History Check

This week end we had visitors . The first to come over was Moe's younger brother and his family. They had returned from Tunis where they had been for the last 2 months. We were so glade to see one another we couldn't stop hugging .We were the survivors of war . Each one of us had a story we wanted to tell .And we all wanted to them at the same time ,lol.We looked like grinning idiots . We couldn't stop grinning. If we weren't grinning , then one or more of us were crying about some one or something that had happened.They stayed for a long time but the time just flew by on wings.So nice to see them all safe and healthy.

Then yesterday Moe's sister that lives here , her husband , and their daughter with her son , along with the sister that lives in the US came over to visit.The sister here we hadn't seen in months . Her husband had been quite ill during the war. How great it was to see him back on his feet again.I hadn't met the little baby before I am ashamed to say . He isn't exactly a baby any more . He will be 2 years old next month ,lol. He is a doll . OMG , if he were a girl , how beautiful would he be?Our sister that lives in the US hasn't been home in a year .It was so good to see her again . She had stories also of how the war had affected her in the US, watching it from afar. How hard it had been for the Libyans in the States to watch on tv. She brought news of our daughters there in America.

Again we all had stories we had to share with one another . Moe and I were retelling stories that we had told the day before .They were just as traumatic .We learned that a nephew had been fighting with rebels ( have to stop calling them that but don't have another name for them yet.) and he had left his family worried sick for  months with no news of him. I don't know how his mother lived through such an ordeal .I would have been insane.Another nephew in the family had been a on the ground reporter here. Getting the news out to news networks so the outside world would know what was happening here. A niece had been shot in her leg sitting in her yard. She was ok .Many others in the family that had been arrested for siding with the rebels where finally released from prison.. Our daughter was very involved in America with aid and volunteer services to come here to help the people.On and on the news of this one and that one came out . Eight months of no communications with one another , for if the phones were working , you couldn't talk freely on them . They were monitored of course. With no gasoline for the cars , there was no visiting . We shed years of rage with laughter of relief that we had made it through the war alive and well.

We all had questions concerning the future .Worries that all could turn out to be not what it seemed , after all Ghadaffy had started out ok , hadn't he?Why had this happened and not that?What next?How long did we estimate it would take to turn the country around.Of course we all had an opinion on that subject .Arm chair rulers , we had became.But the visits were good . A renewal of our family bonds .

We heard over and over not only from family, but friends as well, that it was safe to go out .Drive around in the city and the small town were we live. I had deep reserves about leaving the safety of our home until yesterday. Since yesterday was the first day in who knows when we hadn't heard gunfire somewhere near our home, Moe and I decided to go out yesterday morning . Just here in Tagura were we used to drive around .

Our favorite coffee shop was now open and ready for us . There were "oh how are you's" all around .People smiling and congratulations to one another for the Eid and the revolution's success was heard at all the different places we stopped.Again , everyone wanted to tell you their story

The most remarkable thing for me, was that every single place I looked , I saw people smiling uncontrollably .The young guys on guard duty at road blocks shouting out hello's and smiling like the Cheshire cat from ear to ear.Everyone flashing the peace sign that has taken the place of the up raised fist of the old regime.Out bursts of " ALLAH AKBAR" ( God is Great) in loud proud voices, zinging through the air like darts.Flags , hats , stickers on cars , buildings and walls with "Libya Hurra " ( Free Libya) written on them everywhere.And more smiling happy faces telling you that it was all worth it .I will be forever grateful to have been a part of this,the birth of a new nation. Amazing times . An awesome time  for the Libyan  people that have never know what freedom feels like before now. Imagine that if you can . Freedom ,how can you describe such a thing?

Painting by  Tilly Strauss: " Divorce Document #4 ".

News In Brief

Hey ! Just wanted to let you know I am back on line and in the chair again .Thank you so much for all the well wishes from everyone . I really appreciated them so much .

Even though I am just now starting to get out and about these last few,days , much has happened around the Condo recently . Many relatives came to visit , along with some friends and neighbors . It surprised me to tell you the truth . I knew that a couple of people will naturally come to visit , of course , but some of the others were a nice surprise to see . The visits were fun and so good to see different ones I hadn't seen in a while . Same thing for phone calls .

