Cigarettea

Tea bags and pack look like cigarettes. Some fun for you and youre frends. See? - you take a cigarette and drop to hot water cup - and you got tea, because its tea in cigarette (not tobacco). Filter work like float.
Isn't it funny? :)

WOW

Now...I am smiling wide, happy till deep inside, and all jolly ... Can anyone guess the reason... Yes? No? ok no prizes for guesses..

I am honored with one more award. My dear friend "Monika" thinks I am a "Million Dollar Friend". I am so delighted. Thank you soo much Monika. I am equally thankful to have found a friend like you. She says "I too can relate to her so much... currently her life is almost a reflection of mine...work, home and babies of the same age :) and thus the instant bonding."

So very true. Thanks again!!
And Thanks to all of you for being a one of a kind friend. You all make me feel great :)

I would also like to present this award to few of my cherished friends and thank them for being sooo wonderful. Thanks for adding smiles to my life!

~nm : I can't thank her enough as she is the whole soul behind getting me in this blog world. Though I used to write for few years now but it was just for myself. Sharing has surely added a new dimension to all this. She is a great supporter and motivator. Thanks my friend!!
PG : Thanks my friend. Your stories, your recipes, your motivating words inspire me every single day to explore like.
Mampi : Should I thank you? I guess that would be less. Thanks for getting me back in this beautiful blog world. I surely was stuck. And your continuous visits to this small world of mine bring joy and smile.

Done for now :)

Ok, my new design is here now...i did soooo many changes, worked on it for loooooooong- changing whatever possible I could in the standard design from blogger and using my HTML skills *wink*. I used over 100 permutations and combinations of colors and images, fonts and sizes, backgrounds and headers - and finally came up with this one :) Hope you like it and feel like coming back :)

So far I plan to stick to it for few weeks to come (Please note - No promise for that. You never know when something new/some new idea pops up)

Enjoy and smile a lot.

Mood Designs

Please bear with me as I am in the process of finalising a nice design for my blog. So for few days or rather till i am satisfied with one; you might see new design every other day. More annoying part is that I am not getting that Upgrade button under Customization tab..so i just have to fiddle around with standard templates which i am not liking at all.

"How-To" Guide for people

I am so tired, I feel so sick, i feel so weak. This 10 months girl of mine is driving me nuts...uhh...am i a bad bad mommy to say this?? :( I have been home since thursday afternoon because she is ill.

I am totally out of energy today - both mentally and physically. I dont know what to say and what not to say. My mind is stuck - or rather full of too many thoughts- its too restless. Wish there was some "step-by-step" guide to deal with this.

Why can't there be a manual or a guide like we have for appliances or tools or anything that man has created for his comfort. Why can't anyone come up with a guide for dealing with tough situations in life that we face daily? Let me try to create one for the situation I am in.

"How to keep yourself cool and composed when your child is sick and you are also unwell and there is noone else to take care"

1. Try to put your child to sleep as much as you can - that would help the child to feel better and also give you time to relax and do other things.

2. Let your child sit next to you and do whatever you are doing - if not fully atleast a part of it to feel engaged in the same activity as you. This way your child would be excited about doing something new and you owuld be able to finish your work.

uhh..I could not come up with any more en cemy condition. Anyone has any more ideas to add to the list?

It's still sinking in...

I don't know where to begin..i am just spell-bound to receive this award. I can't Thank PG enough for this. Thank you Thank you Thank you so much!! Ofcourse I have seen many talented people being awarded and I myself have been dreaming of receiving one such some day- but it would be this soon, I had never thought that even in my dreams. Such few posts and yet an award. I am just flattered. This award is a great morale booster to keep writing.

This is what PG thinks about me :)
"
A very creative person . Her blogs have impressive designs. A very sweet blog about her darling baby daughter. Her self ponderings can be as thought provoking to us as well. She is comparitively new to me, but it is always a pleasure to be there. Surely a deservingly Brilliant blogger!
"
Ok Now about the award:
The Brilliant Weblog Award- a prize given to sites and blogs that are smart and brilliant both in their content and their design. The purpose of the prize is to promote as many blogs as possible in the blogosphere.
Here are the rules to follow:

• When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, togetherwith the name of who has given it to you, and link back to them.
• Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in content or design. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing them that they have been awarded with the ‘Brilliant Weblog’ award.
• Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional) to.

I am pretty new to this blogging world and don't know many as yet. And all those I know have already been awarded. Though I won't mind awarding them again.

So i present this honorable award to :

Monika : For sharing different tastes of her life - travel, baby, food and also how she deals with every day life. I can relate a lot with her situation.

Mampi : A great writer...puts across het thoughts amazingly. I love her posts. And i admire how she encourages me to keep blogging.

Vinay : An excellent poet - every line in his poems gives you food for thought. Though I am pretty new to his blog - those beautiful words flowing out in poems leave a mark.

~nm, Swati, PG I would have loved to award this to you too - But I know you have already been awarded. You are great writers and inspirers. Keep writing!!

Sarhad par kal raat...

