Ummi is movin'

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. So here's a bit of an interesting update: Ummi of Aami is moving. No not to wordpress, not to a private domain... I'm actually, physically, moving. Back home to Tenneessee. Alhamdulillah for it all.

I've missed my sons, my family, my muslim community here. I missed my volunteer activities at my masjid and I missed my job there, too, as the administrative assistant. I missed my muslim sisters here and the companionship and camaraderie we shared.

Alhamdulillah A and I had some issues in our marriage but my stance has not changed. I will never divulge private information that was at one time priveleged confidences between spouses. May Allah give him better in this life and the next, amin.

Of course we did not divorce in animosity; we are Muslims alhamdulillah and fear Allah so we have kept our discourses kind and have no ill will or feelings towards the other. I just ask that you all keep us in your du'a. You should also know I did not disclose our issues when they first occurred; it's just that I'm now comfortable informing you guys.

So of course I'll miss some things about Massachusetts; Aaminah and I lived in the cutest little town, Hudson. It was awesome in the winter, to experience the 3 foot high snow drifts and snow in the moonlight is something I wish everyone could experience in this life. The summers were muhajabat friendly too and sisters, ya'll know that's awesome!

But in the end, I wanna be home. Where snow is practically non-existant and schools close if 2 inches fall. Where snow falling in the moonlight is a rare occurence indeed and the summers send me running inside, to seek the comfort of an overworked A/C. Home is home and the rest simply doesn't matter.

So how will this affect UofA? Psssht ya'll must be kidding. I'll still be here, doing what I do, talking about mi vida loca, my children and family, my faith, food.... yeah you got it.

I love you all fi sabilillah!!! Ma salaama...

This isn't a joke...authubillah :-(



WTHeck???

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. I've spoken about our small town before. Hudson, Mass. It's a quaint, picturesque, fairly typical little New England town. In the year I've lived here I've come to like the vibe here; small town attitude but more diverse (due to proximity to Boston and we have alot of high tech companies here... think Intel, HP, etc...)

We have a beautiful little library that has alot of programs, especially for their size. I just signed up for a new service called "wowbrary" which is available for many public libraries. It lets you know what media is new. OK great. I woke up early (with the same headache I just can't seem to shake for the past 2 weeks) and saw I had my first wowbrary email in my box.

A few new movies, some light fiction, couple of better books... then I saw the above cover. Um yeah. A book on animal husbandry taken to a new level? Nope, a book on teen sex. And we're not talking teen sex as in the grainy film most of us in the US were shown in 4th grade like "You and Your Body" where a girl keeps a journal talking about her "Aunt Flo" (a term I vehemently abhor!!!! lol) or her friend "Dot" instead of just saying her period.

Nope, this is full-on nothing but sex. Not just straight sex either, explaining the difference between say the vaginal opening and a urethra. Here is a lil excerpt for ya'll who might be thinking, Oh Umm A, you're kinda sensitive about this:

"Thinking about having sex? Or just thinking about sex? Well, there's a lot to think about. And if you're a teen, you should get educated before you get busy so that you can make healthy, informed decisions. Written by the host of the popular online Midwest Teen Sex Show, this honest, funny, and in-depth read features chapters on all things sex, from sexual orientation and masturbation, to foreplay, first-time concerns, birth control, and protection against diseases. It also provides answers to questions posed by real teens on things you definitely want to know but might be afraid to ask."

That was the description given by the library website. Below is the description I found by clicking on the "more info" button which sent me to Amazon.com. Hmmmmmm. A bit different.

"The cover image of one cow mounting another in silhouette is the first signal that this excellent resource takes a frank, funny approach to sex education. Hasler, a columnist who answers teens’ questions in her own “webisodes” and on the school speaking circuit, is more colloquial than clinical as she delivers a wealth of accurate information. Readers will find basic facts about anatomy, hygiene, and birth control (“Toothpaste is not a spermicide”), but they’ll also discover straightforward coverage of more typically taboo subjects, such as sex toys, fantasies, and fetishes. From definitions of GLBT terms to guides to safe sex, regardless of teens’ sexual orientation, the book’s inclusiveness is rare and welcome. Never judgmental (one section is entitled “Shame, Guilt, and Other Nonsense”), Hasler encourages teens to take ownership of their bodies, make informed decisions, and get help when necessary, especially if they think they have an STD: “Don’t sit around . . . writing e-mails to online health forums.” Lighthearted cartoons and well-chosen resources complete this indispensable guide for teens seeking reliable, explicit facts about healthy sex. Grades 10-12. --Gillian Engberg"

