Sweet nothings

Hello everyone? How's the week treating you? It's mid-week already. Days seem to be whizzing past. Every morning I wake up with the resolution to complete at least a few from my to-do list of chores. I have a long, long list of pending work that need immediate attention but alas! I keep postponing them time and again! My break would soon get over and I would again be back to square one, waiting for the next break to come; promising myself and of course the men at home that I shall complete every single pending task then! At this point of time I am remembering my mother's saying; 'never keep any work pending! Do them immediately. All that you don't like must be done promptly! Tomorrow's work should be done today.' Well, mother practised it, tried teaching her children,too. But this one ( read Madame Choudhury here) didn't learn it at all! So she keeps on piling up work, and all kinds of it, urgent, not so urgent,important, all kinds!

But then, what do I do or not do for that matter,that keeps me so engrossed? I will strongly protest if anyone at home calls me lazy! Well, I am most certainly not lazy!! A bit of a fussy person, though, someone who suffers from OCD according to the men at home. So they are quite used to seeing the lady ruffling up the cushions, even if they are arranged neatly; straightening up the painting on the wall or trying to wipe away some unseen dust ( as they say, but to me, there is some dust settling down always! ). The balcony garden is another obsession. I know, I lament and I complain that I do not have the luxury of a proper garden. But whatever I have, I try to use up the space to its optimum and I tell you, this is no mean job! 

So, then, going back to the title of this post, 'Sweet nothings',is all about my days now, days as I spend them doing things that interest me. To the men at home, these are all meaningless work, if I may call them work, that need not be done at all! At least a few of them are certainly most meaningless to them! But some 'nothings' can be really sweet :-).... 

Every now and then I have been rushing to the balcony to check on my Plumeria! She was quite ill the last few months when she lost all her leaves. She needed a lot of sun and a change of place to bring her back to health. And here you can see her! She is still without leaves but I can see her with all those buds!! Doesn't she look pretty? Wait, till you see her in all her prettiness in a few days :-).....

Baking happens to be another 'like' of mine! And with some time to myself, I have been trying out all kinds of goodies. I love that smile on my people's face, specially the younger one! And of course, that absolutely divine aroma of freshly baked brownies and muffins that fill up the home! Trying to organize all kinds of things in the most practical way at home is a real challenge to the all-time hoarder! Hence, the need to accommodate them is no easy task. All these do take up time, right? :-D..

And I managed to make a quick trip to the Chitrakala Parishad. The Sampoorn Santhe was pretty good. I grabbed a few things,too, mainly plants and a few gifts for friends :-)...retail therapy has its own charm,isn't it? These flea markets are full of handmade artifacts and I always have a soft corner for such things. A visit to The Chalk Boutique,too, was long overdue! Such prettiness you get to see there! It's like leaving me inside the robbers' cave like Ali Baba! And I don't know what to pick up and what to leave behind!

My 'sweet nothings' give me immense happiness; those small things in life that make one so full of contentment. Yes, the more important chores are left incomplete at times for these bits of happiness only to be picked up later and completed with renewed vigour. My 'sweet nothings' are like those cubes of sugar to be had in times of tiredness and then they give you the energy to run around! Do you, too, experience these sugar pangs of sweet nothings? I would love to hear from you:-).....

My Champa or Plumeria preparing herself for a flower shower very soon!

Obsessive Cupcake Disorder

A lot can happen over a cup of chai!

My 'book-worm' side table !

And a bit of 'blog-time',too!

 We have some new visitors :-) ....All huddled together while I try to make space for them!

brownie time!

trying to be a bit organized!

The Chalk Boutique

Some more from The Chalk Boutique

before and after

In harmony.....

'Take life with a pinch of salt....a slice of lemon and a shot of tequila', so says the good living guide! And I am in total agreement with this fun phrase! A plaque with these words dangles from a hook in the corner of the dining area. Each time my eyes set on this, I cannot help reflecting how true these words are. After completing 21 years of togetherness,life has taught us many a lesson. It feels glorious to be together in the journey of life. My partner cum co-passenger has been good to me. He has made several adjustments to make me sit comfortably! And I presume that, I, too, have! A milestone achieved and hopefully by the divine grace, many more to come, all I would wish for is a safe journey, being with each other all along this beautiful course. Let us keep growing together, ageing together and experiencing the emotions of life together. Be it 'together' always :-)......as being together is a means of being happy in my case.

This was a post meant to be posted on my blog on the 27th of February but for some reason I did not do so. Maybe because I wanted to cling on to that special date even after it had passed and keep the spirit of our anniversary alive and running even after the 'D' date! Maybe because I wanted to experience how it felt after that day was over and made place for the next day. And I must say that it feels good to relive that special day even after it had actually gone by. So here comes this very short post, rather a reflection of the self, two days after. Counting my blessings these days, I have been trying to lap up every little happiness that I can find around me. Happiness is certainly infectious! A happy me makes for a happy home and hence happiness all around. 

Folks, I would love to hear about your happiness quotient, your reflections on happiness and what makes for a happy surrounding. So, do share your thoughts with me here. Leaving you to mull over this and make yourself as happy, satisfied and contented you can.

