tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27959722567501216592024-03-13T12:52:25.932-04:00Old Muslim Woman in the ShoeChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.comBlogger1015125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-89085060858677684172021-01-11T10:33:00.003-05:002021-01-11T10:37:57.414-05:00<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Asalaamu Alaikum</b></span></p><p>Wow! Its almost 3 years since I posted! Back then I had just joined IG and was writing my second book and there was not even a whisper of a plague,😷 subhanallah. My second book Tales from the Junk Drawer & More has been out since 2019 and debuted at SMArt Fair (Sarnia Muslim Art Fair) in October. I also traveled back to Malaysia in March 2019 alhumdullilah which seems like a dream and who knows when we will ever return or travel anywhere again. What have I been writing in the meantime? To be honest, not much. My writing friend called me recently and asked me and I said only two poems; COVID19 really shut me down with kids at home all the time and so much sad news. She said she had also only written two poems but one of them was put in a book. Alhumdullilah. I shared one of my poems called Inhale on IG, please do check it out. My two books are still for sale on my Etsy shop and locally at The Exmouth Pharmacy on Exmouth Street in Sarnia. Here's to hoping this year will be better in every way now that people are starting to be vaccinated. In the meantime stay home and hug your loved ones. Maybe this year I will start writing again, Allahu alim. May Allah lift this plague. Amin. <br /></p>Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-23938636323031455762018-03-19T08:51:00.001-04:002018-03-19T08:52:25.246-04:00I'm on Instagram!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>So, I've been missing in action for quite some time. What have I been up to? Well I told you about my new blog and about my Etsy shop, well now I'm on Instagram! I keep following my daughter Handmade Beginnings around on social media. She knows all the new cool things to sign up for. My name on Instagram is just like my name on my Etsy shop ChristineDupuisBooks. On Instagram I used link tree to add all my links. Its a good tool to use. I'm learning so much about how to use Instagram which is different from Facebook in many ways. I've put a highlight on my page which has book reviews. If you've read my book and have a review, send it to me here or share it on my Instagram and I will add it to the highlight. </b></div>
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<b>Right now I'm still working on my second book, an anthology again with my writing club. I have more stories this time and not only about myself. I've also joined a Muslim writing group on Facebook with Naima Roberts. So many Muslim writers around the world with so much experience under their belt. Its amazing to see them all come together in one group because in real life you don't come across them that often. She's giving writing prompts and doing facebook lives for motivation and q & a's. </b></div>
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<b>Another thing I've been up to is planning an Art Fair. I've named it </b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">SMArt fair</span><b>. Sarnia Muslimah Art fair. There will be Muslim women presenting and selling all sorts of art including writing/books and magazines, paintings, crafts, knitting, needlework, henna, cooking, baking, and also any businesses they are involved in. Its a great way to showcase the creativity of the local Muslimahs and bring awareness to the surrounding areas that Muslim women are engaged and productive. This event will take place at the Sarnia Mosque on London Line on Saturday May 5th from 1-5 pm. </b></div>
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<b>So did you miss me? Add a comment below and come visit me on my new Instagram account. </b></div>
Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-69258354265671069052017-07-18T10:17:00.000-04:002017-07-18T10:18:16.624-04:00Logo GiftNo that isn't a typo! For Eid I was gifted a logo by my son and daughter. I also have a new website to promote my book and my writing! It was quite a shock on Eid when my son showed me my website on his TV screen in front of everyone! Who knew what these kids were up to? Apparently they did it quite quickly too. You can check it out at Christine Dupuis .com. After that they told me that they had contacted Farhana Faruq (you may know her as Sketched Soul from her blog) to design a logo for me. All I had to do was collaborate with her and ta da, a new logo would be created. I played with the idea of using my blog name here and a logo with a shoe but then I thought my readers wouldn't really find me as they now knew me by my real name because of my book and plus with my new website too, I decided to use my real name on the logo. So, then, I thought about what design details I would want in my logo. Of course I chose a book, but then, I needed something to show how it was written. I told her to give me samples of different writing implements along with a book. I chose what appealed to me and then I thought I wanted to show something about my kids, since I wasn't using the shoe anymore, so I came up with the idea of stars coming out of the book. We kept tweaking it with different sizes, colours, positions, fonts and experimenting with 2D vs 3D until after consultations with my family I finally made my choice. So voila! Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-71796756352974048642017-06-03T10:33:00.000-04:002017-06-03T10:33:09.101-04:00Sarnia ArtWalk -June 3/17I know talk about last minute! Today I will be at the Sarnia ArtWalk in front of the library from 3-5 pm selling my book <span style="color: magenta;">BREEZES,CURRENTS and SIGHS</span>. At the same time my daughter will be doing Henna tatoos. Come out and see us at the Sarnia Muslim Association booth.<br />
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My last booksigning was an awesome experience at RamadanFest. Not only did I have a booth where I signed and sold my booth next to two other authors including my friend Huda, but I also got to go on stage and read a selection from my book, microphone and all! It was a great chance to share my writing with the Muslim community in Mississauga.<br />
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Hope to see you today at <span style="color: blue;">ArtWalk</span>!Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-87393410833353276962017-04-19T11:52:00.000-04:002017-04-19T11:52:14.869-04:00Ramadan Festival Book SigningI had my second book signing which took place at the library as snow fell even though its spring. Small turnout made for a cozy reading. Family and friends showed up. I read one story and one poem. The book is now available at the library. <br />
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My third book signing insha Allah will be in Mississauga, hitting the big times now by going to the GTA! Its all happening at the <a href="https://ca.eventbu.com/mississauga/ramadan-festival/2248518">Ramadan Festival </a>on May 21st from 12-8 pm. Won't you stop by? Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-73754139785940255812017-03-06T12:32:00.002-05:002017-03-06T12:48:48.428-05:00I Wrote a Book!!!I've been very busy launching my new book this year alhumdullilah. Its an anthology with six other authors which is a compilation from our writing club. We've been working on this for over a year and for the other members even longer as they were part of the group before I was aware of it. Its a local writing club and I am the only Muslim among them. Strangely they insisted I write my coming to Islam story and so that's included as well! masha Allah. Some of the stories are fiction but my section is all non-fiction and includes some poetry as well. The title of the book is <a href="http://ckxsfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/BurgBook.png">Breezes, Currents and Sighs,</a>chosen by one of the writers. We had a book <a href="http://yg7tq1vvkcf2n8oyl2crp7ov.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/02/DSC00967.jpg">signing</a> already and our books are available for sale from that venue and next month we will be having a reading and signing at the local library. I have also been selling copies to family members (don't worry I didn't charge my parents!) and friends. I have copies floating around all over Ontario, Canada now. The book is getting great reviews, masha Allah.<br />
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Here is one : "I have to say you are so talented,great writing. You should think about doing this for a living. The writing was so smooth and engaging. I definitely wanted to read more. Please send me more stuff when you can. I really enjoyed your work. " JD<br />
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and another "a collection of stories and poems by 7 authors from Ontario,Canada. Some are fiction and some are reflections, true accounts of life that resonates with many of us no matter where we are, portrayed in good honest to goodness words" YH <br />
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The book is not for sale at any book store or online but if you want a copy, they are selling for $15 (Canadian) plus shipping (to be determined by your location). you can contact me at omwits at gmail.com, you can pay by e-transfer. <br />
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Our writing club is busy preparing to write another book this year. Readers can't wait for our next edition!<br />
