Showered clouds!!

The whole day they were at it...the RJ at every station..

5 word reports- "Ivathu MaLe baruva soochane idhe" (It looks like it is going to rain today)

"Cloudy, with a spell of rain towards the evening"

How many times, through the years i've heard this. And also know that they'll be hitting the nail on the spot.

Thats how it has been,

the joyous clouds, mr sunshine steaming into the tarred roads, as if he's in a hurry, always isn't he? He has to catch up with the steaming Chennai...and off he's run off to.

Today has been a poetic evening- the sky was so awashed with color, that it looked like some thing out of the fairytale book. The pinks, merged with the blues, and when I looked out it looked as if it were going to just walk away with my thoughts.

It looked as if the skies were painting to the tune of the stress around town...eggjams and more exams. It sure was a beautiful sight.

Late into the night, I was still to answer my younger one..." Its so pink, when it should be fully dark now. Why, Ma? " I still had unanswered thoughts in my mind and some were to be let off...but the beauty of the stretch of pinks, and greys and blues took my breath away.

And now when the raindrops pitter patter to compete for space on the dry streets...I can smell the just wet earth, and it brings peace to my swirling mind.

This is what my city has been for me...always at peace with herself. Just when someone, starts to draw out lines of harshness on her yucky, sweaty heat...she comes down with her remedy.

Yes!! We've had our first drops of rain...and i'm sad , cos its always been a ritual for me to take the kids out into the first shower. The joy has to be seen to live it.

But there will be more to come .

This reminded me of a very lovely song...love the way Sonu Nigam has sung it

Thanks to the Lord!!

It is Thanksgiving Day, the one day of the year when you're expected to be grateful. But according to an army of psychologists, writer's and talk show hosts (even Oprah) giving thanks only today is a lost opportunity (lost, why??!!!). You should be grateful all the time they say, and one of the best ways is in writing- by keeping a "gratitude journal" - TOI

Could this mild exercise, jotting down a few grateful thoughts, really be the key to contentment??? I thought i'd try it out....I thought i'd write a letter, and started....but then realised it is the prompt for this week at writer's island.

I give thanks to...

God! He's the power above, who holds my hands and leads...( thank god, he sits above, just imagine what he'd be, if he were to stay with me....?? one more to the asylum!!! )

My family...they have given me such wonderful moments to share and shed tears around....(the salt loss, has kept me away from raised BP levels :) )

My husband for reminding me always that I have a voice that sounds extremely good within the bathroom walls....( imagine the scene, if he'd said I sang well...I would have been burning stage floors and your ears too...)

For all the plentiful occassions that we decide to throw a party....drink, eat and be merry...( Vijay Mallya would have not built such beautiful bungalows all over the place, if not for us...and I wouldn't want to be responsible for his "Don't have a roof over my head" status)

For those simply colorful and amazing festivals we Indians celebrate....( the malls would never have made their profits without these...) and the shopaholics their dose of pastime

This city I live in..its weather and its people...you must live here to know it. ....( Where else can you smell the fragrance of the Jasmine, the Sampige, the Rajnigandha, the Margosa,and lots of trees and flowers, amidst the smoke of the terribly noisy autos, the "I think I'm the king, give way" BPO vehicles, the idlis and dosas that you can get anytime anyplace...yeah even 3 in the morning...go to the market are you'll see one lone man pettige angadi {tin shop}open...)

The people of this city. They have been so hospitable....they opened doors to so many that now I get to see how tall buildings can be built and how a crowded street can look like..

The locality I live in...so peacful and serene...that I can hear the swish of the 'madisaars' ( the nine yard saree tied by women), hear the suprabhatham ( the early morning devotional number to wake up the umpteen number of God's waiting above) and also get to smell the idli's and paratha's and the cereals

My children's school, without whom I would never have known the capacity of my sons' shoulders to carry heavy loads.

My friends without whom I'd have never known the meaning of support and unconditional love!

My fellow bloggers....(thank god its virtual !! I'll never get to see them curling their 2 hands around my neck or even closing the window quickly :) )

The endless rallies held in our city,right next to Mahatma Gandhi's statues...(i'm sure he's crying so hard...he doesn't get time to tell his Hey Ram's!) I'd have never learnt the art of patience!!

The malls that have cropped up all over our quaint city ( I didn't say it, the coffee book guys have said it!! )...our students and overflowing population would never have fitted into the small MTR'S, Vidhyarthi Bhavans', SLV'S, Coffee House, Koshy's and Lakeviews...

The inflow of the giant food chains, like McDonalds , etc, without whom the new age parents would never have had an idea how to feed their children..

The beautiful temples, some so old, dotted around the city..(our students would never have realised their religious fervour or else...go to the poplular ones, like ISKCON, Dodda Ganesha Temple, Maruthi Mandir, Ragi gudda...during the exam season you'll know what I mean....)

My most wonderful kids ( yeah inspite of the pre-teen issues and the sibling wars...) I would have had such dull boring life, with no stories to smile about!! and who taught me to scream my guts off in a very calm way...

The most brilliant weather....the jackets would never have been put to use would they??


My parents, without whom i'd never have known the art of respecting people, though they maybe strangers...

the list goes on and on...and I can't see the stranglers and hear the tsk tsk.....but i'd love to thank everyone who brings the smile on my face, gives me their shoulder, wipes my tears and listens patiently to all my rants...
THANK YOU.