Hunger...best appetite???

It's when I am hungry that I stick my head into the refrigerator to look for food or search the kitchen cabinets and something as dry toast tastes delicious!! No wonder they say, "Hunger is the best appetite"!!And there are times when I am stuffed after a sumptuous meal and the thought of more food makes me nauseous! You can offer me dessert and I am sure to say, "No!!".

I guess it's the state that I am in that allows me to enjoy something to the fullest!! In the book of Proverbs, there is a verse that aptly describes this condition...I love this verse!!!
"One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet." Proverbs 27:7

What do you think??

Blessings!

Writing a new post means stretching a bit, scratching your head and thinking of short anecdotes to put in! I guess, I have become rusty to frankly admit. One of the reasons for my non-regularity is my no-access to the Internet.

Now that I do have some access, I am at loss of words as I stare at the computer! Life so far has been very very good! I got ample amount of time to read, relax and think through a lot of issues. Sometimes, it is good to step back once in a while and see where God has brought you. To simply put, to count your blessings!!

And surely, it has surprised me to see what God has DONE!! :)

The simple things!

The last few days were crazy!! I would wake up in pain (headaches) and it would linger the whole day through. Even to walk across my room and turn around was difficult. Sudden movements were a complete no-no as it would send shooting pains in my head!!

What am I getting to? Well, if you noticed, I have mentioned very simple activities, like....."walking"......"turning my head"......something we take for granted! At least I would!! There are some lessons God teaches us through pain alone! Today, I have a greater appreciation for the way God has fashioned my body. To be able to function, to run, to walk and of course to turn my head with ease is a blessing indeed!!

True, our life is fraught with problems! "Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward" says the book of Job! But as of now, I want to thank My heavenly Father for the ability to do the SIMPLE things that we always take for granted......

I am learning my lesson. What about you, my friend?? :)

Missed joys of blogging!

It's been a while, since I have posted something on this blog! I think, I am very guilty of giving my blog, step-sisterly treatment! Somewhere down the line, life gets you down and the things that matter, don't matter anymore. What do you think? Do you feel the same way? Or am I the only one who is GUILTY? :(

Blogging was something that I would do, without skipping a heartbeat. I had something to say on any topic kept before me. I must confess, I have become very rusty! Sad!! There is no excuse for laziness and the only solution is "DILIGENCE". I need to commit to write about something...even two lines should suffice!! And the topics need not be grandiose, but simple...about the things that really matter!! Here goes.....

"I miss the quiet lanes of yesterday,
as I am lost in the chaos of today
but as I look forward to the promise of tomorrow,
I am gently reminded of blessedness of sweet sorrow" VOILA!!!! :D

Daffodils by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Come Back!!

Finally I am home!!! Dear Blog, I have missed you so much!!! I had to undergo two surgeries back to back during my sabbatical...hence the disappearing act!!! Now, that I am well, I hope to be faithful! Yes!! It will take some time for me to settle in the world of blogging.

This sabbatical has proved to be a boon!!! Few months back, I was suffering from what many writers suffer...You guessed it "The Writer's Block". The surgery proved to be of great help!!! I have much to write about. Beginning with my trip to the dentist for a regular check up for cleaning, which very quickly landed me in the dentist chair for surgery!!! That was the quickest trip I have ever made in my entire life!!!

So, dear readers, tighten your seat belts, 'you' are gonna have the ride of your life!! :D

Music!

Writing a post from home can feel weird as I am so used to writing from my office desk!! I guess, with music playing in the background will stimulate the creative juices to flow. Hahaha. But listening to music as you carry out your daily chores or go with your mundane activity can be good. Ok!! I have a topic to talk about. Music and its rich influence on your life...well this is my post so I will try to talk about its influence on my life!!

So, where do I begin. I have been listening to music from my mother's womb. For starters, this is no joke! Trust me, my father is a musician and he listens to music 24/7. And I have been listening to music even when I was not aware of it! Wow! I love to listen to music. Some of my difficult tasks are accomplished while I listen to my favourite band or a fav.song! I call that "Power of Music"

There are times when I am thinking over certain things and the sound of soft music playing in the background does help calm my nerves. I am thankful to God for music and for all those who create music!!

Tearful Goodbyes!!

Saying goodbyes could be so hard was something I did not expect. Farewells are painful. You get used to a place, working together, sharing a joke and laughing together with your colleagues, and who can forget lunch hours?? There is so much you learn when working together...you actually learn to work together, as a team!! Co-ordinating, getting things done, meeting deadlines. I am going to miss all of this. There will be a lull for a while.

