wandering mind

Conversation between my daughter Dia and I after we had snow that was piled high up to my knees: Dia : Is it going to snow some more? me : I hope not ! Dia : Don't you like diving into the snow - jumping into it? me : Maybe Dia : Maybe you did when you were younger? me : Why don't you think adults like snow? Dia : Because all they worry about it is shoveling it - plus they don't like it when schools are closed and kids are missing education. me : ...laughing... Dia : and they laugh at things that are not funny.

I was doing my two favorite things - reading blogs and drinking red wine when I saw words floating in my wine glass thought it was cool thought I would share with you :)

Have you ever watched dogs napping in the sun? My family room has these high windows which bring in little rectangles of sunlight into the room. As the day progresses, these rectangles move across the room - so do the dogs. I love watching my dogs finding these pockets of sunshine for their naps. It is so relaxing to watch them laze in the sun.

I love Rosaria's 'sixtyfivewhatnow' blog. And now she has started another blog - Italian for Beginners. I have been meaning to learn Italian for a while now (ever since Elizabeth Gilbert romanticized it in Eat, Pray and Love). So, if that is something that you are interested in - follow along - she makes it fun and easy. We have just started, so you would be able to catch up. Italian for Beginners And I am in so much of a learn-italian-celebrate-the-season mode that I even ordered some Panettone paper molds this morning to make Panettone as described on her blog .

Ganesha smiling over twinkling christmas tree in the family room just about sums up the happy fusion my life is :)

I am home today - sick and resting - just reading blogs and watching TV. I was watching "shall we dance" on bravo - cute movie. It has this song by Peter Gabriel - what a beautiful song The book of love is long and boring No one can lift the damn thing It's full of charts and facts and figures and instructions for dancing But I I love it when you read to me And you You can read me anything The book of love has music in it In fact that's where music comes from Some of it is just transcendental Some of it is just really dumb But I I love it when you sing to me And you You can sing me anything The book of love is long and boring And written very long ago It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes And things we're all too young to know But I I love it when you give me things And you You ought to give me wedding rings And I I love it when you give me things And you You ought to give me wedding rings And I I love it when you give me things And you You ought to give...

i am so sick my head is spinning i have a cold i am coughing i feel cold then i feel hot i want someone to 'poor baby' me i want someone to tuck blanket around me and touch my hot forehead with their cool hands i am such a whiny baby i still went to work because of an important meeting it was raining as i was driving home i was cold even with the heat on in the car i came home and mom and dad were both there they both fussed and 'poor babied' me dad made me a snack mom kept telling me take tomorrow off i loved all the attention i have been absent for so long and now when i finally write, i whine about my sickness as if people have nothing better to do than to read this? actually i am feeling pretty good right now the motrin worked husband brought pizza home kids served me pizza in bed ̣(well in couch) and now its just me and my laptop laying next to the fireplace being sick is not so bad i can just lay here and do nothing because that's what you are supposed to do w...

My work and personal life is so out of whack recently. I am either at work or thinking about work. But I know this has to be temporary. I know I need to find a me and non-me balance. I am working on it. I will be back. I miss blogging :(

As I was reading the post from mouse medicine today, it got me thinking. About 2-3 years ago, I made a conscious effort to change my habits to be more environmentally friendly. There are so many things that felt like a great effort to begin with, but have now become a way of life. Here are some of the things that I now do compost everything I can grow some vegetables grow some berries bake my own bread carry reusable bags to the grocery store use dryer racks to hang clothes indoors, instead of using the dryer use CFL bulbs through out the house use reusable containers instead of zip locks whenever possible avoid disposable paper products reduced the use of paper towel try to buy everything organic that I can try to buy local produce whenever I can use overhead projector at work (instead of printing copies for everyone) - whenever possible in winter - wear more layers and keep heating settings down in summer - wear less layers(:)) and keep AC settings up pull weeds instead of spraying ...

