Back with a vengance--or rather, with a meme

The past 12 weeks have been a roller coaster, up one day, down the next, sharp slides and long hard climbs. I miss Mom like crazy, and have to fight the urge to dial her phone number, expecting to hear her voice, half a dozen times a day.

How to go from all this emo back to the mundane of blogging knitting and teen life?

Heatherly was nice enough to ask me some questions for the Interview Meme. I love this one, because no matter how many times you do it, the questions are never the same. If you want to join in, drop me a comment.

So, here are the Yenta's Qs and my As:

1. oh i have missed your blogging! must be hard with all the traveling! not to mention crazy people trying to blow you up! or do you used to that? this is not an official question.:-)
   
   

   The traveling is pretty easy to recuperate from. People trying to blow me up--well, that's really not an issue; I live in a pretty safe area of the world, all things considered, and of the country, for that matter. (It's not like this is Sederot.)




2. my son dreams of being in the IDF, how do mothers in israel prepare their children and themselves for enlisting and the inevitable conflicts that arise?
   
   

   I was lucky. My son is slightly disabled (completely deaf in one ear) so I knew from early on that he would never be a combat soldier. We spent his entire childhood teaching him, contrary to Israeli popular mythology, that combat units weren't the best thing since sliced bread. We regaled him with stories of his paternal grandfather, who was a machinist on the Manhattan Project, and had him think about who did more damage to the enemy -- his grandfather or a foot soldier. That doesn't mean that he didn't develop rifle envy, what with a lot of his friends going into combat units; he solved that by getting a part-time job doing guard duty and armed escort work, so he has a rifle of his own. The one big conflict is what would happen if Israel stages another land giveaway as they did in the summer of 2005, giving away Gaza in exchanged for thousands of Kassam rockets, to be delivered daily over the course of years. What will he do, and how will we help him through that? No clue. We'll burn that bridge when we get to it.

   
   BTW, there's a whole program for foreigners. In fact, when we took The Oldest Teen in on Induction Day, we were speaking English as we approached the fenced-off area where recruits were standing. A group of English speaking boys called him over and told him, "You have to go inside and surrender your passport." We all started panicking a minute: he was supposed to bring his passport? No one told us that! He said he didn't have a passport with him, he had his national ID card. "Oh, you're not an American?" the boys asked. "I am, but also Israeli," said Teen. "Oh, then forget what we said; we thought you were here to volunteer in the overseas program."



3. i know you can grow your own cotton but where do you buy yarn in israel?
   
   

   Well, this year I won't be growing cotton because the time period when I usually started was eaten up taking care of my mom and then taking care of her estate. And next year I won't grow anything because of shmitta, so it's a good thing there are now decent yarn stores in Israel. It used to be, back when I moved here 17 years ago, you could buy all the yarn you wanted -- as long as what you wanted was fuschia acrylic. Now there are two yarn stores I frequent (when I'm not on a yarn diet): Badei Shani in Jerusalem (Martef HaIr, next to HaMashbir, across from the midrachov) and Gourmet Yarn in Raanana.




4. is there a yarn or product you can't get in Israel but are dying to try?
   
   

   I haven't been to Gourmet Yarn in a while, between being busy and being on a yarn diet. Pretty much everything I'd want to try she's got, or is willing to get. One thing I'd like to try, though, and which I didn't find when I was in NY last month, is Tofutsies sock yarn (and all the other cool new sock yarns that aren't 75/25).




5. what is your favourite thing(s) about living in israel?
   
   

   Oooh, tough question. I love the pace of life here, I love the freedom my kids have to go where they want, when they want. I love that here I never have to explain why I'm taking time for a religious life. (Go explain to the average American employer that you're taking off half an hour for afternoon prayers.)




6. we are just about to enter life with teenagers, any advice?
   
   

   Fasten your seatbelts. No, seriously--if you've raised them right until now, they'll be fine, with a minor bump or scrape here or there. There's a Yiddish saying--from seven to seventy, a person's essential character remains unchanged.
   When my kids were little, we had a reputation for being very strict. Now that the youngest is 15, we have a reputation for being very lenient. I rarely tel my kids no, but not because I'm indulgent--because they already know what they can do and what they can't, and very rarely ask to do something I wouldn't allow.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW MEME
1. Leave a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. Please make sure I have your email address.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Now that I've broken the ice, maybe I can finish up that post about knitting in the hospice, or knitting since, or saying kaddish...

