Well, a few changes have taken place.

*This is Aami in her "borrowed" khimar in our salon in Ajman. She was so sweet masha'allah, saying "Allah, Allah" and wiping her face as if making dua.*

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. I am back in Knoxville now alhamdulillah. I had started having some problems with my transplant and needed some medical attention. It would have been prohibitively expensive in UAE so the decision was made for me to come back to the US where I am fortunate enough to have health insurance.

Of course I am very sad to be apart from my husband AGAIN. :-( Our plan was to remain together in UAE until his immigration papers were processed. Now of course we have had to make some changes. I will remain here until he comes to join me. I do not fly well; I get very motion sick plus the expense of the flight itself and the upheaval international travel caused in Aami's life.

Please make du'a for my family that Allah swt reunites us quickly and blesses our provisions so we might start our life together. Please pray that Allah strengthens me in my purpose and keeps me from the sadness that threatens to overwhelm me. Pray that He helps me be a better mother, more patient and kind even when I feel the weight of being a single mother the most.

Insha'allah if our finances permit I will travel back to Ajman to see my husband in a few months if it seems our application is being processed more slowly than we anticipated. I am NOT looking forward to flying again. I'm not afraid but my motion sickness was so severe this time; I actually vomited all over myself on the flight back to the US. It was embarassing, disgusting, a little funny, and oh so uncomfortable. I had to undress in the tiny airplane bathroom, wash my abaya and khimar off in the sink and wring it out best I could. So I wore wet, stinky clothes until I arrived home about 12 hours later. Alhamdulillah.

I was very happy to be home, to see my family and friends, to be in familiar surroundings. However I would trade it all to be by my husband's side, where I belong. Ya Allah please hear our du'at and fulfill our desire to be together, growing in our deen and love. Amin.

Insha'Allah I intend to start my blog up again; I was understandably saddened by my abrupt departure, and of course feeling bad due to my health issues. I am alhamdulillah finally getting settled again and will insha'Allah have the time to sit down and blog again.

Jazakallahu khair for all of your prayers and thanks for your patience!

Ma salaama.

Chili or Spicy Arabic Sausage Stew?

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. First forgive me for the really unappetizing picture. As I hand wash dishes I just didn't feel like "plating" it as I normally do. So this is how it looks, khalas! (Arabic for finished!)

I was craving some good ole American food and a friend mentioned having chili and Mexican cornbread. YUM. Of course she lives in W. Virginia where it's chilly now and we have yet to go below mid 90s but hey, I can turn the A/C down!

OK so I had to source my products. I wanted to make this yummy chili-like soup my sister shared the recipe for. It has 4 beans and uses taco seasoning and dry ranch dressing mix. It is UNBELIEVABLY good.

Well I could find dark red kidney beans and white beans but no black or small red ones. OK no problem. I'll just use 2 types. Then I couldn't find the taco seasoning. Alright, I can make my own, it'll be close. Well I can't really make my own dry ranch seasoning so no worries, it'll be a regular chili. It's all good!

I always put meat in my chili; animal fat gives a richness just not found in it's veggie counterparts. All my carnivorous friends let me hear ya! lol Anyway I have used ground beef here once (all the meat is really fresh and safe) but it cooked up beige. Beige. Ohhh no. That does not bode well for me eating it.

Let me explain WHY. In Islam there are certain conditions that must be met in order to slaughter an animal. One it should be done in as humane a way as possible. No electrocution or disgusting living quarters. To be Islamically correct the neck of any animal is slit and the blood allowed to drain out. This is why the meat looks different. I am happy the animal was killed more humanely but sad my beef was beige!

Long story short, I couldn't eat it. I am weird with meat and milk products and that was that. So we found some lovely looking sausages called merguez. They originated in Tunisia and Algeria and are spicy and really pretty. I decided to give them a go.

My end product? A two-bean Arabic spicy sausage stew. Yummy, fragrant, thick enough to scoop up onto pita bread (don't get me started on my inability to procure cornmeal!!!) and a nice meal. The addition of chickpeas or lentils would have been really good and fit in with the new taste I think as well.

