Random Thoughts From Netanya Israel on Weather, Music, Time and Rhyme.

Kind of amazing in that I'm closer to the Indian Ocean than the Atlantic.

Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea.

Dead Sea, Red Sea.

How did I get here?

Is this really me?

Everywhere I see ...

...there are orange trees....

Okay I'm not sure I'll rhyme that much here but this is definitely the time to wax poetic on the beauty of Israel especially from my vantage point in Netanya. First off Netanya is known as the Israeli Riviera and it lives up to that tourist tag. It is very Mediterranean in a California coastline way. There are flowers everywhere even in January on a cold day and the brightest oranges I've ever seen on trees laden with the most orange trees I've ever seen everywhere. I'm from Florida and I've lived in California so that says a lot. They median in the street and in the front yards are filled with citrus trees where people actually reach up, take a few and take them home. This is not Miami where someone may shoot you for grabbing a mango...

From my balcony I look down and see .....

.....either lemons, citrons or grapefruit trees.

The fruit are the flowers of Israel.

And there are a lot of flowers as well everywhere.

Plumeria trees without flowers because it's winter.

Faded hibiscus fighting to stay open despite the cold.

Even on the recycling bins there are flowers.

My son likes it my nephew does not.

It's sort of a contest who can add that last bottle?

Or maybe they guilt you into it...

Either way there's flowers there too!

Snapdragons recently planted.

Palm trees of every kind everywhere.

Okay no coconuts but all the others.

Date palms.

I had fresh dates with yogurt for breakfast!

And then you get to the beach....

The trees lean as the wind from the Mediterranean always blows...

.. a lot like Miami and the breeze from Biscayne Bay.

Does that not look like the Riveria?

http://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/

your-next-vacation-to-netanya-the-israeli-riviera/

Looks like a painting. 

Taken with my Note 5 seriously...

So really Israel is hard to explain.

So many people from so many places in one small nation.

Orthodox Jews, secular Jews.

Different traditions.

Druze Arabs fight in the Israeli army.

They are considered the best fighters.

It's just a big mish mash like a delicious stew.

Israel unfolds slowly like a rose bud.

Each petal opens and waits for the next.

Each moment, each place.

First the beach, then the plains.

Then the desert, then the mountains.

Then Jerusalem that feels like the Center of the World.

Arabs, Jews.

Where am I?

I'm a little bit everywhere.

But I'm here.

It does feel like home in a way.

Where ever you are there is family.

Friends coming and going.

I have at least a dozen Facebook friends here.

Real life friends from Miami NY and California.

Am In in NY or California or Israel?

And there's 770 Chabad headquarters in Israel.... 

...awkwardly amazing as if it picked itself up and landed in Israel.

Kind of like me right now.

Looks like a Mayan structure.

By the beach, by the hotels.

Somehow it looks perfectly normal.

It's warm today so enjoying it.

I prayed on the balcony that was so hot in the warm sun.

The sounds of the city below.

The aroma of the food being cooked for a party tonight.

The women have a party tonight for the bride.

It's not my custom so I'll see what it is when I see it.

Israel it's really not what you expect...

Great music too!

One of the most popular singers here... in NY too!

Beautiful video... 

...shows the mix of cultures, music, styles.

Nissim is awesome.

Story below tho just Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissim_(rapper)

Alex Clare studied at Aish here in Jerusalem.

Best known for the song "Too Close"

Also his relationship with Amy Winehouse but don't ask him on it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Clare

Studies in Israel now and records music.

Lastly a CD my son produced is #1 

Well in those charts in Israel that relate to Orthodox Music.

Newest Single

Tell me what you need..............

Benny Friedman's new CD.

My son buying a copy in Israel.....

....of a CD he produced. Wild.

Here for his sister's wedding.

How cool is that?

A little plug here.

Great CD

Very popular in Israel and around the world.

http://bennysmusic.com/?p=euiqmefm

Kind of amazing back in August had no idea I'd be here now.

Life is like that sometimes.

It surprises you in good ways.

May your life be filled with good surprises!

Will blog as time allows.

Wedding tomorrow night.

Beautiful couple.

Can't wait to dance.

Weddings here are wild dance wise...

Besos BobbiStorm

Ps....And have a lot of kids in transit for the wedding.

So a bit scattered and the house smells of a million more calories...

...for the Mikva Party tonight.... 

Meteorological Winter. Light Up Those Dark Days of Winter with Light and Music.