Today is the 4th day of the month of Kartik according to the Hindu lunar calendar. This is the day when some Hindu women fast all day and pray for a long and healthy life for their husbands. It is called Karva Chauth . They pray that they will be together for seven incarnations. Well, I am not so sure about reincarnations, but still I believe this to be a grand romantic gesture and I am not going to ruin it by bringing logic and practicality into it :) So, I will fast today and cook a great meal and dress in bridal fineries and wait for the moon to appear before breaking my fast. Later this evening, as I sit there slouching on the couch, all drained from not eating all day, my husband, a man of few words, will silently get up and drive around the neighborhood until he finds the moon. Then the kids will come running back, each wanting to be the first one to report the moon sighting. Then I will offer my prayers and pray for our happiness and togetherness till at least death does us part...

Captured the rising sun in Ocean City last weekend Some cool kites And these clear round jelly things that were getting washed up on the beach - does anyone know what they are?

"You come here often Miss?" A silver haired gentleman asks me as I turn out of the cracker aisle in the grocery store. "Not really" I admit. "Well, I am just looking for some popcorn" "Popcorn?" I ask "Yes, popcorn - the kind you put in the microwave. Doggonit - I am craving that popcorn." "Sorry" I shrug and walk away. A couple of minutes later I spot Orville Redenbacher box of microwave popcorn. I pick one up and rush around to the other aisle where I see the same gentleman standing there grinning as he has the same box in his hand. "Oh, you already found one" I say He sees the box in my hand and says "You are so sweet - give me the one that you have, I will take that one." So I handed him that box, he thanks me and I walk away with a stupid grin on my face.

Have you ever heard the song of the trees? Invited the breeze mingling through the tenuous branches to infuse your hair with the scent of the forest Have you ever quieted your mind down enough to hear a bee alight on a flower hear the rustling of a sparkling spider web Have you ever lifted your face up to the saffron glow of the rising sun to warm your being The ever present verdant magic is waiting for you to turn off the hum of the dailiness and instill the calm within your soul

the periwinkle glow of the twilight creeps through the window caressing my cheeks the cool of the morning washes over me getting me ready for another day

What was I thinking???? I have a 'master to do list' - things like visit machu pichu, get a brown belt in karate, make a quilt and learn hip hop. So guess what? I signed up for adult hip hop at my daughter's dance school. I was a bit nervous about it - but hey didn't I just run a half marathon last year? How demanding can a little hip hop class be - right? One thing I learned real fast is that you get out of shape real fast. The last time I ran was last May for a 10k - have been relaxing more or less since then. The class starts and the instructor is like a ball of energy. The first thing we are asked to do is drop to the floor and do 10 push ups - say what??? What do push ups have to do with dancing I ask you? Then we proceed to do 6 sets of 8 situps or crunches or whatever they were that made my core burn. We survive the warm up and move on to the basic steps where I feel as uncoordinated as a baby learning to walk. And don't even get me started on the snake thing...

I haven't written anything in a while because my work was occupying too much of my time. Anyways. I have been realizing lately how much I enjoy pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, pruning bushes, admiring my vegetable garden. And how much I don't like reporting status on Tuesdays, office politics, managing projects, working in a too cold office where windows are sealed shut, being forced to work hours prescribed by the employee manual, having to adhere to no denim - only business casual dress code. I keep creating these rough drafts of my perfect life in my head. Rough draft number one : I own a bakery where I work like crazy seven days a week and I am enveloped in freshly baked bread aroma bliss with a smile permanently affixed on my face. (I have heard that a bread bakers day starts in the wee hours of the morning - that doesnt discourage me. I am reading a book called Amy's Bread and loving her life, even though it is crazy busy ) Rough draft number two: I own a vineyard (I...

Have you ever had your heart well up with tears? My nephew left for college this morning. My sister came over last night with a fully packed car. She dropped off her little girl with me and drove her son to college this morning. I went throught the Indian custom of doing 'teeka' where you bless a person going on a journey to be victorious. Place a little 'kumkum' and rice on their forehead, feed them something sweet to make their journey pleasant, give them some money for good luck. What an emotional time. It wasn't too long ago when my husband and I drove all night one Friday after work from Maryland to Ohio to welcome the first grand baby in our house. We were amazed at this little bundle. Now a blink of an eye and this little bundle of joy is driving away to college - My eyes teared up as he was backing out of my driveway. Go forth and be victorious my little one. And always remember that we love you.