However I will never buy dried kidney beans again. Those things are impossible to cook!!! I did the fast soak where you boil rapidly for 2 minutes, cover, and let set for 1 hour. Drain off liquid and hopefully some of the side-effect inducing gases and you are good to go.

Except I cooked those beans for 6 hours and they were still a bit al-dente! lol Anyway it tasted good, Aami liked it and so did I. Abdullah had a headache tonight (too much work on his dissertation) and hasn't partaken yet.

Alright so here is the recipe:

4 large mergueza links (could use spicy italian turkey sausage or turkey chorizo)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups dried dark red kidney beans, soaked overnight, discard water
3 tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. HOT chili powder (plain unadulterated chilis, NOT U.S. chili powder blend!)
2 tsp. salt or to taste
2 tbsp. oregano
2 tbsp. oil
splash of orange juice for a little tart sweetness
1 can white beans
1 can sweet corn
1/4 head shredded cabbage

OK so put beans in the pot (if using dried cook the dried beans, garlic, & onion first til half-way cooked before adding other ingredients) and fill about 3 inches over with water. Add the onion, garlic, spices and tomato paste and cook til mid-way tender. Add the sausages and cook at least 45 minutes to ensure they are well-done. The last things to add are the canned veggies and the cabbage. Cook til cabbage is desired softness and adjust seasoning as needed.

Say bismillah and enjoy!

Umm Aaminah

"Storekeeper" Aami

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll! Abdu calls Aami a little storekeeper because she loves to play in this cabinet and rearrange the food. :-) It's really cute. I managed to catch her in the act so you can see how she is very diligent about taking inventory!

Just file this under "cute".

Ma salaama,

Umm Aaminah

Aami and Zack

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll! So tit for tat, this is Aaminah and her biggest brother Zachary's photo I wanted to post, from the same last weekend we all were able to spend together.

Zack is a budding musician and we enjoy it soo much when he brings his acoustic (alhamdulillah!!!!) guitar for the weekend. Aaminah is ENTHRALLED by it. In this photo Zack was practicing in his room and Aami, drawn by the music, wandered in. I think you can see the mutual love on each of their faces. So cute masha'Allah. I love this photo also. I think Aami is Zack's first groupie (but not in a trashy, short mini-skirt way!).

A couple of weekends before it was pretty late (11:00 pm) and I needed to dry some clothes. My dryer had broken (only 1 yr old!) and I had to run to Lisa's to dry our clothes.

I asked Zack if he would mind to keep an ear out for her as she is a sound sleeper and the chances of her waking were slim to none. He agreed kindly and off I went. I also took advantage of be sans-Aami and went to the grocery story, so I was gone over an hour.

When I came back Zack wasn't in the living room so I assumed he had went to my bed to sleep. (We had gotten rid of their futon-long story- so our sleeping arrangements were interesting for the last month!) In the morning, Aami woke up with her normal "mama mama" and when I went in to get her, what did I find?

Zack asleep on the fllor wrapped up in blankets. Wow. He opened one eye (he is NOT a morning person!) and I asked him why he was in here. He said he was afraid he would fall asleep and not hear her if she cried so he brought his covers into her room to sleep.

My sons are AWESOME.

Ma salaam,

Umm Zachary wa Alexander wa Aami :-)

Aami and Alex

*The book Alex is reading was HIS favorite when he was younger and one of Aaminah's too!*

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll! I looooove the photo and the story that accompanies it is even MORE precious.

This was the last weekend the boys were with us before we left for Ajman. It was about 4:00 am and Aami woke up crying, a very rare occurence in itself as she is a pretty sound sleeper. I was contemplating getting up for her (usually she might just roll over and go back to sleep) when Alex, in his sleepy groggy pre-dawn voice said, "Don't worry Mom, I'll get her."

He proceeded to not only go pick her up but bring her into the living room and play with her. He read her books (as you see in the photo above) and eventually he let her fall asleep against him.

