After a long time....

I know, I know. I set the expectations really low but even I didn't expect to be so bad with this. I haven't written anything in so long! I'm really going to get better at this - the updates will be more, well, up to date.

Yaaawn! Another week of my life.

Nothing much happened last week - it was unseasonally hot and humid. I didn't get out much except for some mandatory grocery and household shopping. Baked apple tarts during the week.Sunday was kind of cloudy and gloomy. I made chicken biriyani, baked a banana cake and made pasta primavera. I think I'll just go back into my shell again and hibernate. Yaaaawn!
Have been reading: P.D. James - Shroud for a Nightingale, A Mills and Boon romance, Tintin and Asterix comics, Ruskin Bond and Elizabeth George (re-reading some old books).
Have fun, y'all!

Varalakshmi Vratham and Tax Returns

"We have long had death and taxes as the two standards of inevitability. But there are those who believe that death is the preferable of the two. "At least," as one man said, "there's one advantage about death; it doesn't get worse every time Congress meets." ~Erwin N. Griswold

One more hectic week and another well-deserved weekend. July 31st marked the last day for filing returns - so it was a mad rush to fill out forms , submit Form 16 and dash to the accountant to submit for filing. Am I glad that it comes by only once a year!

"Income tax returns are the most imaginative fiction being written today." ~Herman Wouk

A garland of marigolds to decorate the main entrance for the festival

July 31st was also Varalakshmi Vratham day and an extremely busy one. Cleaning, dusting and getting everything ready took nearly 3 days prior to the big day. On Friday, the pooja, cooking and catering to guests took up most of the day. Payasam, vadas, pulihora, panchamrutham, rice, dal, vegetables and curd formed the festive offerings while sweets were purchased from outside.

Pooja decorations

Offerings to the deity - diyas, fruit, incense and food

Offerings to the deity - new clothes

The deity, decorated with ornaments and flowers

Monsoon Vignettes

Another green corner - Pothos or money plant


Pomegranate in full bloom

Sunday again and short lived bliss! Roasted chicken , chocolate cake were Sunday's specials this time. My pomegranate trees are celebrating with an outburst of red blooms and fruit. Varalakshmi Vratham's coming up. Lots of shopping and cleaning is on the cards for this week.
Have been reading: Asterix & Obelix comics, High Stakes by Meg Cabot
Am listening to: Shamur and Bon Jovi

Monsoon Blues

Oh, boy! What a week that was! It started with my maid taking off for 3 days without so much as a by-your-leave and ended with a PTA meeting. Nuff said!
I hope I never have to go through this sort of week in the near future. The monsoon is doing its bit to alleviate my blues though, if what I see around me is any indication.
Maybe the week that's coming up will be a good one!

One of my favourite views.

A little green corner.

The Best Day of the Week

Sunday is definitely the day I look forward to. I don't have wake up at the crack of dawn (okay, 6 AM) and start preparing breakfast and packing lunch for my daughter. Instead, I get to sleep late and have a leisurely breakfast, catch up on some pending housework and cook something special. Today's lunch was Hyderabadi biriyani - replete with spices, chicken, fragrant basmati rice and ghee. Heavy but so fulfilling. I am going to try it again - the dum style takes some practice.
A friend of mine who's going through a bad time wrote back. I'm glad to get back in touch. What an empty world it must be if you cannot call and talk to a friend!
I just hope better days lie ahead.
DH has been having long calls and chat sessions with us. Funny how a webcam can actually make the distance seem shorter.
My daughter has an exam coming up Monday and while I enjoyed today ( we're having glorious weather, picnic weather in fact), the week looms ahead. Sigh!!

The Sun Shines Again!

Ah! A welcome respite from the endless gloom of grey skies and gusty winds.The sun is out and the skies are blue and all is good in my world. The trees look all washed and shiny green. The gardener's been on his bi-monthly visit to clean up the garden and do some heavy-duty trimming and pruning. So everything looks neat and just the way I like it.Had a long call with DH and felt good as I miss him a lot even if I don't want to acknowledge it to myself.
Today was all about me - I didn't go out for running errands at all. Just soaked in the sun and baked - a cake. Just a plain tea cake with caramel flavouring - it came out well and we all enjoyed it.
Have been reading: Careless Red by Elizabeth George, Five go Demon's Rocks by Enid Blyton(;-), Plays adapted from popular Mysteries
Am listening to: The Latino version of 'Genie in a Bottle' by Christina Aguilera (one awesome talent there!) and Bollywood soundtracks from Don and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.