Happy Halloween

From a very reluctant HuggaMutt!!

Okay here.

Only minor damage here in our downtown.  We are fine; Husband RJ's mom came to ride out the storm here.  For another night, I guess.

RJ and I have a date tonight.  "West Side Story" is playing at our Clemens Center.  The first performance was last night, and the intrepid cast was rewarded by even more intrepid local residents who braved the windstorm to attend.

"West Side Story" was the theme music for our wedding. "A Time For Us" is Our Song.

I know I am going to bawl my eyes out tonight.  "We're going to rock it tonight!"

pb

FOR MALALA

So.  The Taliban boarded a school bus and shot a little girl for speaking her mind.  The worldwide outcry is still resounding, and getting louder, day by day.

And.  The Taliban says they will try again to kill her, if she won't shut up.  Of course, they probably will botch that job again, too...

And.  Muslims around the world are beginning to condemn the Taliban, and all Islamic extremists.  Finally.

So...

Wouldn't it be amazing if it turns out that WOMEN become the activists that bring down the Muslim extremists?

What can we do to support and protect such brave women?  How can we save their lives while they work for what is rightfully theirs?

I am no Quranic Scholar, but I've read enough of the Koran to come to the conclusion that Mohammed, the Last Prophet, received revelations that were intended to bring about a sort of EQUITY if not EQUALITY between the sexes.

At the time, the Koran was very, very (in fact scandalously) progressive in that respect.  Women are expected to learn and practice their religion, and we must facilitate it.

So...

The Taliban is sinning against the Koran, handed down from Allah by the Angel Raphael to the Last Prophet Mohammed.  It is the birthright of all Islamic women to right this wrong.

And it is our duty, especially in our own homelands, to honor, protect, and assist these women--and girls!--in their fight for the right to learn to read and write and practice their religion.

Is the Muslim world up to it?  Are we?

We can begin by honoring the Hijab (veil).  I am against laws that prohibit the wearing of the hijab.  Here in the U.S.A. we allow and respect veils on our Catholic nuns, yamulkes for Orthodox Jews, both veils and hats for Hasidic Jews, not to mention the caps and hats worn by Amish and related sects.  Is it so hard to include hijabs and turbans?

So.  Come one, America!  Freedom of religion, or not?

Honoring the Hijab is an easy step.  Try it.  Rather than stare, ask about it.   Some will be happy to instruct you, others may be too shy.  At least respect it.

I was raised to respect priestly and monastic habits. 

It's not much of a stretch.

pb
Little Pond

 

I've been looking for a lovely, red tree to show you this fall.  Unfortunately, a long hot, dry summer and a damp, warm fall has given us a lackluster leaf-peeping season around these parts.  Our yard is surrounded by rock maples, and they turn yellow.  So yellow we got!

 

Could be worse.  Last year we didn't even get much yellow

If you absolutely must have red, here are some shots of bittersweet vines down by the river:

 

 

 

 Honestly, we are mostly browns and yellow this year. And the RiverDog is terribly arthritic, so trips are limited to sunny, warmer days for now.

 

pb

Little Pond