winter has come. though, my readers from alabama, is it not the winter we remember. one of evergreens frosted with ice, and hillsides glazed over. around this time i always remember those long walks we used to take, braving the bone slicing wind and icy roads to get to our end destination - a fireplace. but sadly no, the winters here are of a different kind - rain, effusive amounts of rain and wind. to be honest it is a different kind of beauty that i enjoy quite a bit, but the mood is not the same and at times i feel conflicted in how i should greet this season (i know this sounds quite hippy - BUT it isn't :) - to deny that we are not affected by the seasons, and that they don't play quite heavily on our emotional subconscious is an erroneous mistake).
so, the season here is requiring me to make a mental shift - one away from nostalgia, to one that appreciates it for what it is. the rain and storms lend themselves to meditation and to feeling the subtleties of the world. it makes you want to listen to norah jones, corrine bailey rae, andrea bocelli, and just opera in general. on my way to work yesterday, i was humming madame butterfly in my head, sitting quite placidly, when all of a sudden the beastie boys start blasting from the radio - and for a brief moment in the history of the world intergalactic insomnia melded quite beautifully with the aria in my head, and i found myself at peace with the world (i am speaking sardonically of course - but sometimes its easier to make a point through the use of circumlocution).
on another note, along with four of my most fabulous friends, i went on a roadtrip this past weekend up around the kinneret. lunches on cliffs, driving along the coast of the lake, meals in quaint little restaurants playing the dixie chicks, and a very memorable and breathtaking visit to the Baha'i Cemetery in Tiberius made for one fantastic weekend - it was a much needed trip outside Haifa city limits. we will be getting pictures soon - there are some good'uns :D
last note - i started watching gilmore girls last night. warning: you'll want to strangle it and hug it at the same time. for the 3/4 of it that just kills you, that last quarter has such redeeming quality that it makes you just curl up with a blanket and hot tea to empathize the night away. darn it, i'm hooked.
