Farming trees?

Ok, the snap has nothing to do with farming trees. We had a bit of a weekend wander and enjoyed breakfast at a very fancy hotel. Yummy.... Mum, do you recognize it? You should!

I just found/read this in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/science/earth/29trees.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

My family 'farms' trees. We plant them, grow them, thin or 'log them', let some grow bigger etc... Our trees are sold for lumber, power/utility poles (maybe) and the left-overs go for paper. FYI...it's been my experience that trees for paper are a by-product of logging for lumber. What needs to be thinned but isn't great for lumber becomes paper.

Recently, folks are talking about how their farmed trees could be used to help hold carbon. But how do we sustain the forest? Do you let it burn? Do you continue to thin and later replant? What is the best way to protect and use this resource?

When my grandfather (and to a degree my great-grandfather) began this family odyssey in trees, I wonder if they had any clue as to just how important tree farming was going to become? If we count my great-grandfather as part of this, then my munchkins are generation #5 in this business.

Personally, I hope that our trees can become more 'carbon storage' then lumber/paper pulp. The pure joy of seeing green trees, walking through them, seeing 'bear signs', picking berries along the trails, and knowing that my family helps sustain the forest and all that lives in it is simply beyond words.

Peace.

Holiday Planning

Crazy....

It's been a fabulous few days off from the usual routine. The husband and I are now sitting down to discuss how to manage/figure out/plan all that we want to do over our winter holiday. The husband gets about a week in the home country, and the munchkins and I get about 2 weeks. The list of family and friends and stuff to do is several kilometers long, and we never have enough time to do it all. Rats......

So, how do we fit it all in? Do we just tell some people, "Sorry, we just haven't got time for you?" How do you fit in all those people and things you've been homesick for into such a small amount of time? You'd think that after two years of this we'd have a better handle on it. But, we don't .

So, the husband being who he is...he's sitting here with a list and a calendar trying to fit it all in. The whole thing is detailed down to even places to eat breakfast.

Peace.

New kayak rocks

Yes, it's awesome. Many thanks to the husband for present.

I never would have thought that I'd move to the Middle East and end up enjoying so much time on/in the ocean.

Peace.

Black Friday?

Well, the Middle East is in the middle of the Eid holiday. We woke this morning to the sounds of our nearest mosque. What a peaceful morning. The munchkins safely tucked into their beds with favourite stuffed toys, cooling weather outside, the bliss of waking up with a heavy duvet covering you and knowing you don't have to get anyone off to school. Bliss...and peace.... Actually, we were up very late last night with very good friends who will soon leave for their home country, permanently. It was great fun watching the dads enjoy the Wii balance board while snowboarding in the family room! They are friends will shall miss greatly! We have not had friends like this since our days at university.

In the States, many call today (the day after American Thanksgiving) Black Friday. I'm not really sure why. When in the States, it seems like this particular Friday is shopping madness. People camping outside of stores in order to be the first ones in, stores loaded to the gills with goods for sale, discount signs everywhere...crazy business.

I have been reading a bit of news this morning. Stuff some of you might be interested in. I'm not endorsing any of this news - what is 'truth'? How do we define 'truth'? I just find it interesting what is being printed. With that said, read on....

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/business/2009/November/business_November612.xml&section=business

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/26/double-dip-recession-dubai-debt

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/markets/the_gulf/article6934261.ece

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/business/global/27dubai.html?_r=1&hpw

Enjoy the peace of the day.

Ah, the good life

Well, it's been a bit of a roller coaster lately. I've finished helping out/doing the temp thing, and they've now got a true full-time new person coming in. And, man, am I glad. I'm so looking forward to going back to just being wife and Mum. I'm so happy that we will no longer have rushed mornings trying to get kids, and Dad and Mum out the door all at the same time.

Leaving my helping out/temp thing was bitter sweet. I was happy to be finished, but I've become attached to some of the folks I've been with. And of course, the lovely camel picture and massive bouquet of flowers I was given was really an amazing little surprise.