It was so sweet and of course a bit heart-rending as I know they will miss each other. Her brothers are outstanding; they are patient and loving and playful with her. In return, she adores them. Insha'allah we will return soon. Amin!

Ma salaama,

Umm Alex wa Zack wa Aami :-)

Niqaab update

A'salaamu alaikum. A few posts ago (pre-UAE) I posted a photo of me in FULL coverage and gave my thoughts regarding it.

I would like to make a few amendments. This isn't the type of cover my husband wanted me to wear and it is not what I wear.

I do wear niqaab here in UAE but only in and out of our building. We have a disproportionate numbers of bachelors here (read: laborers and unskilled workers) who will ogle, stare, and just in general make an annoyance of themselves.

At any given time there are at least 25 to 40 of them squatting on the grassy areas, drinking tea, or talking. Once I did go out without my niqaab (it was really late at night) and I was definitely attracting attention.

Abdullah feels (and I agree) it is better to keep my face covered in this area so my whiter-than-normal skin and green eyes do not draw their attention. It is very safe here but at the same time there is no reason to take chances.

What is the most that would happen? I could be followed home and as we live in a multi-storied, elevatored building that would be scary for me. I would prefer to slip a niqaab off and on as opposed to dealing with some psuedo-stalker with a thing for fluffy chicks with white skin and southern accents. LOL

Alright so now you're up-to-date.

Ma salaama,

Umm Aaminah

Pull-top tabs... a blast from the past!

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll! This is just a funny little fact. They still use pull-top tabs here in the UAE. I was taken aback at first as it's been YEARS since I last pulled a tab and I am sure my niece and nephew have NEVER done so. :-)

Oh the diet Pepsi cans here are pretty, don't you think?

Ma salaam,

Umm Aaminah

Ajman: where it's great to be an honorary doctor!

*Aaminah is amazed by the beautiful glass chandelier hanging in the waiting area of the hospital LAB. Yes lab waiting room. Sooo posh!*

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll! My family jokes that I am (or think I am) a doctor because of my myriad of health conditions. To be fair, I am very knowledgeable about my conditions and having been in nursing school I am well versed in the healing arts. :-)

Ajman is a veritable medical paradise for someone like me! Don't want to bother with a pesky doctor? No problem, just go to your nearest pharmacy and tell them (not even SHOW them your old bottle) tell them what medicine you want and BAM! it's yours.

Want some bloodwork to check on your renal function? Not a problem, just scribble down your own orders; they even mark "self" as the doctor.

Seriously. I am shocked and in my case very happy this can be done. I know what bloodwork I needed and I am also on long-term medication that DOES NOT CHANGE. I think the US insurance/health care system should take some notes. I don't think this amount of freedom is good but for instance, a medicine that your doctor can state is for a long term health condition should maybe be free of refill restrictions. I'm just saying... :-)

Also while there I saw a I woman with a baby in a blanket. Not a big deal of course until I happened to see the baby. It was sooo tiny; it's head was about the size of a peach. Subhanallah. It looked to be maybe 2 months early? May Allah have mercy on the family and heal the baby or bring it back to Him and give comfort to his mother. Amin.

Ma salaam,

Umm Aaminah

Just some thoughts on UAE

*His 'n her laptops. Awww how cute!*

A'salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Here are a few of my disjointed reflections on UAE so far:

I am a little surprised that I still feel like a "stranger in a strange land" here in a Muslim majority country. I don't fit in with the ultra conservative sisters who wear niqaab and boushiya and walk thru this world as if they are not a part of it. I am really taken by them and their other-worldly aura.

NOR do I fit in with the sisters who go to the other extreme and wear tight or see-thru clothes beneath their $1000 abayas and have their fabulously-styled hair showing thru their thin shaylas. Can I get an "Alhamdulillah!"?

Then you have the middle ground, simply muslim sisters who dress modestly according to their cultural mandates and who have even smiled at me once or twice. I think this is more where I would stand and most of these sisters seem to be expatriates (not Emiratis) the same as myself.