Paying an old debt

Back in the Stone Age (2006), the Safranit tagged me with a meme. Now, I am smart enough to know one never says no to a librarian (even if one does risk a late-fee):

Four jobs I've had:
*Stripper. No, not that kind. Rubylith in a print shop type stripper.
*Shooting instructor at the National Olympic Range. I specialized in teaching women, politicians, and senior citizens.
*Youth group leader. Surprising considering how little I like teenagers in large groups.
*Off-Off Broadway actress with the Black Spectrum Theater and with Miriam Kressyn's Yiddish Theatre Troupe.

Four movies I can watch over and over:
To Be or Not To Be (Mel Brooks version)
Stevie (starring Glenda Jackson as Stevie Smith)
HaLahaka (especially the really bad English subtitles)
Bride and Prejudice (I love Bollywood)

Four places I have lived:
Queens, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Neve Tzuf, Israel
Har Bracha, Israel

Pretty sad that--that's *all* the places I've ever lived. If I'd had to stretch it to five I could have broken Queens down into Laurelton (birth-5) and

Kew Garden Hills (5-20), but after that, I'd have to count vacations as living.

Four television shows I love to watch:
Torchwood (OK, the plots so far stink. Fiction me some science, guys. Though the last few eps didn't stink quite so ripely. But still--John

Barrowman eye candy? Who can resist that?)
Dr Who (although I worry about the new companion's pineapple hair)
Eight is Enough (now if I could only figure out how to save off AOL TV)
Histeria (ditto)

Four places I have been on vacation:
I don't do vacations, so 4 places I've been this year on work trips, with sight-seeing attached:
Mexico City
Paris
Athens
Toronto

Four of my favorite dishes:
seitan "pork" from Buddha Bodai in Manhattan (5 Mott St.)
extra-hot tacos from Barbacoa in Maxico City (Jules Verne Ave.)
fresh criossants with butter for breakfast in Paris
warm chocolate bomb from Umami (Eglinton Ave., Toronto)

Four websites I visit daily:
Rotter.net
Bloglines
Gmail
Mininova torrents


Four places I would rather be right now:
Anywhere, any time in New York City (either you're born a New Yorker, no matter where the birth physically took place, or you're not. I was, both mentally and physically)
Walking the Israel National Trail (well, that's planned for Wednesday)
Driving between Binghampton and Buffalo in the early morning fog
Mexico City

For my bookmark swap partner

BOOKMARK SWAP SURVEY:

1. What genre of books do you enjoy most?
Just about anything but horror and fairies-and-wizards fantasy. And books that say Israel and/or the settlers are responsible for all the evils of the world.

2. What sort of bookmarks do you like best?
Long enough to stick out both sides of the book; other than that I'm open for anything.

3. What are your favorite colors?
Intense, saturated hues of any color.

4. Are there any colors you don't like?
Muddy colors (but pastels are all right).

5. What sort of "theme'' would you like your bookmark to be?
Handmade. Other than that, I'm easy.

6. Are there any "themes'' that you wouldn't like??
Religious (except Judaism).

7. Can you send internationally?
I'd have to!

8. If your partner wants to send along extra goodies (like tea, candy, cocoa, etc), what do you enjoy? And is there anything you don't like/can't have??
Any food must have some sort of kosher supervision. And nothing religious except for Jewish stuff.

9. What crafts are you going to use to make your bookmarks? Is there a particular craft type you would like to receive? (knitted bookmarks, plastic canvas, etc)
I'll use either knitting or crochet, and I'll be happy to get anything.

---

Those 250,00 Israeli teens I wrote about yesterday? They're all complaining that the tests were too hard. Even the Middle Teen, who never complains about hard tests, is planning to redo it during the summer.

Struck by a muse

The one and only Muse struck me with the Mesorah bug. It took me a few days to answer her; I may have high speed wifi on the road, but time--now that's another matter.

The idea is to comment on the following which was published by Ha'aretz:

The Jewish public's pessimism can apparently be ascribed to the state of affairs today, which leads an overwhelming majority of 74 percent to expect that even if Israel withdraws from all the territories beyond the Green Line and the occupation ends, Palestinian violence will not stop and may even intensify.

