twinklingmoments

♡ ♡ ♡

2012-02-13T18:35:00.001+05:30

this love is silent…

T.S. Elliot

Happy Valentine’s Day

Elachi Shrikhand and Vintage Vignette

2012-02-10T19:13:00.000+05:30

Just when I thought winter was bidding us farewell,

the cold is making its presence felt even more.

Makes me wonder of the places where the snow is deep.

Pufff…

Wrapping up my nest in some citrusy scent and my days with somebright color.

Elachi Shrikhand [Indian hung yogurt desert] with orangesanyone?

So like Summer ♡

On another note,

I created this little vignette for our computer table.

What with the cables running [there are at least a dozen ofthem, can you believe?], hard-drives, woofers and all things techno,

this corner of myhome was pleading to be softened down a bit. Initially, keeping by the feel ofour home,

I sew up a white linen cover with crochet ribbon trimmingfor the wooden table [we’ve been lucky

enough to find, so thrifty yet handsome] and placed some flowers in an old barni [pickle jar].

The result was quietpleasing.

But this pleases me even more and I just love the old worldcharm it surrounds me with.

The inspiration is from one of Sweet Paul’s Crafty Fridays.

It so appeals to me because of the vintage book usage, which I’m simply smitten with.

Sometime soon I will show you the other things I’ve createdusing

vintage books and papers. But for now, I’ll stick to thisvignette.

The lil boy in the left-end picture above is Mayur; next to him aremy father and afterward mayur’s dad.

The fish locket is Mayur’s from Goa.

Me and Mayur [it’s just a paper print, still I like], my papaand ma. The silver pocket is an old gift from a friend

and next to it sits a Nepalesecoin [my papa is from Nepal, so u know the significance].

I just love the way thesevintage pages are tattered here.

This above one is of my mother-in-law [I really like thisimage of hers very much, maybe it’s the red bindhi

amidst the black and white]and at the back, my papa.

A small bundle of cinnamon tied with cotton yarn,just because…I love.

That Buddha card is something I’ve had since my collegedays. I don’t exactly remember how I happened on it,

but it’s just so beautifulto me. Yellow pressed leaves are wedged along, blending in so well.

I’m glad I could assemble all of it together like this. So meaningful,my eyes wander away…

Homemade Grape Jam

2012-02-07T17:42:00.002+05:30

Over the weekend, we went on an impromptu bike ride along the highway about 30kms,

towards Saputara, Gujarat. It was peaceful passing through the countryside

in the late afternoons; taking in the rolling brown pastures

with a hint of greenhere and a patch there, marking the arrival of spring.

Huge hills misted by pockets of feathery white clouds overthe horizon, the blowing wind

and just the ideal amount of sunshinepouring over us simply rejuvenated our spirits.

We stopped-over for lunch at a local restaurant that serves somedelicious preparations

with their fresh supply of fishes from a nearbywater dam.

That for the husband of course [who loved the food so much that we got some take-away

containers home too] and for me, asimple yet tasty potato curry with chapattis.

On our way back, we were tempted to buy these black lovelies from a little farmer’s bazaar

over the roadside.

Therefore, they feature here today.

And yesterday purely on a whim, I decided I wanted to usethem to make

my first-ever batch of homemade jam.

Borrowing the recipe from the hungry mouse, I just made somealterations:

☆ I merged step one and two - instead of skinning the grapesand separately pureeing the skin

alone, I simply crushed thegrapes and put them wholly into my regular mixer for making puree.

☆ I used a few drops of lime juice as an alternative to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Anyhow, I believe it didn’t make much of a difference to theend product though.

The verdict?

Utterly lip-smacking!

a saturday afternoon memory…

2012-02-04T18:45:00.000+05:30

Looks like, winter is slowly taking its leave from my cornerof the world.

Even after a bath it feels faintly warm here this afternoon.

So the ceiling fan got switched on…a lil indication thatsummer’s en-route.

Parents are napping and all is so quiet in my house at thisvery moment.

The chirruping of the sparrows outside is the only soundfilling the otherwise peace.

I wish I could store this [calm] in a jar, like a favorite perfume,

as keepsake of a Saturday afternoon memory.

Sigh…

“She's somewhere in the sunlight strong,

her tears are in the falling rain,

she calls me in the wind's soft song,

and with the flowers she comes again.”

Story People

p.s: post originally written at 15:23:11 hrs, delay in uploadingdue to failure in net connection.

Do you think I'm Beautiful?

2012-02-03T19:28:00.000+05:30

Some days…I have the mind of a butterfly [fragile], thoughtsflutter
in the slightest wind that blows my way. Wings wobble; my insidesquiver and
the mere desire of flying again looks like a distant dream.

But fly [Imust].

Slowly am gathering my scattered strength and building up my bundle of [hope]all over.

I know the metamorphosis is going to be quite testing,

so I’mtrusting in my faith to see me through this.

Are some days like this for you too?

Tomorrow, I just might surprise myself and manage to have amind of an eagle.
Strong, perceptive and fearless.

In the meanwhile…

“Do you really love me? means, Will you accept me inprocess?
Will you embrace what is different about me and applaud my efforts tobecome?
Can I just be human - strong and vibrant some days, weak and frail onothers?...
Will you love me even when I disappoint you?...”

Angela Thomas - Do You Think I'm Beautiful?

p.s: images…of a linen dress I sew last summer.

An eternal clear sky beckons…

2012-02-02T17:13:00.001+05:30

The fragrance ofmint lingers in the air, reviving and fresh.
The perfect smell to escort me today as I dust-off
the old pages of my blog and weave anew.

The absence has beenlong and the missing even deeper.

But today as I gaze up the heavens, there’sno more gray,

only an eternal clear sky beckons…

and this is where you will findme weaving memories with words and

unfolding the fabric of my life, onetwinkling moment at a time.

Welcome.

‘The pages are still blank,

but there is a miraculous feeling

of the words being there,

written in invisible ink

and clamoring to become visible.’

Vladimir Nabokov

Welcome Change

2010-05-08T16:49:00.021+05:30

Since a last few months, we were reluctantly enslaved by an erratic routine that
was lacking in time-sense. Each day would begin on its own accord and
walk off its own course, letting us deal with the chaos, left in its wake.

Even though our everyday errands and ‘to do lists’ never actually suffered,
our spirits did. And we were tired of NOT HAVING a routine.
I know it sounds real strange, coz isn’t it the ‘Routine’ term that we are usually and
supposedly tired off? Nonetheless, our disorderly days have taught us otherwise.

So we decided it was hi-time we seriously considered revising this lifestyle.
And revise we did.

Now, our newly drafted schedule is not just helping us bring back a daily
pattern into our lives, but also is very inspiring. We have transformed into early risers
(thanks to the chirpy bird songs at the crack of dawn)…me and Mayur go for a morning walk,
visit a community temple nestled amidst a lush-green, flower-filled, well-maintained park.
We spend some time mediating and chatting while we sit over the garden bench…
then return home, lounge at our balcony sipping a warm herbal cuppa… refreshed,
I go about cooking breakfast and lunch…in the meanwhile, I take pleasure arranging
my daily dose of fresh flowers around the house, fetched for me by my parents
from their morning walks…pause for a moment and be thankful for their divine beauty…
bring out the camera and capture my everyday twinkling moments…then,
neaten up my nest, shower, get ready, lit diyas in the mandir and offer prayers…
have breakfast and be off to work…

once back home, we go onto the balcony with our second cuppa of herbal tea, and
unwind for a while…Later, I get going on the domestic chores…enjoy a pleasant
outdoor dinner with family…do the dishes…set off for a night walk…return,
shower (if it’s too warm) and retire to do some reading or television or crafting…
healthily tired, I get into bed and off to sleep with a heart full of gratitude!!!

Blessing.

I hope I’ve not bored you all with my lengthy rumblings, but I had to share with
you’ll what a welcome change this latest routine is into our lives. Especially for me,
as I like leading an organized existence while I continue to enjoy the little
delights life has to offer us…day after day.

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection”

Anais Nin

With all my heart...

2010-05-07T16:35:00.009+05:30

If I love you with all my heart, she said,

what will you give me? & then

she stopped & said I didn't have to answer that because

she was going to do it anyway.

Story People

the white rose...

2010-05-05T14:57:00.006+05:30

She was often called after the white rose;

for she was like it…
soft and gentle and full of energy,
so innocent and pure and full of love!

...

2010-04-30T12:28:00.003+05:30

Just sharing some bits and pieces from our last week's outing...

Wine...

2010-04-29T16:08:00.002+05:30

“Wine is bottled poetry”

Robert Louis Stevenson

Life happens

2010-04-28T16:50:00.003+05:30

It’salready been two full days into the week (the third one running),

andI still don’t feel up to it. Although we had much fun past weekend with friendsvisiting,

somegreat food, shopping at a handicraft bazaar and a picnic of sorts,

butliving through this week is wearing me out completely.

Theweather here is noticeably fluctuating, some days it’s pleasant with lots ofcool wind

combatingthe high temperature while during the other days we’re experiencing a heatwave.

Thesehot spells are getting to me again; leaving me weak and lethargic.

Andtoday is definitely not helping lift my spirits;

asmy heart’s been stung by an egocentric being (why are some people soinsensitive?)

andmy mind is full of a financial woe.

Istill have my daily dose of fresh flowers doing their best to cheer me upand

helpme go about my daily chores.

AndI find myself welcoming their serene beauty into my life more than ever.

Hopemy body, mind and soul mends before long.

Also,I hope you all are enjoying YOUR days. How I wish you are!!!

“Joyand sorrow are inseparable,

togetherthey come and

whenone sits alone with you, remember…

thatthe other is asleep upon your bed”

Kahlil Gibran

P.S:I’m making the most of the season and pickling the mangoes.

Oh…issomeone’s mouth already watering out there?

Art

2010-04-27T11:54:00.003+05:30

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"

Pablo Picasso

BEAUTY

2010-04-26T11:29:00.006+05:30

Fresh vegetables from the farmer’s market.

What pleasure they bring to our eyes (and of course, to our stomach).

Splendid colors and forms that have inspired so many talented chefs

to invent countless delicacies and artists to create myriad art forms.

They are filled with Beauty - both in and out.

