Ten on Tuesday

I have been feeling pretty low for the last couple days (again!). Everyday scares me to the point of becoming paranoid. Some say I am a natural worrier!! During challenging times like these, it becomes especially important for me to count my blessings. Otherwise I will lose all perspectives.. right? So, I’m going to list down my blessings today. All things I feel good about –

1. I am alive! And I love my life and the way I live! I have the sweetest parents and the greatest husband ever!
2. I am blessed with two beautiful children! They are my world!
3. I am reasonably healthy! I had a great childhood and an innocent transition to adulthood. I never had to worry about anything as a child/teenager. Everything was taken care of for me.
4. I went to a great school and a good college. My school days were quiet and my college days were busy. The toughest hardship I faced was being forced to travel to Mumbai for my first job when I wanted to quit it and stay in Madras.
5. I love to dream and can enter my dreamland any second!
6. I have couple people in the family who I can call even at 3 AM and not get yelled at. I have 4 close friends with whom I can share anything and everything. I have many other friends who I can go shopping with, watch a movie or just chat.
7. I am a proud owner of a newly constructed house. I love my house and I enjoy decorating/admiring it each day.
8. I love to travel and have worked in 6 cities, 2 countries and 2 continents.  I am good at what I do and great at picking new skills!
9. I can walk into any store (be it expensive ones or the thrift store kinds), and shop whatever my heart fancies. I love shopping that much. My wardrobe is so full and overflowing but I cannot let go anything.
10. I like to write and blessed to have you all stop by (you lurkers too!) and appreciate me.

I have more to add to the list but I will stop here for today… I hope you guys will feel inspired to share a similar list in your blog or put in your comments in the space below.

#Blogathon2023

My School Memories

The School Bag 💼 . I see myself struggling to close the zipper. Oh! The school bag looks old but I still love carrying it to school everyday.

The Green Water Bottle 💦. I see myself picking a matching green towel and keeping it along with my green bottle in my green lunch bag. Oh! The bottle is small but it has enough water to keep me hydrated through the day.

The School Badge 🪪. I see myself feeling proud. Oh ouch! The pin hurts but I love the color of the badge and wear it with a smile.

Her Long Hair. I see myself admiring her hair as she stands in front of me in the line! Oh! My hair is not short but how I wish I had such a long hair like her.

The Games Period 🏐. I see withdrawing myself from all sports activity. Oh! I’m not athletic and hated this 40 minute period every Wednesday.

The Exams 📙. I see myself with my math book, sitting under my favorite tree and studying. Oh! I love math and my math teacher.

The Candle Light Ceremony 🕯️. I see myself in white saree carrying candle and singing school hymns. Oh how I love this day even today!

The Back-Gate. I see myself walking towards the back gate to go home. Oh! The path to the back school gate is just so wonderful. I love the pink flowers, the huge tamarind tree, the school hostel, and the kindergarten children.

The Canteen. I see myself entering the canteen with my friends. We buy 1 small samosa packet and share with each other. Oh! I love the taste! It is yummy! I see myself having fun!

The Old Hall. I see myself in the hall attending the morning prayer. Oh! I love this hall and we are singing my favorite hymn.

….to be continued.

#Blogathon2023

Finally ~ the snow is here!!

It’s all white everywhere!! It’s winter!!!! What a beautiful sight it was today! Clouds, Wind and Snow! ❄️

View from our deck!

#Blogathon2023

Chores

Image Courtesy: Google

It was a lazy Saturday at the Lavender household today. Laziness laziness everywhere.. Here’s their story…

Lavender woke up with a very severe headache badly wanting her morning coffee.

Little flashback.. She always imagined having a partner who would make her morning coffee. She grew up seeing her dad making coffee for her mom. So you know this was part of her ‘Prince Charming‘ expectations. Sadly, this never happened. She is always forced to wake up first in the house and practically drag everyone else out of bed.

So back to reality, even though she had a bad headache she had to wake up and make her own coffee. One sip and she felt like it only increased her headache. So she poured the coffee down the sink and went back to sleep again.

She woke up later and realized it’s almost time for lunch and there’s nothing to eat at home. Remembering her kids and the big boy Lemon would get cranky if they don’t eat on time, she tried to fix a very quick lunch in her instant pot.

Instant pot’s 6 minute veg biriyani is a blessing!

The headache lingered mid afternoon. She tried to rest for a while after putting her naughty toddler to sleep.

Come evening she was feeling a little better. The family went out for grocery shopping and then had dinner at a nice Mexican restaurant.

That’s Lime and Lily fighting in the restaurant

They are all back home now getting ready to have yet another lazy day (except of course lavender because she has to do the chores again tomorrow)

Snooooooozzzzeeeeee….

And this changes everything!

There is something that I have been wanting to share in this space for few weeks. Now that I am comfortable, I am writing about it here. 

* * * 

Anybody who has been reading my blog would know how much I love my career and the workplace. I have completed by MBA, got my PMP and have been making some good progress in everything. I was in a comfortable space.

