To My Dear Dad….

A very long break. Few weeks now I have been having so many dwindling thoughts which all happened to be in completed write ups for posts. So many pre occupations, there was no killing deliberation for me to pick them all and finish it off. My little one mercifully granted me my personal time for a few hours, thanks to my hubby, they are now off for a drive!..

 There was one write up which I wanted to do it at any cost, i started it off on the ‘Father’s day’, wanted to say a few words for my dear father for all that he did for us and gave all that he could. A short note on memoirs of time’s we shared and felt great..

 Dear Dad, this is for you..

  1. I love the bright smile that you carried along and brought the same with whom ever you caught up for a chat.
  2. Love the way you made the ambience jubilant with little cracks..
  3. You were strict or I thought so, until I comprehended your lenience stepping in to college. Also that had been a blessing concealed to teach me my values what I pursue now.
  4. I am grateful to you for passing on your ‘Strength of mind’ and ‘Strength of will’ which has made me stand strong in tough times.
  5. I still remember the ‘apple cake’ and ‘kutti samosa’ which you brought us every week end. They don’t taste the same as it used to be like then, coz it is missing your love..
  6. I still pine for the thrill and enjoyment we had in festival purchases and dinner outside home.
  7. I wish to see that care in ensuring that I am given a princess treatment, oh I still remember the day when I had ventured to buy milk from the booth all by myself and the taunt that mummy got for allowing that, I understand now that you did not want me to take pains in doing those chores, but had thought as a control then and chided.
  8. I loved your down to earth attitude in sharing all the house hold errands from mom and your attitude to do them to perfection shines in me as well…
  9. I loved your morning Tea’s when you got up early and made them for all of us on most of the Sundays!!! The taste still lingers..
  10. I loved your persistence in showing your nurturing by riding us both in your cycle to our school until we got our cycles..
  11. I loved to see your face brimming with pride when the school teachers commended us on our performance. It was of course my driving force
  12. I revere your trust on us, I never informed about my outing to movies or shopping with friends when I was in college.
  13. I loved your acceptance for things when it involved some one’s efforts..
  14. Oh you were a great photographer, had a great collection of Music cassettes, treasured things even if it was so nitty gritty..
  15. I loved those discussions when we prepared the songs list for recording and sat together to listen to them all when we got it recorded. I don’t have that companion ship now…

The list just goes. This is not an ode of remembrance but a note of thankfulness for all that I have got from you. Thank you dad…

Matter of Choice!!!

Our home had suddenly taken a pepped routine this week with guests filling in the adobe. My aunt, niece and mom had come home from my home town and the little one was so very exited that she did not want to go to her school, though it being the last day in this term for her; calling for a party time at school..no wondrous cajoling could make me pull up her to school, left with no choice I had send an apologetic note to her teacher that she will not be available in the party, I just juggled to my work place.

 I was actually palpitating, the little one is going to be at home for a week and I have to re work all my schedules as the day care routines have now been handed over to me!!! It is not some thing new that is a cause of worry, but I had been enjoying some time now being spared from these chores and reviving them is just making me drag a slow pace.

 If only I can have the people at home share a few of these so that I can put my feet up for a while, but my little one out of in arduous love for her mom will not allow any one else do them for her!!!

 Oops I am getting strayed from what i wanted to share. It was actually a 3 day trip alone for my Aunt and Niece though my mom is going to be here for some time tied up with the little one. But i should say admitting that 3 days were tire some for them. Having been used to moving around in a vast space and neighbors swarming in and out at my home town unlike the very silent 2BHK flat here had made them feel out of place!! It was not lamented but I sighted their helplessness in getting accustomed with this new ambience, both of our busy schedules adding to the fuel.

 I managed to take them out for a shopping binge in the legendry Ranganathan street on Saturday. I wanted them to try out Acendas a booming food court that brings all diverged cuisines together under one roof.  It should be something special from the usual dinner at home, I thought so, alas they just wanted plain Dosa amidst the wide spread food array!!!

 The get together was so silent if not for the rattling of my little one’s chat. She was at ease of her own, having been used to the place and in her own way finding amusement. But that was not the same with my guests. They did not enjoy much!!

 The next day sticking to the every day routine though I made idlis with a simple chutney for break fast, it was relished so well, with the entire family sitting around and having it with a hearty chat. Every body seemed to enjoy, my daughter was making her contribution with mess ups, idlies on floor..but the very sight was cheerful. A strong coffee there after made it even more eventful.