So this morning I simply couldn’t resist the temptation.

Please indulge me…

Make the moment last

2010-04-23T14:28:00.002+05:30

It’s a beautiful summer evening,come let’s have a picnic, only you and me.

We won’t go very far, just into mybalcony.

We will spread a soft blanket onthe ground and place some wildflowers in a glass.

I’ll let you pick your favoritemusic to play,
as we quietly sit down listening to the whispering breeze and
watching the sun set in all its glory, high in the far off sky.

Then, we may read for a while orhave a heart-to-heart.
When peace and contentment has filled us well,
let’sclose our eyes to make the moment last.

Because…

“Nowand then it's good to pause...

inour pursuit of happiness and just be happy”

Guillaume Apollinaire

...saying a prayer

2010-04-22T11:39:00.005+05:30

"Arranging a bowl of flowers
in the morning can give
a sense of quiet in a crowded day
like writing a poem or saying a prayer"

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

handmade handbag

2010-04-21T14:51:00.005+05:30

A week or so ago, I'd gone to the craft store, where I regularly shop for my supplies, to find some wooden buttons I needed and noticed these cute little flower buttons in some lovely bright colors.

Standing there, while I tried to make up my mind whether I ought to buy a few of these and if yes; in what way could I make use of them, the idea of creating this simple bag for myself, dawned over me.

And last evening as I was allowed to go home early than usual by my boss at office, I used those extra hours to sew up my little desire. And look what it looks like finally.

Am aware that it's far from perfect-looking, but at any rate I'm content that it turned out good enough for an amateur like me.

It's got plenty of pockets to store all my stuff and is very handy.

Do please accept the average result of these images, as they were taken in a hurry this morning.

:: the back side ::

:: the handle ::

And until next time, I'll leave you with this quote to ponder upon...

"A woman's mind is as complex as the contents of her handbag;

even when you get to the bottom of it,

there is ALWAYS something at the bottom to surprise you!"
Billy Connelly

HAPPY

2010-04-19T16:38:00.003+05:30

I spent my weekend…

Sleeping in long until late in the morning [] Cooking [] Placing flowers into little vases to brighten up corners around the home [] Sewing new curtains for our bedroom [] Framing up our dressing mirror with white crochet ribbon [] Painting my newly bought lantern [] Having a leisurely shower [] Curling up on the bed into a cool place by the window; reading [] And capturing these slices representing my day, for your viewing…

And while I was at it, this is what my soulmate was upto…

These images sure say all about the fun the guys had, don’t you think?

So it was a happy ending to a happy weekend!

Faithful in small things

2010-04-19T15:45:00.002+05:30

Last evening I tried my hands with my old-new sewing machine to make a small covering for our bedside table. Just white cotton fabric with lace trimming over the edges. Simple and basic. But all the same very rewarding. That’s what I like about little things. They have a means of bringing us pleasure in spite of their triviality.

This morning it was quite refreshing photographing these images to share with you here, while these lovely flowers sat smiling back at me and the soft lingering fragrance of incense sticks wafting from my mandir filled our living space. Could I ask for a better start for my day?

Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to visiting the Buddha Smarakh, after our long absence there. And then to have a quiet and relaxing day for myself (as my dear husband plans to spend the day with his gang of guys), maybe just reading or watching television or sewing or painting or cooking or whatever takes my fancy at that moment.

And whatever you plan to do, I wish you enjoy your weekend too!
Its bye only for a while…
Happy Living!

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies”
Mother Teresa

we have our own way...

2010-04-16T14:53:00.002+05:30

“You have your way. I have my way.

As for the right way, the correct way,

and the only way, it does not exist”

Friedrich Nietzsche

I’m Elinor Dashwood!

2010-04-15T14:36:00.005+05:30

Jane Austen. Her name spells romance and fairytale.

She surely is one of the most beloved writers in English literature of all times, more so with us - the feminine gender: as we are inherently inclined towards her style of writing. Aren’t we?

I haven’t read all of her works (which I hope I will get to), but from what I have of Pride and Prejudice and Emma, her creations (all of them, I assume) have an undeniable mesmerizing quality exuding through them. Indeed, I became an admirer. So, when I came across this little quiz today, I simply couldn’t resist.

And this is what it had to say for me…

You Are...Elinor Dashwood!

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

If you are an ardent fan too, indulge the moment and take the quiz yourself. You will be glad you did. I’m leaving the link on the side bar, and I think it will be there for a long time to come.

“One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other”
Jane Austen, Emma

As we are

2010-04-15T12:46:00.004+05:30

“We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are”

Anais Nin

Little Joys

2010-04-14T16:48:00.002+05:30

In my little world, this week has embarked onto a good start. Each day has been bringing a smile to my face and a joy to my heart.

There’s also been a tad of a downside to these days: with my sinusitis headache and a restless night’s sleep due to what seemed like the whole of the world’s mosquitoes were preying on our blood (and come to think of it, all of my life I’ve been practicing non-violence with these mortals).

But none of the trouble big enough to dwindle the happy bubble inside me.

Of the many things that are raising my spirits this week, are the everyday moments unfolding in our new home. I know my words of praise for it is getting repetitive, but truthfully, ever since we have moved in, I’m enjoying every bit of my living here. Probably the house’s brimming with positive energy and this flow of energy is getting to me. Whatever the reason, I’m Lovin’ It.

Yesterday, we’d been shopping for some basic household needs. And while going about it, I found a lovely little hanging lantern perched on a dusty old shelf at a thrift store. I fell for its charm instantly. And to my further glee, it was very reasonably priced. So it was Sold! While the elderly shop lady was wrapping it for me, my wandering eyes took note of another attractive lamp. Then, needless to say, I was confused on which to pick between the competitors. But to my good luck, I learnt that the second lamp was low-costing too, so I made a grab for both. He he!

I’ve already decided to paint one of them white. Yups! Gradually but definitely I’m on my way to converting my world into my favorite color white. Let’s see what will come out of this preference. Only time will tell, I'm sure. But for now I’m enjoying this slow-paced changeover ride.

Now you see what I mean about little joys making their way into my home and heart. The latest welcome entry being this morning. A sewing machine!!! One that’s going to be my very own, all my life. The Singer Merritt has been a dear friend’s mom’, which she’s been kind and generous enough to pass on to me. And since its arrival, my heart’s been singing a happy tune and my hands can’t wait to start waltzing err… I mean sewing over it.

Imagine how many creations will emerge out of it. In the meanwhile, I intend to share the pictures of these delightful findings with you all. Maybe tomorrow.

Until then, wishing you lots of little joys in your life too!

A bit of Nashik with me

2010-04-13T14:17:00.012+05:30

Here's a peek into the various vibrant facets we captured of this old city...

Fencing Filigree

Daughter of the Land

The Cyclist

Sleeping Buddha

Pag ghunghroo bhaand Meera naachi thi

Three Musketeers

The White Wall

Penetralia

Saffron Sage

Shining Wind

P.S: Yesterday I forgot to mention the gears I used for the above shots - Canon PowerShot XS 120 IS and A590 IS (neither of which I own, sadly. But am blessed to be given a chance to at least play around with them ♥ )

my weekend

2010-04-12T14:31:00.002+05:30

A lovely lengthy weekend [] amidst flowers and fragrance [] happily embroidering colorful threads over handmade coasters [] spent long hours reading on my bed…lost in the vintage-ness of this book and its textured pages [] went on a photo shoot with Mayur and a dear fren…capturing the old city charm of Nashik [] and enjoyed domesticating as always!

Have a beautifully week, you all.

Perhaps...

2010-04-07T10:48:00.007+05:30

"Perhaps our eyes need to be washed

by our tears once in a while,

so that we can see Life

with a clearer view again"

Alex Tan

P.S: Make sure to click on the image for a larger view (2 tiny droplets in it are worth a glimpse)

It’s official now!

2010-04-06T14:19:00.003+05:30

We have moved into our new nest. Shifting took place on April first, and three days then on was totally action-packed. BZZEE.

Cleaning the floors, scrubbing tiles, sorting clothes and books, moving the furniture, arranging articles, setting-up the kitchen, re-moving the furniture, decorating the pooja corner and N and N and…

Finally, Saturday evening harmony and grace walked in. Settlement happened (sans the putting-up of curtains, as holes are yet to be drilled). And ever since, our daily living is truly pleasant in this house. The mornings are especially beautifully here. The soft sunlight gently creeps in through the wide windows and tickles me awake (and amazingly I’m waking up all by myself at 6a.m everyday, without using an alarm).

I’ve set-up a little breakfast table in the kitchen and we are all enjoying the new addition. Another bit of pleasant surprise that welcomed us home was the freshly painted walls. Although they’re not coated white, a rather pastel blue and green; still it’s a good thing to have clean walls any day, I’d say.

Now all I look forward to each day is to simply LIVE, coz…

“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else”

Emily Dickinson

Leaving you with images of my pooja corner, taken this morning.

Sweet Smell of Dawn

2010-04-06T12:26:00.002+05:30

"I love the sweet smell of dawn -

our unique daily opportunity to smell time,
to smell opportunity -
each morning being, a new beginning"

Terri Guillemets

New(s) Nest

2010-03-26T18:37:00.004+05:30

Yay! We are shifting to a New Nest. I can’t tell you how excited am about it. Not that I don’t like the present one, in fact I love it. An independent row-house, newly build with clean lemon yellow walls and doors, and almost-white tiled floors; further enhanced by the abundant sunlight that flood the interiors throughout the day (as the house is east-facing).

It was last April when we first moved into it. My first home in Nashik. Our first home after the wedding - a bank of our doting memories. It’s been a witness to both our big and our everyday moments spent in the whirl of joyous, bitter, dreary and grateful situations; a witness to all those moments that celebrated life. And now we are vacating it…for better, I believe. I wish. I hope.

The new residence, an apartment flat, is certainly not new nor has freshly painted walls, but it has spacious rooms with wide windows that let the sunshine in and aid healthy ventilation, a wider balcony, a special nook for my pooja room, a shower panel in the bath and a much cozier feel to it. The house sure has scope for improvement (and it’s interesting to wonder and dream of all the bettering we’ll do in good time), but I love the fact that its environs are clean and peaceful, and the interior lanes are simply appropriate for our morning and night walks. Nestled in a decent neighborhood, the basic conveniences like the grocery store, laundry, druggist, and a temple are nearby (a delight to my mom). Again, commuting to our workplace from there daily makes it much easier; maybe some days we can even consider taking a quick ride home during the lunch-break for a freshly prepared hot meal (ahh…its already tempting).

