Thunder, Lightening, Oh My!

Well I know it's been a long time when I had to think twice to register that it was indeed thunder. Really.

Last weekend the meteorological powers that be promised rain.

Oh yeah, we got wind, lots of it, gales of it, violent, howling and shrieking, but bone dry all the same. A real tease.

So this Shabbat I'm thinking more of the same, and yeah, it was more of the same, just not quite as blustery, but a tease all the same. All wind and no rain.

Last night I was finally sitting down with Junior with her latest fascination, The Jabberwocky (we didn't realise she could reach the shelf until I caught her reading the book to herself, really don't think that's quite what I would have thought of as 3 year-old appropriate reading, but then it's getting hard to vet what she reads, I think we may have to cancel the daily newspaper).

Where was I? Yes, the Jabberwocky. Well, I can't remember which poem we were reading in the collection, but suddenly I heard a distant rumble, wasn't quite sure what it was.

Then there it was again, and as I looked up, sure enough a bright flash over the valley. Hmmm, I had to blink and shake myself that I wasn't hallucinating.

Real live thunder and lighting. I can hardly remember experiencing any this winter.

By this time Junior had noticed my distraction and ran off to get her brakha cards to look up the blessings for thunder and lightning. Told her the story about how when I was a kid my mother made sure I was never scared of these natural phenomena by teaching me the blessings to say.

Junior looks at me quizzically and explains matter of factly that she's never been scared of them, but it's important to say the right brakha, because that way Ima isn't scared.

Anyway, turns out this is the driest January on record in Israel. So it isn't just me feeling like I can't remember what a thunder storm is.