 At times the choices that we think will elate others often puts us in tight corners. Thinking out of the blue, i thought that I was taking them to a great place for dinner and making it a memorable trip while I was actually putting them in discomfort.  And I learnt that great places do not guarantee enjoyment for all!!.

Wish list – I

I had posted too much of musings all along hence tweeting on a few blissful events that could elate me.

 10 Un foreseen things that will make me sooooooooo happy

  1. A day to rest with no phone calls and no pending tasks calling for completion
  2. A quick meet with all my college friends over a cup of tea (kids excluded)
  3. A hot coffee while still n bed and cold weather to add to the coze.
  4. A lovely vacation over a resort with hill side charm.
  5. A day long shopping spree allowing me to buy what I wanted to (debits to be Hubby dears valet)
  6. A new Music System throwing a bash and rocking my favorites on high decibels.
  7. If hubby dear volunteers to buy a few artifacts and portraits for my home décor
  8. If my kid will eat with no tantrums..
  9. My mom cooking my favorites with spice burning so hot
  10. My Maid comes all days in the month with no excuses……

 I still have a list of wish list which I fancy and not sure about the practicality, will post them next.

A forgotten trait

As we evolved, there were numerous changes from an uncivilized version to what we are now. All for the better…but as we move along the wheel of life, there are so many quality changes, which move us away from our values. Out of the blue we remember it one day ‘Oh I have not been doing this now!!!’. One such thing I remembered or rather realized recently was that I had forgotten the ‘Art of gifting’.

I had ensured that I made people, my dear ones feel special by gifting them small things what ever I can. I always had the thought that happiness gives self contentment to see others being happy because of you..i would not wait for occasions to gift some one formally..i ascertained that the loved ones are kept posted and assured that immaterial of the distance they are reached with a ‘kutty’ gift which will mark a difference in great ways and you could vividly envision the smile that is guaranteed on their face.

I would just not send a well packed gift, it always had my personal touch, and that I believe made it even more cherished. Special notes on what they have done was a kind of appreciation and acknowledgement that bring waves in otherwise the ripple free routine..

In a way it also boomed by creativity to show versatility in adding those ‘personal touches’. Now to quote it is almost 3 years since I have done a memorable gifting. Lack of time or lack of interest what so ever, I have lost one of my constructive values!. Also the lack of reciprocation had not fueled me to keep going and doing so to say. My focus had shifted and the hectic pace of life had infact drudged me down from portraying such graceful ethics.

I have decided to continue and resume on so called one of my lost habits, where I can rejoice seeing smiles when my ‘present’ clings on their hands. Gifts are not just one of the ways of expressing love, but one of the best hookers of keeping relationships in tight bonds.

Who will not jump up to see a well wrapped gift, full of surprises? It does not really matter how precious are valuable is the souvenir inside. I have even send shirts / chocolates to my brother as gift, but they were never sent as a normal courier, a loving note was never missed, and that covered up for how little or regular the gift was. I do repeat the gifts, but some how I marked them to stand out every time it was sent.

I would say that more than the reward, gift is love embraced with pretty dressing send to reach hearts, and that’s why they bring smiles. I just get touched even now when there is a B’day greet through email from my good old friend, god she remembers me!!!!

I am all geared up to resume in to action. To pull out time and do this. Love is ‘GIVING’ and giving Gifts is one of the remarkable and easiest genres of expression.

Guys for you all…..

I started reading a bit more once I kicked off blogging to get the heck of varied styles of writing, cue on becoming professional isn’t it J. I was wondering if I am just posting to quench my desire for articulating thoughts, after all that’s writing!. Shouldn’t it benefit some one reading it, if at all I have some blog visitors? I was noting that there were many silent guests, who did not want to leave a few words to let me know what it was to peruse these postings. I am taking a few minutes of your precious time and it should be worth while to leave an impact as you read them or instigate some thing which makes us all on the same podium to share and enjoy.

I had wanted this to be a virtual space to spend a few minutes to let know some one of some good old memories and relish those times when we were together; Child hood, school days, college memoirs, before marriage and after marriage etc. Time and life has all put us in distance, though all of are just on a phone call reach, thanks to emerging tech, which has provided us with so much of options to make remote calls, but still there is something which can unveil the wrapped emotions and that is where I found this medium apt and accurate to bring all those relations together.