A jack-o-lantern was carved one crisp fall evening. All the seeds were scraped and roasted a snack for the goblins. But one seed hid in the deep crevices of the pumpkin It was destined to be something greater greater than a roasted snack. The jack-o-lantern deteriorated on the front porch the seed escaped its confines it slid on to the ground then began a perilous journey migrating the seed via front yard across the garage into the fertile bed of the kitchen garden so there it slept under the dirt through the cold of the winter planning big plans one fine spring day the warmth and the moisture enticed the seed into sprouting It did not follow the neat lines that the family had etched in the dirt for the tomatoes and peppers all arranged orderly equidistant It fulfilled its dream between two tomato plants sending out its curly tendrils grabbing onto the tomato cages and whatever else they could find The family was puzzled at this unexpected bounty should we pull this out? Is it a w...

Had gone away for a while ........ will be back with more soon :)

Every time I have a glass or two of wine, I get these urges to write on my blog - I always am embarrassed about it the next morning, but does that stop me? No. But you must be used to it by now. I am reading "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen and am so envious of the love Jacob has for Marlena. I know it is fiction, but still!!! I mean I love my husband, my kids, my parents, my brother, my sister, my dogs, my fishes, my plants, my car (yes I do - I call it Dhanno) - even some of my coworkers - but the extent of my love has never been tested and quantified - so how do I fare on a scale of 1 to 10? Would I run across the top of a running train for my love? Would I??? Is being in love a true or false? Is it enough to say that you love someone? Or is it a scale from 1 to 10? Do some people love more intensely than other? Would I run on top of a running train and risk my life for the people I love? Me - who cannot even hurt a fly - could I kill for love? Would I? Would you? Shoul...

We have established a nightly reading ritual over the summer vacation. Several nights a week we read out loud from a book picked by one of my daughters. We all take turns reading. We are reading a book called ' Zen and the art of Faking it '. My husband was a bit unsure about it in the beginning, but he seems to be enjoying it now. We also try to find and list any words that either of the girls don't know the meaning of, and it goes on the assignment sheet for next day for them to learn. Once in a while we come upon some words that I don't know the meaning of as well (like geodesic) and it goes on their list of the words that they have to explain and teach to mom the next day. Very rarely we find a word that my husband doesn't know the meaning of and we are all amazed since he is Mr. Dictionary around the house. Anyways, this reading ritual is fun and educational for all of us. A couple of nights ago, as my daughter was reading it, we happened upon a line "I d...

My 12 year old daughter has invited us into her thoughts and dreams . I like what she writes, but I am , of course, biased. Please stop by when you have a moment to provide encouragement and constructive criticism. thanks,

Well, my backyard doesn't quiet look like that, but it does back to the woods and has some wildflowers and wild berries. I have taken to spend good part of my weekend mornings on the deck lately. It is so peaceful - if I could bottle up that calmness and put it at my desk at work and open and release some every now and then I would have a much better work week. But for now, I just make do with the visions of the calmness and look forward to weekend mornings when I can recharge and refill. Anyways, last Saturday, as I was sitting outside, sipping on my ginger tea, I smelled this nice scent of wildflowers - maybe lavender. I inhaled deeply trying to place the scent. It was good. I thought since I am spending more time outdoors, I have awakened and sharpened my senses and I can pick up on these subtler smells - it felt good. Oh man - I was truly one with nature. I sat around enjoying my newly developed senses and sipping ginger tea - oh the bliss. Suddenly something dawned upon me - ...

When I was a little girl I had great compassion for anything living. I used to feel for flies who would drop in the water and would struggle to get out. I used to try to get them out on a leaf and leave them in a sunny place to dry. They would dry in a few minutes, rub their legs and fly off. I used to feel very good about saving the lives of these unfortunate flies. That was then. Back when I didn't worry about what diseases they might be carrying. Things have since changed. We have developed a fruit fly infestation in my kitchen. I have a little container under the sink where I store all the stuff that goes in the compost bin - vegetable peels, egg shells and stuff like that. Last week, a horde of fruit flies appeared from somewhere. I have had this container for more than a year now without a problem. So now I take it out to the bin in the backyard everyday instead of waiting for it to get full. Anyways, last night I was walking around in my kitchen with a fly swatter trying to ...

on main street in Annapolis, MD on July 3rd You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~ Erma Bombeck

Red is redder Orange is oranger Kids are adorable Puppies are cuter The clutter becomes invisible All the sharp edges are smoother The next work day is light years away The slightest evening breeze stirs passion The sunset is prettier The late evening beckons you outdoors All kinds of sins are forgivable Life is beautiful After just two glasses of a good merlot!!!!

