Of earthen pots and Glucon-D

There are some nice people I know who love animals and birds and who love to do right by them and who post stuff about leaving water in earthen pots for the thirsty birds in the hot summer months on community boards and community mail messages. Sadly, I know some of them to be the very same people who are endlessly critical of the guards who walk the lawns the heat, the ladies who man the locality gates with no cooler or air-con, who are relentless in their cribbing about drivers, maids and laborers. Never does it pass  their caring minds that much as we need to care and provide for the voice-less animals and birds we need to look at the conditions of the people who work for us. As humans we need to provide too for the have-nots or the lesser privileged  So,this summer let's please offer that Glucon-D regularly to our house help,our maids, drivers, laborers  allow her/him the one day off to recover from the treacherous walks and work in our homes.Let us bring out the "earthen pots" and fill them up with our love for fellow human beings and not just birds and animals.Don't get me wrong.I too like birds and animals.And sometime when I am in a real vindictive, bitchy mood I would like to vent and bitch about one particular animal lover who for the love of animals stole my darling dog from my home!! Yes, I got him back only after ten days of........well, another time then....

Image credits: Raveendran/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Wikipedia cites the Earthen Pots as: Matki, (or Matka) is the Hindustani word for an earthen pot.It is used all over India, as well as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanks, as a home "water storage cooler". It has been in use since ancient times and can be found in houses of every class.

Of pink, pearls, rings, cane, lamps, coffee mugs and bedside tables....so here is my bedside table.

There is nothing nicer than a pretty bedside table with some of your favorite things, to go to bed happy and softly.Yours could have your favorite books or candles or pictures of loved ones you like to look upon as you drift into golden slumbers...... 

 May all your sleeps be filled with pearly dreams.Cheers!! Sleep pretty darlings do not cry....and I will sing a lullaby.....

You don't bring me flowers.....anymore...

Never did believe there was ever a need for an occasion to get myself a big bunch of flowers! The way I see it, nothing lifts the spirits like the fragrance and delicacy of the Lord's choicest creation.As a kid I read a story about a fairy who lived in a blue heel shaped flower.Still looking for that flower, yes, I am.Found bell shaped ones,cone shaped ones,round and flat ones but the fairy one Gosh! so till I do, I've realized I just have to keep looking.Means I just "have" to keep getting flowers :) Well, here are some beautiful bunches i clicked just for you at Avon, Connecticut on my travels Do be a darling and let me know if you happen to stumble upon my blue fairy flower, won't you?

Oh! and if you are on Facebook and would like to see some more swell paintings and pictures do visit my gallery under Tangerine Art Gallery.See you soon!!

http://www.facebook.com/TangerineArt?fref=ts

Of ginger tea and conversations on my vist to the Oh! so Glorious Maine

Of bags scarves and more things nice!

Of all the wonderful pieces of clothing that humankind has used to maintain it's physical modesty, the scarf has always been my very favorite  It is no wonder then that when I decided to take up yet another venture it had to do with scarves.The project has taken off with such a bang that I am having difficulty keeping up with it's pace.More on scarves at a more opportune and leisurely time.For now I am posting some pictures of the silky loves of my life.Do hope you love them as much as I do and don't forget we deliver all around the globe (conditions apply) so do not hesitate to get in touch. Nothing gives a bigger high than someone writing to us! Thanks for those of you who are regular with us.Much appreciate your interest in us.Hugs to all.

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Sokha: the peaceful beach in Shihanouk's Ville, Campuchea

And then there are some days when the magnificence of nature makes one feel so very minuscule. Sokha Beach at Shihanoukville Cambodia is one such place.The saying...'take my breath away" was surely invented here.

Adore the trees with the strong sturdy roots....sometimes I wonder how these trees weather the storms of being in the midst of storms (funny grammatics!!)  which I am sure hit this ah-so-peaceful shore quite often.

And then my attention is drawn to my own rouges!! Here they are for your viewing pleasure too.I see that in this case too the roots are strong and sturdy.It sure helps to have 'em to weather the storms of this road we are all traversing..this road called LIFE!!

Cheerio! and happy dreaming of beaches oops! bitches!! as this is what they are pronounced as in this part of the world. Heheheheheh!

Recurring Thoughts

Whenever an unfortunate event occurs that reflects the deterioration of society, it is not so much an entire culture, or a people as a whole that is to be shamed...I rather feel how sad it is that the thoughts and tendencies of some individuals can mould the thinking processes of entire nations and populations.I felt that very sharply even as I read many criticisms shaming India as a nation for the much publicised Dec 2012 unfortunate rape event.I am currently in a country in-famous for paedophilia and where the Buddhist clergy are reportedly(I read one article on it almost daily in the papers here) raping minors in monastries. I think it is a shame to humanity whenever this kind of deterioration and erosion of moral-social fabric occurs, which breaks human-kinds backbone honestly.How is one to deal with the burden of our fellow-men's (socio-paths) sins, I wonder.Sometimes the sadness of these happenings envelope me on happy evenings and  make me sad.Today is one such evening....Beautiful lyrics are flaoting in my mind...."Jin raatob ki bhor nahin hai..aaj aisi hi raat aayee...."