Also I do not want to hear how Muslim brothers are so much more respectful of Muslim sisters. Alhamdulillah they do not engage in idle chatter with them or in'sha'allah look them up and down but they will NOT stop for you if you walk in front of them nor will they offer to assist a single mother pushing a stroller with a crying baby, lugging 3 bags and obviously 7 seconds away from dissolving into tears.

Nor was the woman at the "reception counter" being very kind when asked if there is a phone available and instead of offering you her cell phone to use for a minute, she directs you where you can buy a 30 dirhams ($8) phone card instead. Alhamdulillah!

THEN... there are the others. The porter who helped me collect my massive amount of baggage, tracked down a cell phone so I could place a call to my husband, and when he saw me at the airport a while later (it was faster for Abdullah to drive down and get me then to wait for my connecting bus) stopped in his work to ask me if my husband was indeed coming.

There was the 20-something girl from the UK who works in Dubai, on her way back from a friend's wedding who helped me as I was obviously struggling to juggle Aaminah, my 3 carry-ons and carseat off the plane. She actually walked all the way thru immigration with me and to the baggage claim. Masha'Allah the kindness of strangers. The kindness of non-Muslim strangers to a muslim mother. :-)

So I think what this all means can be distilled into this: people are people are people are people. Was I surprised? A little, but mostly by the small kindnesses shown to me and definitely by the lovely, warm reception I received from my husband, and also a little by the uncaring attitude of others. I am from the south, the Volunteer State and, while I am not nationalistic (or state-istic?lol) I am proud of the fact that we hold open doors for each other and go out of our way to help a stranger.

Tonight I prayed Isha prayer with my husband. He has a beautiful voice and it was very moving to be standing with him in worship of our Creator, to be lead by him in prayer. It made any other positive or negative vanish. I made sincere dua that Allah blesses him and blesses me, that we grow together in our religion and in our relationship, and that we teach our children to be pious Muslimeen. Amin.

As we stood facing Makkah and the Ka'aba I was overcome with awe that I was so close now. Every prayer, every Muslim in the world faces in this sacred direction. It is something I have done thousands of time since I converted to Islam. But this time it held even more significance for me. I could still feel the heat of the desert sands on my face, I could look out my window and see the Arabian Gulf shimmering on the horizon. I could even insha'allah retrace the steps of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

So to recap: I am happy. :-) I miss home of course but seeing Aaminah KNOW Abdullah at sight (and call him "Baba! Baba!") was a beautiful thing. Less beautiful was her amazingly severe jetlag. :-( I tried to help her but it was so hard on a little baby, to try and make them stay up so they can get on the correct schedule. I am sure she was thinking, I WAS on a schedule! :-)

Insha'allah we will be home in a few months time. During my stay here I hope to make some positive changes in my life; I think I have found an Islamic Center for converts so I am very excited by that prospect as well. Their website is www.firdous.net I would just use the website for contact info; don't email them. I did a week ago and still nothing. Of course now I have started work, alhamdulillah, and have not found a way to juggle work, homelife, and study. Insha'allah. :-)

Ma salaam,

Umm Aaminah wa Zawjah Abdu!!!!!

Shoes, sensible shoes!

*Notice the air vents for cooling comfort and the thick, wedge-shaped orthopaedic heel. "Stylish" is the brand. What a misnomer! lol*

A'salaamu alaikum. This is just a short post on the fun time we had searching for APPROPRIATE shoes for me.

I should have brought more with me. I did not. The ones I brought, while cute, are not so comfortable and not really modest enough by modest (not hoochie wear) Gulf (and my husband's) standards. They are like the little ballerina flats, with an open top and open back and small strap. Really popular in the US but unless you wear black stockings with them, not appropriate for UAE.

Also there is the comfort factor to consider. They are flat. FLAT. And my feet have been killing me after looong days in the classroom. So hubby said time to go shoe shopping.

Now normally I loooove to buy shoes. Stereotypical or not. They always fit and you can find them in all price ranges and colors. Look fabulous on you. Almost fail-safe shopping. Looking for shoes overseas is a different story.

