The Real World...

I've been lacking in the word department as of recent. Those of you who are regular readers of this blog have probably noticed. I don't know why or what I can do to change that. So I guess until inspiration strikes again, photographs will have to suffice.

Just in case I've given you the wrong impression of life here, what with all my previous pictures of rooftop parties and foreigners, I thought I'd give you a little glimpse into the other part of my world.

The reason I'm here.

Below are some pics from a dedication/celebration ceremony we held this week in SZ village. It doesn't take much to notice that the women were not a part of this party (big surprise). However, one of my staff members worked in my place as the on-site photographer to capture the moment. It really played out to my advantage as now I can actually see the men whom we've been serving alongside of this year!

Decisions, Decisions..

This morning I was in the kitchen and Little D came in with his mom.

Their conversation went something like this:

Mom: Do you want oatmeal for breakfast?
D: Yeah. Oatmeal.
Mom: (Begins preparing oatmeal)
D: (Opening the fridge) I want macaroni and cheese.
Mom: You want mac & cheese? How about that for lunch?
D: No...I want that now.
Mom: Well, I think you should have oatmeal now.
D: No. (whines a little and then notices me.)

D: What's that LoLo?
Me: Pancakes.
D: I want pancakes.
Me: You want pancakes? Ok...you can have a pancake.
Mom: D, I'm making you oatmeal. Don't you want oatmeal?
D: No, I want some pancakes.
Mom: You can't have pancakes. Those are LoLo's. You have oatmeal.
D: (Thinking for a minute) I want a hot dog.
Mom: You want a hot dog?
D: Yeah. A hot dog and noodles.

End Scene. (With the D eating a hot dog and noodles at 7am.)

Oh the ever-changing mind of a 2 1/2 year old! And I thought I had it bad! :)

You put the "Happy" in my "-Ness"

The past two weeks have been full.

Full of visitors & hosting. Full of friendships. Full of parties on the rooftop and lunch on the lawn. Full of amazing weather. Full of late night conversations. Full of getting back in to the groove of a normal work schedule.

Full.

And while this introvert is exhausted and ready for some alone time...I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here are some pictures from another rooftop party I threw on Wednesday night. I'm pretty sure a girl could get used to nights like this...if only we didn't have to work.

It's official...

I will be driving a truck when I'm back in the States.

And not just a little sporty truck...it's a full size one. A nice full size one, but a full-size truck nonetheless.
Yeah.
Can you picture it?
(Me either.)

But my wonderful and gracious sister and brother-in-law are lending me theirs and I'm sooo grateful!! (This will save me and the 'rents from a lot of heart ache and stress.) I can't say thank you enough, sis!!

This, of course, will be quite the change from the sporty red Eclipse I drove around last time I was there. And today, in preparation for this transition, I've been wondering if I should start listening to country music.

Hmm.

Thinking...thinking...

Ok. That thought has passed.

Nope. Why would I want to do anything that ridiculous?!

A couple of quick pics from last night's party...
(Sorry I wasn't very good about taking more. I guess I was too busy trying to be the 'hostess with the mostess'.)

Unexpected...

So my weekend didn't exactly go as planned.

The party that I was organizing for the Cali Girl's Birthday was changed from Thursday night...to Friday night...to...not at all- thanks to the fact that her whole team was involved in serving coffee and food and what not to all the diplomats and big wigs in town for some economics conference. Lucky them. (Sarcasm intended, A)

Really?! Should that take precedence over California Girl's birthday? I think not. But that's just me. We're trying to reschedule, but life is kind of crazy for everyone right now. (A, I will make this up to you. I promise. Maybe in O-to-the-Man?! Regardless... Happy Birthday, Friend!!!)

But back to my weekend...

Have I mentioned that it didn't go as planned? Oh yeah. I did.

But you know what? It turned out to be pretty good anyway.

It's interesting how life here makes me appreciate the sweetness found in simplicity. The candles and lanterns glowing on my rooftop...long conversations with friends...the beauty of a sunset...the stars and the moon shining up above...

I don't need much. And it's in moments like those experienced in the past few nights, that I don't want for much either.

I am blessed and my heart is full of gratitude.




Amendment Since This Morning: The party is back on. For tonight. And there are two cool things about that...
1. Today is the actual day of the California Girl's birth...26 years ago.
2. It's a work night.--Which makes it a bit more chaotic to organize, but adds to it a feeling of doing something a little crazy. ;) (Like being out past 10pm on a school night or something.) Ha!

A Glimpse into My World...

All was silent in the Ancient City yesterday, so today I'm back at the office. Apart from the fact that I spent all day worrying about my grandpa being sick in the hospital, overall it was a pretty low-key 'snow day.'

I spent a lot of time hanging out in my Loft--creating, thinking, reading, and watching Gilmore Girls. Have I mentioned how much I love the Loft? Because I do. In fact, I don't think words could even describe how happy that place makes me.

