We attended Tim and Debbie's Devotional meeting on Sunday, which is held once a month in their home. Here, Mauricio is singing a Baha'i prayer. November 12th is a Baha'i Holy Day, the Birth of Baha'u'llah.

Debbie prepared writings and prayers as part of the program, and Raul helped her with music selections.

Raul has the sweetest temperament, very quick to offer a grin.

This is Issac, oldest son of Tim and Debbie. I think I've known Issac since he was about four years old, and it seems just like yesterday that he was Raul's age. I cannot help but wonder where all that time has gone.

And, this is last photo is of George and Rahmat on one of the hikes we took this weekend, one at Woodland Park in Puyallup and the other in the Pack Forest near Mt. Rainier. I wasn't certain how long we'd be gone, or how cold it was going to be, so I packed hearty sandwiches (cheese and salmon, with broccoli coleslaw on whole wheat), a thermos of home-made minestrone soup, and lime yogurt. The minute George saw the sandwiches, he devoured his, before we even hit the trail. Rahmat and I waited, carrying them in our back-packs. This time of year I carry emergency supplies in every pack, so that if we get lost and have to separate, everyone has the essentials for survival - food, water, fire-starters, rope, first-aid kit, paper and pens, phones and ponchos.

I enjoyed the vines entangling this tree. What a strong, durable life-grip. Everything inching upward into any available light.

I haven't posted for awhile, as I've raided our public library. I've checked out so many books it took two trips out to the car to get them home. Of course, one, "The Treasures of Islamic Art in the Museums of Cairo" by Bernard O'Kane, seemed to weigh a ton. The photographs in this book are simply exquisite. Islamic art is foremost about the divine, and the form and rhythms of even the most utilitarian objects bear something of the essence of the Islamic faith: divine unity, balance, and peace.

"Once Upon a Country - A Palestinian Life" by Sari Nusseibeh is not only an autobiography but also the story of Nusseibeh's country, a work of depth, compassion and emotional power. Nusseibeh - now a university president - has family roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. His father has served as the governor of Jerusalem.

"The Mountains of Serbia" by Anne Kindersley (1976) offers glimpses into the lives of the Serbs and Albanians. This is a travel book, beginning with two short historical sketches which provide a background for the main narrative. The Serbian landscape has great Byzantine churches with old wall paintings which the author explains in detail. The author describes rich folktales, ancient chronicles and hymns, epic poems, and the daily simple life in the late 60's.

Another book I'm skimming is "Cathay - A journey in Search of Old China" by Fergus M. Bordewich (1991). He goes into the remote areas, through lost cities of the Taklamakan desert, through misty mountains, and along the gorges of the Yangzi. Pilgrims, hermits, Tibetan mountaineers, and Red Guards befriend him along the way.