Rainchecks

now when you talk about this in UK you dont need the check part because there is usually rain, or chance of it.. but I have a new found love for rainchecks here in Canada. This is a totally unrelated Ramadhan post to be warned :) Here, there are many stores who do weekly deals unlike what I see in UK.. although its sometimes annoying that eventhough there are offers for 2, 3, 4 items if u want the 1 its the same price as buying the 2 on sale, like... 2 bottles of coke for $2, but if you buy 1 its $1, they arent deals the supermarkets are trying to get rid of stock. Anyways, I digress, last week I saw that Canadian tire (yes thats tyre to those Brits out there) they were selling an ipod 3-in-1 transmitter for the car for $10 from the usual $30 so I popped along to the store figuring 'well, I have an ipod that will be going back to the UK with me, and I also will be travelling by car in the future (whether my own or someone elses) so why not?!' When I got there they had sold out so, raincheck it was, they give you a slip, take your phone number and allow you to gain the purchase for the sale price when they receive the product in the future which is usually that week. Today after not hearing from them and deciding to venture outside to do things I popped in to the a different location to find they had some in and picked one up :D and I love it!!! I plug it in to my cigarette lighter, flick a switch to find a dead radio station and hey presto.. I wish I had bought it last time I saw the offer I would have used it on my trip to Michigan when I was listening to Islam: a short history by Karen Armstrong masha'allah. Allahu alim, at least now I can listen to stuff properly on my way up to my mums or anywhere else I decide to go. Well worth the money! brilliant investment alhamdulillah.
On other news, yesterday I received my firearms license :D brand spanking new card with hijabi on underneath the title FIREARMS LICENSE / PERMIS D'ARMES A FEU, POSSESSION / ACQUISITION its soo cool and I love it!!
What other news do I have? cant really think of much really... i have learnt the english of surah at-takathur masha'allah so insha'allah I will have it down by the end of the week.. Im working this weekend, so gives me time to catch up on my quran reading (im on the right part - 10- just going slowly) and get that arabic in my head.
Im going to leave it at that for now :) I know I havent blogged recently, with taraweeh, quran reading and generally living its been away from my mind. Im enjoying the time away from it masha'allah but then i still go through life making mental notes to 'blog about that later'
Peace and salams, Ammena

One less thing on my list

So after looking back to check the flights last night I saw that from the previous night they have increased by $200 :( I called my mum and told her, and we went through the whole... 'I dont think you have enough money, I dont think youve thought this through, why does it have to be that date?' in response to these comments (I didnt tell her them obviously) she thinks I dont have enough money but when I tell her what I do have shes says 'well that could pay off your student loan' not thinking it through means that she already senses (and has told me) that Im not telling her everything :( this date? what when Ive already changed it so many times for her.. I think this is her pushing it further, I mean come on... I told her I was doing it by the end of the year in April, she was fine with me not being here at xmas. When I told her end of sept I mistakenly said beginning on oct, to which she replied.. well if its october at least stay for stepdads bday (oct 28th) which I am.. so then I decided end of oct right after her bday but there are little in flights.. so now its November 4th!!! yes!! booked!!! woohoo.. and I just emailed the confirmation to bro A too heehee... pray for me girls :) I did tell her I was booking it, so whether she thinks after our 'chat' Im going to change my mind who knows... Allahu alim.. she also made comments about my dad which I cant handle right now.. and told me not to sponge off my grandad, hello?!?! who brought me up?? astagfrillah...

My scar

I was told today that my scar almost looks like a tattoo!!
should I be pleased? I think not!! :P