Already so many arrangement and decorating ideas are popping into my mind. I think I’ll bring home a dozen more pots and plants, create a lovely little garden in the balcony; a haven to lounge in the evenings. And maybe, just maybe we’ll even consider painting the walls (without doubt, a nice shade of matt-white), but that’s only when our wallets will gladly agree to abide by.

It sounds like I’m drifting off too far, too early? But that’s what excitement does to us, right? Makes us dream on…and it’s worth stepping beyond our inhibitions to create castles in the air; for it stimulates our mind and enchants our heart. Now…now, I think am drifting a bit much too far. So let me halt here for today, with a promise to keep you posted on future developments that takes place in the small part of my world.

*Feri bhetaula* …we’ll meet again for Nepali

(if I haven’t ever mentioned this before, my father is a Nepali. AND I’m not familiar with the language, other than the tidbits ♡)

Evening Raga

2010-03-25T15:12:00.009+05:30

Yesterday Mayur received 2 complimentary passes for a Hindustani Classical concert by Pandit Jasraj. Yes, the celebrated vocalist.

And what an evening it was.

The ustad’s sonorous voice filling the open expanse while the summer breeze, with a tinge of jasmine’s heady scent in it, caressing our face; and overhead, the moon maiden lording the night sky whilst the stars blissfully twinkling by her side.

*Heavenly*

Village de tour

2010-03-25T12:09:00.003+05:30

Around me it's serene and calm, everything's at peace
I breathe in deep the heady air and savor its affect
And just before I turn to leave I take time to reflect
Upon the beauty that surrounds me
I make my way back slowly with reluctance in my heart
But home I must return,
Until the next time I revisit the lovely countryside…
Catherine Turner

To Good Health!!!

2010-03-24T18:45:00.012+05:30

‘The greatest wealth is health’

But the true implication of this cliché is somewhere lost between its nuances in our life. What a Pity.

We lead a life that’s so full of things. Things to do. Things that wane our energy, strain our mind, and gnaw up our soul. We try to fit in as many extra hours into a 24 hour day, ignoring what our bodies are pleading to tell us. We overburden ourselves in the name of achievement. And sadly we achieve nothing in the end, which can ever replace our health. A health that we disrespect during the process. Then we become tired, stressed, and sick; only too late to understand the true significance of well-being in our lives.

I’m awfully guilty of this and I’m already paying the repercussions.

The feeling of drowsiness and weakness since last week has totally left me with a sensibility. A comprehension that there’s only a limit to what and how much a person CAN do. So now I’m determined not to take my health for granted anymore, but reclaim what I have left of it.

So, starting from today, I pledge to take care.
* Eat better, in fact EAT and stop skipping my meals, especially breakfast no matter how rushed the situation is. And eat healthy homemade food; minimize consuming junkies and futile restaurant delicacies.

* Balance work and rest. Maintain equilibrium between both these necessities. Although I love organizing and tidying up, to remind myself often that I’m NOT a super-woman after all (especially not so after my health issues and surgeries in the past). So it’s Okay if sometimes some corner of my nest is left untended, since I’m not entering a spick and span contest either. As long as I preserve the hygiene quotient, a little bit of time can be dedicated to rest and unwind; with books, music, craft, photography, sky-gazing at evenings, spiritual meditation and pleasant conversations.

* Mend my wellbeing by taking heed of my physical condition and finding remedies (either home or medicated) to heal them straight away. I’m also considering enrolling myself up for yoga classes.

* And last but not the least to hum this nursery rhyme to myself, time and again.

The best six doctors anywhere

And no one can deny it

Are sunshine, water, rest, and air

Exercise and diet.

These six will gladly you attend

If only you are willing

Your mind they'll ease

Your will they'll mend

And charge you not a shilling.

I want to be healthy for myself, for those I love and mainly for the little angel we will bring into our life, in due course. I want to be full of life, feel healthy (both inside and outside) because this is the body that God has given me; to make the most of and to cherish. How can I do what I was put on this earth to do if I am too tired to do it?

I’m hoping that I’m not just going to plan but seriously make every effort in order to abide by them. Because I think I cannot afford not to.

If you agree with my thoughts here, go on and reclaim your health before it's too long.

Good Luck and Good Health!

P.S: Sorry unable to upload any images due to technical errors. Hope it gets solve soon.

Grateful for...

2010-03-20T18:32:00.006+05:30

This past week has given me much to be grateful for…

* To begin with, Mayur’s homecoming after his short trip to Mumbai over the weekend.
* And bringing me a gift of Classic Mills and Boons copies that I’ve missed burying myself into, since a long, long time.

* The leisurely hours I spent chatting with my dear-wise-old-sage, my papa, who never fails to tug at my heartstrings.
* Then the Gudi Padwa celebrations on Tuesday (the Hindu new year, also known as Ugadi in the southern part of India), which we observed in traditional Maharashtrian style.
* My new black and white checkered sun coat and a white cotton scarf to go with it. Although, the tailor hasn’t done a satisfying job, the newness of them still manages to please me.
* The analytical session with our boss at Brains that gave us an opportunity to spill out our pent-up grumblings; only to enjoy the after effects of our profession-related-catharsis. I recommend every office to organize such constructive sessions.

* Thoughtful mails from an old Flickr fren (AB), whose friendship I have come to truly cherish.

* And not to forget this lovely bunch of blossoms, which daintily sat in different vases, bowls and bottles filling my room with their splendid color and scent.

There’s something to bringing home fresh flowers from the florist, don’t you think?

As for tomorrow, I’m excitedly looking forward to the one-day trip to our sis-in-law’s village. Ah…the train journey through the countryside…it’s already blowing the come-hither spell onto me.

Hope you a have lovely weekend too, coz I think I will ♥

Within a Dream...

2010-03-18T14:27:00.003+05:30

“They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream”

Ernest Dowson

Poetry is...

2010-03-17T12:29:00.006+05:30

“Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during a moment." Carl Sandburg

Close in Heart...

2010-03-15T15:41:00.006+05:30

"Love is missing someone whenever you're apart, but somehow feeling warm inside because you're close in heart"

Kay Knudsen

Mistress of Spices

2010-03-12T13:22:00.008+05:30

I Love Spices. I always have.

Oh but, it’s not the gourmet in me, who goes weak in the tummy for their tantalizing flavors. I’m simply not a spice person, although am a total foodie, I can’t stomach food cooked with generous amount of spices in them (with an exception of cardamom, that is). My food cravings are mostly meant for mildly favored delicacies.

So, it’s the artist in me, who’s totally inspired by their beauty. I find spices aesthetically exquisite. Each one of them. For their earthy charm and divine scent. They sort of urge me; stimulate my creativeness to craft something out of them. And it’s a pleasure indulging. Like they say ‘SPICE up your life’. Well, I’m doing just that. ♥

Magical Power of Spices…

"Garlic: acts as an aphrodisiac

Saffron: attracts love

Cinnamon: for friendship

Cumin seeds: protects against the evil eye

Asafoetida: antidote of love

Cardamon : to bind true love

Black pepper: brings out your deepest secrets in the open

Lotus root: for a lifetime of deep loving

Chandan: - erases bad memories

Til: a nourisher" - Mistress of Spices

Happily Ever After...

2010-03-08T18:58:00.010+05:30

21 hrs, 6 March…dinner over :: we tucked ourselves in bed, under the warm sheets :: to watch P.S. I Love You :: only pausing at midnight :: to blow a candle :: and cut the cake (a tiny block of choco pastry bought from our favorite baker’s) :: then answer a few phone calls from frens :: welcoming their cherished wishes :: and of course we devoured the pastry :: and finished the movie :: then tired, we retired to sleep :: off into the sweet land of dreams :: only to wake up in the morning :: to look forward to a lovely day ahead :: we freshened up :: all set for another movie – 3 Idiots (this time, in the theatre) :: but realized at the last moment that the guy at the box office counter had mixed up the movie timings :: so changes were made in the plans :: instead went visiting the in-law kingdom :: received kind blessings :: had an amusing time revisiting an old family photo album :: got back home :: prepared a homemade meal of kachoris, kheer (on b’day boy’s request) and gulab jamoon (on my mother’s request) :: had a hurried lunch :: with only about 10 mins left for the movie :: we literally rushed through our bike ride :: and finally watched it :: returned home to entertain some frens :: and be pleased over their thoughtful gift :: an anon later, got dressed again :: for Sula, our favorite gorgeous hangout :: where we coincidentally met some frens :: toasted the evening away in their company :: but the best moments were those that we spent together (though short-lived) :: with just the two of us :: sitting by the wooden bench (which I’ve included in my wish list) :: in the lovely garden :: amidst the rolling acres of vineyards :: with the fresh grass tickling our feet underneath :: the star-studded sky sheltering us above :: the soft garden lamp blurry the reality into a dream-like atmosphere :: the mild fragrance of wine intoxicating our senses :: and the gentle wind blowing around :: all combined to create a much-needed escapism :: just as eloquently described as in the pages of a romantic novel :: the worth of each other’s presence in our life emphasized by the moment :: with the stillness of night enveloping us :: we sat together wishing and hoping that we will be this way until eternity :: 23 hrs, 7 March…and the remaining hours of the day were Happily Lived (ever-after)

So that was more than 24hrs of our pleasant b’day celebration summed up for you! Please excuse me if you do not find it well-expressed, since I’ve been compiling it in bits and pieces at office, between work, throughout the day.

P.S: The leather chappals were a b'day gift!!!

For YOU!!!

2010-03-06T11:33:00.007+05:30

This time last year, I was wondering if I could manage to convince my parents to let me visit Nashik, if only for a few days; to be able to gift ‘My Presence’ to the Man in my life, on his special day (apart from the parcel I sent his way).

