thats the way life works..

"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it" (Proverbs 11:24-26)- The Scriptures tell us that  the"watering" and the "blessing" we give through our generosity is not just good for others, it is good for us. It is in helping others that we are helping ourselves.

image from google

"Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion" (Proverbs 11:22)
The best way to enhance outer beauty is to pay close attention to inner beauty.

a long time...

Its been more than 2 months now. "Shades of  Life" isn’t dead yet. A couple of posts here and there gives a proof that its still alive.

2012 hasn’t been that great a year. More downs than up. There isnt much to write. Actually there was a lot to write but that would mean more whining.

I did travel a lot this year giving enough fodder to my passion for photography . But travel post on my blog meant people getting frustrated reading my travelogue and cursing me for the same.
 
I guess I am currently in a state of Writer’s block but was i ever a writer?  I guess the steam finally ran out.

Maybe I have stopped feeling much for anything nowadays and became more mechanical. But that is one thing I am sure of. I don’t feel much nowadays like before!

I have lots of anger and irritation  and that’s quite a lot of feelings but anger is spontaneous and mostly unnecessary. Writing about the time I am pissed with anybody or with my life... or anything else.. can make numerous posts but then I better forget it than write about it.

I plan to write about a topic and then just think about it till I finally lose interest in writing it. Some untold stories, some incomplete incidents remain in my computer waiting to be completed. I am not  sure whether i am planning to complete them anytime soon.

 I have written much about me. It feels that a lot of my memories are here. Some might still be left in the corner of my mind though. Some day they will get here i am sure. But god knows when.
 I have discovered myself here and I have lost myself here so I don’t promise to write more neither do I decide to quit. As always I go with the flow and write when I feel like. Maybe being less lazy and I can write more.
but "shades of life" definately has a long way to go...i hope!

existence..

Child: Mom...does God exist?
Mom: Yes baby he does!
Child: have you seen him?
Mom:Well... i havent seen him...
Child: without seeing how can u say he exists??
Mom: thats because i believe he exists
Child: u mean to say though you havnt seen him you know he exists?
Mom: yes thats because he has given us reasons to believe that he does exist
Child:what reasons?
Mom:Well...once upon a time...God created the heaven...the earth...all the other planets...animals..birds..water...sun...moon...air to breathe...sky...day...night..everything!
Child: But in school maam said the planets came into existence because of the shock waves from an exploding supernova billions n billions of years ago.
Mom: that is a different perspective from science dear...and science is also not wrong!
Child: is God big or science big?
Mom: i would say God is big!
Child: then u think...i shouldnt learn science?? cos if God is bigger i should believe in him and not science right?
Mom: No thats not what i meant. You should know about science as well as God. As u grow up its upto you to have a vast understanding. You will know how to prioritise. You will know where to put your belief and in what. As u r born in a family that believes in God and his existence.... you are brought up in a way to understand that god does exist. He is a super power in which we believe.
Child: ok so you mean to say...as of now i should learn science and believe in god?
Mom: yes..you can take it in that way..
Child: Ok mom...what makes you believe in god the most?
Mom: You..
Child:Me? why so?
Mom: Because i got you because i believe in god
Child: So u mean to say god sent me to you?
Mom: yes! he gave me you :)
Child: So u mean to say You are mother mary and i am Jesus christ?? Cos in sunday school father said God sent his only son to earth and he was born to Mother Mary!
Mom: hahah...in one way or the other you are Christ and i am Mother mary...so lets believe and live life like that!
Child: ok mamma so i guess i should tell everyone about my self and about you! we should tell people about our existence!!

my cookbook..

a galey copy of my cookbook

a galey copy of my cookbook

well..thats my cookbook! And to get it published...hmmm.....i guess procrastinator is my new name now!!  am i waiting for the right time?? i hope one day it is out...

chechy...

Coming back home from hometown...it had been a bit difficult for me to cope up being alone at home. Hubby leaves for office in the morning and i am sitting at home alone having nothing much to do. Thoughts wander in my head. When he is at home with me....things are different and i dont really keep thinking much.

