An update

Somehow for most part of last week I was living my life off-line much more then on-line. Nothing muchly, but just life...

It started with the 14th. Just when I thought I'd spend the day idling around, a stray thought assaulted me and I got cracking at making the gooey salty-peppery porridge that goes locally under the name of pongal. Now a walk is indicated I thought, as per Alice in Wonderland, a walk to clear my head of all the pepper I'd been dealing with. Stepping out, I was rather proud of the huge festive decoration in front of the gate, made by my extremely enthusiastic maid.








Now the street we live in, its one of the loveliest, leafiest, languid streets in this 'Garden City'. That day it took on all manner of hues to look its colourful best. I ran back home and sent dd on a similar walk. She too ran back home with the exactly same idea. We had to colour the rangoli in front of our house! I had always wondered how exactly people went about this stuff, having never dared to do this colouring stuff myself. Mixing Prussian blue with vermilion and attaining the right shade of gaudiness with a pink, at the end it looked like this:







Very happy and tired by this fun and futile stuff, we sat down to our porridge much like the three bears, only difference being we were unexpectedly joined by papa bear himself, happy and back from a good game of golf- and then we were four!

The other highlight of the day was the S&C meet. I was so excited about meeting these uber literate folk at Koshys over coffee and snakes. However, while Bangalore's famous snake-man was there in person, Prem Koshy, being his hospitable best, served us (including the vegetarians) a more acceptable repast of coffee and snacks! There were the regulars word smiths as well as other gentle masters who stepped into the parlour and have since been caught on the web! There was much illumination about the group, quite a few bright sparks, and the entire experience, caffeine and all, was so heady that Sunday passed in a whirl.

Monday and Tuesday, I was in Delhi, purportedly for an official meeting but spent a major part of my stay mooring myself at the emotional anchors I have there. I confess that as happens every time I'm in Delhi, I could meet only a few of my favourite people there. Sorry again, Chitra. Back at home, there were so many things happening at home and work. Long evenings and whole day meetings with impossible deadlines and a big event coming up over the weekend had me totally tied up.

Ever since I read WhirlingBetty's post a couple of weeks ago, I'd been agonizing over my own arrangements for my little one's birthday do. We are big on birthdays in our family. Which means a lot of organizing - from the guest list, balloons and streamers, games, music, food, and age-appropriate return gifts. The pleasure, and believe me, its there, is to see all the kids have a ball. I realize too that these are limited pleasures because soon the kids are going to out-grow this birthday party thingie!

It started with this.



Seven is considered a significant number for a number of things including a marriage. For a little boy *obsessed* with beyblade, the significance or otherwise of the number would be obtruse to say the least! And yet, this list (put together with a bit of help at the end from his wise sibling) was my starting point. I was quite at sea but chose to go through the list rather than be totally hoodwinked by the smart salesman who knows a desperate parent when he sees one. There was one particular item which even smart dd couldn't help me with, she hadn't ever heard of beyblade 'gattling'! The little one educated us that 'gattling' meant scratch! A seven year scratch sounded even more significant!! :)) Guess what it turned out to be- a game board of beyblade driger Battling- I just love the way my little one coins 'new' mint fresh words.

As with Betty, I pleaded with so many parents to have the pleasure of the company of their little ones at the party, as usual I was prepared to all to actually turn up and again had stocks of uneaten candies and unused return gifts. Among the non-attendees were his partner and the girl who has the sweetest smile in the class! Anyway on Saturday, we all had a sweet, lovely seventh birthday party for a little boy who is growing up so fast that he thinks he won't sit on mamma's lap anymore.

Bearing all the surplus goodies, we went yesterday to a nearby orphanage where these were truly welcomed by such an enthusiastic bunch of kids! Returning from the orphanage which had so many tiny abandoned babies as well, dh asked: "Isn't it a crime to abandon a baby?" That really had me at a loss for words- don't know what to say.

And yes, this is what I made yesterday! Don't ask me why- just felt like it.