Dedicated To Astrid

A few months back my boys and I went to visit my family in Switzerland. My mom moved since I last visited her 7 years back, and amongst meeting all my family and friends I had the pleasure of meeting all her so very welcoming neighbors. Next to her on the same floor lived Astrid. We'd chat in the hallway whenever we cross paths or I'd help her hang up her laundry in the basement due to her progressing parkinson disease. I've been blessed to have had a few very meaningful conversation with her. The last time we saw her, me and the boys went to thank her for the gifts she bought for my boys, how kind she was. We travelled across the world, back home when my mom after a few weeks called me and asked wether I had a picture of Astrid which I didn't. She then informed me that Astrid went missing. My mom was told, she was on the way to the grocery store which is a 5 min. walk down the street and never returned. After about a day, the police got involved, then the criminal police etc. but until the present day Astrid is still missing, almost 5 months now.

I've been thinking about her ever since and I've spent countless moments, pondering about what in the world happened to her and how she can just disappear in thin air!! And then I just pray to Allah that she is safe, wherever she might be! We are so busy and our lives are so hectic that it's easy to forget the ones we don't see or hear on a regular basis. This is why I took the time to write about a special elderly woman that I was blessed to have met and pray for every time she crosses my mind. 

If you have read this far please do the same and say a prayer for her.

                             Myriam

Our new fancy Pets

Since about a month now we have fresh eggs on an daily basis, yesss we have chicken :-) which if you'd asked me a few years back I would've never thought of it as possible.. but it seems like today it's not such a far fetched thing anymore, you know, to have back yard chickens. They are such interesting animals !! We literally sit outside, all five of us and watch "the chickflick" !! 

Here a few pictures of the Chicken Coop in the Make:

May I introduce to you:

• Olive
• Roxy
• Reds
• Goldy (better pictures will follow, I know this is not the best but it's all I have right now)

From the beginning we've had 1 egg a day which increased to 2-3 eggs a day :-) The boys are thrilled and love watching them. They've been raised by children and are very used to people which is again perfect for us. I needn't say that following to us having chicken is a Lapbook about Chickens which is in the make as you're reading this post so.. stay tuned :-)

Myriam

Patriotism vs. Loyality

Yesterday while taking my boys on a field trip to the Museum of Art, a woman passed me saying: You're in the wrong country, go back to where you came from.. Immediately I turned around saying: And my husband is in the Military I have EVERY right to be here just as much as you do !!
She was the kind of person that would mumble stuff and just keep walking, so I leave it up to you to decide on what kind of person she was. 

I did not see this coming and was so angry, hurt and couldn't really get rid of my frustration right then and there, since I didn't want to cause a scene, especially with my boys there.. WOMAN, WE'RE ON A FIELD TRIP HERE !!!

I am the kind of person that can't just "forget" so I think it over and over (very unhealthy I know)... and tried to analyze why, what the woman said hurt me so much. Yes I'm fully covered and I know some don't like us muslims so much.. being in the states I kind of expect this (even though it happens very seldom) and am okay with it, honestly I can relate to a certain extend. One of the reasons I like living here though is because the people are so easy going, at least the ones I come in contact with. Anyway what made me furious is that I am in this country because my husband is serving HER country and I get the feeling that she LOVES her military.. well guess what we're part of it !! and just because I cover my face and don't walk around half naked doesn't make me feel less lonely and stressed out when my husband is deployed for 7 month in a row. It is a HUGE sacrifice and I'm sure every military wife/kids can relate to that and having someone tell me that I don't belong here or that I should go back .. dang..

A man passed by when I swung back around and said, don't worry about it there are some people they are ignorant. I met him later in the same museum and approached him, to thank him for his uplifting words and he continued saying that some people that haven't travelled about just don't know better. That I was a strong woman and have to stand up for myself.. may Allah bless him and YES I AM !!

Myriam

Homesteading Arts Festival

Today we went to the Homesteading Arts Festival at the City Farmers Nursery. It was so refreshing, inspiring and we all had a wonderful and so peaceful afternoon. Here take a look: 
(I'm absolutely aware that some of the pictures are totally blur but I had no idea what to expect and of course didn't bring my camera.. so all the pictures were taken from my cell phone..)

