Her Secret is Patience

It Wraps Around and Envelops Me

2010-05-25T10:53:00.010+04:00

The humidity is a thick blanket which

wraps around
and
envelops

It slowly stifles my whole body with its

stickiness

clinging to me

suffocating me

Its dampness

weighs me down

The air is

oppressive

I seek quick refuge

indoors

where the air is

cool and calming

It is time to hibernate

from the sweltering heat of

muggy mornings

and

sultry nights

image found at: http://fo-kasu.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

Looking At The Stars

2010-05-17T15:27:00.002+04:00

MashaAllah

she is a sister of the seven sisters

and my heart is happy

I smile to myself

and no one else knows why

she doesn't know

that I know

this MaMa is

proud

grateful

patient

praying

waiting

always loving her
.
.
.

We Are Each The Love of Someone's Life

2010-03-30T16:02:00.001+04:00

When I am out

To you

I am no one special

Just a somebody you see

And then we pass each other by

No other thought passes through your mind

Home is my refuge

I feel at ease

I know what I will find there

Hugs, smiles, kisses, questions, and answers

Stories of what has happened during the day

I feel the love

--------------------
Artwork: "Passing By" by NotBlackEnough and "Leighton: Mother and Child"

Guava, Guava Makes You Smile

2010-03-30T08:26:00.000+04:00

I have a box of guava sitting in my kitchen right now and the scent emanating from my kitchen is just....gorgeous...can I say that about guava? It was the first word that came to mind...read more to find out why I say it is gorgeous (think tropical)! I wrote this post originally on another blog I have way back in November 2008. Enjoy reading it!

--------------------

Saying “Guava” your mouth gets a gentle workout. Your lips go out and then sideways and your mouth ends up in a smile. Try it. Your mouth can’t help but smile afterwards.

Guava. G u a v a. Guava.

I have a box of guava sitting in my kitchen. A box of 20 cost Dh 13.95 (US $3.82) at my local co-op. When they were bought they weren’t ripe yet. You could tell because they were still green and hard and (most importantly) they didn’t have they wonderful guava scent yet. But now, after three days, they are slowing turning a pale yellow and their guava scent is slowly emanating from kitchen to the rest of the house.

I am not a huge fan of the guava. I mostly like it for its wonderful fragrance. I can’t explain what exactly it smells like, just smells like guava. See, you just smiled again!

The guavas I have are not excessively sweet and the taste and texture is like that of a pear. I really have no clue as to how to exactly eat a guava. I didn’t think that you could eat the seeds but apparently you can. I thought that eating the tablespoon or so of seeds that a guava contains might get stuck somewhere in the insides of my body and then I would really get sick…maybe appendicitis, inbetween my intestines, or something. I don’t know.

Anyway, I did I search on how to eat a guava. You can actually eat the whole thing. The skin is packed full of vitamin C (wow! who knew?!). You have the option of eating the seeds or scooping them out with a spoon. Take a small bite and savour the unique taste and then enjoy the whole thing.

While you eat a guava (especially if it is winter time where you are), close your eyes and pretend to be sitting on the sand, beneath the wonderful, warming sun, listening to the gentle lapping of the waves…because that is what eating a guava conjures up…the sun, the sand, on a faraway tropical island.

Enjoy a guava. See made you smile again!

Here is a link to some recipes from RecipeZaar that contain guava. Some look very interesting. Guava Cake? Guava Flan?

This is one of the most wonderful things about living in the UAE. All year round you have a choice selection of fruits and vegetables to enjoy from all over the world....and at the most reasonable prices.

Have a nice day!

Time After Time

2010-03-09T16:27:00.014+04:00

now is never a good time

to have a conversation with you

you make me

wait and wait and wait and wait

what am i supposed to do?

there is never enough time to make the time

you never make for me

but i just quietly start to

hate, hate, hate

your promises, your guarantees

days turn to weeks...

...weeks into months...

...and months fade into years

now you seem to have the time

just for me and you

but now its
too late, too late

my time has run out for you

so now your old and all alone

you have all the time in the world

now you must face
your fate
your fate

because I have no more time for you

----------

Communication is one of the keys to a good and successful marriage. If a couple do not take the time to talk and spend quality time together, other things will take importance in their life. They will grow apart and make their own life without the other.

----------

Also, this can apply to your children you know. The chances for quality time you keep putting off your children will remember and end up leaving you alone in your old age. It's an awful thing to grow old all alone being taking care of by someone else...or no one at all. I would hate that most of all.

----------

Cyndi Lauper's song, "Time After Time" has been stuck in my head for days now. Why? I have no clue. It just popped into my head out of the blue. I like the lyrics but over and over again it is driving me crazy.

Lies, Lies, Lies

2010-03-04T08:14:00.006+04:00

image found from here

a lie is like a shovel

each lie you tell

digs a deeper hole

the lies keep

piling up

piling up

until the hole is so

d

e

e

p

that the lies

will

on your head

c r a s h i n g

down

bury you

suffocate you

s l o w l y

drain the life

out of you

you reach

you grasp

it's too late

now you wait

and

slowly wait

to

die
-----
or is it

too

late

to

climb

out

of

the

hole

?

image found from Regina Spektor

I was amused by this and it was somewhat appropriate so i had to include it. :)

Simple Pleasures

2010-03-02T09:44:00.007+04:00

Simple pleasures

are everywhere

you just have to know where to look

down

and all around

morning sunshine, a bright blue sky

a gentle breeze, a yellow butterfly

cool water on a hot day

the laughter of children

when they play

the squint in his eyes and his strong hands

a quiet day alone filled with no demands

babies and children

fresh baked bread

the chance to daydream

while lying on a soft bed

huge soft squishy pillows

reading a book under a weeping willow

rain, flowers, green grass, tall trees

sitting on the front porch enjoying the breeze

snuggles and kisses

hugs and dreams and wishes

there's more...

the scent of a child, Friday morning breakfast, traditions, reading a book in my favorite chair by the window, beautiful paper, pencils and pens, pink toenails, playing with my children's hair, funny movies, long leisurely walks, iced tea in the summer, the scent of fresh picked tomatoes, good morning smiles, flowers, ladybugs, a cup of coffee, hot honey-lemon tea, the stars and the moon on a clear night, desert drives, sitting on the beach and watching the waves, hearing the adhan, listening to the Quran when the house is quiet...

I am blessed.
Alhamdulilah for the simple pleasures in life.

He is Just a Boy

2010-02-21T09:17:00.002+04:00

He is just a boy

so let him be.

He wants to play

and run

and have some fun.

He wants to chase the chickens

and play with the cats

run around the yard

and swing a baseball bat

He wants to play with yo-yos

learn new magic tricks

and kick around a ball.

It's okay if he crashes.

It's okay if he falls.

He is a boy.

