Cherry Blossoms...

UK has loads of cherry trees which are now in blossom. Some photographs we clicked during one of our walks in our favourite parkland.

Hope you are enjoying the spring too!

Celebrating International Women's Day

Lets Celebrate International Women's Day By:
Being who we are,

Living a dignified life, free from the fear of persecution & violence,

Not having to bow down to anything or anyone,

Enjoying the freedom of expression and the right to practice/not practice religion,

Making decisions about our own lives and bodies,

Controlling our own properties and incomes,

Having the strength to walk out of abusive relationships,

Reaching for the stars and helping each other get there!

*****

P.S. Found the quote in the photograph in Facebook, could not trace the author, loved it and wanted to share it with you.

P.P.S. Had to draw a sari clad woman flying on a broomstick, I am no artist as my cartoon shows clearly. This is just for fun!

P.P.P.S. Most comrades (men) understand the need for this day to spread awareness on women's issues. We women salute you and welcome you in our struggle. We dearly need your support.

P.P.P.P.S. The leftover men out there, yes you should also have a men's day (why don't you get organised and start something?), yes we know there are some women out there who twist the laws to their own advantages. Your brother's friend's uncle's distant cousin's friend's friend has had a bad experience. We empathise. Now start counting how many women you know who have had horrible experiences. Give us a break, will ya? You men have been making, breaking,  twisting laws for centuries and then a couple of  progressive laws like the Domestic Violence Act in India and the divorce laws in the West come (and not even implemented properly) and you men cannot stop cribbing! And you say we women are cry babies....

P.P.P.P.P.S. Lets spread the word, share this far and wide please!

Postcards From Holiday...

Few days  in a charming sea side town, walking along the sandy beach, roaming  in the markets, meeting nice people, eating good food, soaking in a bit of culture and of course shopping! The weather was really mild which made walks and sitting on the beach a pleasure. The sun was also up and about, keeping us company :-)

Gazing at the sea is such a pleasure....I love to watch the waves come crashing on the sand and the way white foam covers the beach like a coffee overspill...

Since it was off season the beach was pretty empty...which suited us just fine...

 Who doesn't like a little me time on his/her own? I sure do :-)

Imagine working in such a cool office! People kept flocking over to this guy and was chatting with him...maybe they wanted to know if there were any vacancies? :-)

 Yes it is a toy train...yes in the middle of a busy town centre...yes it works, very much so...yes, yes adults get to ride on it as well...it starts from the beach and huffs and puffs its way up the cliffs to this quaint little town...all the kids we passed, stopped doing whatever they were doing (building sand castles, running around, playing, chasing after their dogs, pestering their parents, licking ice lollies) and waved like mad....we waved right back :-)

 Now for some couple time...

This little boy had a great time playing with the waves...his parents were sitting a little away...he occasionally looked back to check on them, reassured that they were still there, he played on....sea waves make great playmates...did you ever befriend them? 

A beach experience is never complete without an ice cream...be it a multicoloured lolly or a cone!

Leaving you with this quintessential roundabout photo without which no English pier is complete....how I loved these rides as a little girl.....

Loves, Old & New

*****

Dog eared copy of Agatha Christie's ''They Came To Baghdad'' with all sorts of odd paper scraps tucked between the pages...my grandfather's; the man from whom I inherited an unquenchable thirst for reading!

Old handbag, faded & shabby, dismally frayed at the edges, the one I never use, yet shy from throwing away...the worn-out smooth leather brings me peace...

Bunch of orange roses given with a shy smile and received with a glad heart....a magical moment trapped forever...yet it repeats itself with continuing reassurance :-)

Sharing food and laughter with one's own...eating with hands...licking the fingers dry...giggling over nothing and everything...stuffing oneself silly....lazing in the aftermath....

Cake slowly rising to life in the oven...the house smelling of oranges, vanilla, cinnamon...a cup of tea waiting impatiently to give it company...

