I have been a mother to an angel of a daughter since the past 4 years…well almost, she turns four in the next two months!

It’s been a wonderful journey, and am looking forward to the years ahead as well. The best part is coming home to your kid to hug you tight which literally means ‘Mom, I missed you!’

It’s a learning experience every single day, the new stuff she learns in school, her voacabulary, breaking out into a sudden jig or her ways to talk, express and assure me at times when low thats shes right there for me, she potrays to be a big girl and responsible as well, which makes me wonder, ‘ Your only 4, Girl !’

Most of the times, being a mother also means testing your patience, and especially difficult for a person like me who lacks this virtue. A few months back I had started loosing my temper on my angel and at the spur of the moment I would yell at her or raise my hand not without a reason but for trifle matters which would make me angry, and later feel horribly guilty about it. A conversation with a friend made me realize the mistake I was doing. We are stressed with the situations that life brings to us on a daily basis, work, home, responsibilities, traffic snarls, end of the day reaching home to your demanding kids and home, all this tends to take a toll on our mental frame, but what about our little ones… whose world revolves around us, for the kid her parents are her universe and if we get angry at them or hit them, we also are teaching them to do the same thing with their friends and peers and shaping their personality in the wrong way. This thought really hit me and I try my level best to control myself and I did succeed a bit thou J Thank you my friend for showing me the right way !

Being a mother also makes you more responsible as an individual, before our babies arrive in this world, we are free birds, we can take off anytime for a movie, dinner, party or holidays without having to think twice, but being a mother you would think of the child and her schedule and the priorities suddenly change, the movie or dinner is no more important until the child has not slept or is settled, to make your plans for the day. Yeah most of the times the mother is famished earlier than the kid to make any more plans

Being responsible for your behavior and actions, every child watches their parents and are mirror images of their parents. The values, morals, habits we inculcate in our children (the earlier the better!!) will last them a lifetime and hopefully turn them into wonderful human beings, isn’t that each one of us as parents hope for?

Having babies is undoubtedly the best thing ever !! The most amazing and inexpressible feeling is the unspoken, unexpressed words that follow ……it’s Priceless !!

I have also accepted the fact I have grown not just in wisdom but in size as well

This article reminds me of my dad, we didn’t have he regular dinners like this duo but we did go out on and off and I really miss our conversations and sharing my life with him.

My father had his own way of imparting wisdom. He handed down stylish phrases when I least expected it. They burst forth suddenly and always came as a surprise.

One hot July Saturday morning, when I was a little girl, my dad asked me to join him for lunch. This particular day, it was just the two of us. My mother, also invited, declined the offer for nobler pursuits: a manicure and wash and set at the beauty parlor, where her standing appointment would never be sacrificed for anything as mundane as lunch.

“It looks like it’s just you and me, Missy,” Dad said with a twinkle in his eye, followed by one of his pat remarks. “So, let’s go and raise some hell.”

The restaurant was bustling with people, providing enough background noise to add an air of merriment to our meal. My dad and I parked ourselves in a booth and were handed menus so large they reached over the top of my head and offered a dizzying array of choices.

Over grilled cheese sandwiches and French fries for me and a fat hamburger, charcoal-burned and blood-red for him, my father revealed a most alluring confession: “You see that woman over there?” he pointed to a table a few feet away. I surreptitiously snuck a look. “That’s Marion, the gal who had a crush on me all through high school and into my law school years.”

With that came a wink of an eye to Marion, whom I could hear giggling all the way across the room. I, the budding adolescent, sat on the edge of my seat as he regaled me with this top-secret piece of news.

“But,” my father said, moving his head so close it was practically touching mine, “she couldn’t hold a candle to your mother.”

And so began our luncheon rituals, where we broke rules, recounted anecdotes and shared secrets. Months later, I perused the menu at a different restaurant, this time in Manhattan, twenty minutes from our home. On this particular Saturday, I couldn’t decide what I wanted to eat. My father, realizing my dilemma, summoned the waitress. “Bring us the dessert menu,” he said.

Obligingly, she returned with a small, leather-bound book, edged in gold leaf with a list of desserts that had my mouth watering. Profiteroles, chocolate mousse, chocolate cake and chocolate soufflé were mine for the asking. I felt as though I had entered chocolate heaven.

“But, Daddy, we haven’t even had lunch.”

“Even better,” he winked, that same Marion wink. “When in doubt, eat dessert first!”

“What will Mommy say?”

“It will be our little secret,” he said.

And there we sat on that chilly autumn afternoon in a cozy French restaurant. He, dipping a long silver spoon into a parfait, and I, gorging on layers of chocolate cake oozing raspberry and covered in a white chocolate sauce. I remember wondering if life could get any better than that.

