Energy Sapping Weather- Challah Kneading to the Rescue!

This sand/dust storm has been awful.

This is not sepia colored. This is what really was outside on Tuesday morning during the dust/sandstorm.

My schedule has been busy enough, but oxygen isn't reaching the brain. It's not enough just to drink water. People with lung and breathing problems should be closed up inside airconditioned buildings.

On Tuesday my mind went blank, and I called a neighbor by the name of her daughter. Within a minute I found hers, but it was spooky. And then on the train (Jerusalem lightrail) the woman sitting next to me went into a panic and began asking why we were riding on the tracks. She called the security guy who had just gotten on. And then suddenly she realized that we were on the train. The driver was right there in front of us. I told her that it was because the sand/dust is fogging our brains.

The next day, Wednesday, I could barely get myself to function. Ok I must reveal that we do not have airconditioning and things might have been better if we did. I have so much to do before Shabbat and Rosh Hashannah. By early afternoon I finally got moving on challah baking. Of course, first I had to look up my recipe on the internet, since I couldn't remember where it was or if it was written on paper.

At first I worked rather mechanically, and then I remembered that challah-baking is supposed to be full of blessings, so I thought of my children and grandchildren and blessed them while kneading the dough. I actually began to feel better. And the challot ended up looking gorgeous, if I do say so myself.

After putting them and the unused dough in the freezer, I went, yes walked, down to Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, for Tefillat Chana, which was wonderful.

But more on that at a later time. I'm busy today, very busy.