Just Life| Tale of Three Persian Carpets

There are two small Persian carpets in my bedroom. One used to belong to my late Grandmother and the other carpet is from my childhood home in Tehran.  Every morning, I see these two carpets and my mind is flooded with childhood memories.

In another room, there is another Persian carpet which was a gift from my mom.

My Grandmother's Persian Carpet

I imagine one day in the far far future, my daughter would point to these Persian carpets and share a memory of us with her own child. How wonderful that would be.

Since Persian carpets last for a very long time, I imagine these small carpets would travel from one generation to the next.  Hopefully, our names and who we were, would also be traveling from one generation to the next.

Persian Carpet from my childhood home

If you would like to learn more about your family's history, please ask the Reference desk about the library Edition of Ancestory.com

Also, volunteers from San Joaquin Genealogical Society are available to help you with your family history.  These volunteers are available at the Cesar Chavez Library every first and last Tuesday of the month from 10am-1pm free of charge.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| Library Fines

I pay library fines left and right. I know, I know, I work in the library and I should keep track of my books better. You see, the reality is, I forget time to time to renew my own books.

So I was curious to find out how much I have paid in the past few years in overdue fines.

Are you ready?

Don't tell this to my daughter but since 2012, I have paid more than $80 for 117 overdue items. 

Oops!

But the way I see it, that was a great bargain. If I wanted to purchase those 117 books from a bookstore. Those 117 books would be costing me almost $3000. 

You see, it was a bargain. I read 117 books for the price of $80. If I was a bit more diligent, those 117 books would have cost me $0.00.

My old reading corner at home

Every time I pay library fine, I tell myself that the money goes to a good cause. 

That brings me to another point. I wish we all remind ourselves to donate money to our local libraries. 

When you donate money to your library, you would receive a receipt for your donation and your money would be used to purchase more books for the entire community to enjoy.

This book is one of my favorite non-fiction books.

Let's all be literacy superheros and fund libraries in our community.

Library has books for everyone.

The way I see it, an educated community is a much better community to live in.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| International Cookbooks

I am still amazed at the number of international cookbooks that one can find in the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public libraries.

There are shelves and shelves of cookbooks from all around the world in our library system.

Seriously, our libraries have Indian cookbooks, Japanese cookbooks, Lebanese cookbooks and the list goes on and on. 

If you are not a really good cook like me, I would recommend that you head to the children's area. I find the instructions in the children cookbooks much more straight forward. I love children cookbooks. They are easy to follow and the recipes are pretty amazing.

Persian food made by my Aunt Angie

Remember folks, holiday season is upon us.  Wouldn't it be nice to surprise your family and friends with some exciting foods from far away lands.

Here are a few cookbooks from all over the world at your fingertips in your local public library.


Cooking the Australian way


Portuguese homestyle cooking


Delightful Brazilian cooking


A taste of Lebanon : cooking today the Lebanese way : over 200 recipes developed and tested


And no holiday table is complete without desserts. Here are few irresistible dessert recipe books to delight your soul.

The Beekman 1802 heirloom dessert cookbook



Baking chez moi : recipes from my Paris home to your home anywhere



Bon appétit desserts the cookbook for all things sweet and wonderful







Happy cooking.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha 

Just Life| Piggie says " I Really Like Slop!"

Mo Willems is one of my favorite children authors. The kids love his books.

Mo Willems just published a new easy reader book called," I Really Like Slop!". 

So here is the basis of the story:

Piggie the pig, is cooking a pretty smelly concoction and is asking Gerald the elephant to taste it.

I am not gonna reveal anything else about this book, let's just say that sometimes we all do crazy things for our friends. 

The Elephant & Piggie books are perfect for k-2 graders. 

To be honest, anyone who likes to read would enjoy these books. As my daughter says; " these books are just funny". As simple as that. 

And we all could use some fun to brighten our days.

