Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Number One Son


Birthday blessings to you, dear Edo, my firstborn, my beloved son!

A blogger has to brag from time to time and August 27 is one of those days. A mother could not ask for a finer son. Edo has a heart of gold for all--for his parents, his own wife and son, friends, and strangers too. An encourager, a helper, a blessing.

Edo began his compulsory service in the Israel Defense Force just as the first intifada was starting. Luckily, he was assigned to a unit in the southern desert, away from the violence. He lived in a big tent for most of his three years of service.
In 1991 the Gulf War hit Israel. Those were days of terror for us, our family living then near Tel Aviv, as we sat in our sealed room ("sealed" with masking tape), wearing those horrible gas masks, air raid sirens almost every night, feeling the apartment shake as Saddam Hussein's Scud missiles exploded around us, and we waited to know if the warheads really contained the threatened poison gas. Edo received his discharge from the army just then. I was relieved when he flew away to Los Angeles for a little respite from all the craziness, out of harm's way.

The war ended but, like so many Israelis, Edo got stuck in America. He started a little business of his own, met a wife, started a family, settled down. You know how it is. So no, he has not come back yet.

But Edo is great at sending me videos of little sweet Kai and tons of great pictures of his family. In fact, Edo has reinforced his natural artistic eye with college courses on photography and has become a professional photographer! Yay!

If you hear of someone in southern California needing a fine and friendly creative photographer please refer them to EdoPhotographer (website here). Thanks!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SON, from your proud Mom!

32 comments:

  1. Happy birthday to Edo.

    You must miss him (and your daughter in law, and grandson) now that he/they live far away. ^_^

    A pro photographer? What kind of photographs does he make? Does he have a blog/website like you? ;)

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  2. Thanks Eki Akhwan. I would be happier if all the kids lived in Israel still, but the Internet keeps us in close touch.
    There is a link to Edo's website way at the bottom of my post. It's http://www.edophotographer.com/ where there are samples of his work. He talks of starting a blog like ours but he needs just to start, then it will flow.

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  3. Hi Dina,
    Yes, I did check your Aug 24 answer. Thanks.

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  4. Oh thanks, Eki. I've been so bad lately about answering comments that I was afraid readers give up on ever getting a question answered.

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  5. Dina: What a great tribute to your son and your loss is the USA's gain.

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  6. Happy Birthday Edo. God saves and blesses your family.

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  7. He is a good-looking son! How you must miss him and his family.

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  8. Hello Dina.

    What a traumatic wartime experience. I have always lived in peace time and I wonder how people can make it through war time.People complain and get strung out on such minute events in comparison to the trauma of war and that leads me to wonder how do you cope? Well I suppose nature is there to supply you with natural defenses that you did not even realize you had.

    My father is a world war 2 veteran and he has always talked about his experiences in the royal canadian navy how at 18 years old there he was at sea under attack from the air and the sea continually.At one point he had blood poisoning so he was moved to the infirmiry on the ship and the area where he should of spent the night was torpedoed.

    Well he was a professional singer and gave concerts on the ship. There is nothing like singing your way through the war. I must say that is an effective war time strategy.

    CONGRATULATIONS
    8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

    On your beautiful son and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to him.
    You must feel so proud. One of your most important missions in life is a tremendous success.

    He is so terribly handsome and so is your grandson.

    Thankyou for this news from Israel Dina.

    Have a beautiful day filled with love and light,
    ichandrae

    Shalom

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  9. It sounds like you have many reasons to be proud. Happy Birthday Edo!

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  10. Fishing Guy, Edo and I liked to fish together on the rare occasions it was possible.

    Meead, we appreciate your lovely blessing. Amen amen.

    Thanks Liz. Yeah, I guess he is. and yes, I do miss.

    Shimmy Mom, yes, thank God, he is a good boy, pure of heart.

    Ichandrae, so interesting about your father. My biggest fear during the Gulf War was for Edo and Naomi. Now that I live alone, my attitude toward the next war is much more "relaxed." It's just me at risk, no big deal.
    You're right. The best thing I learned from the war was that all my post-war troubles would seem trivial by comparison.

