained so many artistic concepts/techniques, the artists' backgrounds, and pointed out many details I likely would have overlooked. I walked into the art wing out of obligation to Tal (he had let me have my time in archaeology) but left having really enjoyed the tour. Tal--thank you so much for your patience and untiring explanations. I still can't believe how much I enjoyed perusing all the art, and that is due completely to you!

By the time we exited the building (three hours after entering), it was dusk over Jerusalem. The view was breathtaking.

The Jerusalem skyline, looking west from the Israel Museum
An illuminated waterway ran along the wide concrete path; it's unfortunate this picture can't capture sound and atmosphere.
At the top of the pathway stood this unusual display. The ground is reflected in the top, while the sky is reflected in the bottom. Tal knew the story behind its creation which really made it interesting.
The Jerusalem skyline reflected in the top of the metal sculpture
And then Tal and I had some fun with the reflective metal and my camera :-). The dusk colors made these a touch more intriguing . . .
Another look west at the skyline of Jerusalem
Darkness was falling quickly . . . here is one last look up the pathway at the museum. At the top is the reflective sculpture we stopped to examine.
A reflecting pool meets the glass wall of the museum's coffee shop
The illuminated Knesset building from the museum grounds
Tal and I took one last look back at the illuminated Israel Museum before walking back home.

Last few days of sight seeing (Part 1)

Beginning of the Via Dolorosa

A few posts ago, I shared with all of you my tour of Jerusalem's Old City via the ramparts. The views from the wall in all four directions are breath taking! If you remember, I had a different itinerary for that April Monday, but the morning's plan fell apart one site after another. Before walking the ramparts, I wandered around the Old City for awhile and thought I'd share with you some unique views . . .

I retraced the path of the Via Dolorosa from Lions Gate on the east through the narrow and winding city streets to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher . . . Literally meaning "way of sorrow," this path follows Jesus' route from His condemnation to His crucifixion; however, it is likely more traditional than historically accurate.

The beginning of the Via Dolorosa in the Muslim Quarter . . . it feels a bit crowded walking this street with one car going by, let alone cars trying to pass each other going opposite directions! The wisest thing to do at this point is step into a doorway and wait for the cars to work their way through.
Also near the beginning of the Via Dolorosa, these are original street paving stones from the Second Temple period (100 B.C. - 100 A.D.). The complete street was discovered about 9 feet below the current street and restored in the early 1980s.
One of the fourteen stations composing the Via Dolorosa--this seventh station is the traditional location of the Gate of Judgment and also the the traditional site of Jesus falling under His cross a second time. This station is still located at a busy intersection of Old City streets.
A look back down one of the streets along the Via Dolorosa--it is quite a climb from the east side of Jerusalem towards the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on the western side of the Old City. For a good read on the Via Dolorosa, go to: http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/ViaDolorosa.html
Turning down the road leading (eventually) to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter, one comes across an interesting sight. Tourist often second guess if they've taken the correct turn as this street appears to lead to the Mosque of Omar.
A bit of history here . . . this Omar was actually the main companion and adviser to Islam's prophet, Muhammad. He became Islam's second ruler after Muhammad's death. After the Rashidun army broke into Jerusalem in 637 A.D., the patriarch of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher would not surrender to anyone except the Caliph Omar. Omar traveled to Jerusalem to accept the surrender, and the patriarch invited him to pray inside the church itself. Omar declined, opting instead to pray in the courtyard. Thus, the Mosque of Omar was built over this site. The initial structure was built around 680 A.D., and the structure that stands today dates back to 1193 A.D. Its 45 foot minaret was added sometime before 1465.

But, once you actually walk down the little street towards the mosque, an alley to the left become visible. This alley only goes a few meters before it dead ends and the entrance to the church's courtyard is on the right. On the left, directly opposite, is this store . . . some things in Jerusalem never change . . . :-)
I wasn't interested in shopping for any souvenirs, so I turned right and down the stairs towards the church's courtyard. This is looking back up those stairs
The courtyard and entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This is quite a massive complex with numerous chapels and altars. This place has been a primary place for Christian pilgrimage since at least the 4th century A.D., and the first building constructed here around 326. As one might guess, the building has gone through many destructions, rebuildings, and restorations in the last 1700 years (and we Americans thought we had old buildings in New England!)
A closer look at the windows above the entrance--this ladder has an interesting and unique story. Well, to be truthful, the reason behind the story is discouraging and downright embarrassing for Protestants. Six religious groups share custody of the church--Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Roman Catholic, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syriac Orthodox. Sadly, these groups do not always agree and get along, and there have been numerous arguments over the years (to the point where a Muslim family living nearby has been entrusted with teh keys to the doors since the 12th century). In 1852, the Turks declared a status quo which is still in practice today. Part of this edict refers to religious practices in the compound--whatever arrangements were in place at the time (including worship times, decorations, lighting, etc) cannot be altered and are still in place today. Another part of the status quo edict states that no part of any place designated as common territory can be rearranged without consent from all the communities. Unfortunately, this often leads to neglect of areas that badly need attention and repair. On the lighter side of things, this wooden ladder was apparently placed outside the window more than 150 years ago and was used to haul food up to Armenian monks locked in the church by the Turks. Since the ladder was in place at the time the status quo was established, and since window ledges are considered common territory, the ladder has not been moved (and probably won't be moved).


