ACROSS THE MILES: June 2006

Friday, June 30, 2006

If you woke up this morning
with more health than illness,
you are more blessed than the
million who won't survive the week.

If you have never experienced
the danger of battle,
the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture or
the pangs of starvation,
you are ahead of 20 million people
around the world.

If you attend a church meeting,Temple or Mosque

without fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death,
you are more blessed than almost
three billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator,
clothes on your back, a roof over
your head and a place to sleep,
you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank,
in your wallet, and spare change
in a dish someplace, you are among
the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive,
you are very rare,
especially in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smileon your face and are truly thankful,
you are blessed because the majority can,
but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them
or even touch them on the shoulder,
you are blessed because you can
offer God's healing touch.

If you can read this message,
you are more blessed than over
two billion people in the world
that cannot read anything at all.
You are so blessed in ways
you may never even know.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

A birthday is the date on which a person is born, and a marking of the day a life begins. It is customary in many cultures to celebrate the anniversary of one's birthday in some way, for example by having a birthday party with classmates, friends, family, and even kids in which gifts are given. It is also customary to treat people specially on their birthday, either generally acceding to their wishes, or subjecting them to a rite of transition.
Birthday is considered a special day for the person, and so the person will often get special treatment from friends and family. This is especially true for children who cannot wait for their own special day. In contrast, many adults loathe the reminder that they are continually getting older. In addition to parties, people often get gifts on their birthday. Often, the honored person gets a "birthday hug" from friends and family.

I looked forward to my birthday from the first of June, counting down and circling the days on the calendar as it passed.There were no presents or big parties, it was just special because I got to wear a new dress to school and I could pass out candy to the children.I remember the trip to the store the day before my birthday, I would look at all the beautiful candy tins, it was hard to pick just one because all of them looked so pretty.It was very important to get a nice tin because later on it served as a pencil box and sometimes also a lunch box.I would look each tin over and over again, mine had to be the best, my mother would be patiently waiting ,giving me the extra time that I needed.

At school I was the most important person that day, my friends would hover around me and everyone wanted to be my best friend.I could not wait for the end of the day, when the teacher would call me to the front of the class and ask me to pass out the candy. I opened the Parry's Tin and went around placing a candy at each childs desk and quietly slipping two to my best friend. and giving the remaining candy to my teacher.I dont know if all the children felt like I did, but to me this was the most important part of my birthday, it was not about presents or new clothes. As I grew older this ritual died and gave way to more fun things like going out with my friends, and out to dinner. But when I look back, I still think I had more fun walking around the class room handing out the candy This made me feel very special and I was a princess for a DAY.

Monday, June 26, 2006

SURPRISE PACKAGE......

The door bell rings
Who can it be?
A uniformed man from Fedex
With a package adressed to me.

I tear open the package
Inside I see,
A small Aqua green box
With a white ribbon bow
Signed Tiffany & company.

My heart beats fast
From whom can it be?
A surprise gift from"J"
No! it cant be,
Because "surprise" is not in his vocabulary.

I slowly open the package
And there I see
A sterling silver chain with the initial"L"
In a aqua velvet pouch and a card for me.

It reads....
"Your thought of today, Happy Birthday"
Its from a young friend of mine.
Who looks up to me like a child of mine
And calls to say hello a dozen of times.

I smile and I think even if it is'nt from"J"
Its a beautiful gift and a wonderful thought.
Its something I will treasure and hold close to my heart.
Thank you Natashah.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KESHI.....&.. ( to all my blogger friends who are having a birthday )

Pick a star, any star
who needs candles when you have the sky
And make a birthday wish.
Wish for whatever you want,
Whatever your heart desires.
And know that whatever you wish for,
I wish the same for you
And wish for a way for it to come true.

Friday, June 23, 2006

A FRIEND...

What makes a friend
A friend.

Is someone that everyone needs
A friend .

Is that special one
A friend .

Is someone you tell EVERYTHING
A friend.

Is someone you never lie to
A friend.

Can a boy or a girl be
A friend.

Is someone that is always there
A friend.

Will always listen to you
A friend.

Always has input to give
A friend .

Will never leave you in the dust
A friend.

Will help you through the thick and thin
A friend.

Will always stand by your side
A friend .

Will never let you down
A friend .

Will always steer you on the right path
A Friend.

Is someone everyone needs
A friend.

What would you do if you didnt have a friend?

Thursday, June 22, 2006

A SUMMER DAY

A Warm summer day,
Green grass, blue skies.
Children playing, birds flying
Boys running,
Mothers with strollers walking through.
Flowers blooming, bees buzzing
Butterflies atop, then disappear into the sky.

