Diwali ...

Helllooooo....! Not much time to write. No time no urge...just a whole lot of excitement for the coming week. Diwali this time has both R and V with almost week long breaks, so it'll be good fmly time :). And since I've been busy with pre diwali cleaning and tackling the seasonal wardrobe change, that just leaves me with very little time to get online and carry on a decent conversation with my friends or read blogs at leisure *sigh* but ... I did get to updating my FB account with some pictures from the past which was quite a trip down memory lane. For those of u who don't around facebook now (Raj & Kesh esp.) I was sharing pics from the BUF meets and a video of Vyom (Aakash from BUF) singing. All in all a nice nostalgic time.

Off late my luck seems to be running out. A lot of projects planned seem to be running into rough weather. Shaky scenario at R's work place. Way too many investments which we hope should materialize in the long run but which kind of leaves us a little tight at present. These things make me apprehensive and worry about the coming months. But then again, sometimes we do tend to stress on negatives..maybe that helps us be more prepared and keeps us working on alternatives to secure ourselves.... Life right now doesn't even seem to help with alternatives...*hmmmmm*

Anuraj is my biggest stress buster now. Despite his recent illness (he's better now yes), he keeps me amused and in a happy state of mind. We have a lot of together time and I'm fascinated just watching him grow. He's making his maiden attempts to "turn over" and has started giving me brilliant smiles when he focuses on my voice and face. It's the best ever!!! :) And better still is to watch Anitej (Vedant/Puki) and Anuraj together. The same Vedant who is such a naughty kid otherwise transforms into a gentle but fiercely protective big brother when he's with baby Anuraj!!! I love their bonding *touchwood*

Last night I stayed up late *okkk I never sleep early anyway* ... but last night I was up wrapping up Diwali gifts :). I love wrapping gifts. There's so much joy in giving na? And of course in recieving too :P ... we got a beautiful tea set two days ago. I love it. I have two more that I reallly like and have used only one on two occasions so far! I keep telling myself I must keep up my mum's tradition of inviting friends and family to "High Tea" ... not just to show off these lovely sets but also to simply have some wonderful conversations over tea and some yumm snacks. Unfortunately I don't have my mum's flair for cooking. Rajbir will vouch for how quick and scrumptious her simple meals are too! :) I was popular in school and at work coz of the home made snacks I carried with me! I have my mum to thank for that! :)

Ok food talk's got me hungry again...! But I will just stick to my mid morning cup of tea for now. I thought I;d try to give up on sugar but I can't. So I switched to sugar free for now. Now I need to work on my ice cream cravings! Yes I do go out for walks now but I feel "brisk" walking is what would help rather than my regular pace with the pram...two months is what I have to reduce some of this weight. I think setting a target should help right? And I think I'll get back to dancing when I'm alone :)

Oh and yes we put up the Diwali lights ... I mean the electric lighting *I think ppl call them fairy lights?*. On Diwali night we will light the traditional Diwali diyas and I plan to make a rangoli. I got pretty floating wax diyas too ... we plan to celebrate more with lights and less firecrackers. The other day Vedant explained, "Mummy we will not buy firecrackers" I asked him, "Why baba?" and he replies solemnly, "Because they ae expensive and many people in the world don't get meals for days!" ..... wow! I know this is what he's been taught in school but what amazes me is his ability to understand and follow it despite his excitement for celebrating Diwali.

*I took this pic last year @ my parent's home*

Well, enough for now .. may not be back here for a week or so. A tleast till after Diwali. Wishing u all happiness, peace, love and loads of fun...HAPPY DIWALI!!

Got anymore Questions?

ok...yep too soon to put up another post but hey I go without putting up a post for days and even weeks, so lets just say this is to make up for all that! So how many of u use the blogger in draft feature? Or am I the last person in blogosphere to know about this??!! For those who aren't aware, u can read up this space >> http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/ .

Well, it's making my blogging life a lot easier for sure! The other site I refer to is http://www.bloggerbuster.com/ :) ... the one stupid mistake I made (and trust me I never do this) is not to save my template before experimenting with it. But last night I just got carried away. Anyway now once done with writing out this post, I'll be trying to fix what I messed up. It may not be noticeable but that's the way I am - I fuss over trivial things too!

I got here to take up the questions Keshi asked in her blog btw. With the wkend coming up, I have just today morning to write in peace *or so i hope*. Sat and Sun are more like my working days :D

What is the one Thing someone has said/done to you that hurt your feelings the most?

"Hurt" stems from misunderstanding and I've had many instances. One such instance is when someone very dear to me held me responsible for their pain...I could've explained myself but I was hiding a bigger hurt. Sometimes, small tragedies are necessary to shelter loved ones from bigger ones.

What is the one Thing that most people won't guess about you?

I am a very predictable person once u really get to know me. I guess on the surface you wouldn't think I was capable of extreme emotions but I am. I am told I make "a worthy friend and a generous enemy"!!