I have not made the blog public wanting only the dear and near to read so that we all have something to say and make things keep going. I personally feel that it is so enriching when you revive on some good old memories and rejoice. So if you have something to say do pen down as you drop to read. Reciprocation energizes and I will get convinced that I write to have some value add. I would request you to acknowledge as we talk to accept or argue and keep up the spirits…believe me once we all snug deep in to our own lives and run day in and out, we need to stop somewhere to ensure if we are embracing all our dear ones as we rush. And I am just working on it!!!…

Best Spouse award…

 I must say it was one of the exciting competitions that were announced for the staff. There was a communiqué to send in write ups to support the subject line topic, and as I said earlier the exhilaration immediately put me to thoughts to start the write up, I just had a glance on the complete note on what was expected from this and I impeded from writing further.

 The announcement by itself was quite controversial in quoting 2 things. The first part talked about partners equal contribution, learning to adopt to changes etc while the second part said that award was for the best supportive spouse and examples were baby sitting, helping the kid in studies.

 I believe all spouses I mean husbands will receive the award if it is merely baby sitting as most of them are bound to do that role now. I just stopped the write up and wanted to convince myself what exactly I infer from the topic so that I can correlate if my hubby dear is doing that, more to my satisfaction than near to perfection.

 Most successful working couples are those who are able to balance work and life pretty smoothly without either of them being over loaded or exhausted, the last note is the key word to be annotated.

 Baby sitting / sharing house hold work could be just one aspect in the whole dimension, and I am sure it has some thing more than just said above. How many women could just continue doing what ever they did before marriage and after marriage? Be it just a simple chore of book reading or enjoying music. I am not talking feminism by saying that most men mange to get things continued, but so to say the statement stands accepted by majority.

 The existing societal background should be censured as men from boys grow with such things already rooted deep inside them. I am saying so because for once such incident where I have seen 2 of them reacting differently. I am saying this to highlight the erroneous values which most of us imbibe. I remember once bringing in a bucket full of water to assist in getting the water pump run when my neighbor just offered to carry that bucket, so pleasing and respectable etiquette I must say. I have seen the same in my brother. I would refrain from detailing the other incident where it was said that carrying pots is below their dignity by another person!!!!!

 Most men are now tamed, I say so, and because these traits just get absorbed without any values add. In such cases the definition for helping hand will vary to extremes between these 2 sects of people. While for the first category of men small chores which we would like to share will all be taken up voluntarily and with concern. But with the second category of men, the nails just break trying to strike the chord!!!

 But then again we just could not prove the second sect to be disobliging spouses. So it matters a lot where actually we draw the line. Am I going out of tract deviating too beyond the topic???

 I am assured myself that it is a small mass which the stone that I have set rolling will gather. To me what it means as a supportive spouse is one who is there to take up charge when you just want; you spell it out or not. A person who discovers your unnoticed, un known talents and inspires them to be brought to light, give moving space for your acts, makes room for your personal time and is there to listen and just listen when you want emotional reassurance and more and more…..i could pen down so many to etch that perfect spouse figure..

 With all that in place, things set right automatically and both move parallel in ladder. There are some golden rules which spot a supportive spouse (it’s me giving these rules, it is very much debatable with varied perceptions I am sure hubby dear will!!).

1. Ascertain the load that your spouse takes up in the same window excluding sleep. And there you know where you can pitch in!!!!!

2. See if your spouse has a big Colgate / close up smile at least once a day because of you

3. Ensure that your spouse’s flair for some unnoticed ability or distinguishing endowments come to the lime light.

4. Understand, appreciate and admire

5. MAKE THEM FEEL SPECIAL.

 In most case all the above would have been realized but not expressed. And that’s where the cart stops or moves slowly or distorted.

 So now the final note or for what you all had read eagerly, does my hubby dear wins of that title???? I must say he will win, with a 0.5 percentile refinements in comprehending what I expect as detailed above and at the moment he has passed with distinction, but yet to get those flying colors!!!!!!!!

 How are your hubby’s scoring on this??

Cooking and my love for it….

It is quite some time since I posted . I was too engrossed and occupied with some priority deliverables, I was oblivious of this until hubby dear reminder me that he has not seen posts for some time. My wonder, he does take note of this, but also had an apprehension if he is being sarcastic. He had always said that I will not get time for this and I had argued that it will be excuses to say. I was so determined during the start to post at least every week. I had missed the schedule, never the less I have not stopped, I am just struck.