Young men playing basketball,
women jogging by.
A couple sit on the park bench, holding hands
Talking, laughing, enjoying an evening together.
A subtle glance, a passionate kiss
A pat on the back, then goodbye.

The sky turns orange
The air is cool,
The children gone, the courts silent,
The jogging path deserted.
The park bench empty.
Night has fallen, Another day gone by.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

TAG WORLD CONFESSIONS

I have been tagged by Nandita from Saffron Trails for "Confessions in groups of five"

5 items in my freezer

A package of frozen parathas, to be eaten when I am too tired to make some fresh ones and too lazy to go out and buy any.
A couple pieces of cashew Barfi. I have a sweet tooth and sometimes crave for indian sweets , so I always have a few frozen for emergencies.
A package of mixed vegetables.
some grated coconut, to add to vegetables that I cooked from a package and make it look fresh.
A can of ground coffeee. to keep fresh, dont know if it works, just a habit.

5 ITEMS IN MY CLOSET

I dont know if the whole world really wants to know what I have in my closet but I will name a few. I dont share a closet with "J" and thats good, there is more room.

Indian clothes on one side from salwars to sarees.

Jeans, tops and skirts for everyday wear on the other.

A weighing scale, hidden in the closet because I dont want to weigh my self everyday. I think it becomes an obsession , I just try to eat healthy and stay trim, and if I do put on a few extra pounds I dont want the scale to tell me.

A sandle wood jewellery box which I treasure, one that "J" brought me from India and another box which holds items that is very close to my heart , the things my children gave me when they were little.

5 ITEMS IN MY CAR

A back support because I have a back injury.

A few dimes , nickels and quarters in the change tray.

I am really bad with directions and have been lost quite a few times, so I keep a map and also handwritten directions . I really cannot figure out North, south, east or west. ( maybe one of those navigation systems would be nice.) a hint for "J" incase he reads this.

A blanket and a first aid kit in the trunk, for emergencies.

my sunglasses. I have to look cool when I drive.

5 ITEMS IN MY PURSE

My driving license, autoclub card, one debit card and one credit card, I have been grounded for spending too much. sob,sob.

A compact and lipstick, need a touch up now and again because dont know whom I may meet . Someone interesting maybe! A girl has to look good at all times, cannot take a chance.

my house keys. cannot leave without it.

A picture of Maya when she was in third grade, and one of "J" in his High school blazer, he looked really handsome. No pic of Vijay. have to add one.

Gum. I love gum , different flavors , I think it is good to always have nice smelling breath.never know what may happen, dont like surprises.

Now that I have confessed it is time to tag a few others. This is really easy and wont take up a lot of time. I am going to tag the first three who comment on this post.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

EGG TRAGEDY

There is a saying "See no evil" "Hear no evil" and "speak no evil" and it is always portrayed by three monkeys closing their mouth, ears and eyes. Sometimes in life I think we just dont see, hear or speak about things that we need to. It is very easy to look the other way and pretend it is not happening when we dont want to be bothered. By doing this we somehow feel it is ok. Is it ok to look the other way or point fingers at someone who is down in life, is having a hard time and maybe not doing as well as you are. I think it is selfishness that makes us do this. We feel that as long as it is not happening to us or our immediate family , we should not worry about it. I think as a society we should look out for one another and lend a helping hand no matter how small. Sometimes all that is needed is a kind word or a gesture.

Monday, June 19, 2006

10 THINGS THAT I MISS ABOUT MY MOTHERS COOKING:
I have been tagged by Sumitha from Kitchen wonders to continue this meme...

1... My mother passed away a long time ago. I always remember how she made things go a long
way because we were a lot of kids and so she had to really stretch her budget. everyday she
would go to the market and buy fresh vegetables , meat and fish were reserved for special
days, her dishes were simple but tasty.

2. I loved the custard she used to make, served with fresh fruit.

3. I miss the green gram dal Payasam she used to make on our birthdays, topped with coconut pieces & sweetened with jaggery. It was delicious and I wished everyday was my birthday.

4. My mother made delicious mango pickle, with small whole mangoes, shredded mangoes and with just mango pieces. each one having its own taste. she would marinate them in salt in a ceramic jar . I remember taking the salted pieces and eating them up. I just could not wait for it to be seasoned.

5. I miss the home made chappathis and puris, for some reason hers tasted so much better . I also miss the different breakfast items also, now for the most part it is cereal. I try to make an indian breakfast on weekends.

