Preeti Shenoy's blog.

Happy new year to all of you. Here are some guaranteed methods to stay young.Just make these your resolutions this year--and I promise you, that if you sincerely follow them, you will definitely feel younger in December 2007.Try it----and tell me. 1. Try everything twice. On Madams tombstone (of Whelan's and Madam) she said she wanted this epitaph: Tried everything twice...loved it both times! 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches;-) 3.Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's! 4.Enjoy the simple things. 5.Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER. 6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us ou

History has always excited me. Visiting a historical site is like visiting a fairy tale that really happened in the past, with proof to show for it! Have just got back from a fantabuluos (fantastic+ fabulous—no other word describes it) holiday and feeling so recharged because I enjoyed every moment of it. Was so excited that I clicked 199 pictures! Just uploaded them and was surprised myself! We had driven down to a place called Aurangabad which is about 214 kilometres from where I stay. Aurangabad itself, is replete with history and the town is scattered with remnants of a bygone era—the old forts, the monuments all bear silent testimony to a royal era of the Moghals who ruled India between 1527 and 1690. Aurangazeb was the last Moghal emperor and the city is named after him. There is lots to see in Aurangabad itself.(I shall post pictures of this quaint place in the posts to come--There are so many!) But the icing on the cake was the visit to Ajanta and Ellora caves which are a worl

Will be back after 5 days.Going on a vacation. Hope to click a lot of pictures. See you all when I get back!

We were invited for dinner to a friend's place yesterday.I had spoken to her many times on the phone, but it was the first time I was meeting her.It is strange that you get used to a voice and suddenly you have to associate a physical figure with it. She had a lovely home and some lovely poinsettia plants.When we were leaving, she gifted me one. It looked so beautiful that I felt compelled to paint it.I made this painting this morning.The Christmas poinsettia.I love the red and the green next to each other.The contrast is striking, though I'm not sure that I managed to capture it! But the important thing is that it gave me so much joy.

Isn't this a lovely picture? And what an unusual angle it has been clicked from! My 9 year old clicked this one. The kids school is having their christmas break.Yesterday, to keep them "creatively occupied" ( I am totally against kids watching T.V, or playing computer games endlessly--though I do let them once in a way) I handed my son the camera and told him to take five interesting pictures. Of all that he clicked, I loved this one. Reminded me of what my house must have looked like to the lizard that came in :-) (see my post 'The uninvited visitor')

Isn’t it amazing that for the entire Human race there are ONLY FOUR blood groups?They are A,B,AB and O. According to the Rh-factor,antigens and antibodies, they are further classified into "positive" or "negative". So, whatever be the colour of your skin, the type of features you have, the colour of your eyes or hair, you still will fall into one of the four blood groups…No matter which of the 193 countries of the world you are from. We may speak different languages, eat different food, wear different clothes, but what lies beneath is still the same. It is true of emotions too. We all feel sad, happy, frightened, jealous, angry, bored , indifferent—no matter which culture we are from. I had written this poem in January 1992. It won the first place in a poetry writing contest at state level. At that time there was a lot of very ugly communal violence going on. There was a lot of bloodshed in the name of religion. I found it mindless--and still do. I

Really sorry--I have had to remove this post as it will soon appear in a book. Making it available online would have been very unfair to my publisher who has placed so much trust in me. I hope you enjoy the other posts as much as you enjoyed this one. A heartfelt thanks for your support and understanding.Thanks for continuing to read what I write.

A big thank you to all those friends who called up today and also to all those who sent me messages wishing me, today (yep, it’s my birthday.) This is the first birthday of mine without my dad. Usually it is his call that I first get on my birthday. Today, my mom had to play his part. .My husband took an off from work to spend the day with me. I felt so touched by this gesture of his I loved the gifts that I got from my family.(Of course, they are bound to know what I would love!) But the best gift is the presence of a happy family, all wrapped up in one another. I’m grateful for my family, grateful for my friends and I feel blessed and excited to be alive. Life has so much to offer, if we look at the positives. What do birthdays mean? What does it mean to grow older? It means to grow wiser each day. To appreciate more fully, The joy life sends our way To start each day with a happy heart Believing that dreams come true To overlook the storm clouds Knowing skies will soon be blu