Here are some other easy readers by Mo Willems:

We are in a book

I will take a nap!

The pigeon needs a bath!

Here is also a chapter book by this author published in October of this year that is perfect for the older kids.

The story of Diva and Flea

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| Dragons Love Tacos

Mom, have you read " Dragons love tacos"?

No.

Mom, have you read " The day the crayons quit"?

No.

I felt so uncool. 

So I borrowed these two picture books from the library and my daughter read them to me with enthusiasm.

Then a few weeks later, it was my turn to surprise her.

Oh, Ari, Ari, have you read " The day the crayons came home"?

No.

Me neither. But I placed it on hold so we can both enjoy this brand new book.

Signing off until next Monday- A semi-cool mom

Just Life| Madam Tussauds' Wax Museum

Back in May, we were walking around San Francisco and we came across the Madame Tussauds' wax museum. A handsome Leonardo Dicaprio greeted us at the door.

Ari and Leonardo Dicaprio

We took pictures with Dalai Lama, President Obama, Salma Hayak, and the most infamous of all, Al Capone. 

Then I read a grizzly account about Madame Tussauds. She was the art tutor of Louis XVI's sister and she lived in Versaille. After the revolution she was imprisoned and later was forced to show her allegiance to the French revolution by making death masks of executed nobles including the king and queen of France. 

Ari and E.T

Anyway, if you go to San Francisco, check out Madame Tussauds' wax museum. It is very interesting.

Here is the address. The museum is near pier 39.

145 Jefferson St

Ste 600
San Francisco, CA 94133

Tel: (866) 223-4240

 
Here are some travel books from your local library:

Top 10 San Francisco  

Walking San Francisco : 30 savvy tours exploring steep streets, grand hotels, dive bars, and waterfront parks 

Exploring the back roads : 28 day trips in the Greater Bay Area 

Signing off from Alcatraz- Panteha

Just Life| Chocolate Bible

For all the chocolate lovers out there, I have got a few recipe books for you.

The first book is " Chocolate Bible" by Christine McFadden.

So, I am browsing through this book. The Hazelnut chocolate cake looks so tasty. Since I am a terrible baker, I am looking to see if this recipe is meant for me or for Chef Gordon Ramsay. Thank goodness, the recipe seems easy enough even for me. 

Hazelnut and Chocolate cake

Then a co-worker mentioned that there is a book called " Death by chocolate". 

No way!

But he wasn't kidding. We even have this book in our catalog.

• Death by chocolate: the last word on a consuming passion

And guess what, we have another book with similar title. 

It is called:

• Death by chocolate cakes: an astonishing array of chocolate enchantments

When it is my time to go, death by chocolate or chocolate cake wouldn't be all that bad.

Now the question is who is going to bake that Hazelnut chocolate cake for me to taste.:)

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| Wonders of Storytime

There is this cute little boy who has been coming to my story time for the past few months.

When I first met him, he was too shy to even look at me.

Every story time, he would sit in front of me like a perfect little gentleman and he would listen attentively when I was reading.

However, anytime we sang songs, he was either too shy to participate or he didn't know any of the songs that we were were singing. He would simply observe us.

Nowadays, he is a totally different kid. Thanks to his awesome mom who has been bringing him to the story time every week. 

Now he feels at home during the story time and I am happy to report that recently, he has been singing up a storm.

These days, he proudly sings the ABC song, counts to 10, and knows many of the other songs.

And best of all, he looks so proud. That little boy knows that he has accomplished so much in the past few months.

I can't tell you how happy I am.

Story time is wonderful. It helps kids blossom and flourish. 

Please click on " LIBRARY EVENTS AND PROGRAMS"  for the list of free library programs near you.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| Remodeling Fiasco

A few weeks ago, we were going to change the flooring in our house. The job was supposed to be done in three short days.

The crew started in the man cave upstairs, and all the sudden it started raining in the kitchen downstairs. Holy #$*@.

