Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs. So hardy and easy to grow, and with so many uses. This native Mediterranean shrub thrives in bright sun and warm temperatures, so you should be able to grow rosemary in zones 8 and 9.
I love rosemary for its versatility. It’s great for cooking, has outstanding health properties, and requires little care and not a lot of water. Even better, bees love it, but chickens don’t like to eat it, so a mature rosemary bush can even grow in any place you use as a chicken run.
I use rosemary as a:
#1 Cough and cold remedy. Rosemary has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Just make some rosemary tea when you’re under the weather and enjoy it with a little honey. I find it helps soothe coughs and sore throats.
#2 Cooking herb. Rosemary really brings out the flavor of meat and fish; oven-baked salmon sprinkled with salt, coarse ground pepper, and rosemary leaves is my favorite.
#3 Lice and bug repellent. Rosemary’s pungent smell repels lice, mosquitoes, and other bugs. You can spray hair with a little rosemary infusion or dab some rosemary tea behind children’s ears to defend them against a lice infestation.
#4 Fragrance. I’ve added rosemary to home-processed soaps, sometimes combined with mint and eucalyptus extracts.
I got my rosemary plant from someone who simply cut off a branch and let it develop roots in water. I haven’t been very successful in rooting rosemary cuttings in water myself, but I’ve seen it work for other people. You can also buy a young plant from a nursery and add it to your herb garden. Rosemary takes some time to really start growing, but once it gets going, you may need to prune it once in a while to keep it from overrunning its space.
Israel’s new government is about to cancel two consumer taxes the previous government has put in place: a tax on disposable plastic tableware and a tax on sugary drinks (which also go out onto supermarket shelves in plastic bottles). Many people see this recent move as pandering to the Israeli ultra-Orthodox population and have a lot of things to say about those nutty religious fanatics who can’t bother to wash their dishes.
I’ve often said that large families have a huge environmentally friendly potential. Modest lifestyles, a limited amount of car and airplane travel, and lots of using hand-me-downs make religious families with many kids a lot less wasteful than many families with just one or two kids who burn up gas like there’s no tomorrow and order huge boxfuls of cheap stuff from Shein that’s going to end up in the landfill after a couple of wears.
Basically, I believe there are two elements that keep most large families in Israel from becoming truly environmentally friendly: time and brain-space.
I know what it’s like when you have a bunch of kids come indoors from playing, look into the sink, and discover it’s still full of last night’s dishes. Then you desperately reach for the stack of disposable plates and cups on the upper shelf, promising yourself you won’t procrastinate with dishwashing next time (or, in my case in the past, telling yourself you’ll have to wash those dishes the moment the running water supply resumes!)
Sidenote: As far as I know, most Haredi families in Israel don’t use a dishwasher. One reason is Jewish dietary restrictions: most strictly observant families would use the dishwasher either for meat or for dairy dishes, which would still leave them with huge amounts of kitchenware to wash by hand. Another reason is that the initial investment would seem daunting to many large families on a shoestring budget. And, finally, a dishwasher takes up space, and many Haredi families live in cramped apartments with tiny kitchens.
Another thing is brain-space or, if you prefer, lack of awareness. Ultra-Orthodox schools and society rarely emphasize environmental studies (although I definitely believe they should). Some even disparagingly call caring about the environment “the secular religion” and go on a tangent, saying that people “worship” the environment instead of caring about the “really important things”, like helping people in need. Of course, it’s a false narrative that often covers up one simple truth: when you have five kids under six, it’s hard to care about anything but day-to-day survival. You do what you need to do to keep your head above the water, even if it creates bigger landfills – which is ultimately one reason I chose not to cloth-diaper. I do try to improve and make more environmentally friendly choices, though.
A friend who lived in the U.S. for a few years told me that in her opinion, the Israeli reliance on disposables is unprecedented in the developed world. I think it’s a shame, especially since, in my opinion, disposables don’t really save as much work as people think.
First, you need to remember to buy them, and then you panic if you don’t. And sometimes you end up running out to the store just because you’ve run out of plastic dishes and you haven’t geared up with a “real” dish set for the guests that just arrived at your doorstep.
Also, since plastic kitchenware (especially the cheap kind most Haredi families use) tips over, tears, and breaks easily, it will create more spills and messes when children use it. And finally, disposables clog up your garbage can so you need to empty it more often.
