Tuesday's Ten Thoughts

- The longest day, was a dreary day.
- I have a long "to do" list for the day and its only 9 am here.
- I dont think I am cut out to be a gardener/farmer.. Most of my plants died this year. I have to buy some lady bugs, the aphids are killing my eggplants.
- I thought with the vacations here.. lazing around is a wonderful thing to do, but its not...I still like getting things done, guess it gives me the feeling of being productive and justifying the food I consume.
- Last night,  I prepared bitter gourd dish from memory, like how my mother used to make and boy was it Bitter!!! guess I missed some steps.
-  Life of Pi is a really fun read.. I have a little more to get to the end. Its engaging, it isnt the usual theme of relationships and plots that I have been reading so far. It has its nuggets of  profound insight and theory on animal behaviour, which I feel applies to Humans as well, though we dont like to admit to it. So far, I am loving it. I would recommend it in a heartbeat.
- I want a world where an education doesnt cost an arm an a leg without any gaurantees of being employed or making a living, where the various systems we have make life better instead of  being used as a legalized method of abuse, where integrity can grow, not disintegrate. Naive, Childish Hope, right?
- Everytime I watch an Asian movie, I am always amazed at the variety of food that is served at one meal, I keep wondering what is it about so much food that a director likes. I wonder if it is a sort of compensation for a lack in other areas of life.  I wonder how many of us actually have elaborate meals everyday, with two to three courses and dessert.
- We are doing some clutter cleaning today, Child Labour, Jai Ho! I do love having my children home.
- Whatever you are doing, may it bring you joy.  Have a wonderful day! and Thank you for reading through and leaving your thoughts.

Peace
Rashmi.

Creative Challenge #106 - Moments

Dearest Dad,

You may think I dont see you.  It might surprise you that I do, not just with eyes but with my whole being.
You may think I dont remember those moments far back in time, when you  let my delicate little fingers curl around yours, of their own accord.   It might surprise you that I do, not with the curl of my fingers but with the smile in my soul.
You may think I dont remember the moment you put your hand on my back and assured me when I  was dejected yet acted like I didnt care. It might surprise you that I do, I did care and it mattered more than you know to feel the strength of your hand on my shoulder.
You may think I dont remember the moment you sat quietly with me when I lost my best friend and felt betrayed. I want you to know I do, I remember what I heard in your silence "You will be alright, trust yourself. I am here if you need me".
You may think I dont remember the moment you put your foot down when I wanted to go off with my friends to do the things you knew were not alright.  Yes, I resented you then, yet I knew you did that out of your love for me.  I want you to know, I know you love me even when you didnt say the words.
You may think I never knew the times you walked to my bed while I was asleep to check on me and kissed my forehead when you thought I was unaware. I want you to know, I knew and I was grateful I have a father like you.
I am grateful, you stayed inspite of all the examples around us of Fathers who left their children,  Fathers who thought there was nothing they could do to be there for their children, Fathers who resented the work and effort they had to make to raise a child, Fathers who thought giving you their DNA was enough. 
I am grateful, for the times you were firm, for the times you taught me hard lessons, for the times you were the rock in my life, for guiding me to be the person I am.
All those Moments you thought I didnt Know, Remember or Cared about...Those Moments Mattered. They mattered more than all the stuff you bought for me, more than all the times you scolded, rebuked and pushed me to be more than I thought I was capable of.Those Moments Mattered.

Thank you Dad.
Your Child Forever.

Tour  CC #106

P. S. Happy Father's Day!! to all the Father's Visiting here...

Ten thought Tuesday

1. I havent done a ttt in the last few weeks...had to get to work and when I get home there are chores waiting my attention. I miss my alone time with the puter.  I have had fun at work though... We had our young graduates.  We are getting into summer camp and the theme is Hawaii for this week. It feels good to see the  innocence, curiousity and the enthusiasm children have. It makes me appreciate life inspite of all the not so good things happening around the world.

2. As usual, I have books that are beginning to sneer at me from the shelf. I am reading "The life of Pi"...its hilarious in a profound manner so far.

3. 3 more days of school and then its summer vacation...We are going to go with the flow instead of jumping from one activity to another.

4. We took the children berry picking in a farm this weekend, they thoroughly enjoyed the session and were real gluttons when we got back.. We got about 5lbs of strawberry and there were none left the next evening.  That never happens to the strawberry we buy from the store.

5. Today is my mother's 1st death anniversary, and I am not there for the clan gathering back home.  It feels like she passed last week and yet its 1 year already.  I will be calling home though.  Sometimes it feels like I dont belong with my own family, for that matter I dont belong anywhere.

6. I miss the steady warmth all year round back Home.  I am annoyed at the weather here...  22nd will officially be summer yet spring doesnt seem to have really been here long.

7.  I think I have to get off listening to news again...theres so much sadness.  Am I a coward for not wanting it to overwhelm me? Am I in denial?

8.  Its that time again, I need a Tall Handyman to do the minor maintainence/repairs in exchange for Good Indian food three times a day, for a week. *Sigh* I guess I will have to go for some handywoman classes and learn to walk on stilts so I can fix things myself. Apart from putting a nail in the wall, I am hopeless at stuff like fixing the fence, digging up clay or plumbing(wondering - is that a sign to look at the boundaries I have for myself, at what nourishes me and energy flow within myself?) etc.

