Ranch Life I - With Photos!

The only thing that could have improved our time with my beloved Sis was MORE TIME. We arrived just as they finished their evening walk, and the reunion was joyous with over ten dogs and our kids. Cool big cousin Josh was ready to give quad bike rides, and had big plans for our boys for frogging, fishing, and shooting. Cool cousin Rose connected with Lil Kinz over toenail polish, french braids and riding horses. Sis and I just didn’t stop talking, and the two brother’s-in-law started a talk about Myers Briggs temperament analysis that didn’t end all weekend (they threw in some Business Week and Economist offerings as well). It’s too funny both Sis and I both married INTJs**UPDATE BELOW***. Sis and her hubby were also both in the middle of reading “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus”, so we had some good laughs over that.

These two are views from the porch facing the Trinity National Forest. Way beautiful. This porch is a place I could get used to: hot tub, pool, BBQ, horse, cows and sheep sauntering by. Another heavenly place to live-blog from. Very interesting, the ranch life. Neighbors are interdependent and there for one another. My Sis trades meat from her ranch with her eccentric, 100% self-sufficient neighbor who grows all his own vegetables and chickens too. She then returns the veg peelings for chicken feed. No one trades with the marijuana grower, tho. Just case you were wondering.

The second photo you can see clouds just over the last mountain, they were a result of the fire near Lake Shasta. At night (from the hot-tub, yum!) we could see the orange flames. The very first ridge was where they had a fire the week before we came, a little close to home.

Spikekid wanted me to post a pic of that gorgeous gas-guzzlin’ Suburban we drove. It’s a 2009, so I wouldn’t doubt that the royal retinue of chauffeurs will soon have black versions running folks off the road in Amman. The Kounouz kept saying they wanted to bring it back to Jordan. Right, guys.

Next is one of those crazy peacocks my Sis keeps around for a rooster substitute. They are noisy birds, reminding us of their existence every morn at 5 with an exotic take on crowing. Lil Kinz couldn’t find any feathers to bring ButterBean, and they seemed to know Sis was ready to pluck their bottoms for my girl, so they steered clear. Or maybe it was because Josh was back trying to run them over with the quad bike.

I could’ve taken a million interesting sheep shots, they are crazy critters. Huge, too, compared to the sheep my Scotland brother raised and the sheep cruisin the streets of Amman (my brother reminds me that everything in America is bigger). Josh is still showing sheep around the country even tho a busy college/frat man now. Did I mention that some of the sheep raised here are sent to San Francisco for Eid and Ramadan use?

Well, that’s it for today, off to the beach!!! Hope it will brighten the day of those bored with blogging, or at least provide some diversion. Hey, I met a Lebanese gal at a restaurant this week, had fun speaking Arabic. She didn’t know about blogging, so I’m going to send her some links (like to you, Summer!)

***Hubby would be a bit miffed if I didn’t correct this error. When I met Skeeter, he was a solid “S”, as in ISTJ. He has now done the impossible of moving a core attribute in another direction, and tests out as an “N”. I must say, I am sure 16 years of marriage to a flaming “N” helped make that happen, mish? Not that I ever INTENDED to try and change the man, ma basiir.…married people, all wink and nudge now. :D***

American Church Trends - the House Church

After watching “Jesus Camp” (sorry Bam, this is not a continuation) I was looking forward to attending church in the US and see what trends have emerged since my last visit home.

One trend we saw two years ago was that of church ‘drop-outs’, those who have become disenchanted with traditional forms of worship and huge impersonal services. They don’t have anything against God or Christianity, but have felt the largeness of it all is more a form of consumeristic faith and not what Jesus intended for His followers. Some get their bible teaching from TV or podcasts, their worship from Christian music stations. I don’t agree with this form at all, as it keeps believers from the ‘iron-sharpening-iron’ woof and warp of relational interaction. How can Jesus love be displayed by loving one another when we never interact with other faith-followers?

The family we are staying with is following another path. I met them two decades ago at church when we were all single, now they have six kids between 6 months and 18 years. They left the church we both attended several years ago, wanting more in depth teaching, feeling it wasn’t conservative enough and not sure they wanted their kids influenced by some of the behaviours of other kids. More importantly, they wanted to develop deeper relationships with believers beyond the shallow Sunday greet-n-leave. They also began to home-school, and found a strong circle of like-minded Christians who share their values and priorities.