First and foremost is the quality. I ended up just buying some "pleather" shoes because the real leather ones were, in my opinion, astronomically priced. OK to be fair they aren't really "pleather" because they wouldn't fool anyone! lol

I buy shoes on clearance in the US usually or at a discount place like Wal-Mart or Shoe Show on sale. So it was a shock for me to find what is considered the higher quality shoes to be such a poor value.

We settled (between my need for comfort and my husband's need for me to be dressed more modestly) on a pair of black rubber heeled shoes that would be the envy of every lunch lady from Topeka to Tallahassee. Really no idea where those locales came from in my brain but I was adamant to use Topeka. lol

These are a MASTERPIECE of modesty, a serenade to sensibility. "Oh y hee" as a friend's young daughter used to say, oh y hee. I like nice shoes. Pretty shoes. I dress very modestly, some would say plainly, and I like my shoes to have a bit of personality. So it was a bitter pill to realize this is really what is best for my job and my way of dressing here in UAE.

If only I had bought some Earth Shoes before I came... if only. :-)

Ma salaam,

Umm Aaminah of the sensible shoe (tm)

Liiiiiiive from Ajman! (Or...sorry it's been so long!!)

*Photo: I took this a few days ago. Is a really beautiful masha'allah! I wish blogger would allow me to post more photos EASILY. I have soo many to choose from!*

A'salaamu alaikum and hello!!!!! Sorry it's been such a long time. Aami and I arrive in Ajman, UAE on Monday September 28. Since then we have been acclimating ourselves to a new country and a new family. Masha'Allah everything has been going GREAT!!!

I could not ASK for a better husband. Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah! He is sweet, kind, supportive and understanding. Say masha'allah tabarakallah please. :-)

I have so many experiences to blog about but soo little time! My observations about life in UAE, I have already 200 photos and I started a new job. Really a total life change except I am of course still a Muslimah, a mommy, a wife, a sister... all that stuff. :-) But the details.. all different now.

Our flight was interesting, to say the least! I had written an email about it and I might amend it to post on here. It was funny and a bit stressful but sooo worth it in the end masha'allah.

My job... that is worth a post or two on its own! I am a KG teacher here in UAE at a British curriculum school. I won't of course post particulars about my students by name and I won't post photos but I will tell about my experiences working in the Gulf for others who might want to follow.

One big change has been mine and Aami's eating habits. My husband is a verrry healthy eater and of course it is rubbing off on us! Alhamdulillah. We eat whole foods, fruits, veggies and some meat of course. Aami and I have had a cheeseburger from Hardees and a chicken sandwich at a local mall but otherwise are eating "clean and green". ;-) I think that phrase can apply to sooo many things!!!

Anyway here is a sample of what we eat:

1. Hummus. Fresh, cooked at home. Abdu made the chickpeas and instructed me on the rest. Grind your chickpeas with a little water and salt and garlic. About 5 cloves, peeled. This is your base. Lasts for a week in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, jazz it up! Add spices (red pepper and cumin are favorites) some chopped tomatoes and cucumbers and then finish it off with a good drizzle of olive oil. YUM.

2. Fool madammas. This is fava beans (fool) cooked and mashed (madammas). So simple and yummy plus is healthy! We used canned beans btw. Take a tomato or two, chop it finely. Add some chopped garlic, onion, and cumin, red pepper, and fragrant spice mix (cinnamon, cardamom are in it) and fry lightly over low heat for a few minutes, stirring often. Soften the tomatoes this way. Then mix in the beans, heat thoroughly. Remove from stove, mash with fork. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with thin pita bread. Once again, YUM. Aami loves this, sans the pepper.

3. Fresh fruits. Self explanatory. :-)

4. I made veggies tuna salad today. Chopped cucumbers, grated carrots, and finely diced onion mixed with tuna and a judicious amount of mayonnaise. I put Aami's into soft white bread bun and put Abdu's into whole wheat pita. It was really good!