What is the one Mistake people most often make in relationships?

I agree with Kesh that relationships require constant effort. There's no scope for taking things for granted in a relationship! One other thing to remember is to never leave things unsaid...

What is the one Spice in your cupboard you seldom use but if you threw it away you think you may need it?

Lots of spices lie unused in my cupboard. "Ajwain" is one such spice. We use it to make puris but we hardly ever make puris itself! Yet I keep it stored just in case!!

What is the one Thing you don't have that will increase your energy and reduce your stress?

A routine schedule for my day! I'll have to wait a few more months for that to happen!

What Is the one Reason you fail to lose/gain weight?

Ha Ha Ha! The irony of my life has been my inability to gain weight in my teens and my inability to shed weight now in my 30's!

For my present predicament, the reason has been stated above.

What is the one Question that you should never ask a woman/man?

Woman - I believe we women have an answer for everything! No wonder we end up with longer answers in tags :P ... but seriously, one of the several sensitive questions is : What's your waist size? (trust me even with an 18" inch wait, some women still think they're fat!!!)

Man - Kesh and Rajbir came up with the ones I would've suggested too! But ok I know one more which men get really irritated with and women for whatever reason never tire of asking (in a relationship) - "Why do u love me so much? What do u see in me?" :P

What is the one Thing (food/sweets/drinks etc) you can't say No to?

LOL :D In my present state, everything!

But normally, I can't resist an ice cream.

What is the one Thing that keeps growing as you use it, when all other things keep decreasing when used?

"Love" ... the more I give the more I get.

What is the one Thing that you want your loved-ones to do when you die?

For Rajiv, there's a poem I wrote sometime back. You can if u want, read it here.

I'd want ppl who care to think of me with a smile on their faces. To remember the good and celebrate the good time they've had with me!

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That's it for now! Waiting for something special to happen this wkend. Will share it here if and when it does :). Till then, happy weekend...stay smiling :)

::: added some more bollywood tracks to my playlist. Happy listening :)

If at first you don't succeed.........?

In the midst of all the routine household chores...I've been taking time out to redo my template. It's been fun :) and I'm kind of happy with the end result! What do you think???

After the Puja break...it's almost time to get set for the Diwali hols. This will be our first Diwali in this new house, so will try and make it special :)

Everyone's quite aware of my effort (non existent!) to lose all the weight I gained during this pregnancy! I blame myself for being sooo lazy...actually not lazy but simply not putting enough effort to make this happen. It's so unfair that the weight came on so easily :P but refuses to go unless I reallllllllyyyy work hard to get rid of it!!! *sigh*

I am not lazy btw. Just wanted to make sure you don't get the notion that I am into your heads. I think my problem lies in time management. Then again you see it would help if babies had a set pattern...too!!! Everytime I think I have my day figured out, this kid decides to change his sleep pattern! *Hmmmm!* The one consolation is that he more or less sleeps through the night...now :)

When I saw myself in the pics taken during Durga Puja *Noooo...U won't ever see them here*...it really shook me. I guess when we look at the mirror we tend to view ourselves at the most flattering angles. But the pictures taken...wow....had me feeling depressed for a while. You see I really don't even have the time to stay depressed for long...which is a good thing yes! But maybe if I stayed that way I would try harder?? ... In stead I get busy with the boys and say..."oh well there's always tomorrow!!!"

If you're wondering how I have time today to write a post? It's coz Vedant is finally back at school. He had his hols till yesterday. And the lil one is ... uhm why do I always call him "baby" or "lil one"... his name ppl is Anuraj Vikrant but I'll be calling him Vikrant here on the blog ok :)... sooo Vikrant's been hijacked by my cook and cleaning lady ... I can hear an endless stream of coooing and baby talk :D while I indulge myself in writing here :)

Oh and back to weight issues... while I keep complaining about it all, I also get email forwards from friends sharing links to sites like this one .... no mercy I tell u! If that doesn't get you hungry I don't know what will! :P and invitations to lunches and dinners where the spread is sooooo tempting *ufffff* ... I was at one such lunch invitation this Sunday. It was a Puja gathering for my dear friend's new born boy. Babies are soooooo adorable! Needless to say I ate too much esp. the mithais....nothing like freshly made gulaab jamuns! *yummmmm*

ok enough. Writing about food is doing me no good!

More when I get another such morning to myself :) ... till then, take care all!

Puja Days...

Right then...didn't get around here much because I had mamma (mum in law) staying with me for the past few days. I started the week excited about Durga Puja festivities but ended up kind of miserable. Nope don't want to talk (write) much about it. But lets just say, like all disappointments, this too didn't last and I am back to my usual self now!

