European update 3rd of July

It's raining again and again..

No, it isn't England here, it did made me sad to see those old English ladies gathering 

their china and sleeping on matresses on the floor of a relative as their home became

an arc in the flood.

I wonder if i would have the same  empathy towards the old Swiss ladies here,

though i have met some nice old ladies walking the dog, on the whole i see them 

as one team of well ironed pants suit, and hair that gets done at least once a week,

i wouldn't mind if their feathers would be a bit ruffled ..

 Nothing moves the Swiss too far off their  point of balance, not even the  ever changing

 weather.

Just had a talk-argument with my mother, i did not even realize i was talking loudly  

the kids had the usual toon afternoon to torture me with and i had no idea i was yelling till 

my mother said; "the doctor said i should avoid stress or stressful situations.."

My mother, the world champion in double talk, on the one hand she will invite me over

to visit and trust me 32°C always sunny weather has never  seemed  more appealing to me 

then she gives me a big hint that she is to avoid stress, so i can come but avoid talking to her

about anything, and leave my dog behind.

I was optimistic i thought shellbee would melt her heart but no, she has grown to be anti dog 

even more as she grows older,

yes, this is the woman that  has been saying since  the  age of 40 that the doctors says she

has high blood pressure, and that she can not have animals in her house..

I thought to fly over to her , skipping a much needed purchase of a new bed sofa

while the kids are away with their dad for two weeks however

lately i have seen too many ads offering great deals , hotel and flight , meals included

to all kinds of destinations which do not involve family meals from hell.

Why do i need to be treated as the town's fool when i could be off somewhere reinventing 

a new identity and to quote pink  " I am not dead yet"

On   a larger scale , i am thinking how little exposure the death of 10 Spanish tourists

in Yemen had, the British almost terror attack got far more publicity

perhaps it is because the world speaks English..

So i am glad i am not planning to go anywhere near Yemen in the near future.

One last comment, 

Every time I go to Israel , especially in the autumn or spring i can not help noticing 

how empty of tourists the beaches are and wonder why in the world tourists think that 

places like Egypt or Yemen or even Dubai are safer?

Statistically there have been more incidents in Arab countries than in Israel,

still the Swiss papers are full of ads inviting the tourists to spend quite a bundle and

tour the archeological sites of Yemen and Jordan this is while Israel has

some of the most important sites  to Christianity, Judism and Islam, a lot of history

and lets face it, a lot of security !

If i did not have to suffer in family meals and relive childhood torture i would jump at the

opportunity to go to Israel i often think,

the variety of cultures that gathers there, the variety of food at the market places, 

the friendly and outgoing people (not related to me)

the great weather and lets face it, the handsome security guards everywhere,

still i am looking at my options , i think leaving  my dog, who just got an international

passport lately  , behind as i once again fall into the role of chicken little at the family table

having chosen the road less taken , seems to me an unlikely choice.

Just left my mother a message, you can come here, i will get a nice hotel in the mountains

but i don't think i can come ..

Whenever  i took the kids with me to see the family , i would be too busy running around with them on the beach 

keeping them fed and busy, now that i will have time to take a hard look at the family

knowing they were never there at my most difficult times and on top of that

consider me the family's backward black sheep , i think i am staying here

in the rain, at least here in Switzerland if you place the garbage in the right containers,

and recycle, they leave you alone.

Completely alone.

oh, Happy 4th of July!!