Another New Year!!
Another chance to complete all those tasks that I resolved to complete last year; another chance to make myself better than last year; another chance to declutter my house!! All these are legitimate reasons to better utilise my hours and minutes. And I shall try to do that.
But what did I accomplish in 2010?
Allow me to count:
1. I survived another year from that dreaded disease through God's grace and mercy.
2. I avoided another knee surgery, though at times it did seem that I might have to go through all that pain again.
3. I managed to increase my work hours.
4. I made my colleagues laugh and smile.
5. I walked a lot more in my place of work and also when I went shopping.
6. I did not have to use the cane when I did walk.
7. I started to volunteer again.
8. I started to exercise again- though still not regularly.
These are some of the major accomplishments. There may be others that I do not remember at this time.
By the way, why do we always wish each other 'Happy New Year'? I feel at this time I want to wish every one a healthy and peaceful New Year.

Holiday Season

Here we are- going through another Holiday Season, coming to the end of another year.

Every year I wonder how many of us truly enjoy the real spirit of Christmas, take a few moments to think about what it really means. We get so caught up with shopping, wrapping gifts, baking, decorating the 'tree', sending off the Christmas cards that we tend to forget to take time think about the real reason for this celebration. I have to admit that I too am caught up in this frenzy most of the time, but I do take the time to think of that 'special Baby' that was send to us. I am a Hindu by religion and believe that God sends someone from time to time to bring righteousness back to this world when it gets racked by evil. We do believe that Jesus was send to spread the word of God, save many sinners and show the people the way of goodness.

So, this season, let us take some time to think of the real reason for Christmas and give thanks that we were so blessed to have such a person walk amongst the people, doing good, spreading goodness and the word of God.

Lately I have been thinking of my families. The family that I left behind in my motherland, the family that became mine through marriage, the family that my husband and I created, and lastly-but not less important by any means-the family that is going on through my children. I fully seem to comprehend what the geneologists refer to as 'the family tree.'Honestly we are like the huge tree that is probably growing in your backyard. Two people in our past started to create a 'family.' They were the 'trunk' that send down roots to stabilize and grew branches that gradually had other branches of their own. All these branches had their own chacteristics. Some did resemble other branches in some way; but still each had its own individuality. Each grew in which ever direction it wanted to grow. The 'trunk' had no say in that matter. It gave the 'branches' a solid foundation to grow on and provided the nutrition for them to go forward. But as to direct them to grow in certain way, I feel, was left to the branches. They grew towards light- mostly upward and onward. Likewise, in a family, the parents provided the children with tools-through example and education-for future and then hoped for the best.

I wonder at times did the 'trunk' ever worry about the branches or did the branches ever think of the trunk!!

Also, may be because of this similie of a family and tree, I firmly believe that there are really only two things that we leave for our children- roots and wings. Roots are easily given; but the wings are so hard to give most of the time.

"Revolving Door"

My friends and colleagues say that I have a revolving front door! I agree that we do have more guests than they do; but that is the way we were brought up in India. We were told that guests who come to your home should always be treated in the same way as you would treat God if He ever came to visit you. Give them the best and serve them as well as you can. That is what I try to follow. We readily agree to have our guests come, unless either one of us is unwell or recovering from a illness. At such an instance we ask them to reschedule their visit.


Thinking on the same line I was reflecting on how many guests we have had or are going to have this summer. A friend and her two daughters stayed with us for a day. My sister and her husband was with us for about two weeks. My cousin and her son will be with us for four days in June. My nephew-in-law and his wife are scheduled to come during first part of July for a ten to fifteen days. And then our two adorable twin grandsons will be with us for a month and their mother for a couple of weeks.This is what I know for the time being.

Most of the time I do enjoy having guests. Since neither my husband nor I can travel much these days it is always nice to see people that we like having around us. I cook for them ahead of time making sure that I will have 'left overs' when they leave. Too much visiting does tire me out these days. Then it is great to have dinner ready in the fridge. Most times our friends will bring our favorite food with them. That is an added bonus. Also, in most cases before they leave they strip the beds and put the used bed linens in the washing machines.

When our children were small we welcomed guests for other selfish reasons. Having guests taught them to learn to share and serve. Now that they have families of their own I see examples of hospitality that they learned here when they were growing up here.

So, you see my friends, I do not mind at all having a 'revolving front door'!!

Missing you, India!!!

