Organization Spot Light: I Inspire Inc

I Inspire is a non-profit organization that uses the motivational power of the arts with interactive technologies and educational tools to bring comfort to the sick, promote volunteerism and inspire local communities to come together for positive change.

Some Food for Thought

Because I also need it from time to time, I thought I would share some quotes that were given to me by a friend.

beautiful Dua for Lailatul Qadr pt 2

Beautiful Dua for Lailatul Qadr

Friday Truffle: Poem by Fida

As Salaamu Alaikum

I would like to share a very nice poem on this blessed day! It is called, "Lailatul Qadr," by a poet named  Fida Islaih. What drew me to this poem was her description of the evening. By Allah, I felt the same way a couple nights ago! Here is the poem and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. May Allah bless sister Fida and continue to bless and strengthen her poetic skills. Please check out her poetry blog.

Lailatul Qadr 

Last night felt like Lailatul Qadr 

I came home feeling happy and peaceful 

the weather just right, 

not too cold and not too hot 

It might be time for bed 

but Dhikr plays in my head 

some of us sit outside 

enjoying tea in the quiet 

Looking up at the sky 

all the stars are out 

and I notice it all 

and some in it's constellation 

But crickets come calling 

and so does bed 

but it might be Lailatul Qadr 

and you'd want the blessings 

of a night worth more than a thousand months 

I wash myself 

and dress back into modesty 

all wrapped up 

I stand on my prayer mat 

keeping myself focused 

I praise and ask for forgiveness 

All this to God. 

Five Things....

.... I got out of the taraweeh prayer last night.

1. Peace - It was such a peaceful prayer, no children running around playing making noise. I could concentrate on the prayer and listen to the Imaam as he recited the word of Allah (swt)
2. Security - Just hearing the words of Allah (swt) and being in the masjid with my family gave a sense of security and that Allah (swt) was with us and watching and protecting us with His angels.
3. Unity - I love praying with large groups of Muslims. You get to see old face and new, from a variety of cultures and countries but we all have one thing in common... Allahu Akbar, standing in rows praying to one creator, one Lord, one God, Allah (swt).
4. Nostalgia - Praying at the masjid brought back fond memories of going to do the taraweeh prayers with my mom and family when I was younger and also during my college years and study abroad.
5. Iman Boost - I felt so close to Allah (swt) as I stood in prayer. As it ended and we left, I could not help but feel excited about going again for the next taraweeh prayer insha Allah.

Objectives of Fasting and Ramadan: SuhaibWebb (dot) com

Masha Allah, I have been finding lots of wonderful lectures and articles online. I feel like I just got an iman booster shot! :D So here is an article I read called, "The Objectives of Fasting and Ramadan." They start off with a hadith of the Prophet (saw) which states:

“Maybe a fasting person gains nothing from his fast except hunger and thirst. And maybe a person who prays in the night gains nothing from their prayer except staying up late.”

That made shivers go down my spine. I would hate that my fasting was nothing but hunger and I got no spiritual benefit from it. :( As I continued to read on, the article goes into just what the objectives of fast and Ramadan is. Yes we are fasting, abstaining from food, drinks, relations with spouces, etc, but there is so much more. The article focused on six objectives:

1. Attaining Taqwa
2. Fasting is a Shield
3. Fasting and Patience
4. Ramadan is the Month of Qur'an and Ibadah
5. Ramadan is the Month of Generosity
6. The Importance of Time

I highly recommend you read this article and increase your knowledge of what the objectives of fasting and Ramadan are and so that your fasting is not wasted on hunger and thirst.

The Three Levels of Fasting-Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ninowy

Masha Allah, I found this link through a friend. It is a wonderful lecture I think is worthy of sharing.

We all understand the fast as abstaining from food, drink, and sex during the day…but what are the deeper, spiritual levels of Fasting? Shaykh Muhammad al-Ninowy provides an beautiful, in-depth description of Fasting as we approach the last Ten Days of Ramadhan. Please listen carefully to this wonderful discourse!

Insha Allah, click on this link to find the audio of the lecture.

May Allah (swt) accept your fast. Ameen.

Easy Tajweed Rules: Blogs/Websites

As Salaamu Alaikum!

I recently found two wonderful blogs that teache tajweed rules to recite Qur'an in a really simple and easy way. :) They are the basic rules for tajweed. I liked that the layout of the blog was very simple, easy on the eyes and easy to navigate. The lessons are good for those who are brushing up on their tajweed. If you have never had a tajweed class, it would be best to have a teacher to help with pronunciation of the different rules.