Plus disposable kitchenware is just plain yucky. Food both looks and feels so much nicer when served in glass or crockery.
The second tax that is now being revoked involves sugary drinks. My feelings about this one are more mixed. On the one hand, I don’t believe in a condescending, paternalistic attitude that tries to teach people what’s good for them by punishing unhealthy food choices through their wallet. I also have great faith in a free market. My suggestion is that, instead of revoking the tax, it’s time to roll it to the bottled drink manufacturers who destroy public health with their sugar-loaded offerings.
Finally, we should all remember that the consumer’s power is in our hands. Whatever taxes the government imposes or cancels, we can all choose to make an informed decision about what we eat, drink, or use in our kitchens. We can all take responsibility for our food and consumption habits and work towards making our own private household healthier and more environmentally friendly.
Lately, someone on social media commented that they can never use farm-fresh eggs, no matter how much they would like to, because they’re so dirty and full of gunk. As you may imagine, I couldn’t just scroll by. It seemed almost tragic to me that someone should miss out on the goodness of farm eggs because of an unfounded prejudice, or because they chanced to run into a dirty dozen.
My family has consumed mostly home-grown eggs for over ten years. For the most part, our eggs are absolutely pristine. The picture above shows the eggs as collected – I never wash eggs because the eggshell is porous, and washing can push any contaminants into the egg.
I often pull the eggs straight from under a hen and hold them against my cheek because they’re so nice and warm (yep. Really! It’s one of the weird things I never thought I’d admit). You can bet I wouldn’t do that with an egg that isn’t perfectly clean.
Of course, we do get the occasional dirty egg, especially on rainy days. But overall, our eggs are lovely and clean. There’s just absolutely no reason why farm or homegrown eggs should be dirtier than factory eggs.
In some cases, though, farm eggs may end up extra dirty because ofú:
a) A very crowded coop and not enough nesting boxes
b) not enough lining in the nesting boxes
c) letting eggs pile up
All of the above can lead to eggs breaking and making a mess over any other eggs next to them. I have one nesting box for 3-4 layers, I line the boxes with plenty of straw, and I collect eggs at least once a day. It makes for nice, fresh, clean, and healthy eggs.
Disclaimer: even clean eggs may carry contaminants. I advise only consuming thoroughly cooked eggs, regardless of their source.
You guys, I haven’t blogged properly in a while. Mostly because I’m sort of transfixed with horror, watching this enormous global train wreck of dealing with a mild-to-moderate risk virus.
In the past, I have protested against the dictatorship Israel seems to be sinking into. Now that other countries are jumping on the bandwagon, I actually see how the situation is flipping, and how Israel’s covid vaccine coercion, as despicable and unfair as it is, is actually – so far! – not as bad as what is now happening in European countries like Austria:
“Those refusing to be vaccinated are likely to face administrative fines, which can be converted into a prison sentence if the fine cannot be recovered.“
Prisons and concentration camps for the unvaccinated, folks. Someone please wake me from this nightmare.
Our government is now raising up a huge campaign of fear and panic in the face of the Omicron, which so far appears a milder, less virulent covid strain.
What conclusion would I expect in the face of the facts that Omicron (a) is far more resistant to the Pfizer vaccine, and (b) appears to be a less dangerous strain? “OK, it seems that the vaccine isn’t working so well now. No point pressuring people to get vaccinated.” I’d even throw in an apology for all the fear-mongering and unlawful pressure.
I would actually go as far as to say that the Omicron could be good news. If more people are likely to contract it without severe consequences, we’ll have more people with natural, lasting immunity compared to the flimsy partial protection the Pfizer jabs give.
But, alas, I have despaired of trying to put “government” and “logic” in the same sentence.
Luckily, the unruly and undisciplined Israelis are saying NO to another and another booster, finally understanding that this is likely to become a never-ending rollercoaster. Now millions have lost their “green pass” for refusal to line up and roll up their sleeves for yet another jab.
Guys, I honestly don’t know what we can expect in 2022. Luckily for myself, I work from home and don’t think much of entertainment venues like restaurants and shopping malls our government is trying to open to vaccinated-only in a dictatorial and illogical attempt to make as many people as possible get the (third, fourth, and so on) jab, sweeping aside serious and not-so-rare side effects.