On that odd note, I will bring this post to an end. The Old City has such a fascinating history and so many intriguing stories. I suspect one could spend years exploring all the streets, alleyways, buildings, and shrines and still not see everything. I am so blessed to have been able to live there for almost a year and a half and hope that I have been able to give you glimpses into this unique corner of the world!

Another birthday in Jerusalem!!

April 27, 2011 City of David, Jerusalem

I was thrilled to be able to celebrate a second consecutive birthday in Jerusalem! But, the story of this year's birthday actually begins last fall . . .

One Sunday last September/October, a volunteer outing was arranged with a local tour guide to the City of David excavations in Jerusalem. Due to the fact it was a Sunday (one of the dining room's busiest days), not all the volunteers were able to go. I was one of the skeleton crew who volunteered to stay back and go the second time around. As it turned out, the "second time around" never happened. I was somewhat disappointed. While I have been to the City of David before (two or three times actually), the guide is quite knowledgeable and I was looking forward to going in a small group and being saturated with information! :-) Netanel made some other trips to the City of David in the six months following the volunteer trip, but they were never mornings when I was free to go.

As my departure date grew nearer, I became resigned to the fact that it just wasn't going to work out (at least, not this time around). I was grateful I had been there before and didn't regret my decision of last fall to stay behind and hold the fort.

As the week of April 24th began, I had a few plans for that Wednesday, but as the days progressed, plans were constantly changing. My itinerary for Monday pretty much fell flat, so I walked the Old City ramparts that day instead of Wednesday. Tuesday, I visited Jerusalem's Great Synagogue and the Israel museum. Upon returning to Christ Church, I ran into Netanel who informed me he was taking a little group to the City of David the following morning and asked if I would like to join them. Answering that was a no brainer!! I was glad things had worked so I walked the ramparts Monday and I had no concrete plans for Wednesday morning. It was a bit of a birthday gift from God--I didn't think I would get to go and here, almost at the last minute, plans fell together. I was so excited!

Thus, at 9:00 that morning, we all met up for a bit of a history lesson and then left for David's City.

If you don't mind, I'll share a brief history lesson with you about this piece of ground. At the time of David, "Jerusalem" was actually called Jebus and covered approximately 10 acres. This is the city that David conquered in 2 Samuel 5. The picture below is a "then and now" view of David's Jerusalem. Looking north, the city was located on a little ridge south of what is now known as the Temple Mount. Late in his reign, David bought the threshing floor located on that northern ridge, and Solomon later built the First Temple there. Interestingly, the original city of Jerusalem is located on one of the lowest mountains in the area. The Temple Mount on the north, the Mount of Olives on the east, and the hills to the west are all much higher in elevation. Jerusalem is not located on any main trade routes, by a major water source, or near any other special natural resource deposit. There is no logical reason for it to become David's central city or such a renowned city today.


David conquered Jebus about 3,000 years ago; the centuries between 1000 BC and 2011 AD have seen many cycles of destruction and rebuilding in Jerusalem. Thus, the remaining city structures and walls are quite a ways below modern street level. Located about halfway down the mound are these remains of city gates from the time of the kings of Judah.
While there is interesting archaeological remains above ground, there are equally fascinating "footprints" underground. Assuming nobody is claustrophobic, it is an intriguing walk down to three thousand year old history.