Subah subah ik khwab ki dastak par darwaza khola,
dekha Sarhad ke us paar se kuchh mehmaan aaye hain
Aankhon se maanoos the saareyChehre saarey sune sunaaye
Paanv dhoye, Haath dhulayeAangan mein aasan lagwaaye...
Aur tandoor pe makki ke kuchh mote mote rot pakaye
Potli mein mehmaan merePichhale saalon ki faslon ka gud laaye the
Aankh khuli to dekha ghar mein koi nahin tha
Haath lagakar dekha to tandoor abhi tak bujha nahin tha
Aur hothon pe meethe gud ka jaayka ab tak chipak raha tha
Khwab tha shayad!Khwab hi hoga! !
Sarhad par kal raat, suna hai, chali thi goli
Sarhad par kal raat, suna hai Kuchh khwaabon ka khoon hua ha

(~Gulzar~)

Such beautiful words...simple yet touching. Every word leaves a mark. Every word tells a story of life. Every word hits deep down.

Sweet and Spicy

Yesterday I was out for dinner to a french retaurant and had the chance of tasting an icecream I had never had before - Pepper Icecream. I was amazed at the name itself and had to have it as soon as I read it in the menu card.
(Well may be you all know of it already - kindly adjust with my little general knowledge)

I must tell you it was awsome. The spicy pepper and sweet icecream made a great combo...it left a very lovely taste in mouth.

Here and here are recipes I found on web. Am gonna try making it once. May be you all can give it a try too.
[Photo from I can Do that]

I am a snow covered white day !!

Thanks Mampi for tagging me on this. I had a great timing imagining and just loved it. I feel much better going through this process.

I was required to write what kind of a day I want to be.
===============================

It is snowing since dawn .. It is white all around. I feel fresh and pure. Feels like I am a renewed day. A day so calm. A day so soothing. Not many cars came on road in the morning. All life forms decided to cuddle their loved ones and feel warm. I felt on top of cloud nine when some people looked out of their windows and said - Oh! What a beautiful day. (Who doesn't like praise!! *wide smiles*)

Few shiny rays of sun are trying to peek through the clouds and add to my beauty. Kids have decided to come out and play with snow and enjoy me - "the beautiful day". I am liking it. These giggling kids add to the joy of their parents and all passers  by and I feel great when they smile and look happy.  The chilly air has turned every one's nose red. They are enjoying and I am glad to be a day they would remember.

Time is moving. The play is about to end. It's getting chillier..i so wish i could be longer - but no...i live in a cycle of 24 hrs and this is the time i am given to spread smiles and wipe some tears. I am just a day. I am going into darkness now but would be back again to add to brightness and life.

=====================================

I would like to tag ~nm, Purplexia, PG, Swati and Monika on this.
Hope you all enjoy imagining what kind of a day you want to be.

Get Set Goooo...

I am home today. Usually I am home every tuesday as my daughter doesn't go to day care on tuesdays and one of us needs to be home to look after her. Morning went into physiotherapy sitting - I have been having quite a lot of back pain ever since I had my surgery. And also it gets worse when i carry Prisha up and down stairs few times. So the doctor advised physiotherapy.
I have noticed that doctors here have quite bookish knowledge - just when my physiotherapist was about to start , she got confused about which side should i lie down on - so she went back to her computer , looked there at the screen and came back asking me to lie down on left side. It was quite weird. She anyway had to repeat the same process on both sides and which side first didnt sound like anything to cause confusion. And weirdest of all is that she has done this all the 4 times I have visited her so far. Everytime she has to check on computer. I find it both weird and funny. Anyway, she helps me feel better, so no complains!! :)

I just hope these sittings start giving some results now.
I am also forcing myself into stepping on my "stepper" for atleast few minutes everyday now. There are so many reasons- weight, legs pain, back pain - even if it helps in one of these - I would be more than glad. *sigh*

I started it yesterday only. Five minutes on it and I was half dead - uhh thats almost no stamina. I felt ashamed at myself. So I went on for 5 more minutes. 10 in all isnt bad for first day - right? This morning also I stepped on for 5 minutes. Am planning to continue - the question is how long :)

I would be travelling back home to India in November and want to get rid of all these pains and shed off some extra layes by then. Keeping my fingers crossed !!

I am back !!

I am back !!

Atleast that's what I feel at the moment. :)
I have been reading all your posts - all of them left some mark in one way or the other - food for thought from some, smiles from others, tasty ideas from few more and obviously a push to go back to blogging world from all of them !!

Thanks to all of you for your inspirations and supportive words while I was lost in my "undefined" mode.

And sorry for not leaving back any comments while I visited your blogs to get a sneak preview of what's happening in your lives.

Such phases are quite a regular part of my life. I give up on my likes, i dont feel like doing anything and feel sad and low all the time. But I come back bubbly and all smiling (that's what i am doing now).
After reading all your blogs I had already got a feeling how you all have created a strong emotional bond with each other and support each other - come what may. It gives such a wonderful boost to my mind and heart to have such people in your life. And now I also feel lucky enough to have such a bonding with some of you (though it is more of one sided as of now - i have been selfish mean person in this aspect - never put any effort to leave few charming words to cheer you up) I would work on this lovely relationship and nourish it too!

How our life gets such twists and turns- it's such a strange roller coaster ride. And it keeps on going - never stops - obviously there would be hiccups every now and then. But i am glad i am at highs also and can enjoy while i am there. Suddenly everything seems to have fallen in place (touchwood). Deep inside i am still complaining about million other things but still its going pretty smooth - work, home, baby, relationships, friends, etc etc etc. I wish this smooth ride continues for sometime. I will do my best to be at this level for sometime for I know the roller coaster has to go down someday but then again it has to come back up.