In my writing groups where we are doing a "write for an alphabet each day ", writing exercise I chose H for Heart , for Day 8.
My inspired , gushing heart turned poetic and here is what is wrote for H for Heart....
You throb, so I live
You flip and I trip
You race and I am smitten
You break and am a wreck
You heal and I become whole again
In your will , I can
In your pulse , I am …
And was chasing the Sunrise on the 1st morning ! First light filtered through the famous raintrees of Fort Kochi as S and I walked through the pretty lanes of Fort Kochi with its many cafes, colonial buildings and art houses ending in the Fort Kochi beach..
Hope the year brings with it opportunities for travel, hanging out with my favorite people, many creative avenues, and also the enduring comfort of being home with routines I cherish . More reading , more mindfulness , more being more of myself .. physically , mentally and spiritually !
How different the new year would be , depends on what difference we bring about in our own selves .. Yes there are things we can never anticipate and this is something to be hopeful or apprehensive about … but how we meet the year is entirely up to us .
But a New year does excite me ! A time to reflect on what went by and make plans for what could be .
"Hope springs eternal" famously wrote British Poet Alexander Pope in his "An essay on man" and it is in basic human nature to find things to be hopeful about !
So Welcome 2022 ! Show us what you got !
Food for me is all about being hearty , simple , flavorful and those that get made without much of a fuss. Am also for all the local flavours and produce.
My mothers' cooking remains the biggest influence and I cherish her delicious cooking . some of the tastes are just etched on the memory and going home always is a chance to indulge in some comfort food.
I have a collection of cook books , but the note book I keep going back to is the one which has my mother's recipes .
Here's to warmth , comfort , health and a bowl of great food !
Growing up these were the most trusted forms of communication and I remember waiting with anticipation to the postman on a cycle to stop by at our home . and Mom reading out aloud letters from her sisters .... I have written quite a few too and also had a pen-friend in Germany , a lovely girl who I used to write you . wonder how that correspondence stopped .
With the Email of the 90s and the instant messaging of the current times , letter writing is all but a lost art .. a relic of the past .....
I still write long hand letters to friends , of course ending up couriering them ...
Sometimes slow does seem romantic , in these instant times :)
Breathtaking views of the surroundings suffused with divinity and serenity and the majestic goddess overlooking her lay ....
The temple steeped in antiquity is said to be consecrated by Lord Parasurama and visited by the Pandava princes with Draupadi during their year in exile performing austerities . The hillock is also believed to have been the abode of many ascetics and continues to be so ...An oasis of tranquility on a hillock...
Writing has been and will be my mode of creative expression and am just delighted that I have a forum to engage in writing with a purpose .
The proverbial "butterflies in stomach" feeling is definitely there .The deadlines and the frequent output that will be needed does seem daunting but am determined to enjoy this as best as I can and do the best I possibly could .
Just because , this is so much up my street !
Just as we gradually get out of the Lockdown of 2021 following the second wave.. a brief get away..
The quiet of the area is soothing .. just the rustle of the wind ..darkening clouds announcing rain .. egrets and king fishers pecking at the soil and snooping over the temple pond . and a flock of ducks finding their way back to the water.. mom led by a few tiny ones ...
So happy to be soaking in so much beauty ...
Pops of colour as per the talk can do that ! Bring about feelings of joy ,, My experience too .. I have always been drawn to rainbows, pinwheels, patch work quits with multiple colour patches , the madras plaid fabric , colourful tapestry, prayer flags , sprinkles , stained glass windows and anything that pops colour !
One such moment , when I saw this fuchsia pink lily , all abloom in the office fish pond .Joy.. there and then..
After a few years of free-lancing and doing this and that , I have accepted a accepted a full-time assignment that will need me working at an office .The story of the young woman came to mind as I enter the full -time work force yet another time !! Good luck to me !
Then I go and hang out with S at her newly redone-up colorful home .. more conversation , more laughter and more good food and drinks ... and some retail therapy :). Her 13th floor home overlooks this amazing view of the skies .. offering breathtaking sun rises and a twinkly bright night sky line .
and then there are the long walks we always end up going on , when ever we meet up .....