While this time this year, I’m wondering if ‘My Presence’ will be as good a gift for the One who has filled my life with more than just love. For all the thoughtfulness he showers on me, when he puts my needs before his without a speck of hesitation…for his ‘let-me-first-sit-myself-and-cool-off-your-part-of-the-bike-seat-from-the-scorching-summer’s-heat-before-I-allow-you-to-sit’ kind of concern.

He listens to my non-stop babbling even at times when I think he doesn’t…he understands me and not just the likes and dislikes but the particulars of them as well…he lets me decide what I wish for our home and considers my opinion on matters that doesn’t concern our home too…he believes in me…he doesn’t think I’m fainthearted if I often let tears trickle down my cheeks, instead believes he’s got to protect a sensitive soul…he positively pronounces me an all-rounder even though my limitations are starkly laid-out for him to see in bright daylight…he respects my parents and has given them a place in his heart…and he loves me as unconditionally as only I’ve known parents to love their offspring.

Dear Husband…You are truly beyond words wonderful.
And I truly am beyond words blessed!

So on this very special occasion, which twenty-seven years before fetched you from the heaven above onto this earth (for me), I’d like to wish you all the happiness that you truly deserve to bask in and a life filled with God’s kindness in everything you do, throughout.

A very Wonderful Birthday to You Baby…as wonderful as You!

P.S: I hope that you too can feel when I make your-aloo-jeera-just-as-roasted-as-you-like-it-to-be-with-a-tad-more-of-jeera-to-achieve-your-preferred-taste that there is so much more than something to savor in your favorite dish.

Warm Memories

2010-03-03T11:34:00.008+05:30

Like each season, the Indian summer has its own way of bringing along some fond memories. To me it classically represents two chapters of my life. One being: the playful summer afternoons during my childhood school holidays. When as a little girl I, dressed in simple white cotton petticoats and my long dark hair (that’s not so, anymore) oiled, braided and neatly tied up with a pair of worn-out red ribbons, used to go hunting and gathering twigs from a nearby park. Every holiday, it was a ritual with our gang (that included me, my sister and about 6 other kids in the neighborhood) to get-together and organize a self-sufficient feast; as in we would collectively arrange for the grocery and also manage to cook the meal all by ourselves (of course there were elder kids in the gang, who used to do the cooking). And always I being the youngest in the gang was responsible for assembling the firewood. Once the food was prepared, we would all happily dine as one whole big family, relishing the sweet fruit of our hard work. These innocent fun moments of my childhood, no matter how far away I traveled from them, are still treasured deep in my heart, only to resurface every time I’m surrounded by the quietness of a summer afternoon.

While that’s a memory pertaining to my early days, the balmy summer breeze transports me to another time; reminding me of all those regular evening walks I took by a road, that’s forever etched in my mind. The road bridged my home and college, my home and a temple that I visited everyday, my home and my quest for love, my home and a long-cherished hope. It reminds me of how each evening during the summer I would carefully tread (feeling like a princess) over a carpet of yellow flowers that fell off its trees and lay scattered all throughout the road. And it reminds me of this tiny verse I wrote the last time (a summer day yet again) I traveled past this road...

That place…still narrates our silent tale

There was our meeting, sometime.

But now, the place remains for me, a constant

The shaded street with its tall trees,

The moving of the traffic and their uncertain noise

Yet the path so mild

It still reminds me of our rare passing by

And the silent masks that we wore, too.

Today, as I retreat my steps on the same street,

All I noticed was a slight change;

A change that’s just turned everything – mute

Since you and I have walked away…

Some memories shall shadow our soul forever!

Does summer conjure up any warm memories in your mind too?

Of all the days...

2010-02-27T15:26:00.004+05:30

Of all the days that's in the week
I dearly love but one day
And that's the day that comes betwixt
A Saturday and Monday

Henry Carey

Happy weekend all ♡

Somedays...

2010-02-26T15:47:00.003+05:30

This morning, I woke up to a feeling of neither-good-neither-bad-but-somehwere-perched-in-between-and-lost-in-the-labyrinth-of-thoughts. Just some brief random thoughts that were fleeing past my mind. Unaware of time and the fact that today was Friday, a working day, I sat still on my bed for perhaps an hour gazing at the sunlight flowing through the curtains, with my blanket strewn around me. It was as if I was in a state of stupor, unmoving and only hearing the distant everyday sounds in my house. Later, my dear husband had to virtually drag me out of this daze, hurrying me to freshen-up, make breakfast (instant Maggie noodles) and get going for office (luckily, last evening, my mother has volunteered for today’s lunch).

And now its 14:27:33hrs, there is just another colleague with me here in the office (as the rest of them, including Mayur, have gone to attend a presentation on corel software) and I still continue to have that dreamy hang-over. The running fan is the only sound that’s breaking the otherwise monotonous afternoon silence. There isn’t much work either to keep me active and my friend’s name on the chat list shows offline too. Being Friday, it is her day-off, otherwise like everyday, we could have chattered the boredom off. How I wish for me to be at home now doing some creative stuff or hopping around with the ‘click’ of Mayur’s mobile camera.

Somedays are like this, I think!

Here are some images of the areca nut plates I painted…

Five Senses

2010-02-25T17:14:00.007+05:30

Sometime back I had come across a post called ‘Five Senses’ in the blogland and had found it an interesting way to sum up a day. Now that I was considering a topic for this post, the concept quietly came floating back to me. So here’s what my senses are up to today…

*tasting*
Homemade aloo parantha and suji halwa

*hearing*
Noor-e-khuda from My Name is Khan. By the way, have I told you that this movie is a must-watch?

*smelling*
Oh there is this mysterious perfume I have come across a few times that smells divinely fresh to me, but I do not know the name of it. This afternoon too, I met a fren’s aunt who I felt was wearing the same smell. Can’t tell you how seriously I was tempted to ask her bluntly about it. And the funniest part about all this is, I’m not even sure if this mysterious fragrance exists or is just an illusion in my mind.

*seeing*
The spectacle of joojooland. Each one of this talented artist’s work is exquisite. Just have a peek and u will know what I mean.

*touching*
The sleek surface of our newly bought (just last night) gas stove.

Senses...how wondrous they are!!!

Leaving you with this quote...
"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul" Oscar Wilde

My Symphony…

2010-02-24T13:31:00.004+05:30

To live content with small means;

to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable; and
wealthy, not rich; to study hard,
think quietly, talk gently, act frankly...to
listen to stars and buds, to babes, and
sages, with open heart; await occasions,
hurry never...this is my symphony.

William Henry Channing

What is yours?

A weekend well spent

2010-02-23T15:10:00.006+05:30

This weekend I was supposed to dig in the mud and do some serious gardening. I had even managed to squeeze in the laundry and other chores during the weekdays just so I could have the entire Sunday for my plants. But, as it’s apparent through my use of past-tenses in the sentences here, I didn’t really carry out the thought, as the manure collected wasn’t sufficient. Whence, my tryst with the flora has been put off for next weekend. Now that being confessed, I had a complete Sunday for myself. Hmm… not really. At least most part of the day was.

There were hours of reading to catch up with and photography to do (these days somehow my appetite for it doesn’t quite seem to be satiated). The afternoon was gaily spent amongst a bunch of frens who came over to our place and the evening was consumed contemplating over a prospective name for our new-born niece. Mayur and I have come up with ‘Ruhi’ meaning Soul in Sanskrit. Everyone in the family seems very pleased with the choice, and so the little angel is most likely going to answer to the call of Ruhi, for this life. The very purity of its meaning and the subtlety of its sound make this name delightful to the ears. Don’t you agree?

P.S: I took off from office on Monday too. Why? Lets just say, sometimes it’s a nice thing to keep aside life’s seriousness and simply let your heart go chasing its make-believe rainbow.

Soul Shadows...

2010-02-20T12:36:00.002+05:30

Chasing shadows, over my walls
with myself hardly sleeping
Dwarfs and giants, twenty feet tall
fill the room with their creeping

Sounds of breathing sharpen my ears
then they fade into nothing
Someone's laughter out in the street
fills the night with their loving

I feel the ice in my head
Running its hands through my bed
Not even dreaming I seem to be dead
Colours of yellow and colours of red

All I'm asking some secret voice
is to lead me to darkness
I'm so tired, dawn never comes
I just hide in the shadows

Deep Purple

Be Thankful

2010-02-20T12:18:00.008+05:30

21:34:17hrs

Friday, 19 February ‘10

It was a long frenetic day at office. But it has also given me much to be grateful for amidst all the mayhem. Grateful for a chance to cook and tend for my family, grateful for being treated by a caring husband to a plate of steaming hot momos that helped fade off my day’s tiredness, grateful for the vibration of my frens’ buzz over my computer screen, summoning me to chat with them, grateful to be welcomed back home in the evening to the sight of my mother standing over the doorstep and grateful for the sound of our good night wishes echoing in my mind while I resign to bed.

What are you grateful for each day?

If you haven’t had time to reflect upon the subject of gratefulness yet, in between all your heartaches and frustrations, I insist you make that your biggest priority. B’coz life can change within the next blink of your eye. This evening, as we finished work and were leaving for home, an office neighbor’s stark apartment caught my eye and made me think. An elderly man seems to live in there ALL-ALONE. Imagine for a moment, what it would be to live all by yourself at an age like that, without a family to surround you, without a soul to talk to, without the means of any media to be entertained by. From whatever I could see of his home, it appears like he is merely accompanied by a cot and a pillow to rest himself, a couple of plastic chairs that he uses to lounge in the balcony, a pair of cloths hung on the otherwise bare walls and a row inclusive of a water bottle, parachute oil and other such needful things sitting over the window-sill. Every time we have happened to cross paths over the staircase, he seems to me like an epitome of loneliness. Today too, we saw him quietly sitting by his balcony and wistfully gazing at the world outside that’s unlike the one he lives in.
Isn’t the very thought of such a life, poignant?

This has made me take heed of life and count my blessings. It has also reminded me to…hold my loved ones a little tighter and let them know how much I care about them…to look around and smile at someone who looks like they could use some kindness…to help someone even if it’s in my own small way and to pray for someone.

It just might make someone’s day ♥

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful” Buddha.

It means, I have a home...

2010-02-17T18:20:00.006+05:30

Last week, the word ‘organizing’ eventually found its place back here in my world. It was away from me, gone on a long, long vacation.