It made me realize how bad I am about these social visits . I have gotten out of the habit of visiting people these last few years . One excuse after another and I just stopped going , or calling . Now I feel so guilty that I have not keep up this nice social custom . I have made a note to myself to try to do better in the future .

While I was in Tripoli Medical Center and surrounded by all manner of student doctors , I would wonder to myself , which one of you bloggers that I know might be in a group I was watching ?How surprised you would be to know you were so close to me and not know it , lol .

I met all sorts of people in the hospital while I was there and made many a new friend too . Several nights we women wandered from ward to ward , visiting with each other . We discussed all topics we had in common and found this world to be very small indeed !I even ran into a friend who was caring for her mother in hospital , that I didn't know was there at the same time as I . Two floors up and one of Moe's Uncles was hospitalized as well , so many family members came to visit us both .

Actually the only really negative experience in the TMC I had were the bathrooms .So disgusting . The house keeping staff only came 2 times a day to clean them and no trash containers available in the bathrooms themselves . No soap either and many of the fixtures were non operating , no water , or no sanitary precautions taken for the patients .All the other moans an groans about the hospital and staff are normal ones you might find or have anywhere else in the world .

Our son and his wife stayed with us and cared for Moe and I these past 2 weeks . Haroun had his 2nd birthday party here .I am so grateful that they came and helped us out so much . I don't know what we would have done with out them .

Summer time is on it's way here in Tripoli . It is getting hotter day by day . The mosquito population is growing by leaps and bounds ! Have to close the Condo up way before sundown or else the darn things will fly off with us like the vampires they are , with us never to be seen again !

I hate the summertime here . It is just hot , humid , and buggy all summer long !!! Yucky !! Even with the air conditioner going full blast .Houston isn't much better either , but at least there you can wear " naked" clothes and no one has a heart attack ! Thank goodness I don't wear the Hajib , or I think I would just die from being smothered to death in all that fabric !

Some of This And Some of That

Back to the funeral ...... I was sitting with my sister in laws , Moe sisters , and we were talking about all sorts of things . I looked around the hugh tent we were sitting in and thinking to my self how the women looked like flowers in their colored headscarves and over coats . I said as much to my sister in laws , remarking on their beauty as a general whole in our family . They agreed . Then one thing lead to another and we were talking about the Ninja women here .Ninja is what we call these women that wear the Arabian Gulf country's style of all black coverings that cover a woman from head to toe , even their eyes many times . This style sad to say catching on everywhere here in Libya .

My sister in laws were discussing all the different times they have encountered women wearing this style of Hijab . My one sister in law said she saw a woman driving with the double veil , not just the single eye covering , but double and she couldn't imagine how that woman could see to drive if you couldn't see her eyes ! I said yes , I had my own encounter once with a woman driving that had not only the black veil covering her entire face , but also SUNGLASSES on top of her veil ! This surely constitutes a safety hazard to the other drivers on the road .

We soon moved on to other subjects , when all of the sudden the ENTIRE tent became silent ! I looked around to see what had caused this phenomenon , I mean a entire tent of women that all shut up at the same time ? No way ! WAY ! The cause ? A Ninja had walked into the tent . Everyone was silent and staring at this woman expectantly to see who she was, when she unveiled herself . She was a visitor for one of the neighboring women . She looked so out of place among the flowers , in her complete mournful black . So sad . You could tell the other women felt sorry for her too , as if they sensed her spirit being smashed out of her by having to wear those dreary clothes .

The next day I sat with some of the uncles wives . Many of these women are very educated , well almost all the women in our family are to tell the truth , but anyway .... I respect them and their achievements in the field of education .Most of them are well traveled as well . So , thinking on things I have read in blogs of Libyans , I asked them did they believe in Black Magic ? Did they believe in demons , evil , and Jinns ?Did they believe in the evil eye ? They all said with out a hint of disbelief that yes they did believe in all these things , as they were mentioned in the Quran . It was interesting to hear very well educated Libyan women talk about these things from a religious point of view , not a superstitious prospective as I normally would hear of these things .It gave me food for thought .

