WINTRY DAYS

W is for Winter

Finally, wintry days have arrived in the plains of North India where I live.  Looks like severe winters are slowly disappearing. We are approaching the middle of December, still, it is pleasant, and allows us to move out with just a sweater.  The mild and sweet balminess of golden sunshine gifts the bliss of warmness. Daytime warmth enjoyed while luxuriously lazing in the sun takes the night chill out of the bones.

However, the specter of global warming is real and obvious and warns the world leaders to find solutions forthwith.

Surprisingly we experienced winter rains today. There had been subdued thunder and intermittent light showers since morning. Maybe this would usher in expected and awaited wintry conditions soon. It has to be. Otherwise, piles of winter clothing stored in airtight bags would be compelled to remain in the company of mothballs for another year.

Why rainy days are welcomed by the likes of me? For one, you are least disturbed on rainy days in winters. Even the maid gets an excuse for a furlough. The boon of having plenty of me time to be yourself is pleasurable. You can spend it wilfully and comfortably. Either ensconced in the soft confines of your quilt with a book or listen to your fav songs uninterruptedly with dreamy eyes.

Winter rains are a godsend for the farmers too. The wheat crop, which is yet in its infancy, receives the much-needed slow saturation and proliferates admirably in the aftermath. A drive out of town on the highway gives a glimpse of vast fields of healthy green sheets of wheat spread like an ocean touching the horizon.

                                           Indian turnips   image Google

In our part of the country, winter is synonymous with mouthwatering cuisine. A sumptuous variety of fresh vegetables is available in plenty in the market.  Green leafy vegetables like mustard greens, spinach, fenugreek leaves are popular favorites with all. Saag (all three cooked together after fine chopping) is a much sought after preparation for tangy taste and enormous health benefits. Turnips with their fresh leaves intact make a delicious and nutritious dish. Radishes- the white beauties grated and stuffed into paranthas for breakfast waft flavorful aromas around and activate the taste buds of even the neighbors. 

I eagerly wait for winter for buying shakarkandi (sweet potatoes) another of my weakness. It makes its appearance only in winters. Slicing them into rounds after boiling and eating them with a generous quantity of honey or ketchup is a truly satisfying experience.

It is the late evening of a rain-soaked day and mild rain spell has started once again. Even with the curtains drawn closely, I can sense the atmosphere outside. Sitting in a static position in front of the computer, I feel like standing up to shake my near numb legs. I think I do deserve a hot something. Don’t you think so?

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." - Hal Borland 

Friends welcome here as always!


Linking to:

ABC Wednesday 
Nature Notes
Our World 

NATURE NURTURES

ABC Wednesday

N is for Nature

Contemplating about life, environment and nature’s unique manifestations in a fresh narrative is an interesting and challenging intellectual exercise. When the inspiration emanates from ABC Wednesday’s next letter theme, it becomes more special. This week, I’ve chosen the vast reservoir of mother nature vis a vis our everyday life, to write a critique upon. It is a subject, which keeps afloat the subtle sense of wonder in my receptive psyche. The cyclic aspect of natural phenomenon is inextricably linked to the structure of our lives on this earth. Moreover, the very consciousness of this thought makes it worth writing about.

Think of the arrival of spring.  It’s symbolic of the revival of hope, beauty and well-being in the larger context of our lives. All living organisms breathe the glamor of the season and grow. When spring‘s verdure spreads its magical wings, it overlooks our inadequacies and invites us to join in the rejoicing. Its abundant profile shrouds warts and all under its lush green shawl, presenting an image of idyllic splendor. All the eyesores of winter are dressed up in the glow and glory of glistening freshness of new leaves, out to conquer the world with its renewed energy and colorful appeal.

Likewise, we too are infected with the innocent smiles of leisurely opening rose petals and resurgent plant life. The joy of being alive amidst such charm and loveliness loosens the wintry stiffness of the limbs, while injecting the sap of vitality. We strut about with a streak of confidence and assume a sort of amnesia about the issues that plagued us during winter. The glorious spring inspires us to reach our goals as the barrenness of the winter has been morphed into flower and fertility. Our lives turn around, projecting a beefed up enthusiasm for concreting our dreams. Depression and despair take to their heels in the face of childlike excitement of moving around gleaming greenery.

The rainy season soaks the parched earth of sweltering summers with the lifesaving tonic of blissful showers. Flora and fauna rejuvenate after weathering the stifling heat. Monsoon rains replenish the drying water bodies; wash the dust and grime of summer’s dusty storms and serve as a boon for the farmers of our lands. In the freshly washed atmosphere, the sky looks luminous and surreal at night. Glowworms with their peculiar twinkle warm our hearts and make us wonder at the spontaneity of this change. The artists in all fields set about finishing their products with renewed zeal.

Winter has its own distinctive character in India.We bask in the golden sunshine and savor healthy sweet meets loaded with nuts and dry herbs to strengthen our immunity. Availability of plenty of fresh vegetables is an added attraction.

Autumn in the West is a season of shimmering colors and festivities. The charm of flaming red orange and brown foliage leaves one speechless.

Nature is a teacher, pious and all encompassing. The conscious mind drinks deep the luxuriance of its very presence. Even for the uninitiated, absorbed in the throes of life’s constant battles, it soothes his journey by throwing joyfully free interjections from time to time. Nature doesn’t discriminate and gifts its wares betwixt one and all equally.

For thousands of years, nature has been man’s never failing ally. It is indefatigable in its approach of persistently greeting us smilingly.  It has steadiness, which is rock solid. It provides us a reason to live. It has a charm, which is disarming. It keeps us rooted to the ground. It teaches us the sense of wonder. It is a preserver of life. Birds of all types and hues, sprightly squirrels and hordes of living organisms thrive in its protective fold.

Negativity has no place in its scheme of things. It never grumbles or shows furrows of contempt on its visage. It never throws innuendos and invectives to score fake points. It doesn’t intimidate. It never gnaws our insides with faceless fears. Lip service is never on its agenda.  Miraculous benefits, which accrue from this interface, reinforce our resolves.

Taking lessons from the resilience of mother earth and brushing aside the irritants and hurdles, we're motivated to surge ahead on the road of life. Our ancestors must have been unknowingly enthused by the proximity to nature to face the dark dangers of their tough existence. Their relatedness to nature must have boosted their spirits into pro activity. Perhaps this is how our ancestors survived and kept climbing the steps of the ladder of progress and innovation.   

Changes in nature and natural phenomenon run parallel to our enigmatic sojourn here.

Friends, welcome here as always!