My greatest friend in times of need,
I talk to you, say what I please.
You help me out when times get tough,
You listen – never say you’ve had enough. Continue reading My Greatest Friend In Times Of Need
Category: From my diary
Lockdown Living
It’s so lovely downstairs with no one there,
The blissful silence and the hot summer air.
A once a week visit to the grocery shop,
It’s going to feel real strange when all of this stops. Continue reading Lockdown Living
Keep Her Away From Autoimmune Disease
Lookin’ heavy but feeling light,
A spring in her step because she feels alright.
More on her middle and less junk on her face,
It drives many women crazy, this acceptance of age.
That pursuit of youth, it’s a really huge business,
Keeps the doctors working – fills hospitals and clinics.
But chemical free is HER way, and she feels
It will keep her away from autoimmune disease.
2016 was a good year
It’s the year I decided to go chemical free with home and personal care products, after I was diagnosed with an inflamed thyroid and treated with steroids for a few months, until my tests went back to normal.
I made this decision after I read The Thyroid Cure by Michelle Corey. Continue reading Keep Her Away From Autoimmune Disease
Microwave Madam
She’s new to the building and here’s what they say,
She has a career, and is out at work all day.
Comes home late from the office, is NEVER around,
To chat with the women, when they all gather down. Continue reading Microwave Madam
A Guide To Help You Shop
For those of you who don’t live here, a ‘COPY’ is a notebook, usually an exercise book used for school homework. Now coffee, is just coffee, but is also pronounced ‘COPHEE’ like copy, but with an ‘h’ sound added to it, because in many Indian languages an f vowel is pronounced ph. This can cause much confusion!
This post will help you get familiar with commonly used terms when you go shopping for clothes here in Navi Mumbai (and in many other parts of India), so that you are able to find what you want without too much difficulty.
Occupational Therapy
If you’re feeling bored and have nothing to do,
Just pray for someone to leave some shares to you!
You’ll have forms to fill and submit to the bank,
Affidavits, attested copies & hopefully a signature mismatch! Continue reading Occupational Therapy
Writing to minimise drudgery and find solutions
A post about how writing helps me find solutions, and minimise stress. I write and find solutions when running my home gets me down, and I decided it would help me make filing our annual income tax returns quick, and stress-free. And it did!
It’s THAT time of the year. When our annual income tax returns force me to deal with paperwork I have put aside and left undone the full year. I’m generally not prone to feelings of sadness, but this is one time that’s always an exception. I fall back on the only thing that helps me – Chocolate cake and hot cup of chai!
This year, I decide to put my knowledge of piano practise techniques to use, and organise this activity once and for all.
I’m going to FIGHT THIS BEAST and I’m going to WIN!
Then enjoy my chocolate cake and chai with a satisfied grin.
Continue reading Writing to minimise drudgery and find solutions
A visit to Dr Google
Friends told us that  moving to Kharghar cuts routine visits to the doctor! I didn’t really believe this when I heard about it, but it’s true!
We visit the doctor once a year,
When we’re not feeling too good. Just to be sure all is clear.
The doctor tells us to have some tests,
But we decide to try lifestyle changes, and a little rest.
Review : Learning patience with Godrej Interio
An overhead unit that wouldn’t close,
Good customer service, but really slow.
Six months to deliver and install a new door,
When will they take the old one back?
Two weeks right now, and I still don’t know.
The review below is based on our experience with our Godrej Interio cupboards, and purchasing an overhead unit from them, and may not represent the experience of other customers.
Continue reading Review : Learning patience with Godrej Interio
The stages of my life
It used to be Baby, ‘cos they saw I was young,
The one they looked after when her parents weren’t around.
Then, it was Didi – the elder sister,
A young adult woman without a ‘Mister’.
But 2 years of marriage and that was all gone,
Then I became Bhabhi, their sister-in-law! Continue reading The stages of my life
Freedom
Freedom is a walk in the warmth of the sun,
A fridge well stocked and dinner that’s already done.
Freedom is some time with nothing to do,
But have coffee or chai in the evening with you. Continue reading Freedom
The temple inside
We take it with us wherever we go,
That temple inside that helps us connect with our soul.
We don’t really need fancy buildings to worship,
Or an outwardly show of this private relationship. Continue reading The temple inside
Just one spoon of oil
Just one spoon of oil ‘cos it’s good for my health,
Being active and happy is my idea of wealth.
