• Beach Bits,  my Persian emersion

    Fire Jumping!

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    We did some fire-jumping last night. It’s part of the Persian New Year which happens this coming Saturday. It’s customary for Persians to jump over fire seven times to cleanse themselves of the old year and get ready for the new year. But Payam tells me that most Persians just do it because it’s fun.
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    And it totally is! Yes, I did it too. At first I was afraid. What if I didn’t make it? What if I slipped or didn’t quite make it to the other side? Would I go up in flames or walk away with charred clothing? Payam just shook his head at my silliness. As far as he knows, no one has ever fallen into the fire on Chaharshambeh Suri (the fire jumping ceremony).
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    I learned about this custom last year and I really wanted to do it. I love bonfires at the beach and it seemed like the perfect festivity for me but with school night bedtimes and the rush of life we somehow missed it. So this year we planned ahead and had a quick dinner nearby so we could make it in time for sunset.

    Once we got there I realized I should have packed a picnic and had dinner right there on the beach! It would have been so cozy to pull up a chair by the fire, meet some new friends and enjoy a dinner al fresco, or at least a thermos of coffee or hot chocolate and marshmallows! What was I thinking? Obviously I wasn’t. But at least we made it there this year and now I can plan for next year!

  • 15 minute posts,  Beach Bits,  Bug,  Family Matters,  half assed posts,  Life Lessons,  Moody Blues,  Niece-com-poops,  spilling my guts

    The Monthly Check In

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    Yes, I admit it. I’m only blogging because I illustrated a new banner for March and I desperately want to roll off that last old moldy post from February. One post in the whole month of February? What’s up B!! I don’t know.

    I honestly don’t know how to answer what’s been going on with one neatly tied-up blog post. Work has been busy and exciting. Nothing I can share right now but you should see my work popping up elsewhere on the internet soon. The girls have been good.

    Bug is struggling in school, particularly with math and that is taking up a lot of real estate in my mind right now. Does anybody know a good tutor? I’m hopeless at helping her. I hired a woman to come by once a week but we won’t meet with her until the week after next and I already feel like it’s too late because fourth grade is three quarters of the way over already. I know Bug is smart and she’ll pull through but life has just been really challenging for her lately.

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    A few weeks ago my parents rented a campsite in Doheny Beach and we met them for dinner two nights in a row. There really is nothing like dinner right on the beach on a school night. The weather didn’t cooperate but it was still magical. I really loved being with my family, doing the things I remember doing when I was little. Camping is deep in my blood.
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    Joon loves being a part of my family and my parents have taken her in as their own. I think they were always disappointed in me that I only provided one grandchild so an extra kid is a welcome addition.
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    Joon fits right in like she does everywhere. She is naturally outgoing and gregarious and everyone loves her. Naturally, Bug is jealous of someone cute stealing her limelight.  I’m trying to be careful with Bug’s feelings while at the same time gently pushing her embrace having a little sister. It’s been a push and pull. Most of the time they are thick as thieves and they get along great but then Bug will lash out with rudeness and it’s lesson after lesson after lesson in exercising kindness, which is exhausting. If you’re the praying type, maybe you could pray for Bug and her growing pains.payams-wood-working

    Payam has been busy woodworking. I can’t give you the link to his Etsy shop yet but it is in the works and promises to be very exciting!

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    Lucy the cat is helping with missing my cats. I do see them every week when I drop Bug off at Toby’s but it’s not the same. I’m so happy they have a loving home. Toby has fallen for them hard which is really really great. But I can’t say I am not jealous that he gets to have my cats. It’s a good thing that Lucy is adorable to help me not miss them so much.

    Wow. What a downer post. But please don’t think things are bad. They are really really good. Good enough that I have been able to take myself out of survival mode and notice the little things.