High Fives for Today

An year ends and another begins

Chennai Bengaluru highway

A high five for the new year

A high five ... for work.
More things to crib about, more gossip, more fancy targets? Leading to more self-worth and more income. Aaah bliss

A high five ... for friends and family 
They know you for what you are and love you for it. They know it all, and if at a family gathering they decide to make you the bakra of the day...you've had it. Still, aaah bliss.

A high five ... for beauty and serenity at home
That faded diwan cover, that much used sofa, that steel tumbler that has lost its sheen? It's so good to be home. Aaah bliss.

A high five ... for abundance of water, of greenery, of travel and time with nature 
You may need to travel really far to get to Nature minus man's plastic discards. The setting sun, the singing mosquitoes, the wind on your neck, the dripping nose, the soft sand beneath your feet and in your pockets and eyebrows. Aaah bliss.

A high five ... for noise and silence. 
We need them both. Sometimes we crave for one while we have the other. All this anger, this craving, this sudden receiving, this random disappointment. Aaah bliss.

All the troubles that we call pleasure and the pleasures that we call troubles. May they come to us in bagfuls.

                                                  

                                                Wish You All a HAPPY NEW YEAR

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Paint your pottery

November is Thanksgiving time here in the US. Families find different ways of giving 'thanks'.
Serving lunches and dinners at charity homes - Clothes and toys for the poor - Donations in cash - Dinner with family and friends - are the most preferred methods of offering thanks. But my new friend Mina is warm and unique. She takes two grannies and a nephew for a special experience. I go with them too.

Colour me mine in San Jose has inviting clusters of tables and chairs. Two walls are lined with small and large white pottery and the third wall has brushes, special paints, palettes, stencils, shaped sponge dips. The wall itself is a mosaic of small coloured tiles. Each tile has a number below it. The air is vibrant with creative energy. The tables are filled with busy grandpas grandmas and kids. What are they doing??

Amma and Aunty are apprehensive. The nephew is non committal. What is this place?
Surprise! You are here to paint.
what??
yes, you pick a white pottery, you pick some colours, and you paint. says Mina with a smile.
More confusion. What do we pick? How do we paint? Will it come out good?

We pick a  tray, a vase, a star and a bank car. We choose paints and brushes and say naa to stencils and shapes. Soon we plunge into the world of colours.
Conversation begins to flow.
We chat about their days of youth. Of days as working women. Of fears about shifting to a strange country. Of grandchildren and the joy of their successes. They joke. They laugh.

paint your pottery

We leave the painted pottery carefully tagged. The pottery will be fired and glazed and kept ready for pick up in 5 days. That was a grand thankgiving. An afternoon to cherish.
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the best gift is a gift of TIME spent.

No time mama, I'm loading the bus with cars

I like it that he has no time to come to the phone
I like it that his cars mean more to him than anything else
I like it that he can Whack the baseball
I like it that he defeats me in virtual table tennis and dissolves into peals of laughter

Dear grandson - It is your birthday today. I have made sabudana kheer... that your mom called gulle payasa ... the bubble pudding! I have placed it before Lord Ganesh and sought his blessings.

We are sending you loads of love and blessings.

This reminds me of the story of Tenali Rama the court wit and jester and Sri Krishnadevaraya - the emperor. One day the king sat on his throne, put a leg on leg, took a deep breath, looked at the ministers of his court and asked -
Wise men, tell me what must be done to the legs that kick me and the hands that slap me?
the wise men were appalled. What? they murmured
who has the audacity, the temerity, the impudence to kick you, slap you??
Chain him, beat him, banish him they said ... not pausing for breath
falling over each other to win the king's applause
then Tenali Rama the wit said, put tinkling anklets on his feet and gold bracelets on his wrists. For great Emperor ... This must be ... your little son.

and if 

dear reader

your loved one 

has a birthday today 

and you are far 

...

this payasa 

is in celebration 

of that birthday too

for good words

and good thoughts

have great power.

Sabudana  Payasa

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Sanvi

 I love listening to Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma. It is a Kannada Composition by Purandara Dasa. Sung in praise of Goddess Lakshmi.... the bestow-er of prosperity and happiness.

The song is so full of love and devotion. He invites Lakshmi into his house right on time for the Friday Puja, describing ...

her dainty steps, the tinkling sound of her anklets, of bangles twirling on her wrists, of her mesmerizing lotus eyes, the auspicious kumkum mark on her forehead and the overflowing stream of gold and bliss she brings to homes she visits.

And he most wonderfully describes her as Venkataramanana Binkada Rani – the elegant and proud consort of sri Venkataramana

There are two versions of the song. The Hindustani version rendered by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi 

And the Carnatik version by Smt MS Subbulakshmi

But I love it most when achu my daughter sings the song…simple and no frills!

Today our little grand daughter Sanvi completes one month. Sanvi is born on friday and is a bundle of joy.

