Missing You

Free Gaza Flotilla Massacre

This is a letter I have just sent to my government in response to the massacre of the Free Gaza Flotilla by Israel. I am so tired of being insignificant and feeling useless to do anything to help. My suffering and frustration is nothing compared to that of the Palestinian people and this makes me feel worse.

Dear Mr Smith and Mr Rudd,


I am demanding that you, as my respresentative, do something in response to the attack on the Free Gaza Flotilla by Israel. It is way past the time that you, and our government, should let the Israeli government know that we Australians are against their brutal seige on Gaza and against their policies of collective punishment, dehumanisation of the Palestinian people and of the arrogant behaviour in the face of International Law. Enough is way too much. Our silence has contributed to this incident and to Israel believing that they have a law unto themselves. I am angry, frustrated and saddened by our lack of committment to the people of Palestine......imagine for one minute how you would survive living in Gaza under the most inhumane conditions...like me, you wouldn't. Step up and do something that will make us proud of our government and stop the seige of Israel, it affects all people in all countries...the suffering is not just limited to the people of Palestine. It's time to end this.

Davina Johnson

www.davinaj.blogspot.com

Friends

Friends

A Wren, A Swan

A Hand, A Glove

A Stream, A Creek

A Sigh, A Whisper

A Petal, A Leaf

A Wave, A Ripple

A Smile, A Frown

A Breeze, A Wind

A Mound, A Hill

A Shadow, A Mirage

A Difference, A Similarity

A Reason, An Inspiration

A Memory, A Thought

All these things,

So close yet distant

Are my expression that the best friends

Are those who, through their differences,

Evoke thought, compassion and love.

This is my new tattoo. Renae at Alien Art did an incredible job of transposing it from Kakayi's art work onto my arm. When it fully heals the red shading will be a bit more subtle. I love it and I am so honoured to have it as a part of me forever. 

"Freedom Never Die"

I spent last weekend with my sons in Newcastle. It was so beautiful to spend time with them instead of doing a running visit. Every time I see them though it makes me realise how much I miss them.

My mood when I come back home!

Grey

Friends I've never met and my next tattoo!!!!

Below is a picture of my next tattoo....this piece of beautiful artwork was specially created for me by a famous master calligrapher, Kakayi. He is a wonderfully generous man who lives in Belgium but originates from Kirkuk, south of Kurdistan. I found his work on the net and asked if I could use one of his pieces for a tattoo. He immediately replied and I explained that I am very passionate about Palestine and human rights. He offered to do a drawing in the diwani style of Arabic script and suggested the words "freedom never die". To me, these are hopeful words and words that echo my feelings for all people who are seeking freedom.
His response was ;
HI Davina i promesd you and i made in one good moment the calligraphy
i sent it in this a ttachment in a large format i hope that you well like it its not easy but but i have a very nice result
it is in diwani scripts ( Al huriyyatu la tamutu ) freedome never die injoy it after that i well loaded up in my own website and in the facebook also for the freedome of people every where greetings kakayi- Belgium

Kakayi is a friend I've never met.

http://kakayicalligraphy.webs.com/

Now I have to find a tattooist that will do this justice.

 

I am planning a trip to Palestine for my 50th birthday next year. A friend in Nablus has extended a kind hand and heart and said I could stay with her. She is warm, intelligent and very creative. She is the person who inspired me to do jewelry making. Another friend who lives in Jordan has said I can also stay with her and she'll take me to Petra and a few other places. A friend in Kuwait has offered to provide me with a motorbike so I can ride around with him and his friends if I go there. A friend from Australia is in Palestine at the moment and has been sending updates, stories and pictures back here. My friend is Nablus sent me her phone number to pass on to him so they might meet up while he is there. He has assured me that if they do meet he will take a photo of her for me.

These are all friends I've never met and their kindness and generosity makes me more determined to save and get over there to meet them. I know that they are all sincere in their offerings and I am honoured and grateful.

A man in Nigeria saw my necklaces on the net and asked if he could buy one. I told him that if he picked one that I still had I would send it to him as a gift. There were 10 pictures and the necklace he chose was the only one that I actually still had in the house. I thought that was an omen...he was meant to have it. So I posted it to him. Unfortunately I didn't write AIRMAIL on the envelope so it will take ages to get to Nigeria...but it will get there.

 

Wilfred's necklace

Imagine all the great people and opportunities you miss if you never reach out.

Things that make me go hmmmmmm

Hmmmmm in any context is desciptive. It has impact, it shows that the thought process has been activated.

Hmmmm - we all need me time. This weekend my husband and I had separate me times. He went for a 700km Harley ride with his mates to the coast and all around. I stayed home and enjoyed the solitude using it to catch up on 'my things'. I lit lots of incense and the fire, I made some jewelry, I watched some movies, I ate lots of chocolate, I cleaned the house to my liking and spent some quality time spoiling my dogs. I also caught up on what's going on in the world and with some friends.

