Change takes time with me, but it does happen. After five years of study and contemplation, I changed my religion. After marrying a man from Thailand, I tried to change my culture. (That was much harder, and not as successful.) An avowed feminist, I spent years changing diapers. And after a 12-day stay in the hospital I was able to change my health. But it wasn't easy. None of these changes was easy.

I don't think there is anything I could not change. Just give me time. Lots of time.

Immediately two areas in which I hope to excel came to mind. One is writing and the other is mothering. It's very important to me that I do well in these, at least, if in nothing else. But I don't want to be the best in the world.

Why? I would miss the competition. Every good writer is also an avid reader, and while I read I find myself admiring the structure of the plot and the beauty of a well-written phrase. Then when I sit down to write I challenge myself to do better; not to copy the other writer's style but to excel. Without that competition, that challenge, I couldn't possibly improve as a writer.

I don't compete with other mothers, but I do always hope to improve in this area of my life, also. My children consider me to be the best mother. That's enough. The world is full of wonderful mothers and the only recognition that really counts is that of our children.

I learned how to make potato pancakes. My mother made them when I was young, and sometimes she still makes them for us. They're always a special treat in our family, probably because of how she makes them. Fantastic.

For years I tried different recipes, trying to replicate my mother's delicious product. I could never do it. In fact, my efforts were generally messy and tasteless.

Finally I learned her technique. Mine still aren't as good as hers, but there's hope.

These days it seems that I spend most of my time in the kitchen. I've had health problems recently related to nutrition and weight gain (I have a very hard time gaining weight) so cooking and eating have become key activities.

Part of my problem is a gluten sensitivity but I can make pancakes using a rice-based mixture. Chocolate chip pancakes are my specialty. And because I do need to gain weight, I eat them two or three times a day. Yum!

Because of some health issues I don't meet many people, especially these days when my immune system could be threatened by two different flu strains. But the most interesting people I have met are my sons' friends.

There's John, the head of a band my son recently joined, who greeted me with a peace sign when I met him. There are the Perry boys, twins who are not identical but look enough alike that I have trouble remembering which is which. Both are nice young men. I've recently had some interesting political discussions with one of them. There's Ibrahim and Hassan and Saad and. . .some friends I know well and others I know only by sight.

When all of my boys lived at home, I had many "seventh sons"--boys and young men who spent so much time at our house that they seemed to be part of the family. I keep in touch with some of them. My sons have had many interesting friends and I always enjoy getting to know them.

"Seven days without prayer makes one weak." This saying can sometimes be spotted on various church bulletin boards. I first learned to pray when I was little, not more than five, and I have always prayed.

There is something special to me, though, about the Islamic prayer. First, it is performed not just every day but five times a day. That's in addition to the little prayers I make throughout the day, asking God to help me in numerous ways.

The formal, five-times-a-day prayer is special because keeps me connected to God. It forces me to leave my daily life and concerns and concentrate on my Creator. It is also special because it is a full-body prayer, with bowing and prostration, so I can worship with all of my being.

Some may think that five times every day is far too much to pray. But I like the discipline, the connection, the spirituality. It makes me stronger.

World peace. An end to poverty. Those are the easiest answers, and also the least likely. The change I want is a little smaller but so very important. I would like to see more respect in the world and less selfishness. Even this small attitude adjustment could make such a big difference.

When I'm stressed, the two artists I most want to listen to are Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam and Simon & Garfunkel. Songs such as "Peace Train," especially the newer version, carry me away to a calmer world. And "Feelin' Groovy" reminds me not to take life so seriously.

My sister. She's about three years younger than me but she's had a much different life that includes two failed marriages (and three great kids!). Recently she moved to the same apartment complex so I see her once or twice a day, and even more on the weekend.

The trouble is that she often seems to be in a state of crisis. Last weekend her new car was towed because she forgot to get an apartment complex sticker. She woke me up on Sunday morning, crying. My husband and sons went with her to reclaim the car. Then this afternoon she called, asking if we can pick her up from the dealer. Her "check engine" light is on. There is always something.

My mother has reminded me that I should be compassionate because she's my little sister and she's trying to get her life together as a single woman who's about to turn fifty. My mother is right. I just wish there weren't so many crises. And I wish I could be more sympathetic.

Although I've never been there, I think I would like to live in southern Spain. I have family members living in Spain so I'm attracted to that country. I haven't yet seen the Mediterranean but it is definitely on my list of places. The climate sounds wonderful and the area looks beautiful. I could write some and travel some, throughout Europe and to countries bordering the Mediterranean. It sounds like a wonderful life.

Many contend that religion is man-made, but I believe there are universal truths revealed to us by God. To me, the sacred is that which has been given or shown to us by God. This includes certain texts and some rituals. We will all know the full truth in the end.

