As the New Year approaches, and our family has experienced a major change and a new beginning, with the marriage of our oldest daughter Sahara. It has taken some getting use to. Simple things like remembering to turn off the front porch light. I know she is not home and not at work, but I catch myself wanting to leave it on for her.

She called yesterday to ask me about making chicken fried steak, in which order the cube steak went into the flour egg wash and breading. I knew then that the torch had been passed. I did the same thing to my mom, when I first got married and even later. Hey how do you……?

She was my runner, if I needed something from the store, she helped with getting younger siblings to and from events, such as rehearsals and had taken control of library trips for about 2 years. That has all fallen back on me. Which I don’t mind it is just weird.

I miss her a lot but, I am adjusting slowly. Change and New beginnings are hard on everyone.

I know it is a good thing, but it just dawned on me, that soon I am going to be the only female at home, I will be the minority in my house. Us girls have out numbered the guys, now we are tied 2 for 2 and one day in the future I will be out numbered. What will it be like to live in house full of guys. I will have to ask the advise of my friend Carol who has 3 boys and a husband.

Change it is all a part of life. Not something we enjoy, but something we endure.

Hanane

Salaam and Shalom to all, Happy Holidays!

It has been a week since the wedding and I have been relaxing. The ceremonies for the wedding went well. The Bride was beautiful. And both are very happy. As am I that it is all over with.

The Religious Ceremony.

Saying of the Vows

After The first time they were allowed to touch one another EVER!

The Ring!

Now for the “secular” Ceremony.

The Bride

Father and Daughter

The Bridal Party

Bride and Groom

Cutting the Cake

Thanks for sharing this with me.

OH MY!

The bridal shower was on Saturday night, hosted by my good friend Julie Belmir, it was a success, turn out very nice indeed.

Henna party is tonight and it is being done at her aunts house. (Yippee one less thing I have to worry about)

Tomorrow night is the rehearsal in Arlington.

Friday night is the Kitab, and her dad is taking care of that, well we both are.

Saturday is the big Party in Arlington.

She almost called off the wedding last night. Kind of had my very own “Steele Magnolias” moment there.
But she calmed down, I have not calmed down as of yet, but I am sure that by Thursday I will have.

Wish me luck!

Will post pics as they come available.

Saturday nig

To those of you who celebrate this holiday I wish you good health for the new year and and many blessings. God willing next year we will be able to make the pilgrimage your self and celebrate our Eid in the Holy City of Mecca.

I had a good day. We got up early got dressed and headed out to meet Hassan who had to work Thursday night at the masjid for the Eid prayer and khutba (Sermon). We went to a small mosque for the Eid Prayer not the big to do down town. With Hassan having had to work we just felt it would be easier so that is why no fashion parade to report.

After Eid Prayer we went to Denny’s for Breakfast, then home for the girls to change. Then we made a trip to JoAnn’s fabric and craft for Wedding stuffs, since I had the 20% off total purchase, 50% off one regularly priced item, and several 40% off coupons we decided to take advantage of at least one store on Black Friday. JoAnns surprisingly not all that busy.

After our spree at JoAnns the kids and I went to the dollar movies to see FAME (I’m gonna live forever…Light up the sky like a flame…..FAME….People will see me and cry>>>> Remember….remember…..remember) “So you wanna be famous? Well fame costs and right here’s where you start paying in sweat” Apparently the movie got terrible ratings but the kids and I enjoyed it. It was a decent remake of an “old” movie. (Sorry don’t consider the 80’s old)

Who is dying to see the “Breakfast Club” besides me? I love that movie. Got into an argument with some kids yesterday who said all the people who played teens in that movie were too old to be playing teenagers.
I said Judd Nelson was way too old to be playing a teen he was pushing 30 at the time. I knew Molly and Anthony were exactly my age which was 17 at the time. Emilio and Alley Sheedy were 23 so technically too old but not TOO old to play a teen they had the right look.

So anyway now I am dying to see the Breakfast Club. Must make a run to the movie store to see if they have it .

Anyway Eid Mubarak

Hanane

This year the Hajj season coincides with Thanksgiving. In particular a specific rite of the Hajj, know as the Day of Arafat, the day when Muslims who are on Hajj spend the day at Mount Arafat asking God for forgiveness. Those of us who are not fortunate enough to make the journey to Mecca, fast this day and ask for forgiveness as well. So while most of America is chowing down around 12pm we will still be 5 hours away from our feast.

