...In the land of squat...

I thought this TV stand was quite creative and inventive,

Cleverly re-purposed.

My husband calls it stupid.

Yep. That's what he said.

Something about picture perfomance and tilting...whaa wha wha wha

cue Charlie Brown's teachers voice

I found it on House Beautiful's website,

showcasing Newell Turner's re-do of a lovely Catskill farmhouse.

He has a great blog where he chronicles his farmhouse reno he calls Twighlight Field.

Check it out here.

Another Easel re-use... from M-Group designs.

I do like it better in the country house, though...

And here Danny Seo tries his talented hand at it...

I still like it. And while I love My husband and his amazing

technical expertise....sometimes he don't know squat...

when it comes to design.

Harumph.

On to Jordan

After saying our goodbyes to the family we left Lebanon headed to Amman, Jordan. Now I have to admit that normally when planning a trip, even if it is a small adventure in the state of Georgia, I love to plan. I love the process of studying details of the area and the pleasure of discovering new places and experiences. Unfortunately, I never had time to study. I tried ordering a travel guide from Amazon but it was from an independent bookseller who never shipped the book (the very unpleasant vendor eventually refunded my money but I was left without a book). In the end I printed off some brochures from the Jordanian tourism office and packed them to study while traveling.

I had emailed a lovely 2-star hotel that arranged for pickup so we were taken to a wonderful neighborhood, in the embassy district. where we spent 3 nights. The hotel in U.S. dollars was only $80 a night which included a continental breakfast! I still can't believe the affordability of this very nice hotel.Our first day of outings took us to the site where Moses looked out over the Promised Land. It is called Mt. Nebo but you might also recognize the name as Pisgah. From the viewing platform you can look out and see Jericho, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River Valley, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Truly it was an incredible moment for me.

I am still having to pinch myself as I type. I just can't believe that I was really there. The site had a few tourist that day but as my husband and I stood on the viewing platform, we were the only people there. It was so vast and so quiet we were able to "be still and know that I am God."

Pope John Paul II visiting the Holy site in 2000.

Have You Ever Visited a Mosque?

A few years ago I spent two wonderful weeks in Turkey and had the opportunity to visit The Blue Mosque so looking inside the Rafik Hariri Mosque in Beirut was not my first step in a mosque. It was different though. In downtown Beirut a beautiful new mosque has been built in memory of the great Lebanese leader who is credited with the rebuilding of Lebanon after the civil war. He invested millions of his own money to help jump start numerous infrastructure projects and redevelopment of the downtown which had been devastated by decades of war. Sadly two years ago he and his entourage were killed by a car bomb. A beautiful mosque and a memorial has been built in the heart of the downtown.

When women enter a mosque they are asked to cover their heads, much like it used to be in the Catholic church only no hair should be showing. Everyone is asked to remove their shoes. I wanted to see inside the mosque so my husband and I went to visit one night while walking around in the downtown. Unfortunately my photos just don't illustrate the size of the main chandelier. The crystals in the fixtures were made in Spain, all the pieces were shipped to Lebanon, then the fixture was hand-made on site in the mosque. Artist from Morocco were brought in to hand-paint the beautiful Islamic art. Mosques are open to the visiting and touring public accept during prayer times but if you are there for prayer time or services, there are balconies for the women while the men worship and pray on the main level. Men and women do not worship together in a mosque.


There are a few more photos of common sights in Lebanon such as hubbly bubbly, men playing towla (backgammon) and delicious food stands. I hope you enjoy the photos. In my next few posts I will be sharing some of the amazing sights in Jordan.

for you...

A kitchen...

A bath...

a cozy spot...
Just because.

Photos: Architectural digest, Houzz

Where Were You on January 20, 2009?

We will not forget this very historic day as we pray for our new leadership and our new President of the United States. God bless America.

A Day On, Not a Day Off

On Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday it is a tradition for our family to volunteer. By 7:30 I was working on a project at an inner-city school. This event reminded me of a volunteer opportunity I learned about while visiting Lebanon. Ashghalouna (meaning "our work") is the name of the program that helps provide a source of income to the war widows. After WWI a social welfare organization was established to help care for and educate orphans. In the 1930's the organization was named Dar Al Aytam Al Islamiya (meaning "the Islamic Orphanage"). Today the organization has expanded some of its social services, thanks in part to Mrs. Sana Towili (pictured) and services now include a training program as a means to give widows a source of income. Ashghalouna now houses an atelier where on any given day 25 or more women are working and learning needle arts of every sort - embroidery, knitting, crocheting, quilting, applique, etc. In addition there is a kitchen where women prepare traditional sweets, jams, jellies for sale. On Fridays, the women operate a lunch room that serves classic Beiruti dishes to the general public.

I have included a picture of the location where the workshop, restaurant and gift shop are located. The building is across the street from the British Consulate's home. It is actually the former home of the Consulate's driver (okay, I might be in the wrong profession given the size and beauty of the building). Also note in the photo that Sana is wearing a galabiya over her street dress. If you don't have a galabiya, I suggest you get one. These garments are robes made of thick wool and they might be considered similar to a house coat only you can wear them in and out of the house. The are extremely warm but are not confining or restricting in any way. I own two and when "the weather outside is frightful" I pull out the galabiya.

Cozy days....

It is cold...and damp.

I know so many of you are dealing with much colder...much damper.

But I want to light a candle on my nightstand,

and pull the down blanket around me tighter.

Cold hurts in the land of sun.

Our homes aren't built for it,

I can never find my wool slippers...

never have enough warm clothes.

So....I use the down blanket.

...and find a good book,

...and when the sun decides to show it's glowing face....

I'll let it in.

....and maybe tomorrow will be a day of warm breeze,

Doors and windows open...

Pictures: Coastal Living
Warmth is coming, folks....

Promise.