We had to find a plumber on a Sunday. The first plumber told us that he would get there in an hour, two hours later, he was still at the Mall with his family. We told him not to bother. The second plumber arrived hours later. He charged us $860 to fix the pipe, but he was a nice guy.

The plumber fixed the pipe and in the process created a huge hole in the second floor closet and another big hole in the kitchen ceiling. 

Later on, the plumber told us that one of the baseboard nails was lodged in a water pipe, when the crew pulled the baseboard, it caused flooding downstairs.

Then a contractor was called to fix the hole in the man cave.

Then the fancy wood floor that we ordered and waited weeks to arrive ended up being defective and 1/3 through installing the wood floor, the crew had to yank it off the floor and return it to the store. We had to order new ones.

At this point, my calm and collected husband had turn in to a grumpy old man. Who can blame him?

Our living room was a total disaster for two long weeks since we had to put all the furniture etc. from the other rooms in there. You couldn't find a place to sit.

We are in our third week of "home improvement" and there is still a big hole in the kitchen ceiling that needs to be fixed.

The moral of the story is that, if you are planning any home improvement projects, get ready for unexpected problems, out of the blue added costs, and possible weeks of a messy house.

If you are up for a home improvement challenge, the library has tons of home improvement books and DVDs for you to check out free of charge.

Here are a couple of books on this topic from your local library:

• Home improvement for dummies 

• Ultimate guide to home repair and improvement

For me, I am done with remodeling for right now.  If I had money, I would be heading to Maui for some needed relaxation.

Signing off until next Monday- A very tired Panteha

Just Life| Going Back to School

My daughter's summer vacation officially ended on August 3rd...it was such a short summer. Now, we're back to doing tons of homework and science projects.

I feel like I'm going back to school again and again and there is no end in sight. By the time my daughter graduates from high school, I will be getting my second high school diploma! Anyway...

At the library, we have got plenty of books to help you have a smooth transition into the school year.

Here are few of these useful books in your local library:

Parent's guide to the Common Core. Grade 5.

Extra math practice. Grade 3, math workbook

Extra math practice. Grade 5, math workbook

Also, keep in mind that we have home work help for kids in some of our library branches. Please click on:

Library Events And Programs for more information.

For example, at Margaret Troke Library located at 502 W. Benjamin Holt Drive in Stockton, there would be two free programs to help kids with their math and homework starting on August 25th.

• Homework helpers (K-5th grade) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 4pm-6pm.

• Math Smart (6-12 grade) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4pm-6pm.

Welcome back to school everyone and happy learning/reading!


Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| French Press Coffee

I just got introduced to the French Press Coffee a few months ago in Long Beach. 

We went to this charming little French eatery called "Creme De la Crepe" for breakfast. I ordered a coffee and they brought a French Press Coffee maker to the table. The server told me to wait a few minutes before pouring the coffee. 

Ooh La La!

Since all good things come to those who wait, I waited impatiently for a few minutes then I poured myself a cup of coffee. That was one of the best coffees that I have ever tasted. It was super strong and delicious.

I loved it so much that I got a French Press Coffee Maker for mother's day and I have been using it ever since. I haven't touched my old fashioned coffee maker in months.

So if you love coffee, I recommend a French Press Coffee maker to you. 





It uses less coffee than the traditional drip coffee maker and it tastes really good.

You never know, you might like it so much that you won't visit your local Starbucks that often.

The French Press Coffee Maker is pretty cheap to buy.

My French Press Coffee Maker

Here are some books about coffee from your local library: 

The new complete coffee book

Coffee a dark history

Coffee a connoisseur's companion

To all the coffee lovers out there. Cheers.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

 

Just Life| New Books

Mmmmmmmmm, I love the scent of a new book. A few weeks ago, an eager reader was looking for a Harry Potter book and I ended up giving her a brand new Harry Potter that I had just received that morning in the shipment. 

