Like the Desert Missed the Rain...

There is a great 80s song that goes "And I miss you...like the desert missed the rain.."  If this were a late night radio show with Dalila..I would dedicate that song to all of you, because now, living in the desert, I know what the singer was talking about.

When we first arrived in Tel Aviv the big park/circle near our house wasn't lush and green - but there was some...grass (eh hmm...prickly weeds).  Sitting on our balcony, looking into the distance, it was almost charming.

Then came the hot dry summer.  In Israel I would say we have experienced 2 seasons thus far:  summer and hot dry summer. The hot dry summer fried whatever resemblence of grass there as.  The ground became dry as a rock, dust filled the air, and water plants twice a day wasn't enough to keep them alive.  Our world turned brown (with a touch of hot Med. salt water in the background).  You didn't want to be outside for it was rediculiously hot.  You didn't want to be in the park because it was brown and dusty.  The Med. was hot and full of jelly-fish.  The garden crumbled. Everything felt dead.  The life had drained out and the remnants of the "environment" were covered in a reddish gray dust. 

You see, in the desert, rain is what brings life. This is true elsewhere, but I didn't fully understand it until now.  Without the rain our world is like a shriveled up, dried out, flavorless bread crumb. I don't think I can quite explain to you the dry hopelessness of it all.  All you can think about is how dry and dead the world looks, and how much you want rain.  Rain becomes the solution to all of your problems.  My garden is shriveled up - if only there was rain.  It is so hot! - if only there was rain.  My car is dirty - if only there was rain!

This thinking is all compounded by reading an agricultural book in which the author speaks of the smell of rain, the nutrients in the moist soil, and the bountiful and healthy fruit that grows as a result of good soil and rain.  And then there is that dusty park in front of our house.  I don't think anything could grow from that land...it is so dry and hard and...dead.  (You see - it looks pretty hopeless.)

And a little rain doesn't really help.  For example, you may have seen that it "rained" here last week.  Yes - literally for 2 minutes.  Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked out the window.  Again on Sunday it rained and some poeple outside were even cheering.  But because the ground was so dry and dead the rain washed away and it really didn't quench the thirst.

That is how much we miss you all.  Like the desert missed the rain.  We are entering the "rainy season" now when it should rain about twice a week for about 2-5 minutes at a time. By January, that should be enough rain to bring back our stiff weedy grass.  And by January - we should see life return, even if in the form of stiff weedy...grass. 

Poetically like the rainy season - we are about to enter our friends and family season!  As I was explaining to my mom...the next two weeks include book clubs and cupcake making while Paul is in Bangkok. Once he returns we plan our big Thanksgiving dinner, and then a big Christmas cocktail party! (See...now it is sprinkling). AND THEN...we will pack our bags and fly to the States!  Unfortunately we won't be able to see everyone we want to see - but it will be a joyous, busy trip and we can't wait!!!