I’m a big fan of small businesses. I like the personal touch, and the uniqueness of small ventures. In an increasingly homogeneous world where I can see the same stores, fast food joints and corporate giants in my home town back home in Blighty as I can see everyday in my adopted homeland of Canada, it is so refreshing to see the small, local and unique businesses. In my recent (and fruitless) quest for a decent snowblower, I have discovered a small, local business that sells nothing but snowblowers and lawnmowers, according to season. They have the time to answer questions, make recommendations and offer advice, and I’ll never wander in, fail to find what I am looking for and search for ten minutes for an employee only to be met with an I-don’t-care shrug and a grunted “Don’t work in this department.” The snowblower quest was fruitless because I started looking too late in the season, i.e., when the first snowflake fell. The friendly local folks at my new favourite store advised me to come in and order one early… in August!

But I digress. Bumbling back towards the love of small businesses, I must also add that the appreciation level rises when it’s a woman running the show. Never mind feminism, women still face challenges in the world of business, and when the woman is also a wife and/or mother, there are even more hurdles to business success. Domestic and maternal roles can so easily be full time, but for many women, financial necessity or inner drive motivates them to do more.

When I find a small business that caters to one of my various wants, needs or whims, and is also run by a person or persons with a professional approach and pleasant manner, it is a real treat. (I don’t suffer fools and poor customer service gladly, but that’s a rant for another day…). Bonus points if the business is run by a sister in Islam, of course. And extra props when the business serves both Muslims and non-Muslims, thus building bridges and demonstrating diversity in action.

So I think that one of the things I want to do here on my blog is make noise about any cool small businesses that I come across especially those that are run by Muslim sisters. But anything that I find cool is grist for the mill, so look out world!

Footwear optional.

This will leave no excuse for anyone who cares about Gaza. It doesn’t matter how busy you are, how bad you think your  spelling is or how difficult you find it to write in English. Go to this website, and in a few seconds you can send a letter to your local MP voicing your concerns about Gaza and asking him to make a stand for justice and peace. The posted takes you to the Canadian version of the site, from there American and British readers can link to sites which will let you find your own democractically-elected representatives.

Hijab flutter to Fizza M. for the e-mail that set me off on this particular trail…

They took a brave stance against the injustices being perpetrated in Gaza.

This is the slogan I came up with for the bright-eyed young ‘uns I saw in the mosque last Friday, who were going home to make banners for the next day’s protest downtown and decided I would be a good person to ask for help in slogan writing because of my habit of stringing words together for a living and all that.

It’s the only slogan I have come up with so far, and it merely reflects my non-expert assessment of what is going on, with a gratuitous Biblical/literary reference thrown in for good measure. I doubt I can add much more to the torrent of words and pictures that are to be found on the airwaves and the world wide web. This is one of the cases where words really do fail one.

Other blogs and websites are coming up with things that we can do for Gaza and for the Palestinian cause as a whole. One of my favourites is over at Muslim Matters. Please check it out.

The Royal is a Toronto institution. We’re off to check it out tomorrow, in honour of which I am posting one of my favourite videos. Enjoy.

And here is their rather over-wrought ad for 2008. Lol.

… but blogging takes a back seat sometimes. I’m not one of those high-energy, super-organized types who can put up scintillating new posts every day. In this delicate juggling act that is life, balls/flaming torches/chainsaws sometimes get dropped. I have lots to say but there is too much to-do list left at the end of the day. Please be patient and watch this space. Normal service will be resumed when all the cliches have been knocked on the head and kicked into touch…

The Muslim community will be going skating this Friday. Info follows. Don’t forget to support the sponsors by giving them your business  

Please circulate widely, post on bulletin boards and announce at weekly congregations, classes, etc.
 

Villa Madina Sponsors

Muslim Parents Building Healthy

 Communities Through Recreation

Community Family

 Fun Skate

· Children must be accompanied by an adult and

 wearing Helmets

· No Hockey equipment on the Ice

· $2 to Skate

· Limited beginners lessons are available

Place:           Tomken Twin Arena, Rink 2

            4495 Tomken Road, Mississauga ,

(South of Eglinton)

Time:    Fridays 8:00PM to 8:50PM

Dates:  Oct. 10, 24, Nov. 7, 21, Dec. 5, 19,

Jan. 02, 16, 30, Feb. 13, 27, Mar. 13

Dr. Karisly And Associates

Dental Office (for braces and more!)

Tel: 905-270-5020

 ANSAR Financial & Investment Services Inc.

1825 Markham RD,  Suite 105 Scarborough , Ontario M1B 4Z9  

Tel:(416) 609-2642

 One Day Printing

Tel: 905 276-5195

www.onedayprinting.com

Federation of Muslim Women

www.fmw.org

www.abidameen.com

For more info Email: rkhedr@diversityworx.com

Ignore the puns about nightmares and horsin’ around, and check out this young mare who ended up doing a Winnie the Pooh.

Although it’s a rather sad reflection on the world when people’s first instinct is to grab a camera and grab some pix to post on the net before helping a creature in distress. Apparently she is recovering, and hopefully she will have learned a lesson.

Today we visited the old barn, as the attached store was having its amazing sale. Any parent with horse-mad kids knows it is not a cheap hobby. Some call it the sport of kings. In the absence of any opportunity to tax peasants, we have to wait for the sales at the local tack shops and saddleries.

After snagging a few bargains, we asked if we could visit the horses for auld lang syne. It was a strangely moving experience. Like so many other riders in the area, this is where my equesteriennes started out. I was particularly moved by this:

Bruno

Bruno was the first horse both my equestriennes rode in their lessons. He was sure and steady, unlikely to give a new rider any untowards surprises, a consummate “schoolie” (schooling horse). Parents didn’t have to worry too much about their kids taking a tumble (or even an unscheduled canter before they were ready for it!) with Bruno. He died last month and they have made a memorial in his old stall. That’s his bridle there, among the straw and flowers.

Farewell to a fine fellow.