Now I think that there are a lot more reasons for Israelis to be pessimistic. I mean, have you ever looked at Amir Peretz? Did you ever wonder how many biological agents could be hiding in that mustache? Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe what's in the Sharons' bellies is that creature from Alien?

I would like to think that the reason the Jewish majority was pessimistic was that they'd finally woken from the Leftist opium of a New Middle East. I think those who do live some type of Jewish lives do realize that the Arabs are (and here I'll make a generalization) a very honest people. They say what they mean and mean what they say. They say they want the right of return; believe them. They say they want repatriation to their abandoned homes in Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jaffa; believe it. They say they want a Jew-free zone in the Middle East; you'd better believe them.

I think the 74% are showing stunning realism. What could make you pessimistic is that the other 26% of the Jewish population are all the politicians and policy makers.

Now, JanJan, what do you have to say?

SP 6 Questionnaire

SP6 match-ups are due out today. A lot of the answers are the same as last time. Some are significantly different.

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

I used not to be a snob. But now that government ministers are beginning to assure us that there will be no more expulsions from Judea and Samaria, or that it will be several years until more expulsions, the more I'm convinced I'm going to become homeless in the not-too-distant future. So I'd better start thinking in terms of what stash is worth paying the army's enormous storage fees on. I'm not paying $1,500 per truckload per month to store acrylic.
So--short answer: yes, very much so.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

Yes to both. Spindle and wheel spinning, yarn and thread crochet.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

I don't, but The Spouse is allergic to smoke, pets, and perfume. I only wear perfumed products during the months he's out of the country.

4. How long have you been knitting?

About 15 years, though intensively only 6 or 7. I've been crocheting 35 years and spinning 3.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes, I have an Amazon wish list.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Rose, and after that citrus.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

Yes, but I keep strictly kosher, so any sweets must have rabbinical certification (like the OU, OK, Kof-K, etc.).

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

I weave with a Kromski rigid heddle, I do some basic beading and want to learn more, I sometimes cross stitch (less than I used to, but since my daughter's gotten into it, I've started again), and I garden. I love miniatures, but don't have time to learn as much about them as I'd like.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

My computer can play MP3s. I like contemporary Israeli music, Broadway, and the music I grew up with--the 1970s and 1980s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

I'm getting back into black, and I still like orange and deep purple. Before that it was shades of blue. In general, I prefer stronger, more saturated colors. I don't totally hate anything, though I can't say I'm particularly fond of chartreuse. (Except as a word. I adore the word. Just say it a few times, roll it around your mouth. Doesn't it just have the best bite?)

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I'm married and have one teenaged son, two teenaged daughters. We also have a 2 year old cat.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

Not to be made homeless by unilateral decision of the Israeli government, chasing an unrealistic fever-dream.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

So far my favorites are anything I've spun myself. In Israel I don't have access to most of the name brand yarns, so I might like them were I ever to try them.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Audio tape's a pain (literally) to work with. I also don't like very plastic-y acrylics, and I can see only very limited uses for fun-fur.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Knitty's Cinxia, because I'm itching to get it on the needles.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Socks. Quick and easy, and they don't become UFOs.

17. What are you knitting right now?

Amble from the 6 Socks KAL, my second Clapotis, and a tank top for myself. And, as always Mariah and the Mystery Stole, which isn’t a mystery any more.

18. What do you think about ponchos?

In theory I like them, but since I cover my hair for religious reasons, I can't really wear them; when I take a poncho off, my head scarf tends to go along for the ride. Pity, because the poncho from the Knitting Pattern a Day calendar which was featured yesterday is exactly the poncho I've been thinking of making myself for about 30 years (minus the fringe).

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

Circular--they can do what a straight can, but backwards and in high heels.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Yes, please!

21. Are you a sock knitter?

Unredeemably so.

22. How did you learn to knit?

I saw a sweater pattern in a women's magazine, liked it, and asked a neighbor to teach me knit and purl. The rest I taught myself.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

Mariah. 11 months and counting.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

Tweety bird, cartoon mice, and flamingos, real or cartoon.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

Sukkot--the guys do the hard work, and we have most of a week to hang out with the family.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Dust bunnies and worries. Frequent flyer points. Buyers' club cards which can be attached to keychains. Scripts from the 1976-1981 TV show Eight is Enough.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

None. When I'm in the States I load up on whatever looks interesting. I do subscribe to Spin-Off, though.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?