Here is the blog address again http://tajweedrules.blogspot.com/

The second website, Read with Tajweed, is great for beginners and those who have never had an instructor or tajweed class before. The beauty of this site is that they have audio and visual aides. After learning the rule, they give many examples to see and hear. Again, this site is easy to navigate and very simple layout.

Here is the website address again http://www.readwithtajweed.com/

Productive Muslim: Multiply Your Fast animation

I like this animation. It is so true that some of the most simple acts of kindness bring greater rewards.

Spiritual Detox for Ramadan:

1. Keep free from eating high calorie flesh of others (Gossip), no matter how juicy.
2. Switch to fat free Truths.
3. Avoid artificial Tempers.
4. Do voice therapy by reciting The Quran.
5. Purify your eyes by crying in Dua.
6. Do hand reflexology on tasbeeh.
7. Brighten your smile by using Miswaak.
8.Take the weight off your shoulders by paying your Zakat.
9. Shrug off those extra kilos of sins by repenting.

Shared with me by a friend.......

Ramadan Playbook for Children

Open publication - Free publishing - More children

Ramadan Children's Book Giveaway

As today ends our first week of Ramadan, I am hosting a Ramadan children's book giveaway. Simply fill out the form below to enter for a chance to win one of the following children's book below. Many children are often too young to partake in the fasting, but they are still curious and want to enjoy the Ramadan experience just like the rest of us. Teach them the beauty of fasting, praying, charity and doing good deeds by letting them join you in those activities but also through the joy of reading. As this is the month of blessings and mercy, the winner of this giveaway will also get to choose another book from this list to send to their local Masjid or Islamic school library. :)

Dua for the beginning, middle and end of Ramadan

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said:
It (Ramadan) is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle, forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the fire (of hell)

I found some sites that had the duas that are recommended to say during each third (ten days) of the month of Ramadan. I will post them below Insha Allah.

1st -10 days of Ramadhan recite dua above for mercy

11th -20th days of Ramadhan recite dua above for remission for Sins (forgiveness)

21st to last ten days of Ramadhan recite dua above for free from Hell recite this dua in plenty for safety from hell

Friday Truffle

Daily Duas for the Fasting

Daily Duas for the Fasting...

Daily Duas for the Fasting...

Daily Duas for the Fasting...

Ramadan 2011 is Here!!! The Moon has been sighted on the West Coast!! :D

..✫¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.✫
☻/ღ˚ •。* ♥♥ ˚ ˚✰˚ ˛★* 。 ღ˛° 。* °♥ ˚ • ★ *˚ .ღ 。
/▌*˛˚ ░ ░ٌٌٌR░A░M░D░A░ N░░░K░A░R░E░E░ M░░ ˚ ✰* ★
/ \ ˚. ★ *˛ ˚♥♥* ✰。˚ ˚ღ。* ˛˚ ♥♥ 。✰˚* ˚ ★ღ ˚ 。✰ •* ˚ ♥♥" ✰

Ramadan 1432 - 2011

Blessed are they who reverence the life-giving waters that sustain the Earth's climate and nourish Earth's inhabitants.

Blessed are they who reverence the soil that supports our homes and our footsteps and yields abundant harvests.

Blessed are they who reverence the trees and other plants that call down the rains, stabilize the soil, and freshen the air.

Blessed are they who reduce what they consume, re-use what they can, and recycle what they can no longer use.

Blessed are they who praise Allah( SWT) the Creator in their reverent and gentle use of all things on Earth. May you find joy in all blessed things on this verdant planet.

From my family to yours...

Gentle reminder: Say Alhamdulillah often....

Alhamdulillah......

This is such a inspiring poem. It just goes to show, that what we seek and what we need are usually not that different, but our perception of what we want/need is a little different than our creator's :) He helps us by giving us the tools to achieve what we want and even more importantly, what we need. Alhamdulillah indeed!

The Gratitude Challenge - Day #3

Dinner at IHOP at 2:30 am!

Blessing #6 (yes, I skipped #5 only because these guys are extra special :D but #5 will be posted)

Family.