I wish I had a camera to record her reaction. She was so happy that she would be the first person to read that brand new book. Joy is just one of the side effects of reading my friends.

On your next visit to the library, make sure to stop by the "New Books" section. In each library, we have a designated area for New books and they all have yellow tapes on the spine.

With your free library card, you can check out 25 of these brand new books. 

Lets see how much it would cost to buy 25 books from Barnes & Nobles in a year.

Let's say that a new hardback is around $25.

So 25 books X $25= $625/year

I don't know about you, but I don't have that much money lying around for buying books.

I am really thankful that I work in the library and tons of books are at my fingertips for FREE.

So on your next trip to the library, please check out "The New Books."

Here are a few new books from your local library:

• Audrey at home : memories of my mother's kitchen with recipes, photographs, and personal stories

• Around the world in 50 years : my adventure to every country on earth 

• A girl and her greens : hearty meals from the garden 

Happy reading and let's .....

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha





 

Just Life| Travel Photos

Travel photos are great treasures. You can look at them years later and somehow they can transport you back in time.

I just got back from vacation last week and I am still in vacation mode. I love taking pictures with my phone. It's so darn convenient, but I have to admit that I believe the picture quality is nowhere close to an old fashion camera. 

So, if you have a favorite travel photo, please send it to me and I will try to post it on a future blog.

Please email me your favorite travel photo to: 

panteha.paknahad_jabarouti@stocktongov.com by July 16th, 2015.

Here are some travel books from your local library:

• Discover California : experience the best of California
• Fodor's Puerto Vallarta
• Art of adventure

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| Permission to toss is granted !

I am in the cleaning mood these days. I have been reading the " Life changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo. Somehow reading this book has given me permission to throw stuff away. Even useful stuff. And it has taken the guilt out of it.

I am hoping that at the end of this magical journey, I would have a much more organized and peaceful place to call home. A clutter free home is a relaxing and welcoming home. And I would like to own such a place.

So far, I have tackled my walking closet, the laundry room closets, and a few drawers. Now, I keep going to the laundry room to open those once crammed closets and I feel so proud.

The message of this book is "don't feel guilty about throwing away stuff". 

There is also a couple of cardinal rules that I have learned so far. Don't you ever let your mom see you throwing stuff away. Don't take the liberty of throwing away other people's stuff. Let them find the light on their own. :) 

The author also recommends starting this purge by category. For example, start by throwing away the clothes that you don't want. Hold each item of clothing and see how you feel about it. Then you can decide to toss or donate .

Reading this book has taken the guilt out of throwing stuff away and it is so liberating. 

So, if your house if bursting with stuff, read this book and start de-cluttering.


And here are some books on this topic:

• Less is more : embracing simplicity for a healthy planet, a caring economy and lasting happiness

• Clean sweep : [the ultimate guide to decluttering, detoxing, and destressing your home]

• The office clutter cure : get organized, get results!

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| Charles are you listening?

So here I was in the Children Room at the Cesar Chavez Library last Monday.

The room was unusually quiet and there was a lady sitting on a chair reading quietly to this little boy. He was about two-years-old.

The little boy was just walking around and exploring his surroundings but he was actively listening to the story that his caregiver was reading to him.

Every once in a while, the lady would look up and asked the little boy-I am going to call him Charles,: " Charles are you listening?"

And Charles would answer back every time with his cute baby talk as if he was saying: " Yes, I am listening. Please keep on reading."

And this interaction went on and on for a good ten minutes.

She was actively making this little boy smarter by just reading to him.

We all have to join forces to increase the literacy rate in the San Joaquin county.

Please read to your child as often as possible. 

Here are some famous quotes on  this topic from www.readingrockets.org

• Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." — Margaret Fuller

• I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." — Jorge Luis Borges

• Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks." — Dr. Seuss

And if you ever doubt the true power of reading, I dare you to read this book:


Reading magic : why reading aloud to our children will change their lives forever 


Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| Do it Yourself Manual

I just came across this great book called Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual. I think this a great book for any family to have.

