I'll imagine

mood: tired

craving: to hear my mothers voice again

Salam Alikom (Peace be with you)  to all my Muslim readers and Hello to all my non-Muslim readers. I pray that y'all had a great Jummah. Had a nice day with family and I hope to start blogging more, but I am so busy with other stuff it's hard. Have a wonderful weekend. I love the weekend, it lets me spend time with my family. Tootles. 

Last night my daughter turned to me and said, "Mom, you look a lot like Nana". I said, "Well she's my mom." She said,"The strange thing is, my Aunties and you are, like, all mixed up in Nana." LOL Cute. I laughed. About twenty minutes later she told me to read the poem she wrote. I said, "Oh no, am I going to cry?" She laughed and said, to read it. Well, the water works started with me. This little girl is so gifted. Now it's ya'll's turn to read it. 

Something for my Nana.

Maybe it was the picture of you that did it. 

Or maybe it was the memory... 

Yes, I don't remember much.

Not a touch of compassion,

not a gentle kiss,

not your arms wrapping around my small body and gently chuckling.

How could someone love me so much and then just leave?

I suppose it was the Will of God. And everyday I wonder:

What would it be like if you were here?

Would I hear your voice ringing throughout the house?

Would I smell your perfume on my clothes after you hugged me goodbye?

There are so many questions I have to ask and I know they can't be answered.

So I'll imagine.

I'll imagine us walking through an endless field of bluebonnets under that wide, azure sky while we imagine the clouds transforming into strange shapes. Hand in hand, we'll walk. And when we're tired, we'll sit on the cracked earth.

You'll pick a flower and say, 'See this flower? God made it. He made it different from the others; each petal, each leaf.' 

I'll stare at your hands stroking the smooth petals.

'Someday this flower will die', you'll say. 'But that doesn't mean it won't leave something behind that it loves very much. That's why it left part of itself in this world to grow. Just like you.'

'You'll grow into a different flower, but there will be a part of the original flower inside of you. You won't lose that connection. That single flower that you grew from will stay with you forever.'

I'll imagine you standing up and smiling. It ends there.

And somehow I feel better. I feel better, because I know I have something inside of me that you left behind... your love. 

go visit my daughters blog...

©Texan Teen

May 20, 2010

Please don't copy without my permission (:

final whisper: you will never be forgotten. 

my heart

mood: 
craving: seeing my dad


Salam Alikom (Peace be with you)  to all my Muslim readers and Hello to all my non-Muslim readers. I know I haven't been so active, but I've been very busy with life. I hope and pray that everyone is doing GREAT. Have a happy day. Weekend for us. Yippie! means more time with my family. Have a gorgeous weekend everyone.

final whisper: I miss you, dad.

Random

mood: content
craving: a ride out to the sea

Salam Alikom (Peace be with you)  to all my Muslim readers and Hola to all my non-Muslim readers. I want to lift everyone's day. I really pray that everyone who reads this is happy and healthy. This is a simple random post... Just to make y'all smile. 

final whisper: look at yourself in the mirror and thank God for how perfect He has made you. YOU are worth more than you think. Someone loves you and cares for you and cherishes you. Chin up. Love yourself. Do something today that you have never done. Make your self happy. :)) :)) :)) 

Dedicated to my dear friend - Wafa'

Kasey's creamy arabic bread dessert

mood: relaxed
craving: rain

Salam Alikom (Peace be with you)  to all my Muslim readers and Hola to all my non-Muslim readers. I've been so busy these days, with no time for the net. I hope everyone is well. On Friday I had a big get together (for Jummah) and we had so much fun. All the sisters got to meet my Mom in law. The last person to leave my home was Kasey and that was at twelve midnight. LOL This is Kasey's recipe. Please do try it. It's amazing. 



Nooo cooking involved!!