The clothes that were wildly tossed inside the cupboard just enough to resist from tumbling all over the floor, were laundered and wiped out of their stubborn creases, filling the room with one of my favorite smells – iron. The cupboard was sorted, bringing back grace to all those well-groomed cloths that neatly inhabit there now. The warm cloths are stacked up under the cot cabinet to rest until next winter and instead my assorted handbags have taken its place in the dresser. Our accessories (yes, the husband has them too), which would be strewn all over the dresser, seeming like they had some mysterious little feet to carry them out of their boxes are now carefully wrapped and tucked into beautiful boxes, as beautiful as the ornaments itself.

Then there was sorting of the newly brought in grocery along with which arrived a couple of new items – a kitchen roll and a pair of dish-washing gloves (both of which I’ve been wishing for my kitchen, since I spotted them at a fren’s place). As trivial as they sound, every time we bring home something new, it’s a delight, even as trivial as a pack of tissues. The very feel of unwrapping new things has some good feeling to it. Don’t they bring joy to you? They do at least for me.

Anyways, getting back to my tidiness spree. I can’t tell you how much I have missed it, as I hate clutter, but for a while now had got myself entangled into a mess. Although, my weekend schedule is largely dedicated to dusting and cleaning, I somehow had a lot more things ‘to do’ pending. *Sigh* But not anymore (I hope). This time, I’ll strive hard to keep my nest in complete shipshape.

"I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home... I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby." Nancie J. Carmody

Only no lawns in my case, but I have a balcony garden!!!
Now…any guesses to what’ll keep me engrossed the coming weekend?

* ❤ *

2010-02-15T11:36:00.002+05:30

“When love speaks, the voice of all the gods make heaven drowsy with the harmony"

William Shakespeare

Wishing you all Happy Valentines Day!

Love the moment...

2010-02-13T13:06:00.005+05:30

"Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed"

Corita Kent

Quietude ♡

2010-02-11T18:05:00.006+05:30

In the mornings, having cheerfully arranged a bunch of my favorite flowers over my bedside table when I return home evening to be greeted by their divine fragrance, I can sense the speaking…Sitting quietly in the serene expanse of the Buddha sanctuary when the echo of the gentle wind, at the appointed time penetrates deep inside me, I can sense the speaking… Laden with concern for a dear friend’s distressing plight in life when I look up the sky to find a lone star twinkling while dark clouds pervade all around, I can sense the speaking…

Yesterday too, as I went through the evening eclipsed by a sense of despondency, when my worried father’s gaze infiltrated me and my husband’s tender hugs held me against my woes, I could sense the speaking…

Now as I’m revisited by those silently-speaking-moments, their quietude kindles me with their warmth…of the sort that evaporates my gloom!

"Everything in life is speaking in spite of its apparent silence"

Hazrat Inayat Khan

Are you listening???

Joy in every leaf and stone

2010-02-09T10:18:00.011+05:30

Because Thou art All-beauty and All-bliss,

My soul blind and enamored yearns for Thee ;

It bears Thy mystic touch in all that is

And thrills with the burden of that ecstasy.

Behind all eyes I meet Thy secret gaze

And in each voice I hear Thy magic tune :

Thy sweetness haunts my heart through Nature's ways;

Nowhere it beats now from Thy snare immune.

It loves Thy body in all living things;

Thy joy is there in every leaf and stone:

The moments bring Thee on their fiery wings;

Sight's endless artistry is Thou alone

Time voyages with Thee upon its prow

And all the future's passionate hope is Thou.

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

Miracle

2010-02-08T10:30:00.003+05:30

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change" - Budda

Happy Monday everyone, Have a miraculous week ahead ♥

Shine On...

2010-02-06T16:43:00.009+05:30

Soothing massages, luxurious food, a bit of cheery shopping, some time off to day-dream and see beauty in things (which we otherwise fail to notice), a little occasion to tidy up my mind along with a generous amount of babbling…more or less bundles up my brief indulgent holiday!

Even today (three days past) as I sit down to account this, the sensual pleasure worked up by ten nimble fingers waltzing over my skin, my first sizzler experience (thanks to Aks), the perky glee on finding a lovely pair of mauve heels and the mad kick-starting of my B’day comes floating to me time and again; leaving me rejuvenated all over.

So it’s a new me (new in spirit) warmed up to take on life and all its colorful seasons. And while I’m at it anyways, let me share with you the idea that’s been brimming in my mind for a while. An idea of adapting new means of posting at my blog which will allow me to overcome my limitations of uploading images on my flickr photo stream (since I’m lacking to pro my account at the moment). So from now on, every one of my postings will include pictures captured by me. At least I’m glad in myself for not giving up my new-found hobby photography. And hope you are too. I need all your encouragement to keep going…Please do be there for me!!!

And as I launch my ‘Newness’ today, here’s cheering to all who embrace new routes in life battling against circumstances and never easily saying ‘I quit’.

“Though my soul may set in darkness,

It will rise in perfect light,
I have loved the stars too fondly
To be fearful of the night”
Sarah Williams

Taking a Break...

2010-01-30T18:19:00.005+05:30

Going on a brief holiday! Oh just the sound of this word stirs up the excitement that’s already brimming in my heart. If I recall well it’s been over a lifetime, I’ve allowed myself (even Mayur) such indulgence. We aren’t going very far, only a few miles away from our nest to stay with a dear friend. Just because!
Just because we need some time-out from the chaos of our everyday lives.
Just because we are desperate for some time to dream together.

We are hoping everything will run smoothly at home in our absence. I know we'll miss our loved ones, but we sure need to get away for a couple of days to only return with a spring our in step!
Sending you my love (a very bubbly kind)
Have a pleasant time until I return with more of my twinkling moments to share!

P.S: Please check on me here in a few days, coz I plan to adapt some new things and share them with you when I get back.

A Sunday is no Sunday…

2010-01-18T17:53:00.006+05:30

…if the husband is summoned to work at office even just for a couple of hours in the morning
…if you’ve cooked the husband’s favorite methi (fenugreek) pakode and he can’t make it home for lunch
…if you’re hoping to visit some friends who had invited you over for an evening and yet there’s no sign of the husband’s return
…if all you’ve done, the whole day, is waiting and waiting and waiting…for a dear husband (who’s had some left-over restaurant food for lunch and strained himself to the extreme)
…if you’ve gone to bed in the night burdened by the thought of seeing through yet another week full of work and other mundane things.

*Sigh*

Hope we’ll experience some rest, leisure and recreation while the Sun on Sundays will never miss to shine for us!!!

Thought Transference

2010-01-12T18:23:00.004+05:30

Feelings…an everyday word! But one that can conjure up our whole existence within its very meaning.

Utterly influential.

Yesterday, a feeling spun a concentrated web around me, embracing me into its wraps. It was a bitter-sweet one…growing from the nadir of a heart that missed its twin. The wisest thing was to defend myself against its influence, but abiding by the resolutions I’ve made (to feel every emotion to its fullest), I simply gave in.

Slowly…the feeling plunged into me. Bringing along a humming pain to my nerves and making me wonder just how a little distance could cause such throbbing. The missing…took my mind down the memory lane of all those moments spent in his presence, making my heart grow fonder in his love. The experience overwhelmed me as I sat conquered by it all.

Sometimes you are glad you surrendered and this was one of those times.

Resolutions

2010-01-09T19:15:00.003+05:30

So it’s New Year…a whole new season for hopes and dreams! It’s that time of the year, where resolutions are made. The kind of promises that maketh us better beings. As contrary to all these past years spent without resolution, 2010 has aroused in me thoughts of considering this tradition. May be coz I’ve realized that there’s always scope for improvement or maybe coz I’ve been biding for a chance to mend my already abridged attributes. But as an amateur to this New Year’s custom, I’ve been chewing over an assortment of potential virtues that I could discipline myself with.

All through the past week, my mind has been involved in a hypothetical argument with itself in favor of values like time management and stringent budgeting. I even considered dedicating the year to nurturing my feeble health (its hi-time I strive at it, seriously). But my heart wasn’t simply convinced with its smart sibling. So on went the quest…

But as they say some things are best if they happen on their own. I believe the best thing happened to me. Coz ‘happen’ it did. My predestined resolutions walked upto me while I kept knocking doors of would-be ideals.

They are three in total. Interestingly enough two of them caught me unaware as random speakers on television were spilling out pearls of wisdom. And the other one shined through while I habitually dusted off my old philosophies. Now these three nestle deep inside me, determined to carve their autograph onto my soul. And I’m grateful for this! Having said that, here I’m sharing them all...

*To make 2010 - The Year of Gratitude* the one where I will try to appreciate and thank every nuance of blessing that comes my way.
*To Love, Lose and Love anyways* a way of life that will not just fill me with abundant love but spread this intoxicating elixir all around and in time touch others, inspiring them to live by it.
*To Experience Life to the Fullest* as in welcoming, understanding, feeling and cherishing my laughter as well as my tears to its complete essence.

I’m looking forward to seeing it through this year...I might not be able to do it all by myself...I might count on you for a little push and a pat on my shoulder here and there...I might just as well do myself proud if my fairies have some *fairydust* to spare!!!

Final Rendezvous

2009-12-28T14:58:00.005+05:30

As 2009 is all set to bid us Good Bye, I’ve thought of dedicating a few farewell moments to this generous year for old time’s sake…thanks to one of my most inspiring blogger, I’ve found just the right way of penning down my last blog for the year. This reminds me of filling in slam books back in my college days. I loved it then and I’m Lovin’ it now too!

So here’s my final rendezvous with 2009…flipping back time and reliving some of my Twinkling Moments…

Beware its longish!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
GET MARRIED

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for this year?
No; as in I made no resolutions to abide by. *Relief*
Will I make any in the New Year? Did I just aster relief?
But I think I should!!! (Anyways I’ve got a couple of days more to mull-over it)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. My sis-in-law (baby girl) and my friend Nadu (baby boy).