I had a great time with my niece and nephew. It was only a couple of hours and really really late at night, but my nephew had me in stitches. Kids are such a blessing and it is so nice watching them grow up and exceed your expectations (and I have very high expectations :D)

The Gratitude Challenge - Day #2

I am grateful for the many blessings that my Lord has bestowed upon me today!

Blessing #1 I woke up this morning listening to birds singing outside my window.

Blessing #2 I was greeted with many smiles from my toddler classroom students. I was told they missed me & asked about me all day yesterday

Blessing #3 Peace and Quiet! You never know just how savory the sound of quiet is until you've left a room of ten energetic toddlers!

Blessing #4 Sweet parents. Just before I left work, one of my toddler parents gave me a bouquet of flowers & thanked me for my hard work :)

The Gratitude Challenge - What are you grateful for?

Gratitute - (n) the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful:

Grateful - warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful

Sometimes, as we go through life's many changes and challenges, it is so easy to get caught up in regret and remorse over the lost of opportunities, lost of loved ones, lost of wealth, lost health, lost of status and so on. I have to realize that these 'regrets' and 'remorse' is nothing more than the ingratitude of what is not meant for me. It is my inability to be thankful for what I DO have as oppose to what I DON'T have or perhaps WANT to have. So what exactly is being grateful? Does it mean that I should not strive for those things that makes me happy, like finding true love, finishing school, finding a great job, going after my dreams or making my hobbies a reality?? By all means no!

“So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me”. [Quran 2: 152]

Gratitude is the acknowledgment that all things good come from Allah (God) and it is also the realization that when things don't happen the way we plan, or we don't see the blessing that we are trying to attain, that it is His plan and will to withhold that blessing. Thus, being grateful means to accept the blessings He gives with praises and humility and being patient when the Almighty denies.

This challenge will focus on all the favors and bounties we are blessed with, the good, the sad, and even the hurtful. It is my hope that all who participate, including myself, will learn to focus on the favors of our Lord has blessed us with, not the everyday struggles that make us forget just how truly blessed and loved we are.

Bubble in Space!

I snabbed this little beauty over at Karen's blog, Musings of a Novelista. It is a picture of a stellar bubble. I thought it was really cool that she found this particular photo as she wrote a post about "bubbles" (well more like writers who write in a bubble.) Well, I do tend to sometimes find myself in my own kind of "bubble" when I write or in a reading kind of mood. But what really sent me over the moon with this photo is that for the past couple of days, the children in my toddler class have been obsessing over bubbles. And not just any bubbles either. No, they want BIG bubbles. The kind of bubble that has to be blown carefully and slowly. I have somewhat mastered the technique and love entertaining the children in their quest in bursting the BIG bubbles! :D

A delicate sphere of gas, photographed by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, floats serenely in the depths of space. The pristine shell, or bubble, is the result of gas that is being shocked by the expanding blast wave from a supernova. Called SNR 0509-67.5 (or SNR 0509 for short), the bubble is the visible remnant of a powerful stellar explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a small galaxy about 160,000 light-years from Earth. The bubble-shaped shroud of gas is 23 light-years across and is expanding at more than 11 million miles per hour (5,000 kilometers per second). The bubble-shaped shroud of gas is 23 light-years across and is expanding at more than 11 million miles per hour (5,000 kilometers per second).

Gentle reminder: Dua.

Web Picture of the week!

Can you believe in all that hot, explosive and violent chaos, life is born? In all its extreme glory and beauty, when a star is born, more than solar light is created.

Still Waters

The morning was gray. Rain-filled clouds hung over the city threatening to unleash their contents. An almost autumn like breeze pushed the seawater onto the docks with forceful ease. Despite the cool, calm and clearly efficient workers, the boat left a few minutes late. What started off as an average voyage turned to anything but that. A sudden gale blasted through the islands defenses and rocked the waters. Turbulent, violent and free, the waves crashed about, rocking the small vessel and her load. As sudden as the gusty winds appeared, they disappeared. Vanished in the cool crisp air, relinquishing their grip on the sea and the boat. Sailing, sailing she went on the calm open waters like a hot blade through butter. Not a splash or wave. Silent waters. Eerily quiet waters reflecting large gray clouds shutting out the day. Still waters; waiting for the coming storm.

Web Picture of the week!

