The Dinning Table, food apart….

 

 

 

 

 

Another Zen corner in our home…this little arrangement on our dinning table.

In tune with nature – fragrant, earthy, green and with a splash of the water element…..

I have been trying to find a ready-made matching dinning table cover for quite sometime now. But I’m yet to decide on one. May be I should just make one out of some nice fabric – something in an earthy-green colour. Or may be something that is a good contrast, like a newspaper print. The last one that I made in red and black (Red cotton fabric with Black leatherette) is more in tune with a robust party than a zen theme!

 

My favourite store chain is    for the simple reason that they always stock out of the way prints I so love. For example, this particular cushion cover in numbers print that Shadow is so graciously modelling for me is one of my favourites!

 

 

I got hooked to this store the day I came across this very elegant, simple yet eye-catching red and white printed fabric. When I bought it almost a year ago, I had absolutely no idea where and when I was going to put it to use! And now I’m planning to convert it into a smart floor cushion cover. More like a floor mattress cover, because all our floor cushions need to be big enough to fit at least one dog (with or without a human) !!!

My fur-kids always assume that all cushions, carpets, blankets and mattresses are designed, made or procured solely for their comfort!

 

 

 

Well, the ‘sort of-mattress floor cushion’ is ready. Only I have been too lazy to get down to stitch the cover!

 

 

Technorati Tags: Zen,Delhi,Home Town,Pantaloons Retail,Furnishings,Dinning table,Photography

Errands, Shopping and a disappointment…

 

 

Nopes! I didn’t do the laudry. In fact, Mummy hates it too.

This is a picture from one of her inspired days, when she’d decided enough is enough and the cupboard needed tidying up. But as far as I remember, that was like years ago!

Funny in a way, considering she is so fussy about how the house looks and is constantly cleaning, vacuuming, dusting and tidying up. Laundry is something that’s LAST on her ‘TO DO’ list anyday, though.

The other day she did try to clean up. To be fair to her, it wasn’t her fault. She was all set to tidy up the clothes cupboards so we can donate what we do not need to some organization that collect them for less fortunate people. She even had some cartons ready to pack everything in.

But Shadow protested. He insisted Mummy should just concentrate on snuggling close to him till he gets better. He was pretty insistent. As you can see in my earlier blog-post he threatened to ship himself out in those boxes if Mummy continued to ignore him.

Ultimately, Shadow won. The cupboards are as messy as usual, but Shadow is much better. No sign of that cold. But he still is having some ‘I’m not so good today’ days in between ‘I’m totally ok and wanna play’ ones.

For now he is just on some anti-acid medications so he doesn’t throw up and vitamin supplements to boost his immunity. Nothing much to worry. Just that it doesn’t feel right when our super active puppy boy isn’t inclined to be as active as usual.

 

It’s shopping time these days!

The entire world is erupting in discount sales….The Huge Lifestyle and Pantaloons sale, The Great CP (Connaught Place) Sale and our absolute favorite – The irresistible Landmark Bookstore sale.

We can now boast of yet another loot of books we have absolutely NO time to read but that we have placed at the top of our ‘To Be done soon’ list!

 

 

There was this book - an Agatha Christie Omnibus – that was being sold at an impossibly discounted price. But Mummy didn’t get it because she wasn’t quite sure if we already owned all of the four books included in it or we had just read them earlier.

So she hid that book deep within a huge pile on display hoping no one would find it!! Her plan was to check our home library and then go get it in case we do not have all of them!

We checked – we DO NOT own them. Not even one. We had just read them earlier from our borrowing library.

 

But that was on Sunday and today is Tuesday! And neither she nor Daddy has found the time to go back to the store. Believe it or not, Mummy is still hopeful! She’s done it earlier, this ‘hiding books in large book-stores’ and ‘going back later after checking’ thing! Apparently it’s worked on a number of occasions!

But I’m not quite sure this time. It’s a 70% off sale and there are an incredible number of bibliomaniacs rummaging through the shelves.

Someone must have surely found it by now. Obviously, not buying it that day was a great loss!

 

 

Crestfallen,

Ginger

 

 

Technorati Tags: Ginger,Shadow,Laundry,Delhi,Landmark,Lifestyle,Sale,Books,Agatha christie

The Best Package Ever….

 

Shadow’s feeling much better today.

He had his breakfast with more enthusiasm than yesterday. Of course the fact that Mummy made us special chicken helped. His nose isn’t runny anymore though he feels a tad warmer than usual.