 I had always had an inclination towards cooking, if I could remember, right from my 12th standard  I am experimenting with this art. My early attempts were all disastrous. I still remember when I had prepared a gravy reading from women’s’ era, the fortnightly regular I used to buy those days, and how appalling it was, I should say so, because I could not even eat a spoon ful, it was so hot and spicy. I just could laugh now when I recollect adding chilli powder to bring in the color. I was also fervent, not to take any help from my mom. And slowly got up to the level of a decent novice from a bad take off.

 I had then grown to the ‘most wanted’ dosa maker at home. My dad used to love the paper thin dosas I make. And say that I cook well (He had fore seen that :)). Then ‘good coffee’, and finally to sambar where it stood out from the typical one that is usually made in our side and by my mom. It was a huge hit where I had borrowed tips from almost 3 people (of different styles from different natives) in my compound. I started helping amma with cooking since then.

 The little excellence I had in cooking had favored me a lot when we were staying in a small home as soon we(my brother and myself) started to work. But I must say that he had been kind enough to the core to eat all I prepare as lunch. There were times when the food I prepared will taste that bad, but he had never shown faces.

 One of the formal questions that my hubby dear (fiancé then) had asked in our first meet up was if I know to cook. I had said a safe ‘No’ and did not want to take chances, when my brother in law who had accompanied him then said that, ‘never mind my brother knows cooking’. I wondered should I take trials then, but now I couldn’t stop laughing when I know about my hubby’s cooking skills. But both of them had the guts to say that they were excellent cooks!!!

 But then he wanted to test my preliminary skills when I had first prepared a lunch for them at their room. Not a major hit, but I am sure he would have got convinced that things could be managed and he need not take the cooking side. I must pat myself because I had never given up cooking how ever the dish had been worse and now I have started to excel. Not swanking, but I can make this statement seeing my hubby relishing almost all that I prepare.

 I don’t browse through, all cooking sites I chance upon, but have a few  favorites and refer them always. Some how they have fit in to all that I expect as a perfect cooking style and they have largely synchronized with my taste and approach. Though I am a pure vegetarian I do mange to prepare non veg items convincingly well.

 My brother who is a happy bachelor in US is also equally competing with me and I am amazed by the variety he is showing in recipes. Cooking had never been just a day to day chore for me, and has always taken it as a task that I practice every day trying to master it. Recently I just clicked one of the Sunday meals that I had prepared just to post the recipe and share it with all, but refrained from posting recipes as suggested by friends, that it may turn out be very normal of generally what people do. But posting the pic here to share my happiness as to how well it came out!!!!

Mint chicken gravy and ghee Rice

2 little Nemo’s at my home

 My li’l one has a great fascination for fishes ever since she started to get familiar with the ‘Animal Kingdom’ – getting to know about creatures, and fishes available right at her hand reach (yes we have quite a big family in the water stagnation around the low lying surroundings of our home) seemed to get all her attention. She starts her day seeing them, I mean her brushing can happen only after saying a ‘Gud Morning’ to these little ones. She has her food besides them where almost half from her plate will fill their tummy,, finishes off her dinner along with them..she cribs when there are no fishes to take the food that she drops, yells and enjoys seeing them play around..my days are really tough giving her food when I cannot figure these tiny pets of hers, especially when it is noisy (they just hide them selves perceiving sounds). I had put the proposal of getting a fish pond to appreciate my daughter fondness, without showing off my inner aspirations as well, may be by seeing them for long along with my daughter I had also taken a liking for them. But hubby dear always brushed that aside quoting maintenance as an excuse.

Shivani's Nemos

 

Yesterday was the D’ day when we finally managed to make him consent for the Deal which he couldn’t renounce. But he had his condition’s in it being a small one and not too big.

 My daughter picked up 2 little golden fishes from the aquarium and they in a small round bowl started to adore the corner table since yesterday..but the repercussion’s just make me think over, how long will this pond stay???

 Shivani finds her seat just beside the pond and keeps talking to her new pets..quite interesting to see, but the problem is, she is so worried about their diet and food that every few minutes she wants to put the fish food inside, a strong taunt that it should not be done and as I went in to kitchen I could hear her still talking and back in the living room , was this shock waiting for me…all the white rice from her plate has gone inside the pond!!! Cleaning them up, I tried convincing her of the fact that Fishes cannot eat much and they are going to sleep and managed to take her to bed. And today afternoon was even worser, she was ready with her fish trap (Toy) which we had once got her seeing her enticement on fishes, all set to catch the little ones inside the pond!!!, God she tested my time and endurance today to switch her focus….

