First blooms

Dark gloomy skies

There was no rain today. But it remained very very cold and dark all through the day. Everything was gray and gloomy. And the ground was wet and very slippery. It's 8 degrees right now but it feels so much colder. Forecast for next Monday: heavy rains, hail and graupel. That looks like a start to snow. I dread that because I must shovel snow from the roof. If it snows only lightly and will melt away quickly, then I don't mind.  http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-girds-for-storms-snowfall-as-winter-takes-firm-hold/

The lack of sunshine is not good for my flowers. The anemones have begun to open but because there is no sun, they have been stuck in a semi-bud stage. Same with the narcissus. Let's hope the sun will come out for a couple of days so they flowers can bloom .... before being torn apart by the hail and graupel next Monday.

We received news that Salesian Fr. Tom is alive. A video of him has been released by his captors. Let's hope he will be released soon. It's such a horrible nightmare he's living through. 4 of Mother Teresa's sisters were killed in the attack in Yemen but Fr. Tom was taken away alive by his captors. Please pray very very hard for him. The following article is in italian https://www.avvenire.it/mondo/pagine/padre-tom-video

The 1st anemone to
bloom

Tourists have now dwindled to a handful again after the Christmas crowd. For once the hotels in Bethlehem registered full booking. That is good news. But it's not enough to sustain the industry for the rest of the year, this one week of abundance. Usually January and February are low season due to the cold, rain and snow. You can't see much because places open late and close early due to the winter sunrise and sunset hours.

My shoulder is feeling better today because it was adjusted by a physiotherapist. The ligament/tendon however still hurts but not as severely. The cold air however agitates my lungs and I get asthma attacks as well as a terrible headache. Winter is definitely not for me. I wish I could stay indoors everyday and not have to go out. The Sisters of M. Teresa are very kind and they have cooked a warm meal for me so that I can feel a little warmer and not suffer from asthma during the night.