Hmmmm - "This military order is part of a series of steps implemented by Israel to empty the West Bank of Palestinians, especially by removing them to Gaza. It will cause tens of thousands of Palestinians to be deported from the occupied West Bank. The orders substantively changed the definition of “infiltrator” and in effect apply it to anyone who is present in the West Bank without an Israeli permit. The orders do not define what Israel considers a valid permit. The vast majority of people now living in the West Bank have never been required to hold any sort of permit to be present in their own land and a demand to do so is preposterous."
This is quoted from an article by Nasim Ahmed of the PalestineTelegraph. http://www.paltelegraph.com/columnists/nasim-ahmed
The Hmmmm here for me is initially anger that again Israel is behaving like a rogue state disregarding international law, and secondly, it is frustration that again I am left asking "Why is this allowed to happen?"
There is , fortunately, a third Hmmmm. In researching these developments I have discovered that there are alot of Israeli citizens who are as abhored by their governments actions as I am. These people are ordinary citizens who are becoming active and speaking out at the atrocities carried out in Palestine in their names.

Hmmmm - I have met, and chatted with, many interesting people on Facebook. I was chatting with a guy in Kuwait yesterday about Harleys, and bikes in general, and he has invited Todd and myself to ride with him and his friends if we are ever in Kuwait. After telling him that I am hoping to go to the Middle East next year he said that he will arrange bikes for us to use while we are there. Very generous!! I am so keen now to get my bike licence.

Hmmmm - A friend from Australia is currently in Palestine and sending regular updates of his trip. Yesterday he was part of the weekly demonstration at Bil'in and witnessed firsthand the reactions of the IDF soldiers when confronted with non-violent protestors. He copped a dose of tear gas and was present when a cannister thrown by a soldier hit an Israeli protestor in the forehead fracturing his skull and causing a brain haemorrhage. Five protestors were arrested.

Hmmm - I finally received my copy of Ramzy Baroud's book 'My Father Was a Freedom Fighter'. You have to read this book...the emotional ride it takes you on is incredible but what struck me most was the resilience the Palestinian people have. It is a very thought provoking book and should be read to see the human side of the conflict and the affects it has on generations.

Hmmmm - Our friends were married last weekend in Tamworth. The ceremony was beautiful and the rest of the weekend huge. The Crosby Sisters sang at the ceremony and lots of other people sang or played with the band while others with no musical talent (including myself) danced until very very late.

Hmmmm - it says alot.

What's been goin' on...

The biggest news to happen is that I am going to be grandmother. My eldest son and his partner, Candace, are expecting at the end of November. I am very excited for them and for myself (because it's still all about me). Their lives will change, their priorities will shift and they will be so grateful for it. I haven't decided if I'll be a nan, grandma or nanny yet but I think the baby will decide that. My friend has told me the Arabic for grandma is teita and I like that alot.
News from Facebook...heaps of people have found myself and my husband, added us as friends and we have been astounded with the whole social network thingy. It has been good to catch up with people we haven't seen in years and find out what they've been up to. How cool is it that you can find people all over the world, have a conversation with them or just read what they are interested in or doing? Fascinating.
We had visitors from home come and stay with us over Easter. That was nice. We hadn't seen them for ages either....it sounds like we live the lives of hermits....It was great to relax, eat lots of food and drink wine and talk and eat more food and drink some more wine on and on and on....
We had a huge weekend a couple of weeks ago in Tamworth. There was a fundraiser for a friend of ours who has motor neurones disease and nearly $10000 was raised. Country Music people are soooo generous. It was a great turnout with over 400 people attending and Kootingal Bowling Club went off..the jam at the end of the night was awesome to hear and see.
I received my copy of the Humans Rights journal that published my poem, "The Burden of Choice". The Goodis Centre have done a wonderful job on its presentation. The eclectic mix of artists, poets, authors, playwrites and intellectuals is amazing. I am so proud to have been invited to be part of the First Edition.

The piece above is my sons thumb print which I moulded in Silver Clay. I love it. It's the first one I did but I think it is such a personal piece. I have since made one for a friends mum and he has ordered two more for his daughters. I just love the idea that you can wear something so intimate and keep it forever handing it down through generations, it's part of the family history.

Facebook

Everyone has been telling me for ages that I should join Facebook. I did join ages ago but never used it...it seemed to complicated and I'm not that social. But I have renewed enthusiasm now. I went on this morning because my sister added me as a friend, which I thought was nice after only being her sister for 45 years. Then I started looking around and discovered all sorts of interesting things. I added some friends of my own, had a chat with a charming man in Gaza and also chatted to my sister (who was not much help in answering my questions about Facebook). I admit that I am a convert. I promise not to add my son as a friend though...that could be embarrassing for both of us and I respect his privacy. I also promise my niece that I will continue to call it Facebook and not The Facebook - she has this idea that old people call it The Facebook. Getting back to my previous post, I now have another avenue to find people who I can annoy. Yeah for me.....