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<br />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-83721510356471539352016-11-07T20:34:00.001-05:002016-11-07T20:34:18.912-05:00NaNoWriMo newb.Do you know what <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> is? I found out last year but didn't join. Lots of things going on last year.Well it stands for National Novel Writing Month. You are supposed to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. Its been a week and I've only written 1500 words but that's more than I've ever done before, so let's celebrate! Its a start and that's something I haven't done at all. So what am I writing? My memoir. I don't know why I feel I have to write this or even why anyone would really care but maybe someone does and that's what counts. If I reach even one person then it matters. I know, so cliche but its how I'm feeling right now.<br />
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What else have I been writing? Well I just about completed all the writing for the anthology I will be a part of,which is due to come out soon. But wait, they also want me to write just one more thing. I'm a little busy right now though. They also asked us to write about who we think will win the American election. Anyone else feeling antsy on this election eve? I'm not even American but as its closest neighbour besides Mexico we are feeling the heat and we don't need more global warming. Well some people think that's fake, ahem. You know people who are into redecorating by putting up walls, just saying. Oh and about that anthology, I was in the paper for that along with my writing buddies.<br />
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Anyone else writing anything fabulous these days? Got a blog or a book? Let us know. Are you a Nanoer too? <br />
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<br />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-76897128653591261562016-08-08T11:00:00.003-04:002016-08-08T11:00:38.599-04:00Grandma in the shoe for the 6th time. Alhumdullilah.Recently my daughter had a son and so now I have my first grandson, masha Allah. The Uncles are really happy! I kept boys clothes for so long from my son who will turn 10 this month but finally started to get rid of them last year or before that so now this grandson does not have any hand-me-downs! Clothing shortage, lol. But no worries, every baby comes with his own rizq. (provision). May Allah make his a righteous Muslim and grant him jannah. Amin. Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-65390489672474585752016-06-15T23:31:00.001-04:002016-06-15T23:46:48.729-04:00Ramadan 2016-What's new in the shoe.So as you all know by now I have MS. Alhumdullilah though, I've been able to fast. I recently read an article about a woman who couldn't. MS is a tricky disease it presents differently in different people and it fluctuates in different ways too. Everyone needs to take their own situation into consideration and of course consult their doctor if necessary. Lots of non-Muslim doctors have a knee-jerk reaction to fasting in general so you might want to consider asking a Muslim doctor.<br />
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Another great piece of news is that I have started a new dawah initiative; spreading Islam through my <a href="https://littlefreelibrary.org/">Little Free Library</a>. I got this idea 2 years ago and then commissioned a carpenter to do it last year but it took a year for it to get done due to his unforeseen complications. Alhumdullilah its done in time for Ramadan this year and I am so grateful and just tickled pink. Yes its pink :)<br />
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A few years ago I gave out <a href="http://oldmuslimwomanintheshoe.blogspot.ca/2014/08/ramadan-memories.html">boxes for Ramadan</a> in order to do dawah and this year my teenage daughter wanted to do it again so from her own funds she has gone out and purchased more supplies to make it happen again insha Allah.<br />
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I've also set up a convert iftar again for the 3rd year in a row. May this help the converts to feel included and helped with our new welcome boxes. (New Muslim Care). <br />
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What's new for you this Ramadan? Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-33982090040775012512016-06-09T12:43:00.002-04:002016-06-09T12:43:59.470-04:00Nobody Cares?So the other day we got to talking about me and what I want to do with my life and I said writing of course and they said you should have a blog, and I told them I already have one. Then they said I can't just write about my life, nobody cares! What???!!! <b><span style="color: #e69138;">Harsh!