My gallery of pics

My gallery section on this blog contains some photos of my family and me. This is one way I am in touch with my parents and other kith and kens. For my parents and me (specially my parents, who are far away in a different country) it really matters a lot. By looking at the photos the distance of separation is narrowed to some extent. To put the photo’s on the net I would always request someone and need help. But now I can do it myself. How? Well thanks to my brother-in-law who helped me out by introducing me to this J Album software. It is a web based photo album generator. With few clicks and in minutes the photo’s can be uploaded to the Internet. The best part of it that I like is that it is so simple and for a non-tech person like me, it is an incredible tool. And of course not to mention that it is FREE!

Easy to use. Just drag and drop an image folder onto JAlbum, select an output directory and press “Make album”.

- Shephali

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Put a hold on yourself

Eating…who doesn’t like it but to what extent is the question. I came across this article - You know you crave it. It was interesting and informative.

Since life isn’t likely to get less stressful, here are some ways to help mute the call of food cravings.

Those tips about ways to stop craving looks really helpful. While reading I made plans to implement some of those tips myself. Easier said than done but there is no harm in giving a try. A healthy diet is key to a happy life.

- Shephali

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Playing with watercolors

I saw this painting done by my nephew, who is 5 years old and was really amazed at the flow of the colors. He has done it with a real smoothness withholding the essence of the drawing. He has painted himself and his little sister flying kites.

His painting reminds me of my days when I was little. I too painted (you can say tried to paint) with watercolors many times. But never came even close to his painting. Once I drew a hut and my mother thought it looked like an inverted basket! Another time I drew scenery and she said it looked like a cat and mouse race. I would get very disappointed at her mundane response. I would look at her with my wide-open eyes with a big question like,” What?! Can’t you make out what I have depicted in my painting”?

But, after seeing my nephew’s painting now, I realize that my mother reactions were genuine. Definitely my brush strokes would be haywire all over the paper, randomly, with no consistency and of course must have been unimpressive to her.

- Shephali

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The hat, my baby and the fairyqueen

When I was a child I remember a way to learn the names of some colors. It was fun to sing those lyrics.

Red red go to bed
Blue blue polish my shoe
Yellow yellow dirty fellow
Green green fairy queen

I never thought that one day I would be relating to the fairy queen through my child, again. My baby came in my world four months back. We, me and my husband, tried to talk to him as much as possible, thinking we will be the first best friends he will have. Slowly as days passed, we realized he spent a lot of time looking and smiling towards the wall. Well, on the wall are two of my hats hanging from a nail. We observed he spent a lot of time staring at it. Then his vocal cords also spent a lot of time exercising its power. We assumed there must be someone behind the hat with whom he made a friendly talk and plays peek-a-boo. We guessed it must be the fairy queen perched on the top of the hat. Who else can it be? Every time we changed his diaper or massaged oil on him, he would turn his neck all around to have a glimpse of those two hats in the room, sitting on a nail pierced in the wall. My conversation with him during those times is really amusing.

When I say, Sweetu, “is there a fairy queen?” He says, “aaaah!”
When I ask again,” is she pretty?” He says “angaaaagooooo!”
When I furthur inquire, “Cutie pie, is she watching you?” He laughs and coos at those hats.
Not once does his eyes move away from those hats.

His gurgling, swinging of his hands in the air, cooing again with a big open mouth, and a wink with his eyes has infused in us the belief that there is definitely a fairy queen. Who else can he talk to for so long? For us it is an imaginary fairy queen, but for him…?!!!!

- Shephali

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Keshav’s power of imagination

This is a drawing made by my five year old nephew, Keshav, for my husband’s birthday. In the picture he has drawn himself, his little sister Vittu and our baby boy, Svanik. Along with them there is a Rhino. There is a love sign in red and lines of different colors depicting the rainbow. He described each character in the drawing with intense emotion and excitement.

Children-Oh Well! They can be so imaginative and creative!

- Shephali

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Sweet memories

A few days back my niece came over to my place. Seeing her revives a few memories of my childhood. I remember, when I was little, I often went to visit my maternal uncle with my parents during vacations. One of my maternal uncle adored me so much that he composed a song and sang it for me. Today I have grown out of my childhood. Watching my niece jump and play, the words of his song came to my lips…

Lovely little darling,
Dance and sing!
Lovely little sweetling,
Laugh and zing!

- Shephali

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For the 23rd of may

- Shephali

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An unforgettable day

I became a member of Santa Clara library and spent my time reading books in it’s quiet environment. I commuted by bus and did that almost five days a week. An incident happened on one of those days that till today I remember.

It was a nice day, sun retiring from it’s assigned job. Sitting on the wooden bench I was waiting for my bus, number 58, to take me home from my visit to the library. I was killing my time looking at the passing vehicles. Out of the blue a short old lady comes near me. She had a hunch back, thick glasses over her fragile nose, a heavy bag on her drooping shoulder and a wooden stick in her hand. She sat on the bench looking exhausted, reclining a little, making herself comfortable. I looked at her from the corner of my eyes and estimated her age to be about seventy-five or may be eighty. I assumed she was also waiting for her bus.

Few minutes passed and I heard a soft voice near my ears…can you tell me the bus route to the library. I looked at her, this time straight into her eyes. She had a very kind face and a smile that tried to keep up with her wrinkled skin. I returned a warm smile and then explained to her that the bus to the library will stop on the other side of the road and would be there in a few minutes. Her eyes twinkled and thanking me she rushed towards the pedestrian crossing. I looked at her shuffling gait and then smiled to myself thinking of her sweetness.

Then suddenly I heard a screeching sound of the tires of a vehicle. I looked up, and to my horror I saw a car just stop within inches of that old lady. The old lady didn’t have the patience to wait for the green signal for crossing the other side of the road. Anyway, by Gods grace she was saved. She finally crossed and reached the other side of the road. Her face was expressionless as if nothing had happened. Well for me it was terrifying! I thought what if the car wouldn’t have stopped? She could have got hurt or may be worse. Would I have been responsible for it in some way? Did I know the woman so much in a few minutes of observation that I felt so much for her? I looked across the street. A bus was standing hooting to start for it’s next destination. When the bus was gone the old lady had gone too leaving a strange feeling in my heart and an unforgettable day in my life.

- Shephali

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Happy Mother’s Day, Maa

- Shephali

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Welcome

This is my first. Here’s my thought for the day:

When in doubt, follow your heart

- Shephali

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