I've inserted some pictures for all of you who are curious to see what I've done with the place.

The door was originally in my bedroom, but I moved it upstairs and I think it adds a lot. Also I put in those two little shelves in the window. I'd been thinking about a place to put all that blue and green glass that's blown right here in my city and after sitting up there and seeing how beautifully the sun comes through that window, I thought it would be the perfect place.

So here's My Loft...

I also spent a lot of time listening to music. (No surprise there!) A few of my recent favorites on my playlist include the following:
*Iron & Wine--Such Great Heights; Naked As We Came
*Meiko--How Lucky We Are; Reasons to Love You
*The Cinematic Orchestra--To Build a Home
*Ingrid Michaelson--Breakable
*Waterdeep--Annie

It's all very chill and mellow, but it's exactly what I've been needing in my life right now.

This weekend (which begins tomorrow for me) I'm planning a rooftop birthday party for the California Girl. I have a lot of grandiose ideas, but I'm not really sure how it's all going to play out. I have to remind myself where I live and what's actually available. But then again, I guess that's half the fun.

Yesterday…
I left the house at 8am and returned home around 5pm.
I visited 14 consecutive homes, barely stopping for a bathroom break or real food once.
I drank at least 16 cups of tea and ate I don’t know how many different handfuls of nuts and seeds and candy.
When I arrived home, I believe I may have said something to the affect of, “This was the longest day of my life.” BUT I WASN’T FINISHED. Because when I walked into my house, I found a living room full of even more women who promptly invited me to sit down and….yes, drink more tea!

9 hours…14 homes…16+ cups of tea…a million (give or take a few) peanuts, chick peas, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, and toffees...and ONE exhausted introvert.

Welcome to just one of my marathon days of “Eid” visiting.
(The holiday lasts for 3-4 days; with the first day being for family, the second and third for family and friends, and the fourth being mainly for women who couldn’t get out before because they were too busy hosting in their own homes.)

Thankfully, for me, yesterday was the third day and now tomorrow we are back on lockdown (thanks to security surrounding some big conference with the president coming, etc.). Another ‘snow’ day for me (with 90 degree temps)!

My proposals and budgets for next year are finished. Eid is over. Most all of our guests are gone (until more come next week). And all I have on my agenda for lockdown is sleeping in, reading, and maybe watching a movie.

I think John Ortberg said in his book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap. Looking at my plans for tomorrow in light of that statement, I’d say it’s going to be a very holy day.

Back to the Future??

So today I had a vision of myself...in the year 1955.

Oh yes. Random, I know. But you see, I've been feeling domesticated this past week. The family that I live with has been out of the country and I've had the whole house (including the kitchen) to myself.

"So what's a girl to do?" you ask.
Cook, of course.

And so I have.

Chicken, chili soup, homemade dressings, herb bread, sausage and biscuits...it's all been done (from scratch, mind you). And yes, I've been pleased.

But it wasn't until I was upstairs this afternoon that I had an epiphany: this domestication thing had gone too far! For in one moment, I looked down and realized I was still wearing my apron while vacuuming the floor. Aagh!

I don't think Doris Day could have been any more proud. I, on the other hand, just had to stop and laugh.

Sometimes I hardly recognize myself in this place. Usually it's because I'm completely covered in a black sheet-like thing. Today it was because I was vacuuming in an apron, all the while I had home-made bread baking in the oven.

Could someone please cue the "Identity Crisis" soundtrack now...

Back to Life...

I kind of feel like I need a 'do-over' from last week. Whatever intestinal infection I had pretty much wiped me out for the count. Right now I'm looking back at last week and my 'To Do's' and it all pretty much feels like a waste. I accomplished absolutely nothing. (Except for calling the doctor and getting antibiotics.--I guess that's something I should be proud of.)


So now...
*Proposal deadlines are even more near.
*A HUGE holiday is about to begin in 4 (or 5?) days--of which, I'm not the slightest bit prepared for, nor do I feel like fighting the 'holiday rush' to do so.
*It's October.
*It's chilly (actually, *cold* at night).--Whoo Hoo!
*I'm leaving from here for my journey back to the States in 6 weeks!! (Not that I'm counting, of course.)

And with all of this, I still find myself writing on this silly blog.

Why??

I don't know. I guess so you all don't worry. If you don't hear from me for a bit, don't freak out. Life seems a bit out of my control as of recent. Then again, it's always out of my control. I think I'm just really aware of it these days.

So I've Been...

Sick.

Really sick. Half-way through my 'weekend escape' I came down with some flu-like something and I'm still trying to get over it. Right now I'm going on Day 4 of not really eating anything-or when I do, keeping it in my system.

I think later today I'm going to call a doctor. (For those of you who know me, you know what this means.)

I'm going to spare you the details and simply say this: I'll write more when I have the energy to think again.