Sunshine Patch

A few more days to bid adieu to a beautiful year..
A year where i grew, expanded , contracted, ducked,bounced back,experienced freedom and joy of coming home..

Truly a sunshine patch ..cant' wait for more..

Cupcakes Anyone?

P is in town and we got down to what we love doing together the most.. cooking..! We baked a batch of choco chip and Spinach muffins..

Yummy yum ones.. was it synergy of the cooks or beginners luck i would nt know... stuff of great warmth ...of time together and memories..

Cheers!

Sticking out?

This grasshopper  so leaf like , made for perfect camouflage got me thinking..

Is blending in a better approach to life? Its safe for sure..who would notice this greenie perched in a twig?

Sticking out seems exciting.. Be yourself  why conform?

I would like to stick out for learning , growth, just being the flow and blend in  to revere and respect things /people that matter..

Sticking out, yeah.. a sore thumb no!

Clearing up..

How can i do this! Not see the beauty of life and its gifts and  get into a tizzy of gloom & doom..All it takes is a bit of clearing up and seeing reason..Tough love most definitely helps so does being responsible!

I had all but given up on this plant.. it was looking dreary by the day..its leaves wilted and brown.. all that happened , the other day was a bit of clearing.. wilted leaves got cleaned up and pruned and the next day i find 5 deep pink buds.. i had all but missed them !

The next day 2 of them bloomed.. reminding me ever  so subtly the beauty that life is!

Freedom & Independence ..revisited

15th of August.. A day about celebrating freedom...independence and indian ness..Even as i answer questions about whether Iam Free in every sense of the word..and what is freedom without responsibility ......my idea of freedom finds resonance in these words by Tagore..
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action--

Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let me find myself!!

On another note , fashioned this Gandhi Topi for Ds' fancy dress from Newspaper..Its Made in India, alright....!!!Jai Hind!

My Home this weekend

S, Kids and I drove down to the Alankrita Resort over the weekend.. we occupied this lovely cottage.. The morning was magical.. amid bird song, lush trees and a slice of blue sky...

Nice..!

More Clouds

An evening out..some uncharted territory.. a rock garden and blue blue clouds..

one of the most inspiring things for me is an expanse of sunlit blue -blue sky.. puts a song i my heart and feel so alive and uplifted..

Inspiration is just a gaze away.!

Rainbow fairies come home..!

Yeah, they have arrived.. A cheerful bunch of fairies..In the kids room..

A dear friends' labour of love and a magic brush ..fairies roam , all glee and fun..in an enchanted world..

Bright Blue

Was waiting for a meeting.. The office i was at had this huge window.. with light pouring in..and some clear blue sky..

Ha...mesmerising!

New neighbours!

Sunday morning.. Raining and pleasant. ....Saw this cute little family .. who moved in overnight..

How much i love new neighbours..! The promise of new friends..camaraderie..getting to know and catch up at regular intervals..

Welcome sight!

Monsoon Mystique

Picnic at the Botanical garden.. .Mystical clouds..Swaying trees, ARR for musical company, sandwiches & cake, loved ones around..laughing , playing, Surreal Saturday!

Sun Kissed Afternoon

Saturday Afternoon..

Walking back from work saw this Peepal Tree..

So beautiful , light seeping through every pore, made me feel glad to be alive on such  a lovely sun kissed afternoon!

Breezy morning!

Woke up to a breezy- breezy morning.Dark monsoon clouds..Hint of rain..incessant bird call..

Just the kind of weather, that wants you to get away..pack a picnic and ride into the woods..

I did the next best thing.. Went to the book store and browsed for a couple of hours..Bliss!

Only Love is Real

Where is the heart , full of love?

Can I Love my self?

Can I love without judgement, without condition,without expectation,without the need for reciprocation?

Just go and do that , is the message i get from the clouds forming a heart framed by the building in which i live.

Love thy Self and love thy World!

Pool of Love

This pool adjoins the Kulassery Hanuman temple Thrissur, Kerala..

