February 18, 2014

"It's definitely a boy--undoubtedly," said the doctors. "You should call him Alexander."
...And very faint and far away, down through the snow-capped peaks of Kafiristan (now Nuristan) I could suddenly hear the roar of a chant-- "Sikander! Sikander! Sikander!"

February 16, 2014

I think we've had our big snow for this winter. Unfortunately, it was the only really "sticky" one. Compared to the last couple of years, this winter was comparatively dry.

Still, it wasn't a bad time to settle down with a nice cup of tea in a patriotic mug.



Almost the best part of this mug (made in China) is the tag which came with it, the purport of which, if you find it illegible, I will now proceed to relate:

I was a ceramic cup, I will break--please love me!
If you are not careful, broke up. Please avoid you have
been cut. Thank you for the use of.

February 9, 2014

The sensations of pregnancy are many and various...I won't go into the gory details. However, the one sensation that, as far as I know, is unique to pregnancy, is difficult to describe.
What exactly DOES it feel like when you wake up one day to find yourself host to a pocket version of Amos, reduced in size, perhaps, but without his father's energy and windmill enthusiasm for life diminished in the least?
Let's just say that this baby is dancing hornpipes where he shouldn't more often than not.

February 5, 2014

Among the nicest of the things we did in the Emirates was to go for an evening boat ride (with dinner) on the Dubai "Creek" actually a large ocean inlet.  Unfortunately Amos wasn't feeling so well...he likes boats, but he was coming down with a bad cold. Even so it was a beautiful evening, with all the water and reflected lights.

February 2, 2014

Amos and I enjoyed four days in sunny Ajman (an Emirate near Dubai.) We went to the beach, the park, and one of the largest malls in the world. We ate fresh fruit and salad almost exclusively (at least I did) except for one memorable morning at a doughnut shop.

Since shopping is the national sport of the Emirates, we got into the spirit of things and bought scented candles, chocolate chips, and some new cologne for Amos.

 Amos and I at the beach park in Sharqa, another Emirate. I'm feeling fully human for the first time in months.

 

Overt displays of affection are prohibited in the public parks...however, slip-ups happen, and are sometimes accidentally recorded for posterity.