I don’t know if it is coincidence or if it is real but ever since I began counting my blessings, they have begun to multiply.

Today I walked out of nursery school having stood in for Anna Shetty and Daughter No. 1. as both mothers were busy. I was only too glad to hear the reports of Little Po and Ms Papaya and my heart was bursting with pride when I heard about the two of them.

As I sat in the class room I felt really happy that these little ones were in a place that was so filled with joy and love. Pre-schools can be quite a zoo with competitive mothers and frazzled teachers. Somehow in this particular not-so-sell-known nursery, the atmosphere is quite relaxed and easy going. I genuinely felt happy that my little ones go here and actually thanked the teachers and Sr.Charlotte for being there in my life. They truly are a blessing.

October was like any other month – a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. In fact, I’m beginning to feel that all months are a judicious mix. I am after all doing nothing spectacular in my life so I shouldn’t really expect anything extraordinary. So considering how bad things can be, I am grateful for the way things really are.

I always feel it’s better to deal with the bad and ugly first so let me start with that.

The sudden departure of the Bayda earlier this month was decidedly ugly. After working for 20+ years it was time for her to move on . But she should have been more decorous about it . Her sneaking off came as a shock.

Looking at the good side of this situation, however,  meant that I didn’t have to give her a Golden Handshake. I’m also saved the hassle of giving her a monthly pension that we’d planned on giving her . Because even though our relationship came to an ugly end, I cannot forget how useful she was to have around .

The bad bit was the few days we had to do without our young Lady of Shalott. It only made me realise that however ‘useless’ they may seem, home help is of some help.

But the good parts were quite a bit

• After many years I managed to make a quick trip to Pune for my mom’s birthday. We had a delightful South Indian meal to mark this day and both of us were happy that we could meet and greet.
• I also met up with some cousins and friends so I wasn’t just meeting my regular bhaji wallah and fish man.
• Workwise, it was a pretty satisfying month. I got to  interview interesting people and write interesting content. So apart from my blog, I actually wrote something else
• You may have noticed that I’ve been trying to polish up my blog. Actually my dad who is one of my ardent fans actually pointed out that this new ‘avatar’ is far too polished for my country bumpkin image and my blog no longer seems basic . But he hasn’t really seen how slick and sophisticated blogs really are. My blog really has a long way to go before I manage to make it world class ( my secret dream). But I did manage to connect with Shalz, and Shilpa over Twitter for some advice and tips. And a big thank you to Shailaja V who patiently listened to me for half an hour. As most of you know she is a professional blogger and her time is most precious. I am grateful to have these people around to help me navigate this extremely difficult world of blogging.
• The thing I am most happy about this month is that Anna Shetty  got me off my butt and managed to make me walk for four days in a row ! This has definitely given me hope that there is still more walking left in me
• And lastly, even though the outcome wasn’t exactly what I’d imagined, Hubby Dear and I actually went to see a movie

So with health, wealth and happiness in order I do have a lot to be grateful for isn’t it ?

Linking up Corinne and Shalini’s #FridayReflections Vidya Sury’s #GratitudeCircle and Shanaya’s #ChattyBlogs.

How was your October ?

Ciao