It covers home problems from plumbing, electrical, interior repair, painting, landscaping, and more.

The book has great step by step pictures for the visual learners too. This is a great Father's Day gift idea.

Your library is a great resource for do-it-yourself projects. Here are some books on this topic:

If I had a hammer : more than 100 easy fixes and weekend projects

The complete guide to home wiring

The complete photo guide to home improvement

• 
  

  Signing off until next next Monday- Panteha

  
  

Just Life| Persian New Year 1394

Last Friday, at 3:45 pm was the start of yet another Persian New Year for millions of Iranians around the world. The Persian New Year or (Nowruz) is the most celebrated holiday in Iran. 

The Iranian calendar changes on the first day of Spring and we just entered the year 1394 in the Persian calendar.

Before Iranians can enjoy this celebration, they do spring cleaning. Spring cleaning is anything but fun. As a kid, I hated it since I had to help out my mom to do the spring cleaning for numerous days before the start of our New Year. I am happy to report that I skipped the Spring cleaning this year and I don't even feel guilty about it one bit.

Another celebration before the Persian New Year, is called " Char Shan Be Sori". On the last Tuesday of the year, we get together with family and friends to make bonfires and we jump over them and we chant special songs hoping for a healthy and prosperous year. Fireworks are also a major part of this celebration.

Jumping over the bonfires for Char Shan Be Sori

Before the start of the New Year, we set a very special table called " Haftsin". 

There are some very specific items that are placed on this table year after year. 

We should have at least seven items on this table that starts with letter "C" in Persian.

Here are these items:

• Sib (Apple)
• Sir (Garlic)
• Sekeh (Coins)
• Sabzeh (Germinated wheat or lentil. They look like grass)
• Serkeh (Vinegar)
• Samano (A special sweet paste made from wheat)
• Sonbol (Hyacinth)
• Senjed (Fruit from lotus tree)
•  Saat (Clock)

Each of these items has a special meaning but this blog isn't long enough to explain them all and to be honest I am far from being an expert on this topic.

This is the Haftsin in my house this year.

The Haftsin table should also include a large mirror, candles, a large bowl of water with a few red goldfish and colored eggs.

This is Haftsin at my aunt's house this year.

Depending on your taste, the Haftsin can be as fancy as you want to make it or as simple as you wish. But no matter what, you have got to have it. 

This year, there was even a Nowurz Celebration at the White house hosted by the First Lady, Michelle Obama. It was an honor to have the Persian New Year being recognized by the first lady of United States.

Nowruz is the time that we visit family and friends. In Iran, schools and universities are closed for 13 days and most people go on vacation during this time. 

New Year dinner at my aunt's house this year

On the 13th day of our New Year, Iranians end their New Year celebrations with a good picnic. In Stockton, we all get together in Oak Grove Regional park to have a great picnic with more than 100 other Iranians. 

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| Free Library Programs

Your local library is a treasure trove of free services and programs.

For example, here are some free programs offered at Troke Library:

• Free homework help for students K-5th grade on Tues, Wed, & Thurs from 4-6pm.
• Free Math help for students 6th-12th grade on Tues, Wed, & Thurs from 4-6pm.
• Free Storytime on Tuesdays at 10:15am.
• Free computer classes on Fridays at 3pm.
• Family game night on Thursday, March 26th at 6pm.

We have many many fun and educational programs at our library branches. 

To learn more about these free programs, just visit our library website at www.ssjcpl.org  and then find " News & Events" and click on " Events Calendar".

Below are a few pictures of these fun programs offered at Troke Library.

Free Acrylic Painting class at Troke Library

Puppet show at the Troke Library

Stockton Ports players are doing storytime at Troke Library

Halloween Arts& Crafts at Troke Library

Snake anyone?

Kids were able to touch this tarantula at Troke Library.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha