Being on holiday means you can do whatever you want to even if it means being online all day :) which means you can follow all those links you always mean to follow but never have the time to do. Of course , you do eventually have to surface and get on with life.

Last night was a treat for all the senses when we went out for quite a long drive to have supper at Abu Said - an Arab restaurant with delicious food. Of course the camera had to be fed first. How else to do you capture the moment? Especially when I rely so much on my photographic memory.

What are we going to eat? I asked. Salads, I was told. Hmmm......

Well this place certainly gave a whole new dimension to that word. Almost as if by magic, suddenly the table was full of plates of different salads. I recognised houmous, cabbage salad, Israeli salad, avo, labaneh and could that be egglplant? after that it was a case of ask, and taste. But first huge lafas had to be put down - somewhere. Definitely this is my kind of eating because who needs forks? break off a chunk of lafa, dip it into the stuff and stuff it into your mouth. Mmm.

What? More salads? Can't fit any more on the table? Don't worry, just balance them on top of the first lot. Oh, and how could they forget the felafel? And we also shared shishkebabs which were delicious. By now there really was no space left on the table. No problem, whisk them all into, onto and all the way up your arm, and the table is clear in one go.

Dessert was baklava and malabi - a white milky type thing with sweet pink rosewater syrup poured over it. And coffee or tea. Learned very quickly to say "bli nana" because I really dont enjoy mint leaves in my tea and that's the standard way tea is served here in Israel it seems.

People watching is a great past-time especially when seen from the comfort and safety of a car.

Being on holiday means having time to look around and get a feeling of everyday life around you. Tourists often see a new place from a very different point of view - what's next -tick off on list and off to the next stop on the itinerary. This time round I am not a tourist, just here on holiday so I can relax and enjoy everything.

Anyone who feels comfortable and welcome and does not have to put on airs and graces for the benefit of their hosts should sleep very well. Ergo, that is exactly how i feel here and therefore slept very very well. I wish everyone could have what i have ... true friends who accept me just as i am and who let me 'just be'. true friends with whom i am so comfortable they make every day special. (and so uncomplicated).

So day 1 was spent quietly at home. but not all that quietly when the three skypes were open.

And after that good night's sleep there was today to look forward to.

Zo took me to meet Sh L for coffee. after an exchange of photos and family news we shared travel experiences and suddenly a voice called my name! and there was Merle - it couldnt have happened any where else in the world. In Israel, it happens all the time.

And the coffee break turned into lunch and still we chatted till it was time for buses. Again my tentative attempt at being a bit adventurous was foiled. one phone call to check in and say that i was on my way and my trusty chaffeur and navigator arrived to pick me up for a guided tour of Hertzlia etc and north Tel Aviv. Highlight - The Agam Building - a true work of art and architectural beauty.

The Agam Building

And now for my daily dose of the interenet....

A feeling of achievement is travelling on your own and getting to your destination with no fuss or bother.

yes, of course i thought i could do it, but it's a nice feeling when thought becomes reality.

and it felt SO good to feel relaxed and un-worried, just letting things happen.

first item to be unpacked? the laptop. but then i didnt even get a chance to get near it because Zo now had a new toy to play with. can't believe i have a better windows than he has! eventually i got it back to sort some photos until it was again taken from my hands so he could play picasa. our laptops are now standing back-to-back and if we had a 'lazy susan' we wouldnt even have to get up and move to swop computers.

isnt it amazing how someone who hasnt even unpacked a case yet can explode all over a room? not if you are me - then it is just par for the course. it's a good thing i have to live out of my suitcase here, at least that minimizes the places to look for my stuff.

weather is pleasant and not too cold here. apparently cooling down a bit but i am very happy with that. i have to keep reminding myself it is going to get dark early. i am sure that is not going to stop anyone from going out.

time to make the contact phone calls now - then plan for the next few days

I am free to think wonderful thoughts.
I move beyond past limitations into freedom.
I am now becoming all that am created to be

I will be more tolerant, more accepting, more loving and more creative every day

IN THIS NEW YEAR I WILL TRY TO FOLLOW THIS

Practice for the New Millennium by the Dalai Lama

1. Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of each day rememberingwe all want the same things (to be happy and be loved)and we are all connected to one another.
2. Spend 5 minutes breathing in, cherishing yourself; and, breathing outcherishing others. If you think about people you have difficulty cherishing,extend your cherishing to them anyway.
3. During the day extend that attitude to everyone you meet. Practice cherishing the "simplest" person (clerks, attendants, etc)or people you dislike.
4. Continue this practice no matter what happens or what anyone does to you. These thoughts are very simple, inspiring and helpful. The practice of cherishing can be taken very deeply if done wordlessly, allowing yourself to feel the love and appreciation that already exists in your heart.