I am thankful to God for the great memories I have of my workplace. Memories that will lighten my mood on a cloudy day or bring a smile when I am blue! Thank you guys!! I loved my lunch hours as I loved digging into different lunch boxes....for me it meant tasting a variety of cuisines and flavors. In my workplace, lunches were extended where conversations began with food and ended on global issues.

One of the highlights of my company were parties - to make it more specific- treats for practically everything!! Getting married, birthdays, anniversaries, freshers....all these called for a treat! There was no escaping from this! This meant biryanis, pizzas, vada paos, SPDP, bhel (which could turn out spicy once in a while)...The list is endless! :)

I start a new journey and I have no clue what it will be like. Leaving you guys will be strange but this is life!! And it must go on!! So long dear friends, life's journey has been wonderful with you all!!

Me a columnist?

My sister drops in great ideas at me on what I can do. Like 5 years ago, she egged me to start teaching . Now I must tell you that I have no training in the field of teaching. But then on my sister's behest, I took the plunge...and guess what? I taught English for 2 years and had a ball in the whole process.

Last night my sister drops the bomb again, “Why don't you write for the newspaper, like writing a column or writing for a magazine? I was stumped. I never thought of that! Wow! I am always afraid when my sister gets ideas like that. Coz somewhere down the line, you will see me do just what she said!

True! I love to write, but writing for a magazine or writing a column needs skill and a mind to write on practically anything. And the fact that it is going to be read by so many people. Scary!!

But the damage has been done. Seeds already sown. Need to water the thoughts!!

Seasons change!

Sometimes you just have to study nature to understand the fundamental principles of life. Look at the different seasons we have - summer, monsoons and winter. What's unique about them? There are present for a season!! They do not last for more than a couple of months and they are ready to be overtaken by its successor! Unless of course your area has been adversely affected by global warming!! (My city is still waiting for the monsoons, btw)

No matter how hot the summer, there is a sense of hope that it's just a matter of time, the rains will pour from the heavens and cool the parched land. It's this hope that pushes us to bear the unbearable heat of our hottest summer!! Let's apply this analogy to our lives!! We all go through different seasons, for some it is the season of unemployment, for another - arrival of a child into their family or just wanting a change!!

Hold on!! There is hope coz as the seasons change so will your situation change too!! I love this verse from Ecclesiastes 3 :1 “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” For everything, dear readers there is a season......and seasons change!!

Mercury Rising!

With the temperature soaring and beads of sweat hanging on my brow, I am compelled to write on summer glares!! Summer this year has been brutal or should I say lethal? Every week there is a rise in mercury causing people to collapse in the summer heat. Call it global warming or whatever, the hot air does make everyone 'swoon'. So, what can be done to bear this season of glare? Simple!! Stay indoors as much as possible and hydrate yourselves! Treat yourself with icecreams. What better season than this!

Less is More

Has it ever occurred to you that when you have less, you actually have more?? You are wondering what am I getting at? Ok. Let me try rephrasing this sentence, did you know that when you have less things (space to live, paltry wage.....) in your life, you actually have more?? Sounds crazy right, but it's true!!!

Think with me for a minute. Suppose you are earning peanuts in terms of a decent salary and you are looking at that neighbour who is drawing a great paycheck. What do you do? Mope around the house, crying over your misfortune? I will tell you a secret......People who have more things in their life, whatever it may be do not have one thing, that is the ability to enjoy!! Yes! It is true. Because of the presence of so many goods vying for their attention, they are at a loss what to do!

Let me give you a crisp example. Remember the good old days of Doordarshan. Ahh!! How eagerly we waited for Chitrahaar or for Disney Cartoons. We gave our complete attention and the best part, we were satisfied!! Fast Forward!!!!......20 years ahead...In an age of Dish TV with 100 and odd channels with flat screen and surround sound......Are we happy?? Ask your self? More fights over the channels. Everyone has their own favourite serials and not much to discuss in common. Whenever we sit down to watch TV, the initial half an hour is spent in browsing, trying to pick one channel to enjoy! It can be frustrating at times!

So the point I am trying to say is that when we possess few things in our lives, we are able to give our full attention to it and enjoy ourselves completely. Less is more!!!

Love this verse from the Bible where Jesus Christ said on one occasion, “ Take care, and be on guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

Different Strokes!

Lunch times are fun times! I get to interact with my colleagues during this time and chat on various topics. The topics vary every single day. In fact every time I sit down to eat, I ask myself, "Wonder what will be the topic today?"