Flowers on the special day is a must and I gifted myself some of my favourite ones!

And chai, too, a special Darjeeling variety for the special day!

Well, for this very pretty 'you and me', I need to thank The Chalk Boutique! They let me click this one :-)...after all, 'you and me' are the the two special characters :-)

And here it is! The punch line of life!

These days........

The days have been rather busy. They have been whizzing by at top speed. And, suddenly, why has this been happening? All I can think of is work and more and more of it. I am engulfed by a host of engagements that have been keeping me occupied. My French assignments, more and more of practice work and even at the home front,things haven't really been running smooth. There has been no help for almost more than a week now. And cooking has been taking up all of my evenings. I am not complaining but the feeling of breathlessness cannot be ignored. I have been so used to the evenings, the tea sessions, the me and only me times, the luxury of being able to do what I love doing; all these seem to have taken a backseat at the moment. And then comes the Friday evening! What a relief! Finally there is some time for myself. Saturday means no class, no waking up early, the luxury of spending some more time in bed, the luxury of having a late breakfast and endless cups of chai! Well, I have another 'grand' luxury....of having a cuppa brewed by the husband! And he

chai ho jaaye? Anytime!

is good at this! The mid morning tea session, of tea prepared by the husband, of having company while we sip our tea in a leisurely way....ahaaa! How wonderfully blissful life can be!

This is home to me. Every minute spent here is wonderful. Togetherness binds our home. Time spent doing all things we love to do, no matter how trivial they are, is something we look forward to. These days are all about cooking. I had to cook for the family out of compulsion. But I felt completely satisfied with all the culinary experiments, the planning of the meals, executing them my way and the praises at the outcome. In the process, I realised how cooking meals can be a full time occupation. Our mothers used to do this so wonderfully and with élan! Each time they dished out such delightful treats. I was super happy with my easy-peasy capsicum rice, the childhood egg curry, paratha with ajwain, pasta with broccoli,etc,etc. The dal chawal turned out super duper tasty! Simple meals but prepared with so much love and care :-).....no wonder they taste so good!

And a bit of 'Home-love' added to the super busy days, made them worth all the rush. My love for home accessories is quite a known fact amongst my family and friends. So when I came across these pretty little wood and metal knick knacks, I knew that I must have them. A little 'home' in white accompanied by another little 'love' in red came home to me this evening. And these two triggered my blog post today! It's a wonderful feeling. Home-Love. two most beautiful words and meaning the world to me.... I wanted to express myself when I looked at these two pretty things; take some time out of the busy schedule and write anything that came to my mind. After all this is the space where I express myself.....

I love colours.....they give me the motivation to carry on with a smile in spite of the super busy days......

Loved the cartoons....a favourite pastime of the young man at home.....

the joys of simple meals......

some pasta with broccoli.........

a combination of egg curry with paratha.....something  we used to gorge on as kids.......

and now time for some capsicum rice....recipe courtesy a friend.......:-)

And while I put together this post, the feeling of gratitude and thankfulness engulfs me. I have enough reasons to be grateful and thankful in my life. I have this beautiful world of mine, people who mean the world to me, they are my reasons to smile and enjoy life, my reasons to stride over all obstacles and make life worth living.....while the west celebrates this thanksgiving season, I feel thankful for every single day....

Home-Love........beautiful words, aren't they?

The blue expanse

I had composed this post a few days ago, on a day that had dawned bright and sunny. But today when I plan to post this, the day looks just the opposite. It is dull, grey and gloomy. The fleeting rays of the sun seem to be playing hide and seek from behind the grey. And with the festivities just round the corner, this is the most imperfect weather. The chill has settled in with that dampness all around. On such a day, I cannot help feel the importance of the sunny side of the weather. With the hope of those sparkling days ahead, I ,leave you to virtually enjoy some sunshine,some brightness and cheer and some gorgeous blue:-D....

 This morning dawned as usual but came along with a bright and beautiful look. The sky seemed to be an expanse of clear blue,a blue that shone and glistened and sparkled accompanied by white. This was the azure I had learnt about as a child in school. All those of us who live in Bangalore would know it well how our sky is most often clad in a greyish drape with a lack lustre brightness. We love to call it our very own English weather. But this morning's sunshine seemed to wash clean any signs of gloomy grey and brightened up every corner of the city. The blue and white made a perfect combination and drove away the grey monster far and completely out of sight! I loved the day as it loomed ahead of me,promising me of all things positive and happy. A bright and sunny day can bring in so much of cheer. I ventured out on a new path this morning and the day seemed to greet me whole heartedly. It seemed to be signalling that 'go ahead'. The morning with its clear blue sky heralded our much awaited four day long celebrations....Durga Puja,Dussehra,Navaratri,call it whatever you would want to. The festive spirit seemed to encompass the lovely blue of the sky. Light white clouds flitted across the blue expanse,making the blue more prominent among the whiteness of the clouds. This was the weather we are so familiar with during this festive  time. I could not help trying to capture this beautiful blue from various angles and places. Have a look at the massive expanse that I tried capturing with my cellphone.
    

a piece of  blue and green with a dash of pink;Isn't this beautiful?