Double Weaving on the Rigid Heddle Frame Loom. I've got to learn how to produce cloth for sewing. Any books having to do with my kids' family histories.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??

The silk corset pattern. Rouge. I'm getting into downloadable patterns now, because I won't have to pay the army to store them when they steal my house.

What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?

Ankle circumference 9.5" (24cm), back of ankle to top of big toe the same. I love me some knee socks, but generally am too lazy and make the tops between 6 and 8 inches.

Me Me Meme

Zibibbo tagged me.

10 years ago I was still unpacking this house that I moved into to get away from the neighbors in my rental neighborhood. Seven years ago all the neighbors (every gosh-darn one of them aside from the one who is my friend) moved into the houses around me. The unpacking was finished last Pesach.

5 years ago I was frantically getting ready for The Oldest Teen's bar mitzvah. There were a lot of political rallies that summer--I remember a big one in Zion Square the night we went to give the advance on the hall, which is in the Clal Bulding -- and being nervous that something would happen to mess up our plans, but for the life of me I can't recall what stupidity the government was pulling. I do know that in late September the war broke out.

1 year ago I was working a lot in my garden, harvesting my vegetables and flowers and trying to lay low. A lazy summer (aside from full-time work).

Yesterday I worked a 12 hour day, knit, played coordinator between two girls in different cities and two men overseas, tried to help a family from Kfar Darom find a new place to live and some boys a new place to learn. Then, when I was ready to collapse into bed I realized that the sons of my neighbors (see above, "10 years ago") were partying in the hut they've built themselves underneath my daughters' bedroom windows (sometimes the apathy of the place I live in is nearly enough to turn me into a flaming leftist) -- until 3 am. Instead of sleeping I watched Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft in "To Be or Not To Be" and knit on my tank top.

5 snacks: Reese's peanut butter cups. Gari. Raisin bread with butter and sugar. Oranges. Watermelon. Not together, of course.

5 songs i know all the words to: Geez, talk about tough. I have a weird brain--I hear a song once or twice and I know all the words. That's why I started a site for Betty Buckley fans with the words to many, many of her songs (from what I've heard and she's even told me, including some she's forgotten she sang!) How about the last 5 songs I sang (around the house--if I sang outside, with my voice, I'd be called a terrorist): Cherry Bomb (Joan Jett). Bunika bata doba (from the last Eurovision). Ata Kadosh (Adi Ran). Touch Me Fall (Indigo Girls). Sycamore Trees (Betty Buckley).

5 things I would do with 100 million: Buy a house in north Tel Aviv so when I get expelled from mine by "my" government I'm not living in a tent in the middle of Tel Aviv. Start a charity to help synagogues repair their Torah scrolls or buy new ones. Buy a vintage Airstream for us to use in the US. Start a newspaper which would really reflect Jewish right-wing views (without having any involvement by the General Security Services). Buy investment property for each of my kids.

5 places to run away to: Do the 5 boroughs count as 5 choices? Well, I probably wouldn't run away to the Bronx or Staten Island, so... New York. Las Vegas (not for the gambling, for Red Rock Canyon, and for my cousin's synagogue). Australia (don't know which city, if any). Hawaii. Palm Beach.

5 things I would never wear: Low riders. A cut off T. A "Machsom Watch" T shirt. A "Cahana Chai" T shirt. A backwards baseball cap.

5 favorite tv shows: Oooh. I can't remember the last time I watched TV because I wanted to (as opposed to being in the room when someone else watched it). None of my favorite shows are still on. Eight is Enough. St. Elsewhere. Star Trek: The Next Generation. Boy Meets World. Chatzei HaMinasheh.

5 biggest joys: Hiking with my family. Other people's babies. Spinning my home-grown cotton. Fresh hot bread. Walking the beach by Shirat HaYam (maybe again some day. Where there is life there's hope).

5 favorite toys: My blow up pink palm tree. My Buzz Lightyear spinning pen. My knitting needles. My Shrek ears. My collection of mice (including and especially the human one).

I've totally lost track of who has already been tagged and who hasn't, so if you want to do it and haven't yet, take it--it's yours.

Stitch Marker Exchange Questions

For the Stitch Marker Swap:

Do you prefer shorter or more dangling type of markers?
Generally dangling markers, but I can certainly use shorter ones as well.