You need:

9x13 inch rectagle pan
About 1 Litre (3-4 Cups) milk
Pinch of saffron
Caramom pods
rosewater
Sugar
2 cans nestle thick cream
pistachios crusehed ot slivered just for decoration (garnish)
10 slices of white bread (crust removed) regular white bread is good I used it but if you can find milk bread it is yummmyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

FIRST: You bring the milk...cardamom pods...saffron...few splashes of rosewater and sugar (just add some and taste to your liking) all to a BOIL (careful not to burn) crack the cardamom pods before putting in...then remove from heat....

SECOND: Line the rectangle pan with the bread (no crust) the 5th one I cut in half and place as shown....

THIRD: Spread the 2 cans of nestle thick cream on the bread...no woorries if it falls through the cracks just make it even
*NOTE: You can add some sugar here or honey...but I didn't...it would be yummy though! My DH suggested that 

NEXT: Add the second layer of white bread with no crust....

THEN: Remove cardamom pods and pour the warm milk over the bread and then garnish with pistachios...crushed...chopped...slivered whatever you like...and Place int he fridge...keep always in the fridge until all eaten...

YOU CAN eat it right away it is soooooooooo yummy!!!!!!!!

ENJOY it!!!!!!!!! 

final whisper: dedicated to miss sweet tooth, herself. 

Go visit Kasey's blog...

Our world

mood: :D
craving: to visit my sister in law... 


Salam Alikom (Peace be with you)  to all my Muslim readers and Hola to all my non-Muslim readers. 

How many of you know about the different cultures around the world? Something to ponder on. There is so much ignorance in this world when all it takes is to learning about different cultures, religions and countries. It all starts with YOU. 


final whisper: Pick up a book or browse on the net and read. The old forgotten habit.

The yesteryears..

mood: nostalgic
craving: to laugh and sit with my old friends and catch up. Where did the years go. Nothing stays the same. 

Salam Alikom (Peace be with you)  to all my Muslim readers and Hola to all my non-Muslim readers. Jummah Mubarak my Muslim sisters and brothers, I hope y'all had a great Friday. Happy Friday to all you non-Muslims, I am sure y'all are happy, end of the week. Have a great weekend. 

This picture was taken a last year by one of my childhood friends, Sonia. It looked much different when I was growing up there. My dad kept it very well groomed. Look at those Texas skies. Just noticed, the two trees my dad planted in the front, are gone. Wow. Those big trees in the back of our home, were tiny baby trees when we first moved in.  Look at them now.  Now, on to my entry. :)

Have you ever had one of those days, where you just wake up and you start thinking about the yesteryears? I did that this morning. I couldn't help but think when I was little and my dad would come home with those small 45 records and I would get so excited and run to play it on my record player. I remember one of the first songs: Still by The Commodores. I really enjoyed listening to The Commodores, they don't make music like they used to. Man, I sound old! hahaha. I think today's music is a bunch of trash. The 70's and 80's were the best years for music.

I remember my first perfume my dad got me, I think he created a monster when he started me on perfumes. The perfume was Liz Claiborne. It was hot in the 80's.  My childhood besties were sisters (Margie and Jessica), we lived down the street from each other. We are still in touch, after over 25 yrs. I just have to giggle at some things we used to do. Mama Gloria was our nosey next door neighbor and when mom and dad went out for a movie, be sure mama Gloria would be looking out her window. She knew everything. She reported asap to my mom when she got home, if she didn't catch her that night, first thing in the morning for morning coffee.  It was annoying back then, now I remember back and smile and I really miss that nosey next door neighbor. She passed away a couple years after my mom lost her battle with the big (C) .
The last time I talked to her daughters was when I was in Germany.

 Since we lived on the corner, we only had Ray and Mama Gloria as our next door neighbors. If you wanna count the Guerras'; they lived in back of us. Joey used to take my best friend; Renee and I to all kinds of restaurants and we would have all this change and pay with that. I'm sure they'll never forget that. The Guerra's consisted; Mr. and Mrs. Guerra & Joey and Mark and Kelly. I wonder how they're now? I sure would love to get in touch with them. The funny thing is, when our house was sold when my mom passed away, Joey and his wife bought the house. Who would of thought? I'll never forget those wonderful years when I lived with my family. I pray that the Guerra family is happy and making new memories in our old home.