I posted a post from Rosebuds blog on the new postal codes system that is being put in place now through out all of Libya a few posts back . My friend called me yesterday so excited !!! She said that she had just received her postal code a few minutes before she called me .Her son told her that there were notices posted all over their area telling people that the postal workers would be by to registrar all buildings soon . The man that came to her house also told her that after they complete to postal registrations , they will start a new census too for the country . Last night when we were in downtown Tajura we saw a poster on a building saying it had been issued it's postal code .They are moving quickly to get this project done .

Some time back around town here in Tripoli , they put up new traffic lights at intersections with a light seprerate from the red , yellow , green traffic lights , that told you how many seconds you had until the light would change from red to green , or vise versa . I don't know about other drivers but this created a sort of anxiety inside of me when I would approach a light and see I had only 7 more seconds until the light changed to red .

I would think to myself is that enough time to make it throught the light or not ?Back and forth this debate would run through my mind . SO , I just stopped looking at the things .I also noticed this seem to be affecting other drivers too .They would stat through a intersection when the light turned green with out looking to see if the drivers from the other direction had stopped 1st before they went forward or turned . I am sure the car crashes increased because of these lights . Last night when we were out and about I saw that several of these lights had been taken down . I wonder why ?Well , I at least feel less anxiety driving now , lol !

I found this web sight that I thought some of you might like to look at . It is about American Arabs in America .

Our Eid News

Today is the last day of the Eid . It has been a very nice Eid . Our daughters in America called us twice each . Our son , his wife and his son came and spent the first day with us . We had several family members stop by as well that day . What's nice about the Eid for us , is that we never know who will come by for a visit . One year it might be this person and the next year they may not come but some one else will . Always interesting to see who drops in to say hello !

In the middle of of the night of the first day I woke up with a migraine and stomach ache more or less wishing I was dead . I couldn't sleep from the pain and had no one to drive me to the hospital . I tried this and I tried that but nothing seemed to help make things better . I think I might have taken every drug known to man at one point just trying to stay alive.I haven't been sick like that in several years .

Luckily Moe was going to spend the second day with his sisters . I spent that day in bed trying to recover from the night before . Still not feeling well I took knock out drugs hoping to sleep whatever it was I had off . I faintly remember hearing the door a couple of times but couldn't move to answer it .I woke up around six in the evening feeling like I might live ... maybe .

I was sitting down trying to watch TV when I heard a knock on the door . It was a good friend of the family come to say Mabruk for the Eid . While he was here a niece drop by as well . It was her first Ramadan and Eid here in Libya , since she recently moved here from England with her family .I had to laugh at her as I told her she should go visit one of the older uncles who was quite ill . She looked at me and said this Eid business is so complicated ! In England we just have to visit his mom and then my mom . That's it , where as here it is all these uncles , aunts , cousins and friends of the family . No wonder they have to have three whole days to do this ! LOL !

Today I woke up feeling like I would survive whatever this is I have , but it is still pretty iffy even at this point .You know I am ill when I don't want to eat ! I have containers of sweets and a fridge full of soft drinks . I am thinking of giving it all to the neighborhood kids . Moe and I don't need all that junk .

What was so cool , well from my point of view , is that it rained here for several hours the night before the first day . I mean it rained . It was so great to see that rain tumbling down .Then afterwards the temperature drop several degrees and things were nice most of that day . It was a lovely unexpected surprise and a wonderful gift . So that's how our Eid was spent .

I had hoped to go visit some of my friends I didn't get to see during Ramadan these last few days of Eid but haven't been well enough to do so . This is a long week end so maybe by tomorrow I will be well enough to go out before everyone gets back into their pre- Ramadan schedules again .

I think one reason people love Ramadan so much here in Libya is that we live at a even slower pace than during normal times .Yes , there is the pressure on women here to be gourmets chefs along with all the other things we have on our plates daily , but there is also the family closeness that comes with Ramadan and especially the Eid that we don't have in our everyday lives . It is hard on the men as well during Ramadan , no cigarette's or coffee . But that is all off set by the family times spent together . People make time for friends and family during Ramadan , where as they let the pace of life over take them in non Ramadan or Eid times . I think there in lies the happiness factor of Ramadan and the Eid .

I really hope all of you had a lovely Eid this year .Take care , The Edge