Award!!

Thanks to NeverEver, I now have a 3rd blogging award. Thanks!! I never knew if anyone would read my blog when I first started it. Now, 1 year later I have plenty of followers that motivate me to update more often. The blog doesn't really have a singular theme of Layla anymore, but I can share more about what I am doing, thinking and reading about.

So with that thought I will pass on this award a couple other bloggers who balance a lot of topics on their blogs with ease:

Umm Omar at Just Another Day

and

Organica at Organic Muslimah

Until later everyone!

Tag!

So I was tagged by Skye at Muslimah-in-Aus to tell you guys 5 things about myself.

So without further introduction:

1. I don't have a TV. We have 3 working laptops now though so we're not really isolated.


2. When I was 18 I got a tattoo that says body, soul, and spirit in Hebrew. I wouldn't mind having it removed now, but its not really worth the cost. I kept it covered when I went to Dubai and Egypt because I didn't want people to think I was Israeli.

3. I am obsessed with camels. I just think that they are the coolest animal ever.

4. I was vegan for a year or so when I was 16-17. I love meat, so I'm not sure how I even did it now.

5. I love being outside. I could just sit outside or wander around outside for days. My husband is the total opposite. .He likes being inside unless he has something specific to do and the weather is perfect.

In return I tag Yasemin, Asmaa, NeverEver, Heather, andTiffany Nicole.

Just One More Day...

My mom and brother are leaving Thursday morning. :(

My mom and I at the OR trail interpretive center

This week has been fun, but kind of sad too. Since I've had my brother and mom here for the past week, I kind of forgot that they don't actually live here.

We've had lots of fun and gone a lot of places, so hopefully I've done my part of convincing them to move here eventually. We have to wait for my dad to retire though.

Today we visited 2 museums, and had lunch at Red Robin. Layla loved dipping her fries in the sauces.

Layla and her sauces

Grandma and sleepy Layla

Yesterday we visited Mt. St. Helens. It was a little cloudy though, so we didn't bother driving the additional 30 miles to the closest viewpoint. It would have cost quite a bit to get in, so we just took pictures from the Forest Learning Center.

Tomorrow we are planning to take it pretty easy, but if its sunny we will go back up on Powell Butte to take pictures and maybe drive out closer to Mt. Hood.

Just like me at first, they can't get over the fact that there are real mountains here!

In other news, Blogger has somehow deleted all the blogs I watch from my dashboard. It did this once before, and they came back after I had re-added half of them. I think I'm just going to give it a day or so.

Yesterday's Finds!

As you may know, my mom and brother are in town. We have been busy all around the city, checking out shops, taking walks, and just generally enjoying ourselves. The weather got a really nice too. Its much cooler and overcast, so we won't get overheated while walking.

Yesterday we went to Powell's books, checked out downtown for a bit, then went over to the Hawthorne Dist. I picked up these things:


The Quran translation is Al Quran, A Contemporary Translation by Ahmed Ali.

I looked at it in the store and was pretty impressed. It includes the Arabic text (in very small print), has useful footnotes, and seems to be contemporary without going against traditional interpretation. I was actually looking for the Asad translation, but maybe this was meant to be.
The English is very readable, but seems to be truer to the original.

I picked up the scarf at a place that sold clothes from Tibet and nepal. It is a rougher cotton that seems to stay put and also breathes well.

Just look at how cute Layla is wearing it:


The other book is a children's story in English and Somali. I probably bought it more for myself than for Layla. She seems to get annoyed when I read it to her in Somali.

My mom and brother both really like it here. Now I just need to convince them to move when my dad retires.

Readings and Ramblings

Salaam, Nabad, Shalom, and Peace all,

Update: As of Aug 16 I am almost done with the Torah (Genesis-Deut) and have read 35 of the Psalms as well. I'm waiting to start the Quran until Ramadan.

Our little family was productive today. The hubby and myself are now licensed Oregon drivers with Oregon license plates. It wasn't actually all that bad. We did forget one paper at home to prove our address, so Dave had to drive back while I stayed at the counter with Layla. She was really good, but I didn't bring the camera. So it's out with the old, Minnesota, and in with the new, Oregon. Our tabs had expired in July, so we figured to just get it all done in one shot.

My mom and brother are coming tomorrow! I'm so excited. My mom just saw Layla right before we moved, but after seeing her every day for a year she's going through withdrawls. I don't blame her though. I can't wait to show them around the city. We are also planning to go to Mt. St. Helens during the week. I want them to fall in love with it so they move here when my dad retires.

I have gotten a jump start on the Bible reading part of my Ramadan Challenge. I'm already to Exodus 22. I have some comments and insights from my readings in Genesis, but I may just write a few notes and post them later. As far as the Bible is concerned, the most ancient period of Israelite history excites me the most. Unfortunately, the texts themselves were written long after the events they are purported to describe. I do believe that oral transmission of stories was pretty reliable during that time, but the details are still sketchy. I always find that part of the Bible drawing me in. I'm not so into theology. I like the human interest stories in Genesis, Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel and I and II Kings the best. No matter how you look at the inspiration issue, I think that most of the Old Testament's authors were great storytellers and writers.

Do any of you Muslimas who were People of the Book previously miss reading the Bible, or do you still read it sometimes?

Another Swine Flu Post

The vaccination being created for H1N1 will most likely include an adjuvant called squalene. It is used to increase the immune response from a vaccine, so that a smaller dosage can be used. The problem? This adjuvant has never been approved for use in any vaccine in the U.S. and has only been used in 3 vaccines ever approved for use worldwide!
It was contained in experimental Anthrax vaccines that have been strongly linked to Gulf War Syndrome. Please don't get these vaccines for your children! They greatly increase the risk of developing auto-immune disorders over time.

Please read the whole article here:
Squalene: The Swine Flu Vaccine's Deadly Little Secret Exposed.

Personally, I would refuse this vaccine even if threatened at gunpoint.
Don't give into the fear-mongering. The vaccine itself poses a much greater risk to your health than the virus itself does.

There is also an online petition you can sign to show that you are against any mandatory vaccination attempts.

The Ramadan Challenge

Muslims all over the world will be celebrating the giving of the Quran as well of the unity of the Ummah in just a few weeks. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from food and water during daylight hours. While fasting a person experiences physical deprivation, but can also use this to draw closer to God. I came up with my own challenge for this year's Ramadan.

I will be reading the entire Old Testament (Torah, Prophets, and Writings):

Isaiah from the Dead Sea Sea Scrolls 57:17-59:9, 1Cent BCE

The entire New Testament:

Opening of the Gospel of John, P66, late 1st Cent C.E.

and the entire Quran:

Tashkent Quran, 8th Cent CE (oldest extant copy)

I would love to read them each in their original languages, but for time's and sanity's sake I will be reading them all in English. I have chosen to read the ESV for the Bible, clearing it up with the Hebrew or Greek whenever I have a question. I feel like reading the Bible and the Quran together could confuse me, but might also help me gain insights into the Quran and Bible that I haven't seen before.

I might need some help in choosing a Quran translation though. I have Yusuf Ali's translation, but it is awkward to read. I have never actually finished reading the entire Quran mostly because of that. I have heard that Muhammad Asad's translation is good. Any thoughts?

It is a lot of reading, I'll admit, but I know I can do it. I just need to ignore the other books on my shelves and spend less time online. Is anyone else doing a special challenge for Ramadan?