Cinnamon

 

Hi Natty!  Oh, you're back in Paris?  The news said that show was 2 days ago, so you might still be there.  How are they treating you?  Please make sure they treat you with respect.  You look positively marvelous, of course.  You are so beautiful.  I love you with all of my heart.

Well, it's time to make another batch of roast beef.  I usually make it once a month, snip it up into portions then freeze it.  I defrost it by the portion whenever I need a dose of animal flesh to keep the left shoulder pain away.  This time I roasted the beef with cinnamon.  Actually the cinnamon was part of a spice pack for beef bone soup, but the cinnamon was clearly the strongest member of the team today.  I used to make spaghetti sauce with a cinnamon stick in it all the time when I was younger.  Back in those days, I used to experiment with many different spaghetti sauces (my favorite one was the tomato/strawberry sauce!), but a cinnamon stick was always a part of the sauce.  I've stopped doing that but today, I thought maybe some cinnamon would make a difference in my routine.  It smelled great but flavor wise, it didn't make much difference.  The beef is all packed into the freezer now, and I'm using the drippings to make a batch of beans.  Do you like beans, Natty?  I think you may like my beans.  They're sweet without sugar.

Qur'an 20210930

 In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

37.  They say, "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?"  Say, "Allah has certainly power to send down a sign, but most of them understand not."

(The Cattle 6:37)

Sleepwalking again

 

Hi Natty!  How are you today, Honey?  I hope you are healthy, and having a fabulous time.  I'm so drowsy.  Mary knocked me out with her voice today, I thought my heart was going to stop.  I couldn't stay awake during the set.  I didn't really wake up until the last song.  What was that again... oh yeah, the theme for "Laverne and Shirley".  The cat in the video above is named Adolf.  My Adolf is talkative yes, but he has a higher pitched voice.  Kind of like Mike Tyson.  If my Adolf were human, he would be built like Tyson.  Bulky and heavy, muscle not fat.

I gave the Second Life viewer another chance today, and it decided to behave itself.  Alhamdulillah.  I view Shadowplay's relationship with Second Life as symbiotic.  How would they be if they selfishly left Mary and I to perish?  Today's snapshots were taken with Firestorm, though.  I really like this next photo.  The expression is so natural.  It looks so real, it's unreal.

Yet another another average day

 

Hi Natty!  Natty, you're so pretty.  Nice shirt.  And an even nicer neck.  I want to kiss and lick that neck.  I don't look good in everything and anything like you, but polo shirts seem to work for me.  I don't need to iron them either, which is handy.  Would you like to try wearing a sarong next?  A sarong should go well with your polo shirt.

Dammit, I hate the latest Second Life update!  I hate it when they force you to update, then the program runs worse.  I had to use Firestorm today for Mary Unknown7's session.  I had to update that too, but at least it's workable.  Maybe Second Life is telling me to get a new computer, but who's going to pay for it?  Them?

Yet another average day

 

Hi Natty!  Are you feeling all right, my beloved?  Aw don't you worry about a thing, everything will work out just right for us inshaAllah.  You are MY girl.  I love you with all of my heart, and I will marry you inshaAllah.  Oh, who's the cook?  That looks like a nice meal.  Should go just great with tortillas or pita bread.  Those portable gas burners sure are handy, if that was what you used.  I would have brought a BBQ to the beach, just for the scent of charcoal.  You can still put a pan on top of hot coals so that you can pan-fry the steak, and thus have better control of its doneness.  Then later sear the meat over the coals to get some of that burned taste and look.  Plus, I would have cooked the tomatoes last just for a 10 second sear.  But whatever, it all looks marvelous.  Life sure is a beach.

This morning, I drove out to the local DMV (here known as the JPJ) to renew the road tax on the motorcycle.  Apparently, the government is only allowing people who have had the full 2 dose vaccine into their offices.  So that vaccine card has become yet another ID card in my wallet.  Such are these modern times.  I had lunch downtown over at Omar's.  I like his rice vermicelli soup.  Omar sure has the right touch with that stuff.  My dinner wasn't as glamorous as your picnic, I'm afraid.  Just a cheeseburger with fries.  I had time in the evening to do a hihat track for Shadowplay's next album, "Rise of the Horizon Creature" aka "Search for the Beast".  It was sloppy.  I felt inhibited.  I can't really lash out with the drums here.  But we have to do the best we can with what we have.

