IMAGES: MONSOON SCENARIO AMIDST HILLS

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky."  
Rabindranath Tagore.

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. Rabindranath Tagore
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/rain

                                                                                                                           

We're witnessing the fag end of monsoon season in the hills, where we're putting up these days. Below are a few pictures of nature's spectacle, clicked during the week.

Dark clouds holidaying.

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Pines and sundry vegetation in our complex.

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A spider's web held me spellbound in the morning.
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                                                                        Afternoon shot during a walk.

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 Joyful lush green valley overlooking our balcony.

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A thin sheet of mist engulfing the peak of the hill, while the sun tries to wriggle out.

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The greyish sheet of clouds that stays the whole day.

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Purple hues adorn our lawn.

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KNOW THYSELF

Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.”
-Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor (A. D. 161-180)

K is for "Know thyself":

Since the beginning of humanity, great philosophers of the world had been delving deep into the intricacies of our elusive selves.

The ancient Greek aphorism ‘KNOW THYSELF’ is one of the Delphic maxims inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.  The curious believers since then always pondered over it.

Later on, Socrates expounded it in many of his discourses. For him “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates even maintained, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."

His disciple Plato took it up extensively in his scholarly creations. He was the forerunner of Western philosophy and science. He propounded, “Essence of knowledge is self-knowledge.”

The quest for knowing the truth and establishing identity has been going on since antiquity. Great philosophers and thinkers of the world have all tried to comprehend the mysteries of the self. They came up with numerous insights, which inspired humankind to carry on with this endless search.

The understanding of self-awareness, in fact, opens the doors for realizing one’s potential for a productive life. In our short odyssey on the earth, frequent episodes of inner dialogue happen.  They serve as revelations. A conscious individual always endeavors to extricate self from the limiting absurdities around.   

“The knowledge of self will preserve your from vanity.”

                                        
Miguel de Cervantes

However, in the rat race of modern life, is it possible to listen to the internal voiceless flow? It may appear paradoxical yet in spite of this fast-paced existence, a desire to make life exceptional and more dynamic has to be developed.

....

Here is an attempt at loud thinking based on  impressions gleaned over the years:

One thing, which helps in discovering ourselves, is our interactions with others. Reactions good or bad in specific or everyday situations of people close to us or our acquaintances or our friends or others throw useful learning lessons. Self-knowledge acquired thus help us in adapting our self-image vis a vis others.

In a way, the behavior of others educates us about those whose association leads to pessimism, brooding and pulling us down. It signals us to be friends with those who perk up our confidence and shun the naysayers. Developing links with people who raise us and enhance the positive aspect of life should be assiduously pursued. Being aware of this option becomes an inspiration for better management of our lives.

Self-awareness is akin to mindfulness, exhorting us to devote a single-minded approach to our life tasks. As Swami Vivekananda succinctly puts it,

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”

Writings of great philosophers especially Socrates' polemics with his listeners and Plato’s dialogues are great influencers in clearing doubts and bigoted perceptions.

Looking inside for analyzing our fears and anxieties objectively is conducive to finding solutions. A free and relaxed mind expands the creative horizon.

A serious evaluation of our experiences can help in making better decisions for self-improvement.

Self-knowledge also means being true to one’s core values. Honesty truthfulness and probity are our treasures and under no circumstances should ever be compromised.

Our internal invisible monologue says a lot about our thinking process, which defines our personalities. All its warnings and appraisals nudge and activate our receptiveness to change and to act courageously.

Acquiring self-knowledge is an exercise, which continues throughout life.  It is rightly pointed out that we are always in the act of becoming.

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LET'S CREATE OUR OWN JOYS

Early morning scene as the sun glides up at a retirement community in South India.

 There is so much joy to experience!  

J is for joy:

Celebrate the morning breeze and stillness serene,

Feel uplifted energized as if in a land of dream.

Rejoice at the crescendo of bird noises at dawn,

Sway with the mystic exuberance of the morn.

Experience delight at the sun’s radiant birth, 

Pause at the joyful blooms to savor their mirth.

Disallow the negativities your joy to steal,
Dive into each act with devotion and zeal. 

Grapple with failures relish each triumph,

Pledge to reach sublime ladders to climb.

