Where would I be without my.....

*Stock photo of my phone. It's nice, ya'll. :-)*
A'salaamu alaikum ya'll! You know, when it rains, it pours. Once I post once, I think, oh wait, I wanna share this...and this...and this! I actually have ideas for lots of posts but far less time and they all require I take photos and well, my poor camera is feeling lonely. Since I married (alhamdulillah!) I no longer take the photos I did before. Direct correlation to lack of time but still, I miss it.

Anyway I realized I hadn't posted a list in a while. I love lists, really I do. I love to feel all resourceful and full of plans, committed. And I like lists just for fun too which this one is.

So without further ado, the "Where would I be without my ______" list:

1. Cell phone. Really I use it for so many things. With the sudden onset of 4 more people to be responsible for, I use alot more of it's gadgets. The calender in particular. You can set it for once or repeating (such as tutoring or karate!) and ya'll know I also have my fair share of doctor appointments. So it's used daily almost with the exception of Sundays which tend to be laid-back for us. I also like to text my sons and family and friends far away; nice way to send photos of Aaminah to them.

2. Lip balm. I am addicted to it. Really. I have at least 5 tubes in various (strategic) locations. My favorite was a coconut-scented one with a subtle shimmer which turned out to be too sparkly for public wear. Boo hoo! My most recent acquisition was a tube of Aquafina Hydrating Lip Oil. It's nice, has a little minty tingle to it and is nice. I also got it at the dollar store so nicer yet.

3. Laptop. Really now that I've had my laptop for a couple of years, I couldn't imagine using a desktop again. Being confined to one spot, just so BULKY. Not portable, etc. etc. This laptop has been to UAE and back, dropped countless times, and now you have to wrap the power cord just right right to keep power. The battery no longer charges but it works great otherwise! lol My next big purchase (other than a van) will be another laptop insha'Allah. Maybe a little lighter than this one but I am happy with the performance of mine.

4. Tie-back khimars. Laugh if you will but once I discovered the utter simplicity and modesty of a tie-back khimar 3 years ago, I haven't worn anything else. Well a wrapped shayla one day which, while definitely beautiful, annoyed the life out of me! Maybe because I tend to be on the ahem chubbier side, but the wrapped ones just won't stay put. I think being a modest muslimah should be effortless. So I am aware I am not cutting edge of fashion, but this is the girl who used to buy the same tshirt in all 5 colors because well, I liked the fit and it was simple and inexpensive. Plus the short sleeves (pre-Islam) guaranteed easy dialysis access!

5. My "new" kidney. Yep, its 8 yrs old now and still a tickin'! Well still a filterin' and I am grateful for it. My quality of life has improved 1000% since my transplant and it has opened up so many more doors for me. Having another baby (Aaminah!) for one. Really I love it and would wear a tshirt proclaiming so if I could find one long enough. :-)

6. Family. OK so I really meant where would I be without gadget-y things but I cannot overlook the obvious. This is birth family and Muslim family as well. Really I have been so blessed. I have 2 good friends who literally have no one in this life to count on. Their mothers died when they were both young, their fathers aren't even worth a mention, and their siblings are disinterested to say the least. They are both single mothers, awesome people, and they make me realize, no matter how crazy or annoying they can be, that I am grateful to Allah swt for them all. A L L. Um except the pervy uncle and cousins on my father's side. Sorry ain't happy for ya'll!

7. Sense of humor. I would be effed, for lack of a much better and less offensive word. I have had alot of interesting moments in my life, so much so that my sister (who only knows a TINY portion of them) said I should write my memoirs. Oh sis if only you knew! ;-) Anyhoo, the ability to laugh at the ludicrous and smile away the stresses has been indespinsible to me. And I am pretty sure I just misspelled indespinsible. Let's spell check... one second please... WOW. I did and how! It's indespensable according to my spell check . I rarely make real spelling errors but alhamdulillah. :-)

OK I guess I've rambled on long enough. It's kinda nice, being able to just talk about utter nonsense and have no one say, "Oh wow look at the time!" :-) I guess ya'll can just click off but I have a sneaky feeling you don't.

OK Aaminah just brought me a little cup of goldfish to share. She actually is insisting on it; Arab hospitality? lol

Take care ya'll and ma salaama!