Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Nagaza Restaurant And Hotel


Hey, just wanted to let the people in and around the Tripoli  to Homos area know that the Nagaza Hotel , where many of us like to drive to for cup of coffee or meal, while we sit out on their veranda to enjoy the view looking through the pine trees to the Med. Sea in the distance, is closed for repairs and renovations . How long , I couldn't find out . Thought I would save you the trip if it was on your list of places you were thinking about going to soon .

Moe and I like the drive there and back from Tagura . We love to sit outside and look down on the sea from the hill sides where the hotel sits nesteled amoung pine trees drinking cappuccino's . I especially love it when there is a breeze the whistels through the pine needles . Makes me think of the piney woods of east Texas .

Pine tree image

Previews Of Coming Attractions - April !


When I was a little girl , there was a rhyme that said " April showers bring May flowers " .I don't know about the showers part here in Libya . We usually have those in Jan. or Feb. and the flowers come in late Feb. or early March . We didn't get much of  either this year sad to say . April is a great spring  month ! Look and see what's coming in April .

Easter comes in April this year . Sunday the 4th is Easter  . The month of April is host to some other intersting holidays such as : National Autisum Awarness Month , also National Child Abuse Prevention Month .Stress Awarness month is important for many of us since it affects us all one way or another .But April isn't all seriousness . There are plenty of fun days in April , like April Fools Day on April 1st .This day is one joke after another !The 3rd is Find A Rainbow Day , I guess you could do that while watching all those April showers the rhyme talks about, huh ? April 5th is a big day for men that think they NEVER need to ask directions when on a road trip and LOST . It is Road Map Day . The day I am looking forward to is April 7th , No Housework Day . Yeah !!! See ladies , it is official , you don't have to clean house on the 7th ! If you feel superstitious , I wouldn't plan a ocean cruise on April 14th . That day is Titanic Day, after the day the ship Titanic struck the fatal ice berg that caused it to sink .That day is a definite no no for a cruise ! Another day of gloom is Tax Day on the 15th . Just skip that day altoghether ok ? The next day should be much better , that's Eggs Benedict Day , yummy ! On the 19th you could laugh yourself silly . It is Humorous Day .The following day is Cookoo Day . Not too sure if they mean crazy or the bird , hum , what do you think ? Earth Day on the 22nd  is pretty important all over the world . And where would we be today with out Zipper Day on the 29th? Arbor Day is celebrated in the US usually on the last Friday of April , which this year will fall on the 30th . Most country's all around the world have a Arbor Day where they celebrate by planting trees and / or plants . This ties in to Earth Day and is so very important for the Earth's health . So go out and plant something living on the 30th and watch a life grow .You have all sorts of days to look forward to this coming month , mark them on your calander . Go have some fun !

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Life to Date


Hi ! It has been a while since I last wrote . One reason is Moe has suddenly decided I am spending too much time on the computer .That means the WHEN I DO get a chance to go on line , I am on longer than ever , trying to catch up on the mail , reading ( which I am so sorry to say I am MONTHS behind reading other blogs and have missed out on what my friends have been up to in their lives . All thanks to MOE !) , posting , Facebooking, and all that other jazz  I can only do in line .He doesn't " do computer" and has no interest in "doing computer " either , so that makes it harder for him to understand the WHY . This will pass. I just have to be patient and he will find a new project to keep him busy .

It is almost the end of the month . I am glade . We will get paid soon and I can go grocery shopping then . I need to start to stock up on stuff for Ramadan that is coming in about 3 1/2 months .Food prices have been steadily rising .  We bought a chicken that cost us 3 dinars last month . Yesterday the same size chicken cost us 7 1/2 dinars . Chicken is the cheapest meat here . What are the poor doing  for meat source ? Doing with out .Some food items were hard to find for a while .They are back on the shelves again .But need to buy them before they go AWOL again .The thing about living here is, if you see something today , it doesn't necessarily follow that you will see it tomorrow . So , you buy it if you can, when you see it . Supply and demand have a long lag period here .