Call me what you will, a book-burning Nazi, an opponent for freedom of speech, I DON'T CARE. No teenager needs to know about sex toys, fantasies and fetishes. This is a sickness, a disease, and I am appalled and sickened that this book was ever written. As I said, I wouldn't have been a fan of the book just from reading the first review, thinking it was too explicit and probably written very tongue-in-cheek when in fact, pre-marital sex is NOTHING to joke about.

However, this second and much more revealing blurb about the book actually sickened me. Do you remember being a teenager? Being so curious about things, all the changes in your body, all the confusing emotions and angst and difficulties that can sometimes be part of the territory? I don't think it's helpful to give them a manual describing all of the variant and deviant behavior one can indulge in or be pulled into.

Even more disturbing was the fact that in a few of the libraries in our area, it is in the YOUNG ADULT section. Here in Hudson our library is part of an area wide coalition that allows members to borrow material by requesting it online or by calling the library. So you have a very wide array of books, movies, etc available. At several of the member libraries this book is available in the Young Adult section which means any child can pull it off the shelf and peruse it's contents.

Alhamdulillah in Hudson at least it's on the Adult level which library cardholders 12 and under cannot access unless a parent is with them. Once they turn 12 or 13 they can apply for an be given free pass to the adult section as well. (Not Adult as in XXXAdultXXX btw just the grown-up area. lol)

I am very interested to hear ya'lls comments/thoughts on this. I know for myself, I would never allow my daughter to read this filth. It brings all the worst elements of western sexuality and lays them out like a buffet for impressionable teens to pick through.

Would you let your child read this? Would you read this? Are you as appalled as I am or do you feel there should be more freedom of information? I am curious to hear.

Leave your comments, please. Ma salaama ya'll...

Brrrrrrrr!!!!

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. Oh the snow! It started after midnight and by 6:00 am we were past 5 inches. Masha'Allah! The wind is blowing steadily over 20mph so we are classed as a blizzard now. This is what I love (sorry for all those who get hardship from the weather but me loving it doesn't make it snow!) to look outside and see white and grey and blowing. It excites me to no end ya'll.

Today I even watched (ok spied!) on a guy cleaning off his car. lol Alhamdulillah we are able to park in the garage but I was mesmerized watching him scrape and brush. The snow looks really heavy and wet subhanallah.



Typical New England style "salt box" house in front of us. It's really cute masha'Allah.



I spy with my little eye a car almost covered by the drifting snow.

Once again this is just about 4 hours worth of snow!!! Subhanallah.

And a close-up of the snowed-in cars. Shovel, anyone? ;-)

I braved the cold and winds to take some pictures to show everyone. For those of you used to snow, you're gonna say "meh". For my southern sisters and those overseas, I think you will have the same child-like joy I do! :-)

Enjoy and ma salaama!

She's beautiful, she's beautiful, it's true... Masha'allah!!!

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. I took some really cute pics of Aaminah the other day and just wanted to share them with you guys. If you are one of the "easily bored by pics of other people's children" kinda person, you might wanna just sliiiiiide on past this entry. Oh and btw, I am tweaking/playing with/messing up my blog so bear with me. I know my header is impossible to read right now; I'm workin' on it!!! The last template, while cute, was a little too busy for me plus it took for-ev-er to load. Kinda like how long it's taking me to put up the pictures of my little darling.

She has been crazy to get to ride a pony. Luckily for us, we appear to live in the "small town festival" capital of the WORLD, Hudson, MA. There is always something going on around here (and it usually costs $$$). Anyway we saw the pony, unfortunately named "Little Dude" and she was hooked. Look how happy masha'Allah!

