IT IS TIME TO DATE EVERYDAY PLEASURES.

D is for date,delight.

Friends it is the time of my life when I need to learn to date simple delights of everyday life. However, the monkey mind being a restless entity keeps provoking me to be up and doing. It cautions me against embracing the comfort zone come what may. It is aware of my inclinations, my spirit of inquiry, and curiosity. It is slowly resigning to the limitations of aging though.

Since outings are a less preferred choice these days, I’m evolving into a person who enjoys living within the boundaries of home life. My balcony (I spend summers amidst hills) figuratively has turned into a window for interaction with the natural world. It allows me to converse with it whenever. My balcony overlooks the narrow valley surrounded by hills covered with groves of refreshed pines and lush greenery. Regular spells of monsoon showers have brightened the ambiance. 

My morning starts-if it is not raining- with a leisurely walk in my balcony. While sipping my first cup of tea of the day I watch lanky pines in their crowning glory. Either they are very still or I see their boughs laden with fresh needles swinging happily in the cool moist air. The rain-washed bushes, shrubs, and random vegetation release placid smug vibes. Well soaked and saturated they look cheerful and secure under the protective canopy of pines. The visual intoxication fills me with positivity and I look forward to the unfolding of the day. The glowing morning messages me to make the most of the day.

There are a few other harmless but joyful activities I indulge in. My newfound liking for crocheting keeps me satisfyingly busy when I’ve nothing else to do. You Tube 

videos have helped me in learning the basics of crocheting.

I love reading books. Hubby uploads books on my Kindle, which I select from Amazon.com’s Book section.

 I'm a creative person by nature. I keep visiting some sites suggested by Pinterest for DIY projects. I may not do them but then the marvelous ideas are sometimes overwhelming.

There is so much to learn and do but the hitch is if your physicality enables you to carry on the struggle, which new ventures entail.

I‘m reminded of John Milton’s dilemma, which he versifies in his epic poem ‘The Paradise Lost’.

Milton lost his eyesight early in life and was unable to write. However, the thought that God will question him about his wasting the gift of writing gnawed him constantly.  In his poem, ‘On His Blindness’ he poses this question to himself. Then deep down his mind conveys the answer as well. Here is the poem.

On His Blindness

(1655)

WHEN I consider how my light is spent   Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,   And that one Talent which is death to hide   Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present         5   My true account, lest He returning chide,   “Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”   I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need   Either man’s work or his own gifts. Who best         10   Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,   And post o’er land and ocean without rest;   They also serve who only stand and wait.” Friends draw your own conclusions about the theme of the poem! Friends welcome here as always! Sharing with: ABC Wednesday Nature Notes My corner of the world

NATURE'S WONDERMENT KEEPS CALLING

the lovely foursome at the side wall

To explore the simple manifestations of natural phenomenon is an interest which keeps me braced up, even in extreme unpleasant situations. I don’t have to go anywhere to savour and see it unfold itself, as it envelops my environs abundantly. For days, I felt the nudging vibrations stirred by the intoxicating beauty of the spring.

But the inspiration to pen it down descended upon me suddenly one morning, when a throbbing pain in the aftermath of dental extractions woke me up quite early. Instead of popping a pain killer in my mouth, I stepped out into the fragrantly welcoming, fresh and gentle breeze of the morning. I sat myself in a chair in the backyard, cupping my cheeks in both hands to pacify the mercilessly tempered gum tissue.
 Soon I became conscious of an uncanny deafening cacophony of sounds emanating from the vicinity. It sounded like a blend of so many songsters’ shrill voices participating in a routine chorus. In the stillness of the morning the sounds were distinctly pronounced. I could not see the birds but their presence was palpable enough, some where near,  perhaps on the many trees growing in my neighbourhood. I listened to it numbly and temporarily the pitch of their voices drowned my pain. For a few precious moments, I felt being a part of their ecstasy After they had finished their exciting concert, which certainly was an expression of their unadulterated joy in the sparkle of a new day, bearing endless possibilities of hitting some generous grub infested piece of land. And then, up they flew twittering, squeaking and shrieking in twos and threes flapping their wings in unison on their specific missions. My reverie was broken, but not before the unique soulful experience had sunk in. Slowly I noticed the surreal presence of the moon adding a mysterious halo to the ambience.
Friends, this deeply personal narrative is not meant to be ‘how to attain….’type of post? However, it subsumes that forgetting the despair and despondency of our times, such an experience endorses the affirmation of the goodness of life. Of course it happens once in awhile but leaves a long lasting positive imprint. I think creative people anywhere in the universe repeatedly receive inspiring sensations because of their keen sensibilities.
Since the spring has opened its doors for its treasures to be visually feasted, there is an overwhelming sense of an aura of blessings floating around. Nature’s bliss is here to be enjoyed freely and limitlessly. It is satisfied if we simply overcome our indifference, behold it lightheartedly and allow it to melt all our anxieties in its outstretched arms.
Dare I complain, when riot of incomparable canvas of colours, flutter magnificently around me. Our own house is privileged to have the blooming red lily at the side wall of the driveway, setting the area on fire especially at midday. Large triangular shaped flowers, spring out in twos and threes from a single bud. I amply convey to them my speechless wonder at their blazing sheen many a time during the day. In fact lily is all over our place. It is a hardy bulbous plant and withstands even the summer neglect.
Marigold blossoms in hues of lemon, yellow and deep golden skirt my backyard lawn where hordes of nectar sucking insects hover around in the company of buzzing honey bees.




first flower with a honey bee settling inside.



My loyal cactus is all budded up. To spring a lovely surprise, two buds opened up displaying delicate mauve flowers. Isn’t it nature’s marvel that such a thorny entity flowers so enchantingly?

Can one ever predict nature’s many moods? For example, though we’re not very far from reaching the threshold of summer and spring is already at its peak, my Neem is still shedding leaves and gusts of wind dislodge masses of them to glide down like swarm of locusts, leaving a sheet of dry brownish leaves on the ground. That is what constitutes nature’s mystery and its unique individuality.

It never fails to surprise us with its spontaneity. Recently I became aware of the melodious coo coo of the cuckoo though its’ usual time to visit us is always around monsoons. Perhaps it couldn’t but accept the invite of the spring to sing its praises in its musical notes. Or the cool and crisp weather was too much to resist.

In my neighborhood yards, bottle brush trees are loaded with red, brush shaped flowers. There is profuse flowering on the rose bushes. There are so many other varieties blooming simultaneously in pots and yards. A short walk around the area is all that is needed to respond to the winking and swinging flora, to ignite one's sagging spirits with hope and enthusiasm.

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