These are the things we’re enjoying this week…besides the beach…and the sun…and the pool…

As you can see from the above picture, the grasshoppers are HUGE!

Then there’s the resident peacock.

And the plethora of lizards–too many to count…

And the turtles…

And the gardens (this is important because school was canceled back home today because of a blizzard!)…

Maybe the actual thrill is seeing something for the first time, through a little one’s eyes.  The wonder, the amazement, the happy squeals…

In other news, I’ve been stalling on a fantastic post (one that will alienate me from so many people!)–I’m kidding, but not really–

Currently, I’m reading Mother of the Believers: A Novel of the Birth of Islam by Kamran Pasha.  The novel is in the voice of Aisha, one of Muhammad’s many wives (but his favorite, supposedly).  Since Aisha was literate (Muhammad was not), she documented many of his revelations for posterity.  The book is her fictionalized account of the birth of Islam and the life she lived with her husband.

It’s fascinating, to say the least.  But not only because I’ve never read anything about Muhammad.  It opens a can of worms on the origins of all religions, in my humble opinion.  I’m trying to finish the book before I comment fully.

Stay tuned.

[Post image: Liliana at our villa.  “Ah, look, Mama!  Poor grasshopper; he’s dead!”]