Today we went to ‘church’ with their family. The meet with five other home-schooling families (who have at least six kids) in alternating homes every week. We sang and worshiped, we prayed, and we read and discussed the Gospel of John chapter 20. These people know one another; they know what the issues and weaknesses and strengths are, and don’t use the knowledge as a weapon to manipulate with. It was orderly, the younger kids played quietly and the older kids participated in the half hour discussion. Afterward, we shared communion and a meal, and the kids swam and played volleyball. I neglected to mention it was held in a 5,000 sg ft. home on an acre of land (in Los Angeles County, mind you). History Buff, with his usual directness, asked our hostess: “So who gave you this house?”.

Most of the men are successfully self-employed and are strong family men. Everyone there asked us very pertainant and questions about the Middle East, Jordan and Iraq, it was a refreshing change from some things people ask. Their kids were polite and connected, but still very much kids. Most are at least one grade level beyond their age. The high schoolers already focusing on the direction of their careers, with a firm grasp of their strengths. Very articulate, socially mature and interacting with younger siblings with affection rather than annoyance.

It was a beautiful experience, a trend I can get behind. My kids were hooked on the concept of lunch and swimming after teaching time.

For Sunday evening worship, we went to the mega-church I attended mid-week. In spite of the span of two decades and thousands of people streaming in, I ran into three people I knew. It too, was a beautiful experience.

I’m glad there is room in the body of Christ for many manifestations of what it looks like to follow Jesus. I enjoyed both today.

Just TOO Much Fun & Aunt Jane’s Poetry

We are having an AMAZING time out here in California, in spite of forest fires. Sis’s ranch adventure has sent about 100 posts and pics flying through my head. Tahoe has already been too too too fun, we are on our way to the beach AGAIN.

I leave you with a poem Aunt Jane left as a comment; as Mommabean said, WHAT TALENT:

Twas the night of the departures
and all through the house
hardly a creature was stirring
not even a mouse
I in my jammies
and pop in his too
wandered round the house
wondering whatever shall we do?
No cousins to play with
No parties to plan

Ants are a crawling
and dog hair is a falling
The garden is full of weeds
The house has many needs
But it is much more fun
to sit in the sun
So I think I’ll get out the book
And take another look
A day or two at the beach
May soon be in our reach.

Ciao!

Shingles & WILDfires

Yikes, bad news from the Jones Fam front. Reunion is OFF due to shingles! My bro was ready to leave Scotland today for his sons’ first EVER trip to America, and the boys come down with shingles and CANNOT fly. I am SO disappointed. WWAAAAAAAAA.

Santa Barbara bro has wildfires in the canyon behind his home, and they are awaiting evacuation orders. Sis, in Northern California, has  wildfires not far from her ranch. And they think I live in a dangerous place.

**UPDATE: Bro & Fam have evacuated their home and are staying with a cousin of ours. For those who pray, would you join me? Thanks

Indianapolis Musings

I just love road trips, even with four kids in the car. Especially my kounouz, they are just so full of their own funny outside-in observations of American life. We played the license plate game, but there are a LOT of Stay-cationers out there: we only saw the typical surrounding states in the hundreds of miles we traveled. But since they get excited about squirrels, hawks, cows and of course, cars, it is never a dull moment. 

I mentioned before we are just not seeing too many exotic cars in the Heartland, either. Driving through Valparaiso, Project Boy let out a hoot: “LAMBORGHINI ON THE LEFT!!! LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO”. Spikekid jerked up out of his PSP trance in unbelief “NO WAY!”, then joined in to annouce ”Ferrari behind it!!”. They smashed their faces to the window until those two cars zipped from sight. Wonders never cease, Italian sports cars in Valpo.

Fav personalized plates: MRS BUS, LSNZPL8, and CRZMOM

Fav custom plates: (1) “In God We Trust”. Makes me glad it isn’t illegal to say that in public yet. (2) the Indiana State background of a dandelion on a navy blue background looks just like the Adiga flag.

The road we took must’ve been a northern version of the Bible Belt. I lost count of how many churches, but one name stuck out “Bourbon Bible Church”. Too weird.

We discovered Indiana is home to Garfield and Buddy Holly, and Billy Sunday, a famous preacher.

We also discovered Mapquest is SO yesterday. Friends with a brand new Hyundai Veracruz said “Take our car to Indy”, so we relished the shu kewl extras like TALKING GPS, virtual keys and self-closing trunk.

My new favorite saying: “My soul has had enough chicken soup. GIVE ME CHOCOLATE”.

