Chanukah = Winter Holiday. Early Chanukah = Winter Comes Early? Winter Weather in Time for the Holidays.

Winter Comes Early ...

... maybe a meteorological present for me?

Please make it snow!!

www.spaghettimodels.com

To be honest I've been watching models for weeks.

Especially when the chance of snow showed up.

Now it's in the 7 day forecast :)

A complex shot a winter weather in the South?

Yes, we got a chance of winter weather.

Hope springs eternal in December in Carolina.

This is who I am.... my Twitter feed is almost all filled with winter weather notifications and a few geological ones thrown in peppered with some politics and a few Chanukah menorahs along the way. I do weather, a lot of weather and now that I live in the Carolinas I do winter weather or more so I spend most of my time wishing on winter weather. I wear a snowflake charm or a bracelet with white snowflakes as if somehow that will insure me of at least some of the white stuff falling in North Carolina this winter.

Chanukah comes early this year and as so often happens when that happens it seems winter also comes early. The Jewish calendar is based on the moon and the civil dates differ from year to year greatly, over time I've noticed often in years when holidays come early so does the winter weather. This is not a science anymore than me wanting to believe if I wear a snowflake it will snow soon ;) But well... it seems to be working and if you don't believe me look at my 7 day weather forecast! Those are snowflakes for the weekend!

I'm in Raleigh this Chanukah, not sunny bright hot Miami and not Crown Heights which is lit up with menorahs and Chanukah decorations everywhere but in the Carolinas where Chanukah sometimes is harder to see. In Miami the Miami Herald newspaper runs a banner on the top of the page on the days of Chanukah, in Raleigh there was no real mention this morning in the News and Observer newspaper that Chanukah started but imagine eventually it will show up... like the snow... eventually. Spectrum News did nice coverage though as they do of weather and other local news.

http://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills/news/2018/12/03/durham-jewish-community-celebrates-first-night-of-hanukkah

Just one forecast by one forecaster...

Truth is I love 'holiday time" and as I grew up when little in a not very Jewish area all my friends had beautiful trees each decorated differently and every family would invite me over to help decorate as they knew we didn't do Christmas. So basically I got to throw tinsel on everyone's tree... I grew up Down South where tinsel is like glitter ... it just isn't a party without some glitter or tinsel on the decorations. Go figure they were a bit envious that I got presents for 8 nights and would come over sometimes to play with my dreidels and liked the menorah my parents lit in the window every night of Chanukah. I like Raleigh, it's a nice place where people are warm, friendly and say things like "have a blessed day" and when they do I smile because how awesome is it to live somewhere where people take saying "have a blessed day" as important as "take care now" or "gotta go"...

Winter came early this year with subfreezing temperatures for a few days and then as always it warmed up to near 70 degrees last night and soon it will plunge back again into the 30s at night. So basically I can wear sandals and boots and live in leggings most of the winter. I love Miami and I often talk on how beautiful the decorations are and being in Key West for the holidays is awesome but more and more the allure and the charm of Carolina during the Holidays does me in. Rarely do I end a sentence purposely with a preposition but it's the only way to say it and really explain the beauty of the Carolinas. I also love wearing leggings ;)

Winter may or may not make a snowy appearance in parts of the South this week and when I say "this week" I mean the "end of the week" and more like the weekend. Amazingly the same system that may bring Oklahoma City snow also aims at the Carolinas and the rest of the South. I'm hoping and if snow falls here you'll know my prayers were answered along with good health for everyone, happiness and just keep on stimulating the economy within reason this shopping season as you buy presents for Chanukah or pile up the presents under the tree. Years back when I was raising all the kids I'd hide their presents in my best friend's closet and she'd do the same with her presents in mine. After a while this became an easy way of hiding anything big I'd want to surprise anyone with as I'd just say "oh those are Sharon's she's hiding them from her kids" and believe it or not... it worked! Love her, she's in Florida with her many grandchildren and children missing me but happy I'm here. She always said it's perfect that "the girl who read Southern Living" ended up in the South. She's a Yankee... she never got the me buying Southern Living Magazine in Miami :)   Nice recipe in this month's magazine for "Root Vegetable Fritters" aka Latkes. https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/root-vegetable-fritters

I'll update later in the week as the forecast becomes more defined. Currently I hit my weather app every few hours to see if they took my snowflakes for Saturday and Sunday away or put a few more back in.... this far out it's like doing the hokey pokey a lot of fun but when others see you doing it they make fun. Sometimes in Raleigh the closest I get to snow flakes is the snow flakes on the long term part of the ten day forecast on my weather app.

My son is a Jewish Music Producer and he lives and breathes music and art as he has an abundance of artsy genes from both sides of the family tree. He sent me this link to the most magical music video. You don't need to understand hebrew to understand the message here. He is one of the best new singers in the Jewish Market and each song and each video illuminates the beauty in his voice and in his message. Watch the story unfold and feel the beauty of the story being told.

Chanukah is a holiday that speaks of courage and faith and miracles. As a child growing up it's hard to understand the whole "they found this little bit of olive oil" but we all loved hearing the story. The Meme on Facebook this week really does tell the story.

Now that puts Chanukah into a perspective we all can understand better. As for me our house is scented with olive oil as I fry various fritters and make Southern Fried Chicken on Chanukah and well ... we can diet next week. Oh and donuts are on the menu plan for lunch as a place in downtown Raleigh that makes coffee is making kosher donuts* this year as we have a new Rabbi and Rebbetzin in town working with Young Professionals in Downtown Raleigh... a beautiful couple and amazingly the granddaughter of a good friend of mine... if that doesn't make me feel old what will? But her grandmother helped bring my family closer to Chabad and was a role model when I was young so wow indeed.  And my son works with her cousin Benny Friedman... small world getting smaller all the time. Fill it with joy and winter weather and I'll be a happy camper. *only the donuts are kosher but hey it's a start!

http://lubavitch.com/news/article/2082593/New-Chabad-Opens-In-Downtown-Raleigh-North-Carolina-s-Capital-City.html

Besos BobbiStorm

Happy Chanukah!!
Gotta Love December!!
Okay...it's my birthday month too!

Ps I remember when they were looking for candles for this video :) yeah, I'm proud and more so the song has been stuck in my head all morning...  so light TWO candles tonight on the  Menorah!