And then life decided to intervene. I wanted a career change. I was very unsure at first. The job was closer to home. Flexible. There were good people and an awesome boss. So, change was not a necessity for me but an option. After thoughtful consideration, at one point I made up my mind and decided to move on. I formulated a plan of action and started looking for options.  

In about 4 weeks, I got a new job offer. I was in a dilemma. Choices have always been difficult for me. I needed to decide soon. I wanted to make a decision not by emotion but by logic and practicality. 

I gave it some serious thought. Lemon was all for it. He has always been supportive and has always let me explore options.

The timing was right. So decision was finally made one day and I hesitantly quit my job.  Sharing the news with friends was the hardest of all. Some were shocked. Some were sad. And some others must have been very happy – I think! 

There was no build up to tell the news to parents too. It was more like, coming back from work one day and then saying, “I am done with this job. I am starting a new one in couple weeks!” It took a while for them to let it all sink in. 

Like I suspected, mom was mad at me at first. She was worried if I would be able to adjust to everything new. Lime would start school soon and Lily would start going to day care very soon! And, mom & dad would be leaving to India. So, I would lose all the help. I don’t blame mom. How could she possibly not be worried? I was too! We spoke over it a few times and at some point we both understood, accepted the changes and she was happy and excited for me.

The new job would be in Boston downtown. I would have to do a fair amount of commute, every day, from my home to the office. The job offer was in one of those decent tall buildings in downtown. It gave me a high every time I would think of it. 

Anyone remember this post and this? I have always been fascinated by tall buildings. Going to the top floor of a very tall building for a good view has always been a favorite thing to do. So, why would I not like to work in one of those buildings? Right? Right!

So, being the drama queen at home, I was bursting in excitement. Lemon cared less every time I expressed my love for tall buildings. He wanted to know why I had a preference at all, especially for the place of work. Why care about a building? All that matters is that you should love the place and like the work. 

I know there’s a lot of truth in what he said. But I got an offer in a tall one and that is huge for me. Subconsciously I pictured myself there. I went over the idea and the changes in my head over and over again. I told myself I was ready!

I dragged through the last few days at the previous job, waiting to start something new. The night before my first day at new job I couldn’t sleep. I was scared. I worried about how the new place is going be. How the new people will be. How bad the commute will be from home. How many obstacles I will have to face. How many sacrifices I’m going to have to make. Everything was unknown. 

* * *

Lets fast forward a bit now….. It’s been a month, already, in the new place. Believe it or not, it has been a journey so far. From being in a comfort zone and being anxious to a feeling of great happiness and triumph. It took me a while to decide, accept and get here. Right now, I am focused on learning and being tactical. The morning commute may not the best one for me but I am trying not to let any fears or negativity get in.

This is a huge leap forward. So all you readers, pass me some good wishes, will you?

15 things I plan to get rid of this Bhogi/Pongal

I cannot have a Bhogi Bonfire in the US of A. So, I decide to at least get rid of some of the old things from the home. But where in the world do I begin? 

The decluttering journey may be fun in the end but is definitely painful. Here’s the list of things that top my list.  

Old Kitchen Utensils: These have been just lying there in my cabinets and occupying more space. I want to figure out what i’m really using and toss everything else.

Food: I need some time to check expiration date on everything in my pantry. Some has just been there for a while for nothing.

Spices: It is hard to believe that everything that my mom sends me in a parcel every year doesn’t stay good forever. Especially the ones that I rarely use for making vethakozhambhu .. They become dry and tasteless after a while.

Letters and Bills: We have a bunch of them sitting in a box. I have asked Lemon to get rid of them but he just seems to care less to do the same. It has become a common bad habit now to save every mail. I want them to disappear from my home.

Books: What do I do with these Computer Science and MBA books? We have them in one big suitcase. Suggest me some place to donate them please?

Clothes: I want to give away all the salwars I have. I never wear them now and I want to donate them all. Are there any places which accept Indian clothing as donations?

Medicines: This is another box that I need to check for expired prescriptions & over the counter drugs.

Expired coupons: I’m a shopaholic and I have a bunch of coupons lying everywhere in the house. I must at least get rid of the expired ones..

Throw away Old batteries and instructions manual for the appliances I KNOW how to use!

Towels: How many of these do we really need? I have mine, Lemon has his own and Lime has some. Plus we got some guest towels. Uff!

Lime’s Clothes – I have got a full suitcase of his new-born, Indian ethnic wear and the likes. I love them a lot and do not have the heart to throw them away. 😦

Socks – Especially Lime’s socks. He plays with them. He hides them and even throws them away. Who knows where the other pair is. Every day, the little naughty boy would cry and want to wear only those that do not have a pair! Sigh!

Greeting Cards – Lemon keeps giving me one of these for every occasion. I don’t have the heart to throw them away. But wait! They are not keepsakes, right? So, may be I can get rid of them. 

