Quiet Musings!

I am just drinking in the silence that is prevaling in my workplace at the moment. What a pleasure to actually sense its presence! 'Quiet' can do so much to your soul. You learn to contemplate and your eyes are opened to see things that you would never see in the cloud of noise.

I am beginning to have a fair idea of what it means to wait in silence. It's not torture (as I thought it was) but a way to clear the mist that hangs over my soul. My human nature compels me to run from one task to another. I ask this question to myself? " When was the last time I sat still and waited in silence??

I guess the time is now!! :)

Time out!

Sometimes you need a time out from everything! Just to stop short of what you are doing and stand back to see where you stand!! I am doing just that!!

From a place, where I had time upon me to do all that my heart desired, today I am just barely racing through the day!! Truly, there is a season for everything under the sun! :). A time to sit still and a time run...literally run....

I am truly grateful to God for all the different experiences that has come my way! It has made me the person that I am. To learn to laugh, to learn to accept failure, to scale new heights, to taste success...It's such a heady feeling! :)

I don't know where the road ahead of me will lead, but sure know the One who leads the way!! :)

Of pots and pans

Why do you cook? To survive or because that’s the way it is… right? I don’t have the perfect answer to this question. But what I do know is that for some people, cooking is life. My sister and I religiously watch cookery shows based on famous chefs like Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Curtis Stone or Kwylie Kwong. I am amazed at their passion and blown away by their energy for cooking!

They don’t just cook..they LOVE to cook!!!

It may be a simple dish like marinating a steak with herbs and olive oil or preparing a dessert. It doesn’t matter how simple or ordinary, the results speak for itself! Their knowledge of cooking is immense and they are not afraid to try and experiment with flavors!

Truly, I am stumped!! I may never be an expert in cooking or dish out exotic meals to my folks. But, I do know one thing: Every time I enter the kitchen, I will try to cook with the same passion and excitement!!

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