The almost green water with floating pink lilies so made me think of it as a Pool of Love - sun-lit, warm,deep ,tranquil and life sustaining!

Time to Bloom!

These flowers totally amaze me!They are colloquially they are called the 10 'o' clock flowers, as  they bloom at ten in the morning..

Talk about being at the right place at the right time!

Eternal Tree

This tree must be a few centuries old.. She is located at the temple in my fathers' ancestral village -  a tiny hamlet of few families in Kalapatty, Palakkad , Kerala..

I was there recently and wondered the tales she wold have spun, had she not been mute..Never mind..

Just Be, Eternal Tree..!

Sweet somethings!

This is quite an institution in Chennai!  The Grand Sweets and Snacks.. started in the early eighties by an entrepreneur looking to resurrect his sagging fortunes and employing only women then.. it has come to symbolise  things sweet, savoury , spicy and oh so
totally yummy in chennai..

I was ecstatic when their only branch in chennai opened near my parents' place in Anna nagar..

Heres' to the sweet shop after my own heart!

Memory Lane!

This one is some lane.. a walk up this one is sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. Its familiar ... filled with faces, places .. ..Memory lane ......!

Whats' the point one may ask? What does one gain by looking back..Tagores' line comes to my mind..Purano sey diner kotha..Sey kee Blola jay??Can one forget an old day gone by?

A Visit this lane is always worthwhile ..to remember the lessons we learnt, learn a few new ones, unlearn a few !!

Exciting..Exhausting..Enlightening!!

Family Tree?!

A cohesive unit, space for each one, growing in harmony, supportive,sharing and looking out for each other and all abloom..

This little shrub, hardly a tree.. so brings to my mind values of a family!

Yellow Bloom!

Had  a fantabulous morning today! Daughters and I at the KBR Park ....

These yellow blooms dot the boundaries of the park. Such cheerful flowers these. Back home these yellow flowers are considered equal to gold!

They just light up the place so much.

Cooling Dip!

One of the biggest joys of Summer must  undoubtedly, be  a cooling dip..pool , pond, sea.. whereever you can grab one!

The Joy of descending in  soothing , cooling water, to be weightless and buoy and of course swim! I am still getting there..!

Till that time, theres' just the sheer joy of cooling off on a hot summer day!

Buzzing with Life!

As i came home, was greeted by the sight of an enormous beehive in our balcony..

Have been watching them.. Do they buzz with life?

Such relentless drive, passion to what they do and unswering  devotion to purpose..These Bees truly inspire..

Initially I  wanted to get the hive rid off ,called the maintenance folks to arrange for a bee handler. Then i thought we could peacefully co-exist .. the bees and I.Ofcourse there was a lurking worry that the kids may be stung , they wouldnt' be safe.

Well, two days passed and i quite liked the hive in my balcony . The bees were something ... They went about their business in a no-nonsense manner..teaching me , inspiring me !

The maintenance guys suddenly got efficient and remembered my  call and sent the bee handlers.. I was sorry and scared! In my mind pictures of a raging inferno and mass murder took shape.Thank fully it was a blood less coup ..only a few casualties and the bees just flew away in pursuit of another safer place to live & work!They kept coming back and continue to do so.. but we are telling them , this is not a safe place for you guys.. sprays of "HIT" doing the talking!

I hope the bees find a safe home.

So Long, Buzzing bees , You Buzz with Life..!

Home Sweet Home!

Iam back home and in my groove! Why is that ,Home is where the heart is ? ..I read this recently...

Mid Pleasures and Palaces though we may roam ,
Be it ever so humble, theres' no place like home.-John Howard Payne.

Exactly my thoughts!I guess thats' precisely why "Home Coming" is always a joyous event!

In Touch with my Maker!

I have been on a trip.. a trip to within.. A tryst with myself... and am back totally energised and so completely in touch with my GOD. I perceive him every where around me all the time..Iam in Bliss!