Notice the cold front....

http://wtnh.com/2016/12/01/the-start-of-meteorological-winter/

December 1st is the start of what we call Meteorological Winter. That means it is basically easier to remember a solid date than to remember when the Winter Equinox. I know, gets difficult remembering if it's December 21st or December 22nd or maybe December 19th...

If you have a calendar chances are it's ON the calendar and depending on your browsing styles it may or may not be on your news feed. I'm putting it here so it's officially on my blog.

Either way the High in the Atlantic over the SE is holding tight.

Remnants of the frontal boundary is off shore now.

People are still missing and they are they searching through the remnants. 

It's that big blue, teal color down near Florida.

The front moved through last night.

As usual Greensboro and Durham stole Raleigh's weather.

Blue skies and it's 64 degrees today!

It's beginning to feel closer to winter.

Yesterday Raleigh tied a high of 77 degrees.

The leggings are back on here...

The Drought Monitor was released this morning.
You can see where Matthew helped along the East side of the State.

And nothing has helped the West side of the Carolinas.

The green is the areas that received rain from Hurricane Matthew.

The Farmers Almanac is predicting a wet, cold winter in the SE.

So possibly that will help. 

I know this as one of my kids sent this to me and asked if it was true.

We will know if they were right in April of 2017.

Til then it's all forecasts and predictions.

And it was 77 degrees yesterday in Raleigh on November 30th.

Today the death toll has climbed to 7 and several people are still missing.

The clean up after the wildfires is ongoing.

The clean up from the tornadoes is also ongoing.

Today is a day to clean up after disasters.

Pray. Give. www.redcross.org.

It's easy to give online.

I just bought someone a menorah from Kohls online.

Easier to give than to buy.

Takes less time and we all know time is $$$

I'm really praying that the father finds his missing wife and daughters alive.

News stories are heartbreaking out of Tennessee.

And the news for the West Coast today is a forecast of Santa Ana winds.

Santa Ana winds bring fire to LA and other areas in Southern California.

Not always but often. Extreme fire danger.

You haven't lived til you felt a hot, dry, strong wind on your neck.

So rather than post about the end of the Hurricane Season which is most likely over, however since it started this unconventional year in January who can say for sure? Officially it's over and I'll look back on a quieter weather news day. I'll discuss it soon but here's the statistics:

I can say the 2016 Hurricane Season is in the books.

We can also see it out performed the forecasts.

Giving a range of 12-17 is stupid so let's ignore that one.

Really? That's not a forecast but an average.

A good read is linked below:

http://webcms.colostate.edu/tropical/media/sites/111/2016/11/2016-11.pdf

It's the CSU summary of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Weather today:

My world today is filled with music.

You'll have to forgive me a bit for having some motherly pride here in a CD my son worked hard on. Very hard as many of those people involved are perfectionists and like to get it right. A CD is what is left of LPs and although individual songs are available online and will be for sale on iTunes in 2 weeks after local stores have a chance at selling it first... it's the concept of an ALBUM that artists get that often people listening do not get. Go to some big bands like Journey and you will see the theme that underlies each CD. Willie Nelson does this often as he did so beautifully with Stardust in the same way Gloria Estefan did with Mi Tierra. The theme of this Album is LIGHT. Very perfect for a CD being released before Chanukah. A brief explanation of what Light means from a Kabbalistic perspective is below. My mother who was a singer when young would be very proud of Sruly, her grandson, as she loved music greatly. She told me once "music was the great love of my life" and she had a sign she pasted to her desk that read "Music has no age" and so from the bottom of my musical genes I'm dancing today to some of the very upbeat songs on this CD.

An explanation of Light from one perspective.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/39771/jewish/Shades-of-Light.htm

Another perspective from an artist's point of view:

http://www.aagp-provence.com/destinations/painters1.html

We all know the value of LIGHT.

People with SAD who are deprived of light in winter become depressed.

Artists travel to spots around the world where light helps them create.

Also why there are so many artists in Key West.

Van Gogh knew light.

The light in Provence was said to inspire artists.

You just look at his art and see and feel the countryside.

Flip side of light at night Van Gogh also knew.

Incredible CD Cover Art that radiates Light.

Cover by Artist Marc Lumer.

http://www.marclumerdesign.com/

"The beautiful album cover features original artwork by world renowned artist Marc Lumer, and the jacket includes art by Yitzchok Moully, Yiddy Lebovitz and Sruly Meyer" 

Cute work with weather...

So if you would like listen to the music.

And enjoy what is left of Autumn before we all slide into winter.

Of course if you like winter... go for the December 1st start!

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter

Ps This week I started back at my dance classes at the Gym.

Moving the muscles... 

Taking advice #HustleYosselMoveaMussel