The Happy Gardener

Top n things that made me happy this weekend (I'll decide on n once I am done with the list) Not necessarily in this order * Opening my bottle of green apple soda at Panera and finding "Your life will be filled with sunshine" on the inside of the cap :-) * Spotting a Volvo dealership as I was driving this morning. Don't ask - for some reason, I've always had a fancy for this company. I won't be able to identify a single model of their cars but still. * Taking a walk to a little playground near a school close to home with friends and spending a good half an hour on the swings with S. * My man Manning winning his first playoff since the Superbowl.(Poor Flacco - I do feel bad for that kid) * The patterned socks I bought this evening. So I've always been one of those who buys a bunch of similar looking, boring socks and goes through them until it is impossible to match any 2 of them. This time around when it was time to buy new socks, I decided I actually want...

'nuff with the poetry! What is up with all that gravity, seriously? Anyhoo, I had decided that I would post a what-do-you-call-it, a look back at the year of 2009 before it ended. As expected, all that happened was the decision. Irregardless (which will remain one of my favorite words in this decade too), I've decided to do that now. Except I am sleepy. And tired. And happy that my code worked. And am wearing my favorite pajamas (the one with clouds on it) that says "on cloud nine". In short, I am giddy. So this is going to be one zippy post. Let us see. (Rubbing hands) 2009, eh? January: I came back after a good holiday at A's as usual and settled into my new home. Spent quite some time unpacking and setting up the new place. The high point of this month, apparently was the 2-door stackable organizer that I assembled all by my self!( comeuppance) I tell you - the excitement never ends here. February : A wonderful trip to sunny California (where it rained most of...

It is not you that I fight anymore your smiles, your words light and delightful, ruthless and seductive. No. It is me - my memories happy and treacherous trapped in my mind that hold me captive.

This word always reminds me of dentures. Debentures. Dentures. The scene: Me + pjs + sweatshirt + my couch + tv turned off The story so far : It's Monday night and I have a bunch of things to do online (work & personal) before I go to bed tonight. But (yes, I know that it is not correct to start sentences with but) I am tired after a long day at work and a good workout session in the evening. Plus (yes, I am also aware that it is incorrect to start a sentence with plus) I had a good dinner so I am sleepy. Dear SR has suggested that I do the obvious and procrastination but I decided to try to novel approach i.e. blog as you go. So will she get through the to-do list or won't she? Find out in the next update of this post. 9.16 PM : I lit some candles for no particular reason and upped the thermostat. I am now socked i.e. wearing socks. 9.16 PM : Y alerts me that the Giants are owning the Redskins. Monday night football! 9.21 PM : I was worried I wouldn't get through any o...

I am a deeply conflicted and divided person. A big part of me is Indian and a big part of me is not. I know : you'll say it doesn't make any sense that both these parts are big but that's the truth. My personality constitutes of two big parts. And every time I fly from here to India and back, I feel like I am crossing a stitch that binds those two parts together. This way, each trip and each stitch will bring them closer and closer. It's a nice thought. Clothes on a wash line. Strong sunshine in a blue blue sky. Neighborhood noises in the morning. Getting a view of the engine and the first few compartments as the train curves along a windy track. Personal conversations with strangers and semi strangers on public transport. Early morning temple visits. Lying on the sofa on a still afternoon with an empty head and listening to the rustle of the newspaper that Dad's reading. Good things about an India trip. I had a couple of other things that I wanted to write about to...

Some thoughts in my head over the past few days. Pure joy : sitting in the middle of a thoroughly and freshly cleaned house that has in-home laundry. Even if it, the laundry system, is not being used currently. Why then, is it required, you ask. Because. Just by being, in home laundry is the best comfort out there. 70s hindi songs make for very good company while pottering about the home, cleaning. We are slaves to our jobs. We fret about them, work hard on them, plan our holidays, our travel, our lives around them. Why? Because we are slaves to our careers and earning money. Career and money seem so abstract when you start thinking about life and everyday and the big picture. Until you want to buy that blu-ray player. Then, money makes a whole lot of sense. Shopping for others (others that you care about) is fun. I discovered this over the last 2 days as I ran around stores picking gifts for Ye Olde Family in preparation for my trip. I must say I am pleased with ze purchases. Of cour...

And I am back. Bay State Marathon : check I might have frozen the bajeezers off my crooked hobbity fingers but I made it to the finish line. The weather brought it on - cold temps, high winds, rain, freezing rain, etc but Goofy did it again. He pulled through and saved the day. Goofy is my guardian angel, FYI. And a big shout out to all my fantabulawesome friends for showing up and cheering for me and occasionally running with me in such horrid weather. You are fantabulawesome. All in all, it's been a good day today. Great weather, beautiful colors. I packed off at work pretty soon and got home, all inspired to paint. Begin Tangent : I realize that most of my interests/activities in my adult life revolve around some stuff that I felt cheated out of as a kid or had the most fun with as a kid. Running for example is my way of clinging on to play time. I was serious about play time as a kid. School was out at 3 and I'd barely manage to get home and change and have a snack and I...