At times we start thinking..."i really dont have anyone who truly understands my pain"!. Some people call you or talk to you or be with you only for their own intentions. They will keep talking about their problems, sorrows,rants, everything but never ask you how you are and how your feelings are and rarely bother to understand your feelings!

In the past two days...chechy came home. The way she mentors me and the way she prays for me...inspires me to have more faith in God and to move on with a hope of getting back much more than what i lost in life. Though its been a short period since we started knowing each other...there is an unexplainable feeling and love which i have for her, and i love the kind of bond we share. She is a person with immense faith in God and truly believes that there is nothing impossible for him.Thank you Chechy...thanks for being there for me.I pray u get all the happiness in the world and may god bless you abundantly. love u anina chechy..

the first man in my life...

Appa as I call him, is the funniest yet strongest man you could ever meet...he will crack you up with his pj's and usually manages to make us all laugh.
"Appa...i know better than you ". hehe one of my standard dialogues till school days. Appa and me always had the best debate and arguments in the world. we will argue and argue till we fight, get angry and then stop talking with each other for atleast 2 days!! He is the strongest and the best human i have ever seen in my life. A man with principles who always thinks about other people before thinking about himself.
He is a man who at the age of 55 still tries wrestling with his grownup son, tries to show some moves n dances, he still likes it when we make a major fuss on his Bday and he still irritates mom by trying to help her in the kitchen.
But among all the laughter he is strict when necessary..he made it sure that both his kids learnt how important it was to give respect and to command respect from others.
I have always been his darling...(well... I atleast like to think so:) )..anyways he has always been there for me and no request of mine was ever forgotten or not dealt with. I never had to ask anything...before that it was in my hands. Among all the fun and frolic I do belive that as a human...what i am today is all because of him. He always says.. "be polite and down to earth and u can see the world from a differnt perspective". We have had our shares of arguments and fights but that doesnt change the fact that appa has always been there for me whenever..wherever.

Appa is the strongest,funniest,most loving,selfless appa in the world. love u forever:)

and it rains...

Hometown has been quite pleasant since quite some time! heavy rains since few days....the less sunny afternoons....the less polluted environment and clean city when compared to my city.  Today the whole afternoon i spent in my balcony enjoying the rains with a cup of tea and a book in my hand. Life is so different in different places. Many a times our surroundings give us both positive and negative vibes.  Birds were  getting wet in the rains and were trying to find a place to keep them dry. When suddenly this is what i noticed. Love is in the air!          



by sunithajobi

smiling is happiness...

One word which means a lot. To me, happiness is a state of the mind .it is a state that is connected to the circumstances, surroundings, the people around u, your likes and your dislikes, or it may just be something that u like to do.
Have been thinking for sometime as to what makes me happy, or what might make me happy.

I was thinking about all the things that make me happy....here goes (definitely not all ...., but surely i can remember a few)

-Spending time with hubby(especially when he takes an off from work and we roam around the whole city;)

-Long drives with hubby..

-Reading

-Cooking for hubby something special and he loves it..

-When someone praises and appreciates my cooking (though i dont have any professional culinary skills...i cook pretty well..;-P)

-Talking with my dad(my mentor..)

-Teasing my brother and to get teased by him..

-Talking about childhood days with dad n mom...

-Speaking to my mom over the phone everyday in the evening

-Playing with tuffy (my spoilt, funny,yet adorable pet)

-Chatting with Sanu over the phone for hours..(and mentioning each time how much we like each other..:))

-Sitting and chatting for hours on end with friends

-Listening to music

-Chocolates...heaven!

-Meeting a friend after years..

-Mint milk chocolate chip( my fav ice cream, its a heavenly delite ...yummm...just thinking abt it makes me smile and drool)

-Clicking photographs and praising my skills....(more when some else praises)

-Watching a good movie

-Enjoying a nice dinner with family....

-Somebody says, hey u have lost weight!!tht makes my day:)

-Dreaming,

-Travelling like crazy..

-Bike ride on a rainy day..

-Birds chirping early in the morning..

-Seeing a new bud on my plant..

-Laughing out loud without a care in the world..

-Going out with friends

-Sitting and giggling like a nut, for everything, with hubby..

-Memories of school, college....

