The Orange Teens

It's odd to know the country's at war (oh, sorry, a state of emergency in limited areas of the country) and it not be anywhere near me. There were a few planes overhead yesterday, and the local Arabs must have turned up the volume because their 3:30 am prayers woke me, but other than that, it's been quiet. (Well, aside from the sound of the police coming to drag young girls--remember NN?--in for questioning, even though the charges were a year old and even though she was babysitting her brothers and sisters, and going with the cops meant leaving them, including a year old baby, alone.)

It's nearly a year since Israel abandoned the Gaza settlements, yet the Orange Revolution continues. The ManBoy and The Oldest Teen want to go hiking up North this week and The Middle Teen wants to go to Haifa for her birthday Tuesday and then down to Sederot this coming weekend. Because We Are Not Going To Let Arab Terror Stop Us. Because We Have To Show Solidarity. Because, quite frankly, these are teenagers and they don't get enough tension and adventure in their lives. Thankfully, The Spouse returns Friday, so I could tell The Middle Teen no about her weekend plans. I todl The Oldest Teen to check with the head of his yeshiva and see if he could get a pass out of learning; I'm betting that the answer will be no. (Delegating responsibility, that's my superpower.)

The first casualty of war chez Moze is my Amazing Lace entry #3. I've done the scarf, finished the socks,

but do not have the concentration needed to do a very large lace shawl with multiple charts. Oh, well, maybe when Israel's not at war anymore (like about the year 3043?).

Instead, I've been focusing on smaller projects. It's lavendar season


so I've been making up a bunch of sachets


Sort of look like bombs, don't they? Well, at least their smell takes my mind off what's happening. Still, I can't help but thinking this has nothing to do with the 3 captured soldiers. Oh, sure, that was the excuse for the start of it, but Olmert's said his real goal in Gaza is to prepare the ground to kick me out of my house, and I think the real reason behind the bombardment of Lebanon is that the blood of people living in Tzefat, Nahariya, and Meiron is redder than that of us living out here or than those living in Sederot. I have the very bad feeling that the soldiers are going to become the Sultaan Yaakub soldiers/Ron Arad of my kids' generation.