I have been thinking about this new health care bill in the States . I am all for it , although I am not exactly sure what all it entails , the pros and cons . I know that sounds stupid . Consider this though , 1 child  living in a house in a American neighborhood  , with a child in every house ,will not have any sort of health care at ALL , because the parents can't afford it . Maybe the next door neighbors kid will be covered by insurance, and the 2 kids next door to them will have some sort of insurance , but then the house on the other side of them will not  have insurance, for the same reason as the 1st child .1 in 4 kids will have to figure out what to do if they break their arm playing outside because they can't go to the hospital for treatment. They have no insurance . 1 in 4 kids will have no insurance to go to the doctor if they get pneumonia . They will probably die .1 in 4 kids ,that is too many .No more will a insurance company be able to cancel your insurance policy, OR refuse to sell insurance to a person because of the dreaded " PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS" policy that exists up until now .How wonderful is that ?? To know that you can still be covered by insurance if you need it , as in the case of so many cancer patients .

The Republicans started a scare campaign , along with the insurance lobbies to try to stop the bill . Thank God they failed .There will be the good and the bad from this new health care bill, but all I know is this is the most momentous bill in both houses since the Civil Rights bills in the 1960's . And the Welfare / Social Security bills of the 1940's . Both were predicted to be the end of the world  , the end of America . They weren't . They were the making of America .This is of the same caliber . England is doing just fine with it's health care system . As a matter of fact , I had a American friend living here in Libya, go to England to have cancer treatment because Libya didn't offer what they needed and America was too expensive and unobtainable because of no insurance ... pre existing condition .

Something else on my mind , not nearly as heavy ,but equally difficult to understand , is people I have recently re-connected with on Facebook, that I haven't been in contact with in over .... well, many years, let's just say ,lol, are so blown away by the fact that I am living here in Libya , married to a Libyan , raised our children here ,and I have become a Muslim . As IF  I have become a alien from outer space or something . I am asked the strangest questions .Their imaginations have run wild . I am waiting for some one to ask me if I ride a camel instead of driving a car , lol .That just goes to show you several things . One, that the way Libya has been portrayed over the years by the Western media is biased , slanted , and incorrect in many ways .That isn't to say history isn't history , but rather there is HISTORY , and then there is HISTORY . Perspective is everything .With the advent of the internet , things should be easier to learn about and to see , if a person takes the time to investigate .Propaganda is rampant all over , so one must use common sense and a sieve to find the truth sometimes on any subject .Of course I can't really blame them for the misconceptions they have because of the things the the radical Muslims have been doing to gain  negative press coverage in the news .The assumption is that All MUSLIMS , i.e. all Arabs ( LIBYANS ) are terrorist .

Smaller things are bothering me , like why can't I get YouTube on my computer any more ? I have reset my settings , done this and did that . Nothing . I miss YouTube  a lot . I guess I will no longer  be able to post music on my blog .Really hate that ! I am gaining weight again . Yeah , I KNOW what to do about that , sigh , but have a hard time doing it ! Need to get to Sheila's and have her cut my hair short since it is getting warmer. AND I want to complain about the mosquitoes problem we are having around the Condo . I bought a bug insecticide that plugs into the electrical wall outlet . It works . Yeah ! Only problem ... it gives me asthma . It made Patches La Chat ill as well . I didn't plug it in tonight . So far , so good . May not need to use it all the time .

Oh yeah , the next time you hear about a country that is in a "CIVIL WAR" , think genocide . Civil war is just a nice way of saying " ethnic cleansing " no matter what they call it . Also , " Human Trafficking Day " was yesterday .Human trafficking ? Just call it what it is ... slavery . This is 2010 and slavery is still rampant ALL OVER THE WORLD ! OMG !!! I know there is some other stuff I wanted to get off my chest but my mind goes blank right now. I guess that let's you off the hook for now . No more moaning and groaning from me for a while.Am going to bed to think of something positive to write about next time .Ciao !

Artist unknown but painting named " Dizzy" .