</span></b> Ok, I guess if you want to make money you have to pander to the majority, the trends etc. I'm not the kind of person to follow the lowest common denominator. I could care less about what most people care about lately like hijab tutorials or recipes (I have a few but certainly not obsessed). They were not impressed with my opinion. You see the reason I studied Advertising instead of Journalism is because I wanted to be creative. I didn't want people dictating what I could and could not write about. I like to be free to choose my own topics and present them the way I see fit, regardless if anyone is interested on a large scale. Even if I have to find a niche group that is fine. So I won't make millions I guess but I want to be true to myself in the end. I don't want to be a sellout. Not even for sales. So where does that leave me? Right here, I guess. But my intention is to write books because I love to and because so many people have told me I should, people from all walks of life. I'm sure there are people out there who are looking for a fresh voice and will <span style="color: red;">CARE</span>! Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-80811343994295758442016-03-31T14:56:00.000-04:002016-03-31T14:56:13.400-04:00Old Grandma in the shoe for the 5th time! Last night my son, my oldest, had a daughter (well my daughter-in-law did). This is their second daughter. For me its my fifth granddaughter. Good thing I don't have to fit them in the shoe too,lol. One day I will have more grandchildren than children which is an obvious thought but still mind-blowing to me. Alhumdullilah, masha Allah. May she grow up to be a righteous Muslimah and be the coolness of her parents eyes and be granted Jannah. Amin.Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-31583810762411792292016-03-09T10:33:00.000-05:002016-03-09T13:20:26.602-05:00Nothing But Love - Book Review<a href="http://www.islamicwritersalliance.net/mp_ZeneefaZaneer.html">Zaneefa Zaneer</a> is the author of this new soon-to-be released title. Previously she was the author of Let Me Bloom and Rhythm of Love published in Sinhalese. Her new book is published in English. <br />
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Nothing But Love is set in Sri Lanka and follows the story of A.B. as she deals with her past and with her new future as a wife by name only. What has brought her to this point in her life? And what about her new husband, why is he settling for a sham marriage? This book will take you on a roller coaster of emotions dealing with topics like being an orphan,widowhood, wearing niqab,secrets, missed communication and misunderstandings.<br />
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This author's style is reminiscent of Umm Zakiyyah's. If you've ever read her books you will understand what I mean. Her books are good,clean,Islamic fiction but try to focus on real life problems.<br />
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I really felt the emotions of the characters in this book and enjoyed reading it. The only advice I gave to Zaneefa, was to include more information about Sri Lanka for readers who are not familiar with the country, such as myself. These updates may be in the final release.<br />
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If you are looking for a new, Muslimah author to read, then consider the book Nothing But Love, soon to be released on Amazon.com.<br />
<br />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-79629128799433343972016-03-08T12:38:00.000-05:002016-04-01T14:06:09.379-04:00SEO or no?I'm taking an SEO course now, mainly because its what everyone in my field (Advertising) is supposed to know. This is my only webpage and seeing as it doesn't generate an income, its kind of not important for me to take this course right now, but if I ever get around to writing a book and having a website for it, then these techniques would be important for me to know. The course for me is a snore, but maybe because I just keep reading and not applying the knowledge really. At least I know I could never imagine myself doing this for a living, just like the Microsoft courses I took last year, although all knowledge is beneficial. I think I just basically want to write and leave all the technical stuff to the experts which isn't practical when you can't pay said experts. Hmm...there's always Go Fund Me right? Well, maybe I should just focus and buckle down and write. Yes, I said it before. Well, at least I am writing pieces for our local anthology, so I am not getting too rusty.<br />
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How about you? Have you taken SEO? Have you applied it to your webpage? Or do you do it for a<br />
living?<br />
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Update :April 1st. Just completed the course. Its not my cup of tea, still can't see myself doing it for a living but I'm happy to be more knowledgeable now in this area. Its a lot of work that's for sure. Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-42649671504710341662016-01-31T16:43:00.000-05:002016-01-31T16:43:08.479-05:0010 Things I Hate About Me-Mother-Daughter book review. Years ago I read this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Things-Hate-About-Me/dp/0545050553">book</a> and shared my<a href="http://oldmuslimwomanintheshoe.blogspot.ca/2010/08/10-things-i-hate-about-me.html"> review</a> with you and now my teenage daughter has read it and written a review on her <a href="http://youngmuslimgirlintheshoe.blogspot.ca/2016/01/10-things-i-hate-about-me-book.html">blog</a>. Please read both and let us know your thoughts. Have you read it? Would you read it? Do you agree with either of us? Have you ever read the same book as your child?<br />
