How Time Flies.

I can't believe it's over six weeks since I wrote my last blog. Despite positive announcements regarding the virus nothing much has really changed, pandemic wise, for us here and restrictions have increased for most of you in the UK. Also, whilst there have been Government statements regarding family abroad of recent immigrants being allowed to come to Israel from mid December, there is no evidence that this is actually going to happen. Whilst we would no longer have to quarantine if visiting the UK most of our family and friends are living in tiers two or three, so we can't visit them or them us, and we would still have to quarantine when we get back to Israel. So we make do with WhatsApp and Zoom and get on with our lovely life here. We have two big positives; we can have up to 10 people in our house, family and friends, and the great weather.

There is no Autumn here, the leaves don't change colour and you go straight into Winter. Despite dire warnings from Israelis, the weather has been glorious. Israel desperately needs rain, in fact there is a prayer that is said in the daily prayers from October to April, by Jews all around the world asking for rain in Israel. When it rains it's torrential and because we are on the coast it's accompanied by strong winds and spectacular thunder and lightening. We have stood outside with friends as if watching a fireworks display. Unfortunately, I have been unable to capture the lightening on camera, but I think you can see the strength of the rain in my photos. Foolishly we didn't bring any golfing umbrellas with us, but my Renoir telescopic umbrella has survived unscathed. A lady I met in sunny Tel Aviv, referred to it raining continuously last week, but it actually was only for two days - they have no idea what continuous rain is really like, especially when five minutes after it finishes raining it can be sunny again, as per the pictures below - and this seems to be a pattern. A couple of days a week it rains but for the rest of the week it is sunny and a very pleasant 21 degrees. Every day Malcolm and I marvel to each other that we can't believe the blue skies - we are very boring on the subject!

We managed to get the taboon working and learning from Malcolm's first disastrous attempt we have mastered pizza making and have been having a lot of fun making for ourselves and with friends, definitely better than you can buy.

The previous owner of the house didn't like any vegetation growing on her property so, having finished the work inside the house, we turned our attention to the outside. We are fortunate to have trees which over look our property, but wanted some greenery inside. A fortnight ago we were very excited to take delivery of five fruit trees, pomelo, red pomelo, orange, lemon and clementine. Some of them even had fruit on! This week we planted troughs opposite the trees and on our balcony and each day more of the flowers open.

I posted a message on a local English speaking WhatsApp group here inviting people to come round for coffee and to borrow books. Some people have come just to borrow books, but some have stayed for coffee and we have met some really nice people with whom we have started to make social arrangements. Through this I have been invited to join a local book group and have also found fellow jigsaw puzzlers. I have found someone happy to have a go at my recently completed 4000 piece (2nd lockdown) and they have lent me some more modest but very enjoyable puzzles. Malcolm attends the synagogue at the bottom of our road every morning and has found everyone very friendly and he attends a very interesting Zoom medical ethics course, once a week. Meanwhile I am continuing my Zoom Hebrew class and Zoom Borehamwood art group.

We are fortunate to have a lovely outdoor shopping centre ten minutes walk from us, called Piano, and although the restaurants and cafes are not allowing anyone to sit, in or out, they do take aways and we can meet friends and sit in the public spaces. One of the joys of winter is that there is none of the humidity of the summer and the evenings are cool so wandering down to the Piano in the evening for a takeaway supper occasionally or walking down to the beach is a pleasure.

With indoor venues closed we have taken out a year's subscription to the National Parks and try and go on an outing each Sunday.

.

Sadly the virus situation is still not under control here and there are threats of another lockdown over Chanukah, which would be very sad as we are looking forward to having Gila and Tzvi with us for Shabbat Chanukah and have candle lighting arrangements with friends on other nights, so we try not do dwell on that and instead, after a lifetime of Christmas centric winters, are enjoying the build up to Chanukah - although I confess that for my morning swim I have Magic's 100% Christmas songs blaring over my speakers - goodness knows what the neighbours think!

From the 1st of the Jewish month of Kislev doughnuts go on sale in all the shops, alongside Chanukah decorations, chanukiot, the 8 branch candelabra, and oil and candles. We were very excited to see a chanukiah at our nearest road junction and were offered wonderful doughnuts at an art gallery in Tel Aviv. We shared two doughnuts and they tasted as good as they looked.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Malcolm still has a lot of work so I have a new project for the third lockdown. All the rooms in our basements have windows but they all look out onto a wall and Malcolm has asked me to paint a mural on the wall outside his office. A new friend recently showed me a mosaic she is working on so with her inspiration and guidance I am planning a mural which includes mosaic, and shells from the beach. Malcolm isn't too thrilled about me scouring the streets for bits of broken pottery and discarded tiles, but I say upcycling/recycling is all the rage! So I've bought my roller, brushes and paint, I have a tile cutter, the wall is prepped and I'm ready for lockdown!

Today is six months since we made Aliyah. Despite the pandemic its been an exhilarating, energising and joyous experience but how time flies......

Wishing you all a happy and safe Chanukah and Christmas.