Summer Lovin'

Well, not really.  There's not much summer lovin' going on when one's husband is living over 8 hours away for the summer.  Life's pretty good, though, aside from missing him.  My son and I are staying with my parents, I'm currently not taking any classes, and I'm using this summer to "get my craft on."  Wow, that was lame, huh? 

But yeah.  After my last post I have my heart set on opening up an etsy shop.  I'd love to eventually be able to offer a lot of Islamic items but right now I'm still working on my son's Ramadan advent calendar and I'm finding that it's more time consuming than I anticipated.  I think it'd probably be more practical to wait for next Ramadan so I can have a few "in stock" and then take custom orders if people are interested.  In addition to that, I'm almost done crocheting a baby blanket and I've been crocheting hanging tea towels (you buy the towels and crochet the top, you know?) for me and my mom and will eventually do some to sell.  I'm ordering a kit to teach myself embroidery (I taught myself crochet so I can handle it, right?) and I'm going to start taking sewing lessons from my friend Janet.

It's amazing how this random little idea has made me just want to know how to do everything.  I highly doubt I'll be good enough at sewing or embroidery to sell my stuff (at least for a long time) but I still want to know how.  I hate looking up craft ideas and then getting to the sewing part and scrapping the idea, which is what prompted me to learn.  Who knows, maybe I'll be a natural???  (or not....)  I'd also like to learn how to cake decorate from my aunt.  She made my wedding cake and it was spectacular.  Post-college I'm finding that high school did not prepare me for "life" or "motherhood," it prepared me for college.  College then prepared me for a specialized field (education).  But no one ever prepared me for life, you know?  My husband taught me how to cook, my mom taught me laundry, and well, the rest I'm just figuring out as I go.  I really think high schools should quit pushing "college bound" courses that I'll never use (calculus) and start giving credit where it's due to the common sense classes like home ec.  I didn't take it because it didn't help pad my academic honors diploma or resume, you know?  But it sure would've helped me to be a better wife and mother...

Anyway, I'm not wearing hijab here at home which makes me feel like I took a big step back.  I did finally have the "Muslim talk" with my brother and while he doesn't agree with me, he's cool with it (although he did laugh at my hijabifed license.  I have managed to pray consistently since being here which is great.  I was worried about that.  My mom "walked in" on me praying one day and got really embarrassed, but I mean, she didn't cry like my dad would.  I've also managed to consistently not go to church with them.  That's still an ongoing concern because my dad lays on the guilt trip every Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon (after church).  Insha'Allah he doesn't wear down my resolve!   I'm really trying to get up the courage to sit down and have a hijab talk with my parents.  Tell 'em, "hey, I'd like to wear the scarf.  What do you think?"  I KNOW what they think won't be especially positive, but I'm hoping that my at least asking their opinion they won't feel AS offended.  Maybe?

My cousin/best friend's wedding is in August and I've got a floor length dress and cardigan.  I've told her of my wish to wear hijab and she supports me 100% and said she'd even explain hijab for me at the reception if people had the nerve to comment about it.  Have I mentioned my love for her lately?  She is seriously the best.

Being home makes my grandmothers' illness (both are suffering from dementia/Alzheimers) that much more apparent.  I had only been gone for less than 5 months (with frequent trips home!) but being here for weeks straight has really brought home how much this is affecting my parent's daily life.  I don't have enough money to donate to every cause, and already sponsor a child...I would hate to pull out on the child, but I really feel Alzheimer's research NEEDS my money.  If not for my grandmothers, then for my own mother.  She's convinced a cure won't come in time for her, but she's donating in hopes of saving me and my sister.  It's terribly frightening and unbearably sad to see how much someone can change from this vicious disease.  I've got to find some money somewhere to fight it...I've cried enough over my grandmothers, I can't imagine watching my mother go through something similar.  :(

And that is what is going on in my life.  Our home down south is waiting for us to return in August.  I'm here in the midwest, and my husband's working for a big corporation up north.  He LOVES his internship and a permanent position looks very promising.  We may be packing up and moving from Kentucky to Minnesota as early as next summer, insha'Allah, after my husband finishes his master's.  My parents hate the idea...but all of the easy access to masjids and halal food has me sold.... not to mention my husband's dream job.  :)