Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Rewind 2013!

God knows how good my memory is, to be rewinding an entire year in a single blog! Every year, as I try to write a farewell blog for the almost-ending year, all I can recollect is the happenings in December, and at the most from November, and nothing more. But this time, sitting on the end of this year, I try my best to rack my brains, and list all that I can remember of 2013 – month wise J

January – Started to write three blogs for the new year 2013, one on why the world did not end in 2012, one farewell blog to 2012 and one welcome blog to 2013. Obviously, none of them ever saw daylight.

February – My elder one’s b’day month, and I was busy with my project schedule in office, and reached home at 10 in the night on her b’day. Shamelessly! Somehow, managed to blog her b’day letter!

March – Sorry, nothing memorable that I can think of, except that hubby yet again, forgot one of our courtship milestones.

April – Tried to decide the dream destination for vacation – Maldives, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Andaman, Leh-Ladakh, Goa and what not?

May – Finally had to settle down to Ooty for the vacation this year L Everything in Ooty made me compare my previous vacation in Kulu-Manali, and the disappointment only increased. Luckily, we had another unexpected trip to Yercaud, which saved the summer holidays from becoming a flop. And yes, the resort in Yercaud, needs a special mention in my blog post. It made the resort in Ooty seem like heaven. At the peak of the vacation season, when we couldn’t get bookings in any of the other resorts, and when this hotel offered us rooms for the weekend, we should have realized atleast then, that we were one of the selected few, who approached this resort, (let alone book) but did we? No, the vacation craze shielded our minds, and by the time we faced the drastic reality, it was too late. It was either the roadside or these rooms. Apart from the rooms, (which we stayed away from as much as possible during the day), the Yercaud trip was a hit J And oh, it was Swathi’s b’day month as well, and even more shamelessly, I couldn’t manage a blog post for her b’day. But, my darling is still too young to mind it anyways.

June – Came back to revive my blog with some couple of posts and absconded again.

July, August – Part-time memory loss J Oh yes, it was Independence day in August and we celebrated it in front of the idiot-box. (Indhiya tholai kaatchi varalaatril mudhal muraiyaaga….)

September – Anniversary month. Month of celebration for me, and god knows month-of-what for hubby. If not for the sports day in kids’ school, we would have managed yet another outing for the wedding day. But as luck would have it, we spent the day in town with a movie and dinner date.

October – Yippee…it was Diwali time – shopping, shopping, shopping. Now, what can be a better stress-reliever than shopping? Didn't we have navaratri in October as well? So, more shopping there J

November – Diwali itself. The entire week-evenings and week-nights prior to Diwali was spent outdoors with the entire group of kids in the street enjoying the crackers. Never did I imagine that the kids would enjoy bursting crackers this much. There was no surprises there, but the level of excitement displayed by them was contagious. All of sudden, the little one would come running inside the house, ransack the cover of crackers, and run outside with yet another box of crackers. And no, no, who would burst the silly  bijilee vedis? Nothing less than Lakshmi vedi or atom bomb would do. The sara vedis were also ok, but definitely not bijilees.

December – Surprisingly, I became interested in Indian politics post the AAP success in Delhi, and continue to do so. And yes, that it was mine as well as hubby’s b’day month requires a small mention here. No gifts, no surprises, but heart-felt warm wishes everywhere J

So, that was 2013 for me, coming with its own share of ups and downs, but as much as I can recollect, this year has been more of a neutral year, if you can exclude the frequent fights, shouts and screams with kids, causing hubby to give an exasperated sigh of ‘Started again?’

And hey, do you know, I have been included in this ‘Blogathon’ for the month of January, which means I-am-supposed-to post atleast one blog every day, for the whole month which I hope to complete successfully. So, keep coming back here for more posts throughout the next month. So, until the next post….a happy farewell to 2013, and a warm welcome to 2014.


Friday, December 27, 2013

Margazhi Kolams!!!

There used to be a time before marriage, when I just could not wait to finish my dinner, and complete my part of the household chores, so that I can recede to my room to be alone with my mobile and the person who gifted it. I face a similar anxiety again, ever since margazhi started. I just cannot wait to get outside and start drawing the kolams. Ever since my childhood, I’ve always been fascinated by kolams and the interest has grown to almost an obsession now!

Moreover, now I have an extra factor to contribute to my interest – my lovely girls. More than me, they are the ones who are more excited by my kolams. Everything is best experienced when shared, and so my neighbours add to the fun, by joining us, and our respective kids play judges to decide the best kolam in the street, and no wonder, my kids always declare that mine is the best. If the kolam next door is an inch bigger than ours, then, they wouldn’t let me rest until I have expanded mine to be bigger than theirs. With an inspiration like this, who wouldn’t be interested? So, presenting you the pics of my kolams this margazhi so far!!! More to be published as and when I find time :)
Thiruvaadhirai special





Thursday, December 26, 2013

Happy B’day to me!!!

Today as I’m entering my second year in the thirties, I re-collect all my previous birthdays. When in school, my birthday would almost always fall during the Christmas holidays, and so, no color dress to school, no chocolates distribution to friends and teachers. Oh, how I would envy my friends whose bdays fell on school days, and how they would show off their color dresses to friends on their b’days! Today, when my daughter demands the type of chocolates she wishes to give her friends on her b’day, I can relate with her only too well.

When in college, it was again during the semester holidays or if my luck would have it, it would be the semester exams itself. Though the chocolate distribution craze had worn out by that time, the gifts and cards were always there to be opened and cherished. Something to look forward to!

Join the corporate world, a b’day cake was cut for my birthday, as a team of course, but still that was my first cake ever. Somewhere down the line, the craze of gifts and sweets had slowly worn out, not that I’m not enjoying my life. I’m still happy and satisified with the way my life is going, but I guess that with age comes maturity and so all the childish desires slowly fade out of interest.

But today was different. Apart from the special wishes from friends and well-wishers, one of my team-member, came and gave me a chocolate! Chocolates always lift my mood, but the fact that this person thought of giving it as my b’day gift was what made it special. And then, there was another chocolate from yet another team-mate, and then, one another! Its been raining chocolates today! More than the gift, the thought that my team-members had of wanting to gift me, was what made me feel special.


Thanks to all my well-wishers! Each one of you truly made my day!