I live in a country that is not same as the one where I was born and raised. So - though I love my adopted country - I still miss many people and things that I had to leave behind. The relatives, friends, festivals, food, weather- all are missed. Yes, I have made many acquaintances here; yes, almost all types of Indian food- cooked and uncooked are available here; yes, most of the festivals are celebrated here too, ( though sometimes not on the same day), - still how do I get to hear the sound of many languages, traffic, music as one walks down the streets in India, smell the flowers and fruits sold by the wayside, and buy the street foods that is availble everywhere in any Indian city? Though many people that I have met here are extremely helpful and willing to listen, yet I miss talking with my friends in Bengali. Some jokes lose their 'funniness' in translation. One cannot walk into a cinema hall whenever one desires to see an Indian movie. Or turn on the radio to listen to Hindi or Bengali songs and discussions.

Looking at the positive side, I am fortunate to be able to travel to another country, learn another culture, meet many helpful and friendly people, be able to drive to malls, grocery stores or wherever in airconditioned or heated car. All these I can do with much more ease than I would have been able to in the land of my birth. I look forward to changing color of the leaves in Fall and new foliage and multicolored blossoms in Spring. These natural highlights I would not have seen if I did not come to this country. I would have not known the celebration of Thanksgiving, or heard the excitement of children hunting for Easter eggs. Though the shops and numerous houses are decorated for many festivals in India, the decorations are more elaborate here in the malls, airports, city centers and private homes. I am a retired school teacher who found the classrooms in schools here more colorful with works of students, bulletin boards and maps.

Inspite of living in the 'land of plenty' in a rather comfortable way for over forty years I still remember the smell of a particular flower when our biggest festival - Durga Puja-comes around every September or October, when the brother/sister celebration takes place, when colored water and powder is sprinkled on friends and family during the observance of Holi. When there is a celebration of any kind in my family back in India I wish again and again to be there and I when loose a dear relative I want to go and hold those who are suffering. Talking on the telephone is never the same as being able to talk face to face with someone.

But one learns to accept what life brings. And I have accepted this life joyfully too. I am going to end with a quote from Arnold Schwarzanegger "As you know, I'm an immigrant. I came over here as an immigrant, and what gave me the opportunities, what made me to be here today, is the open arms of Americans. I have been received. I have been adopted by America. "

Though I promised to be more regular with my blog, I could not do so because of one other emergency that happened in my life. I had to undergo another operation last year. This one on my left knee. It took me a while to get used to my new knee. But now it has healed a lot and I am more mobile on my feet.

In the meantime the old year has gone and a new year started; 'Thanksgiving' and 'Christmas' came and went too. We struggled with cold air and snow for months. Now the weather is slowly starting to warm up, the daffodils have already bloomed in our yard and those of our neighbors. In the vegetable gardens-the ground has been turned over and the early lettuce and onions are already peeping out. Trees are either looking colorful with white, yellow, pink, or scarlet blooms or pretty green leaves. Spring is beautiful in this country. But it is so in the land of my birth too. But I do not remember it being as colorful as here.

Spring also brings new food for us to taste and cook. Just like in India. There, I looked forward to the preparations that my mother made with blossoms from drumstick trees, and those made with tender drumsticks too. And I also miss the bitter 'neem' eggplant dish that we had with hot boiled rice. I was told that it would prevent me from getting chicken pox!! Here, in my adopted country, spring brings asparagus, both green and white, artichokes, spring onions, many varieties of lettuce and the pungent red radishes. With Easter also being celebrated in spring an abundance of lamb is also found in supermarkets. This is the time of the year to try out new light recipes. My favorite lunch these days consist of young mixed green and red lettuce leaves with sliced strawberry, nuts and little bit of cooked chicken.

Oh- how I like spring!!

I did promise that I 'll write more frequently. But somehow this gets pushed on the 'back burner' frequently. Too many things need my attention- the yard, various programs of grandchildren, the tiredness that I am still fighting etc. etc. etc. By the way, I am feeling better in general than what I was going through a couple of months ago. Now, if only my hair grew a little faster, if I could stay away from all 'fatty' foods, if my knees felt a lot better so that I could walk.......................



Some of you have been asking me to write some of my recipes in here. So here is the first one.



Mint is growing in many yards at present. It may be a good idea to make some mint chutney with some of that. This is an versatile easy recipe. Feel free to change it around to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

Approximately 5 cups of mint leaves, washed

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoon sugar-brown or granulated white

1 cayenne pepper, deseeded and chopped(optional)

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

Water- as needed- to make a paste



Put all of the above in a blender except the water. Add water water gradually stirring frequently to make a smooth paste. Add more water if you want the chutney to be more 'liquidy.'

This can be used as a dip for chips, vegetables, or fritters.

It will stay in the refrigerator for a month.



Let me know what you think of it.



More later.