9.  I have had dreams about strange places.. Why am I always walking somewhere in my dreams?  Guess, I really need to buy an automobile for my dreams, I am fed up of walking.

10. Thank you for reading disjointed thoughts...Have a wonderful day where ever you are and remember to find joy in what you do so that the smiles never leave you.

Peace
Rashmi.

Creative Challenge # 105 - White

W isps of silver clouds

H overing in the grey.

I slets of  light, weaving

T inseled tapestry.

E arth, richly adorned

Tour the CC#105

Laughter - Letter from Mom

Santa and Banta jokes are the most commonly told jokes in India.  Every community of people in India are teased and joked about for some reason or other.  When the joke has characters from India and any other nation, we always make ourselves somehow superior to the others.  Which is sort of hypocritical when we've been making our own people the butt of jokes.  This particular one is poking fun at the Sikhs/Punjabi people.  A Mothers letter to her son. This is originally in Punjabi language...Enjoy

Dear Banta
Vahe Guru ! (salutations to the Guru)

I am in a well here and hoping you are in the same well there. I'm writing this letter slowly, because I know you cannot read fast.

We don't live where we did when you left home. Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen 20 miles from home, so we moved 20 miles.

I wont be able to send the address as the last Sardar who stayed here took the house numbers with them for their new house so they would not have to change their address. Hopefully by next week we will be able to bring our earlier address plate here, so that our address will remain same too.

This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine, situated right above the commode. I'm not sure it works. Last week I put in 3 shirts, pulled the chain and haven't seen them since.

The weather here isn't too bad. It rained only twice last week. The first time it rained for 3 days and second time for 4 days.

The coat you wanted me to send you, your Aunt said it would be a little too heavy to send in the mail with all the metal buttons, so we cut them off and put them in the pocket.

Your father has another job. He has 500 men under him. He is cutting the grass at the cemetery.

By the way I took Bahu(daughter-in-law) to our club's poolside. The manager is really badmash(a rascal). He told her that two-piece swimming suit is not allowed in this club. We were confused as to which piece should we remove?

Your sister had a baby this morning. I haven't found out whether it is a girl or a boy, so I don't know whether you are an Aunt or Uncle.

Your uncle, Jetinder, fell in a nearby well. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off bravely and drowned. We cremated him and he burned for three days.

Your best friend, Balwinder, is no more. He died trying to fulfill his father's last wishes. His father had wished to be buried at sea after he died. And your friend died while in the process of digging a grave for his father.

There isn't much more news this time. Nothing much has happened.

P.S: I was going to send you some money but by the time I realized, I had already sealed off this letter.

Distance

There is so much I want to say to you, but, every time I start, I realize it doesn’t matter what I say to you.  You, are you and I, am I. Between the words, You and I, is a vast World, a world that spans a few Galaxies and infinite Time zones.  Between You and I are gaping differences, too large and peeping similarities, too insignificant.  Such being the reality, it contradicts another reality. This reality is exclusively mine- I feel the need to be in that part of the world where you are.  Every time I feel your resistance to allow me in, I am in conflict. There is this part of me that defines a winner, that feels the Need to push harder at resistance so that I will Get what I Want. And I wonder, does that mean, I am a Go-Getter?  There is this other part of me, that doesn’t care about definitions, and feels the need to go with the flow, which means, I need to let you be, and let the chips fall where they will. And I wonder, does that mean, I am Courageous?  And there is this part of me that questions- why I feel the need to be in your world, could it be because you resist?  If you didn’t resist would I find you interesting at all? Would I pay attention to you?  Would I have you as part my life?  Or would I pass you by like those countless people I pass by as I go about my life?

I wonder, what would happen if I crossed that invisible line that we have drawn, around which we dance our dances alone, as the music play.  Across which we eye each other, prudently using our sight, aiming at each other only when the other is oblivious.  That thin measly line, that makes the perspective of distance, ironic, as we dance within each other’s reach, yet never stretch our arms to reach for the other. 

Laughter - Human Equations

Got this from a Friend of mine...had me giggling.

Equation 1 

Human = eat + sleep + work + enjoy 
Donkey = eat + sleep 

Therefore: 
Human = Donkey + Work + enjoy 

Therefore: 
Human-enjoy = Donkey + Work 

In other words, 
A Human that doesn't know how to enjoy = Donkey that works. 

Equation 2 

Man = eat + sleep + earn money 
Donkey = eat + sleep 

Therefore: 
Man = Donkey + earn money 

Therefore: 
Man-earn money = Donkey 

In other words 
Man who doesn't earn money = Donkey 

Equation 3 

Woman= eat + sleep + spend 
Donkey = eat + sleep 

Therefore: 
Woman = Donkey + spend 
Woman - spend = Donkey 

In other words, 
Woman who doesn't spend = Donkey 

To Conclude: 

From Equation 2 and Equation 3 

Man who doesn't earn money = Woman who doesn't spend 

So Man earns money not to let woman become a donkey! 
And a woman spends not to let the man become a donkey! 

So, We have: 
Man + Woman = Donkey + earn money + Donkey + Spend money 

Therefore from postulates 1 and 2, we can conclude 

Man + Woman = 2 Donkeys that live happily together!