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  11. Edo is a lucky son. It seems like he knows that which makes him deserve all that luck.

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  12. Hi Dina.

    There won't be another war.

    Peace be with you.
    hugs.
    shalom.

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  13. please extend our electronic greetings!

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  14. Happy birthday Edo!
    you should proud of your mom too.
    Dina! I liked your photos.

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  15. you miss him terribly, but that's part of life - birds fly away form their family nests and make their own elsewhere

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  16. Happy Birthday Edo! The geography of people's lives can be so amazing, and it seems to be true of all of your family, Dina.

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  17. Louise, hmm, interesting idea.

    Ichandrae, do you know something I don't? No more wars here? I wish!

    Dong, ha, nice way to say it! Thanks.

    Aww, thanks, Sara N.

    M. Kiwi, yes, new nest is fine. Empty nest is fine. I didn't mean to give the impression that "miles between" are so terrible. It's OK.

    Thanks, Elaine. "Geography of lives"--I like that! Someday I'll tell about my years away, 1995-2006, as a volunteer on 3 continents.

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  18. Dina,
    Happy birthday to Edo and to you mom as well. His photographs a beautiful, quite an eye. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Suzanne

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  19. Happy birthday to your son, Dina. So you have two children living far away from you. You will certainly miss them. It's good you are about to see your daughter and her family soon.

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  20. Happy Birthday to Edo. I love posting about my adult children, I'm so glad you posted about Edo, today. I live in Southern California, and have saved his web-site, in case I have a chance to recommend him. If you come to visit him, let me know, I'll meet with you, and at the very least, buy you lunch.

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  21. "Louis" sends your son belated birthday wishes!

    Dina, you were right - "Louis" liked the link you sent him about the stained glass windows! Two of "Louis's" favorite places in France are the cathedral at Chartres and la Sainte Chapelle in Paris, with their glorious stained glass.

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  22. Merci, Webradio in France. I enjoy the pictures you post. Someday I will have to learn French.

    Suzanne shalom, my Naomi is also quite a photographer. Think there is a gene for it?

    Hi again Wil! Glad you are back from the bush and in civilization again. Well, Edo has been away since 1991 and Naomi since 1995, so I'm used to it.

    Jan, thanks if you find a new client for Edo. Sounds like fun to meet you in CA. Just don't let me enter your bookstore, OK?

    Louis, I know! I've seen your wonderful post on Chartres. That's why I sent you the link. I got interested in the cathedral after walking a copy of its labyrinth in an Arkansas church.

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  23. Clearly sharing experience via beautiful photography runs in the family.

    Happy birthday to the most fortunate son of a most fortunate mother. :)

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  24. Happy Birthday. My heart hurts when I hear a child is so far away...

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  25. Your son is a very handsome man. A Happy Birthday to him! I visited his web site; his photographs are lovely! I especially admire the more "intimate" ones.

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  26. Thanks for sharing this story. How scary time it must have been for you all.
    Happy Birthday to your son.
    Do you get to visit him much.

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  27. Congratulations - looks like fine specimen with the right kind of job ;-)

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  28. Hello Dina, from Dina in Malta, thanks for stopping by. Us mothers can brag about our sons/daughters no matter how far away they are or how old they are. Happy birthday to your son.

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  29. Happy birthday, Edo!

    Dina, somehow it makes me especially happy to know that your son is a photographer living in southern California! I wonder why?

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  30. Oh I am so happy you have such a son who sends messages and stays in touch, What a blessing, not all children are so aware. May he succeed in his endeavors.

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  31. Happy Birthday to Edo. He sure did grow up to be a very handsome young man and his son is just adorable. I have been absolutely astounded at Edo's photographic talent. He is truly an artist!

    I remember how both Tif and Jon would only want Edo to babysit them. They loved him so much! And now here he is being such a fabulous father.

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