It's been a lovely day here. We had a 'family clean-up' around the house so we are no longer living like swine. We've had a very nice evening. Excellent friends of ours have been here for dinner. Actually, as I type this up, my good friend (I'll call her K) is sitting here at the table with me. She's trying to finish a paper that is due (she's working on a master's), and I'm blogging. The pack of children (Dad's included) are happily piled into the living room playing Lego Star Wars for Wii. It's a good life.

The house that we are building back in the home country with my parents is in full swing. We all just hope and pray that things get finished up a bit before the winter break. That way, we will all actually be able to spend time together!

Peace.

"No time for cocktails"

"No time for cocktails." Isn't that a great line? It's from Miss Piggy in the The Great Muppet Caper. Well, I have 'no time for cocktails'. I have however slammed down a nice sized bottle of Coca-Cola. I have oceans of work to do tonight, but I felt like I should post something!

Things are winding down a bit for us at the moment. With the approach of Eid Al Adha, we all are anticipating the break from the daily routine. The children have time off from school, then we are back to the routine for a couple of weeks and then it's zoom on a jet plane for our winter holiday. And we certainly feel a need to hop on that plane!

Peace.

When life kicks you in the backside, enjoy the water.

I had a totally crummy afternoon. I try very hard to give back good things to the world. I try very hard to serve my community. I try very hard to serve humankind. Well, today, after 2 months of very hard work, I was evaluated on all of it via a 20 minute snippet. And guess what? The snippet was one of the crummier moments I've had doing what I do. What's worse, the person commenting on the snippet of time had no clue what was really going on in 'the big picture.' I sat at my work space at the end of the day and cried.

But, here's stuff on the brighter side.....

I've snarfed a whole dark chocolate bar with hazelnuts, guzzled a nice sized Coke Zero, I still have the best munchkins and husband a woman could ever wish for, and I'm now the proud owner of a new kayak. AND.......it's been raining in the desert. Oh yeah...gotta count those blessings.

The husband as a bit of an 'off season' gift gave me a fully collapsible two-seater twin pontoon kayak. I LOVE it. I can't wait to take it out on the water.

So, when life kicks you in the backside, count your blessings and go enjoy the water.

Peace.

Calculating the Derivative? Calculus? Hunh?

Whoa...what happened to fish? And the Middle East? And sand?

Got to thinking, I needed to brush up on some old skills. Found a fun tidbit for you math junkies out there...enjoy :)

http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-a-Basic-Derivative-of-a-Function

Just Chillin'

We had a lovely relaxed weekend with a 'very tiny weekend trip' with some wonderful friends to a water park, followed up the next morning with brunch at a superb Indian food place. All the weekend fun ideas were courtesy of the good friends. By the way, that's Munchkin #1 there on the left in the blue shirt. Munchkin #2 was off with her friend in another area of the park.

After a crazed and way stressful week, it was so lovely to kick back in a place that was green and fun. Now, as I sit here at the computer, I continue to feel the peace listening to the munchkins chattering happily in the living room about the game they're playing while the husband sits here on the bed strumming his guitar.

I have not read a newspaper for days which is probably not a bad thing even though I'm beginning to feel a bit disconnected. I know that I am starting to turn my thoughts towards the home country. That homesick feeling is kicking in just a bit. I'm so very grateful for plane tickets home for a winter break.

Peace.

Wake-up and smell the coffee

As the munchkins do some reading before bed in the reading corner of our sitting room, I decided to sit down and read a bit on the computer. Wow, I felt like I just smelled my morning coffee!

Have a read about news in the region:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/government/uae-stands-behind-saudi-action-to-protect-yemen-border-1.524419 From the UAE

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_YEMEN_SAUDI?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT from all over via the Associated Press

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/world/middleeast/06yemen.html from the New York Times

As an added interest bit, I found the following lecture summary: http://www.al-bab.com/bys/articles/schofield00.htm

And on a TOTALLY different note:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/world/asia/30clinton.html?_r=1&fta=y Very interesting stuff.