Toys – I have to figure our which ones Lime actually needs, which ones are of no use and which ones to give away. This is going to be one of my difficult tasks. 

I can’t begin to think how much time all this is going to take. But I’m determined to do this without a second thought! 

Three.

*** A post from my drafts that was written during the chennai flood season! I wrote this letter to the THREE people I love most in this world. ***

Dear amma, appa, paati,

First thing I have been doing, this entire week, as soon as I wake up is call your landline number. The call gets connected, your phone rings, but I never received any response from your end. After a while, I would call your mobile numbers. Only to hear the not reachable automated message. 

It’s been 3 days now since I spoke to you all. I’m worried. I cry. I feel bad. 

Many people will NEVER understand what I’m going through now. Being your only child….being a girl who is staying far away from her parents and grandparent…. And all of you being senior citizens… Makes me worry more! 

I can’t just hope you are doing okay and think it’s just the phone connectivity issues and power cuts in chennai that is making you unreachable.

I want to talk to you all soon. I want to know you are all okay. I want to hear your voice.

Did the flood water come into our house? Are you guys safe? Do you have all the basic necessities? I don’t know. Sigh! 

Please God. Help them. Protect them. Keep them safe. 

***************************

P.S.: I was able too reach my parents after 4 long days that week. They are okay now. 

IKEA Shelf – Home Mandir

I have always wanted to have a nice swami room at my home. For years we have been using a very old book shelf as the mandir. Now that we bought a new house here in Boston, having a nice little perfect space for the mandir was on TOP of my list.

All along I knew what I wanted. The idea was there but I did not know where to get it from. Buying a wooden mandir shelf here in USA would be very costly. When we went to NY for my birthday, we inquired in a number of desi boutiques and found that the ones I liked would cost me around $500. So, like always I started browsing the blog world to get some DIY ideas and I came across this beautiful post from her which seemed perfect.

I exactly mimicked her and I was so satisfied to see the end result.

First, we were lucky enough to get this shelf from IKEA.

BORGSJO Shelf Unit

I used a white fabric pen to decorate (read Indianize) the doors. 

This part was indeed a challenge. I am not very good at drawing kolams or rather I lost touch with this art for 5 years now. But I tried my best to draw this symmetry. 

And then I wanted to keep Ganesha at the top center of the whole frame. So, I created a backdrop with kolams as shown in the belowpicture.

Next picture shows the entire backdrop.

Then came the fun part. I wanted to have the “Gopuram” effect in my mandir. So, we bought a wall mount shelf from Lowe’s and decorated the top with the wooden beads that I got in Michael’s. Like the original author suggested I also used eye pins to keep the beads in place.

That’s Lemon in action 😉

The final part was hanging the bells. This was tough. I got the bells from Michael’s. But gluing them to the wooden shelf was a challenge. It took us two to three days to figure out how exactly we can glue them. 

Finishing touch was gluing the LED lights (from Lowe’s) to the shelf and adding the decorative door knob from Pier 1 Imports.

The final result is shown in the below picture.

 

Interested in doing this project for your home?

Here you go –

• BORGSJO Shelf Unit from IKEA
• Wall Mounting Shelf from LOWES
• Decor from Michael’s

P.S.: Thanks to her for this wonderful idea. I now have a special place for my mandir at home and I really loved this project. 🙂 

And we are off!

House is cleaned. Laundry done. Dishes are washed. The bags are packed. Our holiday begins in a few hours. 

I’ve been doing a happy dance since 8 AM today. No wait! Actually since last night 😛 

We are going to the Cayman Islands. For a good 5 days. This is a long pending trip. Lemon promised to take me to the Cayman’s for my birthday. But due to his MBA course work this trip was postponed. Every time we see an opportunity to travel we always try to go to a new place. Downtown’s, tall buildings, busy streets all amuse me.. but what we need now is a nice calm vacation. So, we decided to be away from all these hassles.

Last years’ Turks and Caicos Vacation was one of our bests’. I hope this one becomes our best-est! 

Grand Cayman – I can’t wait to see you! 

So, tada peeps. Have a nice long weekend. See you all soon! 

What an awesome day!

Today has been so nice! I had an early morning meeting with all the company executives. The meeting was for around 2 hours. We were making some important decisions for our project. In the end I was so stressed out and badly wanted a break. So I was just browsing the web and came across the below pic. And it made me smile!

In the afternoon, I had an awesome lunch. Vathakuzhambhu with vendakka curry.

And then evening was well spent as well. I picked up lime. We went to the dunkins’ to get our favorite donut. Then we went to the indian store to get our favorite snacks. And then to the mall just for time pass. Lime always used to hate the mall play area. He never used to play there. But today was different. He happily joined the other kids and played well.

And now I’m writing this post on my phone sitting in my cozy bed with the tv on and drinking Lemon juice. Ah! The joys of life! 🙂

Stay tuned guys. Will catch with you all tomorrow.