-Early morning sunshine...(.but not the heattt! especially Chennai heat!!..God save us!!..)

-Feel real happy whn i buy earings from roadside stalls (cheaper the better ;)thts my motto)

-Feel extremely happy when i see ‘new arrivals’ on the window of a bagstore;-P

-Kids....

Some famous quotes on happiness:

§  "The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for-“ Allan K. Chalmers”.

§  “If you smile while you talk, you make people happy”- author unknown

§  “Learn to laugh. This will make you feel better”- author unknown

§  "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go". Oscar Wilde

§  "To be stupid, selfish, and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost". Gustave Flaubert

§  " The most thoroughly wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed" - Nicolas de Chamfort

songs and thoughts....

WORDS by boyzone:

"Smile an everlasting smile, a smile can bring you

Near to me.

Don't ever let me find you gone, cause that would

Bring a tear to me.

This world has lost it's glory, lets start a brand

New story now, my love.

Right now, there'll be no other time and I can show

You how, my love.

Talk in everlasting words, and dedicate them all to

Me.

And I will give you all my life, I'm here if you

Should call to me.

You think that I don't even mean,

A single word I say.

It's only words, and words are all I have, to take

Your heart away"

This is one of my all time favourite songs. the lyrics are soo touching and mersmerising that i would listen to this song over and over again!! hats off to all those lyricists who come out with such lyrics for songs which are like pearls from the ocean!

a memory from childhood....

Mom always used to tell short stories when me and my brother were kids :). Most of them were either to put us to sleep or to stop us from fighting and killing each other ;-D. One such story which i would like to share with you all is about the 'jackfruit' .:)

Even though she made up stories in a jiffy and told us...some of them were really fascinating which i still remember. Mothers have the great power to conquer her childs mind. This story is just a fantasy but i would still like to share with you all. So..here goes my moms story:

"Once upon a time there lived a christian priest who had unimaginable magical powers. He lived about a 100 years ago in a village and people in the village always approached him for all their problems. Superstitions, devils and demons haunted the people those days. Once the priest was walking near a river bank when suddenly he saw a very unusual thing. He saw two tiny men in the middle of the river disappearing into the water. The water in the river started to divide from the centre to make space for them and they walked into the river bed. After the two men went inside, the river came back to normal.

The priest was shocked at what he saw and decided to know the truth behind what he just witnessed. He rowed on a boat and reached the middle of the river. Suddenly the river divided itself. The priest saw a ladder inside the river which would take him deep inside the river. He got down frm the boat and started climbing down the stairs. When he reached the bottom of the ladder, he couldnt believe his eyes. He saw a small village inside the river and all the people in the village were as short as dwarfs and the whole place was filled with huge trees that had amazing large green fruits on it which the priest had never seen in his life. All the people were indulged in their day to day activities. Noone noticed him. People were eating, playing,washing clothes and children were running here and there. He saw  few women sitting and scrapping a particular kind of seed which was as long as our thumb.

The priest picked one seed and kept it inside his pocket. He slowly walked around the village and then decided to go back. He came near the ladder, climbed up to the river and rowed his boat and went back home.

image from google

After coming home, he remembered that he had taken a seed from the mystery village. He went out and sowed the seed. After few years the seed grew up to become a huge tree. Thats the jackfruit tree and this is how we got the "JACKFRUIT". ":):) 

The story might seem funny :) but as a child i believed that this is how jackfruit came into existance. I remember this story till today and really cherish the times when mom used to tell stories for us at every occassion.
                                                                                                                                  
Thanks mom:)

i dont ask for more....

I want to cuddle up under my blanket and sleep till late:):)...
I want to catch up on my reading...
I want to watch all the new releases (preferably first day ;P)...
I want to dance on all my favourite songs:):)....
I want to go on a long drive....
I want to sit in a bistro for hours and do nothing...
I want to have a major senseless giggling session with my friends:):)
I want to go on a major shopping and empty hubbys pockets :-P ):)..
I want to have an ice-cream with hubbyy cos i’ll be the only one hogging and he smiling :)’’.....(i hate sharing u see ;))
I want to travel to switzerland,paris,London,kashmir,new zealand,vegas..with hubby dear...(the list keeps increasing day by day :-P)

I want to walk and walk till roads end...