Faith will maneuver nature on your side,

Undaunted pick the shells by the life's tide.

Ignite a spark at the threshold of gray zone,

Life fulfilled bid adieu sans groan.

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AN INTERESTING INCIDENT

WHEN I’S CAUGHT IN A DUST STORM.

 I for interesting:

Figurines made from waste and discards embellish the famous Rock Garden in Chandigarh.

 

It happened a long time back in the 1960s. We were living in Chandigarh. I’s a college student then and used to cycle down to college. It was the early days of the establishment of the new city ‘Chandigarh’. It was called the city beautiful, because of its well-planned structure, openness, and overall cleanliness. The credit for its marvelous design went to a renowned French architect Le Corbusier. At present, it is a union territory and capital of two states of Punjab and Haryana

In those days, it was slowly coming into existence and lacked facilities. One had to cover a KM or two to even buy vegetables. There were no vendors passing through the roads with their hand driven carts. Below, an effort with PAINT for once.

It was summer and very hot. Mother needed vegetables for the evening meal. On that particular day every week, a vegetable market used to be held in a different sector in the open ground. I offered to do the job by cycling to the market.Though there were signs of dusty haze in the atmosphere, I’s not dismayed. Armed with a satchel, off I went enthusiastically. I pedaled fast and reached in no time. 

I had hardly parked my cycle when unexpectedly a strong dusty wind overpowered the area.  It’s certainly a dust storm. It attacked gaining its full fury very fast.  My cycle tumbled down. The sand circling around was blinding. I immediately slumped to the ground and sat there with my head in between my legs glued to the ground. It was as if I’d be blown away. Small pebbles were hitting me from all sides. The sandy wind was rustling furiously. I dared not open my eyes. It was like a whirlpool of dirt engulfing me in its fold. A total bombardment of raging muck. It was scary.

 Google images

How long I sat facing the ferocity of the storm I don’t remember.  When mercifully the storm started subsiding, I tried to open my dirt-filled eyes. After continuous blinking, it dawned on me that already it was dark and I should rush back home. I accomplished it somehow. Everybody was worried at home. On seeing me safe, their faces lighted up. Inside in the light, my hair and face powdered with earth presented an interesting sight. An evening ended as a damp squib.

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HAPPINESS IS NOT JUST A WORD!

Women Power! Happy Moments! Me (second from right) with colleagues at a  farewell party in my college some years back.

Happiness is:

It is a conundrum. It is an abstraction. It is subjective. It is no less than a concept. It encompasses a plethora of human emotions. It is something to do with our feelings. In fact, we associate happiness with activities, which give us joy, satisfaction, confidence and positive orientation. Yet it defies absolute definition. Here is a bit of discussion about the way I take it.

Happiness is being honest with oneself. It is having some principles and a value system to lead life by. It is being better than yesterday. It is in having some goal, maybe a simple one and adhering to it. It is being unselfish but loving yourself and being you. It is not in pleasing others but helping others genuinely. Hypocrisy is its enemy. It is to try to conduct yourself righteously. It is in having convictions and sticking to them with courage. It is also in setting your priorities right and time management.

 

It doesn’t imply an absence of negative emotions. They are bound to be there. Unpleasant life situations spring up from nowhere. It is to control unfounded fears and fight skepticism. It is to shake out negations with the strength of character and catapult oneself back into the mainstream of life faster. It is to plunge into positive action braving odds.

Happiness is to be grateful for whatever one has. It is shunning impossible cravings and misleading fantasies. It is not about dwelling upon human frailties around you but learning lessons from them. It is in accepting yourself and others as they are.

It lies in being conscious of natural phenomenon in all its manifestations. It is in reading good books for inspiration, visualization, and personal improvement. It is to be polite and a patient listener. It is to respect elders and learn from their experiences. It is to indulge in positive affirmations for the good of all.

Friends these are the ideals I believe in. Don't you think, we do need such reminders periodically to prevent ourselves from straying into lethargy and mediocrity. 

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NATURE'S GREEN WORLD

G for THE GREENERY AROUND US.

Man and nature are inseparable. Man’s relatedness to nature corresponds to his evolution through various stages of development for millions of years. His first refuge from the threatening elements was under the canopy of mammoth forests. The forest cover fulfilled his basic needs for survival.  Man kept on evolving slowly and steadily. How man reached the present state falls under the realm of history.

Wheat fields on the side of a highway

Greenery i.e. plant life is the major part of our blissful life endowed to us by nature. Life without the magical presence of green world around us is unthinkable. It is the backbone of our lives. Green crops feed us with their nutritious grains.  Green vegetables provide us with the necessary vitamins needed for our mental and physical growth. Green fruit plants bless us with their sweet and luscious fruits.

Trees standing stately in our midst clean the air we breathe. They help in balancing the ecosystem. Trees care for the safety of the avian families. Birds entertain us with their interesting sounds. Insects stay in the lap of plants. We keep wondering, how these tiniest wee bits can produce those stunning noises. 

Flowers after rain-washed nights steal our hearts away. Their lush green shoots soothe the eyes. A blade of green grass glimmering in morning light topped with its pearly dewdrop captivates our senses. The freshly mowed lawn attracts hordes of bird families. What a delight it is to watch their joyful chirps as they eagerly search for grubs! Branches of trees thickened with new leaves swing merrily in the breeze during spring. Theirs is a unique inspiration that can never be replicated.

This green repertoire of nature reflects immense life lessons. Nature has its own indivisible laws. Like life itself, it does not move continuously uphill. It has its breaks and setbacks. Winter of nature as of life is bleak. Plants seem withered. Trees look like skeletons shorn of leaf. Yet soon spring arrives with it magical apparel of freshness, new tender shoots and wraps the world in its green sheen and beauty. Likewise, in life obstacles and despair invade us suddenly and leave us heart broken. If we have faith in ourselves, we can overcome difficulties with patience and sincere efforts.

Plants as nature’s representatives follow a decisive rhythm. The flow of automatic change of seasons vouches for this spontaneous activity. Vegetation has the gift of resilience. This quality in itself gives us a lesson of hope. However bad a situation is, it will get resolved. Plants are our allies. Their bounties to the human race are free.

Let’s act responsibly towards nature. If pushed to the wall by man’s greed and selfishness, it mighty rebel.

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AN EGG’S INCREDIBLE VERSATILITY

FULL MARKS TO EGG FOR BEING A KING IN NUTRITION!

 

There was a time when I’s a lot interested in cooking. My colleagues in the Home Science department of our college taught me how to bake cakes, prepare selected popular snacks, and various puddings. I loved trying all those recipes on Sundays and enjoyed my successes in the culinary art.  But that was a long long time back. In fact, so much has changed since then that fancy cooking has already been shone the door. Those experiences stay as a distant memory today.

Now I cook what is nutritious and easy on the digestive system. A sensitive gut doesn’t allow the luxury of carefree eating. Yet I thought let me talk about food and that too about the incredible egg.

This longish prologue to the post is because I have chosen E for egg to develop my narrative upon for this week. Why the word “Egg” you may ask.  My response would be that I love eggs. I’m still a good cook and my curiosity and zest for experiments are intact.

Eggs are a reservoir of vitamins and minerals.  They contain high-quality protein and are light on the stomach. To cap it all, an egg is so versatile and adapts to all types of cuisines globally. The bonus part is that they are cheap.

I cook them for breakfast almost every day. I also prepare a couple of side dishes for lunch/ dinner, when unexpected guests arrive. I’m going to share how I cook eggs differently as a routine. Here it goes.

SUNNYSIDE UP/FRIED EGG:

This is my favorite and so easy to cook. On medium heat grease your nonstick pan. Break the egg carefully into the pan, and cook until the edges become brown. If you do not like the runny yoke, then turn it upside down and after a minute or two slide it on a toast or plate. Sprinkle salt and pepper and there it goes into enjoyable bites.

OMELET:

I cook omelet when I decide to make stuffed paranthas. No more than once a week to break the monotony. Most of the time, while beating an egg, I add finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, onions and a green chili, salt, and pepper into the mixture.  Pouring the stuff onto the sizzling oil/butter in the pan on slow heat is a mouthwatering sight.