Now, I'm wide awake. Maybe a cup of herbal tea.

Peace.

A line from Yoda (many thanks to George Lucas)

To borrow from Yoda in an old Star Wars movie, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." (At least I think that's the line). So true, so true.

I was recently reading some news, and it got me to thinking.

The things that we say and do have ripple effects. For instance, as a young student, people called me 'nerd' and 'dork' and 'snob'. Ok, fine. I thought to myself, "Self, nerds rule the world. I'm going to get a great education and show them all!" Which I did. And, I've lived a rather exciting life so far! So does that make me a snob? Maybe...

Other kids hear these things growing up and they turn anger inward. They don't love or like themselves. This even happens to adults.

When we make a nasty comment, or say something bad about somebody else (and I'm as guilty as the next person for doing this), it has a ripple effect. So now, let's take a look at Yoda's line.

We tend to fear what we don't understand. Maybe something bad happens in the world so we blame someone we don't really understand. We are angry, and we fear. If people are afraid of something or someone, if they don't understand, then we have mistrust. If the misunderstanding grows, the mistrust grows and we can become full of hate. Right on Yoda, right on.

Things we say may feel like jokes to us, but they can be bitterly painful to others. Words are powerful.

I was helping a friend with some on-line jewelry shopping and came across a bracelet that read, "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace." The line is from a prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (13th century). Here's a link: http://secure.jamesavery.com/jewelry/search/product/B-553L/Instrument-of-Peace-Bangle-Bracelet/

We all need to do our very best to be instruments of peace no matter what our faith is, where our home country is, or who we 'are'.

Peace.

And, as a nod of thanks to George Lucas for my borrowing Yoda's line, here's a link:
http://www.starwars.com/

All dressed up

I really enjoy getting dressed up in fun clothes. Good friends of ours recently gave a Diwali party, and of course we had to have clothes for the event.

My outfit was all silk and I had it custom made for about $11 U.S. plus the cost of the fabric (about $70 U.S. - a bit pricey for here). The husband's outfit we picked up at a local 'hyper market'. My outfit I will probably wear to a cousin's wedding this summer. It is SO VERY comfortable.

I'm happy that it's the weekend. I'm looking forward to some down time with the family. It's been a busy-ish week. Munchkin #1 has had fever and sore throat, my 'helping out' has been busy, and paperwork for my helping out has gone missing. So, monthly meetings that I am a part of, I may have to forgo for a few months while the paperwork is sorted.

So, food, family and time on the beach are in order.

Peace.

A bit of quiet

I was just now reading an on-line newspaper from my chosen home in my home country. You know you've picked a quiet spot to live when the newspaper contains absolutely NOTHING! There was a bit of local sport news, but that's it. A few obituaries, one flat for sale, but that's it! How lovely is that?

I have a bit of quiet today since Munchkin #1 is home sick from school. Poor guy - fever, sore throat, headache. I gave him a bit of Brufen, and he seems happy enough to sit and watch cartoons.

What have I done today? Chatted on-line with a dear cousin back in the home country. He is very busy these days, and we hadn't communicated for months. It was lovely. And, I've done a load of laundry, a load of dishes, and I've been working on finishing a book I borrowed by Philip Jenkins, "The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity." Now, before folks get concerned about the title, the book is actually about how the 'demographics' of Christianity are shifting from the U.S. and North Europe more 'Southward' to borrow from the author. It's been an interesting read. And no worries, nothing about mass conversions or anything. I'm about halfway through it, and I really need to return it next week.

I can certainly notice that the season here is changing. The humidity is down, the dust is down, and the air seems crystal clear. One can now see for a great distance. It certainly makes for beautiful afternoons.

Well, I must go check on the Munchkin and find a cup of tea or coffee or something. I'm feeling a touch sleepy!

Peace.