Let him read a book under the shade of a tree

Let him run around, it's okay if he skins his knee.

Let him rollerblade fast and feel free,

swing high in the sky, and climb the trees.

He is a boy.

Don't let him grow up just yet...

Mama and Baba

there's no need to worry,

no need to fret.

Let him enjoy his childhood

like all boys should.

Don't make him grow up too fast.

Because being a child

a boy

doesn't last.

I love you Little Man. You are my heart. You are my eyes. I'm sorry.

In The Mornings...

2010-02-18T09:31:00.005+04:00

I enjoy the mornings and it is my favorite time of day.

The best time of morning is when the sun is just peeking out in the horizon. The scent of the air is fresh and I am able to catch the sweet scent from the chicco trees in my garden. I can breathe in it's goodness and take deep breaths to energize my soul and body.

The mornings are even better if there is a gentle breeze blowing and then my hair tickles my face.

I like it that the house is quiet. There's no TV or computer buzzing. The children are all at school. The General is at work.

I turn off all of the lights, slide the curtains open, and open the windows. I let the sunlight stream into my home.

I want to see the brilliant blue skies of the winter time and the lemon kiss of sunshine. (The hotter months will soon start and the skies will be an ugly blue gray color and will stay this way until October comes).

I love to sit in my favorite chair by the window and just daydream. I think of good things and places I want to go. The morning is made perfect by the sunshine streaming in through the window. It lightens my heart and soothes my soul. A hot cup of tea, my journal, and my favorite pen are all I need in those few minutes of quiet time to calm me down and prepare me for the rest of the day.

Maha Sweet Maha

2010-02-14T16:25:00.007+04:00

After a 3 week vacation the kiddos went back to school today. MashaAllah the Pretty Pink Princess was so ready to go back. Alhamdulilah she loves school.

Maha

Sweet Maha

You need to wake up

You need to get up

Maha

Sweet Maha

It's time to go to school today

Don't you want to learn and play

Oh Maha

Sweet Maha

Mommy will miss you

So let me just hug and kiss you

Maha

Sweet Maha
.
.
.

Just a Minute

2010-02-10T23:55:00.001+04:00

.
.
.
Just a minute
Go away

Just a minute
I have no time to play

Just a minute
There's no time for fun

There's cooking, cleaning, and
laundry to be done

Night has come and my "minute" is over
but I look for my baby...

She's asleep
snuggled in her bedcover.

I Walk Away

2010-02-07T12:02:00.012+04:00

I walk away

I don't look back

Because there is nothing to say

I'm on my own

I walk away

There's no turning back

There's no reason to stay

I'm on my own

The tears they come

As I walk away

I want to run

I will not stay

So I don't think

I just go

I walk away

and

I'm on my own

Back in the early part of 2008 I wrote this song, in a sort of folksy tune.

Little did I know that when I wrote this song that it was a premonition of things that were to happen in May that would devastate my entire family. I guess it was one of the "Mama Feelings" that a mother gets when she just knows deep down in her heart that something is going to happen.

I keep thinking back to the month's leading up to that day of May 28, 2008. All the things I did or didn't do. The things I said or didn't say. I constantly go over in my mind the subtle (or maybe it wasn't so subtle) things going on with Miss Moonbeam. Signs that were right there in front of me and I chose to ignore or maybe I didn't deem them so important. Little things like Moonbeam's bedroom. Her haven that she kept so neat and tidy and was so particular about but then slowly I noticed that she would just leave things the way they were.

When I wrote this song I was in a depressed mood for soooo long. I was listening to old country songs by Alabama, George Strait, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, and many others. Country songs help to wallow in your own misery and sorrows and they keep you in that funk for as long as you listen to them.

So anyway, I wrote this song, "I Walk Away" and I would quietly sing it to myself thinking of Reba McIntyre's "Is There Life Out There" and then regretting the many things I haven't done and that maybe I could still do with my life. Back then my Iman (faith) was very low. Other things happened in my life back then going all the way back to 2006.

I don't know. Maybe Moonbeam saw me in my depressed state. Maybe she heard me singing the words to this song and to Reba's song. Maybe this is just one of the things that compelled her to leave.

In the days that followed her leaving, she told me that one of the reasons' she left was so that she could get a good education and then a good job and take better care of me and the kids. That was one of her excuses for leaving. To take care of me.

Five children I have. I thought that Moonbeam was old enough to take care of herself. That she would want time to herself and that maybe she didn't want me too close. I don't know. Maybe she wanted her space. That is what I was thinking back then so I let her be. I always thought her to be the "perfect daughter" my "best friend". Everything she did was perfect. I always wanted to be with her. I enjoyed my conversations with her.

I don't know. Maybe I was too caught up in my own depression, in my own sorrows, too caught in my own thoughts that I lost my daughter, my best friend.

I wish that I could turn back time. I would make it all better.

I miss her so much.

.
.
.

MmmmHmmm Child, Everythin' is Gonna Be Alright

2010-01-25T20:24:00.005+04:00

This was the first time I was so near a cow
chestnut brown
mighty
serene
eyes so captivating
and knowing

I saw her and
I was overwhelmed with the urge to rest my cheek gently on her side and to feel her warm body

I wanted to feel the tender rise and fall of her flank
a soft wave
as she takes each breath
I lift my head and gently pat and stroke her back
she is quiet
so solid
so strong

I sit back and look into her eyes
big
brown
round
beautiful

          and I think, "Grandma I miss you?"

So
gentle
knowing
comforting
understanding

I am in a trance

Cows are so beautiful

Grandma, I miss you

so solid
so strong

The cow's mouth moves slowly and hypnotically

Reminding me of Grandma. Slowly rocking back and forth in her rocking chair

"Come child, tell me what's on your mind."

It takes me back to summer long, long ago...
hot
humid
the scent of rain in the air
the thrumming of the cicadas
the branches of the willow tree
     softly dancing in tune with the gentle breeze

Grandma rocking back and forth on her front porch gently humming

She looks at me with a sweet smile on her face

Her eyes so
big
brown
round
beautiful
gentle
knowing
comforting
understanding

Grandma's eyes coaxing me...

"Come child, tell me what you're thinkin'. Come sit on my lap and lay your lil' ol' head here."

Grandma I feel your heart beat
and the gentle rise and fall of your chest
a soft wave
as you take each breath

The soft rocking...

I look into the cow's eyes and I am entranced

Her tail's slowly swinging back and forth

Swish
         Swish
Swish

Back and forth...

Like Grandma's humming

soothing and hypnotic

The swish, the rhythm, so reminiscent of Grandma's rocking chair

The cow gives a gentle "mooooo"

I hear Grandma's voice, "Child, it's gonna be alright. You're too young for worries."

The swish of the tail...

The roll of the rocking chair forward...

"Believe me."

"Swish" reiterates her words...

and back again...

"Ya hear me?"

