WEll....the gift-wrapping corner is about ready and here is what it looks like:
I have wrapped about 9 gifts so far but the funny thing is the baby-girl gifts 
are less than the baby-boys gifts 
although we get more baby girls usually in my neighborhood!
My venture in making a bag and accessories shop failed drastically as the location of the shop was a poor choice,also considering I couldn't find someone to stay there fulltime...so we decided to join shops,so now its a toy and gift shop...
I had to transfer most of my merchandise back home where I made my own gift shop...a lot of organising and work was involved until it looked like presentable still got a lot of work going so I will post a picture of it when I am through with it inshallah.
I turned it into a real gift shop meaning I will wrap gifts for any client besides having my own ready-wrapped newborn gifts...
Eventually I will also have ready wrapped gifts for young girls and teens inshallah.
We were enjoying the seaside when this guy and his daughter came and stood right in front of us...I felt the girl was very lonely and many stories came to my head as I looked at the two...
Is her mom recently seperated?was she hospitalised?was she deceased??many questions went through my head and I couldn't help but take a shot of the two of them...
The dad was really very patient while the girl played alone...throwing rocks in the sea..running..but believe me although they weren't that close to us ..... I did get sad vibes from where they stood.
The dad stood by his girl while she played, in between mobile phone calls and cigarettes....
I do hope her mom is ok ad that this is only a short lonely trip....very lonely indeed!!
A friend posted this on facebook oh it's sooooo funny and sooooo true!!
Masculine -vs- Feminine
A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.
"House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa."
"Pencil," however, is masculine: "el lapiz."
A student asked, "What gender is a 'computer'?"
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun.
Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender ("la computadora"), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
(THIS GETS BETTER!)
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ("el computador"), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
The women won.
We attended a reception for a newlywed bride and it was a chance to meet many of the groom's family who happened to be our in-laws from two sides.the bride was cute and so were her mom and sisters.
The biggest surprise was seeing the groom's sister ,a person I value and respect,she was in Europe with her husband(business 2 year trip) and was due to come in a couple of weeks.My next surprise was seeing my uncle's ex-wife,a woman I love so much,still as graceful as ever and as funny as ever,she sat next to me practically the whole evening.Of course my neighbors were there too.
Upon meeting about twenty to thirty family members I knew personally(or thought I knew)I found out that my knowledge was in reality a very superficial one.You know you visit people on occasions and you talk and discuss some issues and you keep meeting them in family parties and get-togethers,you laugh with some and have arguments with some...then you see : I know so-and-so,she is so sweet and the other one is alttle uptight,so-and -so is a very flexible person,the others are very or too formal...etc......taking in mind that I do have a very bad judgement when coming to character.
I really do take people at face value...if they are cordial and amiable,usually that is enough for me.Apparently it doesn't work that way, there are other things to consider and think about.
The funny thing though(or is it the sad thing)is that even if I get hurt I tend to forget and still be friends with some or think that some are nice but misunderstood,or didn't have a cahnce to show the good side..
In the end I always get hurt by the ones I get attached to emotionally or by those I have done good to.So yesterday after saying hi's and hellos and how-do-you-do's I sat back in my seat chatting some with my auntie and one of my neighbors,and noticing things about some people i THOUGHT I knew and thinking of how far i would go to help and be there for...the people I have thought for the past ten years to have been people of special status whether relations or friends...I have been cheated again and again...I have been robbed of my feelings,I have been swindled of my time,time I could have used for my immediate family .
My problem is that when i give...I give and when I like somebody I give with heart and soul....and some people are just there to take and take and take...I mean all I expected in return to my goodness was some care and some asking about when down,to remember me when they have happy times...
No,only in their sorrows and when they need a shoulder to cry on,only during their needs and otherwise you are but a fleeting memory!!
I will give you two of the ten examples I have seen in this one night:
1)I invited to my daughter's wedding some in-laws of ours, 7 women from the same family because they love to attend weddings and parties together(close-knit family),in doing this I had to(not invite) some of my neighbors,since the number I was inviting was according to the number of seats that were reserved at the wedding hall,so far so good?They held two weddings during the past year,and neglected to invite me,yesterday what was their apology??Oh sorry we completely forgot about you!!Notice when they have a newborn I run with my gift and say congratulations,if they are in sorrow I go and visit to give my condolences...etc
2)Another relative was sitting nearby,we haven't seen each other for over a year,she was sick and I did all the visiting,also I was there in all her griefs and happiness,she invited me to sit at her table,but I couldn't leave my aunt nor my neighbors and I am OLDER than my relative ,so I invited her to my table since I had a free seat nearby,she just looked at me and her stare went blank,and for the next two hours we each sat at our tables busy or acting busy lol!!
*Of course other people(relatives)in the wedding did some more stupid UNINTENTIONAL mistakes and disrespect...and now I have the proof that some of my neighbors are the best in the world...they have been my friends for 20 years for good and bad :)
Just spilling out my feelings here,sorry!!
This year Eid was very nice...my mom was here,my kids were all here(one studies abroad),my aunt returned just in time from Jeddah,and alhamdulillah everybody is in good health.We had a newcomer (my cousin's sister-in-law)very nice lady...new blood...lol!
Cold came suddenly right after the Eid Dinner I gave on the third day.
Everybody enjoyed the food...at last nearly everything was homemade...the trend here is to get food from restaurants for every invite...but this year we decided to do our cooking at home..there were eleven men and fifteen women in all, and of course four lovely children.
I did an easy menu so I could cope...the men's roast leg of lamb turned out beautifully,
(this isn't mine its from the internet but mine was very close to this :) )
there was also roasted chicken,russian salad,folded pizzaz(my daughter),two chocolate cakes and a fruit cake(my cousin's),macaroni with becahmel....and other yummy things!!
Anyway that is all and I hope all the eids will be nice and quiet...we do tend to have some stir in some Eids by some stir-loving people...lol!!
My children came and had Eid breakfast with us and these are the grandkidos with their Eid clothes....
After breakfast we went outside and the kids had fun playing
bumper cars.