I want to scream when everyone is sleeping...

I want to start writing more seriously

I want to sleep watching the stars in the sky..

I want to make a wish seeing the shooting star..
I want to sit on a beach and just stare into the horizon :))...
I want to do nothing:):)...
I want to get back what i lost...
I want to give life..

I want to...

                                       .....the wish is endless and so is the list.

my first simple recipe for the blog- strawberry and dates smoothie

Here is a very simple yet tasty smoothie with minimal ingredients.

Ingredients: ( serves 2)

1. Fresh Strawberry: (10 to 12 nos)

2. Plain Yogurt: 1 cup(250grams)

3. Deseeded Dates :7 to 8 nos

4. Sugar: 2 tsp

5. Vanilla icecream : 2 tblsp

Method:

Grind all the above ingredients in a mixer and bring to a smooth consistency.

Serves best with ice cubes.

blooms from mom's garden....

                                                                                                             

being myself...

last few months have been the worst days of my life. Bad enough to drive me do try crazy stuff. I had become bitter, quiet,sad and gloomy. but then, I  knew i had to come out of it. I guess it's then I realised it might be a good idea if I tried the same. I was always a happy,positive,charming,friendly person. for now...I can't randomly decide to be happy, but then I can try to not be gloomy and bitter. The problem in the whole situation is no one intends to hurt others so thats what I will do now on .Right now I feel I am blessed to have my hubby and family around me. Making exemptions for my behavior, trying to lift my spirit and best of all just letting me be the way i am now. cos they have faith i will get back to be myself soon...

mere do anmol ratan...

----MY LOST GEMS--------
Being a mother is a gift.And when you get a chance to be a mother to twins....is an added blessing. I was on top of the world. Thanking god and considering myself as his lucky and chosen child. Everyone around me kept telling me and made me feel lucky.But God had other plans i guess. So as humans, whatever plans we have doesnt have much life to it.Everything is in his hands. People say, whatever happens, happens for good. And  i am a person who actually believed in that till i started thinking, why did it happen and what good was behind it?

May 16th 2012, a day which me and my husband wil remember forever with a pain in our heart. On that fateful day i went into pre term labor suddenly because of which i lost my babies a day after they turned 6months old in my womb. We had waited for almost 4 years before i conceived and our babies meant the whole world to us. All our dreams and expectations came to a stand still. No matter whoever tried to console me or give strength to look forward for a better future, it is never easy to forget my little angels and move on. A well wisher told me, maybe god wanted some more beautiful angels in heaven, thats why he took away my babies. It is easy to console the mind but not the heart. The only thing that helps me today to move on is hope. Becasue i believe God is never deaf to your words, blind to your tears or silent to your pain.
All the while, i am filled with mixed feelings. Feeling of Guilt, loss, emptiness everything haunts me all the time. Was it my mistake? Didnt i take proper care ? I keep asking God, 'why god...why me'. What good did God have in this? If he wanted to take away my babies, why did he gift them to me in the first place? I keep wondering what plans did God have in this...and i tell myself maybe he has a purpose.

One thing i realise is, when we face grief in life, we consider ourselves as most unlucky and the only people suffering. But when we look around us we realise we have much more blessings than others. When i lost my babies, many people around me tried to make me believe that it happened for good and i will be blessed again soon.So many people faced similiar and worse situations in life but God helped them move on and blessed them again.

I am a person who always believe that sorrows arent forever. They have lesser life than happiness. So to create a balance, God will give us happiness much sooner after he gave us some sorrows. When we dont ask "why God" when he gives us his countless blessings, how can we ask him "why God" when he tests our faith.

Today my babies are a memory. They are a part of me even if they arent with me and I can never forget them till i breathe. But i have hope that they are somewhere above in the skies looking at us-their parents and praying. Sometimes when i think, i feel God might not have wanted them to come into this world and face any kind of sufferings because they might be his special chosen children. So with a hope for a better tomorrow i move on. I still believe...God will never leave me empty handed...he will replace everything i lost.

"Lord i look upon you with faith and hope....do not forsake me...do not leave me...in you i trust"- amen