Why Indy? How weird: five families from hubby’s old church in New Orleans moved to Indy. Every time we come home, we gather for chicory coffee and beignets and reminisce about life twenty-five years ago (yea, you weren’t born yet. But, believe it or not, you’ll be in your mid40s someday too). Additional Indy-bene: blogger Emily, who visited Amman last Summer! Although she didn’t end up marrying Mr. Haddad, she and her mom still love Jordan and she joined us for the gathering. She beautifies any event, that girl. I am trying to get her to apply to teach at the American Community School. (Heh-heh, but I am seeing if perhaps one of my bro-in-laws brothers might make a suitable match, as well. I’d like to have this girl in the fam)

Another fun thing I did in the car: EDITING. No way, you say, especially MommaBean :D.  But I am doing this as a favor for a friend, (not Time Magazine)and have had my stuff slashed and burned often enough that I’ve actually got an eye for unnecessary adjectives. In someone ELSE’S writing, anyway. The blog will suffer through my stream-of-consciousness style. It is a fun exercise.

It’s great to be home. Calm before the 4th of Joooooly storm tomorrow. I’ve been reading the Declaration of Independence for fun these days.

On The Road Again & Abe Lincoln

I just can’t wait to be on the road again! Ya Wayly, ya Waylon!

Except for the packing part. And the trying to keep kids busy. We’re off to Indy, and hope to see blogger Emily! The last time was at Reem Al Bawadi with MommaBean and El 3atal when she was in Amman.

We’ll return to the flurry of family 4th of July activities, then get ready for CALIFORNIA Here I/We Come!!! We are hoping for a West Coast Jordan Blogs Meet-up! Meetcha in Newport!

Quick note that three of our fams caravan-ed over to Springfield yesterday for a six hour intensive, amazing history lesson about the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. WOW. This is what every ex-pat American kid (and mom) needs to appreciate the homeland after living as a pariah. I have some bloggable thoughts, but right now I need to concentrate on counting underwear and making sure bathing suits are packed. 

And counting calories. Man, the scale gave me some VERY bad news, it was confirmed by my capris. God even gave me a major hint in that ALL the magazines at our friend’s tree-top forest home were: issues of HEALTH. All my bad habits there in black and white. Gotta lay off the yummies and start exercising.  Desertmom, Daisy & Rebecca, I hope you are fairing better than I. I hope you do NOT discover deep-fried cheesecake at Longhorn. DO not, I repeat, DO NOT indulge, it is a sin, inspiring the very epitome of gluttony.

I heard the Living Well people are going to publish a ‘Health’ type magazine. I thought “What? How can they find enough stuff to print? Who is going to buy that in Jordan?”. Now I know.

So, to the five readers I still have left, I’ll be gone for a bit but checking in.   

 

Thunder And Lightening, Oh Yea!

We woke up last night at 1am to the sight and sound of the closest thunder-n-lightening I have ever experienced. It lit up the whole bedroom and flashed simultaneously with a house-shaking boom. Whew, adrenaline rush rare shickle. In the next moment, sheets of rain came down like rivers from heaven. (This title comes from an 80s disco song that popped into my head). It was like a heavy-bass lullaby, with the cymbal-like crash of thunder punctuating the beat.

I can’t get over the amount of rain here. This storm will send another surge of sand-bagging volunteers west to the Mississippi. The rain here is delaying crop growth, so all the farming types (as well as many other folk) are heading over to help save other farmer’s crops. My farmer bro-in-law Greg says it is it a very bad thing for world-wide food prices in light of so much more corn used for ethanol, and Australia’s drought. So much for snacking on bushaar this winter. So much for feeding the truly impoverished, who will again pay the price for our petroleum-propelled world economy.

Lil Kinz and I breakfasted in the screened-in porch, listening to the pouring rain on a million leaves, and the sounds of many types of birds sigin’ in the rain. There is a stray peacock flying around the area we are in the look out for: the kounouz know the screech of a peacock thanks to the bunch that live in my sister’s ranch in California. Lil Kinz is looking forward to hunting peacock feathers. If there arent’ enough lying around, my sis will pull some prematurely from their behinds. Don’t tell.

In that magical, wet, jungle woodland, I continued to work through my study on the life of King David, being warned by his failures as a leader and a father; being encouraged by his confidence in God’s mercy to keep coming back when he blew it. But, although forgiven, the damage was done and consequences in motion that would span generations. His life reached it’s pinnacle, and it is sad and hard to stay in the story as the downward spiral continues. Lord God, help me to finish well, chill my heart when I stray off Your path, pull me back from seemingly small choices that could have disastrous consequences. Help me to hear Your voice in the whisper of the wind, as well as the crash of thunder.