Month of August

So the month of august has been and gone, we are now into September and Im sitting down now to type out this post. Many of you may be thinking, shouldnt she really be doing something other that being on her computer during this holy month. Well, let me tell you... this is my output!! I have noone really to talk to around here, Ive read part 2 of the quran today and will start on more later insha'allah. So if you feel I should be on here less, well thats between me & my creator :) I feel ok with being on here, I have no tv so why shouldnt I use this tool that has been given to us to vent my life and to research my deen? Allahu alim.
Anyways, back to the topic in hand, what did I get up to last month.
To start with I had an amazing 4 days in Michigan with sis EyeS masha'allah, we had so much fun and Im so glad I went down to see her alhamdulillah *reminds myself to finish off email to her* we spent time just hanging out and talking till dawn, just like the good old days :) and I cant wait for her to come visit me in UK insha'allah
Then when I got back I had my pre leaving party, I think I did blog about it here. It was soo nice to see all my friends there after such a long time, everyone wasnt there but alhamdulillah it was nice to see some people who I didnt think would have turned up. Masha'allah, they all made me feel really special and welcome, I almost thought about staying here in Canada. lol... only joking!! calm down everyone :P Was so good to spend that time away though,
It was in all a very busy first week of August because the day after my party I went to Muslimfest in Mississauga :) Ive been for the past 3 years now and summer just wouldnt be the same without it.. yeh people say its boring, I usually spend on things I dont need (but not this year alhamdulillah) and I get frustrated with havng to coordinate with my friends usually.. but I think Im really going to miss it next year if Im not here. Will see.
The next week miss eyeS came to canada for a surprise visit :) well not a surprise for me, but she hadnt expected too and it was good to spend quite a few hours with her :) we went to MY veggie restaurant, value village and just chilled around :) she made me, yes u heard me.. made me buy a new hijab in value village ($4) it is gorgeous though, ive had issues in the 2 times Ive worn it but I think Ive figured out the problem. Its a square scarf which I usually wear by pinning under my chin then using a straight pin to hold one end on the opposite side of my head and a safety pin to hold the other end on the opposite shoulder.. the one pinned at my head means I have 2 layers of this material over my ear and I have this constant echo and problem with not hearing well :P so next time, it will have to be pinned on the shoulder too :P
I also went out for coffee with a friend :) I havent seen her in awhile, since just after she gave birth a few months ago.. and this time was without both her kids so was nice to just chat. We talked about my plans for the future and I questioned her on her 'next baby' heehee insha'allah.
The Premiership started :) yay.. we lost our first game :( won the next and lost the next.. i pray this isnt an insight of what is to come.. especially since I just heard that Manchester City has been bought by a guy from Dubai!! yes thats where the money is!! So, hes been buying up the players... who would have thought I would have seen Man City win the cup.. what do u think? they in with a chance?
It was my mums bday :) I sent her some flowers to work, and surprised her by taking some time off over my work weekend. It was also the anniversary of my nana's death 1 year ago.
I went for brunch with a girl from my department whos on MAT leave, shes due back mid september... we had fun and ate yummy breakfast grub :P
I had Nadia over for some time and we had major giggles :) heehee.. she makes me feel like a little kid sat on the back of the bus talking about stupid things on the way to school :D and i appreciate her totally for it, alhamdulillah.
That seems to be it really.. I started 2 new sewing projects, one actually for me :P so will post some WIP photos soon insha'allah. I finished my book 'scattered pictures' by Imam Zaid Shakir masha'allah good collection of essays on many global topics.

On an islamic note
I learnt surah al-fil and I have decided to start surah at-Takathur just because there is quite a bit of repitition in it which makes learning easier for me.
no duaas learnt :(
no fasting done :(
Sorted out some books to read over Ramadhan, including my quran masha'allah.

So peeps.. what did u get up to? did we have fun? :) ok, back to my sewing or reading.
Peace and salams, Ammena

29 degrees celcius

... is too much full stop!! Let alone in hijab! Let alone while having to be outside! Let alone, on top of all this.. fasting too!
But I would feel totally useless and devoid of meaning if I had to stay in side for the whole month

And it starts

First and fore mostly Ramadhan mubarak to the portion of the ummah who reads my blog :) I pray that this month we keep on top of things, remember our creator and our brothers & sisters around us. I started fasting today, as most of the world probably has alhamdulillah... I woke up eventually to find an email from toronto muslims stating they will start on tuesday as no moon was actually seen last night. So what to do? My masjid started taraweeh prayers last night, so Im going with them... as much as I would love to be fasting from tomorrow because it would mean I can take this bank holiday outside in the gorgeous weather somewhere like Niagara or something. Alas, Allahu alim :) Anyways, I got to the masjid yesterday to find a good car turn out, a below normal male turn out and a good female turn out alhamdulillah. I was too impressed with the recitor, he was very monotonous and just seemed like he wanted to get it done. We finished 8 rakah in about 45/50 mins... it wasnt the speed that he did it with more the tone of his voice. But insha'allah he gains his rewards for the next life and we get to listen to different people during this month.
Insha'allah Im going again tonight, Ive decided that every night I can make it i will... except when Im working the next day. I just spoke with a friend I havent seen in awhile and shes invited me around for iftar before she leaves the country (she told me where shes going, but i cant remember :P) So thats someone to break it with, Nadia wanted me to go to hers tonight to break fast, but I really dont think Ill be driving all that way.. esp if I want to pray too. Ive decided somewhat on where Im going to put some of my zakat insha'allah and Ive picked out a few books from my library to read through now my tv is off :) For now Im off... to get ready for dhuhr, may Allah (swt) listen and accept all the duaas from the ummah and allow us to see through Ramadhan to the next.