Thanks heaps for your wishes. We are hoping he’ll be back to 100 percent by tomorrow so we can all go for a long weekend drive and he won’t tire.

Paws crossed,

Ginger

Technorati Tags: Shadow,Indian Dog,family,Delhi

Shadow’s under the weather …

 

 
Shadow isn’t feeling very well today. Bit of a runny nose and lethargy. Not much, but he is such an active pup it shows even when he is a tad lazier than usual. And of course Mummy is worried sick.
Mummy always worries her head off at the slightest hint of anything unusual in any of us pups. Seriously, sometimes she makes me think she suffers from paranoid delusions and anxiety disorder!
I mean we are happy, healthy and in relatively good shape. A little cold here and a slight tummy upset there can happen to anypuppy. Does she have to get all strung up and lose fur worrying incessantly?
Anyway, Shadow is just a little off and that’s it. He wasn’t very excited about his breakfast but with a little coaxing he ate it all. Our usual Chicken and rice. And then the usual rawhide treat.
Normally he would insist on playing afterwards but today he just curled up and went to sleep even before Mummy left for work. And that definitely means he isn’t himself.
 
It must be the weather. Rain, sun, rain and then some more sun. Plays havoc with the humidity content.
Oh! Please don’t get me wrong. I am not complaining about the weather. We are all quite enjoying the Monsoon.

 

 

 

 

 

Last evening we even got to get wet in the rain and play in some muddy puddles, though not to our heart’s content. We were only just beginning to enjoy the rain when Mummy bundled us all up and rushed us back home before it poured cats and dogs.
Terrified one of us might catch a cold, I’m sure!
 
By the way, I’m always confused about why you say it rains ‘cats and dogs’. How many of you have actually seen dogs and cats littering the streets after a heavy downpour?
Yesterday we found just one pup named Nicky in the park and I’m quite sure she didn’t come down with the rain.
For one, she had her human on the other end of the leash and two, she told us she lived just across the street and would like to come and play with us sometimes.
I hope to Dog that doesn’t happen!
She is such a silly little pup she’s sure to spoil all our games. Yesterday she went all crazy running into us and the trees and bushes and over herself, jumping all over us three and Mummy and Daddy, tripping and falling flat on the ground.
In my opinion she made a real fool of herself!

Shadow explicitly told her to keep off but she didn’t seem to get a hint till he growled his displeasure. Even then she kept jumping all over me. I firmly ignored her, resolutely turned my back on her and in all possible ways tried to drive home the point that her antics were most unladylike and I wasn’t quite amused. But to no avail!

Buddy on the other paw went all gaga over her! It was a relief in a way when she left me alone to race him across the park.
For some inexplicable reason Mummy thinks she is terribly cute. And that I was almost as silly and bouncy as Nicky as a pup.
 
I Ginger, Diva-dog, epitome of grace, elegance and impeccable manners was a silly little pup? Why, the idea is disdainful!
But Mummy says she has evidence. Photographs, videos.
Well, we shall see. These things can be morphed as far as I’m aware.
 

Contemptuous,

Ginger

Technorati Tags: Shadow,Ginger,Buddy,Delhi,Monsoon,Photography,Life,Puppy

Green Shadows!

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a couple of typical wet, wet monsoon days it is lovely weather outside since yesterday.

Our apartment complex looks fresh and clean and a happy green. I like the way everyone gets playful and active in this weather and I am not just talking about Ginger, Buddy and Shadow here!

Found this little fellow in the garden this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

He was so busy he didn’t hear me even at just three feet away! And then suddenly as if in response to my ‘Please, please lil’ squirrel, look up please’ he shifted position so I could get a full body shot!

 

In the midst of  high-rise concrete jungles and all the noise from never-ending city traffic, the little chirping birds and the happy squirrels scurrying around give me a sense of assurance.

All is well with the world after all!

 

I am linking back to two exciting memes Shadow Shot Sunday and to ‘Green Day’ on Raindrops and Daisies. Two lovely themes at two lovely blogs you must just go check out.

 

 

Technorati Tags: Green Revolution,Monsoon,Rain,Photography,India,Delhi,Nature

Movement….