 

 

  

I’m Luvin’ The Simple Life

Some may say living with another family of six is anything but simple, but Aunt Jane and all occupants of this home are still enjoying the ‘commune’ experience a month on! I was talking to Aunt Jessica, my California brother’s wife, and I can hear her shake her head over the phone wondering how we pull it off. California is SUCH a different world. But in the country, life is just simpler.

Dinner time can get wild, tonight was especially so since I seriously miscalculated how many boxes of spaghetti noodles to cook. Did I tell you we have FIVE teenagers in the house? Masha’allah can they eat. Aunt Jane and the girls had been at a wedding shower, then a friend of hers came over to chat (conveniently interrupting my attempt to scrub down the bathroom), so I got supper going: left-overs + spaghetti and salad. All eight kids sit at the big table, and it gets a LEEEETLE ker-azy. Thankfully, Big Kounouz Kuzins don’t let Lil Kinz and Project Boy get away with anything, and are very good at getting them to finish. Us adults retreat to the living room to dine in peace. Aaaahhhh.

Laundry can be an issue. Those machines are working daily, and we got over being embarrassed over handling one anothers loads long ago. I know to hang up Uncle Luke’s shirts to keep them from needing a serious ironing job, the girls throw me kounouz socks that get stuck to their stuff. After cleaning up breakfast, we ladies gather round the kitchen table and fold. And fold. And fold; ad infinitum. But even here, I am continually either collecting the dirty stuff, folding the clean stuff, or putting away the folded stuff.

I have about ten mental posts about the amazing phenomenon of American Ingenuity. There is just way too much creative energy flowing here, things are always being improved upon or new ideas created from thin air. With gas prices skimming $4.05, people are out and about walking more, much more visible and less enclosed in cars. Moms take kids for rides on bikes to the grocery store (Mr. Finance Uncle Luke has always ridden his bike to work) and pull carts full of groceries. Families are taking “Staycations” enjoying the sites closer to home that can be seen in a day: cool places that have been overlooked on the way to destination resorts. Kids are out on the lawns rediscovering water guns and sprinklers. On our street, there several moms who haul their laptops out and work while they watch the kids play.

Several people have asked if we are affected by the flooding, and I am glad to say we aren’t. But because we aren’t, the folks here were spending weekends and taking time off work to go sandbag in farm areas that were affected.  Churches empty into vans on Sundays instead of heading home for roast and a nap. I am amazed by the community spirit of small towns like this one. Recently a man who is quadraplegic from Uncle Luke and Aunt Jane’s church needed a new van and some serious home repairs. The parish organized an event to honor him, and Aunt Jane and the girls spent a whole morning baking huge cookies and brownies frosted like his fav baseball team logo to sell at the bake sale. I think the event netted $40,000 from selling one cookie at a time, no big one-time donors.   

The local Dairy Queen had a special Father’s Day offer of a small sundae for all fathers. How cool and small-townish is that? Of course all the dads brought their whole families so business was brisk, and we saw four families we know. You don’t go anywhere without seeing someone you know, and stopping and chatting. Really talking too, not just the ‘fine’ business.   I swear these folks must have Arab roots somewhere…or this is how an agrarian society operated.

CORN. One of my favorite things to do is watch the corn grow. It has been such a cold wet spring that the corn was NOT knee-high when we arrived. Toe-high, maybe, seriously growth-retarded. I despaired of eating corn fresh off the field (like, picked two hours ago), but it is catching up now. We were hoping Spikekid could earn some money de-tasseling corn this summer, but travels to California interrupted the idea. BUT, now with a later harvest, it just may work.

De-tasseling corn: something I should have added to the: What Every Person Should Do Before They Turn 18 post. Very good for character :D.

     

The Twilight Saga, II: Through Christian Eyes

I had sort-of planned not to read the series, as I didn’t really need to get caught up in yet another ‘world’. Mentally Juggling Middle Eastern and Mid-Western mindsets is causing me quite enough confusion, thank you. When I read a story, I am sort-of ‘there’, it becomes my here and now. I remember reading ‘Jurassic Park’ and actually thinking “I wonder if raptors could bite through the window bars?”. So I am careful what I fill my vivid imagination with, especially when it comes to things of an evil-ish nature. I simply cannot watch horror flicks. I figure I’ve done my part fighting real-life demons and evil spirits, I don’t need to enter that world for entertainment. Shiver.

