And so we meet once again. I really don’t know how to introduce this answer section so let me tell you a story of a young girl who befriended my sister and would come over almost every day after school. While watching my mum arrange toppings on our pizzas, she politely said, “I’ll just have ham and pineapple on mine.” Or maybe I shall tell you of the young boy who lived behind our house. He would visit us just so he could eat white bread (his mother only bought wholemeal.)

And that is the end of my story.

can you believe ‘Crazy John’ (aka Br john Ilhan) has died?? inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon. I feel so sad for his wife (another convert :) ) and their young daughters. When the angel of death comes…

not much of a question, but it’s a start. quite a depressing start, actually. sorry!

he also has an 8 month old son! this just gets sadder and sadder. subhanAllah.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon. How terribly sad. My duas to his wife and children. Death is always tragic and heartbreaking but so much more so when it is sudden and unexpected and the departed so young. Just imagine what this poor woman is going through..and her children!

okay, i know i’m just filling your comments with blathering. will stop now. feel free to delete these!

I will do no such thing. It’s sad and but also a reminder that we never know how long we have on this Earth. Take every opportunity to tell those close by how much they mean to us and never harbour grudges or stay angry.

P.S I love you Susan and please come to stay. You guys need to come here and we are here. It’s settled. Call me with dates.

mummyjaan on October 23, 2007 6:49 pm

Hmmm…. Salam alaikum. Make room for me again.Reading your last answers, I came to know that you’re a vet. The last time I read a vet was when I read “All Creatures Great and Small” by James Herriot. Tell me, do you really come across scenarios like the first chapter of that book? (Doing an internal version of some sort and then delivering a calf on a cold winter morning, with an unsympathetic disdainful farmer in the background)

Walaikum asalaam. There is always room for you dear mummyjaan. Do you know I must be the only vet who hasn’t read James Herriot. I have the the book on my bookshelf, does that count? Yes, vets do come across the cow unable to calve for any number of reasons and the annoyed farmer who, having tried everything first decides that he had better get the professional in after 6 hours of trying himself. Cows usually decide to experience dystocia (difficult birthing) on cold and rainy mornings. I can recall assisting in a caesarian section on a downed cow in the middle of a paddock while I was a student. I had to hold the umbrella to stop rain from entering the sterile *cough* surgical field. But that is what I love about cows – they aren’t wusses. The most stoic of all farm animals. After delivering a healthy calf and suturing, we pushed her up and she walked away with her wobbly calf following close behind without so much as a glimpse in our direction let alone a thank-you. Stoic. I never said grateful.

alyndabear on October 23, 2007 6:58 pm

My question is… why has my brain gone blank and it is only TUESDAY?

Oh dear, it’s a bit like that isn’t it? It’s a little known fact that children are brain suckers. Not in the zombie-eat-your-brain type but they do magical things with our brain and we are left unable to do the simplest of things such as BE RATIONAL and have LOGICAL THOUGHT processes. In actual fact thought of any kind becomes increasingly difficult. Which is why we find children so irresistible and can forgive them anything. It’s their survival mechanism.

You my dear are responsible for 25 children (if the NSW education system is anything like QLD) so your thought processes are diminished 25 times the normal (legal) limit. But do not fret. Antidotes are in the form of adult conversation (and I don’t mean adult as in RUDE stuff – get your minds out of the gutters this instant!) hot baths and chocolate. Preferably at once.

umm-fi-ard on October 23, 2007 8:20 pm I think my neighbour’s dog is a bullmastiff but I think I described another neighbour’s dog to you. The dogs look quite similar with dark brown fur and a white patch underneath. Too slim to be st bernards though.The neighbour’s dog on the left of the picket fence looks like a male and perhaps my neighbour’s (with the toddler) dog is a female. They also have chickens. Hey, but no worries Tasmiya, I ‘ll ask her before my older son decides to accept her invitation to play in her backyard. (She came over to ours today). gosh, the tuesday qt I wanted to ask you was.. gosh what was it?.. (mind has gone blank) will be back with qt on wednesday or following day, godwilling.

Bull mastiff of course! They are much prettier than bull dogs. They have that squashed in face but not to extreme. And they are mostly gentle giants albeit a little on the stupid side. I am not sure of the one you are now describing but I hope you will laugh at my little tale: We have a bull mastiff/great dane mixed breed dog next door. He has brown roan and white patches and is quite large. My 2 year old (at the time) peeked through the gaps in the fence and asked “Can dogs be cows?”

Could perchance your neighbour have a cow?

I await your next question eagerly!

