I think Winter Break is one of the nicest school holidays there is. Its just sooo... nice to spend some relaxed times with the boys. I really feel like I have earned this time with them, and them with me. The days have been idyllic. A little bit of busyness, a little bit of laidback-ness, painting, reading, wii-ing, eating cheetos just before lunch, staying in PJ's, crayon-ning the glass of the windows, imagining spring, sitting down to a full spread lunch every day at the table....sigh, everything has been so relaxing...and therapeutic. And I don't want it to end anytime soon. I thought 15 days would stretch before me in this nice long winded way, but already there's just 5 days left. Where do these moments go, and why so fast?
I started off really not liking winter this time, and almost ended up going into depression over the sun deficit. Its taken me all of December to finally come to terms to give my love to it, and finally receive the love it has always given, and continues to give. I really do love winter. Because its the only way I would love my spring, with that exquisite rapture that I do every year. And its the only way I would breathe in every moment of my summer, knowing that each day gone is one day less of it. I love winter because it puts me in that exact spot of overflowing gratitude for all the cycle of the seasons that follow.
But sometimes....sometimes, when the snow is slow to melt, and the clouds huddle so close together, that it is hard to believe a Sun is out there somewhere, when the bloom of the flowers and the smell of the grass is still a distant dream...it is okay to cheat a little and imagine your way to that happiness. If only for a split second, that spring actually blossoms in your heart, before you go back to being to faithful to winter once again.
[For parents out there, Crayola's glass crayons are a fantastic addition to the Art Center, and a very promising investment. And easy to wipe off and redo, all over again. Go for it!]
Santa's been extra generous with us this year, and picked up quite a few things on our wishlist. And we've shed some of that hermit-like existence to live a little, which almost inevitably means being generous on the pocket. We splurged a bit and bought some much needed stuff for the house, and some frills and fancies as well. After debating quietly on the whole DS issue, we laxed out on some of the rules, to buy us a Wii. Its certainly a fun buy for the winter, and spaced out, I think the interest may just last a while. The boys loved mii-ing themselves, though a change of music for that particular screen would be so nice! :)
Its a white Christmas out here. Its also our first year with the tree, and we started off with some basic ornaments, and some handcrafted ones by my sis. The other day, I was listening to the radio and there were people calling in, talking about what their special Christmas tradition is. I am still wondering what ours shall be.
After one whole year of being dryer-less, we finally replaced the old one. It was a pleasure using it to catch up on some piles of laundry, but I did so with tremendous guilt, almost as if I was being unfaithful to my clothesline downstairs. I am almost caught up now, and that means I can go back to our well-devised system, and thus enjoy the best of both worlds...machine and manpower!
Can you believe this year is coming to an end? I can, and then I can't. I guess, the mood for the year is set in many ways, by the way in which it ends....that most recent memory that colours it. And with all the retail therapy and the amazing literature I am gorging on, that means its a happy looking back. Happy enough that is. If I think any more about it, I might just change my mind.
So what has Santa snuck into that stocking of your this year? And do you have a Christmas tradition that you follow? Do share, if you do.
Leaving you with a single line from a most life and attitude altering book....... There are no ordinary moments! Merry Christmas, you all!
Kheri Ya Siku Kuu Yagu....or Happy Birthday to Me, in Swahili, or the closest possible interpretation of it! 33 years. My father reminded me that this is one of those birthdays where you can't flip the numbers and be that much younger. :) Yes, it's true. 33 is 33 whichever way you look at it. And I think that is what I love about this birthday. There is no scope for any other kind of interpretation. It is simple. It is straight. And that is the kind of day and days I have been trying to etch out for myself.
Some days back, R's cousin wrote about a hiking trip he took on his birthday and shared pictures that he had taken. One of them was of a sunrise on a mountain top. Gorgeous colours, vibrant reds, the beautiful, resplendent round ball. I was terribly envious of that view. I wanted that kind of glorious sunrise so much for myself. And somehow that was what was running through me the whole week following that. And I knew right then, that it was all I wanted to do for my birthday. Disregarding the fact that it is the peak of winter, or the temperatures are sub-zero, I just wanted to stop and take the time to soak in this everyday miracle. Because, a miracle it is. Every single day. How many things in life are this constant?
Even now when I look back, I am amazed by the obsession it became within me. And how surely I knew that this was the "thing" to do. It was almost as if my life depended upon it. And that's not an exaggeration. Because I am at an extreme crossroads in my life right now. There is nothing cataclysmic happening on the outside, but plenty shifting, turning and churning on the inside. So much, that I can't even understand half of it myself. All I know is that change is once again brewing within me, and it will bring about some deep alteration in my being. That much, I know. The rest is a fog of feeling, a cloud of thought, nothing clear, nothing definite.
