Mystery Solved

Last week I wrote about my concern over some spray paint on a neighbor’s lawn. Had I been more observant I would have noticed that the spray paintings continued into the middle of the street and have since been joined by other mystic marking in various colors. Several signs have been delivered which boldly announce that the street is closed. Obviously this is all in preparation for some massive project the city has in mind for this part of the world. At least I noticed the continuation of the markings before I called the police. It would have been a touch embarrassing. ¶ Last week I wrote as well on not feeling my usual chipper self. With the return of the sun and the week off of chemo I’m feeling as normal as normal gets. Several people voiced their concerns. There is no need to be concerned any more. Thank you.

¶ The trip to Omaha did take place on Thursday. We were excited to see the daffodils. There was a massive cold front that passed through with Omaha on the northern edge. The daffodils suffered from freezing temps. There is a very large field of daffodils but it was less than striking due to the weather. We should have traveled earlier but there was no way to work it into the schedule. There were other lovely things to gaze upon such as the red bud trees. We saw a white flowered red bud tree that was spectacular. They are fairly impossible to grow here otherwise I would be sorely tempted to have one. ¶ The landscape architect arrived on Tuesday morning to hear my explanation of what I wanted to have done. His crew is very busy and they are very behind in their work but I’ve at least started the process. It’s still too early to plant here. The days have been mild, but the nights not so much. It was 23º one night last week. ¶ My right-hand man is cleaning out planting beds as I write. The front garden looks every so much better. I’m grateful for his work, both in and out of the house.

¶ In the Episcopal Church Calendar, the trial one, today is Genocide Remembrance Day. There is a day earlier in April when the Holocaust is remembered on the civil calendar. This day was chosen because the international community recognizes 24 April as a day of remembrance for the Armenian Genocide. It is touching that our President will officially recognize this atrocity. ¶ It is not just this event but Croatia, Nazi Germany, Zanzibar, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, East Timor, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Kurdish Iraq, Tibet, and others that are remembered. This is not a comprehensive list.

¶ The commemoration brings back to my mind the visits I’ve made to Dachau in Germany, Terezin/Theresienstadt in the Czech Republic, to the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, and to Yad Vashem in Israel. All of these visits were tremendously moving. I purchased a mezuzah at Terezin which is affixed to the door frame of my front door. ¶ The two most memorable events of my visit to Yad Vasham, the memorial to Holocaust victims near Jerusalem, are the Children’s Memorial and the Garden of the Righteous (Gentiles). ¶ The 1,500,000 children who perished at the hands of the Nazis are commemorated in a circular building. One enters and begins circling the perimeter. There are candles and pin-points of light, otherwise darkness. Some atonal music is played and the names of all of these children are read 24 hours each day until the list is completed and then it is begun again.

¶ The Garden of the Righteous commemorates those non-Jewish persons who assisted in helping the Jews escape the genocide. Pictures are included in this blog of the doors of the museum, a marker in the Garden of the Righteous, and my mezuzah. Since I can’t attach captions to the pictures, or I can’t figure out how to do that in this new Blogger version, you’ll have to figure them out for yourself. ¶ The purpose of this day is to call each of us to remember the cruelty shown toward other human beings by human beings simply because of who they are not what they have done. Awareness is the solution. We see evidence of hatred of others every day in the news. Genocide is happening right now in places around the world. ¶ As I predicted, my visit to Erik the Red was not noteworthy. It consisted of questions–how are you feeling? Any repercussions of the Gamma Knife treatment? We’ll order a hi-def MRI in two months. See you. Bye. ¶ There you have it. Enjoy the last week of April. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.