The gentle rocking soothes me...

"MmmmHmmm child, everythin' is gonna be alright."
.
.
.

Allah Forgives Those Who Worship Him Without Seeing Him

2010-01-25T07:19:00.003+04:00

As Salaam Alaikum,

I just wanted to share this beautiful hadith (and keep it here as a reminder).

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 417:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, “Allah has some angels who look for those who celebrate the Praises of Allah on the roads and paths. And when they find some people celebrating the Praises of Allah, they call each other, saying, “Come to the object of your pursuit.’ ” He added, “Then the angels encircle them with their wings up to the sky of the world.” He added. “(after those people celebrated the Praises of Allah, and the angels go back)...

Their Lord asks them (those angels)—-though He knows better than them—’What do My slaves say?’ The angels reply, ‘They say: Subhan Allah, Allahu Akbar, and Alham-du-lillah.

Allah then says ‘Did they see Me?’ The angels reply, ‘No! By Allah, they didn’t see You.’

Allah says, 'How it would have been if they saw Me?' The angels reply, ‘If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and celebrate Your Glory more deeply, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.’

Allah says (to the angels), ‘What do they ask Me for?’ The angels reply, ‘They ask You for Paradise.’

Allah says (to the angels), ‘Did they see it?’ The angels say, ‘No! By Allah, O Lord! They did not see it.’

Allah says, 'How it would have been if they saw it?’ The angels say, ‘If they saw it, they would have greater covetousness for it and would seek It with greater zeal and would have greater desire for it.’

Allah says, ‘From what do they seek refuge?’ The angels reply, ‘They seek refuge from the (Hell) Fire.’

Allah says, ‘Did they see it?’ The angels say, ‘No By Allah, O Lord! They did not see it.’

Allah says, 'How it would have been if they saw it?’ The angels say, ‘If they saw it they would flee from it with the extreme fleeing and would have extreme fear from it.’

Then Allah says, ‘I make you witnesses that I have forgiven them.‘

Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) added, “One of the angels would say, ‘There was so-and-so amongst them, and he was not one of them, but he had just come for some need.’ Allah would say, ‘These are those people whose companions will not be reduced to misery.’ “

The humming from the microphone echoed...

2010-01-23T20:23:00.004+04:00

It was a medley of sounds in the auditorium while we all waited for the lecture to start.

All the

whissssspering
                  ch..ch..chatterinnng
                                  giggling
                                                       ringinnnng, rinnnginnng
          russstlinnnng

a mishmash of

-ings

was becoming too much and I felt a massive headache coming on.

The lights from the stage only excarbated the problem.

The sharpness of the pain that was now

{{{THROBBING}}}

at the temples of my head.

At that unbearable moment the lights dimmed

and the hummmmmming from the microphone echoed sharply

bouncing
bouncing
bouncing

off the walls of the audiotorium

and filled the V A S T space with

a comforting silence.

It's Okay to Say Please and Thank You

2009-10-13T00:11:00.002+04:00

I highly encourage it.

But living here in the UAE some people think that they are too privileged to do simple things like this to those people who they consider to be "below them".

You see these certain group of people treat salespeople, hospital workers, municipality workers, etc. like they are the bootlickers of the earth.

Shame On Them!!!

Did you know Ya Ukhti (my sister) or Ya Akhi (my brother) that...

It's okay to be polite.
It won't hurt you.
You won't be struck down by lightening.
You won't fall into a deep and bottomless pit.

If you please...
Did you know that it is okay to say "please" or "afwan" or even "min faDHlik" (from your best) if you should want something.

Thank you so much...
It's also totally acceptable to say "thank you" or "shukran" when a service is provided to you or a kindness is shown to you.

Oh and I beg your pardon...
It is perfectly alright too to stand in line and wait your turn like the other people are doing whom you just cut in front of in the queue.

It's okay to smile too.
Your face won't fall off and it won't crack. Your lipstick won't smudge. Your shaylah or ghetra won't fall out of place. Also it is a form of sadaqah. SubhanAllah. Look at all of the hasanat you can acquire just by a simple heartfelt gesture.

A little common courtesy never hurt anyone.
You just might be surprised to know how your smile or a polite gesture can affect a person's day.

They matter to somebody.
It doesn't matter where a person is from or what place a person is in the social hierarchy. Remember that they are a father, a mother, a brother, a sister...some kind of relationship to somebody.

"Human beings are members of a whole,

In creation of one essence and soul.

If one member is afflicted with pain,

Other members uneasy will remain.

If you have no sympathy for human pain,

The name of human you cannot retain."

From: Gulistan, or 'The Rose Garden', is a collection of poems and stories which were written by the Persian poet, Sa'di in 1259 and has since become a landmark of Persian literature.

♥Arab Hospitality ♥
Arabs are the most gracious people I have met and they do live up to the stories you read and hear about. They will welcome you in their home and treat you as an honored guest.

It's just there are these few bad apples...
That a ruin a whole image of a certain population.

Have they ever wondered what it is like to be on the receiving end of humiliation?

I Can Still Daydream...and I Am Older

2009-05-25T16:41:00.030+04:00

Today is a day
Like any other day
Except
I am one year older
Should I embrace being 41 years old?

I am all fluffy now
and my hair is gray
There are aches and pains where there weren't any before

But

"I am beautiful.
In my own special way.
I am beautiful.No matter what they say."or what I thinkor what I feelor what I sayNO!THOSEWords can't bring me down"

There are still some girly whimsies
inside of me
Where I will daydream of...

Getting a pedicure while holding my pretty little kitty
I will have dainty feet that are pretty and soft-as-a-baby's bottom with pretty painted pink toenails
Comfortable in a pair of cute pink flip-flops

Talking on my pretty little pink phone

Held next to my ear that dangles with pretty pink earrings

A floppy pink hat adorned with a huge pink begonia will sit on top of my head

While I drive my brand-new pink Mini Cooper

Well I can still daydream, can't I?

And eating my fill of pink cupcakes

As I Lay Down in My Dark Room

2009-05-18T08:53:00.013+04:00

My head is pounding. It is the middle of May and the weather is oven hot and the air is thick with humidity.

The darkness of my bedroom is inviting and comforting right now.

The cool ceramic tiles beckon me, whispering to me to lie down.

I accept its invitation and I lay face down with my arms stretched out accepting and embracing the coolness of these tiles.

I seek respite from this early summer heat.

The ceiling fan softly stirs the air and it is reminiscent of a soft midnight breeze.

The rushing of the cars from the main road are the gentle waves lapping at a sandy beach.

I am slowly drifting off to sleep...

the scene of a moonlit beach fills my mind

I am enjoying my dream.

<Contented Sigh>

Aaahhh

Yes

It is lovely and I am starting to cool down.

Oh, I feel so content.

But then...

I become aware of something in the distance...