HARD-BOILED EGG:

 

It is the easiest way to eat an egg. Put the egg in the boiling water for about four minutes. Remove and let it cool. Peel the shell gently starting from the larger top downwards. Cut it into two halves or into round pieces. Sprinkle salt and pepper and lap it up. To prevent it from breaking in the water, make sure that the egg is at room temperature.

HALF-BOILED EGG:

The healthiest way to consume an egg is this one. Lower the egg in the boiling water for two minutes with the kitchen timer. Remove. Let it stand until it is still comfortably warm from the outside. Place it in a little eggcup or hold it in your left hand. Daintily break large enough part of the upper portion of the egg to allow insertion of a spoon. Scoop the insides with a teaspoon. A soft-boiled egg retains its nutritive value intact. And it gets digested so easily.

SCRAMBLED EGG:

Cooking an egg is always simple and scrambled egg is no exception. Even my granddaughter (yet to be a teen) knows how to cook it.

Have all the condiments ready.  Place the spatula near at hand.  Oil the pan evenly on medium flame. Break the egg into the pan, add salt etc. Stir and mix well. It is done very quickly. Be careful to remove the pan when the stuff is still moist.

POACHED EGG:

I needed to have an image of the poached egg. The best option was to prepare one. Therefore, I tried it today with a very good result. The method is easy but a bit tricky. Break the egg carefully in a tiny bowl. Put water in a flat-bottomed pan with straight up edges.  When the water just starts boiling, make a sort of whirlpool in the middle. This stops it from spreading in the pan. Softly drop the egg in the middle of the pan.  Keep watching. Let it cook for two-three minutes. With practice, one comes to know when it is done. Scoop it out with the tea strainer and savor it warm with some salt and pepper. 

This is a pudding made with egg and thickened milk. I cooked  it during the week. It is time consuming, so I'm giving it a miss.

We in North India also love EGG CURRY occasionally.

I prepare EGG BURJI when my children visit us. It is a tasty dish eaten with rotis or paranthas.

Just a sneak peek into my food preferences, friends. More next time! Hope to learn your simple recipes.

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CARING IS DIVINE

Mother nature is beautiful, joyful and creates magic for us all the time.

  Location: Nature Cure Institute at Banglore.

 D is for Divine:

Caring Is Divine:

Caring is divine, warm and soothing,

It is affection, milky pure and blooming.

A mother’s caring carries this greatness

Unmindful of pain, is always ready for a harness.

Mother earth cares in bounties,

Thwarting the fallacious identities,

It wraps the universe in its caring fold,

Its regime forever has the global hold.

 
Mother country’s care transmits benevolence,

It disrupts skillfully all malevolence.

Mother Nature is a stalwart in caring,

It is magnanimous and practices ceaseless sharing.

Let's sustain  life's caring setting.

Let’s stop life destroying venom from spreading.        images courtesy google.
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WINTER'S COLORFUL BONANZA

Winter's inimitable Art!

January's intense cold has been compensated by the luxury of gorgeous hues spotted in the park nearby. A week of blissful sunlight swept away the blues of hazy grey ambience of the previous weeks. The cheer of the smiling beauties uplifts the moods and takes away the inertia and lethargy, coaxing everyone to step out and enjoy the warmth of golden sunshine.


'B' is for bonanza:

Yellow is one of my favorite colors. It signifies strength, courage, and positivity.

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"RING OUT THE OLD, RING IN THE NEW."

'Y' is for New Year: 2018

The beauty below clicked from a park close by!

The New Year is waiting round the corner to usher in love and happiness; strength and courage; kindness and generosity; gratitude  and goodness. In the context of New Year, I  remember a poem titled "RING OUT, WILD BELLS" by Lord Tennyson a popular Victorian poet, who  was also poet laureate of England in his times. His  longings expressed in the lyrics form the basis of this  great poem. It 's during my University days that I read it and enjoyed it immensely. The poem reproduced below is a classic.  It articulates, the wishes, hopes, desires, fears and concerns of each one of us. We may be living in any part of the world  but our hearts beat with same emotions and sentiments.