This photo of the Milky Way Galaxy has been feeding my muse for the past couple of days since I found it. What I find so amazing about is that it was produced by a amateur photographer, Nick Risinger, who spent an entire year photographing the night sky in various regions. It took him over 37,000 exposures to complete this beautiful masterpiece of our night sky. For someone like me who lives in a city where seeing a star in the night sky is rare, this photo reminds me of my early childhood when I could stare up at the night sky in awe at the sheer beauty and mystery of the universe. Forget counting sheep, I counted stars! ( I miss those days.) Check out Mr. Risinger's website, Photopic Sky Survey. An awesome feature of the website is you can actually zoom in on different areas of the picture (I mean reeeally zoom in) without losing the clarity of the photo. This picture will be feeding my muse for a long time!

Time lapse Video: Night Sky

A really pretty video the shows the milky way and evening sky! I want to live in a place where I can see this every night!

Web picture of the week!

I love all things space and universe. It is truly one of the last frontiers. It is so vast, there is no way we could ever know all that there is to know about the great mysteries in outer space. The photo above is of Cat's paw Nebula, a very active star nursery in our galaxy. Is that amazing or what! Although extremely massive, hot and violent, it is a beautiful testiment of the beginning of life. This image captures a 50-light-years-wide swath of swirling gas and dust that is home to several tens of thousands of young stars, including brand new blue stars just a few million years old! Awww, how cute is that,(and scary given the extreme condition in which a star is born!) at a few million years old, they are barely youngsters!

Finally feeling like spring!

Wow, today finally felt like spring. The sun was out and shining bright. The sky was blue and the clouds were white. Not a gray sign of rain in sight. The village (what we call the university shopping center) was sprawling with color. The water fountains glistened in the sun, reflecting rays and filling the air with freshness. A gentle breeze carried the cool refreshing scent of spring from shop to shop. I spent my lunch break soaking up all the rays. It was so nice and such a wonderful break from the dreary gloom of rain filled cloudy days that makes Seattle so famous. It was the perfect day for a great activity to do with my toddler classroom. We made ICE CREAM!!! I was worried the ice would melt in the sun but our ice cream thickened and froze within 15 minutes. It was so fun eating ice cream out on our playground under the sun. It really made me miss my sunshine state! It was a great day. I was so happy as I left work. The sun does that to me :) With a spring in my walk and smiling ear to ear, I made my way to my car, a man passed by and said, "now that's a nice smile!" :D I honestly did not realize how wide a smile I had until he said that. But he had an equally big smile as well. I guess he was happy it was finally feeling like spring too! :D

Great Motto to Live by.....

"Difficult moments, seek Allah (SWT)

Quiet moments, worship Allah(SWT)

Painful moments, trust Allah (SWT)

Every moment, thank Allah (SWT)

Cherish yesterday, Dream tomorrow. Live today."

5 Things....

Five Things I Learned This Week......

It is funny how some work weeks are great. Nothing goes wrong and I seem like everything I set out to do is accomplished with great results. But then there are those weeks that are horrible, everything that possibly can go wrong does. The week seems to drag on and on. Then when it finally arrives, the weekend, it is spent in seclusion, away from noise, colds and viruses, stress, demands, expectations, and yes, even rules and policies. Well, usually if I have a really tough work week, I spend Saturday in complete rest! I am usually too tired to even write!

This was one of those weeks, long and exhausting. But, it was also been fun, filled with sweet moments and loads of learning. While a few of our children were out on vacation this week, it seemed like the rest of the class felt it necessary to kick it up a notch to keep the crazy teacher/energetic toddler equilibrium in the classroom. It felt like everyone was sick, kids and teachers alike. Everyday more than five teachers were out stretching the staff really then, some days we lost planning time or had to combine our classrooms so that one of us could be sent to another classroom. Thursday was staff meeting, which means a very long day! The end of the week brought on transitions for two of my little ones who will be moving up. It is going to be a rough transition for at least one of them who happens to be really attached. She had a complete meltdown when I had to leave her in her new classroom. :( Talk about heart-wrenching, I had to leave quickly before showing my own sadness. But I was very grateful when her teacher came back to my room to tell me she was doing okay and had settled down after a while. She was so nice to put my heart at ease. When they came back to my class after spending a couple of hours, my poor little one was so confused. She looked like she was on the verge of tears again as she looked at me, so betrayed for leaving her there. I smiled and welcomed her back with a big hug and soon her she was smiling and happy again as well. It is so fun to take walks around the shopping center with 8 toddlers in tow. This week due to low numbers and GREAT weather, we got two days of fun nature walks. We got so many pleasant smiles and hellos from people passing by. They got a kick out of seeing our four child strollers. One little boy mention how our stroller was bigger than his (two-seater stroller :D) While it is always nice to see a new face at work, it is not so nice to see a bunch of seasoned teachers leave after years of working together. A total of four teachers (that I know of) are leaving the center. Now comes the long process of trying to find replacements and the constant influx of strangers in the classroom, at a time when I will also have to deal with new children in my classroom.