Qur'an 20210927

 In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

11.  Say, "Travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who rejected truth."

12.  Say, "To whom belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth?"  Say, "To Allah."  God has inscribed for Godself mercy.  That God will gather you together for the Day of Judgment.  There is no doubt whatever.  It is they who have lost their souls, that will not believe.

13.  To God belongs all that dwells in the night and the day.  For God is the One Who Hears and Knows all things.

14.  Say, "Shall I take for protector any other than Allah, the Maker of the heavens and the earth?  And God it is that feeds but is not fed."  Say, "No, but I am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah, and be not of the company of those who join gods with Allah."

15.  Say, "I would, if I disobeyed my Lord, indeed have fear of the penalty of a Mighty Day."

16.  On that day, if the penalty is averted from any, it is due to God's Mercy, and that would be the obvious fulfillment of all desire.

17.  If Allah touched you with affliction, none can remove it but God.  If God touched you with happiness, God has power over all things.

18.  God is the Irresistible, from above God's worshippers, and God is the Wise, Acquainted with all things.

19.  Say, "What thing is most weighty in evidence?"  Say, "Allah is witness between you and me.  This Qur'an has been revealed to me by inspiration, that I may warn you and all whom it reaches."  Can you bear witness that besides Allah there is another God?  Say, "No!  I cannot bear witness!"  Say, "But in truth God is the One God, and I truly am innocent of joining others with God."

(The Cattle 6:11-19)

Just an average day

 

Hi Natty!  I had a dream about you last night.  It was a temperate rainforest, but it was brightly lit.  There was a clearing in the middle of the forest where the vegetation was short and the sun shined bright.  Moss and small flowers filled the area, growing in clear water about half an inch deep.

It's just an average day over here.  My Mom told me to buy some brooms.  These are straw or grass brooms, like you can see above.  My mother loves these brooms, she's been using them all her life, she's now 83 years old.  They are obviously biodegradable, but for the plastic handle and bindings.  These brooms are plentiful around here, and the cost is low.  Perhaps you might like to buy and resell them, and replace the plastic with hemp or kelp.  Locally these straw brooms are called "penyapu jerami".

Not much going on

 Hi Natty!  How are you today, my love?  I hope you are well, and enjoying yourself.  There's not much going on over here today other than the usual.  I swept the house first thing in the morning, then I had takeout lunch.  I didn't do any yard work today.  Instead I tried recording some drum fill for one of the songs on Shadowplay's next album, "Rise of the Horizon Creature" aka "Search for the Beast".  I had to do it as gently as possible so as not to antagonize my mother.  Being the drummer for Shadowplay is a very difficult job.  I don't know if I got the right take, I might have to manipulate it in order for it to sound acceptable.  Or try and try again.  Being gentle is difficult to do for something that's supposed to be loud and frightening.  I had beans for dinner.  That was a good batch of beans.  I bet if I manufactured that recipe into cans, it would sell like hell.  However, I'm out of the food business.  Contrary to popular opinion, you can't do music and food business at the same time.  Unless you want to be mediocre.  Anyway Honey, it's almost time to pray the sunset prayer.  I love you!

Go, Billie!

 

Hi Natty!  How are you?  How's business?  Are you back to churning out more eco-saving products?  Please excuse me for saying a couple of kind words to Billie.  She's still very young.  The crowd doesn't want her to grow up, and they've been pretty mean to her about it.  This is a lesson to all of you: don't rely on the crowd for comfort, support and worst of all, appreciation of the art you create.

By the way Natty, the hurricane you saw yesterday was Hurricane Michael.

The eye of the hurricane

 

Hi Natty!  Isn't nature wonderful?  You look like you had a fabulous time.  You and your gang look like the United Nations!  I have to say that you are the prettiest one of the bunch.  I'm sorry, that's my personal preference.  But honestly Honey, I didn't know you went out camping when I researched today's post.  I guess it's another one of those "coincidences".  I just wanted to paint a picture of what it's like to be Mrs. Rock Star.