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<img class="irc_mi" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uNPynnHlL._AC_UL320_SR216,320_.jpg" style="margin-top: 68px;" width="216" /> Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-68836752626570453532016-01-31T09:49:00.001-05:002016-01-31T09:49:21.846-05:00Swimming in words.I've taken 4 online writing courses now and am feeling overwhelmed. I need to take a breather. But maybe I can't ; still books to read about writing ie memoir writing. Phew.<br />
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Suddenly, also, there are writing courses for Muslims, but at a price. I watched some webinars for <a href="http://www.niyahpress.com/publishnow/">Zarinah's course</a>; she wrote Jihad of the Soul which looked interesting and had lots of free tidbits. Ribaat is offering <a href="http://rabata.org/ribaat/enrol/index.php?id=96">one</a> also which has already started.<br />
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I need to finish off these how-to books and review my courses and then buckle down and actually write something. But wait! I'm supposed to have an intention, oh,whoops? You mean cathartic exercise is not a sufficient goal? I have a lot of self-reflection to do and probably istikharah prayers. Writing is a very serious endeavour and lives on long after you are gone. May Allah purify our intentions and lead us to create a masterpiece for the sake of Allah. Amin.<br />
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Have you written a book? What's your advice?Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-74417668694894253942016-01-03T22:15:00.000-05:002016-01-03T22:17:15.261-05:00Think outside the GTA box!A little pet peeve I have which was resurrected once again at RIS (Reviving the Islamic Spirit) is, people from GTA (Greater Toronto Area) who are not aware of any cities outside their area! Where are you from they ask, which city are you coming from etc is the question and each time when I tell them their eyes glaze over. I try to help them by telling them how far south it is compared to Toronto and even that it is near the border which leads them to say oh, you live in United States! SubhanAllah can someone please buy a map for the people of the GTA? Or introduce them to Google Maps or get them a GPS or an atlas...anything! When I lived up north and I traveled to the GTA and told them where I was from, they would always say oh, north of Barrie? That was always their absolute cutoff. As for being south of the GTA, well you better not live any further than Kitchener and if you are super lucky then they might know London (Ontario of course!). Beyond that is no man's land, a veritable hinterland. Some of them know Windsor though because if they want to get to the States (where I don't live..sigh) then they have crossed the border there. I think all people in the GTA should be forced to take a geography course of at least Ontario, if not the rest of Canada. For sure I guess they know Ottawa (it is the capital of Canada after all and also right here in Ontario) and Montreal and Vancouver. Not much else exists though. What can we do for our lost sisters and brothers in the GTA? Oh and did I also mention that they think big cities are towns? Yes, you live in a mega city but that doesn't mean that smaller cities in comparison to you, are towns. I guess a town would be a village to them. I dare anyone from the GTA who is reading this or perhaps your friend who knows less than you ahem to take out a map of Ontario and gaze down BELOW Kitchener-Waterloo and then gaze ABOVE Barrie and discover new cities! For those really brave souls, you can also plan a trip somewhere new, outside the GTA box! I dare you! <br />
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<br />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-70528747038535060522015-11-12T21:14:00.004-05:002015-11-12T21:19:17.070-05:00Finding My VoiceTonight was the night I shared my writing with my writing club. It really was the first time I shared my writing out loud with anyone, besides speeches I gave in school so many eons ago.<br />