So alhamdulillah I am a horrible Eid photographer. It's always hectic and I think, no worries, just dress up again later. No worries except I never do it and am then stuck with 3 or 4 subpar pics. Anyway this was her beautiful princess dress I bought for Eid-ul-fitr a year ago but didn't wear. I kept it cuz was just too precious masha'allah. She loved it but was happy to put on her pretty Eid play clothes. :-)

What a cheeser! We went out for lunch together at 99 Restaurant. I had to put this one in for the sheer personality she was exuding. :-)

Here's my little punkin's first day of "school". Isn't she looking all big, walking away? :-( I took some really cute photos of her at the school but forgot to take my camera in so they are on my cell phone. Once I figure out what's wrong because I can't load the pics to the web, I'll put them up too.

Hey while we are on the subject of photos, any of my sisters our there good with pho-to-graphy? I am thinking MamaMona and MuslimMama at the very least. :-) I just have a point and shoot Sony 8mp digital camera. I want to know why in the bright light my pics are so washed out. Look at horse shot above for example. If ya'll can tell me why, please share. I think maybe my lens needs cleaned; even looked like I saw a crumb, a CRUMB, in the inner lens. I am mystified as to how it could get there and appear to be happily stuck at that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

OK ya'll take care, ma salaama!







No new photos...why??

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. I normally try to post relevant photos. However I left my USB cable for my camera at home. I have a Sony digital camera and they don't use a standard USB; this one has a special end so I can't use just any normal cable. Insha'Allah I'll be going back to Knoxville at the end of the month to finish packing and then I'll get it and be able to post pics.

You know this area is so beautiful masha'Allah. I am of course partial to East Tennessee.. it is really gorgeous there, with rivers, lakes, mountains, etc. But the summer heat is really hard on me and even more so now that I am a muhajabat alhamdulillah. I am really looking forward to the 80 degree summers. That's spring for us back home. lol

Oh I now have 2 recipes I need to post (besides the crock-pot version of chicken shawarma). I wanted to make pumpkin bread the other day but accidentally used too much pumpkin. The result was much more moist and dense so I decided I "invented" pumpkin brownies! They are super yummy; so much so that I think I'll make them wrong on purpose next time. ;-)

Insha'allah I'll post photos and recipe together soon. You know I love to go to other sisters' blogs and find their own photos they have taken of foods made and enjoyed by their family. It encourages me to do the same. :-) As a matter of fact, I am itching to make some bechamel and I found a recipe at the "Mama... I married a Masri" blog. This sister's looks soooo yummy and I know I gotta make it!

Insha'Allah I'll post some photos soon of my beautiful family, masha'Allah.

Ma salaama...

Please say "Mabrook/Masha'Allah tabarakallah!"

A'salaamu alaikum! Sorry I started this post a few days ago an didn't realize that the title posted but nothing else. Shukran, Banana Anne for giving me a shout-out anyway. lol

Soooo alhamdulillah so much can happen in two weeks time! I am now happily married and my family has grown by one husband, a fish, 2 cats, and 3 children. Ok NOW say "Mabrook/Masha'allah tabarakallah!" ;-) Thanks.

I moved to Massachusettes to be with my husband. We had intended to take it slowly (well kind of) and he was coming down and we were getting married but we had thought I would stay in Knoxville for a month or two while he readied his apartment, I got packed up, etc.

However once we met and married, spent some time together, we realized we had no desire to be apart. We had both been wanting to be married for years to a good, practicing Muslim/Musimah which we both strive to be. Sisters, please let me tell you, I feel like my husband is a barakah from Allah. Wallah. He is educated in our deen and while very conservative in his family values and in his approach to Islam he is not heavy-handed or rude.

He is not a member of the "haram police" we've all met them before, right? ;-) He has the exact right mix and I could not be happier. I mean unless we actually did get a couple of days sans kids but I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon. Maybe when they graduate... lol

Of course there have been alot of changes, some compromise, some messiness. Trying to consolidate two households into one apartment, mesh our eating habits and sleep schedules. Just in general acclimating to a new person in your life. But wait, you actually get 3 more! lol In A's case, he got me and a "bonus" as he calls Aaminah masha'allah. ;-)

I am happy, sisters. Really truly happy. I am thankful to Allah swt for leading me to this wonderful brother, I am happy to be a full-time mother and wife, I just love my life. Please make dua for us that Allah swt continue to bless us and that we grow in our practice and knowledge of Islam.

Ma salaama,

Umm Aaminah