6. My mother used to try to make home made cakes. even though it turned out really bad, she never gave up and kept trying till she got it perfect. she did not have a good baking oven that we have now. I have not attempted to bake a cake from scratch like my mom. I miss those small sweet cakes.

7. I miss the coconut filled pancakes, and banana fritters , it was always ready when we came from school. After eating a couple you were ready to go out and play.

8. My mother made a really good vegetable stew, which was really tasty with appams. Also really delicious vegetable and meat cutlets.

9. On special occasions she would go all out and make a really nice chicken curry, the aroma itself was enough to make you hungry and beg for more. I have never been able to duplicate that exact flavor.

10. I did not know how to cook when I was first married. I would call my mother several times asking for recipes and ideas, how to fix a dish that I had messed up, because I had no time to make another. she would always encourage me and tell me not to worry and that in due time I would be able to cook well. When I got married and had my first apartment, my mom came over and helped me set up the kitchen, labeling all the spices and stocking my pantry. I was so scared because "J" was coming from India and was used to eating really good food, and I did not know how to cook. My mother stood beside me and showed me how. wrote down a few easy recipes for me and told me to take one day at a time. she passed away two months after that, but I learnt after making many mistakes and throwing whole chickens down the trash shute. Today I can say I am a reasonably good cook but I sure miss all of my mothers cooking just not ten.

I am going to tag..Keshi & Geetha carry out this meme.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER ON FATHERS DAY

Fathers day is a day of commemoration and celebration of Dad. It is a day to honor your father. Happy Fathers Day To All The Dads in the world.

When I think of my father
I remember a man of small stature, soft spoken
A silent provider, immaculately dressed
Shoes shining bright.
Always reading a newspaper, smoking a pipe,
Occasionally playing the Harmonica,
Watching wrestling matches into the wee hours
of the night.

I saw love in his eyes
Always giving without compromise.
A man of few words, confident and fair
Even though he was always away
I knew he still cared.

Proud of his children, and
he went to great lengths
To give us what we needed depriving himself.
He taught me the things in life that
I needed to know.
He was the tower of strength, source of love
Even in the midst of my imperfections and pitfalls
He accepted me and helped me grow.

I remember the train rides to and fro
And helping me with my home work because
I did not know.
He was a man who enforced discipline
Yet lenient in some
My mothers best friend
Who was there to the end.

I am sad that he is no more
But he lives in my heart
He will always be remembered
Not only today but forever .
I am honored to have known this man
I wish you were here Dad.

Friday, June 16, 2006

ADDICTED TO COMPUTER.........

According to Wikipedia addiction is characterized by repeated use of substances or behavior from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, overeating or gambling. It is a chronic pattern that continues despite the direct or indirect consequences. I have to add a new addiction and that is the computer. The internet has become an important role in our lives today, important in our communication, our work, life, daily activities. and it effects children and adults , it can hurt us , our families and our community if used in a negative way . On the other hand it has made our lives so much easier and has bridged the gap between people and countries as with globalization. Distance does not matter any more. At the same time I think we are getting addicted to the computer , from reading the daily news, maintaining our finances, even our photo Albums , Internet phones, or just surfing the web. Sometimes we don't even realize how many hours has been spent just doing this.
Vijay is home from school for the summer, the other day I was reviewing his cell phone bill and told him that he had gone over the minutes allowed. He looks at the bill and says" Mom! most of the calls were made to you.". I then told him that maybe he should not call as often and that he should try instant messaging me (IM) when he sees me online. To this he replied." But mom I like to hear your voice."

That was a rude awakening for me because I realized what I was becoming, someone who was getting addicted to the computer. I began to think about the days before the advent of the internet, when I was first married and how I used to wait for those phone calls from India. It was very expensive so calls were few and the mail used to take from 15 to 20 days. Just hearing "J"s voice on the other end was comforting, my heart would be racing, sometimes I could not even speak , it was just nice hearing his voice. No IM could make me feel that way, I think we are losing that personal touch, the voice on the other end could tell us if the person was sad, worried , in pain , happy or unhappy.

I think I am getting to rely on the computer too much, I just sent out Evites for a Baby Shower that I am giving. would it have been better if I had taken the trouble to get the invitations and write a few words making it more personal, I dont know. The internet does make life a little easier for me and also I can get things done fast. Is it a good thing or bad ? am I addicted or not?, am I missing that touch?. I really don't know. Maybe too much of a good thing is bad. I think I have to slow down a bit and not rely entirely on the internet.What do you think?