One of the biggest challenges I face is going into a venue and trying to explain the Muslim perspective to people who think completely differently. It’s never easy, and I’m not complaining, it’s just a challenge that has landed on my plate for whatever reason. I do the best I can, but it can get […]

Got an email a few days ago from MASC, the administrative body that arranged my mini tour of Ottawa schools. Apparently the kids at one of the schools had been so intrigued by my Roses in My Carpets  presentation that they’d entirely skipped recess to gather around me! They SKIPPED their RECESS!!!! The fifteen minutes […]

I was feeling restless tonight. Walking on the treadmill, doing my 5 K, the normal TV shows held no appeal for me. And then I came upon a documentary of a guy traveling the Ganges river. Why do I need to know about the Ganges? I actually don’t. But I’m incurably curious. Always have been. […]

When I was growing up I could never understand why it was so darn difficult to remember good jokes. When an occasion came up and someone asked me to tell a joke, my mind would suddenly go blank and I couldn’t remember any. Most entertainment is like that. Yeah, it makes you laugh at the […]

Yesterday (technically–since I’m writing this past midnight) my seventh grandchild was born. I found out his name when his father called me at 4:15 pm. It’s Sulayman (not sure if I’m spelling that right). So now my three grandsons are named: Eesa, Ibraheem and Sulayman. Translation: Jesus, Abraham and Solomon. Very prophetic! Can’t wait to […]

So I mailed off the Hajj novel this afternoon and I did so without rereading it for the umpteenth time. Not sure if that was a mistake or a stroke of genius. Only time will tell. Now comes the hard part…waiting. And the only thing that helps with the waiting is working. It’s really pathetic […]

I’ve spent the last few days deciding exactly what I got from the experience of going to see the play War Horse. And I’ve come to the conclusion that I got many many things! It was a bit of a stone henge moment–where I got more from the experience of going there than actually seeing the […]

It’s funny, ever since I got back from Hajj, my prayers have changed. Before, I would often go into autopilot when I’d be praying. It’s hard not to. We memorize the whole prayer, it’s formal and prescribed as such, there’s only a few spots for spontaneity. I used to wonder why. But over the years […]

One foot in front of the other, keep on going, no matter what happens, keep on going. We’ve all heard of the value of perseverance. Goodness knows I’ve already blogged about the subject enough! But somehow I keep remembering the story of this guy whose name was Richard Kennedy. He is a storyteller and he wrote […]

I happen to be watching Dr. Phil today and he had on Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys. Now normally, when they feature some celebrity, I tend to turn off the show, but something made me keep watching and as a result I had an epiphany of sorts. Now I’ve never heard of Nick Carter, […]