I know - too many posts about berries already, but this is something that I had to share with you. I didn't even know about mulberries until my friend introduced them to me. One day we were out walking at lunch time when she exclaimed, pointed and started munching on these things right off the tree. After being assured that they were edible, I joined in the fun as well. We visited that tree as often as we could at lunch time while the berries lasted. We could only reach a few of them as most of the branches were out of reach. You should have seen us jumping to reach branches way up there, loaded with ripe berries . We did get a few weird looks from some passersbys , but hey if they had tasted those berries, they would have joined in too. Then my company moved to a different town and the mulberry tree stayed behind. It was good while it lasted. Imagine my joy when I saw a little patch of the trail near my house all stained with purplish, blackish stuff. I looked up and sure enough t...

3 years ago we bought some raspberry and blackberry plants from Lowes. With high hopes and visions of raspberry cheesecake floating in front of us, we made a berry patch. The first year we just had a few berries. Next year we had a few more, but they didn't taste all that great. So I told my husband that we will dig them out of this prime spot and put them somewhere towards the back of our yard and if they live, they live. We planned on putting something else in their spot. I think the berries heard me and I think some feelings were hurt. They knew they were on probabation and they strategized a plan. They spread out in all directions in wondrous glory ... and loaded themselves with lots more berries than ever before... they were looking pretty good so I asked them - you look alright, but I wonder how you are going to taste this year. So they ripened a small batch for me to try. And I can't begin to tell you how wonderful they taste.... And the blackberries are doing alrigh...

I signed up to run the Zooma Annapolis 10K race several months ago with great intentions of actually running it. But as it so often happens, I did not train for the event at all (I do have hordes of excuses - some of them really good ones :). The main reason I had signed up for the event was because the finishers get a custom made silver necklace made by an Guatemalan artisan - and as it is well known, I sign up for most races for shirts and medals - and the fitness that results from it is a nice side benefit. The night before the race the family was over and we were up till late and I was debating if I should go or not. Finally I decided to go - someone told me that there would be wine tasting and cupcakes at the finish line. Even though I hadn't trained to run, I knew I could always walk it. So, I woke up at 4 :30 - got ready for the event and left the house at 5:40. The event was in Annapolis, about 35 minute drive. The start time of the race was 7:00, so I figured I had plent...

I remember absolutely dying for that last day of school and waiting for the first day of summer vacation and wanting it more than anything else. I remember being bored out of my mind at the end of the summer and dying for the school to start. Oh, the extremes on the either side of the summer vacation. I never had any summer camps. My mom was my teacher/camp counselor. She taught me to make tea - indian style - when I was 8. She taught me to embroider when I was 12, she taught me to make goat kababs when I was 12. She taught me to crochet - I forget when. We used to play card games, board games, hand clapping games. There wasn't much on TV (man I sound ancient :) And we read a lot - a whole lot. I remember laying around and watching the fan whirl and thinking, just thinking for hours, because it was too hot to go outside and there was absolutely nothing else to do. At that point even the idea of going to school and doing homework sounded inviting. Fast forward a lot of years. Now m...

I am so in awe of Tessa at An Aerial Armadillo and I could not believe that she would bestow this honor upon me - so here I am, proudly displaying my award.

Is it possible to fall in love with a plant? I ordered a Meyer lemon online and when it came my mother and I, couldn't keep our eyes off the plant. Momma even drove back with dad later that evening to show him the most beautiful plant. Dad couldn't figure out what the big deal was? Men!!!!! I want this plant to flourish and thrive. Have repotted it and put it in a sunny spot on my deck Silently prayed for its health and long life. I will let you know how it goes, but isn't this plant just adorable? And maybe, just maybe, it will be ready with its offspring, to make a perfect mojito for me, one late summer afternoon