A Full Day

Is it wrong to have rice pudding for breakfast? Mona made more for us so I sprinkled it with cinnamon and nutmeg and had a cup of coffee. Yum!

We headed out bright and early to one of the largest furniture stores in Kuwait.  I've been looking to update the kids bedroom for some time and finally found what I was looking for and it was on sale.

Since Wasabi is practically across the street, we scooted over there for lunch.

And when we got back home, hubby whipped up fresh mango juice.  We received 2 boxes of coconuts and 4 boxes of mangoes from our friends in Sri Lanka.  More than enough to share and keep.   My oldest son loves coconut water and the younger one loves mangoes.

The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning, sorting and organizing in the kids bedroom. I have much to do before their furniture arrives on Tuesday.  I did, however, manage to get in a bit of crocheting this evening.  Even if it is only one small project, I feel like I did something creative and that's a good thing.

Now it is time to think about hitting the hay!

Hard to believe tomorrow is the last day of the month. December has flown by!  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

This Week

I can't believe we are already one week in to our winter break.    Most every day has been spent out and about with my girlfriend, Mona, who is visiting from Lebanon.

We have gone antiquing.  

Enjoyed beautiful weather.

Met with friends (Susana is taking the picture).

Given and received gifts.

Shopped for yarn and craft supplies. 

It's been a fun and busy week that has gone by way too fast!  Hope you are having a great week, too.

Brunch on a Beautiful Day

I met friends at Le Pain Quotidien this morning for brunch.

We've been blessed with beautiful weather this past week.

It was nice to be outside in the fresh air,
walking and talking.















"A Friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of Nature."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) US poet & essayist.

Tea on Tuesday: Sharing is Caring

Mona knows how much I love her rice pudding so, after breakfast yesterday, she sent me home with two small containers of it.  I enjoyed a small bowl along with a cup of Tetley Earl Grey tea and then my kids polished off the rest.

Mona is a very creative person.  She paints and sews, knits and crochets, does embroidery and cross-stitch.  This crocheted table cover was my Christmas gift.

For her, I whipped up three doilies to match the colors in her living room.

We are enjoying our days together but they are whizzing by so fast.

When just being together is more important than what you do, you are with a friend.


I'm joining Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons for tea today.  Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday.

Keshek for Breakfast

Mona invited me and Melissa for breakfast at her place this morning.
Along with cucumber, tomato and olives, a variety of cheeses, labaneh and zaatar, Mona made keshek.

Keshek is a very traditional food made every year by Lebanese villagers with bulgur and milk (either cow’s or goat’s) at the end of summer as part of winter’s provisions. 

Coarse bulgur is rubbed with milk and left to ferment a few days; it is then placed on the rooftop (traditional homes are built with a flat rooftop) and left to dry under the sun for several days; then taken to the village mill and ground fine into a powder; the powdered keshk is once again dried in the sun for several day in order to dry thoroughly.'




It is cooked up like a thick soup and eaten with bread. Very yummy and filling!

We've had very mild weather lately which makes it nice to get out and about.

Wishing you all a great new week!

Have a Merry Day!

Dee Dee at Dee Dee's Craft Spot introduced me by email to Jesse the Jack Russell Terrier. This little dog can do it all from everyday chores to aerobics.


 I sure could have used Jesse to help with holiday decorating around here.

Merry Christmas everyone!

On Our First Day of Winter Break ...

I ate too much homemade toffee. A gift from a friend, along with a handmade tag.
We downloaded a free iPad app for Jingles called Cat Fishing. They say that "the colors, movement and game-play have been researched and tested for maximum feline fun." But Jingles was not interested at all. She would much rather watch what is going on outside.
We went to lunch at PF Chang's.
 
Then to the plant souk. I spent a couple of hours cleaning up our two balconies and repotting plants.
 
And I finally got around to making Christmas Ring Wreath Ornaments using the pattern on Doni's blog Whiskers & Wool.  They work up really quick!

One of my very good friends is coming in tonight from Lebanon with her two boys. Can't wait to see them tomorrow.

I hope your holiday weekend is filled with all things merry and bright!

It's Official!

Winter Break has begun!
 
Happy holidays to one and all!

Sweet Treats and Sounds

My girlfriend, Leslie, and her 8-year old daughter, Renee, gave us individually wrapped cookies the other day. Our family in gingerbread.
 
 Sam and me.

Yusef and Zack.
 
So sweet!

Days have been crazy busy of late. Last night Zack played sax in a holiday concert at school. It was hard to get a good picture.

We have two more days of school and then our 2-week winter break will begin. I can't wait!

Have a great week!

No Schedule Required

I love days without schedules. Our Friday started off with blue skies and a slight spattering of clouds.
Increased cloud cover as the day progressed, a chance of rain predicted, but nothing so far.

A perfect pajama day with stockings to crochet.
 
Icicles to make.
 

New patterns to try found at Whiskers & Wool. A Six Point Snowflake.                        And Lacy Snowflake Rings. 

If you have 2-inch rings and are looking to make Christmas ornaments or gift toppers, Doni shares 12 free patterns in a series she calls Ringing in Christmas.  Today I will be making her Christmas Ring Wreath Ornament.

I hope your weekend is productive in a relaxing sort of way.  Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

A White Christmas Lunch

After school today, I went to my friend Shereen's for lunch.

It was obvious right away that she decided to make this a white Christmas.

Lunch was a potato and feta patty along with a warm orzo salad with tomatoes, olive, pine nuts and parsley and a balsamic/olive oil dressing. Yum!

Green tea, shortbread cookies and stollen for dessert.

Early Christmas presents.

And a beautiful sunset to end the day.

Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday too!