“If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can’t buy” Annonymous This was a quote which came in the newspaper yesterday, under the heading “prophet and loss”!! I loved it. Coincidentally, a friend sent me a lovely e-mail forward, which matched the above quote. This is what it said. The best moments in life are: * To fall in love. * To laugh until it hurts your stomach. * To listen to your favorite song in the radio. * To go to bed and to listen while it rains outside. * To leave the shower and find that the towel is warm. * To receive a call from someone, you don’ t see a lot, but you want to. * To laugh at yourself looking at mirror, making faces.:))) * Calls/chats at midnight that last for hours.:)) * To laugh without a reason. * To accidentally hear somebody say something good about you. * To wake up and realize it is still possible to sleep for a couple of hours. * To hear a song that makes you remember a special person. * To be part of a

Thought I outgrew such corny nonsense by the time I was 14, but strange, it is still amusing! And--Hey,how many of you actually tried it?(Write your name,write his/her name and click on the heart- It does give you a score.I promise) Write in and tell me---Be honest!!:-) Created by Crazyprofile.com

This photograph was clicked by me, yesterday morning from my terrace. I love the beauty of sunrise. New day always brings new hope ,new joy, new beginning. I feel lucky to be able to experience and appreciate the very simple things in life that money can never buy. It always fills me with wonder to think about this little sequence of events, which happens everyday. My friend SVK, in Suva, Fiji, sees the sunrise, first. A little later , another friend of mine, Vinoo, who is in Thailand sees the same sun. A few hours later, me and all my friends in India, see the sunrise. After a while, Niall, Tim and all the others in U.K, see it. A few more hours, and then, my friend in the U.S (specifically New York—You know who you are!) ,Sue in New Jersey, Katherine in Virginia, experience it. After some more time, my other friends in the U.S, on the West coast (specifically California) see the very same sun rise .By this time, my friend in Fiji, is looking at the moon and the stars!! This cycle r

In a philosophical mood right now...Are we truly free?Do we live life on our own terms, or are we constantly seeking to please others? Aren't we chasing the mythical happiness in external pursuits, without realising that true happiness always comes from within--from the little things that give you joy, not from the material things? You might get a very expensive gift for somebody and the joy you see on that person's face is real..but most of us fail to realise that it is only momentary.The emptiness soon returns--till the next 'gift' is received. In the end, we have only memories to take with us.Make happy memories today.It is only these that last a lifetime. Here's a poem I wrote on 15th May, this year.This was before my Dad passed away.And I do feel he lived his life to the fullest,--and so strange, he lived upto what I wrote in the poem. He passed away so very peacefully.Such a death is something everyone aspires for, but very few actually get. Lucky him. Doin

The beauty of nature, life and the various life forms that inhabit planet earth along with us, never ceases to amaze me. I am a big animal lover.However, reptiles are something that I prefer watching from a distance.My husband visited Sri Lanka recently (lucky guy--gets to travel a lot in his job) and had a chance to actually hold a baby crocodile! I found this info about baby crocs interesting When they are ready to hatch the baby crocodiles make a yapping sound from inside the eggs. This lets mum know her babies are ready to hatch so she digs them up and if they are having trouble getting out of their shells, she helps them by rolling the eggs inside her mouth and gently squeezing them until they hatch. Mum may also carry her babies to water. The baby crocodiles have to find insects to eat. Mum protects them for a month or two, but then they are completely on their own.

At times, the grief of losing my dad is unbearable.(see my 'posts of note' on the right side of this blog and click on "call your parents today") Certain memories keep playing over and over again. Memory is a wonderful thing, if you do not have to deal with the past (its a quote from 'Before sunset', a lovely movie) Wrote this poem,to express my grief. The final goodbye. He is lying in front of me As cold as the granite floor They lay him down on. This is not the dad I knew. The dad I knew was full of life. The dad I knew always spoke to me. The dad I knew was always there for me. The dad I knew never abandoned me. The dad I knew was vibrant. And alive. I try hard to forget The pain But it keeps cutting Like shards of glass Piercingly sharp. Penetrating deep Bleeding And silent Reminding me That daddy Is now a dead body. The internal tears Refuse to stop flowing Yet I smile I burn inside, And keep enduring. Then, I console myself Saying “In me he lives”