We don’t suffer famine or drought, and there’s plenty.
Unfortunately, it just adds layers to my belly. Continue reading Just one spoon of oil
More on my middle
Hey diddle diddle there’s more on my middle,
I need to go down for a walk!
But when there’s sometime and the weather is fine,
I go meet my friends and we sit down and talk. Continue reading More on my middle
Till death do us part
Till death do us part, yes that saying is true.
It certainly holds good for me, and these shoes!
They were on their last legs many weeks ago,
And today I’ve given in, and shown them the door.
An ode to my lovely pink shoes. I haven’t been able to get the exact same fit in this colour and am feeling quite sad about it.
Pleeease dirty the mat!
A message to all our visitors. It’s about the floor mat that slants diagonally across our doorway during the monsoon, kept that way so everyone has to walk over it to enter our living room.
Sometimes visitors see that it’s clean and try not to dirty it, trailing all dust and the wet from the rains into our home! The funniest is those who can’t bear to see it slant across the grid of our floor tiles and feel compelled to take the trouble to straighten it out!
This poem is for them 🙂
You can step on the mat that lies across my floor.
Wipe your feet as you enter the door.
Don’t try to save me the washing,
‘Cos all it does is increase my mopping. Continue reading Pleeease dirty the mat!
I can sing my own song
I can sing my own song while the music plays loud,
I can sing my own song, of this I am proud.
I can sign loud & clear though it might hurt your ears,
Cos I’m singing a song that’s not playing! Continue reading I can sing my own song
How would our husband’s feel….?
We women of today are really quite reserved. I’ve come to this realisation after I heard Violetta express her love for Alfredo in one of my favourite scenes from La Traviata, Amami Alfredo.
The last time many of us spoke with such feeling to our families
. . . was probably the time we had had enough – and decided that clothes left on the floor would be ‘left’ there. We would not pick them up & put them in the wash like our mothers did, but would leave them be. Until our family came to their senses and put them in their proper place – in the washing machine or the dirty clothes basket!
And I wonder, do we need to listen to Violetta and learn?
How would our husband’s feel, if after all these years of being married, we wives declared our love for them with such passion. Would they be thrilled, or would they rush us off to the nearest doctor, thinking we had a severe stomach ache…..??
“Children don’t need time”
“Just have a baby, put your child in a creche, and continue with what you were doing before you had a baby. That’s what I did…” That’s what a friend said to me in an effort to pressure me into having a baby!
I just stared at her in total shock. I could see how neglected her child was, and was horrified at her advice.
As I write this, I’m a married woman in her 40’s who does not have a child. I have never been comfortable discussing ‘why’ I don’t have a child with anyone other than my family, doctors on a ‘need to know’ basis and a few trusted friends! So, mostly everyone does not really know the ‘why.’ I feel it’s a private matter and have, unlike a lot of other Indian women, always had the support of family in this.
Up until a few year ago, I’ve been accosted by people who want me to have a baby. I use the word ‘accosted,’ because they were generally very rude and angry and sometimes even offensive – ‘Who will look after you when you grow old” was their trump card, when all other attempts failed.
“You don’t believe in God that is why you are able to accept that you are never going to be a mother” from a neighbour who was upset that I wasn’t depressed about being childless!
I’ve had a family connection – a grown man with college going kids call me up and shout at me on the phone for not having a baby! … I’m putting this down to stress from his family problems!!
I’ve been to a funeral, standing battling emotion, paying my respects to the family of the deceased and been cross-questioned one of them about being childless! …. maybe some kind of mental instability could account for this ??
I will not mention the advice that I should try IVF (in-vitro fertilization) – something I personally disapprove of, because I feel the risk of birth defects or health problems for the child, with IVF and an older mother are much higher.
I personally think that if the God’s meant for me to be a mother, they’re powerful enough to make it happen. If they, in their wisdom, think otherwise, I will be grateful for all the other joys they have given me, and not ask for more.
I have had one caring friend tell me that her children are one of the greatest joys and also the greatest hardships of her life. And that despite the struggles she is grateful to have been blessed with her kids – that children need time, love and attention, and parents-to-be should know that and be prepared for the joy and commitment of being parents, before having children.
I think she had it right!
The Mountains of Tasmania
Mountains tall as old as time, look upon the twilight gold.
Dark now, in the fading light, till moon-rise, and a sky so bright. Continue reading The Mountains of Tasmania
