Z is for Zoo (with credit to Bezzie)

I haven't had the time, energy, or inclination to go out on a mission to find my own Z idea and saw that Bezzie had used "zoo." So I figured, why not go with what works?
These pictures were taken on a warm day last January. At the time, we thought it was unseasonably warm, but now we're just coming to accept that this is how winter's going to be in the modern age.

In Other News
We all got through the Christmas craziness in one piece. The Little Emperor has regained his lost equilibrium, and just in time, too. He was truly off-the-wall in the days leading up to Christmas. Explosive. My kids just seem to have a harder time with anticipation than others. I wonder why we all think this is just a great thing for kids? (Uh oh, another rant is stirring... I'll change direction quickly.)

Since then we've been puttering around the house. Mr. SABLE's taking a two week vacation, too, so we're all home together, which is good and bad.

I did get to hang out with my friend Emily on Wednesday afternoon. That was delightful, as always. I didn't bring the camera, but you all remember what Emily looks like. It hasn't been that long.


I went to a wedding party in Evanston IL yesterday. The wedding had been in the morning and was a smaller affair for family and close family friends. It was followed by an open house from 2-9 pm. The family was one I had cleaned house and babysat for in the early 80s, starting when the bride was 2 years old. I worked for them for 5 years. I always relish time alone in my car now that I'm a mom. I listened to all sorts of great stuff on the radio and enjoyed the silence, too. I came home by way of Milwaukee, figuring any extra distance was offset by not having to go south to go north and get back into the thick of Chicago/OHare traffic before getting clear of it all. My thinking would have been correct, except that there was a pretty awful looking roll-over accident on the interstate near Kenosha. Before we got to that, people had been weaving in and out of traffic rather aggressively. After that, they were temporarily subdued.

Knitting News
Thanks to all who commented on my Setesdal sweater. I encourage all of you to try a pattern like that. It's considerably easier than traditional Fair Isle, because you don't have all those color changes. The patterns are very repetetive and symmetrical.

Now I'm puttering away on various long standing projects and trying to decide on some new things to spice things up. Several months ago I bought a couple balls of Rowan Tapestry in a color that runs from silvery pale grey to black. I'm making a quick scarf the long way out of it while waiting for further inspiration.

Mostly I'm waiting for school to start again. I find when my family is around, it's very hard for me to focus on anything creative. I expect to be called away from what I'm doing constantly and it happens.

So, this is my last post of 2006. Happy New Year to all! Be safe tonight! I plan to have a quiet remainder of the evening, working on my knitting. I wouldn't stay up until midnight, except that Owen demands company to ring in the new year. But I'm yawning now, so we'll see. Mr. SABLE is going to play Risk with Owen and his friend Josh, who's staying over. Maybe I can sneak off to sleep around 11, if I'm discreet