I have tried to depict bhagyada lakshmi baramma on paper.

bhagyada lakshmi baramma

America-dalli Narayana

My doggy friends in America
My experience with Mowgli, Sassy and Caesar moved me. They know just to love - no questions asked. Their warm backs, soft necks, tender looks, instant energy and frank doting
aaah! A whole new world of joy for me.

Mowgli in San Jose

He looks at me with soulful eyes
And sweeps me off my feet
I come back from a half-hour walk
And he licks my face - like I'm his treat.

Caesar in Chicago 

Expensive dog food is yucky! He ignores it.
And jumps up and down for simple - curd 'n rice.

50 pounds or five, knee high or half way
You guys won me over, before I could say coffee and fries.

CURD RICE ?????

Is that why we call him Narayana??

Sassy in Boston

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I think thoughts of a large dog at home. But it will remain just that. I am not ready for the hard work.
Would you like to keep a pet?

Flowers Collage

About Something I had promised

I know
I know
You have been waiting for the rest of the flower pictures
and for the collage I promised
errrrr
you haven't....
whaaaat? you dont remember I promised a collage
never mind...
OK
here
Let me post it for you.

I specially like the branch against the cloudy sky.
The tree with pink flowers is right at the entrance. I should have gone outside and clicked it from the road. It looks best from there. But I dint do that...though I do claim to be a dont-care what-u-think type!!
The cluster of white flowers is in a discreet corner. You miss it if you are not looking for it.
Palm fruits hanging from a branch look so nice. I had to take a picture. Wish I had Sunlight shining over it.
Spiky red flowers line the walkway. They dont catch your eye. But then..many a flower is born to blush unseen...
As for the blue ipomea, they grow so rapidly and flower so profusely...a gardener's delight.

We talk about curves tomorrow
watchout!
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See...I knew you would like them.
We always KNOW what you want... But rarely know what WE want.
How come???

It is amazing how many you find

About the smiles that flowers bring

It's amazing how many you find when you go looking for them.

It is dreamy and cloudy here in Bangalore.

The cool breeze makes you nostalgic or romantic...depends on how old you think you are...

We are playing a losing game of hide and seek with the Sun.

pink kanagle

He hides behind clouds and rarely shows up to call D-E-N!!

But yesterday he did! and I went down to to click some pictures of flowers that are blooming in the driveway to the apartment.

the red flower tree

We stay at Brigade Vista at Chikkalasandra, Bangalore.

white karankondla

I share some of the lovely ones with you.

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O there are so many more. I will post a collage tomorrow

Star shaped idlis

About not having idli stands in the kitchen sink

Can you smell it? The aroma of steaming idlis fills the room. We have raw-mango chatni on the side and a dollop of ghee melting over the idlis. Now I am not particularly fond of idlis. I am Dosa person. Making Idlis also means a lot more things in the kitchen sink …. a lot more things to be washed, dried and kept away. Still … here in my vacation home I decide to make idlis.

Idli recipe... I use. One cup udad dal is soaked and ground. 3 cups idli rawa is added and ground. Ya, I like to grind that too. I add some salt and leave it in a warm place overnight. This morning, I see, the idli batter has lived up to expectation and risen well.
Now I hunt for the idli stand. OOps! Horror!! I have no idli stand. Yes, yes, I know…I should have thought of this before I soaked the dal……..
Now what?
I pour 6 laddles…yes you read that right six laddles… of idli batter into a flat chapatti-dabba. I place the dabba in a large vessel of water. And steam it for 20 minutes on low flame.

I scoop out the flat round idli and cut out pizza slices! My MIL gives the two slices on her plate a funny look. Takes a bite and says…mmm this tastes good too. Give me one more.

I did not make star shaped idlis. Another time maybe?
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 Does the shape of food add to its taste?

I am fine, till I brag

About what i do in the gym

Switch on the TV and surf. Someone is walking into a gym or talking about it. Shower gel and cellphone ads feature gyms, kids brag about it, film stars swear by it, and my knee doctor urges me to try it. But I have resolutely stayed clear of the gym. I can think of many things I can do with the unbelievable fees they charge.

10 days back…all this changed.

Here in this apartment (where we are staying for a month) gym is free. So I venture into it. Now what? I stare around helplessly. I don’t know how these things work!

Uncle comes to my rescue. He tugs at the pulley, races on the static cycle, twists on the lazy-susan….and lifts weights. If he can, I can…I think….you see I have an advantage of two decades.

I tug at the pulley….errrr can we make this thing lighter?

I ride on the cycle……wheee this is fun. Uncle comes by and turns the knob….the tension was at zero! Now I puff along for a few minutes and say au revoir. Will come back! The French say O-Hu-Vvaa … I really don’t know why! I generally say that...when a kid with a basket of jasmine strings comes to my car window at 4th block.

