Twenty- five Seven

Another Friday Nightsky #SkywatchFriday

March 24, 2017

Yet another week’s gone by and it’s time for another #SkywatchFriday. A lot has happened these ten days passed and yet it seems that nothing has happened. I lost an aunt to Cancer last week and with her passing on another chapter of my life came to a close. As children we had interacted a lot, spending many days , weeks even, during the summer, in her home. Over time our meetings trickled to the few and far between. But in the back of my mind, I knew she was always there. Till last week.

That’s life I suppose. We come and we go and life goes on. Like the chilly winds that blow alternately making Mumbai shiver in between blistering hot days.

Surprisingly, it’s chilly up here and I haven’t yet put away my light Winter blanket. I love its weight on my aching feet as I flop into bed each night.

But I’m not complaining.

I love the clear night sky and the crisp breezes that blow. I’ll wait a few more days for my Mango summer nights.

Happy weekend all!

Join me and other skywatchers from around the world on #SkywatchFriday.
A hesitant participant #The A to Z Challenge

March 20, 2017

Why I am reluctant to participate in the #A to Z Challenge

Is it age or sheer exhaustion? Is it the stress of keeping to deadlines ? Or is it that the past two years’ of participation hasn’t resulted in any tangible changes. After all my bounce rate is still same. My traffic has increased only marginally and that too in a spiked graph. My following has also barely increased. So I wonder why I’m doing it at all.

[Tweet “Last year I had diligently commented on may posts but very few had the courtesy to even acknowledge my comments let alone reciprocate the gesture.”]

Besides I haven’t even thought of a theme that would take me through all the letters of the alphabet.

But I seem to be a glutton for punishment. Because this morning, in fact just now I’ve had a change of heart.

Inspiration strikes in the strangest places

I read a few theme reveals this morning, Payal’s, Esha’s and of course Shalinis’s. I know my other blogger friends are going to participate like Tina and Roshan. And I thought : Ok. I’ll cheer them on from the outside.

[Tweet “After all if everybody is busy driving the Mercedes, who is going to see them drive away?”]

Then this morning, as I opened up my cupboard to answer that eternal question of what I should wear today, I found the answer hanging right in front of me .

In case, you haven’t guessed .

Here it is

The Textile Traditions of India.

Indeed India is famous for its textile traditions . With almost every woman draping herself in 6 yards of fabric and the men wearing equally voluminous garbs, we need a lot of cloth to keep ourselves covered.

Not only do we need lots of yardage but different materials and textures. We have silks , cotton and jute. Then we have gossamer thin weaves and complicated jaquards.

Our fabrics are printed, dyed and embellished with intricate designs taking up thousands of man hours and executed with precision and skill .

So I expect to take you on this colourful journey all through the month of April in the #A to Z Challenge.

I hope some of my enthusiasm rubs off on you , dear reader , as I unravel the mystique of the Indian Textile tradition yard by colourful yard .

Looking forward to seeing you there!
Cleaning Up ! #Swachhbharatabhiyaan comes home #MondayMusings

March 20, 2017

Cleaning up

[Tweet “It’s amazing how a small space can be a big mess.”]

This is evidence that I can get order into my life – even in a small space like the deep freezer!

When I returned home last December after a three month stay in New Jersey, I was aghast to find the house completely run down and dusty. I had imagined that without me and the extra work, the househelp would have enough time on their hands to clean up. They did have more time but used it to watch television instead.

It was time to bring home the Clean India Campaign ( #swachhBharatAbhigyan) .

Since my cleaning lady Divya and her Magic Wand are completely ineffective and my own reach limited to just a few inches away from my nose, it made sense to employ a strong young man.

Sadly strong young men are no longer available and willing to do housework . After several attempts I finally got Mr.G who is so earnest that he even vacuums between my toes ( not really) . But I am not complaining because finally my house is gleaming and spotlessly clean.

An internal audit

Apart from getting things in order, cleaning cupboards brings some peace and calm. Unknowingly, we collect stuff that we don’t need and especially for someone like me, most times I used to just keep things out of the way.

“I’ll organise it later,” I used to say to myself and shut the door on what was becoming an unwieldy mess. And with the increasing untidiness, I could feel a sense of inadequacy and loss of control build up.

I realised that from time to time, I need to stand back and take stock of the situation. Almost like an internal audit. Strange as it may sound, the mere physical act of cleaning up is therapeutic . It is a de-stresser of the best kind!

[Tweet “Cleaning up, clears out cobwebs in the head . It helps get your mind in order not to mention your home and life.”]

This year my Spring Cleaning is done ahead of the spring!

And Yes! #SwachhBharatAbhigyan has finally come home to roost.

Do you find cleaning up restful?

I am linking up with #MondayMusings hosted by Corinne of EverydayGyaan. Do drop by to see what other Write Tribers have to share this Monday.