A friend of mine told me yesterday that a lot of times, it doesnt matter what you cook for the children, but presenting it well, will make all the difference. I couldnt agree more.I made the humble potato wedges yesterday.(baked,not deep fried) Also, some stir fried vegetables to go with it.To decorate,I carved a tomato, into a flower shape (cut firm tomato into two, scooped out the insides, and made triangular nicks on the outer edge with a sharp knife), filled it with bits of cheese, and added some chopped coriander leaves around it, to make it look striking. My kids LOVED it! They asked "Mama, who is coming for dinner tonight?" I said "Both of you are." To say they were delighted, would be putting it mildly. They gobbled up every last piece of the vegetables.I couldnt ask for more! (Can you picture a five year old, eating all the vegetables with great relish,without being threatened with dire consequences if veggies aren't finished?)

“ Making the decision to have a child –it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” --Elizabeth Stone I think every parent would agree. There are moments when your child makes you feel so special, so cherished and so-on-top-of the-world. Today I was gifted with one such. My son just turned nine, and likes to think that he is a “big boy” now. However, come sleep-time and he transforms into a little boy. He loves to cuddle up to me, after the story time (Even though he can read very well, he still listens when I read my daughter a story) My daughter then drifts off to sleep.Such times are usually reserved for mother-son chats. Today, he was all wrapped around me, with his arm around my neck, and a leg across my stomach, his cheek next to mine, all cozy and warm in the quilt. I asked him “Son,why do you like to cuddle up to me?” He says “Oh mama, you are so soft and smooth. You smell so nice. And mostly, because you are a mama be

What Makes YOU tick? We all have different personality traits. Some of them are learned, some are inherent. The traits that are learnt usually depend on the culture, environment, geographical location, and the parental attitude that one was brought up in. The traits which are inherent usually just emerge, despite social conditioning or lack of it, there of! It is important to find out what makes you tick. You have to figure out what works for you. No matter what the others say, you are unique and no one understands you better than yourself. There are usually 5 major personality factors which have been established by empirical research (Goldberg 1993) (Yes, I had to refer my social psychology notes for this one!! :-)) They are 1. Extroversion 2. Agreeableness 3. Conscientiousness 4. Neuroticism 5. Openness to experience What do these terms mean? What they mean can be explained in a few simple sentences which you can ask if they describe yourself. Once you answer them, you know the

Wish I could live in a dome shaped vaccum, Just me and my books.No husband,no kids,no friends, no noise, no thoughts--only books for company. Thse are the books currently in my life,waiting to be read. Am right now reading the one right on top and thoroughly enjoying it. So many books,so little time!

I found these quotes outrageuosly funny, mostly because they had an underlying patina of truth in them! Read them and tell me if you laughed, smiled, were amused or just non-plussed !! And hey--in case you are wondering--I did not make them up :-) And like I always tell my friend (you know who you are!) I agree whole heartedly with the last quote! ****************************************************************** "I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy."--Tom Clancy "You know "that look" women get when they want sex? Me neither."--Steve Martin "Having sex is like playing bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand."--Woody Allen "Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night."--Rodney Dangerfield "There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these

Why I love the month of December. 1. So much of joy and festivity in the air 2. In this part of the world, where I live, the loveliest of flowers bloom in December. (The second picture was clicked just outside my front door yesterday and the first one is from my garden) 3. Last month of the year—always special. (To quote R.L.Stevenson "Summer fading,Winter comes,Frosty Morning,Tingling thumbs...") 4. A kind of reminder that new year is just around the corner. New year. New hopes. New Dreams. 5. Kids’ school closes for 10 whole days! (Translates into sleeping late, cuddling cozily under the quilts) 6.Fantastic weather where I live. 7.Parties,parties parties!! 8.Cakes, Cookies,Gifts. 9.It is the month of Saggitarians--The most fun loving, cheerful ,optimistic,exuberant,out-going, energetic and ‘live-wire’ sign of the zodiac. A few eminent Saggitarians: Brad Pitt, Steven Speilberg, John F Kennedy Jr, Jane Fonda, Woody Allen,Bruce Lee, Jimi Hendrix, Ben Stiller,Gianni Versace,

Really sorry--I have had to remove this post as it will soon appear in a book. Making it available online would have been very unfair to my publisher who has placed so much trust in me. I hope you enjoy the other posts as much as you enjoyed this one. A heartfelt thanks for your support and understanding.Thanks for continuing to read what I write.