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I had no idea what they would think regarding my topic or my writing talent or lack thereof. All I could do was read and share my outlook on the world and wait and see how they would react to it. It was very silent and then I got to one part and found myself overcome and had to stop. I apologized, but they said that it happens to everyone when they read at one time or another. I felt validated and then the leader of the group finished off my piece for me as I quickly composed myself. In the end they said they liked it and the leader told me to keep writing and that this story was definitely going to be in the anthology. I felt like I had come home. Birds of a feather really do flock together, but sometimes, you just need to find them. Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-52854826523476480072015-11-07T09:11:00.001-05:002015-11-07T09:23:36.662-05:00STOP THE PRESSES: My third daughter has a new blog! Young Muslim Girl in the Shoe.Nope, I didn't come up with the name. She did all this when I wasn't around. Love how it ties into my name choice. So if you want to read about how it feels to be the daughter of the Old Muslim Woman in the Shoe and how it feels to be a half Malay Canadian teen growing up in Canada then go to her blog now! Tell your teen daughters too! Then come back here and tell me what you think ;) Now I have 2 daughters blogging. Check out her blog <a href="http://youngmuslimgirlintheshoe.blogspot.ca/">here</a>.<br />
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And if you want to read my other daughter's blog, the oldest one with the 3 kids then go<a href="http://handmadebeginnings.blogspot.ca/"> here</a>. In case you forgot, I have 5 daughters and 5 sons. Masha Allah. Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-84318209760854693092015-11-02T10:34:00.002-05:002015-11-02T10:34:57.327-05:00Writing Club? Write on!So remember when I told you about the woman who told me she had no time for a book club because she was taking 4 Gale Writing courses? Well she also told me about a writing club, well actually two. One in a town about 20 minutes from me which I went to once but then she told me there was actually one in my town and gave me the email. But no one answered my email. So what to do? Then an article appeared in the local paper mentioning a writing club and the one running it was the one I emailed! So I got in contact with the place that runs the club and was told that they were meeting that very night! Did I just write 3 sos? Forgive me. I know that's wrong. Anyway, I grabbed my beautiful writing book that my daughter ; <a href="http://handmadebeginnings.blogspot.ca/">Handmade Beginnings </a>made for me for Eid, and headed on down! I was a little late since I had to do my prayer first but when I arrived I saw that they had a special guest who was telling them how they could get their anthology published finally. I also have to submit a piece too for the book apparently,ahem,so nice of you to ask. Now I have to think about something to write about. You've been following my blog right? In your humble opinion, what would be the best topic for me to write on? <br />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-64061334545087350162015-10-18T10:53:00.001-04:002015-10-18T10:53:58.115-04:00His Book and My book.Now that all of my kids are going to school, I have time to focus on myself. Before September came I signed myself up for an Arabic class. My sole reason for this was to learn the language of the Quran. It is really disappointing to not fully understand what is going on when you are reading Quran or saying your prayers and spending time in the mosque. For example I never know whether they are reciting Quran or saying a dua at the mosque. Feeling like a stranger in your own religion is a very painful thing to go through. So to rectify this I signed up for Arabic1a with <a href="http://rabata.org/home/">Rabata</a>. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are a group of sisters mainly a sister; Anse Tamara (a convert like me) who studied in Syria then started this online portal of Islamic learning. Arabic 101 was too easy for me as I already know my letters and basically how to read so I chose the next level. Its been a few weeks now and there are two classes per week including grammar and vocabulary. At first I was literally getting headaches and the teacher said its normal when learning a new language. It never happened to me before when learning other languages though. This is really intense for me I guess. Another strange thing is that sometimes now I think of random Arabic sentences. This is amazing to me since I only just started learning.<br />
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The second kind of learning I am doing kind of fell in my lap! I asked a woman from the mosque if she would be interested in starting a book club and she said she had no time! She said she had just signed up for 4 writing courses. I expressed an interest and she said I could sign up too and that they were free through the library website! My library doesn't offer these courses sadly, but, my old library does in the city I used to live in. I still have my card from that library and our town has privileges with theirs so I signed up. These courses are offered through<a href="http://solutions.cengage.com/GaleCourses/"> Gale.</a> The course I am taking now is Writing for Children. I also signed up for 3 other courses. This course has homework just like my Arabic course so I am very busy now with that and like I mentioned in the last post, teaching the kiddies in the mosque. Sadly though we still have no book club at the mosque.<br />