I did visit the local pandal and eat some nice yummy home made biryani at the "Ananda Mela" which marks the beginning of the Puja celebrations on the sixth day of the navratras. On Saptami (the seventh day) I revisited the pandal to give "anjali" to the Goddess and on Ashtami (the eighth day) Rajiv was sweet enough to drive me to another near by Puja Pandal...this one has food stalls outside the main pandal and I got to have my favorite "chicken rolls" :) ...

Memories of bygone Puja celebrations made me very nostalgic and in comparison, this year was probably one of the most subdued pujas for me. One really needs family and friends around in times like these.

Well maybe next year.

Today's a crucial day for Rajiv at work, so the day started quite early for us. Vedant thankfully has holidays till the 14th. err....did I just say 'thankfully'?? :P It gets chaotic with him around the house. He just can't sit still unless his fav show is on...but then I've severely cut down his TV viewing now! He can't keep quiet even if he wants to!!! He forgets all about lil baby here...who wakes up startled by all the excitement around :D

So yes I'm going to be quite hassled the days that he's home. Maybe another longish gap once I get done with this post...errr...if I get done!!!

Mala's the only one who took up the tag :). I know Suchi's got hers saved in drafts...still! No time to post coz she's was busy with looootttss of work last week and the Pujas this week and now poor thing's down with a terrible cold and fever!! (she should be dropping by later this evening). Now Uttsy and John... w'sup with u guys??

That's it for now. Happy weekend ppl. I already know mine's gonna be busy busy busy!

::: The song's a bengali song "Poulomi" ... guy's singing about a girl by the same name he fell in love with (but obviously) ... how they met, the resistance to their love, their getting together, the pa's interference in their married life and eventual break up....hmmmm...a whole story in a rather short song huh!! Heard it wayyy back...suddenly remembered and was humming it earlier in the day. Rajbir and Suchi would understand the lyrics...and any other bengali speaking person who happens to get this blog :P

Poulomi.mp3

::: music update > put a new music playlist of one of my current fav movies!

It's picture time!!!!

After a rather eventful 2nd October holiday, today's been nice and slow! Vedant had us amused early morning...dressed up for his school play on the Ramayana. He played Ravan's son Meghnad. And oh boy did he make an impressive or what! :) ... I've got gr8 responses from family and friends to the pics I took of him dressed up in his costume!!! He had a good time and came home all excited...

Tomorrow is "Report Card" day in school. He's quite chilled out but I'm kind of anxious! ya ya...mommy's always are I guess. *nervous smile*

I'll be busy again through the weekend. So no blogging till monday! Have a great weekend u all :)

Changed the song to "Kahin toh" from the movie "Jaane tu ..." ...it's also the same track playing in Suchi's blog :) ... isn't it a lovely song *sigh*

Tried the fun pics idea from Kesh's blog...it's nice TP *timepass* and here are some of them :D

The "love" tag!

It’s a quiet lazy afternoon. I’m lazing around…surfing through blogs. In fact a perfect day to do a tag! And this is a tag passed on by Rajbir and the topic's LOVE....here goes,

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your first thought be?

Why?

2. If you can have a dream coming true, what would it be?

There’s a magical quality about dreams…if any of it were to come true, the magic would be lost…

3. What is the one thing most hated by you?

Anyone taking things for granted esp. in a relationship.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?

What wouldn’t I do?! As of now, I’d buy my dream home.

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?

I did.

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

Both…and I am blessed

7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you really love?

Love need not always be a two way thing. If it is a one way situation, I wouldn’t wait…I’d move on. If the person I love loved me too…the wait would never end.

8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?

Move on…but not without expressing myself.

9. If you like to act with someone, who will it be? Your gf/bf or an actress/actor?

I can’t act. I can be myself … with any of the above! If I could pick an actor, it would be Aamir coz if her were open to talking about himself, there’s a lot of stuff to learn from him and his brand of movies.

10. What takes you down the fastest?

Shallow, insecure people who view the world with a “horse with blinders” attitude!

11. How would you see yourself in ten years time?

Worrying about a 17 yr olds late nights and a 10 yr olds TV habits! :D

12. What's your fear?

Loss … pain … death

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?

Rajbir – A self made, straight forward guy who’d call a spade a spade who’s blunt attitude is sometimes misunderstood. He takes a while to get comfortably close to people but once there, won’t let u down…ever.

14. Would you rather be single and rich, or married but poor?

How about just content with what I have?

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Cuddle baby.

16. Would you give all in a relationship?

I have.

17. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?

Presuming that I can love two together! I’d settle for the most secure and comfortable relationship … where I can breathe and be me. But you see, if there were two people in my life...I probably love neither and the question of making a choice would happen only when I did fall in love with one of them or some third lucky person!!!

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?

Yes.

19. If you get to go back in time and fall in love all over again , would it still be with the same person?

Yes.

20. List 6 people to tag

I just got back around here and my circle of blogger friend’s is quite exclusive :P so well not that many to tag…

Suchi

John

Mala

Uttsy

::: Song playing is Queen's "Crazy little thing called love"!