Many people wear t-shirts which are handed out by companies that they work for, or given out as freebies which advertise the company product or logo. They do not seem to mind the fact that they are walking bill boards, advertising the company free of cost.And there is nothing wrong with that either,as after all, clothes are your personal choice. I for one, will never wear any such T-shirt, though I have nothing against those who wear them. I have my own collection of t-shirts that I find are “me”—whacky, humorous, or just appealing to me in some way. These are all my favourite t-shirts that I often wear. The red one says , “I don’t like to talk too much because Blah,blah blah,blah,blah ,blah blah,blah,blah ,blah, blah,blah,blah ,blah, blah, blah,blah,blah ,blah blah,blah,blah ,blah, blah,blah,blah,blah” The others, you can see for yourself what they say! Right now, I’m wearing the green one that says “Just friends” .I really laughed when I first spotted it in the store. The picture is

Fot the past half an hour,I've been trying to upload images unto this, but today it is just not happening..Therefore I cannot blog about what I intended to, in the first place. A bit like life I suppose--You plan something and life takes its own turns.You change and you cope. One thing that never changes is the joy a good book gives. The internet is fantastic--it connects across cultures, shrinks the miles,bridges gaps and expands horizons.But at times, servers are down, there is no power or you dont get what you are looking for. There are viruses that can get your system down and all kinds of other complications. Books are so simple.You curl up witha good book, and it never lets you down. I love the internet but i simply LOVE my books! And looks like a lot of people agree with me. Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. --Barbara Tuchman A room without books is like

I had written this poem on 1 st March 1994 . I’ve forgotten why I wrote it or because of whom-- but I remember being very hurt and despondent when I did. Today I opened my poetry book (have been writing since 1992) and read it. I’m amazed that I still feel the same way and it makes so much sense ,even after all these years. Sorry, if it is depressing.. It matches my current mood. The Void. Looking ahead into the future, A void stares back, Occasionally decorated by specks, Of people who seem to matter, Whom you seem to need, Till they let you down. Then you are back to the beginning, Where the void still stares back, Suspended, devoid, untouched by time, Unaffected by the specks, Now long forgotten. Not even a trace of memory remains, All that exists, Is the void, Still staring back. © Ps

I’m in love!! Is it possible to be in love with more than one? I’m in love and there are three of them! Which one shall I choose? They are all equally cute, charming and more than happy to see me! Who is right for me? Yes, you guessed it—I am talking about these pups. In the complex where I stay there is a dog by the name of “Rani”.Rani belongs to nobody in particular and has no pedigree to boast of . All of us feed her and she visits all of us in turns! She gave birth to six adorable puppies last month. Every day, the kids have been talking about them. Yesterday, I went to see them and I am totally in love with them. Three of the pups, have already been adopted and there are only three more left. I do so badly want to bring a pup home. My kids and I, have been using all our charm to convince my husband. (He is not too fond of dogs, and even if we get one, he says it has to be a pure bred, not a stray) I tried telling my husband that, to a dog, it makes no difference if he is a pu

Words have the power to hurt and words have the power to heal. I have a poster on my cupboard that says. “Words have a life of their own. Think, before you speak ” .Wasn’t it Boyzone who sang “ smile ,an ever lasting smile a smile can bring you near to me, don't ever let me find you gone, 'cause that would bring a tear to me. This world has lost its glory, let's start a brand new story now my love you think that I don't even mean a single word I say it's only words and words are all I have to take your heart away” There is this really beautiful poem about words which I have read to my children so many times that they can recite it without looking. We also used it in a couple of workshops and almost all the kids loved enacting it. Thought I’d share this brilliant poem with you so that you can share it with your children if you like to. The word party. By Richard Edwards Loving words clutch crimson roses, Rude words sniff and pick their noses, Shy words come