New Beginning :: We Are Moving

Dear friends and valued readers,

I am in the middle of moving platform for my blog and chances are I am going to lose most if not all of you especially if you follow me on GFC or Blogger. I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for following me here for the past 3 years. Thank you for reading, for commenting and for always returning even after my long hiatus last year. Thank you, thank you! I am honored.

If you still want to be in touch and are still not tired of my rambling or my weird sense of style, please feel free to follow me on  Bloglovin' , Instagram and/or Facebook and since I am just switching host, it is nice for you to know that my domain will stay the same - www.mjoat.com

Thank you one more time, for giving me one of the best experience in my life! xxx

LOVE

One of the most iconic pieces of jewelry from one of the oldest jewelers of all time is the LOVE bracelet. Besides the immaculate workmanship, it symbolizes the seal for the never ending love and commitment. While the love and commitment came with no surprise, the gesture was! Straight from the flag store in Paris and hidden somewhere in the house for weeks if not months, I was really surprise to receive it especially when I was expecting a new oven! Captain told me quietly as he put on the bracelet that I will get my oven, but not on an anniversary! 

Thank you, Captain.. for being so wise! ;)

... and the sun will rise to a better day

Hello there, dearest friends!  First and foremost I would like to thank all of you who have sent me those comforting messages through the blog and email following my last post. I was so touched and appreciate all of them. You made me feel that I was not alone in my cocoon and that it was not a crime to feel vulnerable, that it was just me being human and not because I was weak. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
I tried channeling my frustration somewhere else and turn it into something positive. I spent time with the boys, talked to them about their college plans which proved to be a good motivational move as they were all inspired and started making plans for a better school year ahead. I also put myself in a self imposed fitness challenge of 90 days starting a few weeks back. I figured, it has been a while since I last took my fitness seriously. So I started a tailor made program to give myself a kick start. It was not easy to get back on track but it was worth it. 
In between looking for potential colleges for the boys, doing research for my fitness challenge and working out, I basically had less time to dwell in stuff that was consuming me. Some things are not for me to change, they are way beyond my control, "Way above our pay grade" as Captain put it. In short, I feel a lot better today.. despite the hot weather that is still going strong.
Thank you again for being there.. sending all of you a big hug and will be back soon!

Depressing Summer

43 degrees in the shade

Dear treasured readers,
I apologize first and foremost for not being active on my blog and on yours lately. In fact I haven't been active in any social network for weeks if not months now. It is like I am going through a phase or a spell and I can only hope it will go away soon.
You see, summer in Dubai was never a good thing for me and it still is not after all these years. Instead of looking forward to summer, the thought of having to go through it for 5 to 6 months just drag me down.  This summer is no difference than the last but this year it seems to have more reasons to make my spirits sank. The news like of the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, Taiwan's GE222 and Algeria's AH5017, the crisis in Gaza and Iraq, the landslide in India and  the Ebola outbreak in Africa, just to mention a few, simply add heaviness to this gloomy summer of mine. I can only hope and pray that all the crisis and suffering the world is facing will go away or get better as the days will get better for me.. in time.