Houston Lebanese Festival this past weekend. An amazing experience and two magical days. Thought I'd share a telling comment from one of the festival attendees, one with no ties to Lebanon: "I am very glad I came to the festival yesterday. I had a very unique experience.... The feel, the vibe, art, people and words were all magical… I went to bed reminiscing about it... Woke up today but I'm still in yesterday's thoughts. I'm very fortunate to see it, experience and feel it

One of the most beloved Lebanese traditions is the weekend sobhiyeh (in reference to morning)-the almost sacred morning family get together around a fresh pot of coffee or nescafé and whatever sweets are available around the house. When I was a young child, the task of making the coffee for the sobhiyeh was my dad's. He arranged 5 coffee cups and saucers on the rectangular colorful plexi tray and proudly carried it to the balcony or the family room where my mom, my two younge

""... Caressed by the sun, the breeze and the neighbors' loving eyes." Now I'm writing odes to clothelines! "Who woulda thunk!"" Dima Suki ______________________________________________________________________ Back in my childhood days, people hung their wet laundry outdoors on clotheslines suspended from their balconies. They pinned them right there for the world to see, and the world, of course, took notes. Though unwritten, the score cards were no less real. They told o

Continuation of my previous post ... As children, we never understood all the excitement and joy my grandma felt when we visited her. Sure, we loved her and had missed her too but what was the big deal about... It is only as we become parents that we understand the joy our parents and grandparents feel from having their kids around and being able to take care of them and their every need and whim, as they did when they were still little... the sense of fulfilment and wholenes

Another of my cherished discovery escapades through the streets of Beirut. Passing through a heavily populated low middle class neighborhood, hoping for a treasured sight to capture with my camera but not finding it. I had almost given up when, finally!! An old weathered traditional home, shyly tucked between two tall characterless buildings. On its wall was a notice of imminent demolition. At its door sat a little lady, as old as the walls behind her. I greeted her. True to

Side by side we still stand, you and me. Under the smoldering suns of life and its ravaging rains. Through its soft dreamy breezes and its long gentle embraces. Older, sure. Duller, maybe. But also richer with loads of great memories, inside jokes and endearing secrets, and volumes of stories rivaling those of a storyteller. Did I tell you lately that you are still as beautiful in my eyes as the first time we stood side by side, united for life? My heart still skip

Which one of you sleeping beauties will call my name and come home with me today? Do you ever wonder about the law of attraction? In this big pile, what made me fall in love with that very pot? Is it an inherent characteristic of my chosen one or just mere destiny? Who knows... I found my loved one and the rest is history. #aphotoaday #stilllife #stilllife #stilllifephotography #stilllifegallery #patina #patinaperfection #artisan #handmade #pottery #belovedobjects #livelove

Season after season, year after year, it filled up, emptied then filled up again... in an endless cycle. Pine cones, walnuts, pomegranates, apples, olives, lavender stems, sumac branches, wild thyme, wild flowers, wood for the fireplace, and the list goes on... As the seasons changed, it proudly boasted a medley of crops with a rainbow of colors, smells, flavors, and textures--bounties from the generous surrounding patches of obstinately fertile soil. . Visions of happy care