A peep into our Balcony Garden - Basil

It all started with a humble Tulsi plant we got for our Grihapravesham a year back.We got excited when it responded to our watering and care.Ajay has always had a green thumb and wanted to set up a garden when we had the space.Slowly,we started setting up pots in the garden.

I just had to send a request and Deeba and Suma obliged almost immediately.Armed with a bunch of Basil seeds and some good soil,we potted the first batch.Leaves sprouted after almost 4-5 days and once it started growing,there's no stopping.

Basil recipes to follow in Easycooking:)

Some food quotes I love!

Absolutely!  (Image source)

You know what to expect,right;)  (Image source)

This has to be my favorite!  (Image source)

Haha!   (Image source)

Oh yeah!  (Image source)

A letter to a 20 year old me

I found the concept of writing a letter to oneself very interesting.So here's my take.

Dear 20 year old me,

• You will get married in a few months now,so be prepared for all the big changes you'll come across.You will argue with everyone saying nothing is going to change,but believe me change happens and you will handle it easily.So worry not.
• You will go on your first abroad trip and will have your first fight with your husband(something about which you will later laugh about).Keep your cool:)
• You will move to a new place(which you will come to love!)and miss your family terribly and cry at the drop of a hat even though the husband is making sure to keep you happy throughout.Accept the change.
• You will start cooking on your own which would be a disaster first but slowly and steadily you will pick up the art and even start a food blog!Keep trying.
• You will have many new friends,you'll know what it is like to hang out late in the night and you'll have fun.Enjoy it fully.
• You'll think you are done with school and college but you will do a full fledged one-year course in a regular college and a post graduation too.Work hard.
• You will come to realize relations are not exactly like how you thought them to be.Some people whom you trusted so well will back stab you and strangers will become your soul keepers.Stay Calm.
• Shit happens and more so from your relatives.You will face lots of mean talks from cousins and relations whom you thought were close to you.Ignore it.
• You will develop a wonderful bond with your mother-in-law and find solace in her when you feel low.You will cry on your mom's shoulders and your mother-in-law would give you the strength and the support.
• You will get what you waited for a long long time only to be taken away after a while.Surprisingly,you will cope up with it well with the support of the husband and family.Be strong.
• You will move into your own house and feel mighty proud of it.So listen to the husband when he says -start saving:)
• You are going to have the best time in your life and believe me,the best is yet to come.

Love,

30 year old me.

Some random stuff!

This would be my longest gap between posts on this blog.Not that I blog here frequently but still!!

Here are a few things which have been happening

• We shifted to our own home a while back,precisely 7 months back and are well settled in now.
• I lost my camera,searched everywhere,brought the whole house down,sulked and got another camera and exactly after a month found my old camera cradled between two of my sarees.I don't remember putting the camera there ever,but since it cannot move up there on its own I am taking the blame on myself.
• I now have 3 point and shoot cameras(1 very old one)and dreams which consists of an slr.
• My straightened hair is beginning to fade away with shades of my original hair showing up through the root.It is not in that half straight,half wavy phase yet,but I am not sure if I want to go through the process again seeing the number of hair strands on our pristine white flooring!
• My oven went kaput and I got myself a new one,same brand only a bigger one.I am not entirely happy with it though.The baking timings are erratic and something which got done in 30 minutes in my previous oven takes close to 45 minutes in this one.I cannot seem to explain this to the tech guys since all they do is test the temperature by keeping a bowl of water in the microwave for 1 minute and checking if it boils or not!
• Our car was rammed into by a speeding Sumo,possibly driven by drunken drivers and we had to bear the whole repairing charges since it was hit and run.Money seems to just flow through our fingers,poof!
• We've been eating out and shopping(that would be me) a bit more frequently these days and it is bothering me a bit.
• I reconnected with a friend whom I'd thought was a bit indifferent and I feel so happy now.
• I've been reminded by someone that  am turning older and should not delay any further in getting pregnant...as if!!

So till any further developments..tata!

Moving

We are moving to our own home-finally!!

It feels great to see your home take shape from the foundation stage to the completion stage.We really cannot wait to pack and move and actually start living there.

Just before booking this flat,we had paid advance to another flat which was almost our dream home.Sprawling and spacious with the perfect plan,we had even decided where to place our stuff and bang,some problems and we had to let go of that one.To say we were disappointed would be putting it lightly.It was ready for occupation too,so we had dreamt of moving there the very next month.Well,as my appa says,everything happens for the best and we believe it happened so that we could get this home in a prime location and that too from a reputed builder.

After months of waiting,next week is the moving date.Can-not-wait!!

Shall update details after moving-till then take care and God bless!

6 things which happened since my last post

1.I got a maid for doing the household work as soon as I posted my last blog entry.As expected,I am not completely happy with her but it is alright,both of us are managing well.She speaks very little,comes sharp at 8 every morning,finishes her work and leaves.Works well for the time being.

2.We finalized the interiors for our new flat and work is progressing fast.We hope to get everything done and move in by November 1st week max.Hope everything turns out well.

3.I made a couple of trips to my hometown,actually went in once every month since June:) and I am loving it.Going home is now more looked forward to as I have a li'l candy(my bro's baby girl)there to play with and cuddle.

4.I got a much required hair cut.My hair had grown too long and out of shape.I am never able to decide at a given point whether I want long hair or short.Immediately after a hair cut,I proclaim I want long hair and wouldn't cut my hair till it reaches at least my waist length.But each and every time,it grows out of shape and I go for a cut.I am happy this time,but not entirely so when it comes to the style.Maybe I should go for straightening or smoothening?

5.I taught basic baking skills to amma and guess what,she's a very enthusiastic learner and has mastered the famous Dates cake so well.We also made kick-ass Nankhatai and now I can relax and ask her to bake me truckloads when I am in Ekm,another one into the list:)

6.Ajay has asked me to choose a Birthday gift and as usual,I am uncertain.Have  thought about a couple of things,maybe I will decide in a month's time or so,let's see.

If any one is reading this(other than me)hope you are doing alright-God bless!

Home-maid!

I've not been entirely lucky with my house-hold helps.Initially the lack of communication[I didn't know Tamil and they didn't know anything else but Tamil]and ignorance[not knowing how to instruct them etc]were the main reasons but even after I picked up the language I really couldn't master the art.First thing,I find it difficult to go behind their backs and make sure they are doing every job the right way.


Most of my maids didn't last more than a year and a half.The main reason to leave would almost always be--I thought there were only 2 of you and very less work but you seem to have guests every weekend[more utensils to clean]and lots of clothes to wash[we don't have a washing machine,strange,I know]


I found it depressing to welcome another new one because I have an issue.I take time to get settled with one and going through the same grind with another one causes me a headache.I thought all my issues were resolved when I hired A a while back.Without realizing,she stuck with me for more than 3 years,a fact quite bewildering considering my previous track records.


Today,after taking a day leave and with a pile of laundry and an even bigger pile of dirty utensils to wash,she dropped the bomb.She came and said she is suffering with acute back pain and cannot continue the job,no not even the leftover job she was supposed to finish.I thought it was the most depressing news I had heard,but surprisingly not.I donned my apron and set about doing the work.In less than 3 hours,I finished the laundry[by hand],mopped the house and finished washing all the utensils and gave myself a good pat on my back.


Now I am contemplating whether to keep a maid or not.I have got enough time to decide since I've made up my mind that I can do every job that she did[even better]with time.


So till another maid-story seeya!!