I had a hot red sports car (given to me at 16) and boy, did me and my friends drive that little sports car to the ground. We nick named her Little Red. I taught everyone of my friends how to drive manual. They thank me now.  Little red was sure good to us. Thinking back, my parents sold that car and I last saw it in Mexico, driving up a storm.

Why when we think back in time, do we smile or we cry? For me, I had great memories, a great childhood and friends and great parents ( I still have my Dad alive) Thank God. Those were the yesteryears, they were great. I pray that my daughter is making her memories with her friends. It makes me happy when I see them joking and giggling and just being teens. She's so much like me, in so many ways, but yet so different. I hope pray she only takes the good from me and also, she is never a  follower.

The past teaches us good lessons. Either you take the good lessons and live with them and keep applying what your parents/life taught you, and you also learn from the bad lessons and don't learn from your mistakes. I like to think, I learned from the bad I did and tried not to make the mistakes again, and keep going with the good. The best thing I have ever done in my life, was becoming a Muslim. Thank you God for guiding me. I'll thank my past for teaching me.

Never regret what you did in the past, unless you never learned your lesson and didn't stay away from the bad. Life changes and never stays the same. Smile when you think about your good times in your life. Pray to God when you think about your bad times. I promise your good times will over ride your bad times.

Thank you past.  Today is the present and I thank God for giving it to me. I welcome my future with open arms.  :) 




final whisper- Margie and Jessica, y'all are truly missed. 

The kitchen....

mood: Just a bit Texas sick... 
craving: A Texas B.B.Q 

Salam Alikom (Peace be with you)  to all my Muslim readers and Hola to all my non-Muslim readers.

If anyone has ever been to our home in Del Rio, Texas they will see that this kitchen is all too familiar. This is the kitchen my mom used to cook in. There are many memories here. I'd like to share my memories with y'all. 

I like the presence of food. Who doesn't?

I like the taste, like to try different cuisines, love to cook, but most of all, I love how food brings people together. Some of my fondest memories are spending our holidays at my Nana's and Grandpa's home: my Nana in the kitchen yelling at my uncles to stop picking from the menudo pot. My Grandma (dad's mom) made the best MEXICAN food in the world. Ah, my mouth waters just thinking about her food. My uncle Rudy and I would be laughing in the background while my grandma would yell at us in Spanish to stop. My Aunt Carol & Uncle Andy's cook outs were the BEST. I can smell my Aunt Carol's lovely cook outs and taste her homemade potato salad.

Her home was always filled with love and kindness and all her animals. Our laughter would radiate throughout the home. I miss those days.

Life’s major milestones are celebrated with a feast of some kind, and different cultures' holidays are always centered on family gathering for a fabulous meal.

And me being married to a man of a different culture sure has opened up my "kitchen lessons". Being my daughter and I are the only ones of the extended family residing in UAE, I find myself reminisce the past during my time here.

Back in Texas, my family would gather at my dad and mom's house on birthdays and holidays. All the women would chatter and giggle in the kitchen, while my mom gives directions to me and my sisters on what to do.

It’s always the same familiar Tex-Mex dishes year after year, but mom would reign the kitchen preparing meals so fast before you can blink your eyes!

No one can turn up those same heart-warming, palette-satisfying flavors like she did.

While my nephews would go wild playing, I would often find excuses to go in my room to try to get away from the preparing food to call my friends over... When I would come back to the kitchen, I'd find my mom finished and my sisters laughing and talking. All our  friends would always gather at our home. They never denied a meal from my lovely mom.

 Every one of my little trips into the kitchen, I would take in as much of the Spanish rice cooking, or the aroma of moms' signature beans boiling. I would listen in on their gossip and jokes, and listen to the bubbling of the tea my Mom would be making.

Those were the days. This is comfort, in my world. All the colors, sounds, and smells have a grounding effect on me, I feel secure and warm when I think of it.

I associate the happening in the kitchen with the gathering, the people, and the time my family & friends spend together while the men would gather in the backyard to BBQ T-bones, steaks and fajitas.

