Happy New Year 2011

Wishing all my friends and family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Year 2010 - Flashback in Months

Jan 2010: 1st Jan, baby Ritvik's first major outing to Hindu Temple, car broke had to borrow another car..Mom,Me,G,Ritz and Paarth went in the cold winter..though baby slept almost entire journey. 2nd Jan -- had a New Year party in the eve at Parkway..was tensed baby will create havoc but peacefully slept entire time. breast feeding going on normally now and baby playing more.

Feb 2010: Started going to ofc, sis came for 10 days..took Paarth with her when she left..was again tensed how baby will sleep with mom but turned out he adjusted well. naps for mom & baby from 2-5, then playing with baby. Grandpa now spending more and more time with baby tellign stories.

March 2010: Baby turned on back..1st major milestone achieved..parents left last week of march. 1 week stayed at home to take care of baby..did everything for baby ..njoyed very much...last week in-laws came.

Apr 2010: Went to Chicago for 3 day trip. 7hrs drive one way, baby did pretty well, now can tke for longer trips :) Did baby's Anna Prasaana in Hindu temple..

May 2010: 6 months completed for baby..going out for walks with grandparents in the evening and then interacting with others, started solid foods.

June 2010: baby started crawling, now can move about everywhere, have to be careful with everything.

July 2010: Went to LA-LV-san Diego with baby and in-laws. In-laws left for India, started puttign baby to Day care. got 1st cold. 2nd week of day care not going well, baby crying a lot

Aug 2010: Baby not ready for daycare, staying at home with baby..went to India for 1 month, attended 2 weddings.

Sept 2010: Back to EP, baby still not gettign adjusted at day care. weather changed , Went back to India to leave baby at in-laws

Oct 2010: Missing baby, started gym, work going on fine.

Nov 2010: Same routine..Started TT, Won $150 at Mystic Lake on Thanksgiving. Started Salsa class with hubby.

Dec 2010: Missing baby but happy he is njoying. Celebrated X'mas with new group of frnds, was absolute fu..now waiting for 1 more day for new year..

Once more an Aunt

Once more an aunty to 2 beautiful twin baby girls.

25th Dec 2010 - Merry X'mas ..How the celebrations changed over time

I still remember as a young kid ..how excited I got on X'mas day. At this time we stayed in Khadki, Pune. Morning after breakfast we would go to Jaihind bakery in Kirkee market and get a nice yummy x'mas cake with Santa on top. This we would take to my parents family friends house(Samuel Uncle) and after a delicious lunch of chicken, rice and other delicacies..we would return home in the evening with the Santa toy which we collected as part of our collection.
Few years down the line we moved to Dehuroad and our neighbors were Christians, so for another 10 years or so both families celebrated it as a joyous occasion with lots of good food, drinks and festive cheer.
Then we moved to our own home at Pimple Gurav..still for X'mas we always got a cake and some wine, we did have some friends come over for good cheer.
But nowadays there is really not much celebration left. It is just a phone call from parents to their friends, just a small cake bought at home and some good cheer with the family.

MILLIE'S MOTHER'S RED DRESS

MILLIE'S MOTHER'S RED DRESS


It hung there in the closet

While she was dying, Mother's red dress,

Like a gash in the row

Of dark, old clothes

She had worn away her life in.



They had called me home

And I knew when I saw her

She wasn't going to last.



When I saw the dress, I said

"Why, Mother - - how beautiful!

I've never seen it on you."

"I've never worn it," she slowly said.

"Sit down, Millie - - I'd like to undo

A lesson or two before I go, if I can."



I sat by her bed

And she sighed a bigger breath

Then I thought she could hold.

"Now that I'll soon be gone,

I see some things.



Oh, I taught you good - - but I taught you wrong."

"What do you mean Mother?"

"Well - - I always thought

That a good woman never takes her turn,

That she's just for doing for somebody else.

Do here, do there, always keep

Everybody else's wants tended and make sure

Yours are at the bottom of the heap."

"Maybe someday you'll get to them.

But of course you never do.

My life was like that - - doing for your dad,

Doing for the boys, for your sisters, for you."

"You did - - everything a mother could."

"Oh, Millie, Millie, it was not good - -

For you - - for him. Don't you see?

I did you the worst of wrongs.

I asked for nothing - - for me!"



"Your father in the other room,

All stirred up and staring at the walls - -

When the doctor told him, he took

It bad - - came to my bed and all but shook

The life right out of me. 'You can't die,

Do you hear? What'll become of me?'

' What'll become of me?'

It'll be hard, all right when I go.

He can't even find the frying pan, you know."

"And you children - -

I was a free ride for everybody, everywhere.

I was the first one up and the last one down

Seven days out of the week.

I always took the toast that got burned,

And the very smallest piece of pie."

"I look at how some of your brothers

Treat their wives now

And it makes me sick, 'cause it was me

That taught it to them. And they learned,

They learned that a woman doesn't

Even exist except to give.

Why, every single penny that I could save

Went for your clothes, or your books,

Even when it wasn't necessary.



Can't even remember once when I took

Myself downtown to buy something beautiful - -

For me."

"Except last year when I got that red dress.

I found I had twenty dollars

That wasn't especially spoke for.

I was on my way to pay extra on the washer.

But somehow - - I came home with this big box.

Your father really gave it to me then.

'Where you going to wear a thing like that to - -

Some opera or something?'

And he was right, I guess.

I've never, except in the store,

Put on that dress."



"Oh Millie - - I always thought if you take

Nothing for yourself in this world

You'd have it all in the next - - somehow

I don't believe that anymore.

I think the Lord wants us to have something - -

Here - - and now."

"And I'm telling you , Millie, if some miracle

Could get me off this bed, you could look

For a different mother, 'cause I would be one.

Oh, I passed up my turn so long

I would hardly know how to take it.

But I'd learn, Millie.

I would learn!"



It hung there in the closet

While she was dying, Mother's red dress,

Like a gash in the row

Of dark, old clothes

She had worn away her life in.

Her last words to me were these:

"Do me the honor, Millie,

Of not following in my footsteps.

Promise me that."

I promised.



She caught her breath

Then Mother took her turn

In death.

~Carol Lynn Pearson~

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

"What's in a name" the all famous phrase from Shakespeare that we all know about. This is about how Indian women have to change to their husbands name after wedding. In earlier days it was a necessity but nowadays women are more liberal and tend to add their husbands name to their surname.
For me I never gave it much of a thought as I did not think I would change my name bcoz that was the identity I grew up with but due to some govt formalities I had to go for a name change after wedding and I decided to change it to my husbands name.
Now if you ask me about it I really don't care one way or the other. I love both my dad and my husband a lot and keeping ones name and dropping the others does not really change any equation..so as i said initially - What's in a name"? you are still the same person you used to be :)