Much need restoring !
An unexpected trip with the visiting S .. to Ooty no less !
With a plan to catch the Sunrise , the next day on the Dottabetta peak , we start the day early .. to discover it is not open to public at that hour . But we find a vantage and catch a breathtaking sunrise in the hills and drive down the tea gardens to a sumptuous brekkie.
I head off to the conference I am supposed to attend while S takes in local shopping. A happy event for me , the conference , as I land a writing job that will last a year !
Pleased as punch , we head home :)
Grounded , meticulous , ever-active , ever-prayerful...someone with an amazing memory and penchant for narrating stories with exquisite detail . Always thoughtful in his ways and ever ready to help. A bibliophile and a writer who continues to write copiously each day . Erudition as a way of life sustained by years of study , research and writing on varied topics. Learning each day to keep abreast with the digital days as hand-written copies have given way to digitally typed out content .Progressive and ever supporting of causes that matter , you inspire us Appa with your presence .. unassuming , ready to listen and loving...
Happy 80th Appa and many many more happy , healthy returns ...
Pray the Lord for all Ayur , Aroghya Saukhyams for you
I bid adieu to 2020 almost wistfully as it has been a defining year in many ways.. A year in which I deepened the connection with myself, went vegan , learnt new skills , lost weight and set some healthy routines for myself . Read some amazing books and saw beautiful stories unfold on the telly , thanks to D and her birthday gift!
They were some rewarding family milestones as well . Most importantly we stayed safe and well
I will miss my 2020 journal where I wrote copiously chronicling my year and the highs and lows of navigating the year.
I welcome 2021 , for all that it holds ....whatever that may be :)
An outing with S.. My local bestie and partner in all things fun !
She made an interesting observation about the pandemic.. "The town is full of pot and pet shops, these days ', she said . The pandemic indeed had brought out the green thumb of folks along with a host of other hobbies. Pets to care for and be loved another growing pursuit .
And we went on a longish drive to see to a pots/plants store that had recently opened shop. S is more of a serious gardener while am the passive one letting my greens grow as they wish !
The pretty store with an amazing variety of plants and an array of pot options was serious eye candy . We had made our picks for adding to the balcony and indoor spaces .
Robert Frost's longish poem "Servant to Servants" has a lonely overworked New England farm wife lamenting about her dreary life to a visitor to their land . She sage recounts her husband telling her " The best way out is always through" This immortal line , so widely recalled expresses the best way to get through life itself. No amount of side-stepping, escape or meandering will get us through .
So with our emotions , I find. Being aware of what and how we feel and acknowledging it will take us through .. No point shoving our feelings under the carpet .
When we forge this strong connection with self , we no longer need to do any of it . We learn to be aware of it, accept it , embrace it and even learn from it . We tend to grow ,drawing from them and being nurtured by them .
I find being with myself easier this way , in sync with all that I feel.. the good, bad , sad and ugly...and the best way out is indeed always through...
A magnet on my fridge reads " There is nothing wrong with me that a little chococlate won't fix!" - Truism :)
The uplifting aroma ,the burst of flavour and the feeling of wellness .. I could go on ... The sugar may have something or everything to do with the high but dark chocolate also does it for me ! A warm mug of cocoa or drinking chocolate or a go at a brownie/slice of cake and of course the ubiquitous candy -just the right " pick me ups " !
My friends who are bakers and those that turned to professional
As I look out on waking up , I spy the kind of day it might turn out to be be. Can see them coming together .,, dark clouds .. sometimes almost a tempest.. sometimes a gentle gathering .,, after a spate of rains ..clear skies with a hint of sunlight is a welcome sight too. and then there are the dramatic nights with thunder and lightning adding to the spectacle. and then there is the descent .. sometimes in gentle waves,, others a roaring arrival and the steady fall or the constant drizzle.. always a heart warming spectacle.. The rains.