5. Tea. Yes this is a food group/meal. :-) Tea with milk and sugar, yum. Add a plate of biscuits (lightly sweetened crackers) and you are good to go!

6. Packed lunches. Sometimes leftovers (like chicken and rice) but just for Aami. Here lunch is a LIGHT affair. I usually take some bread (not sliced white) and spread a bit of peanut butter on it. Did the same with a a fruit and nut pancake I made too. Of course yoghurt is always a winner! The other teachers at the school exemplify Arabic hospitality so each day I get little bits and bites of their food. Yum. I will reciprocate insha'allah soon!

OK so this is just an idea. Light, healthy, big on fruits, veggies, and salad. Light on the meat and of course Aami has milk. Those who know me know I am WEIRD about drinking any milk other than what I am used to so... I haven't ventured into "shelf stable" milk territory yet. :-)

Oh I drove. I was nervous. I did a good job (masha'Allah). It wasn't trafficky. lol Anyway I need to start driving myself to school but I don't like round abouts!!! I also don't like feeling incompetent. Sigh... insha'Allah I'll master it soon. Make du'a for me. Really please.

OK I have sooo much more I want to say but it's almost 3 am. I am not longer jet lagged but I woke up and thought... hmm good time. Aami doesn't like sharing my time alhamdulillah so is easier for me when she is asleep. :-)

I will start to write regularly because I really want a log of all my experiences; I don't want to forget them! So insha'Allah you should all see a huge spike in my writing now. Pleae make du'a for my family and I that Allah blesses us and makes things easy for us, amin!!!!

Ma salaam,

Umm Aaminah

Things to do!

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll!!! OK so here is just a smidgen of what I need to accomplish before Sunday:

*Get flu shot for myself- As I am a transplant patient and will be in a flying germ box :-) this is particularly important.
*Get Aami's next series of childhood immunizations. Obviously these are available in UAE but here are free.
*PACK! More daunting than it sounds because I need to make sure I have all the things I need for Aaminah to make her transition easier insha'allah.
*Finish up things at work! I don't want to leave any project unfinished as I worked at the masjid and want to make things easier for my replacement!
*Clean the apartment. You know, just to make sure all things are totally spic-n-span.
*Make arrangements for Lisa to come and open the apartment once a week, dust, check the mail, etc. Need spare key made.
*Make sure I have all identification forms, etc. needed for immigration paperwork. This one is REALLY important!
*Give family my contact info overseas.

...and so much more but I need to write it down as I think about it!

UAE, here I come!

*I know the photo has no relevance; she was just too precious picking up little leaves and nuts and handing them to me. Masha'allah what a sweetie!

A'salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. OK ok enough of the niceties... I am going to UAE!!!! I am so happy, I feel like I could just float on air!

Ticket bought. Travel date: September 27th. Yep, that is right, the 27th. As in 10 days from now. Oh the plans to make, the clothes to pack, the toilets to scrub! Not as random as it sounds; toilets get really grungy when they are left unflushed for a while so I wanna be sure they are sparklin' when I leave.

So 10 days left to prepare. Well really 9 because the day I leave doesn't count. Oh and Sunday is the Eid so now we are at 8. Count that I still need to work... lol OK, ok, never mind. :-) You get the picture. Basically a week and a half.

Some of you may be thinking, why did you wait until the last minute? Guys, I just work better under pressure masha'allah. Always have, always will. I tried to take care of some things earlier but really most of it is last minute by virtue of needing to use my stuff before I leave.

I can't pack our personal belongings until it is almost time. However I have started packing my clothing, some abayas, Western style clothes, a mish-mosh really. I am also making a list of what I am bringing so I can peruse the list to make sure I don't bring 7 shirts and 1 skirt. LOL That would be odd.

Also I just enjoy making lists! Planning and listing... ah. On paper everything is easy to make perfect. ;-)

OK so back to what is making my little heart pitter-patter: Abdullah, zawjy!!! Words cannot describe how happy I am to be finally going to him. It is just amazing to me and I am thankful to Allah swt for granting me this desire.