Spread happiness around for no particular reason..........

We are all dogs. We all love to rush to meet and greet the people we love. We love to be hugged, petted, have our hair ruffled, have someone caress us gently as we lie peacefully. We all love it when someone gives us a treat, we love to have our food served to us and some of us love to prance and jump and spread happiness around for no particular reason...(just that social norms teach us otherwise)....Yes, in more ways than one, deep down we are all dogs.

Each passing day, I feel, we all need to go back to being just that.. honest about our feelings towards other human beings, being able to say openly HUG ME, I need to be touched and petted and being generally happy in life with just a few toys and a bone {okay, knowing me, many of my friends will read much more into this (double-meaning-ed statement) ;)} The walk...yes, if you watch the olden movies (I know you have) Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Miss Marple....everyone always happy and religiously going for a walk, just for the happiness of the walk and fresh air...not the exercise linked walk of today.....see, we are dogs, we are just forgetting we are.

Of turtles,snoopy,dahlias,and timepieces.

To work productively is to live happily. For me the first rule of work is an aesthetic workplace. Pretty work-desks make for a tremendously happy work environment.The green and ochre turtle planter hosts a small cactus. The squeaky Snoopy guards the oh! so cute, wiggly tail yellow piggy bank.There's a tiny ceramic milk pot if you please and if you don't there is the Sula bottle which hosts a host of beaded flowers made in front of me at a fair by skilled craftsmen.More on those later. The lighthouse is a masterpiece from Baku, Azerbaijan,collected on my hubby's numerous travels.

and then  ladies and gentlemen.....there are the oooooh! so delightful.....oh! so fresh....The Dahlias!!!

Paintings find a place in my home just about everywhere. Here is one done by a senior artist Paramjeet Singh. Just love the texture and the print of the upholstery in the painting....don't you??

The timepieces are an heirloom from dear husband's paternal grandfather and the other extraordinary piece is a short play record of Queen's: I want to ride my bicycle...came to me as a gift from family in Boston.

I love collecting Snoopy and have him in all his 'avatars', the plastic Snoopy, the ceramic Snoopy, the cuddly Snoopy,the teddy bear Snoopy, the Santa Snoopy, the key chain Snoopy, the T-shirt Snoopy, the mug Snoopy :)) Snoopy!!  Do remind me to get the collection together and put up a post in honor of Schulz.Cheers.

They say I have green fingers...you think? :)

The magic of greenery is quite unparalleled.Of the greens, my favorites are the vines and creepers.When we moved to this house in 2009, the first vine I wanted on my back patio right outside my beautiful kitchen, was the 'koyali'. Till date I am unable to find it's English name!! if you know please to tell dear :). Well, the only problem was, it was such a delicate vine...how on earth was I to grow it?? Also with the hubby out of the country for the first two months of our having moved homes, and no gardener in sight, how was I going to manage putting the nails/support/thread what have you to support the twig of a vine!!? Out came the 'green-thinking cap' and off I sent my man-friday and uber helpful driver Pradeep (somehow, they don't make them so good anymore!!) to go buy me three tall bamboo sticks. This is what it looked like before (Picture One is of the house opposite,mine was exactly the same) and Voila!!! after the bamboos were in place, this is what it looked like Picture Two and Picture Three.

Picture One

Picture Two:With the Bamboos

Picture Three: How it looks from outside

So, maybe if you have many things to hang and want to have hanging baskets to deck up your garden or deck area, you could go with bamboo!! It looks great as it is wood, it is eco-freindly, it is easy on the pocket and it keeps the hanging garden at eye-level,so your beautiful seasonal flowers get all the care and affection they need.I also use my "bamboo hanging garden" as I call it, to hang lights, tea-lights, Buddhist prayer flags and what have you! My "bamboo hanging garden" is uber-cool and I even have had some neighbors put it up in their back patios...well, always did believe...."Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!" 

Uff!! my yumm! koyali vine :))

The stylish hanging tea-light holders..another story about these soon.

The lonesome bamboos below, on one foggy winter morning!

The lush vine from inside my room during the monsoons above and the picture below is my favorite spot to read the papers and art news each morning with my cuppa ginger chai!!

The art of the hanging baskets!!

If you will be kind and allow me the liberty, I would much like to discuss these beautiful Prayer Flags in my next or post-next post.They are magical in their properties and so healing!

 The pots that brighten up my mornings with the vine in the background happily perched on the sturdy bamboos!! :) Happy Bambooing your gardens folks.