Suddenly my little fantasy is shattered by the sing-song voice of my little one:

Maaaama where are yoouuuu???

Mama-whatcha-doin?
Mama, you okay?
Mama you sleeping?

Mama do you wanna play?

Mama

Mama

Mammaa

Maaamaa!!!

Back to reality!

Back to the noise of the TV, the children and the other sounds that make my house a home.

And back to the HEAT!!!

A Story of How Allah Provides

2009-05-15T16:21:00.013+04:00

My husband went fishing with his brothers yesterday. They usually go once or twice a week. My husband said that when he went fishing yesterday that he could not stop saying "SubhanAllah" (Glorious and Exalted is Allah).

They were about 40 miles from shore in the Arabian Gulf and there was a tiny bird flying all by itself in the middle of just nothing but water.

Now if you can just only imagine how tired that tiny little bird must have been.

Well it landed on a gargoor (fish trap that they use here for fishing in the Gulf region)
and rested its poor little body. There was old khobuz (pita bread) stuck to the gargoor and it ate its fill and sat there for a few minutes of rest and then it flew away.

This whole time my husband just kept repeating "SubhanAllah" because surely it was a wonderous thing to witness that Allah (SWT) provided rest, comfort and food for His tiny little creation.

Enjoying the Desert

2009-05-12T07:54:00.012+04:00

Sometimes on a Friday before Friday prayers or on a Saturday my husband will take me out for a drive in the desert. It's nice because I am able to be away from the kids for a couple of hours and I won't have to cook lunch and I get to spend some time with my husband. Alhamdulilah.

I like the going out to the desert. I love to see the sand dunes, the plants and animals. I have seen a lot of camels and a few donkeys. I love going up and down the sand dunes and I am amazed at all of the plants the desert has. There can be a small grove of trees and I think of how nice it would be to bring the whole family there to camp out or enjoy a picnic (when the weather is cooler of course!). I especially love to go to the desert after it rains because everything out there is so much greener and new plants will start to grow and bloom. I was so surprised to see flowers growing out there a few years ago.

Sometimes I will remember to bring my camera with me and then even then I will sometimes remember to take pictures...my brain is like jello sometimes.

Here are pictures of a couple of camels. I like the one where the camel is sitting and the expression on its face. Cute. I tried to find the pack of donkeys that roam out there but they were hiding that day. Maybe next time.
Click on the picture to see this camel's smile. It was like he was smiling and posing for this photo!

Memories of A Watermelon Suck

2009-05-03T15:44:00.016+04:00

It is watermelon season now and yesterday hubby brought home two heavy, round, and dark green Omani watermelons. Outside of Texas, the best watermelons to buy are the ones from Oman and Iran. They are always delicious, MashaAllah.

The weather is hot now and summer hasn't officially started yet but the weather combined with the memories of red, juicy watermelon brought back memories of when we were still living in San Antonio and Miss Moonbeam and Miss Sunshine were little girls...

My father would regularly buy these HUGE watermelons and would bring them home with a bag of ice. My mother would put that big ol'watermelon into a giant ice chest and cover it with ice. My girls would both go with their Grandma and Grandpa on their everyday errands during the summer time while my husband and I were working. It was during these times that my parents would take their granddaughters on an expected "watermelon suck". This is what my father would call their watermelon picnics. My mother would cut off a big chunk of watermelon, pack up some paper plates, a kitchen knife, and lots of paper towels and stuff that watermelon into a smaller cooler in the trunk of the car and the other stuff into her every present picnic basket. After going to the base commissary, they would usually go to the park on Lackland AFB which was always a cool place to go during summer time because of the grass and big oak trees. From there the girls would go play on the swings, seesaw, etc. until it was time to eat the watermelon.

Mama would cut the watermelon into chunky triangular wedges and they would all sit at the picnic table and suck into that watermelon. Watermelon juice would be dripping down the girls faces and onto the paper napkins that my mother, thankfully, remembered to tuck in over their clothes. I remember watching my girls (who were probably about 4 & 5 years old back then) sitting at the picnic table with watermelon in their hands and faces and they were kicking their legs back and forth underneath them while they were enjoying their watermelon picnic.

Never had a camera during those moments, I wish I had but I can still remember them.

My father remembers those moments and misses those times. I do too. I am sure that my oldest daughters do too.

My three youngest children have never been on a watermelon picnic and have never met their American grandparents. They have never experienced a picnic underneath 100-year old oak trees with watermelon juice dripping down their chins, kicking their legs back and forth underneath a picnic bench because their legs are still to short to reach the ground. I hope that one day soon, even if takes a few more years and they aren't little children anymore, that my parents will still be around and they will be able to go on a watermelon suck.

Spending the Weekend Looking for Seashells

2009-02-28T18:55:00.008+04:00

It was Thursday night and I saw the very bored face of my daughter, Miss Baby Doll. In her eyes and in her manner I could tell that she wasn't looking forward to Friday and Saturday because she knew it would be another boring weekend. Poor baby. I don't take my children out as much as I should.

We don't live far from the beach and the weather is not too chilly now to enjoy the beach in the morning times. So that is where we went. And it was so nice. The children enjoyed themselves and watching them enjoying themselves was a special treat for me. They each took a bag with them to pick up seashells. Within a 10 foot stretch of beach, The Pretty Pink Princess was able to gather 5 pounds of seashells that she wanted to take home. Miss Baby Doll was more finicky about the shells she chose because she wants to make a shell necklace and you have to have just the right seashell for a seashell necklace. Little Man Habibi was busying himself looking for tiny crabs to play with and tossing large seashells back into the water.

Within 10 minutes they all had wet, sandy bottoms and were testing their limits with me about getting their whole bodies wet. It is still February. You don't go swimming in February. I threatened them with going home.

We spent over an hour each morning this weekend at the beach and it was wonderful. The kids got their dose of vitamin D and some sun to add color to their pale bodies and seashells to make crafts and memories with.

It was a good weekend.

The Ripple Effect

2009-02-28T18:05:00.015+04:00

Ripples from a single drop of water start out BIG and strong.

The first ripple is close and clearly defined. I can touch it and cease that ripple to form bigger and bigger. Or I can touch it and let water drop from my finger and continue to make new ripples. I changed it so that a different concentric pattern will form bumping into the ripples I made before.

Or I can leave it be.

The ripple starts moving away and the circle gets bigger and out of my reach until it slowly fades away.

I can control of the ripples I make (if I choose to do so and if I am conscious of what I am doing). Slowly, drop by drop, like rainfall on water's surface.

The ripples I make will slowly go away and I won't know what effects they will cause. Will it go away never to return and fade off into oblivion? Will it hit a hard surface only to bounce back and make new ripples of its own? Will those ripples come back to me and encase in its own little circle?

The husband I love, the children I love and raise, the relationships I make, and the people I meet, every action I make, everything I say will affect someone.