I think that unlike most of “our” holidays Thanksgiving has become less important. If you watch TV at all the commercials are all about getting out there and shopping. Heck most stores are not even going to be closed this year on Thanksgiving and are doing sales, tomorrow as well. My daughter has to work until 2am tomorrow and the store reopens at 3am for Black Friday! Can we say INSANE!!!!!!

What happened to giving thanks? Being appreciative? Thanking God for what we have been given and asking to be forgive for things we might have done.

Being thankful is not in fashion anymore I guess. Thanksgiving has been reduced to greed and materialism.

Just my humble opinion!

Salaam All,

I had a great time in Tyler the ladies there are marvelous, and Barney as well. It was a pleasure to put faces to names on emails. Hassan stayed with me most of the day and actually had a good time too.

He did venture out for a bit and came back.

Well here are the snaps I promised.

Mitchie’s French Angora Bunny. Surprisingly HUGE! And ever so soft. I learned a bit about them, and how they are “harvested” Very interesting animal.

Barney and His Tri-Loom
And yes this IS going to be my next big purchase. His looms are the cheapest I have seen that are well made to boot! $185 for a 7′-5′ loom.

Barney’s Other Goodies, I bought a Mug Rug Loom with a Llama cut out for $15

Dori’s wonderful Mohair and Mohair Items for Sale

Dori is a very nice lady who runs Bella Bodom Ranch with her husband. Her Mohair is MARVELOUS! Spins beautifullly!

There were other ladies there as well!

Many Thanks to Midge PearlyQueen for hosting the event!

Here is Me relaxing and visiting with the ladies Hassan took the pic from an upstairs window

More of the ladies enjoying themselves spinning and chatting.

After the Fiber Art Sale we went and drove around down town Tyler it is a quaint little town. Made our way to the Mosque. It was a very nice trip I had a really good time with my husband.

Ok I now totally understand the saying “The Devil is in the details” This stuff is hard work. Thank goodness for really good friends who can help out.

My one quandary about the whole process is WHY when you send a self addressed stamped envelope, that people can’t take the RSVP card, write their name on it number of people attending and put it in the said SASE and put it in the mail. Or when you send everyone one card and envelope they get together and put 10 in one envelope and mail it back? Can we say CHEAP? I understand when people are waiting to see if kids are going to be done with finals, if they can find a babysitter, and they are mailing it in a little late, I even understand the people who forgot, but those who just refuse to mail it and say “I told you I was coming” Come on are you really that lazy?

On the upside, I know my daughter is going to look beautiful! The decorations are coming along! The favors are set! I am all set!!!! Yippee!!!!!

Need to do a follow up on the cake and guest book.

Well Ramadan started on Saturday. Long days, long evenings, cooking, trying to stay awake after 6pm to cook. All in a days work. We begin this year the fasting of the long summer days. For the next, oh goodness I couldn’t even begin to do the math. Let’s see it moves forward 11 days every year… and there are 4 months of summer and 3 months of day light savings…..so that is lets say 31 x 7 ……oh you get the picture….It will be years before we get to fast short days again. But alhumdullilah we live in a time where fasting is not as hard as it was on the people who came before us…as we have air conditioning. We have the ability to stay cool if we elect to do so.

I think about those who are not as fortunate as myself, the men and women around the world who work in virtual slave labor in horrible conditions, and those who work out in the hot sun doing manual labor. I consider myself fortunate that I have the opportunity to work indoors where it is cool.

I will say that today my daughter and I walked to the grocery store, less than a mile from my home from door to door, but the heat was almost unbearable. I was soaked through by the time I arrived home.

Last weekend we hosted an iftar (pronounced if tar) at our local musalla (moo sal a) Saturday and Sunday night. It was a nice small gathering. Thank goodness. But several people brought bananas, brought bananas B A N A N A S…..sorry…I digress. Well on Sunday I told my husband that what bananas were not eaten we would take home and let them ripen and I would make banana bread. So this afternoon was go time on the bananas and I made 4 loaves of banana bread and a pan of mini muffins. Took one to the neighbor, and I will be taking the other 3 with us on Friday night to the Musalla for iftar. It turned out really good. I found a recipe that I really like on line. HERE It turned out moist and deliciously sweet. I used pecan pieces in it.

Why are walnuts so expensive more expensive than almonds?

I will do a repeat of this process next week if bananas are brought again this weekend.

RAMADAN MUBARAK!!!!! HAPPY RAMADAN!!!!!