Dad is much of a quiet man. I would look out my bedroom window and see him over the HOT flames turning the meat and just looking at his beautiful yard he worked so hard on or admiring the cactus he picked at Lake Amistad, or him yelling for my mom to bring the dish out for the meat.

As an adult, being so far away from my family, nostalgia creeps up every once in a while.

I realized why I like to cook for people, why I enjoy entertaining —it’s all in the effort to mimic the warmth my family has provided when I was a little girl… Simply trying to relive the sweet memory that so deeply flows through my blood, that I longingly try to recreate each and every one of our holiday seasons.

final whisper: ..... And I miss you terribly, my beautiful family. God's willing those memories I have will never perish.

Silly Tuesday post its..

mood: excited

craving: seeing twizzle

Salam Alikom (Peace be with you)  to all my Muslim readers and Hola to all my non-Muslim readers.  I pray that everyone is having a wonderful day. oxoxo's Here's (silly Tuesday's post.) Enjoy! wow, Tuesday came so fast. 

When she got a blog <3

final whisper: 

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. :)

mood: Happy happy happy

craving: mango ice tea from Caribou with my best friends. It's delish. *drool*

Salam Alikom (Peace be with you)  to all my Muslim readers and Hello to all my non-Muslim readers. 

 

First of all, I just want to thank Om Abdullah for having all us girls over yesterday, we had such a great time (like always.) You always know how to brighten someone's day.. :) My house next time. :)

Yesterday's dessert.. Thanks Aisha, it was delicious. 

Picture taken by holly: 

Second of all, I am really happy I almost have 200 followers. It makes me happy that there are people out there who find my blog a little bit interesting and from time to time come and read what I have to say. :D Please comment and let me hear your thoughts, opinions and anything else you have on your mind. Let me get to know you, like you have gotten to know me. oxox's

Now, let's talk about being happy. 

Have you ever asked yourself what real happiness is? I'm sure you have..  My mom always told me, "To find real happiness is within oneself." If you always only do everything for the sake of our Lord, then nothing can affect you, unless you let it. It would really change things in your life for the better. Anyone who chooses to be happy, can be happy. You don't have to have money to be happy; it doesn't matter, as long as you focus and know, no matter what, you can control how you feel. 

Some things that make me happy are:

A house to call home

spending a lot of time with my family.

Living next door to my in laws. 

talking to my dad 

those one million calls back and forth with my best friends

Girlie get together s. <3 <3 <3 *the BEST*

seeing my son and daughter interact with each other <3 *what a great feeling* 

hugs & kisses from my kids

My husband thanking me for being "me". 

A message from one of my MSU sisters.. Just because. 

seeing people happy. 

being Muslim

Sweet messages on my bbm.

A cuddly puppy. 

worshipping Allah (God) 

The list can go on and on and on. Y'all get the picture? 

When I am down and out I remember this list and I can't help but smile. Who can be sad when one is so truly blessed. Being blessed doesn't mean you have a million dollars in your pocket or a fancy schmancy car or  you can get anything you want. 

Being blessed is having, Allah (God) in your life and all that He has blessed you with. Having a great family/friends who love you for who you are. Having food on the table. That's what's being blessed is. If you're struggling with any of the above things, just know: God will not let you down. If you don't have the perfect family, know there is no such thing as a perfect family. We all have our struggles and faults and we have to overcome those struggles. How do we overcome them? The only way would be ask Allah (God) for help. That would be the ONLY way. No other way. Ask and you shall receive. He is the oft merciful. The compassionate. He is the one that I am living for. Let's all count our blessings. Be grateful. This is a reminder to myself and then to the rest of my sisters and brothers, out there in this big universe. 

I want all my readers to know, the reason for me making this blog, is to put a smile on your face. When I do that, I'm happy. When I see my husband read my entries and he's smiling all the way through, that makes my heart happy. I feel like :)))))))))))) 

Know that anything you are going though, it will pass. Another door will open. Be sure of that. 

Tell me, what are somethings that make you happy? I wanna know, I care. :))))))

Final whisper:  take time to love yourself. BE HAPPY.