Today as we were chatting away about exams and which board is good (for example)I just glanced at my colleagues and realised-Hey!! We are from different states. It was an amazing revelation to me!!. Right from Jammu to Assam, then West Bengal, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka(me!!) and of course from Maharashtra....
It was interesting to note the variety present and yet we all sat together enjoying our meals and enjoying each other's company. Isn't that great? People from different strata of society, lifestyle, culture, upbringing, influence, education sitting together! I love this about my country!! 
Apart from the fact that lunch hour is for relaxing and eating, it is also a time of appreciating one another, their cuisine, their ideas and so much more!! It is easy to gloat about our culture and our own language and feel proud about it which in reality is foolish. What is the common thread then? God is the Maker of us all!!

Milestones-2

Continuing with the theme of completing a milestone in my life, when the clock struck 12, my sister wished me and presented with goodies that I was dying to open!! :)..Finally!! As they say, “Patience is a virtue”:P......

Honestly, I did not know where to begin! So, I started reading the cards first. It was encouraging to read what dear friends had to say on this special occasion........Then I read my sister's card. I was in for a surprise!! She had a taken a pic of us two and printed it on a card!! That was so cute!! I absolutely loved it!!! What did she give?? She bought me“The Lord of The Rings” as she knew I love books.....Wow! That was a neat start. Then came cosmetics and a classy clutch purse :) and of course a scented candle!! But the card with our picture printed on it was a stealer!!

As I continued with the gift opening ritual, out came cross-stitch manual, more books to read, cosmetics, earrings, a gift coupon, branded t-shirt and cash from my parents. I was truly enriched!! hahaha.....

My surprise, ecstasy, joy and excitement were all captured on the camera, courtesy my sister!! And I got flowers too...red roses!!!

As anticipated, I got a call from a dear ex-colleague and friend in the morning!! Thank you S.K!! oops!!! S.P.....:P Had to go to work, but it was kinda fun with all the attention and cake cutting(3rd cake). Got calls throughout the day from friends and my sister checking on me to see whether I was enjoying my birthday and not to forget emails and messages! Then I got a surprise flower delivery in the evening...ooohhhh!!!! That was a dear friend of mine....It stands today adorning my cubicle! In the evening I had a quiet moment with my sis in a coffee shop eating Chocolate Bliss pie...courtesy the coffee shop.....Well!! Everybody were so kind to me!

Had dinner with family in a Chinese restaurant and I must say, the food was delicious! After we reached home, another chocolate was waiting to be cut...Wow!! That was the 4th cake ...Loved the cake!! Thank you dear sis!!!

In the end, as I retired to bed, I could just thank God for His immense blessings upon me and for my family and friends who made my birthday a wonderful milestone to pass!

Milestones-1

This year as I celebrated my special birthday, I knew I crossed another milestone. It kept me thinking of the ways in which I had grown as a person, as a daughter, as a sister, as a friend, as a colleague and more so as a child of God! And I am just hoping that I have grown in stature(metaphorically speaking :)) and in a positive way which only time will tell!

This was the first birthday where everyone was excited about, right from my family and friends. My sister was busy contemplating ways in which to surprise me and the kind of gifts to give. You have no clue how I pestered her to tell me what she was gonna give me. Was she annoyed or what?? Haahaa...

I was so touched with the fact that friends asked what kind of a birthday party I desired. That was awfully kind of them. This was for those who could not see me on my birthday, so we had a pre-birthday celebrations!! Yippee!! I enjoyed it so much.

I had my pre-birthday celebration on Sunday. I put on brand new clothes and clicked many pics with my family and friends. My sister who developed a great taste in photography become my own official photographer!! She loves clicking pics anyway!! After church, my friends sang to me and another church member who was also celebrating her birthday. Then!! We cut a cake (chocolate cake soaked in wine!!) and posed for more pics!! It was fun!!!

Then off we went to a coffee shop and celebrated again with another cake cutting!! I was showered with gifts and cards....It was so special!! Met my old friends too...then more pics :). Then my sister and I went to watch a movie!! Reached home in the evening, tired but extremely happy!! My sister had already purchased a lot of gifts which I was dying to open. And boy!! she wouldn't let me go near that special bag which contained all the goodies!!!

All the gifts given by my friends and the ones which my sister had got were neatly arranged on our table, along with the cards....They looked so beautiful...for the simple reason that so many cared enough to write a note to encourage me and celebrate in my joy!!!

What makes birthday special is not the cutting of cake or the gifts but the fact that you have a family who loves you and friends who care about you and desire to encourage you.....

More to come in the next post :)