The poem is so lucid that each word sums up the universal longing for change and rejuvenation.  The poet exhorts every one to banish lies, falsehood, strife and all suffering, which  threaten our  lives every day. The poem's message is in fact, relevant today, more than ever as the  untimely deaths and destruction stare us in the face daily.  Hoping that New Year will be harbinger of peace and prosperity in the whole world. 

Human spirit always wins!

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RING OUT, WILD BELLS
     Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

  Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
   The flying cloud, the frosty light:
   The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
   The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
   For those that here we see no more;
   Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
   And ancient forms of party strife;
   Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
   The faithless coldness of the times;
   Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
   The civic slander and the spite;
   Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
   Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
   The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
   Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

......

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WHY I LOVE WINTERS?

“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.”
― Helen Keller

 Sunshine smiles- Google image

     
  W is for Winter.

CELEBRATING WINTER!

A nasty bout of flu, notwithstanding, I love winters. If I’s incapacitated for more than two weeks, I’ve no reason to rile winter. The fault lies with my immune system. It played me false.

 In North India where we live, we face extreme weather conditions both in summers and in winters. Yet somehow, the severity of winter is declining as also its duration. Ceaseless construction activity, congested roads, vehicular emissions, burgeoning population   all are the culprits. Let it be for another time!

Winter ushers in fun, frolic, golden sunlight, festivals and delectable cuisines. Winters are famous for providing good things in plenty, be it vegetables or fruits, sweet dishes or crunchy crisp snacking items.

Here is the list of activities, which makes winter special for me.

Early morning picture of the rising sun in the urban milieu.

SUN AND ME:

Basking in the sun is one of the greatest pleasures of my life at this stage.  As the sun rises, our back verandah is lighted up with the mellowed luminosity and sweet raw warmth. Setting aside the curtains of all rooms, and allowing the morning glow to filter through the windowpanes is the most joyful task of the day. It fills me with gaiety and gratitude for being alive amidst such loveliness. My inner being smiles and shakes off inertia. I welcome the new day.

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

I head to the kitchen for  preparing my favorite ginger tea. I itch to go out while sipping the first cup of the day. A stroll in the driveway energizes. A tentative plan for the day emerges in the mind. What to prepare for breakfast and subsequent meals is traced in the mind’s calendar. Mental assessment of other tasks ensues. Things feel doable.   

(Prior planning has helped me all along. It enabled me to strike a balance between my home and professional life. Now retired but the habit stays. Time management helps me to carry on my creative pursuits and indulge in  my hobbies now.)

BREAKFAST IN THE BACK PATIO:

The golden mellow sunshine is so inviting that to eat breakfast inside feels like a sin. Hubby helps in transferring the eatables outside on the tiled  raised platform in the middle of the open yard.  It is a private kingly domain. We linger on enjoying every bite coupled with background music of a different kind. The chirps and peculiar sounds of the members of various avian families converged on our stately NEEM tree, add to the joy.  What a blessing!

ME TIME:

I wait eagerly for this time. Some food for thought. Newspaper is waiting. I savor uninterrupted the columns, I enjoy while the sun goes up wrapping the area in its warm blanket. It is heavenly. Thank you GOD for being so generous. I solve 'SCRAMBLE' and 'SPELLATHON' next. My grey cells need some shaking up after all. ‘THE TIMES OF INDIA’ does cater to the needs of the retirees, ha ha  ha.

WHAT I READ:

Reader’s Digest and my Kindle books provide me enough reading material to be relished in the balmy and restorative sunshine. The poor KINDLE lazed on my computer table for so many days because of my sickness. Dusted and brought to life once again. I’m reading Dostoevsky’s 'CRIME AND PUNISHMENT' for the third time. It describes  tragically life in Russia before the Revolution. Winter sun transforms even dense books into a pleasure reading.

RAINY DAYS ARE WELCOME:

I’ve no complaints even on bad days in winter. In fact, one can have a great time during winter rains and foggy days. You can sit snuggled up in your quilt with a book or pursue some hobby. I’m experimenting with a crochet hook. I’ve already learnt to crochet a circle and a square with left over wool of bygone days.

Now friends, this is just a tiny part of the trailer of my life. Like every other householder, there is always a lot in the work basket to be performed in the lapse of a day.  Yet this is how I feel on my cherished days in winter.

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