So this post is dedicated to five things that I took away from this week' life lessons.

I learned how to let go: change is one of life's many lessons and almost always good. Without change, there can be no growth and development. Life will go on, even if I am not directly involved.

I learned to not let stress take over me: I like to be self-reliant, I like for everyone to know I can do my job @ 115% even when I am not feeling my best. It is okay to say, "I need help." It is okay not to be perfect in a demanding profession.

I learned that my body needs a break every now and then: I can not be an efficient teacher/caregiver if I do not take care of your body. Leave all work at work, use my breaks and lunch breaks to rest, relax, and recuperate!

I learned a smile can go a long way: the best smile is one that is given to brighten someone else's day. A generous smile almost always returns to brighten my day.

I also learned to appreciate everything, especially those around me, from friends to family, co-workers to the stranger on the street: Fresh air is so important to the body and mind. I need to spend more time outside exercising my body and mind. This weekend I relaxed in the company of family and good friends. It is also amazing how healthy (albeit yummy) food, movies and lots of laughs while resting comfy on a couch does a body good. :)

Flowers

A few flowers that my parents gave me over teacher appreciation week :) They are so sweet. The others are at my job. I will try to get a picture of them on Monday. I hope they last until then! I also got tons of chocolate! :D

Working out the kinks! :)

My new piece :)

Stitches up close :)

And the cast off :) I watched the video before trying and while I was casting off. Practice makes perfect! I will keep at it and hopefully I will have enough squares to make a patch quilt :D

What is failure?

~In order to succeed you must first be willing to fail~

As you know from my previous blog post, I have started knitting using the knifty knitter. Well, it took me a while to get the hang of it but I did. :) I was on a roll until I realized that I was getting to the end of my very first knitting project. I did not know how to "cast off" as it is put in knitting terminology. So, I watched a couple of youtube videos to learn how to cast off. Well, I watched them about four days ago and thought I still remembered how to cast off. Silly me, I should have watched the videos again before attempting to cast off but for some reason I was confident I knew what I was doing. :/ Needless to say, the casting off stage of my knitting project was a big FAIL! :( But that's okay, I wont let myself get discouraged, because the only real failure in life is to never try again. As Mr. Ford put it, "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."

Cast off FAIL!

top view of the last stitch, the cast off.

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. ~Thomas Edison

LOL! so true Mr. Edison, so true! :D

The Start of Something New...and Fun:)

I have a new love :) my Knifty Knitter. I could not get into crocheting; it was hard keeping up with counting stitches, making sure the hook was going into the right stitch, my tension was always too tight or way too loose, and the list goes on. One evening while celebrating the tenth anniversary with a very dear friend, she pulled out this circular looking thing with pegs on it. She began looping yarn around it and with a cute hook cranked out a soft pretty scarf. I thought to myself as I watched her, hey, I think I can do that. She said it was easier than crocheting so I decided to give it a try. So I went out with my sister and friend and went knifty knitter hunting and got a good deal on some pretty yarn. (It's soft too :D)

My Knifty Knitter :)

This is how far I have come with the Knifty Knitter so far.... :)

Stitches up close and personal :)

I have a while to go as I am learning as I go. I look forward to making scarves, hats, purses and more. :) I wont give up totally on crocheting, I will one day go back and try my hands at it again, but not today. Today I live and love the knifty knitter!

February 2011 Blog Award

I'm late this month getting out the shout outs for all the wonderful blogs I am fortunate to have found. This month's award is an AWESOME award which goes to a group of bloggers who have inspired me to get off my toush and be more proactive in my writing goals.

Musings of a Novelista I love Karen's blog/website. She is so full of wonderful tips and insights. I love how she shares her experiences with us and is never short of encouragement! :) I am always inspired to get back to writing (or at least thinking) after reading her blog posts. Thank you Karen! I'm so glad to have met you (even if it is in cyberspace :D)

This next AWESOME blog is actually written by a group of wonderful writers, however, I follow Katrina L Lantz who is a member blogger of Operation Awesome. I really like this blog. They offer lots of fun contest for serious writers, blog/author interviews, great tips and advice and fun to read and think about post.