Part of our path down . . .
Prior to arriving at Hezekiah's water tunnel, remains of a fortification from David and Solomon's time are visible. Jerusalem only has one water source (the Gihon spring), and protecting the city's water supply was extremely important. Here is a picture of what that fortification likely looked like. Interestingly, in 1 Kings 1, Solomon was anointed king at this location.
The remains themselves--this is the channel running atop the right wall in the previous picture. Unfortunately, the picture does not convey the size of this. It is huge and the rocks are massive!!
One of the highlights of a City of David tour is walking through Hezekiah's water tunnel. In the 8th century, the Assyrian army marched through Israel, conquering the Northern Kingdom and virtually all of Judah's walled cities. Hezekiah did a couple things to prepare for an Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, including bringing water from the Gihon Spring inside the city. While David and Solomon had built a fortress to protect the spring, Hezekiah diverted its course completely. According to an inscription found in the tunnel, workers started at both ends and met in the middle. Hezekiah's tunnel is mentioned in 2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chronicles 32:30. This water channel runs into the Pool of Siloam, located on the southwestern slope of the City of David. You may recognize the name from the story in John 9 when Jesus healed a blind man by sending him to this pool to wash his eyes. The Pool of Siloam is cut into the rock and was only rediscovered in 2004/2005. (There is a lot of details and pictures of this tunnel on the web, just google "Hezekiah's tunnel" to explore further!)

On this warm April day, I had a tough decision to make. Walking through Hezekiah's tunnel (complete with calf- to knee-high water!) is such a fun thing to do! It is amazing to walk through something so old--the chisel marks are still visible in the walls. But, there are also dry tunnels in the area, dating back to the time of the Canaanites. I had never walked through those before. Prior history made the decision--as much fun as the water tunnel is, here was an opportunity to see more.

So, I followed Netanel, Nathan and Nick (fellow volunteers), and Olga (CC staff member) through the dry Canaanite tunnel. It is much shorter than the water tunnel; other than that, it is quite similar, just dry!

Following Nick; this is one of the wider/taller sections of the tunnel
Little did I know what reward was awaiting me . . . Upon exiting the dry tunnel, one gets a breathtaking view of the city walls from the time of Manasseh. Once again, these are actually on the side of the hill because the city kept being rebuilt on top of former ruins. This double city wall dates back to the 7th century BC.
Looking south from the City of David . . . the city wall is visible on the right (we had climbed mostly above it), the Kidron Valley runs below it to the left. The hill on the left is now the village of Silwan.
And another new thing to see--south of the walls and a bit east of the Siloam Pool are the Tombs of the Kings. Nobody knows for absolute certain, but it is believed this was where the kings of Judah were buried. Obviously, the tombs have been long since emptied--Jerusalem has been conquered and exchanged hands so many times, it is hardly possible they would have been left intact. The area has also been worked as a stone quarry.

All in all, it was a fascinating walk through history. The people I shared the morning with made it even more memorable!

Netanel, our fantastic guide (Manasseh's city walls and a classic olive tree in the background)
Olga-one of my best friends
Nick--a fellow volunteer from Nebraska. In true gentleman-like style, he carried a bag for one of the girls who was going through the wet tunnel.
And Nathan-another fellow volunteer (from Oxford). Once again, the city walls are in the background.
After spending close to four hours exploring the City of David, I returned to Christ Church for lunch and found out my plans for the afternoon were not going to work. While I was a bit disappointed, that change freed me up to visit the Garden Tomb complex for my first and only visit this time in Israel.

Located outside the Old City's Damascus Gate, it's a beautiful and peaceful corner in a bustling city. I don't believe this is the actual site of Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, but it is a good visual and a quiet corner to spend some time with Bible and journal.

The Garden Tomb itself
A couple photos of the quiet path where I spent some time . . . You can almost hear the birds singing in the trees!
The one treat I wanted to get for myself on my birthday was a crepe in the Jewish Quarter. I don't know about all of you, but crepes are not extremely common in my area of the world. (Or maybe it's just me not knowing the places to go!) So, I entered the Old City via the Damascus Gate, trekked across the Muslim Quarter, entered the Western Wall plaza, and then climbed up to the Jewish Quarter proper to this great shop!

Spreading out the batter . . .
She did an amazing job flipping it!
And, all ready to eat!
I initially wanted a crepe with cream inside, but they were out of cream. So, she put hot chocolate syrup inside instead. At that point, it turned into a chocolate lovers' crepe--hot chocolate syrup, crushed oreos, and chocolate sprinkles. :-)

No more pictures from the day, but my lovely fellow volunteers also celebrated my birthday at dinner that night. The cooks had sung to me that morning--truly a special moment. One is Jewish, one Arab and they sang in English in harmony. That memory will last a long time! At dinner, they turned out the lights in the dining room to bring in a cake with candles and sang "happy birthday" both in English and then in Hebrew. The cake was chocolate chip and absolutely delicious (Well done, Elsa!!).

Other than catching a cold that day (severe enough to keep me in bed the following day), this birthday was enjoyable and memorable. So many special moments! Thanks to each of you who contributed!