THURSDAY CHALLENGE for Fun and Learning’s theme for this Thursday ‘Movement’ brought back memories of a beautiful morning of an weekend trip from almost two years ago.
Most vivid of them all – pristine white, fluffy clouds floating by against the backdrop of a lovely clear blue sky.
May be it was the vast open countryside, may be it was the breeze or may be just an illusion… those clouds seemed to be moving at great speeds. In fact, as I stood there at the top of the stairs and gazed around, everything seemed to be moving…the citadel ruins, the little town down below, the fields, Ginger and Buddy running around exploring the hills…
To this day, I do not know if it was all just in my head or I have had an acute attack of vertigo from acrophobia!
Ha!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHADOW and GINGER

 

 

Shadow – that forlorn little street pup who’d resolutely decided he was adopting me as his Mummy is today the Darling of our family. Official guard dog, watch dog, sprinter, fetcher, high jumper, climber and amateur hunter defines only a part of his exuberant personality. My little boy turns two today – officially out of puppyhood, a grown Dog. But he is and always will be our ‘Darling puppy’.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sweetheart Shadow.

We adore you and we know you know. We just love so many things about you - the way you are so brave always and protective, the way you always come running when called, the way you can’t sleep till I or Daddy hold you close. But most of all you are so precious because every time I look at you, you make me feel a little less sad about the millions of poor stray pups living and dying on our streets everyday.

 

Ginger – that scared little pup I’d scooped up into my arms from my neighbour’s filthy balcony, shaky at the knees, terrified of thunder is today the most confident and nonchalant dog I’ve ever known.

 

 

 

Ginger changed our lives forever. I and my husband became parents that day when we adopted her and how! Today she knows us both inside out. She understands every little nuance of our behavior, every little change of tone in our conversation, every bit of tension, joy, sadness, fear and elation.

It is difficult to imagine that my little girl is six years old today. Well, she certainly doesn’t look and behave like one!

 

Happy Birthday, Ginger.

We are and always will be grateful you are family. You’ve taught us so much, we’ve been through so much together…

 

Bless you, My Dahlings.

 

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: Delhi,Shadow,Ginger,Birthday,India,Love

A Good Life..

No sight of the much predicted rains. Not even a stray drop of rain till Friday afternoon for us Delhites while the entire neighborhood reveled in cooler temperatures.

And then, what a shower!

My poor plants that were looking so tired and wilted for the last couple of weeks are now drenched to the roots. Just hoping they don’t all decide to die on me from ‘over-feeding’…I so love my little potted garden.

 

What an evening!

First, an early exit from work. Explored my favourite book store while waiting for my husband P who’d promised to take a short break from work to come meet me.

Plan: Coffee.

It took him nearly two hours to ‘run away’. By then, I had dissected the ‘On Sale’ section, leafed through the entire ‘Western Philosophy’, noted down Dalai Lama and Osho quotes, sighed and swooned at the ridiculously expensive fountain pen collection and filled my basket to the brim.

I always do that. Fill my basket with books that I assume I’m going to buy till at the billing counter better sense (occasionally !!) prevails and I dump half of them.

Finally  I dumped just three which means I am now the proud owner of over half a dozen new books I have no time to read! But it feels good.

Anyway, Coffee happened.

 

 

And it was just when we were giggling away like teenagers that we realized the menacingly approaching dark clouds will soon be upon us if we did not rush back home. And if you think it should have been a romantic proposition let me remind you that we were stuck with two cars.

How could we have forgotten that we had both ran away from work!

Besides, P still had to go back to the hospital to check on a patient.

So, post coffee date saw us both head our own ways.

The clouds did catch up with us half way through.

The usually vibrant sun had retreated without a fight and we were stuck with howling winds and lashing rains much akin to a Hollywood doomsday scene.

 

 

But it was fun. In spite of the fact that I could hardly see where I was driving, it sure was fun!

So finally, we got our share of the rains.

 

I was a tad worried though. Ginger is a little apprehensive of thunder. With Shadow and Buddy around, who hardly seems to notice it, she is much better now. But I do make it a point to always get back home as fast as possible at the first signs of a brewing storm. Thankfully the sky wasn’t very noisy,  just terribly leaky!

Anyway, my kids were fine.

A ‘more than usual’ exuberant welcome. I was over three hours late. They knew exactly. They always know.

 

The evening walk was lovely. The now gentle raindrops, the wet grass, the fresh air…. perfect setting for a romp in the park.

P suggested special dinner. And that he was willing to fix one.

Perfect!

What can be better than to curl up with a fresh new book, Ginger Buddy and Shadow huddled close while your husband fixes a gourmet meal of sorts!

 

HA!

Sweet and Spicy Ginger Chicken fry. Risotto. Baked and fried Mango chutney as a side!

It was only half way through our meal I realized I hadn’t got any pictures!

What a quaint little day!

 

Saturday passed off in a blur again. The entire world invariably imagines doctors should be on duty on weekend evenings because ‘It is just so convenient for us to see you on a Saturday. We do not have to take off from work’!

