Allure

Jordanian Hen Party

These pictures are from a hen party for a Jordanian bride-to-be whose family we know. In the 6th photo, the girl is performing a comedic skit. In the 11th picture, the bride-to-be has just finished performing a ritual in which she pressed the Koran to her forehead three times. In the 12th picture, her mother and sister are facing her.
Dancing is present at most parties in this region, so the ladies took turns dancing with the bride-to-be. Only women were present at the soiree.

"Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled." ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The photos in this post were taken at the Humane Center for Animal Welfare in Amman, Jordan. The center takes care of pets whose owners are away, injured or abandoned animals, performs surgeries and offers animals for adoption. There are dogs, cats, owls, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, chickens, ducks, tortoises, horses, donkeys, and even a vulture (though they aren't all pictured here). Some of the animals have suffered cruel treatment, such as one donkey which had been severely burned by its owner. At HCAW, however, they are promised love and care.

Essence

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."~Matt 19:14

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."~Henry James

This post is composed of photos that I took when we visited the weekend home of a former Jordanian congressman. His family treated us to mansaf, the Jordanian national dish, which is basically pieces of mutton atop rice that has been cooked in goat milk. The garden overlooks a stunning vista of craggy mountains and plunging valleys. It was a sweltering day, but a beautiful summer afternoon nonetheless.