I wish everyone good health and the utmost fortitude in 2022. Looks like we’re going to need it.
Things have been quiet here. Really, really quiet. Some of you may have already surmised part of the reason: I’ve been working a lot lately. With four kids at home, renovations going on, and building up my freelance writer business, my own stuff has taken a place on the back burner.
But there are also other issues. COVID-19 has messed with my wellbeing in a massive way. No, I haven’t had the virus (I think). I’m just finding it extremely difficult to adjust to this new world we’re living in.
About a month ago, our new PM started a witch hunt campaign against people who haven’t taken the COVID jab yet. “They’re endangering us,” Mr. Bennet says. The ensuing media echo chamber has led to an unrestrained hate trip against the approximately 1 million un-Pfizered Israelis, many of them children under 18.
This circus goes on while two things are becoming clear: first, vaccinated people still spread the coronavirus, specifically the Delta variant; and second, people who’ve had two Pfizer shots are now getting infected. The vaccine’s protection against COVID is wearing off rapidly, and the government has started a massive Round Three campaign, giving people a third jab in what is essentially a clinical trial, since they have not tested this practice anywhere as far as I know.
This was not what people expected when they started lining up to get vaccinated in January. We kept hearing, “the vaccine will probably be effective for at least a year.” Well, it isn’t. And now we hear, “You should get used to it: a scheduled jab every 6 months.” Long-term effectiveness? Risks? Pffft. Don’t be ninnies, just roll up those sleeves!
Furthermore, there’s a more aggressive push than ever to vaccinate children and teens, who have a near-zero risk of COVID complications but not a near-zero risk of newly emerging side effects of the vaccine, like myocarditis.
All these months, I’ve felt like I have so much to say and so few words to articulate it all. Then Dr. Robert Malone came and said it all for me in his recent interview. I’ll just share a few select quotes.
“We had the CDC come out last week, talking about the pericarditis and other cardiomyopathies that are showing up in the pediatric population, up to the age of 18. That is a significant safety risk. That was only recently identified about two months ago. It’s taken two months for the CDC to verify it.”
The thing is, mRNA vaccines use a new technology. They’re being researched as I write this, and the research will continue for many years to come. It’s not surprising that things like this are cropping up. In fact, I won’t keel over with shock if honest, unbiased research discovers more and more side effects down the road.
“So there’s things going on there with the vaccines. The problem is we don’t know how severe they are in general. What is the bell curve distribution for severity? What’s the incidence? Often the question is asked, why don’t we know? And the answer is because the FDA elected during this phase of emergency use authorization to not require that the drug manufacturers rigorously capture adverse events and efficacy signals.”
And this just begs to ask WHY?? My logic says that capturing adverse events should have been the FIRST aim during a mass trial of a novel genetic vaccine.
Dr. Malone also mentions Israel:
“We had hoped to have a rigorous data set from Israel. The CDC and FDA had been very comforted by what they thought was a rigorous data set from Israel and the ability of the Israeli government-related epidemiologic monitoring people to data-mine that database and identify signals.
The cardiac events in the adolescent population were actually first identified by an Oracle biostatistician, working with people at the FDA that are outside of all this. That was data mining from the various publicly available databases. He identified it, and notified the CDC. They identified it, then tracked it. They notified the Israelis, and then the Israelis were able to verify that they saw that signal in their database too. And how could this happen?”
I’ll tell you how. The Israeli government (Netanyahu, then Bennett, together with all their cohort) declared that we were pioneers. We were trailblazers. We were quicker and smarter and more advanced than the rest of the world. We’d grab this amazing new mRNA vaccine technology by the horns and we’d be the first in the world to BEAT COVID.
“Effective” and “effectiveness” were the only words in the official jargon. Nobody used terms like “caution”, “prudence”, “conservative approach” or “rigorous monitoring.” People who experienced a whole array of post-vaccine side effects were simply brushed off or told it’s “all in their heads.”
I haven’t been out to collect data, but individual cases stare me in the face. A family member with inflammation flare-ups. A friend who hasn’t had her period since getting jabbed. People complaining of muscle pain, general weakness, allergies suddenly rearing their heads.
So they come to their family doctor, and they’re told, “this has nothing to do with the vaccine. The vaccine is safe. Safe. SAFE.”
