Boker tov dear reader!

This past weekend brought a little bit of warm sunny weather after last week’s heavy winter storms. But the rains suddenly returned yesterday evening just as I was out picking up my grown children from all over the place (yes, they still need rides…constantly).

Without warning, we were back in the middle of winter. My son was soaking wet from having to wait just three minutes outside. It was then that I remembered we still had laundry “drying” outside in the garden. Our drying machine got a good workout later in the evening.

Once again, our heater is blasting at home. Yes, it can get very cold here in Modi’in. And that’s when I for some reason started dreaming of summer. How quickly one forgets the discomfort of the summer heat waves. We just want it to be warm again, to see the sun again!

This morning it was again grey, foggy and damp. Simply unpleasant. I’ve been nursing a cold for weeks already. It has become my constant companion this winter. And I’m not the only one. The staff at our editorial offices has dwindled considerably, with at least half of our colleagues out sick.

Winter in Israel can be harrowing

The flu hit us particularly hard this year. Twenty-five Israelis has so far died from complications related to the flu this winter. A shocking number. People are now lining up to get the flu shot. I have never before bothered, but maybe it’s something we should take more seriously in the future.

Unfortunately, there are no more flu shots to be had at present, as our health providers have all run out. Apparently, the Health Ministry didn’t bother to check that there was enough before calling on the public to go get vaccinated.

These kinds of oversights can most likely be attributed to the fact that we haven’t had a fully-operational government in nearly a year. In a month-and-a-half we will vote again. Surely after that we can finally get on with business. Right?

Waiting on spring to arrive demands patience. After all, winter is good for the country. Though this winter’s sudden heavy rainfalls are less helpful than steady, spread-out rains. Too much rain at once is not good for agriculture, and is dangerous for the people, as we have sadly experienced.

From the editorial staff in Jerusalem, I wish you a pleasant and dry Monday!