There were to be many more lunches and dinners in our future. I accumulated a wealth of knowledge from our talks, and I was privy to personal insights and private thoughts he loved sharing with only me, mainly because my reactions were always so spontaneous and sincere. I was genuinely interested in everything he had to say, which made me, his audience of one, a perfect dinner companion. Sometimes Mother asked half-teasingly, “Whatever do you two have to talk about?”

My dad also had a reflective side that felt protective and nurturing. He took me seriously, too, by paying credence to my individuality and giving me room for self-expression. As a lawyer, he was accustomed to problem solving. Our meals provided a venue into which I could retreat and unload my worst trepidations or, conversely, share my happiest moments. Without judging, he gently guided me through childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, and served as my one-man support system and guardian of my soul.

Even after I was married and living in Manhattan, Dad and I had a standing weekly dinner date that I came to rely on and treasure. He never once canceled out, despite his busy schedule, teaching me to honor commitment and value the importance of keeping appointments. The only Tuesday we didn’t meet at a restaurant was when I delivered my daughter. That night, Mom, Dad, my husband and I dined together in my hospital room. My father brought the champagne that he had been saving for this occasion.

“Even my new granddaughter can’t get in the way of our Tuesdays.” And there was that wink as we clicked glasses and toasted the birth of Elizabeth.

My father was in his sixties when it abruptly ended. His death brought with it a sense of longing I have never yet been able to relinquish–longing for something that would never be the same again.

Dad died too young and had a lot more tasting left to do, but I revel in the fact that we savored much of life together. We went on for years enjoying each other’s company. After his parting, despite my sadness, I was energized, knowing how lucky I was to have shared the Tuesdays of my life with him and the great life lessons he passed on to me.

I now take my two grandchildren, Andrew and Caroline, out to dinner weekly. They can choose any restaurant they want, as I was privileged to do so many years before them. Recently Andrew sighed, perusing a menu too big for a seven-year-olds eyes. “I don’t know what I want to eat.”

Caroline chimed in, “I can’t make up my mind, either, Grandma.”

My father’s voice came echoing back. “Then, I guess we’ll have to eat dessert first!” I told them.

And they, sitting back in wide-eyed disbelief, broke out in smiles, and “eating dessert first” was exactly what we did.

You have to visit Big Bazaar on a weekend and see the madness that goes on there !! It’s amazing… You would find people with baskets in their hands, trolleys (maybe more than one) rolling, Kids in trolleys (including mine), and of course loads and loads of the stuff picked up from Big Bazaar itself as thou it was available for free. :O

I wonder, what did we do when this place didn’t exist, so what really happened to good old ‘banias’ or is it the variety of each product available or the 50 paise discount enthralls the people to visit over and over again.

The most amazing part is the long queues to settle bills, it takes longer to settle bills than to actually shop there !! Don’t believe me, check it out yourself on a Sunday evening and prove me wrong…. Yeah I really wanna be proven wrong and yeah lemme know which branch then I ll follow u there !!!

1. I m the only child of my parents and spoilt to the core, till date I just have to keep my finger on something and my parents and relatives spoil me rotten

2. I m a total water baby and love being in the water, I learnt swimming at the age of 2 and until I was in Mumbai / Pune I used to swim regularly, and that’s something I miss terribly in Delhi.

3. I love amusement parks

4. 11 months back I fulfilled one of my dreams of learning driving. I wonder why I didn’t learn it earlier, better late than never I guess ?

5. I really really wish I was a thinner !! Trying hard to achieve it but my taste buds generally give in to my will power…Urrrggghhh !!

6. I love my work, it’s a different high for me.

7. I m addicted to Facebook and think it’s an amazing place to connect to people.

8. I m a peoples person, love having friends / relatives / loved ones around me. I hate being alone !!!

9. I love throwing parties for friends to just unwind and chill and spend some time.

10. Off late I have started enjoying cooking and like to try out new recipes which I keep experimenting on and off, most of them are flops.. I admit.

11. Thanx to my parents who loved travelling I travelled a lot too and got addicted to the travel bug….

12. I am a bbbbbbiiigggggg Foodie…..

13. Sid n Me together love exploring new restaurants together and we even go to the extent of shuffling between restaurants for each course of the meal. Soups in one restaurant, snacks in the other, main course in the third and desert in the fourth…loads of fun.

14. With Sid I have discovered exploring while travelling. It’s a different high travelling with him.

15. Our Goa trip was the most memorable and romantic….something that I would cherish for many many years to come.

16. My college years in Pune were the best time of my life, the parties, the fun times, the afternoons spent at residency club……. unforgettable.

17. My first job at Pune which lasted for almost 4 years is someplace I will treasure for all my life, the work experience I got there was tremendous and the partylife we had were the best ever.

18. I m a massive party animal and can party for many nights together at a stretch. Pune has the best party scene and my teenage years were spent partying till the wee hours of the morning for years together.

