Last week I did two out of town trips in one week! I shouldn’t be surprised that I got sick, sick, sick, as a dog! The first trip was down to Windsor, to one of my favorite schools: Al Hijra Academy. I tried something new, did a workshop on my new book with Pearson Educational […]

Time flies when you’re really busy! And having fun! The second statement, the ‘fun’ one, I’m not so sure about right now. You know how when things are so intense, you’re just trying to keep everything straight, that you can’t really know if you’re actually having ‘fun’ or not. Well that’s where I’m at right […]

Alhamdu lillah, this is the second week of the Artist in the Library residency. I’m feeling a little better about the refugee situation. As soon as possible, we’re going to be donating to some refugee camps in Jordan. We’re budgeting for about $500. (I wasn’t going to say the amount but hey, if it encourages […]

I know I promised more posts about my trip to Spain and Portugal. I had it all planned out, I’d write about Don Quixote, that most famous of Spanish heroes and his faithful sidekick Sancho Panza, but life interrupted. It was funny. All during my time in Spain and Portugal, I was having such a […]

This is what I wrote in the little journal I took with me on the trip: Subhan Allah, what an amazing trip it’s been. I guess places have different associations in your mind. In terms of Portugal I kept thinking of this delicate Portuguese storyteller I met in Iran, who blew everyone away with the […]

I’m sorry for taking so long to do a blog post. I’ve been away on vacation and it’s been so overwhelming catching up upon my return that it’s taken me a while. It’s like I’m digesting all the things I saw in Spain and Portugal, all the ideas that percolated through the sand in my […]

Had lunch with a very dear friend over the weekend and during the course of the conversation I told her something, just in a matter of fact way, and afterwards I was struck with how true the statement was. I was telling her how the more successful I’ve become, how certain friends and family members […]

I can’t believe Ramadan is almost over. In about four hours we will begin celebrating Eid ul Fitr (the celebration of charity (fitr)) I’ve been working for weeks getting the house and all the FOOD ready! Omigosh, the freezer is bursting at the seams, and I had to remove the vegetable drawer to make room […]

It’s weird what happens when you start getting successful. Within the Muslim community I’ve had lots of people come up to me and tell me how they want to get published. I’ve had a relative blatantly ask me for one of my editor’s names and phone number because his daughter had written something ‘brilliant’ and […]

Quebec was lovely! Montreal is a beautiful city! I had never seen it in this light before! Stayed at the Marriott in Westmount and it’s such a quaint little place! Loved the architecture. Normally I don’t care for a lot of statues and stuff sticking out of the brickwork, but they do make it work! […]