I prayed sooo intently and sincerely during Ramadan, only to be united with my husband and for us to have a halal, happy life. Growing together in our Islam, raising our children to be pious muslimeen insha'Allah... We can plan but Allah is the best of planners. We can pray but Allah knows the right time to grant what we seek. Subhanallah.

I am also packing little odds and ends I think will come in handy. Like scissors, over the door hangers to extend storage space, some random fabric I want made into dresses for Aaminah. I'll also be adding some kitchen things that I just can't cook without. My wire whisk and silicone scraper are two of them. Insha'Allah I'll have room for everything I need to take.

My husband bought a separate ticket for Aami, alhamdulillah. I would never have asked for it but he offered and I agreed it would be better. I am just happy I don't have to hold her for 14 CONTINUOUS HOURS. lol That would be rough!

I am very exhausted masha'Allah and need to go to bed. My eyes are blurring and my head feels heavy.

Please make dua for us, insha'allah.

Wasalaam,

Umm Aaminah

*PS: I re-read this post a few days later and was APPALLED by the number of typos. Letters transposed or omitted... subhanallah! I am a very careful proofreader because I don't like errors like that. IF anyone read this post and noticed the mistakes, I hope it didn't annoy you as it did me!!! LOL

Salaam and nice to meet you!

A'salaamu alaikum! Jazakallahu khair for stopping by. You know I have been checking out alot of Muslimah blogs recently (it's became a new "after baby goes to bed" passtime!) and I have a pretty clear idea of what I want from this blog.

I want it to be a place where I can share my random thoughts, recipes, and little daily triumphs. I want it to be a place where my readers (oh readers, please stop by!) can come and enjoy a vicarious view into someone else's world. That is one of the things I enjoy so much about reading my sisters' blogs: the chance to learn about others in our ummah, their joys and struggles, their heartaches and achievements.

I don't want this to be a place for criticism or debate. No debaters or haters, please. :-) I am not a sheikha, I cannot issue fatwas nor do I seek it from others. Just come in, be my sister, share your thoughts and insha'allah enjoy this little glimpse into my life.

Well I think normally introductions are in order at this point. I may already *know* many of you from reading your blogs so I think it's only fair you learn a bit about myself as well. I won't repeat what is in the little blurb "about me" in my profile; just click the link!!!

Let's see, I'm 36 (creeping steadily towards 37insha'Allah!) and I have found more peace and joy in the past-sometimes tumultuous- 3.5 years than I have in my entire life. Islam has given me purpose and a plan for my life that I was lacking before alhamdulillah.

A couple of random (I think interesting things) about me would be:

1. I had a kidney transplant in 2002 after 10 years of kidney disease and 3 yrs of dialysis. Subhanallah I was given a second chance at life. Allahuakbar! I also conceived, carried, and delivered a beautiful healthy baby girl post-transplant alhamdulillah!

2. I spent 6 weeks in India (Mumbai and Nagpur to be exact) DURING the monsoon season. :-) I did not live like a pampered "Amrikan" tourist; I lived like a normal working class Indian and came home with a new-found appreciation for tap water that didn't contain visible swimming "friends".

3. I don't hold grudges alhamdulillah. I simply forget to be angry. I call it "pretty bird" syndrome. It goes something like this: "Can you BELIEVE that guy cut me off! What nerve! I have a good mind to.... Oh look at that pretty bird!" :-) Yeah it can happen that quickly.

4. Alhamdulillah I work as the Administrator for our local Islamic community. It is a great honor and insha'Allah a constant source of hasanat for me. What fringe benefits!!!

5. Insha'Allah I should be posting from Ajman, UAE within a few weeks time. I will miss everyone here in beautiful GREEN Tennessee but am excited to live temporarily in a Muslim majority country. (I don't say Islamic country and I think we all know why.)

Insha'allah I hope to get to know more about you my sisters in our beautiful ummah as well. Please feel free to comment and leave a little random fact about yourself!

Wasalaam,

Umm Aaminah