Nourishing song...celebrates love, friendship, building bridges, holding hands...carries bits of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, sung by people who create unique music-scapes...reverberates long after...

Simple home cooked meal on a lazy afternoon...a pass-me-down recipe...the known taste filling you with reassurance, comfort & contentment...the aromas bringing a host of memories flocking back...

Sound of church bells wafting in from the distance...filling the air with rich sounds....and promises....

Macaroons, a crazy French concoction, which is soft and melt in the mouth oh-so-sweetly...you just cannot stop at one...ever....and the colours....so pretty...

Pottering around the house... DIY art projects... lavishing some TLC.... the house laps up.... transforms itself into a home....warm and inviting...for us....

Cosy rooms, buffered from the cold and the winter chill...cuddling on the couch...sharing, loving, talking...

Rows and rows of silver ear-rings....much worn...yet not old...never out of favour...or fashion...a cherished collection...ever growing...

The garden...a tiny piece of heaven...the air feels fresher...the sky looks brighter....the soul lighter...days when the sun comes out....pure bliss...

Walk along the Thames....exploring London's many bridges...discovering lazy by-lanes...busy markets... starching beneath layers of history... a great city...many have explored before...many will after...yet one cannot help...but be filled with wonder...

*****

P.S. This is partially taken from my latest post in my other blog Kitchen Karma. Of course if you want to know about the food bit, you need to take a peek there.

P.P.S. We are going on a short holiday this weekend. Will catch up once I am back. Hopefully will be able to bring you stories from our trip :-)

Have A Relaxed Weekend...

Hello folks, how is your weekend going? Mine started with a breakfast, enjoyed in the serenity of our garden.

Have A Happy Val Day

Happy Val Day dear friends.

This lavender filled,

little felt heart

was given to me

last Christmas

by a little girl called Olivia :-)

Of Greetings, Blogger's Blocks and New Ventures....

Dear Readers,

New Year's Greetings! 

Am so relieved to have made it before the Valentine's Day....you see once I wished a friend in May....now that was bit of a stretch, even by my standards, but February, first week at that, is fine, is it not? Oh please say yes!

Now that I am finally here and writing, I must also apologize  for my dismal blogging performance (long gaps between posts) in the last six months. I hope you have missed me much. I sure did miss you lots.

Wish I could say that I went on an exciting expedition to meet the old woman in the moon or  spent six months playing with the penguins in the Galapagos Islands!

Sadly I only have some utterly mundane excuses to offer to you. 

You see it all started when I decided to go off to India. I got so excited at the prospect of going home after two years that I completely fell off the blog-wagon. There was also the usual last minute rushes and too much to do and too little time to do it in kind of problems.

Still I thought I will bring back from India many stories to tell you.

Alas soon after returning from India (with all the lovely stories as promised) the dreaded blogger's block hit me! I could not string together a few words, let alone a blog post,  to save my blog. 

I was brimming full of stories to share, but would they do me the courtesy of writing themselves down, oh no, not they. Unsatisfactory drafts started crowding my inbox. Words, my old friends,  failed me to take your heart away!

However with the new year, I decided to reclaim my writing and hoped that a brand new story may bring back the old glory.

A new blog, Kitchen Karma. 

In this blog I talk about FOOD, the food I love, foods which cheer me up, memories associated with certain foods, traditions around food, new cuisines I try, restaurants & cafes I eat in, people who motivate me to cook and much, much more. 

Of course apart from all that talking about all that copious amounts of food, I am actually going to do some cooking too. And I am going to share my kitchen adventures and experiments with you. The whole range from the regular home fare to exotic gourmet dishes and everything in between--baking, street, party, picnic, festival, soul, comfort....

Of course this blog, my pet, stays, unaltered.

I need your august company on both my blogs and eagerly await your comments, my unending source of good cheer and motivation. 

Yours,

Affectionately and sincerely,