Masha Shtern, MHSeattle, September 2008 - warming: depressing!

It's funny that ever year I forget how the colder season feels, until it comes.  It doesn't fail to sneak up on me every year.  Last week there was a day where it was so chilly my body was reminded of the winter, and how miserable my joins feel and how I can never get warm enough no matter how many layers I put on.  Especially in our drafty old house, which I has been so great during the summer.  I'm a little sad to be reminded of all this, and it really got me down.   And in turn, I got a little upset that it got me so upset.  I wonder how much of the seasonal mood swings come from an actual lack of sunlight and vitamin D, and how much of it comes from the fact that all our other problems seem more visible where there's no yellow disk in the sky calling your outside.  Of course, it seems like the latter, and it reminds me of the fact that I should really work through those things... 

Although frankly, I'm not that sad at this very moment, but I just wanted to get that out of my system.  At the moment, I'm in West Virginia in a tiny town of Berkeley Springs, because my best friend is getting married on Sunday.  Joel and Tamar are here, too, and we've just had a lovely impromtu Shabbos meal in their hotel room.  I almost missed my connecting flight and had tomato juice on my butt today, but I also saw a gorgeous sunset and visited a Dunkin Donuts, which apparently, we don't have anymore in Seattle!  But enough of this graphomania, it has never been my forte, and I shall leave you with what I do best: a recipe.  This is a tribute of sorts to the passing summer, hopefully you will have enough good weather where you are to be refreshed by this.

Buttermilk soup - so simple, refreshing and delicious

buttermilk

chopped or grated cucumber

lemon juice

salt

fresh chopped dill

finely chopped garlic - about one clove per 2 cups of buttermilk

All the amounts are to taste, keep trying until it tastes right to you. Mix the ingredients cold and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight for the best taste.