Grow Your Blog

Welcome to the Grow Your Blog Party hosted by Vicki at 2 Bags Full.

And welcome to my blog about daily life and travel.

My name is Tammy.

I've been married to Sam for 19 years; our oldest son is currently at college in Colorado, Zack is in 10th grade and Jingles will be 10 years old in April.

You can learn more about the story of how I came to Kuwait by reading my guest post over at The Moksi Homes, a new website recently started by blog friend Maureen who lives in Dubai.  (Thanks to all you fabulous folks who already went there and left a comment.  You are awesome!)

It was at the insistence of my cousin, Gwen, that I hit publish on my first blog post on July 22, 2009.  Ironically, she is no longer blogging, and although my posts have been rather sporadic this past year, I do enjoy the interactions and the friends I've made through this little old blog of mine.

Last summer I had the privilege of meeting Val at Yarni Gras who is also a participant in the party, so head over and give her a shout out.  Hi Val!

 And lo and behold, I just rediscovered Beth who was one of only 3 people to leave a comment on one of my very first posts.  She is still blogging at Beyond the Garden Gate and I see that she will be joining the Grow Your Blog party.  It really is a small world after all.

Walking, eating healthy, crocheting, crafting, traveling are an intrinsic part of my life.

I choose to live each day with an attitude of gratitude and find joy in the simple things.

I am grateful for Vicki and her desire to constantly do good and give back.  She works tirelessly for so many wonderful causes.

As a thank you for your visit today, I will be giving away a variety of items collected on our travels, along with a few handmade things (more will be added).  The winner will be chosen from comments left on this post and will be announced on February 15th.

Enjoy the party!

I look forward to meeting and greeting all of you.

Best wishes and blessings, 

Our Latest Jaunt

I love traveling, especially when the plane ride is less than a couple of hours.  Hubby and I took advantage of our recent 3-day weekend by taking a quick trip to Jordan to see some of his family.  

Upon arriving, we checked into our hotel,

had lunch out with a friend ... 

then took our first road trip by car to Mufraq to visit a couple of aunts and an uncle.

I had visited here years ago, but as I looked around this time, I told my husband that I was beginning to think I was related to his aunt by more than just marriage.  She is quite the collector and has her own Aladdin's cave going on.  

Day 2 we took the bus to Irbid to see an aunt and uncle and cousins and lots of kids of cousins.  

The highlight of the day was chasing goats and sheep as their shepherd was taking them up and down the hill a couple of times.

Of course, there was lots of food involved.

Food with family.  Food at the hotel.

And with all the plane, car and bus rides, there was also lots of time for crochet.

It was a great trip filled with epiphanies for me.  Things are expensive in Jordan and salaries are low.  Populations in the areas we visited have doubled due to the Syrian conflict and that brings with it a host of problems.  But no matter the circumstances, everyone has a dream; everyone is just trying to take care of their family.

We arrived home Saturday afternoon and it was back to school yesterday with all the busyness that entails.  Some of you in the US are enjoying your own 3-day weekend in honor of Martin Luther King.

May your day be blessed, 

Looking Out and Up!

You guys are the best!  

Thanks so much for visiting The Moksi Homes and commenting on my guest post.

I really appreciate it!

 Today when we got home from school, I could hear lots of little tapping sounds coming from our bedroom balcony.  Turns out there was a whole slew of little birdies playing, eating and scratching around in the potted plants.  So sweet!

  I was taking pictures like crazy through the sliding glass door and I might have gotten so wrapped up in the moment that I actually burned Zack's lunch.  Oops!  

The clouds really put on a beautiful show tonight as the sun began to set.

 A setting sun still whispers a promise for tomorrow.

(Jeb Dickerson)

 Wishing you all a terrific Tuesday -- or a wonderful Wednesday, whatever the case may be.

Blessings,

Doors of Oman

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

(Flora Whittemore)

 Happiness is something that comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaving open.

(Rose Wilder Lane)

 Close some doors. Not because of pride, incapacity, or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.

(Paulo Coelho)

 Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.

(Joseph Campbell)

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
(Helen Keller)

Doors and quotes ... two of my favorite things.

Wherever we go in the world, I am always taking pictures of doors.

These images are all from our recent trip to Oman.

The stairs above are what led us to the huge wooden door on the right.  We weren't able to venture inside the fort as it is apparently being renovated.
Below is the beautiful view of Muscat port from the top.

Today my guest post appears on The Moksi Homes (rather than Saturday as originally planned).  Now when I look at the pictures, I see that I forgot to remove some items that don't belong or to straighten things up.  Oh well!  Maureen told me just to be myself, write as I would talk and keep it real.  That's really all I know to do.
Wishing you a wonderful week!

Much Better

Wasn't sure how the day would pan out from the looks of the sky this morning but it turned out to be so much better than I expected.

Had an early morning coffee with a friend and did a little shopping.

Walked with hubby in the afternoon.

It's amazing how the sky would be blue in one direction.

Fluffy white clouds up ahead.

 And then dark clouds to the right, which fortunately were just for show.

My friend this morning asked for some dishcloths so that's what I've been working on this evening.

Of course, the best part of the day was knowing that college boy arrived safely to CO.  He and a friend do still have a several hour drive to university tomorrow, but they say they should get there before predicted snow starts again.

Have a great day!

A Week of Woeful Weather.

Weather is certainly the topic of discussion lately.

Winter storms hitting the US; flooding in Australia and the UK.

We started off the week with two days of darkness and almost constant rain.

 Then there was a couple of days of mostly clear skies before the fog settled in.

 Last night we had to take our college boy to the airport for his trip back to Colorado.  As you can see, visibility was poor.  His 2 a.m. flight was delayed until after 4 a.m.  

 Thankfully he is now in Frankfurt waiting for the next leg of his trip.  I hope it goes smoothly and that he doesn't encounter anymore delays.

It's a very gray Friday here.  A good day for staying indoors cozy and warm.  I made zucchini soup for lunch. And my woodland friends socks, a gift last Christmas, are keeping my toes toasty.

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home. (Edith Sitwell)

Best wishes and blessings,

A New Year, A New Venture

Happy New Year!

I hope you all enjoyed wonderful holiday moments with family and friends.

For me it was a busy time with our son home from college.

A friend visiting from Lebanon.

And gorgeous weather that called for lots of walking and outdoor activities.

 

We even managed to take a quick family vacation to Oman, arriving Monday night and returning Friday.  More about that another time.

My blogging has been a bit sporadic of late but, it's a new year, and I am going to do my best to get back on track.  Blogging has truly been such a wonderful experience and I have made so many friends around the world.  One of those being Maureen of Daydream Living.  We met online through blogging several years ago, and when she moved from Switzerland to Dubai, we were able to meet in person, not once, but twice.

Maureen is beginning a new venture and asked me to be a part of it.  You can read more about it on her blog or go to The Moksi Homes and sign up for the newsletter.  I am slated to guest post on January 11th.

Best wishes and blessings,