This is So Strange

This latest war, which we were all expecting, but noone was wanting, began on Saturday February 28th with the wailing of the siren at 8.00 a.m.  Today is March 10th. Life has changed.

Firstly, sleep deprivation is a terrible thing - I feel like a zombie. Everything feels scrambled and unclear in a way that is difficult to describe.  What day is it?  What is the time? Do we have lessons today? will the gym be open? Can we walk outside? Does anyone know what is going on?

I never go to bed before 11.30 - 12.  Now a torpor seems to have gotten hold of me. I climb into bed, fully dressed at 9.00 or so, seem to fall asleep only to be rudely awakened by the rattlesnake.  A new routine now, rattlesnake, grab phone to look at time, fall out of bed, put on my slippers, come to the living room and turn on TV.  The commentators, who seem to be there 24/7 are talking, underneath are headlines declaring a missile has been fired from Iran, get close to your shelters.  I stare at the screen waiting to see the names of the villages and towns in the missile's way - if I see our moshav then the siren blares and I grab a warm coat and bag and go outside to the shelter.  If the name doesn't appear, I fall back under the covers and inhale and exhale as instructed. On the way out of my room I see doors opening and people walking quickly to their assigned shelters. I push on the power door of the building, the door opens, and inside I go, nodding and waving to the Indian and Philippina helpers. I walk to the sofa which has become my de facto seat, because I can get off it.  Everyone has their seats. We hear booms and mutter 'there is a boom, that is close, there is another one." Someone gets up to pull the door tightly shut with a loud bang that sends us all flying.  Then we wait, can't read, can't knit,  some people try to say something, but it is mostly not audible due to various diseases causing speech impediments. The waiting could be 30 minutes, an hour, ten minutes - we wait for the all clear beep from the home front command.  The helpers seem to get it before we do. They stand up, so do we, and we leave.  Till the next time.

At home I shower, very quickly, if it is time to shower, or simply crawl back into bed and wait for the next alarm.  I may cook something - quickly, or put on a pot of tea, and hopeI remember to turn it off for the next alarm.    WHICH IS NOW.

It is very difficult to concentrate.  I am drawing some things (will put in the pictures).I am knitting - fancier patterns each hat. I look at whats apps, foreign news, play the spelling bee, and wait - for the inevitable next rattlesnake sound or the siren (that means we have no waiting time - must go, fast.  Sometimes I stare at the TV screen and am shocked by the villages and cities in the north that have to deal with non stop drones and missiles.  Then maybe the next Iranian missile is more towarads Jerusalem and the south.  This teeny weeny little country is under fire from everywhere.