It was a couple of days before Eid last year, the last days of Ramadan. Late one night, I went downstairs to feed the stray cats that lived around my building. After feeding, I was sitting on the low barrier separating our parking lot from the dirt plot next door, and I saw this small…
Discovery from simple pain to Arthritis
When I was finally forced to go to the doctor and get an x-ray (and later an MRI) done, my right knee was absolutely on fire. I could barely take a few steps to the bathroom. I knew in my thirties that I had arthritis, but I closed my eyes and never really paid attention….
Amoudia: Therapy for Tired Souls
The residential compound called Amoudia had plenty of date trees, aloe plants, and mango trees scattered throughout. There were vegetables and herbs planted by the residents and the maintenance people. The cleaning and maintenance guys were not the best, and trash could be found strewn on the ground. The children’s playground showed signs of neglect….
Easy Soy Sauce Chicken
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (sliced into parts) 7-8 Garlic Cloves (whole) 1 t-spoon ground black pepper 1 t-spoon crushed red pepper flakes ¼ cup of Soy Sauce Pinch of salt ¼ cup of oil RECIPE: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, or just mix in the cooking pan. Turn on the stove to a…
Life: Then & Now
Recently, my son left home to join his University in the United States, and a significant concern for us was his safety. I wonder how many remember when Islam and especially Pakistan were synonymous with lawlessness and terrorism, and chaos. My son was two months old when September 11 happened, and things changed so much…
Firmness and Rudeness ain’t the Same
Growing up, my mom had a ferocious temper and railroaded us into doing things whether we liked her way or not. We were not really given choices. It was her way, always. If any of us disagreed with one of her decisions, it was really awful. She cried, got mad, and cried some more. Even…
Mozzarella Topped Baked Tomato Slices (High Protein, High Fat and Low Carb)
Ingredients 3-4 big round tomatoes, sliced 1 cup mozzarella (you can use another cheese, but mozzarella works really well here) 1-2 t-spoon Italian seasoning 1 t-spoon ground black pepper Salt to taste Lemon juice to taste Recipe Oil a metal or a glass tray Arrange tomato slices on the tray, sprinkle with salt, black pepper,…
Plain & Simple: That’s how I roll
A while back, I asked someone to buy me 4 stalks of green onions; I ended up with 4 big bundles of green onions that I had to find people to give away. At another time, I ended with 4 bottles of synthetic vinegar when I had asked for just one. Whether the communication is…
Kindness in communication
The immediate onslaught was horrible in the FB group. As soon as the woman said something, some of the other members replied in real mean ways. As I recall, members made nasty comments on her appearance, and I was absolutely horrified. Around the same time, someone asked about obtaining public benefits in another group, and…
Quick Banana Bread
Ingredients 2 Cups flour 1 t-spoon baking powder ½ t-spoon baking soda ½ t-spoon ground cinnamon (optional) ¾ cup brown sugar (light or dark will be fine) ¾ cup white sugar 4 eggs at room temperature (cold eggs can be put in a bowl of tap water to bring them to room temperature) 1 and…
Pink Lawn and Tea 