Bibi Joon's idea

This is what I call it Bibi Joon's idea. It is a feeder/teether. You put the fruits or vegetables in the small mesh bag, and then close the pink handle. Babies enjoy the yummy nutrition while they bite on the mesh soother to relieve their gums. To make everything even better, the pink bottom contains some sealed liquid. So you can put it in the refrigerator, and the cold liquid will keep the fruits cool. Babies love to bite on cold things. It is a good healer for their irritated gums. I had heard that Bibi Joon used to make a similar thing for her little son. The only difference was that she used to put sugar-candy and homemade butter * in a delicate mesh cloth and gave it to her son; keeping him busy, happy and nourished while she was working on her farm.

Bibi Joon was my mother’s grandmother, or my great grandmother. In my wedding pictures, she is the lovely small old woman in scarf and big round glasses. She is the one who made Hanaa (henna) for my Hanaabandaan** ceremony, which I am still honored and grateful for that. She is also the one who gave me that big beautiful carnelian necklace for my wedding gift. She had kept it for me for years … never told anyone but my grandmother. She kept the surprise. And I truly feel blessed that she made it to my wedding herself. I was her first great grandchild. My mother was her first grandchild, and my grandmother was her first child. I have this beautiful photo of the four of us sitting next to each other in order. Four women, four generations. I love that photo. It is beautiful to think of your great grandchild and even put aside a gift for her wedding, isn’t it? It is more beautiful to make some precious memories for your great grandchildren. I guess I am getting old baby! I was not like this before. I was not the one who would think she will never see her great grandchildren and sigh over it! I know I sound funny! I know! Bibi Joon was an incredible person. She was also called Khanoom Bozorg, meaning the great lady. She had a big heart. And she was a very independent woman. She managed to live by herself, in her own house, up until the very last. She was always well respected among the whole family. My father loved her. Everyone loved her. She passed away a few years ago. But she is one of those people who never die for me. Sometimes I yearn to hug her again. And breathe in her kindness, her soft lovely fragile body. I very well remember her beautiful eyes, her kind beautiful way of looking. Her warm voice. Her peaceful presence. I should make a family tree for you. Will you be interested at all? Looking at this teether, I was thinking of her creativity. I imagined her, raising 7 children, with no dish washer or washing machines. She takes her youngest one to the farm with her. She probably carried him on her back in the cloth baby carrier. She probably used to weave clothes for her children as well. Made them toys too. She was a smart woman! God! I have not even made one simple thing for you. I am just a silly follower. I just shop what is out there! Why there is no video of that time? I want to see how life was in Bibi joon’s time. I should take this teether with me to Iran. I want to show it to my grandmother to see how western/modern world has used Bibi Joon’s idea and made a perfect tool out of it. I guess she won’t be surprised. I guess. This post is for Bibi Joon and her loving memory. The only thing I could ever do for her. * It is my very bad translation of: نبات و کره محلی Anyone got a closer translation? Although I believe these things are hard to translate in just one word! ** This ceremony is held the night before the wedding. Usually only the close family members are invited. In north of Iran, the tradition is that the groom’s mother puts a small bit of henna into the palms of the bride and the groom (with a gold coin) and then give them hand to hand. Henna is sticky and their hand will stick a bit to each others. This is a symbolic way to join the bride and groom together forever, of course with prosperity.