I woke up at 6:00, bundled up in the most sensible manner, and headed out to Dunkin's across the road for some coffee. Hurried back, just in time for a 6:15 pre-dawn scene. The venue was my driveway, or rather my neighbour's since he's closer to that neck of woods by the house, that I love so much. The barren treetops acting as the perfect backdrop, or rather front-drop, for the scene; the sky slowly lightening, layer by layer, deep midnight blue, to slowly injected shafts of white, a pumpkin orange slowly lifting it all up, as the glow filled the sky. The coffee warmed my throat, even as the cold slowly crept up my fingers, which were exposed to the dials of the camera. I sat back in my chair, my back to the road, so that I would not feel conscious of anyone driving by. It was quiet. And my soul was quiet, my mind sinking lower and lower into this abyss of peace, in tandem with the sun that was rising. I was exquisitely happy. I was smiling all over, and even more so, when the garage door opened at 6:45 AM, and out pepped the hooded face of my little guy. He came out jacketed, scarved and gloved and into my arms singing Happy Birthday Amma. A kiss, a hug, a kiss again, and climbing up into my lap for a warm cuddle. No matter how much you cover yourself up in woolens, in is truly the nearness of another human being that really warms you up.
My neighbor was opening his garage door, and I sheepishly explained the curious scene to him. He smiled and wished me, and I knew it was time to call it a morning. I deposited my coffee cup into the recycle bin outside and noticed the thin film of snow on the cover of the trash can. A sudden inspiration...to mark my day, and to sort of sign off on that secret rendezvous I'd had with my own life....I etched that little message on the bin. Looking at it made me happy. It still does. I hope it made our trash guy stop for a moment, and maybe even smile? It thus becomes my picture of the day. I am celebrating this whole month of December with a daily picture. This one marks Dec 3rd on my calendar, and I humbly welcome the 34th year of my life!
I generally do not do any kind of site promotions on this blog. Unless, it is of a very personal nature in some way. So most promotional request emails asking to check out one product or the other, just gets deleted. But when I saw a mail from lulu.com some weeks back, with a specific request, I really had to take notice. Because c’mon. Its Lulu! I have a very sentimental connection with them. One of my best ever Mother’s Day gifts came from Lulu.
So this very pleasant associate writes, asking me if I’d be interested in doing a free photo book giveaway for my blog readers. That I could order one for myself, free of cos, firstt. And then, if I liked the product and the whole Lulu experience, I could devise my very own contest for my readers and have one of you win one too, courtesy of Lulu. It sounded very different from all the other emails, and like a lot of fun, and so I signed up to do it. And I hope you will too.
So, I spent a couple of hours one evening, going through old photos that have been long since archived, digging up picture after picture of the boys, to see in final print. I tried to match up the pictures by exact age. Left side was Winkie’s. Right side, Thambi’s. Newborn, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, their 1st birthday cakes and so on. Ending with lots of blow-ups of them as brothers, in all their sibling moments. It was a very sweet dip into nostalgia and a very smile provoking evening.
The order was sent in, and I had my book in under 10 days. Shipping and handling included. Hard bound. Gorgeous on a coffee table and attracting the eyes of everyone who has visited thus far. The only thing on my wishlist from Lulu would have been to have a more variety in choice of backgrounds for the pages. Other than that, the creation process of the photo book was quite simple and user friendly. And I’d love for you guys to get your own copy too. But as ever, there will be just one person chosen for it. And we’ll make a contest of it.
Let’s see. Remember those text talk challenges from a long time ago? Ideally, you’re supposed to say yes, but if you don’t, just follow the link and familiarize yourself. Below, I have given out 5 words, randomly picked from the dictionary, with eyes closed. Try making a meaningful sentence out of it, using ALL 5 words, in any particular order. You cannot change the form of the words. i.e., you cannot turn a verb into an adjective, or make singular into plural etc. Just use them exactly as is, but in any order of arrangement. The shorter the sentence, obviously the better. And single entries, please. J You have until Monday evening, 6:00 PM my time (CST), to submit answers, at which point the contest will close, for the polling to begin, where you all get to choose the one you like best.
The words :
Expose historical scorn retreating flake
And oh, unfortunately, this is open only for those in the continental US. Simply because of the free shipping and handling aspect. But polling is open to everyone. So don’t wait until Monday. Write in soon, with the sentence of your choice and try your luck. It will be fun! J
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