A humid Sunday morning. No rains. Ginger, Buddy and Shadow cooled off the routine way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P is off to see a patient again!

Should we go out afterwards? The mid-year discount sales are on at almost all my favorite stores and I do need a new wardrobe. But then Murray and Federer are on at 5. Of course I can always record the match. But it isn’t as much fun to watch it afterwards.

Hmmm…

 

And then there’s tomorrow. I need to prepare for tomorrow. It’s a specially special day, this coming Monday.

Oh! I think I’ll just talk about it later!

 

Hope you are all having a lovely Sunday.

WAIT…

It must be raining somewhere…

For the first time in nearly two months, the breeze feels cool. Certainly not as cool as we would like it to be but a definite improvement over the thick moisture laden hot winds that was making life impossible.

For once the Met Department seems to have got it right…

‘Tuesday evening would see a drop in temperatures. Possibility of a thunderstorm in certain areas. The much awaited Monsoon rains should reach Delhi by late Wednesday.’

So for us the countdown begins….

Mummy was at home the entire day today. She hasn’t been feeling very well for the last couple of days. Sort of a heat exhaustion. So she decided to take the day off. We wish she would learn to take a proper off if she wants to get better soon.

What good is it staying at home if you keep running around the house doing things that can actually wait till you’re better?

We are certain she has an obsessive compulsive disorder when it comes to cleaning, tidying up and stuff like that.

Anyway, Mummy at home doing stuff is better than no Mummy at all. So, when even after much cajoling and coaxing she refused to come and sleep, we settled down for our nap hoping she would take a hint. And finally she did!

We did some reading today. Not on the net or on our Kindle but some REAL reading. It always feels good..the feel of a real book. We hardly ever get the time to read real books these days. We finished off one that we have been reading for like a hundred years now – ‘The Case of the Howling Dog’. A Perry Mason story. And then we re-read bits of this wonderful book ‘ The Life and Letters of Tofu Roshi’ by Susan Moon.

One day when we can manage some time we would like to tell you about this book in detail. We often hear people speak about life changing books. Well, this is one book that has changed many a things in the way we view life. It has taught us so much about Zen philosophy in a simple, playful way that we keep going to this book over and over again. Even when there are so many other new books in our shelves that need to be read.

 

 

(Practicing our Yin and Yang Posture)

 

 

Well, it is half past seven in the evening and the sun hasn’t yet retired for the night.

Isn’t it tired from straining all day long? Time for our evening walk. Daddy isn’t back from the hospital yet. We think we will wait for him to come home so we can go out to the park together. It is much more fun when he comes along. With him around, Mummy doesn’t freak out when we run after squirrels and birds like she does when she’s alone with us. Not that we will find many squirrels or birds that will stay up to play with us after dark.

But then,you never know. We might just find a bat!

 

Hopeful,

Buddy, Ginger and Shadow

 

 

Technorati Tags: Delhi,Monsoon,Rain,Ginger,Buddy,Shadow,Life,Zen,Perry Mason,Susan Moon

A GREEN GREEN!

The other day, my friend Janice from JABBLOG with her post on something green made me instantly think of this picture. And it has been stuck in my mind ever since!

Strange how the mind works!
This isn’t a recent picture, neither taken on any special day nor do I consider it a particularly difficult and interesting subject to capture.
But this was the image that I instantly thought of when I read ‘GREEN’! I rummaged through my untitled folders filled to the brim with unedited photographs and was just so satisfied when I could finally find it.

Heaven knows why!
I mean there are just so many lovely subjects that I had experimented with that were green. And various beautiful shades of the colour too.

Guess it has something to do with the vibrancy that comes across in this particular one.
I had taken this one fine spring morning in the nearby park in the middle of walking Ginger, Buddy and Shadow. They were busy chasing spring butterflies, squirrels, lizards and numerous little insects I don’t know anything of! It was a beautiful happy day and this particular green just seemed to scream out ‘Spring’ out loud.

It is indeed a lovely, happy, fresh shade of green. Somehow it makes me think of a glass of chilled refreshing lime juice!

Talking of which I really need to go get one. It is 43+ degree Celcius outside and the rains are still playing foul. The drive back from work promises to be hot and humid in spite of all the air-conditioning inside.



Just in case all my 'GREEN talk has made you think of your own Green picture or has left you craving for more 'Greens', please do go visit 'Rainbows and Daisies'

Technorati Tags: Green,Summer,Spring,Lime juice,Life,Photography