Of course, no treatment is 100% safe for everyone, let alone an experimental vaccine. Israeli health experts are no fools. If our government had been totally honest, they’d have said, “Yeah, we expect some people are going to suffer severe health effects from the vaccine. Some may possibly lose their lives. But as epidemiologists and statisticians, we have made our calculations and figured out that we’d lose more people if we let COVID run rampant. So we’ll sacrifice a few in order to save many. Roll up that sleeve, please.”
You know what would have happened then? No one would get vaccinated except possibly the risk groups. And they couldn’t let that happen, could they? Not after they’d agreed to become Pfizer’s biggest lab. So the vaccine is SAFE. It HAS to be safe. And anyone who has experienced a different reality must be a crazy anti-vaxxer.
“The consequences of what we’re doing socially right now in this context is driven by fear. We’re driving ourselves a little bit mad with our fear over this pathogen.”
I’ve seen this with my own eyes. Today, Israel has a Green Pass for vaccinated people and people who’ve recovered from COVID. Children under 12 cannot get a vaccine yet. Children between 3 and 12 must get a COVID test before entering ANYWHERE, including movies, amusement parks, or the library. One mom got hysterical because another mom tried to get her 3-year-old into the local public playroom without a COVID test. It escalated to the ugliest mudslinging you can imagine. The offending mom left in tears.
Today, the public playroom is empty. Parents just won’t bother with constant health paranoia for their 3-12-year-olds. They’ll take them to the beach, out to nature, to visit friends, or to any place that doesn’t require a Green Pass. The library is empty because they fired the librarian for not getting the jab. People live in fear.
I hear hate-speak all the time. “Non-vaxxed people shouldn’t be on public transportation.” “Non-vaxxed teens shouldn’t be in schools.” “I’ve crossed any non-vaxxers off my friends list.”
Even with one million non-vaxxed people, Israel still has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Declining effectiveness and sneaky variants are responsible for the new upsurge of severe cases, coupled with the fact that COVID vaccines were never able to fully prevent transmission. Mr. Bennett must know it, yet he still points an accusing finger to the non-vaxxed even as their numbers shrink. This is called scapegoating, and it’s a classic bullying tactic.
Dr. Malone says, “Eventually, we’re going to get through this, but it’s impacting on society in profound ways. This censorship of information, those that are experiencing it, including myself, are profoundly disturbed by what we’re seeing, and the long-term meanings of it.”
Do you know the saying, “two Jews equals three opinions”? Jews love to debate. Israelis love to argue. But not when it comes to the COVID vaccine. Ever since the vaccination campaign first launched in January, there’s been no discussion. Just one huge echo chamber on the mainstream media and perpetual shutting down of social media profiles for people who posted “misleading” information (honest personal opinions and experiences).
It scares me. It scares me because it seems that free exchange of information, the ability to disagree, the ability to shift from monochromatic yes-no, black-and-white thinking are gone.
“Just today, the World Health Organization made an announcement clearly and unequivocally. You’ve got to start using masks because none of these vaccines are preventing infection. They’re preventing disease. They’re not preventing transmission.”
Disclaimer: all opinions and insight in this post are my own. I make no claims of statistic or scientific accuracy.
Some time ago, I wrote about my personal choice to wait and watch for a while before getting the COVID vaccine. Since I work from home, am not in a risk group, and am a natural introvert, this choice is viable for me.
But it is different for many other people in Israel. Quite simply, many will soon have to take the vaccine – regardless of their personal preferences or concerns – to keep their livelihood and avoid restrictions.
Israel has started its vaccination campaign in full force and, so far, has vaccinated about 1/3 of the total population and most people in risk groups. Despite this, COVID continues to spread rapidly, in a large part because of new variants that now target younger people and children as well.
There’s a big – and, in my eyes, very scary – trend of shaming and pressuring the people who are reluctant to get the vaccine for any reason. They are labeled uneducated, scare-mongerers, selfish, unwilling to “do their part”. Allegedly, vaccine refusers are the reason why we won’t be climbing out of this pandemic anytime soon.
There has been talk of making vaccination mandatory but, since legislation for this would likely cause an uproar, there’s an insidious movement to make people get a vaccine by existing legal means.
