First a few clarifications to her blog from me:  Tzahal is the Israel Defense Forces.  Tzeva Adom is a red alert warning of  incoming missiles. Mamad is a safe room every Israeli home needs, a kind of in-house bomb shelter.  Ron is her husband, Tzur their youngest (of six) sons.  This was written after Shabbat ended in the early morning of July 13.

This is the fifth time I tried to write a post tonight. It’s the middle of the night and it’s relatively quiet outside , except for the sound of our jets flying high 24/7 and an occasional boom here and there. Just to catch you up what’s been happening in the 24 hours.

Lit candles, Ron and Tzur left for — boom boom, a new sound in the last 24 hours, our cannons. Now Tzahal is bombing again. It was quiet for about an hour. —  shul — Tzeva Adom x 3. Mad dash to mamad, saferoom, close door. 2 nifilot, get used to Israeli jargon. Nifilot from the word nafal, is the word  — -boom. Are you getting a feel for my frustration as I am trying to write, all the action going on here. –– used to describe –– boom –– when a kassam falls. —boom.  — Are you getting frustrated with my interruptions of booms? Too bad. Now you’re getting an idea how I feel trying to write — boom- boom lot of booms far away. Tank fire. Continuous tank fire. Tzevah Adom x 3. Back to the mamad. — Let’s suffice it say there is a virtual war going on out there. I will refrain from reporting every boom, except for the —Tzevah Adom x 3. Back in the mamad. Out of the—Tzevah Adom x3. — Back in the mamad. Why don’t I stay in the mamad and just write from there you ask? Well, it’ s 1:50 in the morning and my typing is making clicking noises and my husband is trying to sleep. Quiet. Do you hear that? Good. Because it is actually quiet out there.

They made aliya  from Los Angeles to Israel several decades ago.  You can read more on her blog, Shefa Brachot, itself an interesting play on words. Sheva Brachot, (with a “v” in Sheva, means the seven blessings said at a wedding.  Shefa (with an “F”) can be translated as the flow of blessings or abundant blessings. You decide which she means.   I urge you to read her blog at http://www.rosieweisel.com.