We speak English, don’t we?

The other day I started up a new WhatsApp group: Lloyds English. I announced it to my close family: Israeli-born offspring and Israeli-born wife, and stipulated that it would serve as a place where we’d communicate only in English. The immediate response to my announcement was: “What are you drinking and are you already drunk?” And […]

When Winter Wind Wears Desert Boots

It’s exciting putting out a new book. It’s hard to describe. It all begins with an idea, a small seed, which slowly grows and creates constant turmoil in my mind. The seed becomes a story – and then the story begins to write itself. It is then that I know that a book is inside […]

Tradition

How many of you are humming the tune from Fiddler on the Roof right now? Tradition. But I am not talking about tradition that reaches back through the ages to our ancestors. But rather small traditions that bring us closer to people dearest to us. One of the special things about my trips to Canada each […]

Curiouser and curiouser

I think I have become somewhat of a curiosity to my children. Perhaps this is a part of losing relevance as we grow old. Or perhaps it is also linked to circumstance. A close childhood friend of mine – same age as me – started having children much later in life. His oldest child is […]

Looking the devil in the eye – An Ode to Adva

I am not easily impressed. Perhaps this is a part of growing old and grumpy. And I must admit that after being married for 37+ years, I take many things for granted.  But there are times when something causes me to sit up and take notice. Adva, my wife, is turning 60 this year. Many of […]

Can beautiful people really feel the Blues?

I first saw the movie, Bagdad Café, long before coming to live in the desert, but even then its haunting sound teased me with dark promises as to where a desert road might lead. When I first listened to the Blues, I felt very much the same way. I wasn’t there yet, but it touched me in […]

How much is a Canadian flag worth?

The first time I saw Andy, he was being pelted by stones by the neighbourhood kids in Belgium. He looked quite dishevelled and forlorn at the time, to say the least. We swooped down to prevent any further attack. Seeing that we had formed a buffer zone, the children lost all interest and drifted away.“Thanks,” […]

Judge Me Not … well, maybe just a little

“You are a cold, mean, self-centred, unforgiving …” she stopped to catch her breath. I thought it best to remain silent. “You told me not to hold back,” she said.“Right. Knock yourself out.”“And condescending, even ugly at times,” she continued. I could see that she was still winding up.And this was coming from a friend. […]

Wannabe

“So, you want to be a writer?”“Well, yes.”She marked down wannabe. “Actually, I already published a book through eBook Publishers,” I assured her.“eBook Publishers?”“Yes, they just publish eBooks. But this time I want my new book to be published by a more traditional publisher, both in hardcover and eBook.”“Traditional publisher. You will need a literary agent for […]

When the wheels begin to grind

These are not words of confession, but rather an explanation. For most of you, this will be a journey into the complete unknown. For others, who have managed to look under the surface, much of this will not be too surprising, although there will still be parts that will have you shaking your heads in […]