Happy Tu BiShvat!

We're celebrating Tu BiShvat tomorrow, a Jewish holiday that mentions the new year for the trees. The symbolic tree is the almond tree that every year at this time blossoms with its delicate beautiful flowers in Israel. This time last year I remember the almond trees in our neighborhood were in full bloom and I was so happy to see the almond tree near our house with its first few flowers today!


A few days ago I took a little nature walk while the girls were at school, a little something I treated my self with. It was gloomy that day. I need the sun in order to feel good, but even though it was so gray I found comfort and fascination in this interesting tree, with the sun trying so hard to show it self through the clouds and the branches.



Life is so full of surprises and even though we think we know what will happen next, we often find our selves wrong. Life has also exposed me to inspiring powerful people. Today I found out about my sister in law's friend, Bekah. Bekah is a lovely twenty three year old battling Hodgkins Lymphoma for the second time. I read her blog this morning and was shocked to find an amazing beautiful person! She touched my heart and I can't stop thinking about her and wishing her all the luck and health in the world!
This is her blog: http://truebeautyneverhurries.blogspot.com/
These next 2 photos of flowers make me think of her. She is a flower. A beautiful powerful young flower.







Yesterday we actually stepped outside to our back yard. We found some new guests there, some huge mushrooms and this guy too.


Lia was a great helper, helping me to clean the garden a little, preparing it possibly for some new sowing/planting. We really should do something since it is Tu BiShvat.


And to celebrate the holiday properly we've been making fruit salads for dessert for several days now. On Tu BiShvat we eat lots of nuts, dried fruit and fresh ones too. These fruit salads are so yummy with all this goodness nature has to offer. MMM... YUM!