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. My sis-in-law’s dad (RIP)
[sis-in-law in Q3 implies to Mayur’s sister and sis-in-law in Q4 implies to Mayur’s brother’s wife…DON’T even try digesting that]

5. What countries did you visit?
Will visiting States do?

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Good health for my family. Stability. And a good friend or 2 in Nashik, as I haven’t been lucky enough to find them yet

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
30 May…on becoming my Adam’s Eve and creating our very own Eden Garden!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
To have survived through the many changes my life confronted.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I guess poor time management. And I’m even more guilty of it since I once was a stickler for punctuality.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes, severe throat infection (twice this year) plus sinusitis headaches for umpteen times.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
All those lovely tuberoses that filled my home and heart with their Divine fragrance

12. Where did most of your money go?
That’s an enigma of the year. Really
[Apart from what we spent for our wedding]

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Really excited - My first baking experience
Really, really excited - Our first Diwali at Nashik
Really, really, really excited - Our Wedding (I know I’m saying this over and over again, but as wedding is an once-in-a-lifetime experience for most of us, it’s winning the-most-repetitive-answer-award for this post!)

14. What song will always remind you of 2009?
O re Piya…the lyrics never misses to engulf me!
[Mayur introduced me to it, but it’s closer to my heart than I think it is of his]

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or Sadder?
Happier and positive about it! (What’s marriage for after all)
b) Thinner or Fatter?
A lot thinner (for reasons both known and unknown)
c) Richer or Poorer?
Humble but Happy

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Introspect.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Shed tears.

18. How did you spend Christmas?
Read my previous post

19. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Got profoundly immersed all over again and still soaking…blissfully!

20. What was your favorite TV program?
Would you believe if I said I didn’t watch TV enough to find out which program qualified as my favorite?
[We have a new television remote controller at our place now, can you guess who?]

21. What was the best book you read?
I did very little reading this year. But if I have to choose among what I read, I’d like to say – Marley and Me by John Gorgan. I had misty eyes when I finished the book, if that’s any reference to go by.

22. What was your favorite film of this year?
Avataar…for its mind-blowing imagination and such intense portrayal of love, both man-to-man and man-to-nature love

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Was 26 years old and tended my ill mother.
[I wouldn’t wish such a b’day to anyone]

24. What kept you sane?
Love, Hope and Mayur

25. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I’m not really good at fancying celebrities.

26. Who did you miss?
F.R.I.E.N.D.S
[Not the ones on television but my very own]

27. Who was the best new person you met?
More than a person, something truly beautiful I met rather discovered this year was a ‘sense of liberation’ within my self that’s freed my soul significantly and reduced many of my reservations. I’m deeply grateful to this awareness!

So that’s that then.
Before I say alvida 2009, here’s wishing everyone a very wonderful 2010 with multiple blessings and dreams that will lead you to abundant love, laughter, peace, good health and contentment.

Take care. God bless.

Promise to meet you on a New Path in the New Year…with many new Twinkling Moments to last us forever!

Yay, its Christmas today!

2009-12-26T12:37:00.003+05:30

14:21:37 hrs
25 December

Yes, Christmas is one of my many favorite things.

All those lovely memories from my convent education years (both as pupil and educator) make my heart croon jingle bells, jingle bells; jingle all the way…in pure joy. Decorating the X-mass tree, crafting the Crib, enacting the traditional play of Christ’s birth, the carols resonating in the night air, the fragrance of plum cakes…Oooh-Mmmy-God still manages to weave its Magic around me.

And over the years, I’ve created my very own version of celebrating this joyous day. Though trivial but a kind that contents me. Lighting candles at O’clock, arranging sweet-smelling florets and bringing home some pastries, gifting dear ones little presents and visiting churches in the evening. Time-out!

11:42:14 hrs

26 December

Back again! Yesterday, my celebrations included homemade chicken biryani and egg less cooker chocolate cake with plenty of chocolate sauce, a bar of chocolate ‘Munch’ yet again from a colleague at office (bless her), visit to churches (two of them) in the evening where I lit a candle and thanked heavens for having my soulmate beside me this day, a paneer cheese-wheel (from my favorite bake shop) and chocolate fantasy (at Café Coffee Day) for dinner and 2 night hours of concentrated cold at the Coffee house plus an extensive shivery ride back home.

So, all said and done Thank u Santa for a Choco-Christmas and all the Love and Beautiful Gifts in my life…because “Christmas is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas” - Dale Evans Rogers

Signing off with Frank Sinatra’s Silent Night…(love this carol)

Hungry Bee!!!

2009-12-12T16:05:00.005+05:30

This week I’ve been a busy bee doing things. Mostly things for my Hive and my dear ones who live in it

My sister-in-law aka Bhabi (My husband’s brother’s wife, ah!) having reached eight months of gestation in her pregnancy, it called for a traditional Hindu celebration – Godh Bharai. Although its not exactly the same as ‘Baby Shower’, still one can relate to it, given that both the ceremonies are observed in honor of the pregnant Mom-to-be’s.

So, it was all about being immersed in the plans, preparations and finally the celebrations. For my part,

[] I had to embellish my bhabi’s hands with Mehendi/Henna. I did a pretty good job starting from the tip of her palm to almost touching her elbows.

My reward (mainly her’s): the application appeared a deep red, the next morning.

[] Cook. We had divided the workload to keep it less-burdened for all of us as well as for better execution. So, from the menu, I was responsible for preparing pooris, chole-aloo curry and raitha; while my in-laws were committed to vegetable pulavo and gulab jamoon (I was of assistance here too – *Smile*).

My reward (mostly guests’): the food was a hit. (I received additional compliments for the whiffs too)

[] And finally join in the Celebrations. This is what I weren’t successful at. What with severe throat infection, cold shivers and fever that flooded into my body by noon time, yesterday (Godh Bharai was 11 December itself, if I haven’t mentioned it earlier). Sad, I could not merry-make with my family (I quite looked forward to being a part of it). I was sorry; Mayur had to give up on staying long and enjoying with his family too. In fact, he was supposed to photo shoot the event, instead of which, he was required to run to the druggist to fetch me medicines. Bless him; He’s the most amazing and caring husband in the world)

My reward (just that bit *Sigh*): At least I was happy to have managed to cook for the occasion before my health deteriorated.

And yes, everyone missed my presence and wished me well-being, I was told.

Now, I’m improving and better, back to work at Brains; but feeling voraciously hungry at every odd minute (I’m blaming it on the antibiotics). I think I can eat up soooooo many things at this moment (let me not even start to think what things…hmm, with me...I think there isn’t a starting process when it comes to thinking food), though I should not due to my throat infection. So all I’m munching on right now is a packet of Glucose Biscuits. What fun!

Hope I will be allowed to eat more appetizing things in the coming week (in particular) and throughout my life (in general).

So this is me…a could-even-eat-up-the-computer-kind-of-Hungry-Bee at present!

16:38:13 hrs: finally, got myself a decent veg-sandwich parceled! *Grin*

Simple things

2009-12-03T19:04:00.002+05:30

December First…is so full of special things for me.
I’m not sure if this day is special to me, so I love it or I love it coz it’s truly special.
Either ways, the word is ‘Special’.

Throughout the day, I was nostalgic about all the lovely memories I have; of sharing this day with Kim, my partner-in-faith. I remember how we excitedly got all dressed (mostly in whites)… how we secretly assembled modest gifts for each other…how innocently we allied our glee with angels and cupids (I still do, for that matter. Probably I haven’t grown up. But whoever says, one has to be a child to believe and sense magic?)… how we sometimes left balloons floating in her room and some other times lit candles in mine or even sometimes just sat on my terrace under the canopy of the starlit sky and mumbled our hearts out.

Love filled us in so many simple forms.

And on this day, I was pleased to be assured that Love still fills me in so many simple forms.

I had a lovely evening…with a much-relished treat of pastries (chocolate and blueberry) and cream rolls, a gifted bunch of my soulful tuberoses (and a strand of orchid to add some special touch), plus a visit to my regular craft store (where I was bought a cute little clay pocket). Thank you husband, you sure know how to get to me!

Incidentally, I happen to meet two fine ladies (one, the middle aged store-owner herself and the other, an elderly customer) in the craft store, who further made it special for me. Whether it was their friendliness or the warmth in their personality, it drew me into a lengthy conversation on a medley of topics like art, food, life and its values. Standing there and chatting away to glory wasn’t something I had expected when I entered in there. But I suppose that’s what destiny does to us. Brilliantly puts forth as many surprises as possible in our lives. Or as that elderly lady divulged – that possibly it’s a long-lost relationship from another time that’s evoking a connection between us this day. When I took leave form them that evening, I felt it written all over their faces that love had come to them too, in the simple form of me. I’m hoping it truly did.

“Life becomes precious and more special to us when we look for the little everyday miracles and get excited about the privileges of simply being human” - Tim Hansel
And so I believe.

P.S: Hey Kim, if you get to read this, I’m glad that your D1 was pleasant as well.

Softly…

2009-12-01T16:10:00.004+05:30

The blowing wind brings to me
dulcet tunes of a distant chime;
on cue my heart’s on its archway
rolling the red carpet for a special arrival
and in my small part of the world its that time of the year,
that’s meant for an influx of silver smiles

Happy December Everyone!

on my first Thanksgiving...

2009-11-26T13:33:00.003+05:30

Knowing well that Thanksgiving is a festival (I wish to call it so) that’s celebrated extensively in the west; I’ve given it a place of honor (from this year forward) amongst my list of special days in the yearly calendar. And why not, I love adapting beautiful bits from diverse cultures. Isn’t our very own India the epitome of diversification?

For me, certain festivals are too fascinating not to be celebrating them. However, I know that many debate about why should only one day be dedicated to express gratitude? Shouldn’t everyday be a day of thanksgiving? True, everyday ought to be just that. In fact, we do say thanks daily in our life (at least most of us do). But somehow the thought of exclusively choosing one living/non-living being to show our appreciation for the benevolence they have bestowed on us, is truly splendid. Some kind gestures in our life deserve to be thanked in a special way simply because they have been special too. And thanksgiving is meaningfully meant for this purpose.

To stop by…pause for a day…reconsider all the beautiful incidences of our life…connect the occurrence to its benefactor, who’s made this world a better place for us to live in…and to thank them in our own thoughtful way, for their noble act.

For me, the prospect of expressing my heartfelt gratitude to someone; trying to tell them how very touched I’m because of their thoughtfulness is Magical! Therefore, I’ve decided to celebrate this special day, year after year.