Irving on October 23, 2007 11:59 pm

Here’s one: My daughter-in-law has a seven month old baby girl, Alhamdulillah! She also has a four year old three-legged cat named Murphy, a big tomcat who seems to be jealous of the baby and has scratched her a couple of times. Does anyone want a three-legged cat? Or is there a way to overcome the cat’s natural tendency?

Oh grandfather Irving. Alhamdulillah! The best age would have to be 6 months to 18 months (long before the stage of negativism.) It’s not uncommon for our feline friends to be put out (figuratively and literally) when a new baby arrives in the home. I don’t think it’s time to start looking for a new home just yet although of course safety of the child must remain paramount and if cat is hell bent on hurting her then he has to go.

If Murphy is indeed a tom may I just say this very quietly and men you are most welcome to cross your legs now castrate castrate castrate It sounds very cruel but it does prevent a lot of problems – prostate problems, roaming, aggression, fighting (which is how FIV -feline equivalent of HIV – is spread) and spraying…. plus tom cat pee has to be the most malodorous of urines that I have come across in my life (I have encountered many.)

Of course I am sure your daughter-in-law is ensuring Murphy is not left alone with her child. I know it’s hard with children and goodness knows new mothers never get time for themselves but if she can schedule a 10 minute cat only time in the morning, something regular that Murphy can look forward to, he will be more than happy to share the rest of the time with baby.

Your granddaughter can always get her own back when she is older and dress him up in frilly dresses, strap him into the stroller and wheel him around the backyard. Please take pictures. Bless.

Ya Haqq!

UmmInayah on October 24, 2007 10:00 am

I have a question for you! (This is your sister, btw :) )

While looking after 3 beautiful boys (masha Allah), where do you find the time to blog?!

What on Earth are you doing on the computer and don’t you have a child to attend to? For shame..well I never..as I live and breathe ..I will be calling Today Tonight this instant – mothers neglecting their babies etc etc. How is she? What is she doing now? How come we don’t see you anymore? Are you going to Eidfest?

I find time to blog because I MAKE time. Which is why I am so far behind with my laundry, ironing and general cleaning of the house and organising my life in other ways. So the times I really should be ironing or mopping the floor, I blog (not all the time, mind.) PLEASE DO NOT TELL MUM! My boys are well fed and sometimes they’re bored but I never neglect them to spend time on the computer.

umm-fi-ard on October 24, 2007 12:42 pm

How’s your book club going and have you tackled Moby Dick yet?

We have thrown Moby Dick overboard but not before stabbing him with harpoons and punching him and extracting blubber. Lord knows I was blubbering all the way through it. We have all decided that to keep this book club going we will have to let him go and never invite him back. Boring so-and-so that he is. I only got about a quarter of the way through and one of our book club readers only managed the FIRST chapter. Another was still persevering and said that it had only NOW got exciting and she was nearly finished. Our new book should you wish to join us and you are very welcome to (call me!) is Vanity Fair by William Thackery. I am devouring this book but am embarrassed to say I think it may be because good ol’ Bill might have been the Jackie Collins of his time. It’s scandalous!

susan on October 24, 2007 3:46 pm

and now- REAL questions: Who do you think will win the (Australian) election? who do you WANT to win (okay, you can give that one a miss if you like; i know voting practices are often meant to be a provate affair)? and since you live in Brisbane, have you ever seen Pauline Hanson, IRL? ;)

I think Australia will vote for a conservative, power hungry man. Make of that what you will. Who do I want to win? I don’t know why it’s so hard to find somebody who actually CARES for the country. Is it too much to ask for a leader who will spend money where it’s needed (EDUCATION, HEALTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE.) What depresses me most is that the majority of the people don’t look at the big picture and seem to vote purely on how much money they will get out of it. I can understand it to a degree but it still causes me anguish that the reason people like John Howard are in power is because people VOTED them in. I’m probably going to vote Greens – I don’t even know if there is a Greens candidate in my electorate – I might just pencil one in on the ballot paper – with second preference to Labor. In any case I will be crying most of 25th November if John Howard wins again. (see previous post)

As for Pauline – Oh. My. Gosh. I just recently discovered I live in the federal electorate of OXLEY – where the fiery vixen herself won. Ever since then I have been eying my neighbours and strangers in local shopping centres wondering which one of them voted for One Nation and whether or not I should punch them. I was in Adelaide when she was popular so thank goodness have never seen her in real life. It is indeed a blessing really for I do not think I could stop myself from screaming out “Please explain? I’m a backdoor man, trees and shrubs, I’m not human! No, I’m not human. Circular driveway! David (Oldfield) says you’re dropped! Large serving of chips. NO chicken salt, thanks. etc etc.”

Fin

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