Still on Planet Earth

I feel like I've been on some other planet for the last month or longer.. Definitely not on blogger.com !! What have I been doing? I love to sew, so I caught up with some orders I had. I decided to finally, after years pick up on drawing again. It's been over 8 or so years !!! Yes, we,ve been homeschooling too haha.. But more a bit finishing, rounding up what we've started. Doing small day by day lessons and last but not least we're currently enjoying my stepdad's visit. Last time I saw him my Leapcreature was almost one and now he's 7.. You do the math.. To make a long story short I believe I did a couple of things that make me happy to be able to keep doing what I have to on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong I'm very happy, just trying to have "me" not going under amongst the homeschooling, housework, teaching, disciplining etc etc mom!! Get the picture? Knew you would. Some people ask me how do you find time to do all these things next to everything you have to do?! Well I am absolutely selfish enough to make time for me being ME!!

Myriam

 ps: the absolutely stunning picture was taken by my uncle, you can find more of his work over at http://www.africawild.com/

What's for Dinner ?

Recently I called my friend asking how she was doing and she told me she was in the kitchen cooking up a storm.. and she usually cooks for about two days. Marinating, pre-cooking etc. to make the next few weeks easier on herself. She goes: You should try that you know !! Hmm .. Alright so last weekend we went to get meat. We usually make a trip every .. 2-3 Months and get a LOT of meat since the place where we get our meat from is a bit further away.                  

                                                        Picture from (http://www.featurepics.com/online/Vegetables-1070851.aspx)

Cooking up a storm is right:

Another day in Paradise

I am originally from Switzerland and yes I miss my family and friends but could it have been replaced with any better place then South California? I don't think so.. Even though the nights are still very cold, the temperatures are already up in the 70 and the sunny mornings definitely are a plus when it comes to motivation in getting up early and getting things done. Our trees around the house seem to enjoy the warmth as well, they're growing so fast, and a few already have lots of beautiful flowers and plenty of fruits. Of course they're all still in the beginning stages but the trees look lovely with all their new growth. Over the last couple of years we took a few trips up to our favorite nursery, the Bonita Creek Nursery, and here is what we have purchased:

Daddy, what is this?

Earlier this week my husband and I took the boys on a Field Trip to the Museum of Man. There was an expedition about ancient Egypt and we just recently finished our studies about Mummies so this was perfect. We all enjoyed our stay, my heart did get very heavy when we passed this child mummy though..  the Child must've been about 5 years old.. Other than that it was fantastic, it even included a little section for the Kids to play. The expedition also had the perfect size, very informative, so that I could read the boys a lot about the mummies, the sarcophagus etc. but it was not too big so that I wasn't exhausted with all the don't do this and don't do that..


As we entered the play area the boys right away took off, exploring all the different toys. (I'm Muslim and fully covered, including my face) so there was this little girl and as soon as she saw me she turns to her father and aks: Daddy what is this? and she'd point her finger towards me. For me a normal question from a child, which is perfectly okay. I'm always quiet curious how the parents would react though and so to my astonishment her Father quickly glances over to me and goes: I don't know..  .. 

People come and go..

I'm born and grown up in Switzerland where I lived for 24 years of my life. Our family members are scattered all over the world (more or less), since we're all travelers, so I was always very tempted to move away and always thought of it as very exciting to have a fresh start in another city, town, country or even continent. I, to start it off, very often had very close friends that "so happened" to live overseas. So when I met my husband and new for certain that I'll move to Singapore I was ecstatic, I mean, I was moving to Asia !!! It was great, we spent 2 years there, I met beautiful friends, it was exciting and all until we moved to the States and that was exciting as well.. It does come with a downside though (what in life doesn't alright..) We meet these beautiful, precious people that become real in our lives, they become friends that we really care for and that's when they're being snatched away from our lives.. (not particularly die, thank God but simply move away) I thought about this for the past few years since it has happened on and off. I believe that it is just meant to be, that certain people appear in our lives, they serve to be with us for a purpose for a certain amount of time, and when that purpose is fulfilled they go their ways, for whatever is meant to happen for them in their own paths.