And there you have it...

Cause and effect through ripples.

Hot Air Balloons Equal Happy Memories

2009-02-25T18:00:00.013+04:00

The Albuquerque Balloon Festival

When I was a litle girl, we used to live in El Paso, Texas which is just over the mountain from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Going to Albuquerque for the balloon festival is something that you will never, ever forget in your entire life. The first time I went was well over 30 years ago. So hot air balloons are something I love. It is the most wonderous event ever. Why? Because there you are a spectator and then suddenly hundreds of these giant balloons slowly rise one by one (or by groups) into the sky and all that you can see is color slowing bursting in the sky. No matter if you are nearby in the thick of it or a few miles away the scene is spectacular!

When Miss Moonbeam and Miss Sunshine were little girls, San Antonio had its first first hot air balloon festival and this was about 1993 or 1994. I remember that day so well. It was a Saturday and my mother was taking classes at San Antonio College on the weekends and I was going to her house to pick her up. I was driving my little ol' Mercury Tracer on Stotzer Freeway to go to my mother's house and the girls and I were still in our pajamas. It was a chilly October morning. We stopped on the side of the road because there on where the freeway wasn't paved or built up yet were all of these balloons getting to launch and then all of a sudden 50 to 100 balloons started filling the sky. It was truly beautiful (and a perfect start to our weekend)! I wonder if San Antonio still has its balloon festival?

So hot air balloons equal happy memories for me...

Warming the Little Ones

2009-02-14T16:20:00.006+04:00

I read this story a few years ago. I have been searching the internet for it for months now and finally came across it...I had saved it in one of my email folders!

Warming the Little Ones

This 81-year-old quilter shares a touching gift with 11 motherless children.By Jewell Cardwell, courtesy of Akron Beacon Journal

As Melchior Erb was working through his grief from the loss of his wife, this 81-year-old man from Ohio found a "heartstrings" kind of therapy that's also helping others. It's called quilting.

It's something that his wife, Geraldine, taught him before she died in 2004. "We did everything together," Melchior says. "We cooked, canned, gardened and made quilts."

Patti Kelleher, bereavement specialist and chaplain at a local hospice, learned of Melchior's unusual talent when he attended one of the hospice's grief groups. And that gave Patti an idea.
She'd heard about Barb ara McNeill, 38, a wife and mother of 11 who had died a short time before. So Patti approached Melchior with a suggestion she was neither sure would work nor be embraced.

It turned out to be a match made in heaven.

"I suggested taking some of Mrs. McNeill's clothes and having Melchior make quilts for her children," Patti says. "A week later, Melchior came to me and said, ‘I'd like to do that.' "
So, Patti phoned the newly widowed Dan McNeill with the proposal. He graciously consented, and she and Melchior gathered several bags of Barbara's clothing that the children had picked out.

Two months later, Melchior had completed the project: 11 quilts in three different sizes for all the children -- including Eddy, who was just 2 weeks old when his mother died as she nursed him.

Curiously, the quilt top that Melchior made for Eddy had a clown face in shades of blue -- the exact design Barbara McNeill had painted on the nursery-room wall years earlier for her first child.

All the quilts' backings were fashioned from 4-inch squares cut from her clothing. Eddy's was backed with fabric from her bathrobe. Melchior cut the fabric and pieced the squares by machine. "The rest I did by hand," he says.

When Melchior and Patti delivered the quilts to the McNeill home, they asked each of the children -- well, except for Eddy -- to tell them a "Mommy story" that spoke to the fabric remnants showcased in the quilts.

"One would say, ‘Oh, I remember this was one of Mommy's favorite dresses. I remember when she wore it to ... ,' " Patti recalls.

Matthew, who was 19 months old when his mother died, has Noah's Ark on his special blanket, with fabric from his mommy's pajamas and another favorite dress on the back. Andy, who was 4, has one with two Care Bears.

The quilts are as different as the McNeill children, who find such comfort and connection snuggling underneath them. Coincidentally, twins Stephanie and Philip chose quilts that had the exact same pale yellow backings.

A truly humble man, Melchior Erb -- clearly uncomfortable talking about his gift to the McNeill children -- was just happy to share something his wife had given him.

By giving back, Melchior Erb is at peace knowing how healing giving can be.

Morning Harmony

2009-02-12T18:30:00.017+04:00

I stop for a minute just to think. The house is quiet from the noise of children. Little Man and Miss Baby Doll are at school. The Pretty Pink Princess and Miss Sunshine are still asleep.

There is a soft murmur of an orchestra playing. I strain my ears to listen.

The rooster next door is cockle-doodling. Any other time it would annoy me. Another rooster from far away answers his call. I wonder what they are saying.

The washing machine is slowly and constantly going thruuumm-thruuumm in rhythm with the soft cooo-cooo-cooo-cooo of a dove. Their sounds are in harmony with each other.

Right now the wind is softly blowing and I can hear it whispering in the trees.

I hear the tick-tick-tick of the wall clock. It gets louder as I focus on its sound.

An airplane softly roars over head.

Bird the Canary hops down to his feeder and starts cracking his tiny seeds.

Outside I hear the spattering of water on the concrete tiles. The housemaid, Raquel, is wringing out the handwashing.

There is a faraway vrooom of a speeding car.

The wind picks up and the trees are swishing. There is a loose metal overhead and it is clinking against a metal pole. Somewhere else I hear the warping of a metal sheet.

There is a small car beeping its horn.

Outside a bird is tweeting.

The compressor from the fridge wakes up with a rumble and a ting and the lights in the living room respond by dimming and then brighten.

My mobile phone beeps to tell me I have a message.

Bird the Canary is making quick click-click sound. How does he do that?

Then the morning's orchestra is broken by my old neighbor talking in loud Arabic to her housemaid.

As if on cue for his turn, Bird the Canary, starts singing.
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My Dream Last Night...it bothered me

2009-01-20T10:14:00.003+04:00

Sometimes you have a dream and it is so unsettling. Here is mine. I wonder the meaning of this dream. I wrote it down first thing this morning.

I am in a room full of girls who are laughing and talking loudly.

Miss Moonbeam is laying down in a twin bed all bundled up. There are two beds in the room. She has the bed near a window. There is sunshine in the room.

I am waiting for gas with my mother. We are standing outside the car talking.

I have to put my shoes on to put gas in the car. I have a feeling that I shouldn't go but I think it is silly. I can put gas into my car by myself.

I looks like transmission fluid on the ground. (Transmission fluid is reddish in color).

I am driving up to the pump but pass it up so I have to back up but get stuck at the candy counter. There's a candy counter at the gas pump.

The gas attendant is an old man who is trying to give The Pretty Pink Princess an injection. I had the feeling in my dream that the old man is giving an insulin shot. But maybe it is a booster shot. There are two vials that he is going to inject. The old man holds up the vials like he is checking them out and the fluid in them appears reddish. Before giving the injection, the old man is poking The Pretty Pink Princess's calf with a sewing needle. He pokes her several times. Then he gives her the shot. I am tightly holding onto to her. I feel the shot too like I am getting the injection.

Then I am talking to Miss Moonbeam on the phone. I don't know what I am talking to her about. I tell her I have to hang up. She gets upset. I can feel it from her silence so I talk some more, reluctantly, but then we talk like it is old times.

Miss Sunshine and Baby Doll are there. I don't want them to know I am talking to their sister and I don't want Miss Moonbeam to know that they are right there with me.

I don't know if things that happened the day before have an effect on dreams and I wonder if dreams have underlying meanings.

I did want to call Miss Moobeam even if was just for a couple of minutes. I don't let her talk or email her siblings. I consider it as a punishment for her leaving us the way she did. I feel that if she wants to talk with her brothers and sisters that she needs to come home and then she can do that. She has a lot of explaining and apologies she needs to make because she hurt them terribly. The Pretty Pink Princess has been crying a lot for her sister lately. She just keeps crying and going on, asking when her sister will be back, asking will she come back. It is hard to pacify her sometimes. Miss Sunshine and Little Man don't want to talk to her. I think that right now they really hate her. When they refer to her they call her "the other one". I don't know if Miss Sunshine emails her sister. I ask her but she says, "No." I know that Little Man prays for his sister. He prays for her safety. He prays that she will come back home soon. I don't call Miss Moonbeam on a regular basis. First of all, it is expensive. Secondly, it is too much for me emotionaly to talk to her. I get really depressed for days and then it effects the rest of the family. I am basically what they call a "basketcase". Miss Moonbeam does email occasionally. Sometimes it is everyday but sometimes she will go a whole month before I get an email from her. Even then she will send an email to me after I send one to her asking if she is alive or dead and if everything is okay.

Maybe the reddish fluid that was on the ground and in the vials symbolizes blood?

Before going to bed last night, I spotted my embroidery needle on top of the upside down crock pot cover in the kitchen. I had used it a couple of days before when I was sewing up the belly of a stuffed fish, but I forgot to put the needle back into my crochet pouch where it belongs. I did poke my finger the day I was cooking that fish.

I did eat a Bounty (just like a Mounds candy bar) before going to bed last night. I ate two of those yesterday. I know. Bad girl. But I was feeling depressed. So maybe I went to bed feeling guilty.

I talked on the phone with my mother this past Friday night. I miss her terribly. (I wonder if Miss Moonbeam misses me). She is sick with a cold. I don't want her to get pneumonia. (I have a fear for older people who get sick with pneumonia and then get hospitalized...) She is 72yo now, MashaAllah.

May Allah give my parents a long life (My father is 82yo) and I pray to Allah that I will be able to give dawah to them and that they will both say the shahadah and become Muslim. Ameen.

It is cold in Texas and the wall heater in the hallway of the house doesn't work. Mom and Dad have an electric heater in the bedroom and leave the gas oven on in the kitchen to heat up the kitchen, dining room and living room. I was telling Miss Sunshine about the phone call and how I miss my mother, her grandmother, and about the how cold it is in Texas and how they don't have a proper heater for the house.

Maybe all of the above attributed to my unsettling dream last night. That's my analysis of it. But I wonder if there are hidden meanings or interpretations of dreams. I am always looking into hidden meanings and hidden agendas. I always try to interpret things to my way of thinking so that I can understand it.

My Baking Disaster

2009-01-07T19:20:00.003+04:00

The other day Miss Baby Doll wanted to take a cake to school because it was the last day before vacation. I saw this really lovely butterfly cake from another blog and we both decided that this was "the one" to make!

I decided to try a recipe for Red Velvet cake. I always heard about this cake but never made one because of laziness!

Anyway, I bought all of the ingredients and decided to use a heart shaped cake pan to use as the wings. Then my little Baby Doll comes home and says that they will not be having school the next day. I decided to make the cake anyway minus the butterfly shape.

Here is what happened...

When I made the Red Velvet cake it was a disaster. I had tiny chocolate clumps when I combined the chocolate powder and the food coloring. When I opened the oven to check on the cake I pulled out the rack and the cake pans fell out of the oven onto the oven door . So the part of the cake that wasn't cooked yet spilled onto the rim. I scooped the batter back into the pan and I had a lop-sided cake. I have a new oven and the temperature has not been calibrated correctly yet so the bottom of the cake burned. I didn't follow my instincts and used the frosting that went with the recipe instead of making a cream cheese style frosting. The frosting I used was more like a custard.

I was intimidated in making this cake because I would have to make it from scratch and like in my whole 40years I have maybe only made 5 cakes from scratch.

But...the cake that wasn't burned was nice and moist. I might try it again one day.

This is what is was supposed to look like!

My Father and the Fig Tree

2009-01-06T17:37:00.003+04:00

Inspired to post this because of Always in the Kitchen's dream last night. I wrote that maybe she was dreaming of Palestine.

My Father and the Fig Tree

For other fruits, my father was indifferent.
He'd point at the cherry trees and say,
"See those? I wish they were figs."
In the evening he sat by our beds
weaving folktales like vivid little scarves.
They always involved a figtree.
Even when it didn't fit, he'd stick it in.
Once Joha was walking down the road and he saw a fig tree.
Or, he tied his camel to a fig tree and went to sleep.
Or, later when they caught and arrested him, his pockets were full of figs.

At age six I ate a dried fig and shrugged.
"That's not what I'm talking about!" he said,
"I'm talking about a fig straight from the earth —
- gift of Allah! — on a branch so heavy it touches the ground.
I'm talking about picking the largest, fattest, sweetest fig
in the world and putting it in my mouth."

(Here he'd stop and close his eyes.)

Years passed, we lived in many houses, none had figtrees.
We had lima beans, zucchini, parsley, beets.
"Plant one!" my mother said, but my father never did.
He tended garden half-heartedly, forgot to water,
let the okra get too big.
"What a dreamer he is. Look how many things he starts
and doesn't finish."

The last time he moved, I got a phone call,
My father, in Arabic, chanting a song I'd never heard.
"What's that?" - "Wait till you see!"
He took me out back to the new yard.
There, in the middle of Dallas, Texas,
a tree with the largest, fattest, sweetest figs in the world.
"It's a fig tree song!" he said,
plucking his fruits like ripe tokens,
emblems, assurance
of a world that was always his own.

-Naomi Shihab Nye

I love to watch my baby sleep

2008-12-30T07:52:00.008+04:00

i love to watch my baby sleep
and to hear her softly breathing
i kiss her cheek and smell her hair
and wonder what she is dreaming

a small smile lights her face
and one eye opens to look at me
she snuggles herself onto my arm
it feels so good to be a mommy

i cherish this moment, it won't last long
soon she will be awake
laughing, running, crying, carrying on

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Ode to Laban Up

2008-12-22T20:26:00.005+04:00

I was making dinner tonight and to pass the time away while cooking spaghetti I wrote a silly little poem. Hope you enjoy it!

Ode to Laban Up

Laban Up Oh Laban Up!
Oh how my family loves you!
In the long, hot summer months
You are a frozen treat
Nothing else will do

Laban Up for a snack
In my child’s lunch pack
With a samoon sandwich filled with creamy cheese
My child’s stomach you will surely please

As a daily Ramadan staple
You will be found on our table
When we break our fast
We’ll have 3 dates on our plate
And Laban Up in our glass

When going out all day fishing
Laban Up is one refreshment
that will not be missing
You are a fisherman’s favorite for sure
After hours of pulling up the gargoors

Oh Laban Up, what would life be without you?
You are our favorite snack time drink
Tried and true.
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An Important Reminder...The Ten Days of Hajj

2008-12-04T07:26:00.002+04:00

A good friend of mine sent me this lecture and I wanted to share it with anyone who might come and visit me here.

This is a lecture given by Sister Nabras from Dar Asma in Ajman, UAE. MashaAllah she gives wonderful lectures that when you hear them you cannot help but cry. You cry because you love Allah. You cry because you know you have sinned and you want Allah's forgiveness. You cry because you wish that you could have done more in the past to make yourself a better Muslim but SubhanAllah, Allah has given us the gift of another day in our life to make ourselves a better Muslim, so do not lose this chance or any chance or make yourself a better Muslim.

Don't forget to constantly make Dhikr, recite Quran even if it is one ayah, pray your Sunnah and Nawafil prayers, make dua, fast, make sadaqa, don't break family ties, and make tawbah.

Here is the lecture, InshaAllah it will benefit all who will read it. Please remember me in your duas.

The merits of the first 10 days of Dhul Hajj

This world is full of trials and dangers, so a person must hold on tight to the rope, which will take him out from these dangers. A person is drowning, in order to save himself he must keep making; dhikr, salah, dua, istighfaar and other ibadas.

He should remember Allah while–standing, sitting, lying down, whether in the house or in the car or in the plane.

Hadith Qudsi, authenticated by Al Albani: Allah says “I am with my slave whenever he remembers me and his lips move with my dhikr”
Ibnul Qayyum said “As much dhikr of Allah a person will make, that much love he’ll receive from Allah.
Allah didn’t order us to just make dhikr but instead His order is to make dhikr excessively. As mentioned in the Quran – Surah Al Ahzab: 41,42 :-
“O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify His praises morning and afternoon.

Here is an example for us of the one who make a lot of dhikr, Allah says in the Quran about Idrees (AS):
“And mention in the Book Idrees. Verily, he was a man of truth, a Prophet. And we raised him to a high station”. Surah Maryam: 56, 57.

Why was Idris (AS) given a high place? Because he is known for making dhikr. He was a tailor by profession and with each stitch he would make tasbeeh.

What do we know about the earth of Jannah?
Its earth is fertile, and the way to grow trees and plants in it is through your dhikr. The seed for growing the fruits is ‘dhikr’. So make your garden green with dhikr of Allah.

The prophet said, “I met Ibrahim, he asked me to covey his salam to my ummah (us) and told me to tell you that the sand is fertile in Jannah and its water is sweet and the seed to plant in it is (making this dhikr): ‘SubhanAllah wal Hamdulillah wa laailaaha illaAllah wa Allahu Akbar.’

The whole universe is glorifying Allah – He is not in need of our dhikr or any of our ibadaat but it is for our own good. We need His forgiveness, His help, His reward, we need Him for everything small and big things of our life. If He turns away from us then we will be left alone in great loss.

“The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His Praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.” Isra’ 44

The Benefits of Making Dhikr:
• Your face will be glorified.
• Your chest will open.
• You will have a good relation with Allah.
• Your sins and bad deeds will be cancelled.
• You will have ikhlaas.
• You will be protected from riyaa’.

The reason we talked about dhikr in such detail is because these days are specially meant for making dhikr.

Ibn katheer said (89:1, 2} “Wa layalin Ashr”. In the Quran, Allah swears by these 10 nights.

Al Bukhari recorded from Ibn Abbas that Rasool Allah (SAW) said, “No deeds are more virtuous than deeds done on these days.” They (sahabas) said, “Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah?” He said, “Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah, unless a man goes out risking himself and his wealth for the sake of Allah, and does not come back with anything.”

Because the Prophet (saw) said “no days are better than these 10 days” so scholars say that it is even better than the "days" of Ramadan...

If you were sad about Ramadan leaving you, here is another opportunity to re-live the days you miss. Take full advantage of this time and spend it wisely.

Saeed bin Jubair when these days started, he was so active in his ibaadaat that no one could do like him (don't forget the eid day is the 10th day and is included in these days).

So it is a great chance to get many rewards because we have many shortcomings.

It's a good chance to renew your relation with Allah (swt). Start from now, don’t miss this opportunity and be a loser.

Now what is your program for these ten days???
Here are some projects for you to work on during these days:-

1. Make your voice know to the highest Angels in the heavens by making dhikr.
Remember Younus (AS), when he was swallowed by the fish and he called upon Allah. He was captured in three darkness, in the stomach of the fish, in the deep sea, in the dark night and yet when he called Allah, his voice reached the heavens to the Angels and they started crying and asking Allah to answer his calls. This is because they knew his voice and they knew him from his past dhikr he made of Allah.

And Allah says in the Quran: “Had he not been of them who glorify Allah, He would have indeed remained inside its belly till the day of Resurrection. Surah As-Saffat: 143 and 144.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn ‘Umar said, “The Messenger of Allah (SAS) said: “There are no days that are greater before Allah or in which deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so increase your Tahlil, Takbir, and Tahmid during these days.”

The sahabas used to go to the market to spread the takbeer. It Is Sunnah to
raise your voice with it. You should also from the 1st day of hajj itself start making the takbeer loudly. This will teach your children and remind your family.

Send Salah and Salam on the Prophet (SAS). Make it excessively. When anyone sends salam on the Prophet, Allah returns his soul back to his body for answering to the salam of the person.

Make lots of Istighfaar not only for your self but for all muslimeen. Each person you ask forgiveness for you get a reward.

Luqman taught his son to make istighfar, while sitting, lying and in all positions.

On these days Allah sends special breeze, this breeze is rahmah of Allah. When you see this rahmah pass don’t just stand there like a loser and let it pass. Go and catch it by istighfaar.

Aid al Qarni swore that, if a disaster had to fall upon the earth and you had made istighfaar- it will not touch you.

