It took a few days, but i have my alter ego back. ...

*nails done

*new shoes

*accent back

*drivers license renewed (mickey mouse eye test and all)

Things here have been really good--lots of family time, everyone getting along, and we took some great pics tonight.  My niece gradumacated saturday and didn't manage to trip in her heels or anything.  We had an open house/lunch for like 100 people here at the house--which was a bit of a circus but covered both Melissa (my niece) and Michael (her b/f)'s friends and family. 

 

Today we did the Atlanta aquarium---which for those of you who don't know--is the largest in the world...it was really incredible.  So, there it is, i am alive--happy, and full of yummy food!!

Please read white as mar and green as anna

 

Anna's glaring at me, not glaring, confused... She doesn't want blog, I dont' want to be yellow.

 

so yeah. she leaves tonight and i go on thursday off to Atlanta, land of southern fried chicken, the aquarium, Braves, mexican food (there's mexican food in atlanta??) and our neices' graduation.  (she got old, why'd she get old---WE are NOT old.)  Mama emailed today saying they want to see pictures of life here--it strange how unsafe and foreign this place seems to them, when to me it could be anywhere--perceptions of israel are quite warped--

so i--and i think anna--am looking forward to spending some time with them and erasing the weird funny notions that have creeped into their heads. Yeeees---but not looking forward to the dogs, stupid fat, midget dog/poodle/drop kick things. 

 

off we go now, to retrieve family photos---if you are stateside, see you soon--MUCH LOVE and totally excited.

I thought i might take a minute to post some links to articles which have been written about the current state of affairs in iran.  a few of these are clearly focused on the Baha'i community, others are political commentaries i find interesting, which happen to mention the Baha'is in particular. 

 

Disclaimer: As always--i have no political position on this. My concern and interest in the situation pertains directly to the right of religious freedom and concern for the fates of my co-religionists in Iran and around world.

 

This first one is, in the words of my friend Ryan, a scathing--and brilliant--editorial that appeared today in the Philadelphia Daily News:

 

This one is the International Federation for Human Rights:

 

From the Anti-Defamation League:

 

For those of you who read french or know how to use a translator:

 

Baha'i Blog (see the link off to the left) is a great source of up to date information on the topic of the Baha'i situation in Iran...as well as information about the developing situation in Egypt, starting to look equally as ugly.

 

 

I don't know when it was that i got so bloody overprotective of my mama.

 

Certainly, it had nothing in the world to do with her, herself.  She is certainly the strongest woman i have ever met, a single mother for a while, then the mother of two small children when she was already in her 40s, now the mother of three headstrong women--bound and determined to drive her crazy.  My mama embodies the idea of self-sacrifice, love, and loyalty.  If it weren't for the strength her convictions and belief in me, from the day i was conceived until now, i would certainly not be here--let alone someone worth knowing.

 

It has been my mama (undoubtedly with the full support of my father--i think they secretly tagteam me) who turned things around at key moments--the one who told me it was okay to drop out of university, the one who fought alongside me to get Maxwell to accept me so i could leave home at 13, the one who helped me put the pieces back together again when i was too broken to know where to start. 

 

In the last 6 years i have been blessed with knowing my parents as adults, individuals, and friends.  Every day i am so grateful to God that their path has brought them here, to a point where they can serve the Faith, enjoy their retirement and stalk cats and birds with the relish that i only know my parents to have.  I am so grateful that she has someone as wonderful as my father in her life.

 

So there it is, my mother's day tribute, complete with recent pictures :)

SheshBesh (no idea how to spell that right) is the word for Backgammon here.  Among your average backgammon players, i am a hustler--roll fabulous numbers, generally win, and occasionally beat old persian men.  Last night Nabil Ramirez, me and a group of our friends (the notorius Mr. Lash included) were out at this dive and met the owner, a guy named Zohal.  Truth be told we met him a couple days ago--but last night he got Nabz and i to play him. NEVER, even in Mace's best dreams, have i gotten my ass kicked so fast or furiously---Zohal moves before i can even start to figure out where he might go, all the while spouting a stream of statistical numbers and probablilies, interchanged with extreme smack talking when its Nabz' turn.  Finally, i can't move b/c he's locked the board up and he goes "cubes to the coach please". GRRRR! Absolutely infuriated!! There, in one fell swoop, went my well-cultivated sheshbesh ego.  And damned if that random hole in the wall, where i learned more about the game in half an hour than in the last 25 years, isn't where i am hanging out in my spare time now. 

The newest add to the itinerary. I am so undescribably excited. I have wanted to see Cirque du Soleil for years and the opportunity has finally come up while i am in the states....which is in 18 days....and just over 3 weeks until the show--Yes, i am counting.