Just learnt to put in my name:-)....look at those gorgeous clouds! What a lovely play of colours! The city skyline behind makes a pretty picture.....

                                
                               

And this is my favourite ! Simply cannot have enough of the azure sky!

                             

a random click from a friend's balcony; the blue expanse in a grey drape!

                             

      Framed;from inside the metro compartment 

                                  And hold your breath while you see this!

                                 Grey and blue does make a combination,isn't it?

                                 Another of my favourite shots!

Tune in to thoughts

"Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens/ Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens/ Brown paper packages tied up with strings/ These are a few of my favourite things"......... Sitting back home on a Thursday morning, with a sore throat and body ache, what are the things that come to my mind? Well, there are several.Like these very beautiful lyrics of Maria's song,my list of favourite things,too,is no less.Being a homebody,for the longest of time I can remember,the very simple,mundane things attract me.The quietness around is palpable as the otherwise bustling outside is calm.This is what I love about breaks during a weekday. The morning breeze is cool with that nip in the air that heralds Autumn to Winter transition. The sky, a bit of blue and grey, with fleeting clouds and play of sunshine adds further to the winterish feeling. Steaming cups of herbal tea adds to the charm of being alone and enjoying the bliss. Perfect, I call this! A time to introspect,a time to be by oneself taking in all that is around and soaking in the peace that pervades everything at the moment. Strange, how thoughts keep taking the shape of the printed letters at the moment. The muddled state of last evening has given way to some serious decision-making, taking stock of the situations and catching up on some unfinished chores. Being ill has not hindered all that :)...... Flowers, colours, home, tea, some family time bonding over breakfast served in bed,though made by yours truly, has made the morning at home quite enjoyable, something to look forward to in days to come.I love doing things at my own pace. Taking a good look at my green family,again,deciding on how to go about arranging them within the limited space available, is something of a greater challenge. And that challenge needs to be taken up. It's time to catch some sunlight now:)...remember, how I once called it elusive? It still is! And catching it will now be a real task. Quite a difficult one,that is! Hoping to click some of my favourite things. And here I stop my ramblings........and leave you to remember your favourite things and hum that beautiful song of Maria:-)....bright copper kettles,apple strudels, certainly,yes, I love them! Thinking of my favourite things drives away those blues,the feelings of gloom and despair. 

• Hoping to catch up on my cooking and dish up some healthy recipes.

                                                 a bit of this and a bit of that........

     Aren't they pretty? I think so,too! The colours are instant mood-
   lifters.......

 
     Colours and more of colours..............

               Some more of those little memorabilia......

•                 Bonding over bed-teatime.......

Elusive Mr.Sun

 It's a day that started on a bright note. But Mr.Sun,very soon, started playing an elusive game of brightening up everything one moment and then deciding to play blink-wink-disappear the very next moment. The day that started on a cheerful note seemed to be showing its various shades within moments. The light seemed to be saying ' catch me if you can' ! But I was enjoying every bit of it, and why not! Just a few more days of independence, the random tea sessions, irrespective, of the time of the day, the no- exercise sessions, going about the city without having to think of the next 'working' day; such fun times! The very thought of unstructured hours of work makes me feel so relaxed. Yet, work gets done and things fit in so effortlessly. And to top it all, the perfect light-and-shade day! All smiles :).......

Now, Mr.Sun did play his games. The light streamed in through the partially clouded sky, as if it was creeping in through the bamboo chiks. The slight grey of it blended with the bright yellow and a perfect shade was created. The blinding yellow that scorched life, made us squint, hide our gaze behind the shades, could actually acquire such a lovely mellowness....seeing and experiencing it made a person like me put it into a few words. Mr.Sun did know how to colour the world according to his whims and fancies and bring out the best in everything. Even our moods lightened up and brightened up according to his wishes! I wish I could capture his mood changes well enough.

Light has its own importance in life. What is it that does not depend upon it? Light can make things liven up,bringing upon a total mood change in us. But yes, the right kind of light, the perfect sort of yellow. Wonder if it makes sense to you.....it does to me, though. Too much of it can be killing at times, like the tender jasmine creeper that was thoroughly scorched up last week. The flowering plant was reduced to its crisply fried up state, thanks to, too much sun. The right shade of yellow creates wonders. The mellowness creates the right mood, the perfect ambience and environment that allows things to soak up in its golden hue. The honey yellow dripping from Mr.Sun is lovely indeed! At such times he makes me want to lie by the window, in a corner of my most formally informal living room. And with a good book or a magazine with some pretty glossy pictures to drool over, some mint water and melon! Perfect combination, I must say! Signing off for now with a few captures from around my home. Leaving you to daydream and create some magical moments in the company of Mr.Sun:-)......

Lovely!Love my kitchen,my chai and some play of light! 

The plants love the right kind of light and so do I!

the perfect corner where the light seeps through....

light and shade and colours.......

One more of the netted effect....I call this on the other side.....

This is one of my most favourite photographs! Simply love the red and the green!

I call this 'the apartment effect'!

A perfect pattern is created.....the net-grills-bamboos-sunlight in tandem