Next Step to Bringing the Book to Life

Today is the first day of the rest of my life, AGAIN! ... It is indeed a stepping stone for me! I am going to the printers to test papers and to get all the necessary information to advance. I have finished correcting the text of the book (now we have reached 580 pages, without the index). It is starting to look like a Bible... I have made 5 copies and have given them to people I trust to get their input on the material. At a certain point, one can't read one's work anymore. You get a sort of nausea and everything becomes blurry. I know I will read the book over again at least twice, but now I'm giving it a rest. I have put it on the shelf next to me for later viewing. When I go through all the pages of the written text and photos, it's kind of looking through an album (family / food / memoir). I have a file on my computer with the whole book. All I have to do is click a button and the pages unravel before me, it's quite magical. I thank God that I was able to finish and go through with the book, as it has not been an easy process. In this project I've had to be a cook, a photographer, a psychologist, a chemist, a mathematician, and so much more... Am I exaggerating, perhaps but that's how it felt.Many lessons were learned in the process. Of course I learned to produce the Lebanese pantry (MOUNEH) but at the same time I went through experiences which are even more important. I have met and socialized with the people behind the food production process from all regions of the country. I have shared this experience with my children, making them realize that they belong to a greater entity that is wider than the one that they are living in. It has taught them empathy, traditions, and has given them assurance... I know that this will have positive repercussions on their lives in the future.... I am sure! After all, we are all a product of our childhood and our childhood experiences. One friend viewed the book and exclaimed, "What is this a family album?" It is indeed one that I want to share with my fellow Lebanese. It is through the eyes of a photographer and the eyes of a woman like me who cherishes more than anything the livelihood of her children that I invite you to share my experiences to live through the Lebanese mouneh. The mouneh is part of an instinctive maternal characteristic - to nourish one's family and to preserve for times of need. It is imperative that the new generations learn the essentials of harvesting and storing one's abundance for later use. Commercial products will NEVER take the place of home preserved goods.... I am grateful to all those who have become a part of the making of the book. There are so many...

Off I go on my adventure, wish me luck!