National Laundry Day

I used to write humorous articles under the name of "Baile Rochel."  They were published in "CounterPoint" a pro-Jews in Land of Israel newspaper that came out a number of times about twenty-five years ago, edited by Rochel Katsman and my husband.  It was Rochel who encouraged me in writing for it, and who knows if I would be writing today if it weren't for her.  After I started blogging I wrote of few more Baile Rochel articles which can be found in the Baile Rochel tab on me-ander.

A few years ago, I wrote Thank G-d I'm Not a Washing Machine!, because it was one of those days on the Jewish Calendar when most of us Torah observant housefraus are busy washing laundry, because it had been forbidden the previous week or more.  We're not supposed to do more than the most urgent laundry, such as diapers, (when my kids were babies they wore cloth diapers,) during Chol HaMoed, the in between days of Succot and Passover and also during the days leading up to Tisha, (the 9th of) b'Av.  So, today is the spring version of that "holiday."  The sky just doesn't look right.  It looks like we're going to have one of those post-Pesach dust storms, which is very common here in the HolyLand.

These seasonal sandstorms are the reason I think it's unseasonal to wash windows before Passover.  I didn't know about sandstorms before I became Israeli.  They just don't have them on Long Island, New York.

If I had known in advance about the sandstorm I would have had made different plans for today.  I'll just do two washes and take them in quickly to reduce the sand.  And I'll hang as much as possible in the house.