He is here too....! Am reminded of a beautiful number by Great Tamil Poet Subramanya Bharati..he says " Parkkum marangallellam Nandalala , ninthan pachai niram thondruthada nandalala" All the trees i see around myself, krishna, i see the green you symbolise...!

My leaf has Company!!

My Solitary leaf ( see post dated 6th April 2010) has Company!!!

Iam very happy for the leaf.. who braved it , stood tall and now is adding to her family..Wish her companionship and camaraderie!!

Wisdom Tree!!

I was waiting for my chance to meet Ds' teachers at the PTM.What caught my attention was this tree abloom with purple blossoms overlooking the schools' balcony.So Apt i thought !

Purple stands for Wisdom in some sense... These resplendant purple flowers blooming close to the school being a temple of wisdom!

I pray ,my little one, blooms with all the wisdom a la these purple flowers!

Bird Song and blooming buds

What is it about today morning?!

Have been working really hard for the past few days..! Its been more like chipping away at it, with still a substantial block to chip , the next day!

Today , was up real early.. chasing a deadline and meetings already lined up!I wanted to get out at 5.30 am and go out for a walk, fully aware that if i stepped out, i will not meet the deadline.. will have to call off the meetings!

Guess what , I did just that!

I stepped to a cool ,breezy ,beautiful morning! There was incessant bird call.. cuckoo ..i guess.. the excitement in the air was contagious..towards the end of my walk, i messaged to postpone the second meeting....

Got home and there were these beautiful red buds ready to bloom in one of  my plants..

Later called to cancel the first meeting and nothing really happened..

But what i gained was a beautiful morning featuring bird song and blooming buds.

Wow, Its all about the Choice you make, So God ,let me  make the most rewarding ones!

Alone or standing tall?!

This Leaf has been on my face for a while now..She is the plant ..from the root..stem etal..

I wonder,  if she is lonely..! Not quite..! I think ,she is standing tall ...!
Oh yeah, She is the brave one..My Solitary leaf is!!!

Juke Box !

Do i love my new phone or what?!

He's smart , nifty and sunny and plays a whole lot of good music for me.He is also a window to my beautiful world, my camera!! I am still figuring it out , few things need to be in place..

I am in no hurry though as i fall in love all over ,yet again!!!!!

My Patch of Green!

Its been about 2 months....since I  acquired a little patch of green in my balcony.A dear friend put it all together for me...

Its been a very enriching journey ,ever since, with my " green babies"!

Watering them at the break of dawn and with approaching dusk.. watching each one getting used to the surroundings..sprouting a new leaf, bud .. flower..also seeing a few wither away..going back to meet their maker..Its been a beautiful journey alright!

So Thank you, A, for helping me  discover my green thumb..It suits me just fine!

Back to School

A few days back , I was back at school.

A loving classroom, teacher - full of love and lovely class mates..

Boy, did i learn?!

Learnings from  the class..

Am I listening or waiting to talk?
What is the meaning Iam attaching to my thoughts?
Whats' the   background?! Am I making my background clear with each of my conversations?

A thought to live by:

Life is a Conversation.I create and manage my existence inside of the Conversation that "I am"

I commit to increase the conversation of who  " I am" each day!

Thank you R ,for widening my horizons !

Morning Raga!

Mornings for me, are  most blissful ! A walk, water for my plants , some for my self and my morning cuppa!The magic is intense with a melody ,a raga playing in my head or my headphone..The current one happens to be Ajj din Chadeya by Rahat Fateh Ali khan from Love aaj Khal.. A simple melody ...quest for love, life and conversations with God.. Very close to my heart...!

Here I Come !

My attempt at Blogging!
This one is where I get to play with what I love the most.. Words...

So Am I Excited or What!

Go watch me bloom, following my bliss!

While I thought hard about what  I would write about.. I decided , I will log in here to record slices of my life.. moments that move me , things that I learn on the way, record my hurrahs and sighs , and stuff that matters to me ..

And I thought about what to name this space.. and came up with profound inanities .. the duality is inevitable around us ..and this is my quest to seek the oneness which lies beyond duality ..