Afarin Rava: October 2024

Friday, October 4, 2024

Pishi's Portrait

Empty pockets can't stop a full heart

from creating masterpieces.

Pishi's Portrait...
a.k.a. one of my "masterpieces"
watercolor

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Arrive: Persian

Many verbs have both literal and figurative meanings. The same is true in the Persian language.

One of my favorite Persian verbs that has both literal and figurative meanings is رسیدن (pronounced residan).

رسیدن (residan) literally means to arrive or reach.

رسیدن (residan) figuratively means to achieve or ripen.

And... the part I find most fascinating:
To arrive at oneself means to take care of oneself.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Today is the first day of the fourth year of this blog. I will continue to post reviews of my books, quotes, photos, anecdotes, and fascinating etymologies... However, this year, this blog will be a little different in that it will include other kinds of posts.

Dearest Devised Darling

Dearest Devised Darling: Anthology is a dedication to the brave heroes and enchanting heroines who have touched our hearts and taught us valuable lessons through their struggles and adventures — and to the authors who created these cherished characters. The contributors to this anthology, who wrote letters to their favorite fictional figures, are — in alphabetical order : Jay Armstrong, Wendy Bayne, S. S. Bazinet, Gail Boenning, Jane Cornwell, Holly Dobbie, Humzah Farrukh, Umiemah Farrukh, Marni Graff, H. C. Helfand, Ewan Lawrie, Trish MacEnulty, J. G. MacLeod, Sallie Moffitt, Natasha Morningstarr, Chris Palmore, Afarin Rava, Diane Riley, Nina Romano, Carolyn Ruffles, Edward Selender, Denis Shaughnessy, Wendy E. Slater, Paul Spalding-Mulcock, Diana Stevan, Vicky Whedbee, Gerry Wilson, Wanda L. Worley, and George Yuhasz.

Dear Twelve-Year-Old Me

Over thirty writers hoping to make a positive change in the world have contributed their valuable life experiences and advice to children and adolescents. This book is a collection of priceless life lessons shared by random people, each of whom wished they could reach out to their twelve-year-old self and whisper their precious lessons in a way that their younger self would hear, believe, and learn. Many thanks to B.H. Arias, P.D. Austin, Jerome Berglund, Mike Bowerbank, Rocío del Mar, Holly Dobbie, Hannah Downey, Glenna Gill, Ilya Gutlin, Claude Inkwell, Althea Hogsett, Karen Hoffman, Margaret Lindsay Holton, Roberta Beach Jacobson, Heather Lynn, IA McCleery, Kelly Miller, Sallie Moffitt, Danielle Moody, Natasha Morningstarr, Chris Palmore, Diane Riley, Nina Romano, Gloria Worley Ruberry, Edward Selender, Claire Sheehy, Leif E. Slusher, Paul Spalding-Mulcock, Vicky Whedbee, Peter B. Williams, Charles Dan Worley, and Wanda L. Worley, whose contributions brought this book to life.