Your Age By Chocolate

Here is some fun to have with chocolate . Add up your age using this chocolate test . It really works .

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH
 Don't tell me your age; you'd probably lie anyway-but the Hershey Man will know!
    YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH
 This is pretty neat.

 DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute .
Work this out as you read .
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.
 1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
 3. Add 5
 4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator LOL !
 5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1760 .
If you haven't, add 1759. Tell the truth !

6.. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number . Aren't you JUST dyeing to know what that means , lol ?
Doesn't all this chocolate look good? Ok , next ...
 The first digit of this was your original number
(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

 OMG ! I used to LOVE chocolate covered cherries ! Alright , back to the test ....
The next two numbers are ........... Can you wait ???
  
YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)
 
THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2010) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.


 Here is a Chocolate Calculator just in case you need one again .
 

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Muslim Feminism Alive and Well

Monday, March 15, 2010

Moe and Cupping


That is a picture of Moe's back . Gorgeous isn't it ???? Looks like he has been attacked by a giant octopus or some other sea monster, huh ? The marks have been caused by wet cupping .It is a form of blood letting , or hijama as it is called in Arabic.It's all the rage here in Libya .

I really don't now how to write about this " cupping " thing . I am over whelmed by all the data on " cupping". It is an ancient healing method for all sorts of ailments  dating from several 1,000 years ago .It plays a major roll in Islamic healing , which by the way , Islamic medicine was way advanced in the Middle Ages to an unbelievable extent , almost comparable to today's medicine . A actual trail blazer in modern methods and healing  procedures . The Prophet Mohammad was a strong advocate for cupping , as he himself used it for treating his medical issues .

Anyway , my  Moe decided to go have his self cupped because he thought it would be a magic cure for all that ails him .His new best friend that he met in the coffee shop near the Condo was going on and on about how he had been cupped and cured of ... WHATEVER , and he JUST knew if Moe went to be cupped he would be healed of everything too .

Moe came home and said he was going to do the cupping too . I  was like oh no , here we go again ! We had gone through this all before , several years ago . I managed to talk him out of it then and was hoping to do so again , but not this time . He had his mind set on doing it . Even though I was sick and dying ( I had the flu AGAIN !) barely able to talk , I reminded him he had suffered two debilitating strokes , still had high blood pressure , and please let's don't forget the sugar diabetes ! Oh , and the 6 stints in his arteries ! But WHAT EVER ! That this cupping just might cause a blood clot or his sugar to drop dangerously low from blood lose. All Moe heard me say was "Yata, yata, yata ... blah, blah, blah !" And off he went to be cupped ! A happy camper .

I sat at home and waited to hear from him after the procedure was finished to tell me all was well , or some calling me to say he had died . No call . Ok , I won't panic .....YET ! I waited several hours and then called him . He answered his phone and was barely coherent when I spoke to him . He said he just woke up from a nap at the clinic. He  had fallen asleep right after the "doctor " was through cupping him . It sounded like he passed out to me , but what do I know ??? I am only a woman .

He came home and I asked him all about it and what happened . Did they check your blood pressure ? No he said . Hum , did they check your sugar ? No . Did they use new needles ? Yes . Oh Thank God for that I thought . Did they wear gloves ? Yes . Ok , that's good .Did it hurt ? Oh yeah ! Was it supposed to hurt you?
Moe seemed to think that yes it was supposed to hurt . Was there alot of blood ? Oh YEAH !!! TONS OF IT!! Didn't you tell them you were on a blood thinner ? Sure he says . I give up and stopped with the questions by this time . It was over and done with . Too late to do anything about it now . If he has another stroke due to a blood clot , so be it . What can I do now ?

The next day he has a killer headache . I panic . Is it like the one you had when you had your strokes before ? No . Is it like this ? Is it like that ? I check his blood pressure and I am up all night monitoring him and the headache . He refuses to go to the hospital and I can't get him down 4 flights of stairs alone . So , I am a nervous wreck .Finally the night is over and he is better .

Tonight I read that one is to never to lie down after cupping , but is to walk vigorously for 30 minutes afterward to prevent blood clots from forming  .The cupping isn't supposed to cause extreme pain , it did in Moe and the doctor thought it was all good .Some one with all his aliments shouldn't do this procedure at all .Last but not least ... there should only be very slight discoloration ( bruising ) and/or a faint ring that should leave in a couple of days . The above picture was taken 4 days later . He still has the rings on his back .

I will personally  KILL him IF he EVER does this again !!! We are talking about an educated man . A man that has traveled the world over . A man that knows he has to be careful of his health . So , if you ever hear that Moe was murdered by me , you will know why ! And I don't care what anyone says about cupping , it is a barbaric practice that should be stopped !



Saturday, March 13, 2010

Banana's , Does A Body Good

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas..  He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain.  Read on:



Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.. 
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. 

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by stroke by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Stevie Ray

Stevie Ray  Vaughan, or as he is more commonly known , Stevie Ray , was probably one of the worlds greatest guitarist . His brand of rock-blues hit you where you lived when you listened to him.He played with some of the biggest people in the music industry .People like Muddy Waters , David Bowie , Jackson Browne , B.B.King, Stevie Wonder,Eric Clapton ,and the one and only Joe Cocker . If you like blues , you'll love him. Click here to go to YouTube  to listen to Stevie Ray play " Midnight Hour " ! Fantastic !!!

painting by Debra Hurd

Haroun's Big Adventure

This picture was taken of Haroun when he was less than 2 years old . Now he is a big boy almost 3 years old , so you can imagine how much bigger he is now .Last Friday his dad , mom , and little brother Yousef all went on a picnic way out in the country side .His parents cooked Bar BBQ while Haroun enjoyed just running around all over the place freely investigating this and that . He was having a good ole time . No one telling him no don't do that , come here , sit down , behave yourself , stop doing that !A little boy's dream day .

This is until ....... a camel comes running up to him from now where .There weren't any farms near where they were picnicking . No buildings that could be seen . But here was this camel , galloping toward Haroun as fast as he could . You know camel can run pretty fast !So , what does Haroun do ???? He starts to yell at the camel , stands his ground and ready to do battle if necessary with this tall monster . He wasn't afraid either , my son said .

My son and his wife , who up until this moment hadn't really paid much attention to what Haroun was doing as long as he was in eye sight , heard the commotion Haroun was raising at this fast approaching camel , turned to see why he was yelling  .My son said that before he could get to Haroun's side , the camel had rushed up to Haroun and skidded to a stop , like in a cartoon . The camel just stood there towering over Haroun, making growling camel noises towards Haroun .Haroun on his side was waving his arms in the air yelling who knows what at the camel, unafraid .

My son not wanting to frighten Haroun, slowly walked up to them with a stick in his hands to throw at the camel if he needed to ,or to frighten the camel away when he got Haroun safely out of the way .But before any of this could happened , a man came running like a bat outta hell, from NO WHERE, yelling for my son to grab the rope around the camels neck .He said to hold the camel until he could get to them .

When the man reached Haroun and my son standing with the camel firmly held by the rope , the man told my son that the camel had exscaped from a wedding party that was just over the hill from where they were picincking .The camel was one of the main attractions of the wedding .... he was gonna be the meat for the main meal ! The man thanked my son for saving the wedding meal. Kissed Haroun and told him  what a brave little boy he was for standing up to the camel .He then invited them all to the wedding .My son thanked him for the invitation , but said they had enough adventures for the day !

Friday, March 5, 2010

Special Days In March


You might want to mark your March calendar for the following very special days :

March 1st

March 2nd


  • Dr. Seuss's Birthday
    Born in 1904.



  • March 5th


  • Multiple Personalities Day    This is a very important one on my calander ! LOL !

  •  

  •  
    March 9th
    Panic Day  Personally , I think this is another underrated day !


    March 14th
    Potato Chip Day  How in the world is this NOT a national holiday ????


    March 16th


  • Everything You Do Is Right Day  

  • Here is another prime example of a perfectly great day to celebrate !


    March 17th
    St. Patrick's Day    Now WHO doesn't celebrate this one ???


    March 20th


  • Big Bird's Birthday  Can't forget Big Bird for heavens sake !!!





  • March 22nd
    Goof Off Day  One more over looked national holiday ! Who is in charge of this department anyway ????




    March 26th


  • Make Up Your Own Holiday Day   Ok ! Now we are talking !!! I think I will name mine .... Daydream Day and Eating All The Chocolate You Want Without Gaining A Pound Day !




  • March 27th


  • National "Joe" Day
    Everyone who hates their name can be called Joe this day.   Summer ... this one is for you honey !





  • March 28th


  • Something On a Stick Day  Now people here in Libya will like this since Sheshkabob falls in this category !



  • I guess I have covered the most important days here. Any I left out ?

    painting by Joy Argento "Tribute to Green Eggs and Ham" 

    Galveston Island


    Growing up in Houston , Texas meant that you spent a lot of fun times all year around on Galveston Island , but especially in the summer time . Galveston was about 1 hours ride from almost anywhere in Houston , no matter where you lived ... back then ,lol . Houston was a little bit smaller in the 50's and 60's , than now .

    I can remember camping out on the wild beaches when I was small . That was soo cool .There were sand dunes to explore , waves to jump over in the surf  as they rolled in from the Gulf of Mexico .Walked miles looking for sand dollars , sea shells , bird feathers ; drift wood washed up on the beaches , weathered grey and smooth .Building sand castles with moats that filled with water from waves that flooded into them .Fishing for speckled trout , red snapper ,shark ( well , not me ,lol ) catching crabs , shrimp , and getting fresh oysters to eat . OMG !!! If  you didn't want to go to all that trouble just pick a restaurant , they were all good .Still are , lol !

    A special treat would be to drive through the historical district and gaze at Victorian mansions that survived the 1900 hurricane that almost wiped Galveston Island off the map.They have a genuine palace that I would daydream about living in , no matter that it belonged to the Bishop of  Galveston-Houston Catholic Archdiocese , lol . Small matter to a little girl .

    No trip to the Island would be complete without a ride on the Bolivar ferry . Dolphins racing along side the ferry as the sea gulls made foraging attacks on any unsuspecting person having the audacity to try to eat while out side the protection of their car ! What an adventure it was to watch sea going ships making their way to Houston up the ship channel .

    As I grew older , a teenager , if you weren't at the POOL( where ever that might be in Houston ) then you were at the beach in Galveston as soon as it was warm enough to go in the water .Then later, as a older person , ah hum,  a group of us would drive down to the Island to swim in the full moon light , have breakfast as we watched the sun rise over the Island , and count it a great end to a fabulous night ! That of course was pre-Jaws ! No way would you get me back in the water after that movie came out .

    Moe and I had a few adventures with our friends there when we dated .When the kids came a long they were introduced to all that the Island had to offer, also .We had nighttime picnics on the beach , rode the ferry , feed the sea gulls , watched the ships. We had the beach all to ourselves once as a storm moved in to shore off the Gulf of Mexico .The other people  left the beach thinking it would rain all day . It didn't,only a half hour, but what a sight that was to see as the clouds roiled above us , the waves pounded the shore line , the roar of the surf deafening to our ears . The rain slammed into our car so hard , we thought there might be dents in the roof when it was all over , but there wasn't any .How cool was that ?

    All this was brought back to mind when a good friend sent me a email abut Galveston Island .It really made me home sick thinking of all the good times I had there in my life . I thought I would share the email with you too , so you might make this trip with me . Click here to see a little of Galveston .Enjoy !

    Tuesday, March 2, 2010

    Story Of My Life

    In case you ever wondered about the story of my life ... well , here it is, in a poster .



    Fun Quiz For Ya


    Here is something that is intersting and fun.....try this little quizzy thingy  and see how well you do . I did great the second time around , lol !