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So insha Allah one day with Allah's help I will be able to understand the language of the Quran and also write a book of my own.<br />
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A little bonus for my hubby was that when I went to the library I saw a bookmark there advertising another Gale resource; CHILTON. If you are a car enthusiast you will know what I'm talking about but if not it refers to the repair manuals used for cars. He has already used it to fix the power locks in our van. Alhumdullilah.<br />
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<img alt="My First Arabic Phrases" class="productPreview-image productPreview-image_hooker js-productImage" src="https://dynamic.indigoimages.ca/books/1404875174.jpg?altimages=true&width=310&quality=85&maxheight=310&lang=en&z=10036f5bd1628afedcfee0158da5b5b5281bfe430708a-8" />Book I borrowed from the library (not part of Rabata) which has proved useful. <br />
<br />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-414073472975301902015-10-08T12:00:00.000-04:002015-10-08T12:04:23.686-04:00Omwits got her grooveWhoa! Remember my last post? I was kind of lost? Well, now I seem to have so many activities that I'm overwhelmed but in a good sort of way. Alhumdullilah. One activity I planned but the others fell into my lap! Again alhumdullilah. One thing that fell into my lap was when I signed up my kids to a different islamic/arabic class. At the original one it was 3 hours and now revamped to 5 hours. At that place I had to travel there just like the second one but at the first I was not allowed to access the classes so had to sit in the hall for 3 hours. Contemplating sitting in the hall for an additional 2 hours made me say no way! So I decided to travel the other direction and bring my kids to a school that was only 2 and a half hours long with a break in between and a lovely playground outside. The first place had neither. Funny thing happened though on the way to signing up. I got roped in to be the kindergarten Islamic Studies teacher. So on the spot I had to come up with a lesson. Since it was almost Eid at the time, I figured I'd go with a hajj theme. First I read to the kids about the story of Ibrahim (as) and hajj. Then I got them to colour a picture of the kabba (photocopies from a colouring book). After that I got the kids to build kabbas out of legos/mega blocks which was something I saw on Facebook and since the mosque had these, why not? Whew, that was my first unplanned night. The cherry on the top is that I also get to teach my littlest daughter who is tickled pink and during the first hour I am learning quran. When one door closes, another one opens. Subhanallah.<br />
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<img alt="Goodword Kidz Kaaba Coloring Page" class="size-full wp-image-211" height="450" src="http://jannahslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Kaaba-Coloring-Page.jpg" width="350" />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-36588314074782533482015-08-22T08:44:00.000-04:002015-08-22T08:44:10.360-04:00Muslim Authors Send Me Your Books!<b>I love reading! </b>So far this year I have read <u>44</u> books. Its my favourite hobby. I would also love to help <span style="background-color: red;">promote</span> the books of Muslim Authors here by requesting you send me a copy of your newly published book and I will review it here insha Allah. contact me at <span style="background-color: lime;">omwits at gmail.com</span> Jazakullah khair in advance. Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-29458811551560298222015-08-22T08:27:00.000-04:002015-08-22T08:27:27.088-04:00At Loose Ends<span style="background-color: lime;">In a few weeks the new school year will begin and all the kids will be gone including my one and only home schooled son who will be starting high school. Last year I tried to upgrade my computer skills and also got a little temporary job. Looking into the future I see a gaping chasm and am filled with uncertainty. Jobs are hard to come by in the first place and with an old diploma and barely any recent experience I am not a top candidate. What's the next step in my life? I have no clue. Other people seem to find their way don't they? Why am I so stuck? I am not feeling inspired either. Feel more like I'm spinning in circles. I need some kind of fresh start. How do I shake things up? Moving away would be great but I can't see it happening in the near future. Somethings got to give right? I hope insha Allah that Allah will send me a sign because I'm clueless. Have you or anyone you've known been in this situation? How did they turn their life around? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: lime;"><span></span></span><br />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-89385359462261501242015-06-29T00:03:00.000-04:002015-06-29T00:03:06.646-04:00MS and Red DyeFirst of all, take this with a grain of salt. I'm not a health expert but am only sharing what happened to me personally. Maybe by some extraordinary chance someone out there has experienced this too or someone in the science world can tell me if I'm crazy or not. So here it goes. After I got diagnosed with MS I noticed something very strange. When I drank chocolate milk, my legs would get worse. When I ate red licorice or other candies with red dye my legs would get worse. One day after drinking a litre of chocolate milk in one shot (it was a hot day and we were travelling) I could barely walk. I had to stop having these things. I could understand the red dye in the candies could be affecting me but why chocolate milk? White milk didn't harm me and neither did chocolate! I was perplexed so I checked out the ingredients and lo and behold it said colour. Colour? Why colour? Isn't chocolate milk brown because its made with cocoa? Apparently, people don't like their chocolate milk too dark so they add red dye to it to lighten the colour. Who knew? So red dye was really the culprit for me. But why? I knew that red dye was linked to hyperactivity in children but it was causing the opposite in me so to speak. I tried to search for information and came up with zilch! So I am perplexed. All I know is that for me personally, I have to avoid it. I don't know if scientists will ever discover anything about this or not but I have no choice in this matter. I am glad that I figured out it was bothering me. Alhumdullilah. Now whether it is a natural (ie made from a bug) or chemical dye that is affecting me, I still don't know.<br />
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Aside from this peculiar aha moment for me, my health regarding my legs is improving as I continue to see a homeopath. Still not cured but I am grateful for my mobility. Now in Ramadan I've noticed my legs seem even better than usual. But I think this is a first as I don't remember such a thing happening last Ramadan.<br />
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May Allah bless you all this Ramadan and cure you of any diseases. Amin. <br />
<br />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795972256750121659.post-45876543686708802512015-06-18T18:05:00.000-04:002015-06-18T18:36:49.527-04:00Ramadan and being yourself.Ramadan Kareem! Its that time of the year again and everywhere I look I see pictures and stories that I can't really relate to as a convert. Maybe we need to fill the gap. Recipes from our own cultures etc and sharing our experiences. I'll start. This morning we got up at 3:15 am for suhoor. Hubby had leftover rice from last night and the boys grabbed bagels and cereal while I made an omelette with tomatoes and cheese and red pepper jelly meanwhile being so tired I hoped I didn't cut myself with the knife, and had water and orange juice with sliced strawberries thrown in. I shared my omelette with my daughter. See this is not 'normal' right? Any other post and you would see the mother got up super early and cooked a big breakfast (when do these women sleep anyway?) and also the food is just 'off' for most people. But this is our life and its about time we converts took our place in the Muslim world er social media. So there you have it! Now please if you are a convert share your suhoor and iftar menus and stories about your Ramadan.<br />
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Some people decorate, I never really do but the one thing I do each year is order Ramadan books from the library and read them to my kids. Some people make elaborate menu plans and make fancy meals but we just continue as usual and eat what we always eat. My focus is read Quran and go to any potlucks on Saturdays that are offered in the mosque. The other days are by invitation only. As the only Muslim family in our town we know it will be quiet for us and being 45 minutes away from the mosque we know we won't be praying taraweeh at 11 pm and then driving back. Our lives are different but they're ours. Everyone is different. Vive la difference! <br />
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http://oldmuslimwomanintheshoe.blogspot.ca/2010/06/black-forest-pancakes.html<br />
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My,my,my! Right after typing this I went on facebook and found this awesome offer! A <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Halal-Comfort-Food-Muslims-Guide-ebook/dp/B00M28E5MC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434665966&sr=8-1&keywords=halal+cookbook">free e-book</a> from a convert! Great minds think alike!<br />
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<br />Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08016249614421972151noreply@blogger.com2