Comeback I did. To the gym that is...And how!
I now cycle for FIFTEEN minutes. I pull the pulley FIFTEEN times. I twist and turn till my sides hurt.

Hey. I did it. Ain’t I cool? I have to brag about it. So over lunch with friends I casually mention between bites of rice-rajma, I have started going to the gym. Nanda tells me. I also go. My trainer is very nice.

Ya? I ask…munch-munch…what do you do? Munch-munch
We have a warm up session. Then 15 minutes of gym.
That’s all? I think feeling quite proud of myself. I ask her, What is warm up?
TEN minutes on the treadmill, FIFTEEN minutes on the cycle and TWENTY push-ups she tells me.

Munch-mun…Ah

Ah
Time to change the topic
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How do you make a line shorter without rubbing it, touching it or hiding it?

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Happy 2011

Wish you all a very happy new year

May it bring happiness, success and health.

Thank god we have this Gregorian calendar. Therefore we have December. And so we have the first of January...and
yehhh the beginning of another year.
Traffic snarls, red lights, pocket crunch, rebellious kids, lazy colleagues, angry bosses....we have our share of daily woes.
But, the 31st of December brings on a smile. Let me tell you what we did.
We invited a few uncles and aunts and cousins over. The party had an age group varying from 15 to 85. Our 15 year old conducted dumb charades and our 80 year olds played!
It was great fun watching the uninitiated complicating simple clues and making them complex!
Traditional grandmas used to anna-saaru-palya had cheese-veggie-sandwiches, bondas and chocolate  for dinner!
We women talked a lot and the kids asked us to keep quiet!!
At 12 we were looking at our watches.....wait there is one minute more...no appa its 12..... lets turn on the TV......I know my watch is correct......
In that confusion 2011 slipped in
and suddenly we went
Happy NEW YEAR!!!!!
Devaru ella bhagadallu volleyadannu kodali.
Yellaru chennagi iri.
Be happy and healthy
hug
hug
hug

And we begin 2011
with hope, and a sparkle in the eye. We will achieve more dreams. We will set higher goals. We will enjoy the present.

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Hey! have a great year. and laugh a lot.
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How to Peel Mosambi

About how to peel a mosambi among other things

It was one of those days when I got up feeling low. That doesn’t usually happen. But then…that was a day I got up feeling low.

Oh! I already told you that.
My English teacher had told me never repeat words. She would mark the guilty phrases in red. I can see her looking sternly…
Anyway, I got up feeling low and

Oops!

I felt “no one cares for me”, “out of sight out of mind”, etc etc
All not true …. Yella sullu
I know that
But the mind has a movement of its own. And that day I felt as helpless as my neighbour’s daughter who ‘takes’ her black Labrador for a ‘walk’.

But the Universe has a way of telling you, hold on! Let me show you… And that day
I received five phone calls, two visits, two letters (one containing a check), and a large parcel.
A parcel! Now who would send me a parcel?
I tear it open and I smile.
A PG Wodehouse! Specially a Jeeves……..aah! This is the ultimate ……. a book I can curl up and laugh with.
And to top it all I find in the book a hand made card from Ashwini, my fine niece in Bangalore.

Yippee! My mood is back to rocking.
Now I am good and ready to help those in distress….
Let me show you how to peel a musambi
No tearing, no messing. Three simple steps

Step one – Slice off the two ends of the mosambi

Step two – Cut mosambi into quarters

Step three – Peel off the skin

Now run it in the mixer for 2 minutes with a spoon of sugar, a dash of salt and half a glass of water. Strain and enjoy a cooling glass of mosambi juice.

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But just read about what happened the other day
He Crouched in the Shadows

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Touch the sky

Hi all of you. Did I tell you my grandson was here visiting me? He is two and a half and he has opened up a whole new world for me. There were many things we did together when they were here for a short ten-day-stay.
We listened to goofy baby till I knew every word that was coming. I enjoyed waiting for Goofy to come out of the time-machine as baby Goofy, and then waited for him to cry, and then have yummy milk - my grandson adores milk - and then the little song that goes top-top-bottom-bottom-middle-middle-middle. We took some time to figure out that song, and then Goofy goes Buurrrp.... look why dont you watch the video. HERE
We pulled out all the colour pencils and made a loooong train. See we have used caps and a sipper too to make the train as long as possible. Here he is telling the crayon "Don't fall"

We placed cap on cap to make a tall pillar. Suddenly he held it above his head. He was trying to touch the sky Oops, He WAS touching the sky.

He played cricket and generally waited for one of us to fetch the ball. Here is one of the rare instances when he did that himself!!

He would tell us this story about Diego and the Kuala bear with dramatic pauses and action. He shows us how Kuala crawls in the tunnel.

O We had the most awesome time. Wish we could meet more often. Being a long distance grandma is only a consolation, not the real thing.

This is something I like to tell him. This is perhaps what he already knows. No matter what you do, how crazy your dreams ... You are never alone.