The situation that comes to mind involves my third son. He had a rough senior year of high school. Throughout his school career he'd been praised for his conduct, but as a senior he was constantly getting into trouble. He argued with one of his teachers and was often rebuked for his attitude in her class. I was called in for several meetings with both the teacher and the assistant principal.

In spite of everything, though, he did finally reach graduation and he was elected by his classmates to speak at the ceremony. I didn't know what he would say and I was worried. But his speech was so beautiful that he made nearly the whole audience cry. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was the right tone for leaving. He showed that he had matured and was truly ready to move on.

2004 was an important year for our family. We moved away from Kansas City, Missouri, where we had lived for more than twelve years, and where our three youngest children were born, to live in Worcester, Massachusetts. Over the next three years we moved two more times, first to Wisconsin and then to Kentucky. In Kentucky we bought a house and settled down.

I've become a grandmother in the past five years. I've seen one son graduate from high school. Five of my books, an entire series, have been published in the last five years. My health has gone from bad to worse.

But my health is improving. Five years from now I hope to be much healthier, stronger, and more active. I hope to have at least two more daughters-in-law and more grandchildren. I also plan to write more. Five years from now I would like to have a best-seller and be moving to the point where my husband can retire. We'll have an empty nest in five years. If we're both healthy then, and have enough money, we'll be able to live our dreams.

Climate change was apparent to me long before I heard about it in the news or from Al Gore. When I was a child, the seasons were regular and predictable. Now the weather changes dramatically from day to day, week to week. This year many areas of the country had little or no summer weather, and some have gone right into winter.

There is a debate about whether climate change is natural or man-made. My opinion is that God had control of the weather and the phenomena we're seeing are God-made. This doesn't mean that people shouldn't do what we can to cut back on pollution. God doesn't expect us to simply sit back and enjoy the ride. We must do what we can. For my part, I recycle, combine my trips, cut down my use of electricity. It's not much, but it's something.

I'm only 25, even though my oldest son is 27. Why should I get any older? Sure, my knees sometimes hurt. I don't hear as well as I used to. I can't pull any more all-nighters. Occasionally I doze off while sitting on the couch watching TV. But I can ride a bike and toss a ball and laugh at cartoons and enjoy watching birds and clouds and raindrops. I'm only 25.

Two years ago we moved to Kentucky. Two years before that we moved to Wisconsin. Before that we lived in Massachusetts for a year and Missouri for twelve years. Every move was my idea, not my husband's.

But I don't have a set amount of time. I imagine we'll stay in Kentucky for many years yet. We could move, though, if the opportunity to move is better than the decision to stay.

In 2002 I quit teaching in order to become a writer. In 1980 I converted to Islam. The gear shifts in my life come when they come, without any discernible pattern.

Tetris is a good game to play when I'm bored. Or I can watch TV, searching for a program that's good enough for me to watch even though nothing looks good. And there's always the internet. I can go round and round, checking the same sites every ten minutes and hoping that something has changed.

Boy, I'm getting bored just writing this post.

More sunny weather would be wonderful. This week the weather here was beautiful and I wore myself out, literally, enjoying it. Riding my bike, walking to the library, airing out the apartment and cleaning up. So along with the sunny weather, I would also like more energy.

True power, I believe, resides with our Creator. But people often seek it. They yearn to control others and make themselves appear important. Too often power becomes a tool of oppression. Mutual respect is the better way to live.

Words have always shaped my world, from my earliest memories. Language, the grammar and nuances, fascinates me. I love to play with the words and the sounds, rearranging them for the greatest effect. And when I write words and phrases and sentences, weaving them into stories, I am carried away, far away, on the wings of my imagination.

When I woke up this morning my mood was sunny, with perhaps a few light fluffy clouds. But I'm becoming increasingly overcast, matching the gray skies outside my window. Tomorrow they say the sun will be out, with warmer temperatures, and I expect my mood will brighten.

I wouldn't call myself lucky, but I am blessed. My children are all healthy and strong, and my husband and I have a good relationship with each of them. We've been married for twenty-eight years and are still going strong. Sometimes I get sick, but my health always returns. I'm living my dream of being a writer and living in a place where the trees are still green, if only for another week or two, and the air is clear. After five years of searching I found the spiritual path that has satisfied me for the last thirty years. I really could not ask for more.

I've read this question at least three times throughout the day, and the only answer that comes to mind is a museum of books. We already have libraries so my museum would have to be different. It could include rare books, an exhibit on the history of books, and an exhibit on famous authors. I would also want to have an interactive exhibit on writing, with different levels for different skills.

And in the front of my museum? A giant book, of course.