Here's the fabric Yusef picked out for the chair. It matches wonderfully. Yusef is so good at picking out nice things. Thanks Yusef! 

Ants! We found these ants carrying a dead mantis straight up the wall. It was so amazing! 

Halfway!

We've reached the halfway mark. Two more weeks of Ramadan. We are all sick of soup and Mustafa said not ot make it again. - God must have answered my prayers!

I hate Libyan soup - and I especially hate 30 days of it. So not having to make it or eat it will be pure pleasure! I got to where I hated even the smell of it.

We still have bought nothing for the kids to wear for Eid. Mustafa hates buying Eid clothes. I will see if i can get them done in three days time. Take two kids out every day - or maybe three at a time. The sooner we get the shopping done the better. We bought new cabinets right before Ramadan for the kids rooms. So they have plenty of space to put anything new.

Maybe I will find something nice for myself. A skirt and blouse or something -But what I would really like is a new computer chair - this one hurts my butt when I sit too long in it. Or maybe I should stop sitting so long in it . . .

I still haven't voted . . . sigh . . . can't make up my mind . . .

Isn't she cute as a button!

Isn't she cute as a button! A friend of mine sent this to me a while back. It's a picture of a relative of her husbands from Gharian. Gharian is a town in the Jabel Nafusa Mountains about an hour and a half drive from Tripoli. A long time ago Libyan girls were tattooed - now it is very rare to see a girl or young woman with a tatoo - only the old ladies. But I think this woman is so sweet - she has lovely sparkly eyes - Masha'allah!

I'm getting into it!

Ramadan is well underway and I'm getting into it - finally - it took me a while to get over the coffee cravings. I had a few days of nasty headaches and a foggy feeling happeneing all the time. Must have been withdrawal.

Now that the middle of the month is almost here I will have to get into the swing of things and start looking for Eid clothes for all 6 of my kids. Now that is a painful experience! Crowded shops and having to take the kids out in a public place. Well - while I'm out there I DO notice that there are all kinds of misbehaved little brats - not just mine! But Ibrahim is absolutely the worst - can't get him to listen or settle down - and he's like a 'bull in a china shop'. I'm sure he will manage to break something. . . . say a few prayers that I make it through the Eid shopping.

Indian Summer - inspired by the weather these days. 

Autumn! 

Still undecided

I'm still undecided about this whole election thing . . . There's all kinds of things to vote for too. Even got a candidate for Sheriff with a first name of Bubba . . how redneck can you get?

Otherwise, Ramadan is just moving along. One week is over! Today we are eating yesterdays soup and I sent Mustafa out to get some bourik and pizzas from the bakery. I am sick to death of all the cooking so I am having a break today. . . three weeks to go. I hope that we go to the farm tomorrow afternoon. I need a good walk and some fresh air. It will mean that I have to get dinner started early so we can go out in the afternoon.

A quote from the Quran

"If God helps you, none can overcome you. If He forsakes you, then who else is there other than Him who can help you? Therefore, in God let the believers put their trust."

The Holy Quran, 3:160

the ballot

I've got my Official Absentee Ballot . . . but I am still holding out in voting. I keep hoping something will happen that will make me want to vote for Kerry . . . I know that the vote will probably be rigged and Bush will get it anyway . . . but hope is still there that he won't win the election.

hmm . . . should I give the vote to Nader ? . . . sigh . . . I'm so undecided . . . if I don't make up my mind soon it will be too late to vote.

I'm moving right along

I'm moving right along here. . . I make it just fine through the day, cleaning, all the cooking and organizing everything. Then after we eat dinner it gets to me. I feel so tired I just go straight to bed and stay there for at least an hour - tonite I crawled out of bed at 11pm.

This afternoon, Yusef and I went shopping and bought fabric to make a slip cover for the chair in the entry. I let Yusef pick out the fabric. We got home and I cut it out and then I sent the kids to borrow Hamida's sewing machine. Ibrahim was thrilled with the sewing machine! He kept trying to get under the table and push on the foot pedal. Finally I threw him out of the house and told him to play outside. While I was busy with the chair, Nora and Sara were busy in the kitchen making pizza and setting the table. I got the chair covered just as Magrib prayer was being called and Mustafa was walking in the door. Yusef did an excelent job at choosing the fabric - it matches the sofa perfectly!

I'm pleased with the way the day turned out!

Ramadan Mubarak! 

I'm Cooking!

A HUGE pot of soup . . . 5 large pizzas . . . 1 very big potato tagine . . .
rice pilaf . . . garlic bread . . . salad . . . custard for desert . . .
plus Mustafa has brought home juice, and zalabaia (this gooey sweet they eat
in Libya during Ramadan) . . .and of course we'll have dates and milk.

I am pooped!

Best Wishes for a very happy Ramadan! I've updated my page about Ramadan in Libya. Click on the picture to have a look. 

Am I ready?

Ramadan is going to begin either tomorrow or Friday. . . Am I ready?

Well . . .

I went out and bought new soup bowls . . .
I have the major housecleaning caught up . . .
I got Mustafa to have both of the stoves and ovens repaired and in proper working order . . .
I downloaded a whole buch of nasheed to listen to while I am slaving away in the kitchen . . .
I guess I am ready.

One thing I didn't do this year was to start cutting back on my coffee intake . . .
I will be one crabby lady for the first few days . . .

Vote... who me? 

In a two year-olds hands.... these are weapons of mass destruction. Oh my God! That means weapons of mass destruction are everywhere! 

This is what happened when I brought my camera with me to my in-laws.... all the nieces and nephews wanted to squeeze into the picture at once! 

Saturday!

Well, another Saturday is here... it's the beginning of a new week in this part of the world.

The kids are off to school and the house is quiet with the exception of the washing machine (perpetual noise maker in this house - kinda like white noise).

Bliss!!!!

Fools in love

After a quarrel, Mustafa said to me, "You know, I was a fool when I married you."
I replied, "Yes, dear, but I was in love and didn't notice."

Make a sentence Mexicans!

A Border Patrol agent is on duty. He spots two Mexicans and runs them down. They show him their papers (he thinks they are phony). He tells them, "O.K. I have a test for you. I want you to use the words liver and cheese in a sentence."

So, the first guy says, "I made a liver and cheese sandwich for lunch."

The agent says, "That was good, you can go. What about you?" he asks the second guy.

He says, "Liver alone cheese mine."

Life's a trip!

Living on Earth is expensive,

but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.

My sister Kristen has a blog too... click on the image to have a peek at her world. 

Ethel & Mabel

Two elderly women were eating breakfast in a restaurant one morning. Ethel noticed something funny about Mabel's ear and she said, '"Mabel, do you know you've got a suppository in your left ear?" Mabel answered, "I have a suppository in my ear?"

She pulled it out and stared at it.

Then she said, "Ethel, I'm glad you saw this thing. Now I think I know where to find my hearing aid."

Do you know that I'm malicious?

The boss told me I was malicious today...

actually he said it happened twice!

What he doesn't know is that I thought it was a compliment.... or maybe he does know.....

Adel's Adventure

Adel's Adventure..... There are lots of weird rock formations in Acacus... Adel says this one is called 'The Thumb'.

Adel's Adventure... a vist to the Acacus in June 2003. 

A spot in the shade! 

Adel's adventure.... one of my students had an adventure last year. He visited Acacus in the Sahara Desert. He was kind enough to share some of his pictures with me. 

The M*A*S*H Quiz

Saturday!

It's Saturday again... I made it through another weekend with the kids. They are now back in school and the house is quiet! Ahhhh....... how nice to have a cup of coffee without someone jumping up and spilling it.... I don't hear anyone fighting and the TV is NOT on spacetoons either.

I've been updating my gallery... click on the image to take a look.