And so today, as I’m on my way to embrace this tradition, there’s someone I want to convey my deep-seated thanks to…for playing cupid in my life.

Every time I experience a moment of sheer joy…a moment of strength…a moment of comfort…a moment of warmth…a moment of intimacy…and infinite moments of blissful love…in this blessed union, my heart always sends you a silent ‘Thank-you’, My G. Ghadi (just to code you). So on my first Thanksgiving, here’s a Big HUG and THANKS coming your way along with an earnest prayer…for finding me - My Soulmate!

Prayer: May god bless you with a life that you wish for and a prince-charming materializing from you’re secret fairytale!!! Amen.

For love will bring a return…

2009-11-25T17:40:00.003+05:30

Valentine's Day is a cherished mark on the calendar, where lovers from all over the world, come together to celebrate love. And here is one true love story as eye-witnessed by none other than Cupid himself, the Roman God of Love. It is a story of an 'Eye' and his 'Tear'. They were lovers from another lifetime, forging an intimacy deeper than any human form could ever have.

The tale begins...

It was Valentine's Day eve. At one chosen corner of the world, He stood gazing at the evening sky. Slowly, He saw the stars appear as the sky turned dark. He loved their twinkle. Then, He moved to looking at the moon, whose serenity He had admired for so long. He relaxed with the help of a blink. All this while, He was all alone. Though he knew that She dwelled in him, He had been waiting for Her presence. He always longed to bathe in Her, for she was like a breeze from the mountains. And now, He felt her arrival. They embraced each other for they could not have waited any more.

'Pearl', he whispered. It was when they first fell in love, he had renamed her Pearl and she called him 'Beholder'. His whisper brought an echo in her, and she responded timidly. Their communication was so beautiful in itself that they didn't need any verbal instrument like words.

In his silence, she felt his fear; which was there in her too. They feared with a thought of departing. Since, it was destined that their meeting and passing away merely depended upon their mistress' joy or sorrow. And today too, they had come to each other because their mistress was missing her own beloved, on the eve of Valentine's Day.

Helpless with their destiny, they both silently wept. The cry seemed to come from the soft depth of a relationship. Breaking the silence, Pearl murmured - "We shall rejoice this moment, for we never know when we will go an eternity away. Let us not forget the lesson we learnt in love that we must always count our blessings and derive satisfaction from it. And so, this moment, we are truly blessed for we are in each other's arms".

Beholder approvingly nodded with his second blink. He took in the scene of the night for once, and came back to rest in her. He kissed her on the forehead and they both wished each other - Happy Valentine’s Day.

The moment was bliss. Gradually happiness conquered them and they smiled at each other just as it makes no difference how far away someone could go, for love will bring a return...!

a short-story written by me a couple of years back!

dusk dews

2009-11-25T17:31:00.000+05:30

She just then woke up from her usual afternoon nap, slowly un-tightened her arms and checked the clock to get an account of the time. It was quarter to five. Unlike other days, she was only little tired today. As she lay somnolently on her bed, his thoughts flashed into her inward eye in fragments. There was something so sublime about the way he made her feel. It seemed as if he knew how to bring happiness to her.

The balmy aroma of the wet mud coming from outside, smoothened her senses. Still lying loose, she gazed through the window. Mighty dark clouds had taken over. The remains of the downpour slipped from the leaves of a near-by tree. It had rained while she was asleep. In the meanwhile, the sun briefly peeped through the sky's grey screen bestowing a slice of sunshine that reminded her of his indefinable warmth.

In the morning, even before she was awake, he had set out. But he had left for her an unconventional white-lustrous flower on the window pane, along with a little note, that read - "If you've experienced a rich sunrise, sunset will be just as grand". And to her amazement, the flower over the day had transformed into pastel pink; with a hint of growing even darker. This mystical act of his brought to her a subtle smile. And the remaining hours of the evening were occupied by her memories of last night..

...the best moments were those, she reticently recalled, when she was embraced by his pervasive and purifying calm. His touch gave her a feel as though a wet floret was kissed by a gentle wind. She learnt nothing of him except for his gentle love making. As she nestled against his shoulders in the darkness, their passion had grown. And their blend had turned out to be such an intimate interlude, holding nothing back. The experience brought to her a pleasure unknown till then. It wasn't just her skin, but her soul too was involved for the first time.

This togetherness aroused in her a misty reverie which she certainly realizes would lay buried within her bewitching corpse.

With a lamenting soul and a deserted eye, slowly she then raised herself and helped towards the mirror. Her lips still wore the hue of his kiss. Her hair untamed and her mauve garment disorderly hanging by her fragile shoulders. Standing in front of her reflection, she admired her own beautiful features. Her beauty had an aura of radiance. The most erotic thing about her, which he had drawn attention to were those swaying eyelashes that did all her job of attracting. And attracting was the most leading part of her job, as a Prostitute.

Now, the light in her room was getting dimmer by the evening. But she had to wait for the natural light to vanish completely to get preparing herself for the obligatory task she had to perform night after night.

a short-story written by me a couple of years back!

Cheers! to my Lemon Tea Afternoons

2009-11-25T16:35:00.000+05:30

Brains (the advertising agency, where I serve as a Copywriter) got a coffee machine installed yesterday. The appliance is from Lipton with a bright yellow body and three automated options to choose from – warm coffee, lemon tea and hot water.

Now, the mini fridge in our pantry has a new neighbor to chit-chat or even play some me-cold-you-hot-games. As for us artificers, this will prove to a benefactor-in-guise for our daily doze of refreshment and creative tonic.

Everyone’s grabbing a cup or two (one for the morning and one for the noon) of the aromatic coffee, while am opting to set a ritual of afternoon lemon teas (I’m not made for coffee and vice-versa) to stimulate my senses; as they tend to grow semi-kaput in the post-meridian hours.

Just done sipping my first cup-pa.

Hmmm…

Here’s The Verdict: it tastes like elixir to me!

weekend escapade

2009-11-23T18:31:00.000+05:30

My lovely domestic weekend was activated with my not-so-lovely trip over the staircase. Ha, Yes! You read that right.

Breathe in...

Oh, but I’m well (minus the soreness I still feel in my right arm and left rear-end) or would I be writing this in the first place? Smile. Thank you for getting concerned!

We had just returned home from office on Saturday evening, and my dear husband (who had a boy’s evening planned out) reversed back the gates to leave. I bid him goodbye and went upstairs to change, freshen up and to glimpse in on my parents (who were happily unwrapping the Ludo package we had bought for them that evening). Done, I was climbing down all excited to bake in-excess those delicious chocolate cookies again (I had tried sample-baking the previous evening) when slish and whooooshhhhhh…I was sliding down the first staircase…second…third…fourth…fifth and (I think) halted on the sixth one finally…and luckily…or else, would have hit straight into the hard concrete wall that stood inviting right in front of me. In that instance, I don’t think my mind went all blank, but it sure went all ‘don’t-know-what’ (you probably will know it only if you ever have been through such a fall. I wouldn’t know it, if not for this one). Some time passed…I know not how much too, as I sat there waiting for me to feel normal. And eventually when I did come close to feeling so, the pain thumped into my body. I was aching badly. I kept waggling my arms and moving my body to ensure it was functioning fine. For a moment I was overcome by the thought of picking up my phone that was lying on the living room table and call Mayur or at least summon my parents to my side (but decided otherwise, it would only worry them and not reduce my pain). After some more time, I was glad and convinced that none of my bone (and only muscle) was injured. Gracias God!!! This episode really has me much to be thankful for!

Breathe out…

Later, having rested considerably and feeling far better, I (despite the delay) did bake those cookies and as well prepared some suji burfi and masala puffed rice. My kitchen, my home and my heart was filled with the heavenly fragrance coming from these delicacies. Divine!

There was some more of cooking (south Indian, this time) on Sunday morning - masala dosa and potato sabzi + green chutney to go with it. What better way to start a delectable day!!! The latter part of which was spent crafting - some paper bags, a paper-mache cup and some painting (will soon update the crafts at *fairydust*). Followed by a refreshing oil bath (a ritual with me, especially good for my sore and aching muscles now) and an evening glued to television and my cozy bed.
Good night and Good bye dear weekend!!!

Welcome New Week. Hope you all have a nice six-days-or-five-days time until the next weekend.

And I almost (I said ‘almost’ not totally) forgot to mention the positive side to tripping over the staircase…a good old massage from a pair of warm and gentle hands!!!

for a love of a special kind!

2009-11-17T18:38:00.000+05:30

Dear Aks,

This one’s especially for you. Hope it brightens you up as much as it gets you nostalgic.

Monday evening, 2 November ‘09

On meeting you’re Papaya!

As I entered the room, she lay nestled by your mom’s bed… I suppose, lost in an unknown spell of discomfort and reminiscence (over a life spent on loving and being loved in return!!!).

Our murmuring and particularly my stroking-her-ears-the-way-you-asked-me-to woke her mind slowly to us. While her dewy eyes were still attempting to blink open, her alert hearing antennas stood raised instantly trying to detect our voices. I could see she found it difficult for a while to understand the one by her side. Sure, my smell and voice was far from similar to her senses, but the stroking…the kind only her special fren treated her too…wasn’t definitely strange. I believe the caressing was so delicious to her, that she simply curled up and allowed me to fondle her in the same way for a long time...until I came over the phone to talk to you.

Then in the next moment, your dear-old-fur-lady was on her toes (as if the weight of her gnawing bundle was miraculously off her body) storming up and down the living room with an anxious eyes (and I’m sure, with an anxious soul) searching for you all around. Having eventually realized that I and Mayur were friends of you, she desperately seemed to yearn for your presence. To relish in the feel of ‘Your ORIGINAL ear-rubbing’. Although it was sadly touching to watch the truth of your absence dawn on her, it was also overwhelming to see how love binds two souls so beautifully diminishing the distance of a thousand miles.

This tryst blessed me with a sense deep joy…a joy of passing on your faraway love to this prudent soul and heralding back the soft echoing purrs that she’s left behind for you to cherish.

Thank you for a quiet evening I got to spend with Saaya.

May the spirit and all the fond memories of your Papaya live on!!!

