Diary--Parsha Terumah, and a Bee in the Ume tree

And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.  
Exactly as I show you--the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of its furnishings---so shall you make it.  
--Exodus 25:8~9, from Parsha Terumah

I walked by the Castle garden, smelled the blossoms on the ume tree.
A bee came by and did the same, so I moved out of the way, as he, the bee,
had work to do.

Then I saw there was not just one but two, no three,
there were many bees
buzzing around the ume tree!!  The first bee got most of the honey (pollen?) and so the next one to come had to try another blossom.

Things were busy at the ume tree, and then some men came and said it was a construction site and I would need to move outside the limits of the construction.
They had work to do.

So I moved outside the fence and did a little sketch.
This scene with the workers and  wood beams beneath the Ume tree reminds me of this week we are reading in Parsha Terumah about the Tabernacle and the description of the materials, all the acacia wood to make the various structures, everything laid out,  and what is to be done to make the sanctuary where God will dwell.  The descriptions about the menorah are so wonderful, and the design of the menorah is patterned with almond blossoms, and its branches are like a tree.

The description of the menorah starts out,

You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its base and its shaft, its cups, calyxes, and petals shall be of one piece.   --Exodus 25:31

and continues, 

Six branches shall issue from its sides; three branches from one side of the lampstand and three branches from the other side of the lampstand.  On one branch there shall be three cups shaped like almond-blossoms, each with calyx and petals; so for all six branches issuing from the lampstand.  --Exodus 25:32, from Parsha Terumah

I noticed that one construction worker's hat was spray painted gold.
And they were painting the beams with a roller dipped in gold paint.
 Unusual details.
And they were all dressed in camoflauge.

(I am struggling to write the last sum up line here, something about the way we receive our instructions from our Boss up in heaven.  I will see if I can get a good sentence to follow, leaving this in parenthesis for now)

Note well, and follow the patterns for them that are being shown you on the mountain.  
---Exodus 25:40

Blessings and Shavua Tov!!

Have a great week.
Love,
Shayndel

Note:  Ume Tree, Ume = Plum, so the Ume tree is the Plum tree.  Ume is pronounced oo-may and written like this in Japanese: 梅　or  phonetically, うめ.  Can you see the bee, and the man with the gold construction hat?

You shall make bars of acacia wood; five for the planks on the one side wall of the Tabernacle, five bars for the planks of the other side wall of the Tabernacle, and five bars for the planks of the wall of the Tabernacle at the rear to the west.  The center bar halfway up the planks shall run from and to end.  Overlay the planks with gold,                                                                            ---from Exodus 26:26