2. Reciting al Quran in a new way:
Recite like Fudail bin Ayad. He would recite Quran with sadness and emotions, slowly, attracting the listener’s attention, with expression as if he was talking to others. If you want real happiness go deeply in al Quran (it’s meaning) get close to it.

For those who cannot read well, like the new sisters in islam, read from the part which is new to you. Every word has two rewards for them. So don’t worry about mistakes. Make sure to read with understanding the meanings. So you can taste its sweetness.

3. Fet close to Allah with Sujood:
This means making lots of nawafil. Salah will make you closer to Allah.

Do you want to be closer to Allah? Do you really love Him? Do you really want to worship him as though you are seeing him? If yes, then Allah teaches us how we can get closer to him.

Allah said: Do Sujood and Draw close to me..

Rasool (SAS) said the closest position which makes the person closest to Allah is Sujood, so Rasool Allah (SAW) ordered us to make too much dua’ in our sujood. There is no problem if u can’t make dua in Arabic even if you make it in your own language inshaAllah Allah will accept it.

We need so many things from Allah - so where are our sujood?

Are we obeying the prophet (SAS)?

Different Voluntary Salaahs:

• 2 Rakah Wudu’ (try to keep your self in wudu’ all day long).
• Istikhara (make a habit of making it for every little and big matter).
• Salatul Istighfaar
• Dhuha 2,4,6,8.10,12 rakahs could be made.
• Qiyamul Layl (2-11) rakahs from after isha to fajr. (Surah Sajda:16,17)
• Tahajjud (after waking up from sleep and then praying it) (Surah: Muzammil: 6)
• 4 Rakah before Asr (You will have Rahmah of Allah).
• 4 Rakah before Dhuhr and 4 Rakah after it.

Make wudu before you sleep because any time while twisting or turning in your sleep you make any dua it is accepted.

4. SIYAAM (fasting)

Which ibada is continuous from morning until evening without breaking it at all. This ibada doesn’t break even while going to the bathroom?

We know that we fast for 1 day Allah will keep us away
from the hell fire for 70 years. And don't forget Allah loves the deeds of these days ..and you are the doer Allah will love you.

Fast all of these days, especially the day of Arafaa.
It is recorded in Saheeh al Muslim that Abu Qatadah said, “The Messenger of Allah (SAS) was asked about fasting on the day of Arafah, and he said,
“I hope by Allah that it will be an expiation for the previous year and the coming year”

One day you fast and Allah forgives your past year and your present year. So please take advantage of this opportunity and don’t be laid back during these days. They are only 10.

Don’t forget to make dua right before adhan of Maghrib when your fasting. This time is also for acceptance of dua.

5. Sadaqa for Allah:
Doing a lot of sadaqah keeps the trials and tests away from you and from whom you love. Allah u alam how many trials have been taken away from you just because of your sadaqah.

If you love Allah, Spend from what you love to get Allah’s pleasure. Not only from your money it can be from your clothes, your belongings your food anything. Try winning the love of your family before eid by spending for them.

Give from your favorite stuff in your closet, which you personally own. Or from your valuables, like gold etc.

Buy foodstuff for the poor and try to give them with your own hands. Not just the basic stuff but give them from what you think you would prefer for yourself.

6. Keeping Family Ties:
If you want to have good relations with Allah have good relation with your family and relatives.
If you don't have time at the least keep in contact through messages.
It has two benefits: a) Increases you, b) Increases your rizq.

7. Taubah:
Allah is happy with his slave who makes tauba, you will try to be this slave inshaAllah.

8. Be generous with neighbors.
9. Make the hearts of the muslimeen happy.
10. Forgive & forget the muslimeen.
11. Making peace between two pecple. Solving someone’s problems.
12. Repeat with Adhaan and say the adhkaar after the adhaan.
13. Feed the ones who are fasting.
14. Help those who are going for hajj.
15. Slaughter in the name of Allah for everyone in your family dead and alive.

Hadith: Jabir bin Abdullah said, “I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (SAS) on Eid Al Adha. When he finished, he brought a ram and slaughtered it saying,
Bismillah, and Allahu Akbar, O Allah, this is on behalf of me and anyone of my Ummah who has not offered a sacrifice.”

The Day of Eid: What did the Prophet (SAS) do on Eid ul Adhaa?
Hadith recorded by Bukhari and Muslim, ‘The first thing that we should do on this day of ours (Eid) is to pray, then we return and offer the sacrifice. Whoever does that will have followed our Sunnah. Whoever slaughters his animal before the prayer, this is just meat which he has brought for his family, it is not a sacrifice at all.
The result of all the above ibaadaat is that, when you do them you are subjecting yourself under the breeze of Allah.

Subhanka Allah humma bi hamdika Ashhadu anna laa ilaha illa anta wastaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk.

The Cat Did It!

2008-11-09T23:53:00.003+04:00

The Pretty Pink Princess's favorite saying now when she knows that she is going to get into trouble is: "The cat did it!"

We don't have any cats as a pet but there are a ton of them outside. (I am thinking that Sharjah it the stray cat capitol of the world!)

Anyway, it is so cute whenever she comes up with her little sayings. I don't know where she gets them from but she sure does have an active imagination!

Picnicking in Plano

2008-10-05T20:53:00.004+04:00

Before I die or before I lose my memory or before I get Alzheimers, I want to record my memories...

My best memory that I have involoving my friend Saliha are the picnics we used to have when I lived in Plano, TX.

My children (there was only Miss Moonbeam, Miss Sunshine, and Little Man at that time) and I and Saliha's family would go to Bob Woodruff Park in Plano and have a picnic under a weeping willow tree. We would have BBQ chicken, potato salad, Ranch-Style beans, the best chocolate cake ever, and iced tea.

We would sit and talk and watch the kids play at the playground.

Everything was so easy back then and life was so simple and quiet. This seems like forever ago but it was only like ten years ago. Time has passed by so fast and so many things have happened.

To See My Baby Doll Smile

2008-10-05T05:55:00.004+04:00

My daughter, Miss Sunshine, loves to make jewelry. So as an Eid present for her two little sisters, Baby Doll and The Pretty Pink Princess, Miss Sunshine made these really lovely jewelry sets pink beads, crystals and pearls (because they both love pink). Baby Doll had a pair of earrings, a bracelet and, and a necklace and The Pretty Pink Princess had a necklace and a pair of earrings. Baby Doll was begging Miss Sunshine to show her her present before and Miss Sunshine kept on refusing to show her. Then finally, Miss Sunshine relented and showed Baby Doll her present. I wished that I had taken her picture at that very moment! The look on Baby Doll's face and her smile is something that I will never forget! Her face actually lit up and she smiled the biggest smile and Baby Doll actually remembered to say "Thank you!".

To see Baby Doll smile like that, with her pink apple cheeks was really something. She doesn't smile often but when she does it is truly memorable.

That night, Baby Doll probably slept with her present underneath her pillow.