When a box of dal leads to a Vacation

I know it sounds strange but that’s what exactly happened here.

Last month a friend wasn’t feeling well and her txt msgs were not usual her either so I decided to visit her. One of those days when things weren’t at the best with me too. 

I am not cooking much these days so just made dal ( lentil soup) thought it will be a change of taste for her. 

We were chatting how parenting takes over everything and we forget our own needs. I have known her to be a traveler and suddenly our conversation turned into the places we want to visit. Us Bostonian love our city but winter does take a toll on us. Then and there she planted a bug - a beach resort vacation bug. I came home thinking about it and within two days she helped me with all the planning. This was the first time I didn’t have to worry too much about planning, I trusted her and everything was in place. Surprising Mr Husband agreed and soon we landed in Cancun. I am totally ignoring the flight cancellation and rebooking saga. This saree is a tribute to that unsung travel planners who helped me break the pattern. Thank you S, here I am sitting with unlimited supply of food and drink and sunshine and sea breeze and thinking of you. #thankful

Day -1 

 

Story of big promises and small Happiness - what is yours?

Story of  big promises and small happinesses- what is yours?

So it was all about Holidays, Christmas,  Mr Handsome Santa Claus, gifts, food and family and then for the New Year, promises and resolutions. Looks like the whole world was caught up in this if not into COVID. 

Our household was not any different but we had our own share of those. Some fun, some food, some arguments, some drama and some laughs , some music and some movies . If you read my older posts you will get the idea. 

Mr or Mrs Claus decided our home is not worth the detour, we all were bad the whole year around. New Years eve was wrapped up by 10.30PM  at Pandey’s so nothing fancy here. The New Years day was quieter for the world but exciting for us. If you read my blog then you know the story.

Sunday was lazy for everyone at home but exciting for me. My idea of building a village is fascinating for many. The happiness and excitement is a contagious emotion. 

Imagine a dozen women sitting together and talking about some very personal things.

This meet was an extension of the one I had hosted last time. 

Women had to talk about -

• 3 things you want to change

• 3 things you did in 2021 

• 3 things about dreams/wishes 

• Introduce your siblings 

So this is the assignment for you too. How about you open your world to have someone else walk in?

And yes also about small happinesses. 

My son found the encrypted password for my hard drive. So many pictures and music were locked into that and for the last 6 months I was going crazy, not ready to spend $400 for the data retrieving service.

Mr Clause did bring that gift  and suddenly my son found it written somewhere in his diary.

Now I will fix that fancy password (forget about data security) and use something basic for the password.

You have no idea how happy I am :)

1000s of songs and pic this 2TB drive contains so many memories.

The story of wishes, resolutions and reflections

 ***Jan 1st ***

Some day are for fresh start, New year or not, It’s all in the mind. But some time you do need some kind of “landmark”or some kind of sign or significance. To each their own.

Today was one of those days. Coincidently it was beginning of another year :)

A warmer day in Jan, again, called for a walk with a dear friend and somehow it turned into New Year’s resolution discussion. Talked about things bothering me, What I could do to change or resolve them. We both are such different personalities but that’s the best part of a beautiful friendship, to have a non judgmental listener. 

We joked that saying out loud helps as universe listens and makes it happen.After the walk I had just enough time to get ready and eat something. Tickets were booked and we 3 were in theatre. Anand had no interest in watching a Hindi Movie. The Movie “83” is based on India’s win of World Cup final (Cricket) in 1983.

Mr. husband and I went to theatre last week and it was almost full so we came back. I think it was meant to be a family affair. Ajey agreed to go with us. The movie brought back memories of our childhood and the pride we all felt. How the captain of the team “Kapil Dev” was everyone’s hero.

3 of us watched movie without any distraction, It is a beautifully made movie. I couldn’t be any happier that I could relive those memories with one of my son while the other one was spending his day playing video game at home.

The evening was another magic. Pandey men agreed to go to Boston to watch Holiday lights. It was a perfect evening with soothing breeze, free road side parking in seaport, Holiday bazar and food.  We could even manage driving to North End and Harbor walk area in Boston before dropping Ajey to his room.

I end my day with a feeling of gratitude and smile on my face and a plan for a vacation.  Days could be tough and tomorrow is unknown but I will enjoy my “today” to the fullest. Hope you Saturday was kind too. 

3 of us in the theatre, almost empty hall, perfect beginning of the Year 

The reflection or not - Is it a special day or just another day for you?

 I am so grateful for a warm day in December. The last day of December and miraculously it is 43F at noon, it could be snowing and raining and everything else in between but it is just a foggy day without the wind.

Today I woke with a thought, what is important for life, but again I think of it often. It’s not the last day of the year syndrome. But an email in my inbox reminded me how important this customary reflection is. At least for once you pause and think what did you do last year and how it impacted you. Mr. Husband always says every day is the same. But in that case you won’t pause to think about it.

So I am somewhere in the middle, a simple reflection of what happened in last 365 days and if something specific came out of it.

This morning I was grateful for a warmer weather so I could go for a walk alone and  make a phone call I was dreading for days. To a friend who lost her daughter. Our conversation was something I will remember for a long time. That made me realized how many time we just live a mundane life, run after things and bothered by unnecessary things.

2021 tested all of us to the core and we all learnt, lost some gained some. Hopefully the change in calendar helps us bring some changes in us too. We brighten our vision, broaden our world, find some resilience and patients and live a little more.

Today my first born said he is trying declutter life and mind, his home is reflection of this promise. On the other hand my home is full of stuff and now its my time to follow the path, he is talking about. Now let me start with a closet first, mind and life will tag along I guess. 

From our home to yours - wish for a fresh start 

This house is on my regular walk route, the two young kids may be 5 and 2 said hello and told me all about the picnic they were going to while their parents loaded the car. I made them promise to be nice to mom and not trouble the dad and sleep in the car. The smiles and excitement was really contagious. I needed that cheer after my phone call. I so wanted to take some pic of our interaction.

Our mailman

 and this was our Dec 31st evening, Pandey's eating junk, Bhel and soup in their PJ's 

What would you change? If given a chance to do all over again.

When 8 women meet on a snowy afternoon on the Christmas Day, what do they do?

They eat panupuri and chat ( snack) and sip a cup of chai and talk :)

These women didn’t know each other as friends, few of them never met before. It was a mix of my music, Desi moms Network and saree group mix - the village of its own.

My whole idea was to let these women come together and create something fun.  

I get some questions as an ice breaker, ( hint - Some came from - 36 questions to fall in love ;) They are intimate and force you to think and open up.

So one of the questions was (1) things you want to change in your life - if you do it all over again and (2) what is  your story as a person. And all of sudden everyone was opening up like they have known each other for years.

I can keep writing about today but for now I am just enjoying the warmth of new found friendships for them. I have known them all for long time, it’s very comforting to see them finding that with each other. They left with already a date in hand to meet again and continue the conversation.

What is your one thing you want to change? What is your “what if” for today? 

This place has seen laughter, tears, giggles, regrets, hope and joy today. 

Suneela and I never knew each other couple of weeks ago and now we feel we have known each other forever. Her daughter joked that she cannot believe that her mother who lives in India has her own friend circle in Boston now. and we both rocked the Telia Rumal, didn't we? :)