 Just wondering if the little Nemos’ are going to have a tough time ahead….

The 3 most difficult words to say..

I just read today that the 3 most difficult words to say are I Love you, I am sorry and help me. I strongly agree on the first 2 (you will know as to why once you compete reading this), have not had the strokes of experience on the third one. The reason I picked this up for today’s blogging is not too great, neither did I bump in to one such occurrence. I was just searching my archives for a document and the file name ‘Do you know’ just stopped me to pick that and see. I had just saved this phrase as a document some time in 2007 when I wouldn’t even have known of these implications. Could not recollect as well, why I had saved that. But I just wondered, is it really difficult to say these words???

 Most of the mails that I communicate with customers will have a regular note saying ‘Apologies for the delay’, ‘Apologies could not revert at the earliest’ etc etc..i had never has the slightest repentation when I write these words. Hubby dear is ever ready with a ‘Sorry’ to cool me in, when ever we dispute and argue hard; in either cases be it his fault or not, my little one has also recently started to say ‘I am sorry’ when ever she wants to escape my rebukes.

 So where does this exactly come in to play or what makes these phrases so meaningful? When do we find it difficult to spell these out and to whom..i got excited now, I was so curious to find it out, just dropped a note to hubby dear to understand if he could re collect as to how many times I have told him ‘I Love you’, matter of fact I could not recollect myself, forbid my very poor memory. I thought why not give a try saying him ‘I Love you’. Believe me, I feel so reluctant. I say this at least 2 times to my daughter every day..but why not to my better half? But I can write lovely letters and send cards where in I can write this so many times…oops what is that holding me back? Ego?  Shy? I could vividly remember my childhood days when I had hesitated to say a Sorry to my Dad when ever I had blundered. That was absolutely and on no doubts because of my ego..so for the second phrase I could correlate ego and hesitation.

 Trying to fit in the first phrase as well on the same lines, could I infer that I am egoistic with just my better half in expressing love? Not really. I am pretty sure and could assure on a very high percentile that I am never and had never been egoistic with him. (Vice versa had never been true). So decided to check with him as well on the acknowledgment. Where is the friction..after giving a intense thought I just found the blunt and ackward truth it is nothing but EGO, which unknowingly had over ruled me. It still keeps popping up, and should learn the art of let going it…

 Many a times and so say most of the while we just hold us back from expressing Love, feelings which when communicated could just make up some one’s day, make them feel happier, feel appreciated especially or dear and near. But very arduous to come out of that…let me start tying it out. Making the loved one’s feel special is after all not very difficult rather very significant having given this quite busy life what we have opted for..

 If you all have a different view on the same or have more to add on this do let me know..

Goals..

 

 For the past 3 years or so there has been no goal setting or targets planned by me; be it personal or professional. I was too engrossed in mother hood and my little one had only been my only world that I had not bothered or rather averted my development.

 Any ‘First time’ always gives you the experience to get grip on things. Now I contemplate I could have done like this, like that etc but when we are actually in the ground our mind runs out of every thing especially when heart rules the sense!. I was too keen in ensuring that my little one gets all the comfort needed and was pledging to give my mother’s role an upper hand on my career. I had not excelled in my deliverables at work and that was a fact knowingly accepted.

 In a very recent conversation with my manger in engagement review, it was cited and questioned, how long do you wish to give your personal commitment (the kid) more priority, I had to say that I was actually aware of this conscious decision indeed, to deliver only what was expected and not stretching out. He was one of my managers whom I admire a lot for being very near to perfect. Very intellectual and dedicated. He also raised his concern saying that I am not capitalizing my potential optimally. Very true, my inner passion that used to drive me to do things differently is not burning at all now a day, or rather I am sticking on to a comfort zone. There had been no vision, no plans at least charted out; day in and day out I am just making by productivity a very mundane routine on the much expected lines.

 Getting back once my kid has a regular schedule, has been a very comfy excuse that I had given myself. I had attended a PEP program in the year end and was so motivated to apply all that I had learnt there, but again it dwindled in just thoughts!!. So my first new year goal is to work on the perfect Work – Life Balance and bring back the zest in my personal and professional development, will get back sooner once I am done with the outlines, or rather had edged out what I should actually be doing for getting this materialized.

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