P.S: and here’s a gift (click on 'gift') for you, from me and Mayur…this one was specially taken to let you glimpse in on the evening. Please bear with its minimalism and meager quality.

time to embrace the magic...

2009-11-14T13:56:00.000+05:30

Winter, my first one at Nashik, it seems has arrived early this year. It’s a season I cherish for more reasons than one. It’s the season that’s always been a favorite with me!

As monsoon is for most, winter for me personally, is the time of the year

for celebrating Love…of the intimate kind!

It’s the time for a dozen tender hugs, a time for wearing all those lovely warm woolen clothes, time for a hot cup of masala chai and some pakodas to go with it, time to lie snuggled in the cocoon of soft blankets and the ever-inviting bed, time to pleasantly soak in the warmth of the mild morning sun, time to return each evening to a cozy home, time to be caressed by the nippy west wind, time to welcome a beautiful December, a merry Christmas, a promising New Year and a glorious Spring, thereafter.

Winter is a time to embrace the Magic of the ordinary, the everyday…And that’s where you will find me journeying towards…in all ecstasy.

I am looking forward to meeting you there!

Catharsis

2009-11-10T11:39:00.000+05:30

If I were asked to describe myself, I am afraid the portrayal will only be an in-definitive one. Coz passing through the various stages of my life, as I presently linger here (in a phase what’s termed as adulthood), I am well aware of a ‘me’ that’s ever-changing.

A few years ago, I remember being tagged as the most ‘silent girl’ wherever I went. I was this simple figure, who spoke very little and dressed very neatly in painstakingly ironed (my friends who’ll read this, I am sure will nod in meaningful agreement) salwaar kameez (why, I even recall myself with an aversion to western wear)………It felt that I demonstrated anger almost once in a light year, was spiritual at heart, had patience and tolerance to human errors…….was ever-available as a pleasing listener, a wise counselor and an affectionate facilitator of comfort to all the ones who happen to experience unhappiness under diverse circumstances…….I was sort of submissive to a whole lot of things, committed to my family, thoughtful to my friends and long-suffering to all the countless trials and tribulations of my life. My folks loved me in return for the unconditional love I bestowed all around.

Here…I think I have, by and large, covered it all. Sounds saintly, isn’t it? Some of my friends even compared me, good-humoredly, to the self-less Mother Teresa and the noble Gandhi. But, I had my fair share of negatives too. I was dull and sulky to death, was brimming with an unwelcome flair for criticism, had this acute addiction for perfection, and was emotional far more than an average person around me.

Nonetheless, life was all good!

But today, some of my beloved ones assume me as somebody, who’s far from what I was once. Reasons being: the change in my dressing (I have gladly welcomed western cloths into my wardrobe; coz of its comfort, panache and chiefly for my liberal understanding of it as not being indecent)……..my not-so-quiet-keeping-conversant-drift (I feel compelled to express my unhappiness over insensitive things and behaviors; coz my tolerance level fails to stretch farther)……….my unsolicited expectations of my folks (coz I only have them to turn to, when I experience myself weakening)…….my quick justifications to my actions and criticism towards other’s tactlessness (as I literally get fed-up sitting there and waiting for people to understand without having being told of how much even my needs need to be attended too).

At present, I might not come across as my former self, but does it mean I have lost my crux? Isn’t every single one of us in this world c-h-a-n-g-i-n-g at every given moment of our life? Even to this day, I believe I am very-much committed to my parents, am caring and thoughtful of my dear ones in my heart and my deeds. I still feel spiritual within…..and with utmost sincerity I declare that LOVE still continues to fill me from deep inside (would I be breathing otherwise?). On the other hand, I yet haven’t really improved on my nagging ways nor have completely minimized my emotional quotient. Besides, I am learning to deal with so many new things like relationship-management, time-management and in the meanwhile, trying hard to re-establish my much-needed tolerance (or else, how will I care for my 84yrs old father, who often behaves child-like making it so difficult for me to tend to him. How will I sympathize (which I extremely feel the desire to, coz I love him more than I can ever express) with his innocence, a convoy of his age).

Nonetheless, life is all good!

Because, either ways……it’s ME.

Earlier, I was content with my silence, my patience and the little bit of sacrificing I could manage to please others.

Now, I am content with my forthrightness, my fulfilled wishes and the little bit of self-indulgence to please myself.

Earlier, I was unhappy with my lack of socializing, my mood swings and slightly subjective outlook.

Now, I am unhappy with my lack of essential tolerance, my expectations of others and slightly erratic time-sense.

Eventually, what I believe is that there are certain traits (amongst all others) in every one of us, which shadows us almost throughout our existence on this earth. And that’s what distinguishes us from others, irrespective of the traits being good or bad………And it duly deserves to be respected!

Again, while change is the only constant, I am on my way of learning to acknowledge it gracefully (but in the meanwhile, being a human, I may perhaps stumble here and there). At the end of it all, it is such an enormous gratification to be judged and to be accepted for who we are….depending on why we are so.

Today….I am a blend of the many like-and-unlike parts of the very own me……and it is such LIBERATION to be at home with this knowledge……..

So come join my sentimental soul in the celebration of this joy!

Thanks in advance!

You are my Scent-Sense!

2009-11-10T11:18:00.000+05:30

roses…Tuberoses…the white allure…the enigma of twilight…you are a breath of fresh life…working wonders in my heart…your spell is of the come-hither kind…and your aura penetrates into my fathomless depths…come rule my senses until the end of me…and I will nurture you as my manna from heaven…you are a beauty so fragile…you are my new-found love…you are my eternal love for fragrance…

Now coz of you…coming home is even more the best part of my day!

Happiness Take-Ten

2009-11-02T18:29:00.000+05:30

A mixed sensation filled my mind as I left office a little fatigued, Saturday evening, to begin my weekend. We had invited my in-laws for a family dinner and I had about an hour or so to prepare for the evening meal. Traditionally, I assume we are attuned to having things organized (at the very least, mentally), well before such occasions. Plus when it comes to me, I have this desperate need to be prepared even for the slightest of activities like going on a walk (I measure short on being impulsive). And this time, I hadn’t even decided on the menu when I entered my kitchen. So, that explains my state of mind at the point...tired…uncertain…nervous…concerned…Blank….!

But I did manage to steam up some richly aromatic rice and a paneer curry (along with capsicum, cabbage and cauliflower…an instant recipe I conjured, ‘wonderfully’ managing the lack of suitable ingredients). Well, I said wonderfully coz everyone loved the food. I know it…of the delightful comments coming from my ‘expert-in-food-tasting’ husband and papa (when these two say it was delicious, it sure was, no two thoughts about it!). This way, at the end of the day, it was a very happy me!!! (Happiness take-one) Saturday winded up there.

Sunday…a pleasant day in the making!

I woke up in the morning and lay soaked in the silken morning rays, filtering through our curtains (Happiness take-two). Soon, I was joined in by my husband (who went about being busy exploring his new phone. Oh! Did I mention this part? If not so, here’s another happy piece of our weekend joy…Mayur finally (after waiting for a week’s time) got a new cell phone – Nokia E 71. And he is pleased as a punch over it!!! (Happiness take-three). Later on, I indulged in a still-life shooting spree (Happiness take-four) [the photographs will soon be uploaded at *fairydust*], followed by my regular weekend dusting and tidying up (Happiness take-five) along with some cooking (Happiness take-six) and a leisure oil bath (Happiness take-seven). And then, it was the big treat of the day… a Picnic (we had it planned in the morning) to the beautiful gardens, landscaped as a tribute to Dadasaheb Phakle (Father of Indian Cinema). An afternoon lunch of home-made food…lounging beneath an arbor of pink blossoms…peels of laughter (from children playing all around) resonating in the otherwise serene ambience…and some more of photographs taken as souvenirs of this pleasant outing…all of it gathered as one; to gift us another charming bunch of happiness (Happiness take-eight, nine and ten)

Even as I am describing and reliving it now, I really think this was one of the beautiful weekends I have ever had and anyone could ask for.

Three cheers for my Happiness take-ten!!!

Hope your weekend was a beautiful one too!

the rising...

2009-10-31T16:27:00.000+05:30

From my work surface @ Brains Office

This is my first entry to my very own Twinkling Moments’ anthology here!

Hmmmmmmmmmm………………Yes, it’s sure a long Hmm.

One full week (particularly the past three days) of pure flickr and a few trips into some interesting and some even awe-inspiring blogs has definitely stirred a new impulse within me for visual captures and rekindled my all-time-love for Words.

I must mention here, that I had been a habitual writer in my pre-wedding days (a year ago to be more approximate), weaving memories of my life. I interlaced my day-after-day memoirs on paper - not necessarily in a book, as I happily wrote even on a piece of paper. But with conditions applied! I always…meaning a-l-w-a-y-s…used only pencil and lined paper for my writings. I adore the feel, color and texture of graphite * Pencil for me is what Pen is for others* on lined paper *somehow I can’t bring myself to think alike of lined and un-lined papers*.

Anyways, back to…visual captures and words (from where I drifted). The writing bee within has been stinging me from a couple of months now, to resume word-weaving - my thoughts and memories. In fact, I even created a new special diary for my precious memoirs. But it goes without saying that I failed to launch myself into the writing pattern (for many relevant reasons + for the sheer postponing tendency of my faintly lazy disposition). However, now it seems like the time has arrived in actuality…for me to do what I truly enjoy doing…to WRITE and to capture (can’t do much in this department, coz I don’t own a camera) the myriad slices of my life that touches me the most.

And what a wondrous come back it is! With so many fresh blessings in my life…my married life: a new season with better-sweet hues to savor {} my soul mate: a nutriment to reinforce my hopes and dreams {} my new and ever-evolving mind-set {} a new place to begin a new life in {} new home {} new people {} new lifestyle {} new job {} a new photo-sharing album; flickr {} a new writing space; here on my very own blog + a bouquet of other changes that I am unable to recall in this instance…all of it complementing my already blessed life; filled with beloved parents and a constellation of dear friends.

What more could I ask for?

So, here’s me embarking on a NEW journey of words…that bespeaks Me*My Soul*My Life and its Essence!

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation and a pinch of creativity”.

Going by that, I feel positively enthusiastic at this moment.