Is there any kind of markers that you would absolutely NOT want to recieve?
Ones for sz 15 and up needles--I've never used that size yet. Markers with overt religious symbols (aside from Jewish).

Colors you like most?
Bright colors, to contrast with the yarns I generally use.

Colors you like least?
Clear. They'll fade into the yarn.

Would you prefer markers for smaller or larger sized needles?
I generally knit on sz 0-9 needles.

Do you want your sender to reveil themselves when there shipped or at a later date?
When shipped or in the mail with the markers, so I can email a thanks.

OTN: Trying to finish the Six Socks pattern before the end of the month. Knit like the wind!

This explains a lot

Your Inner European is French!

Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's Your Inner European?

My Inner European hates everything else about me. No wonder I'm such a mess. (Maybe this also explains why all the French keep moving into my neighborhood.)

Me, Me part 2

Andrea recommended

Book: Good Grief, by Lolly Winston

Oh, I've got to get this. I've always had a thing about young widow stories (which used to scare me, but now that I'm almost 40 I'm too old to be a young widow). The excerpt on Amazon seemed promising.

Now, her questions to me:

1. If you could live in any country/city - which would it be & why?
Well, I chose to live in Israel--moved here at 25, so I guess my answer should be Israel and my little town, but it's not. With all the crap going on here, I often forget why I wanted to move here in the first place. I sometimes regret moving here, but it was a great move for our kids--the way they've grown up here is something I cuoldn't pay for elsewhere.

In my heart of hearts, though, I'm still a New York City girl, and if I had the chance to move to Manhattan I'd be sorely tempted. Why? I don't think I can explain. Someone once said that you're either born a New Yorker or you're not, and I definitely was.

The other place I could easily move to is Las Vegas. The Jewish community there is friendly, there's always something to do, and one of my favorite spots on earth, Red Rock Canyon, is there. Of course, since there are no real Jewish schools there, I couldn't move at this point and I'm not in the market to move, but it's still in my top 3 cities to live in.

2. What's your favorite thing to do when you finally get some well-deserved alone time (besides knitting? ;)

Do weaving and crocheting count? [g] I'm a very hyper person, so I have a hard time just sitting still. Unless it's a Sabbath or holiday, I'll always have something in my hands during down time, unless I'm in the garden. On Sabbaths and holidays I read and sleep a lot. A lot--I mean something like 5-7 books within 24 hours and 12 hours of sleep or more.

3. What is the funniest thing you've ever witnessed?

There's a reason Orthodox Jewish men don't do mixed dancing. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking it's about modesty -- it's that they can't do it. One year the assistant prinicpal at B's school was retiring and they had a dinner dance, making sure to order us kosher food, so we felt we had to go. They sort of taunted B until he agreed to dance just one dance with me. Ever see a rabbi do the funky chicken? To "My Heart Will Go On"?

Michelle recommended:

A Book anything by Terry Pratchett

He's the guy who's got a character Cohen the Barbarian, doesn't he? I keep meaning to get one of these books for B. Which would you recommend as a first purchase?

Questions

1. Living in Israel, what's your number one tourist pet peeve?
Hands down, no question, the International Solidarity Movement. I dislike them so much I'm not even going to give the link to their website. These idiots come into the country on tourist visas, illegally enter war zones, face off with Israeli soldiers, and then sue when they get hurt. Um, hello? You lied your way into a country and knowingly put yuorself into the danger zone of a war that's not even yours, run home to complain to your own momma if you get hurt. They've got chutzpa only matched by the man who killed his parents and then threw himself on the mercy of the court because he was an orphan. And even lower than your garden variety ISM moonbats are the ones who lie their way into a free ticket through Birthright Israel. Not only do they do all the people above do, but they take advantage of the goodness of other people's hearts (and pocketbooks) to do so.

2. Do you have pets? Would you consider yourself a dog person or a cat person?
I have my cat, Princess (aka Dumb Cat -- she's a blonde at heart, and partially in fur). I love little dogs, but they don't fit into our lifestyle; most of the dogs I know are eternal 2 year olds, and cats are more like teens--sleep all day, surly, but boy do they love you when you feed them.

3. Of all your knitting projects, which one are you most proud of? Which one do you wish the sock gremlins would steal?
Idest of B's sweater and hat set. I spun 3 pounds of roving, plied it, knit it (first time doing cables), shopped in 2 countries for the buttons. If the sock gremlins want to stop by for my Oscar the Grouch socks that I'm trying to work up the courage to rip *again,* I'll even feed them some cookies as a thank you.

Now what I want to know, Michelle, is what's up with your school program. If you want to direct, why are you being forced to do history? What sort of job do you think (as opposed to wish) you'll get after you finish? And you're right, you can't beat a good riot on opening night, which is why the musical opening night and/or preview week I wish I'd seen has to be Carrie. Kill the pig!

The first weaving project is done!



It sure looks like a first project--bad beating, weft pulled too tightly in some spots not tight enough in others, floats, etc., but by gosh it is FABRIC! I put it on last night the way I plan to wear it (tied into another scarf) and my teens even liked it. Now that's high praise. I've just got to wash it (hence the picture--if it falls apart, I want proof I did actually make it) and I'll have at least one new thing for Passover.

Muse asks if I'm knitting again. Yep, I gave in to the pressure. Knowing that I wouldn't be allowed to knit for a week pushed me right into the arms of a project. I don't mind taking a knitting vacation, but being forced into it just makes me want to load up first--sort of like Mardi Gras, I guess, or how people are chowing down on bread this week.

B is coming home from the States tommorrow. I guess that means I should actually start cleaning, doesn't it?

Me, me, me

from Andrea at Knit Butterflies. Read her answers to the questions I left her, and check out her beautiful wedding invites. And the answer to her second question, which explains why she'll be a great RAOKer.

Leave your recommendations/questions in the comments, and I'll come play along at your blog, too.

A. First, recommend to me:

1. A movie:
2. A book:
3. A musical artist, song, or album:

B. Ask me three questions, no more, no less. You may ask me anything you want, but I can decline to answer anything which makes me uncomfortable.

C. Copy and paste this in your blog.

Lucy, I'm home!

A month away from home is really too long. I woke up this morning and couldn't remember where I was (you'd think the comfy bed would have clued me in, but I can't think before that first cup of coffee).

I just what to know what my kids were thinking. The fridge had UHT cream, milk, Bulgarian cheese, tomato paste, and almond butter in it. Do I want to know what they were eating while I was gone?

Questions for Knits with Cats:

1. You've posted about S.A.B.L.E. Come on. In your heart of hearts, do you really think you're at S.A.B.L.E. point? If so, do you really plan to do anything about it, or give up on S.E.X.?

2. What plant do you dream about putting in your garden but haven't yet, and why haven't you? What exactly would enough rose bushes be?

3. You have a "Knitters for Bush" button on your blog. From what I've seen, being for Bush was not a popular choice last year--why did you support him, and what made you decide to do it so publicly? Why do you still have the button up, several months post-election?

4. Do you really have 27 projects OTN, or is this more of a wish list? And if they are really OTN, how do you decide what to knit at any particular time?

5. Based on your quote of the day: So, what would you be willing to die for (Besides the usual "family" answer) and why?

The interview game

The Interview Game

Here's the rules to the game, my answer is below.

1. Leave me a comment saying "interview me". The first five commenters will be the participants.
2. I will respond by asking you five questions.
3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (Write your own questions or borrow some.)

Here are my responses to Rachel Ann's questions:

Because it is about to be Purim and then Passover....

1. So how many bags of (name your favorite sugary posion) did you eat before making up those Shaloch Manos baskets?

This year--none. (See post above about being away from home on Purim.) Even on normal years the answer is generally none--most families in my town give gifts of good (side dishes for the Purim meal) instead of junk food. No month-long candy fests for us!

2. What is your favorite Purim memory?

Driving around Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens with my husband and infant son after having baked 160 challot for Shaloch Manot.

3. Put on your black hat. What is the Passover cleaning job you are now forcing all your evil minnions to do?

The fridge, the oven, and the kids' rooms. Hey, they're teens!

4. Will you please, please, please, come clean my house for Passover? I'll make you a nice dinner. (Sorry, if you are a Jewish mom you know why that pleas got to be in there.)

No way. I'll have less than 20 days to clean my own house, and I've seen yours! I might have a teen for hire, though.

5. What is your favorite Passover meal? And no fair not giving over the recipe.

Meal? I'm supposed to be serving meals on Passover. Oh, shoot, I knew I've been doing something wrong all this time. Seriously, though, can I get back to you about this once I get home to my recipes?