But then Mona came running in the front door, screaming, squealing; bounding up the stairs with very important news for Miriam and Majda. “IT’S HERE!!! IT’S HERE!!! THEY PUT IT OUT BY MISTAKE THREE DAYS EARLY!!!! Three different soprano voices reached high squealing octaves and the floor shook with six feet jumping up and down with joy. Four then tore down the stairs, grabbed flip-flops and raced out the door.

What was ‘it’? Where was ‘it’? As breathless as Bella often finds herself, Mona explained that ‘It’ was the special edition of “Twilight”, which in addition to having extra chapters, had the teaser first chapter of the 4th book, “Breaking Dawn” which is due for release August 2nd. ‘Where’ was the book aisle of the local grocery store, which is located in such a small town that the mas3uuliyeen had no idea this book was not to be released until a certain date so as to extend teenage female anticipation and hence, book sales.

The girls returned slowly, sighing. Of course the publisher is not going to give any hints as to whether the girls cheering for “Team Edward” should shift to “Team Jacob”. We are a “Team Jacob” home. Their excitement drew me in, and I finished the three books within a week of starting them. Burned some midnight oil to do so, which can make me a crabby mommy, but read mostly in buses, airports and planes. I wanted to find out if there were redemptive themes, what my nieces and I could learn about God and human nature through this series.

Did I love the books? YES! Do I recommend them as positive reading material for tweens and teens? Weeeellll….I have reservations and some cheering. I’ll start with reservations and cheer in another post.

My reservations are not because it’s about vampires and werewolves. I could deal with the Harry Potter series because it wasn’t truly witchcraft, therefore I was not going to raise up the garlic and silver cross over Twilight. That said, I find it a little strange that there is so much fascination with vampires and ‘witchcraft’ on network TV, to the exclusion of boring unsupernatural reality. I imagine the success of the saga will spawn poorly-done spinoffs, adding to the wasteland that is teenage-focused programming. How sad most won’t look at the vibrant and miracle-filled supernatural life as a God-follower. This fascination seems a shallow alternative.

My main reservation is the allusion that for Bella to become a vampire and love Edward as an equal, it seems she will have to give up her soul to do so. Doesn’t anyone see anything wrong with this picture? It’s just a BIT different than Romeo and Juliet, and Wuthering Heights.

There is very little discussion of what that will cost Bella eternally, what becoming ’soul-less’ truly means. Yes, Edward is every teen-girl’s dream, and exemplifies self-control in an AMAZING manner, but in spite of being a ‘vegetarian vampire’ he still fights desiring to suck her blood as much as sucking her face. Even then, he has to back-off after a passionate kiss to keep himself from tearing her to bits. This hardly seems sacrificial love.

Christ calls men to love their wives as themselves, to give themselves up for her. Edward actually demonstrates this best by leaving her, which allowed the triangle with Jacob to emerge. I found it interesting that all the other vampires in the fam who want Bella to join them became vampires before they had a choice to choose. The one who knew her pre-vamp life discourages Bella. It seems their love for her is a bit selfish, as they do love her in their own way, but it seems interwoven with their desire to see Edward with a mate in spite of the cost to Bella.

In chosing eternity with Edward, is she choosing a God-less eternity? Encouraging young readers to operate with that kind of carelessness ‘for love’ seems irresponsible of an author who is a mother and is raising her children to follow the Mormon-version of ‘God’s plan for living’. BUT, perhaps the author has a plan emerging in book four so I will refrain from final personal judgement.

Bella, in her usual darling, impulsive and self-destructive manner, seems strangely in denial of what it will mean to feed on blood alone and fight an ever-present desire for blood-lust, especially in her early vampire years. Will the images of the newbie vamps she saw in the last book finally show her what she will become, ‘for love’? Where is her horror that her greatest instincts for her own mother and father will not be love, but be for their bloody deaths? That only Carlisle’s (and maybe Tanya’s) covens overcome the need for human blood, and really only Carlisle and Edward don’t desire hers?

Most teens are not thinking of parenthood, but vaguely count on it being a part of their unseen future. Bella hasn’t even thought about the fact that vampires don’t reproduce or experience the whole circle of life joy that parenting and aging brings. Vampires don’t breed life, but death; even if they are very beautiful, very cool and very strong.

Strong reservations. BUT, there is some good stuff and the fat lady has yet to sing. Just the title ‘Breaking Dawn’ sounds like a fairly positive ending. Or is that just my optimistic nature?

Debt-Free, Finally

Today, we paid off our home. We are 100% debt-free, and it feels good. That is one reason I am such a bargain-hunter, cheap-skate garage-sale fanatic: khalliina inshid shwai, and we can be free of payments and paying the bank for the privilege of using their money. 

How sweet it is.