winter

Some time passed since my last post.

We spent a snowless holiday in Switzerland. It was frustrating. We took two weeks off so we would have enough time for family celebration (Christmas)/ spending time with my family AND go skiing.

I looked forward for months- to be in the snow, to ski with the kids, to do cross-country-skiing… and well- there was no snow at all. At least we had nice weather and could go ice skating and hiking.

We came back home straight to the funeral of my father in law who died a day before our return. He was sick for years- a sickness called CBD (Corticobasal degeneration). For years he was not really himself anymore, could not communicate and had a lovely caretaker for all the daily needs besides my mother in law who did everything she could to allow him a comfortable and interesting life despite everything…

We passed the week of the "Shiva" (the week long mourning period) with hosting loads of visitors, telling stories, looking at photos and slides and just sitting together. It is a stressful time but also a very good part of saying good-bye, mourning, getting over the first week.

It is cold now, but due to plenty of rain so far everything is turning green. It is my favourite time of the year in Israel (if it would just not be so f8%# cold inside the houses). If it is not too rainy we go walks in the field/ forest, mud-walks in the wadi, enjoy the first flowers and the clear air. I especially love the white, fluffy clouds that are my personal snow-mountains (did I ever mention how much I miss the mountains :-)

Now it's also the start of the season for collecting all kinds of plants. I already dried a batch of young nettle for teas and we collected a lot of wild asparagus (the latin name is asparagus acutifolius, if I am not mistaken)- they are delicious if steamed for a short time and served with olive oil and garlic.

I am looking forward  to forage more for herbs - such as more nettle, wild calendula, mallow, daisies, shepherd's purse, zuta (a wild hyssop), za'atar (syrian oregano) etc.