Heather's Odyssey Now this blogger is just wonderful. Not only does give excellent tips and heads up on agent/publisher related news (love her twitter Tuesday posts :D) but she is an awesome writer, just check out her Friday Feature Creature posts! :D I was inspired by Heather's awesome conference report and enthusiasm from what she learned at the conference she recently attended. I decided to take the first step in my writing career and register to attend my very first conference this coming April! :D

So, if you are looking for some wonderful blogs to follow, check out these wonderful ladies of the blogosphere.

Happy 3rd.....to me! :)

It is my 3 year anniversary at the childcare center where I work! :) It is amazing how fast time goes by. I was just recently reminiscing with a parent the other day just how big her son had gotten and how I have watched him grow over the years. When I first started, I worked as a float in the infant/toddler unit He was not more than 6 or seven months. Later, I was promoted to co-lead teacher in the young toddler room. I had him in my class for a year. We were very close as he remembered me from the infant room. Then he turned two. I continued to witness his development and growth as he went from the two's classroom to preschool. Now I have his baby sister and his cousin (yes, his auntie made sure her son came to my class when he turned one :D) in my classroom along with three other younger siblings of children who grew up and learned with me in Homebase B.

Another parent happen to see the large yellow congratulation sign posted outside my classroom and commented just how happy he was to have me as his children's teacher and congratulated me on my three years. I have to say, I was very pleased and honored, though honestly, it does not feel like it had been THAT long. Time did not seem to pass so quickly. But leave to Aaron, a funny teacher who likes to keep us all happy and laughing reminding me that I indeed had been there for a loooooong time. He said in a very calm, nonchalant, not trying to be funny way, "How does it feel to be the oldest teacher in the toddler unit?" "You are the senior toddler teacher, the toddler unit matriarch!" Bless his heart, he was trying to congratulate me and put me on a pedestal but all he did was remind me just how long it had been! :) But I would not change a thing and I hope and pray I have many more years to offer my love, care and professional abilities to many more generations of children to come!

Bookaholic I Am!

I have been on a book binge these past few weeks. The problem is I work one minute's walking distance from a Barnes and Noble. :D While my paycheck does not allow for me to shop till I drop but they have bargain prices, sales ( I have a B&N rewards card) and publisher remainder sales that make buying often affordable for me. My latest adventure into B&N came as I waited for my younger sister to get out of class and pick me up from work. It was a late class so I had a good hour kill. There are a ton of eateries in the shopping center but I was not hungry so naturally I found myself surrounded by books. I started off in the science fiction section, found a few interesting titles but decided to pass since I had just finished reading a SciFi book. I wanted to explore other genres. So, I went down stairs to the bargain shelves and spent almost forty minutes picking up books only to find something more interesting. Now, I am a bit weird when it comes to shopping for books. I actually have way more fun book cover shopping (as in window shopping but with book covers instead) then actually buying a book and taking it home to read! But tonight was not the night for book cover shopping! I found some interesting non-fiction books that peaked my curiosity. The first book caught my eye when I entered the store. It is called, "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Herbs." Now, I got this book because I love knowing what different herbs are good for whether for cooking or healing purposes. I love how this book is compact but has really nice illustrations. You also get little tid-bits of historical facts about herbs and natural medicines.


The second book I got was, "Children's Amazing Places Encyclopedia." I am a sucker for great photograph and quick facts about geography. I love learning about new places, people and cultures. The photographs in this book are just breathtaking. With each turning page I say, "I want to visit here next," "This is my next destination!" or, "I'm adding this to my Bucket List of places to go before I die."



The third book was another reference book. I live in the NorthWest and there are a lot of Native American Cultures here. I recently went to a Pow Wow and was wowwed! So when I saw this book, I really wanted to get it and learn more about not only just the tribes in this area but Native American History as a whole. The Historical Atlas of Native Americans fit the bill.


Now, a trip to B&N would not be complete if I did not find at least one fiction tale to tickle my imagination. I have had my eyes on this book for a while. "Among the Mad," is detective novel and the main character is a female psychologist/detective. So I am really excited to get into this story



So there you have it. I am a bookaholic and I am proud of it!

Happy Reading!!