19. I m a very happy go lucky person, like to give space and get my own.

20. I like to read……not novels but articles here and there all over the net and magazines…… I can read them like a bookworm and I like to learn from others experiences for the betterment of my life.

21. I like observing people, talking to them, like to know about their lives. I find it very enriching.

22. I always wanted to be a pilot… even managed to take my ground training but when it came to flying, I had to quit for certain reasons. My only regret in life.

23. I miss my dad terribly……..wish he was around!!

24. The best part, Sid identically resembles my dad…his ideologies, the way he talks, he thinks, even the walk…… it amazes me no end. Incidentally, they are both Taurians. I always wanted a Taurian husband thou, I think they make excellent life partners and fathers too.

25. I have always wanted to go to Orlando and Vegas….. maybe some day I will !!!
26. This list wouldn’t be complete without my one and only (till now) My sweetheart, my princess, our Angelic Daughter. Mothers love surely is unconditional…. leaves me speechless.

Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well.
Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly.
Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature.

Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you.
Take the power to make your life happy. This life is yours.

Short but Strong message for all those who take life for granted….go on take charge of your life, don’t let others control your life for you….Live it up, the way you wanna, you only get one chance !!!

The monsoons are welcome the dry land of Rajasthan and Northern India with the fragrance of the wet soil and blooming flowers. Teej is said to be the festival of swings, which are hung from the trees and decked with flowers.

The festival is mainly for the ladies who dress themselves in green clothes, apply henna, dress up in finery, look their stunning best and sing songs. They worship Goddess Parvati for conjugal bliss and marital happiness. A huge procession is taken out in Jaipur in which the idol of Teej is covered with a canopy while the Gangaur idol (representing Goddess Parvati) is open.

All over Rajasthan, Swings are hung from trees and decorated with leaves and flowers. Ladies and girls can be seen enjoying on these swings, playing games, singing folk songs and applying Mehendi (henna) on their palms.

The special mithai prepared for Teej is “Ghewar” and these days you get a good variety of “Ghewar” like Kesar, Khoya, Dry Fruits etc..

According to Hindu mythology, in the month of Shravan, Goddess Parvati reunited with Lord Shiva after a penance of hundred years. In her 108th birth, Lord Shiva realized her devotion for him and accepted her as his wife. This legend is said to be the basis of Teej celebrations.

At the time of Teej, large number of crafts bazaars and food courts mushroom in the city, displaying different forms of crafts, clothes, bangles, mehndi which are also available for selling.

Traditional Teej Dinners are organized for the daughters of the house and they are showered with gifts & mithais.

We had our Teej Dinner on Saturday at my husbands maternal grandmothers house and it was loads of fun meeting all relatives, all dressed up, lots of fun and laughter and great food too !!! My daughter was the most thrilled of all dressed in a traditional Lehnga with freshly applied Mehndi and matching bangles, she looks absolutely stunning and sooo big, my god, daughters grow up so fast   She was also thrilled to meet her cousins and play with them !!!

So it’s a great opportunity to experience one of the many colors of India

We all love to travel, well most of us,  do we like to travel solo or with a partner, or a jing bang of families and friends!! Travelling alone has its advantages, of course. If you’re looking for maximum freedom to go where you desire, when you desire and in whatever way you desire, solo travel might be the right thing for you to do. But for many people, having someone along for the trip is unthinkable and better more to have your family, friends or children along.

I personally feel, the journey is better when you have someone to share it with, because you get to be yourself and share yourself and make memories to last a lifetime.

Touring with my husband however, is a different ballgame altogether. He likes to explore the destination thoroughly with loads places to visit nearby, nightlife, complete with sightseeing. It’s a lot of fun thou… I know a whole lot of people would say a BIG NO to this kind of a holiday!!

To share a moment with someone when traveling is like no other. Enjoying that perfect sunset, catching a glimpse of a rare site or experiencing another culture is enhanced when you can share your excitement, laughter and opinions with people who mean the most. Better yet, you can re-live the experience once you come home for years to come.

Having someone to share the journey with, keeps you from getting lonely. At the end of the day when the excitement is still brewing you have someone who can relate to everything you say. You have someone by your side that cares about your opinion and what you’re talking about. Not some stranger that is just waiting for you to finish speaking so that they can tell you about their latest adventure.

If you are afraid to try something, you may be more willing to give it a try if you have a partner beside you to give you the encouragement. When you are not feeling well, you have your loved one there to take care of you and give you the TLC that’s required, and when you are at the top of your game, you have that voice cheering upon you. You have to kids to show the world, different cultures, experiment on different kinds of cuisines, lot of fun moments spent together, spend quality time with the family whom we generally take for granted in our stressful lives back home.