It started with a “green passport” incentive that’s supposed to give vaccinated citizens access to shopping centers and recreational activities, and escalated to organizations saying their workers had better get the vaccine if they want to keep their jobs. Teachers who have concerns about the vaccine are told “it’s your fault we can’t open schools, kids are missing out on their education because of your silly irrational fears”. I’ve heard local authorities declare that unvaccinated individuals will get no services, no counseling, no assistance when needed. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal, but the statements can give you a hint of the overall attitude.
Any concerns about the vaccine are systematically swept under the rug and any reports of possible serious side effects are dismissed as a coincidence. This week I heard a recording of an epidemiologist who had given a radio interview and very carefully and rationally explained why the vaccine might not be 100% safe for everyone. The interviewer, seething with fury, terminated the report midway.
The worst part? Leading authorities are talking about taking the plunge and vaccinating children and pregnant women before any clinical trials have taken place for these groups, because without these populations, Israel will never reach herd immunity.
I am still pretty positive about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. I hope that, in the end, it will prove the solution we’ve all been hoping for. But here’s the thing:
It should be illegal to try and coerce, force, shame, or manipulate anyone into taking the vaccine. It should be illegal to offer external incentives for taking the vaccine.
Any discussion on possible negative side effects should be open and transparent. People shouldn’t be afraid or ashamed to ask questions, or labelled as senseless fear-mongerers when they do.
The demonization of people who are choosing not to take the vaccine yet has got to stop. It appears, so far, that being vaccinated doesn’t prevent someone from spreading the virus to others. Therefore, it has minimal impact on my neighbors and friends whether I’m vaccinated or not. We are not the problem. We were not the ones who caused uncontrolled spread through massive crowded events, parties, demonstrations and (ironically) funerals.
I never thought I would say this, but living in Israel has become scary lately. I have never felt such instability. Not during wars, not during terror campaigns.
I pray that we somehow make our way out of this without forgetting about democratic values like bodily autonomy, critical thinking, and freedom of speech. Because so far, things aren’t looking very hopeful on that score.
Warning: this might be a bit of a controversial post (something I don’t really do anymore these days!)
Like everyone else, I’ve been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. And like everyone else, I’d just love to get my life back.
I don’t think COVID is a hoax. I’m not really into conspiracy theories. I am a very run-of-the-mill person. I vaccinate my kids (with a slightly delayed schedule for newborns).
But I would still rather wait a while before lining up for a COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s why.
In the past months, the world has been pretty much obsessed with the upcoming vaccines and when oh when we can get them, and whether Pfizer’s or Moderna’s is more effective. There’s been a lot of indignation about knowing that there won’t be enough vaccine stock for everyone at once, and a whole lot of arguments about who gets first priority.
There’s been a lot of talk about “emergency approval” (fancy word for cutting corners with trials and testing) and doing it all fast, fast, and FASTER.
The comments from more cautious people saying, “but wait, maybe we need more trials” are pushed to the bottom of talkback lists and the people writing them are labeled as whackos.
The novel vaccines (actually labeled “revolutionary” by their makers) were judged as being “safe to use” with suspicious speed. And there has been talk about making them mandatory.
I doubt anyone will be coming to round us up and tie us to chairs to get us vaccinated. But people who would rather wait a bit before trying a new, only recently tested vaccine might find themselves facing serious limitations in travel, employment, and their children’s education.
When you Google “covid vaccine side effects” you get the typical list of vaccine side effects (swelling, redness, slight fever, etc) but nothing about longer-term possible implications. Why? Because there simply hasn’t been enough time to test them yet. COVID has been with us less than a year.
I’d like to wait at least a year to see some conclusive, nonbiased research on the effects of various COVID vaccines on pregnant women, children, and immunocompromised groups. We’re being told that governments and the WHO have given the green light. They claim it’s safe.
But the thing is, they really, really, REALLY WANT it to be safe.
Governments want to reopen the economy with no limitations. They want to make sure the hospitals aren’t overwhelmed. They want the unemployment rates to go down. They think in global terms.
As an individual, I would rather live another year or two with masks and social distancing than take the risk of an insufficiently tested vaccine. Why do I say “insufficiently”? Because there simply hasn’t been enough time.
Here is one of the few articles I’ve found with a safe, balanced approach towards the COVID vaccine. Neither an “avoid all vaccines like the devil” nor “let me be the first to get it”.
So I’m just going to do something very conservative. Wait and watch. And I know many people around the globe are thinking along the same lines, though we might be a bit of a silent group.
Domestic Felicity 