Some pre-vacation pampering and experimentation to see if the glucosamine I’ve been taking makes my nails strong enough to be both long *and* shaped.

Attempting to make the pod thing I was sitting in 😎

New fav

Late afternoon yoga and in no hurry to get home.

A Qatari style majilis. A majilis is an Arabic word meaning meeting or sitting place. During Ramadan, these tents were set up all over malls and other public spaces, and culturally they are found year round in peoples homes – kind of like an old school formal family room in American homes — a place to entertain guests that isn’t necessarily somewhere more personal the family hangs out in while alone.

This fabric pattern is also very popular, local to this region, and can be found everywhere.

Happy (early) 4th of July! This year, we turned our little corner of Doha into a mini – ‘Merica and threw a bbq/birthday party for friends.

(Most of) the spread:

A selection of Qatari chips + vegetarian chicharrones, deviled eggs, corn on the cob, watermelon/haloumi/pepita salad, classic potato salad, mango/ruby grapefruit salad, redneck Kool-Aid, watermelon cocktail.

Not pictured: burgers, turkey dogs, smoked beef kielbasa, and local spicy sausages.

And for dessert:

America cake! Plus peanut butter pie, which also didn’t make it to pictures.

We didn’t have fireworks, but a good time was had by all.

Operating under the assumption that she’s too smart to allow herself to get heat stroke.

It’s 103 F, and she switched to laying on her back (before falling over) right after this.

When, tf, did I start being drawn toward pink?

Rose – as both a scent and a taste, btw, is still horrid.

Another take on jellyfish