Traveling together offers you different outlooks on one destination making the experience richer in the end and a happy and content family to love more.

What say Guys ???

We all have our dreams, of becoming a Doctor, an Engineer, Air Hostess, Actress, Dancer, Singer, Painter, Artist, Model, CA, Computer Engineer, and many many other professions which exist. How many of us actually are able to fulfill our dreams, we might even prepare for one fourth of our lives dreaming and working towards our goals, but does fate intend the same for us ? Can we fight against fate and accomplish our goals? Can we fight all odds to make our dreams come true? Do we really have the fire in the belly to fight and work upon the

As a child I wanted to be everything from a doctor, to an air hostess, to a model and a million other professions. But as I crossed my boards and my mind got clearer, I just knew what I wanted to do, I really really wanted to become a Pilot and have a hi flying career, pursued Science ( as much as I hated it !!) got admission at the Juhu Flying Club, cleared my entrance tests, medicals, and completed my ground training as well !!! The week we were to leave for Diu to complete the flying hours, I had a crash landing in my life and just couldn’t go!! I was shattered …… but I guess this was meant to be.

So no matter how much planning we do and go all over pursuing our careers, not all of us actually get their dream careers!! The flip side, a lot of us do too!! So it’s actually good to follow our dreams and aim for the moon but even if we get the stars be satisfied and move on in life and follow another dream!!!

Now your turn to share your dreams and aspirations….

PS: We have introduced ratings here now, so please please even if you don’t comment back (which I genuinely expect you do!), the least you can do it to rate it, to boost my morale !!!

A great night out grooving on the dance floor can result in sore soles and a throbbing tumble out the door. Two British companies are capitalizing on club goers’ end-of-night anguish by installing shoe vending machines full of cheap flats.

Rollasoles sell for about GBP 5 and come in four colors: Hi Ho Silver, Gold Digger, and Back to Black and Pink.
They sold out immediately in England’s popular nightclubs.

Afterheels are similar rollable ballet flats that also sell for about GBP 5 but have–according to the company–the added feature of being sustainable; the bodies of the shoes are made from natural materials and the polypropylene insoles are fully recyclable.
Each pair is dispensed with a matching bag so women can tote their tortuous footwear home..

Would you buy these flats?

Come to think of it, it’s a brilliant idea ! What Say ?

Worth A Read…..

The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.

“Leave me alone,” he growled… To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling — her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.

“Are you hungry?” she asked. “No,” he answered sarcastically. “I’ve just come from dining with the President.. Now go away.”

The woman’s smile became even broader.

Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. “What are you doing, lady?” the man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.

Just then a policeman came up. “Is there any problem, ma’am?” he asked..

“No problem here, officer,” the woman answered. “I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?”

The officer scratched his head. “That’s old Jack. He’s been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?”

“See that cafeteria over there?” she asked. “I’m going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile.”

“Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless man resisted. “I don’t want to go in there!” Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.

“Let me go, officer. I didn’t do anything..”

“This is a good deal for you, Jack,” the officer answered. “Don’t blow it.”

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.

The Manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. “What’s going on here, officer?” he asked.” What is all this, is this man in trouble?”

“This lady brought this man in here to be fed,” the policeman answered.

“Not in here!” the Manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.”

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. “See, lady. I told you so. Now if you’ll let me go. I didn’t want to come here in the first place.”

The woman turned to the cafeteria Manager and smiled. “Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?”

“Of course I am,” the Manager answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms.”

“And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?”

“What business is that of yours?”

I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, President and CEO of the company.”

“Oh..”

The woman smiled again.. “I thought that might make a difference.”

She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh. “Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?”

“No thanks, ma’am,” the officer replied. “I’m on duty.”

“Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?”

“Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice.”

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel. “I’ll get your coffee for you right away, officer.”

The officer watched him walk away… “You certainly put him in his place,” he said.

“That was not my intent… Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this.”

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently.

“Jack, do you remember me?”

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. “I think so — I mean you do look familiar.”

“I’m a little older perhaps,” she said. “Maybe I’ve even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.”

“Ma’am?” the officer said questioningly. He couldn’t believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

“I was just out of college,” the woman began. “I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn’t find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat.”

Jack lit up with a smile. “Now I remember,” he said. “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy.”

“I know,” the woman continued. “Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right.”

“So you started your own business?” Old Jack said.

“I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered..” She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He’s the Personnel Director of my company. I’ll go talk to him now and I’m certain he’ll find something for you to do around the office.”

She smiled. “I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always open to you.”

There were tears in the old man’s eyes. “How can I ever thank you?” he asked.

“Don’t thank me,” the woman answered. “To God goes the glory. He led me to you.”

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways.. “Thank you for your help officer,” she said.

“On the contrary, Ms. Eddy,” he answered. “Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget, And thank you for the coffee.”