(hey ! you noticed the date ? 2012 2013 ! Two years together. ;) )
The Tree is up..the Crib is set...my lill LED snowmen and Santas are out...our
home is up for our "last" Christmas. Well..by last.i mean, its our last, in this flat where we are right now. Moving to better premises by next month..so, definitely want this to be special.
Some images of our home...
Hark Now Hear....the Angels sing....
The crib .Alright..alright...Baby Jesus just landed a few days prior...on demand by my little one.
Our tree...at night. (sorry for the bad quality)
Typing up this post from the study desk...its big time shouts, laughter and cheers, rising from our living room. Real celebrations for dH and his College Allumini Cricket Team. It was the finals today..and they won the match !!! and this win..is indeed special.
Well...theirs "IS" a strong team; have been reaching the finals for the last 7 yrs and was winning too...except for last 3 years. The same oponents all yest years, and compared to the men in late 30's and 40's thats us... the other team on the other hand are more younger blood, more bachelors. We kept losing to them, in the finals. And now..the trophy is back !..Time to rejoice !!!!
The first round of celebration is what is ongoing now...at our home, while typing this down (God knows, when this will be posted thou) . Now, its just the men... the team alone. Next goes..with team members and family, on a larger scale. Yet to take place.Looking forward to it.
Some hand-assemled/home -made Chrsitmas decor.
Wrapped the greens around an inverted yogurt cup and placed the candle on top.
These candles just wouldn't stay perfectly straight..yet..fine enough.
A makeover for the corner flower pot
Door wreath - Cut a ring out of card board and stitched the greens and decorations atop.
Some edible Christmas art ? Pop onto my cook-ie space Quick Picks for the details.
Baby, you're a firework Come on, let your colors burst Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh" You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe
(a bit from the FIREWORKS lyrics by KATY PERRY)
St. Raphael's Church, Thykoodam, Kochi, Kerala.
Born to a very pious mother, church services, daily family
prayers, St. Antony’s novena on Tuesdays… were all a never miss for us as kids.
Staying close to our Parish, we were pushed to go (walk) to church not just on
Sundays, but on Saturdays ..and any other holidays as well. And one of the most
memorable “like’s” of those yesterdays was the Church Festivals.
view of our Thykoodam Parish Church Festival Eve celebrations
In googlemaps..its zoom in as : Asia, India, Kerala, Kochi,
Vyttila, Thykoodam – St. Raphel’s Church - one of the biggest parishes of the Archidiocese of Verapoly. This year, Sunday, the 6th of October 2013, was the Feast of the heavenly patron . Wanted to make this post then, but got late.
Had I been home today..it would have been a great time for all the Christians around the area... getting ready for the grand festive mass...celebrations...
the band set playing the latest bolly/molly/tollywood numbers and yes...devotional hymns too.
I reaaallllly missing those days.....wallah !!!!
Saturday, The eve of the Church Feast have the Holy Services in the evening, followed by the procession, and the best part of it all was the Fireworks, to the very end.
Green to the right….red to the left….didn’t know what they were exactly called….so, we named them rockets,parachutes…and umbrellas !!! We would be there...few giggly girlies... right in front of the crowd to watch the colourful sparkles that lit up the sky….the loud booms , bangs…..
The fireworks !!!
Minutes of hyper excitement.
My mother would never stay
back to watch the fireworks and rush back home after the procession, coz most of the times, our uncles would have
come over and so, she had to be there to be serving all the lovely dishes she
had prepared – appam, mutton stew, duck roast, cutlets….my ! I terribly miss
those days. And for me……i was definitely not leaving…or…well..i will put it
like this…either I stay back at church till the entire fireworks show was over and
reach back home very late …or make a dash to my house before the fireworks
began, run up the stairs to my terrace to be there, to watch the sky getting
lit. Either way, it was fine with me..as
long as I saw the colours bursting with a bang out of the darkness...
and it
made the girlie in me very very happy.
I had this lovely family friend of ours…she was atleast 10 years older to me…Jenny chechi (name slightly changed)..and my ! she was one lively fun-loving character. I loved being with her, she had an ever-ready smile and could crack instant wits out of nothing. She had a great sense of humour. And I personally, prefer to be in the company of such people…coz, they radiate their positiveness onto you as well.I could only remember myself to be always laughing whist she was around.
I get to meet her only during the church service. Even though we are in the same neighbourhood, we both moves to opposite sides of the church…so, it was customary that we stay there at the junction where we part ways and be chatting and giggling..at the same time. Be it “Way of the Cross” procession on Good Friday…the Christmas midnight mass…to watching the fireworks and shouting….yeaaahhhh….she was my church company.
I still cherish her deeply.
You are deeply missed…Jenny chechi. !!!
And now…coming to the present, is this new band gone
viral across social media-
Thaikkudam
Bridge.
A group of very young fresh talents taking the place by storm with the beautiful music, mostly the oldies with a new fresh touch.And the best part, it all started for them , packed ina room near the“Thykoodam Bridge” (which is right in front of my home)...where they used to meet and jam !
for the Keralites, this is one of the best from them (acoording to me, that is)
for the Indian audience...this is great !!! .."Haq-Allah.. !"
and on international audience..a fresh rendition of "The Beat it..."
Small world...indeed !!!
And..am I not pleasantly surprised, that i could dig apicture fromm googly of the foot of the Thykoodam Bridge and on the right hand side of this image, you see a 2 floor building in blue and red, and a mango tree just next it ??.
That's my dearest tree..my HOME !!! SWEET HOME !!! BACK HOME !!!
Proud of my homeplace “Thykoodam”..you
are rocking!!!!
(disclaimer - the posts in here under the label head "musings" are not specifically directed to any reader review or comments. It's just that when I feel like writing down something, i just turn up here..on this blogpage of mine, and jot it down. Just dont want to miss out on those which I would like to cherish ... Terribly bad memeory loss, got to admit, so i need to keep things somewhere, for a refresh click...in the long run)
Well.its the same scenario repeating. Bad tough day..... hectic at work..physically tired..mentally low ..... turned bright just out of nowhere.
Chain (bigg one), bracelet, earing, keychain, purse and a certified Papyrus painting !!!! ....all from someone whom I mean absoltely nothing more than an other new staff for whom she clears the HR formalities.
Between two people who could never communicate in spoken language, I could make out neither a single word that she spoke in very rapid conventional Egyptian Arabic, nor did she speak a word of English either.
She is the senior most in the Personal (HR) Department here, and me being a very new staff, had to meet with her quite a number of times to get my formalities done. I had an other collegue come with me as the translator..but...think our faces always knew the language..not the spoken words..but just a smile, and a "Hello, How are you" in english from myself and she greets in her own rapidly spoken words. Give and take.
I met her at the passage to my desk, she was walking in..i was walking out. We just shared a Hai and a smile, and I was about to walk off too tied up with some urgent works, when she becons me to my desk and silently hands over this kit. I couldn't follow what she spoke...but believe, it was in lines of.."I brought these for you, from Egypt ". (the word Egypt. That, i understood).
Felt touched...really touched... you really made my day, Ma'am !!!
Thanks a bunch Lord..you know how to sent angels down in plain clothes, when we definitely need a boost.
The previous posts in the very similar sequence - this , a comment from a co-blogger friend of mine, and this again..a simple phrase, by my little one who was just 3 yr old then.
Spread a smile. You never know...one day, it will come back to you, to make you smile..when you are feeling low.
KARMA !!, I believe in you...
After taking around 20 mins "+1"(hour, to be specific) than the normal 20 mins drive to reach my office from home..the new driver in me had a hell of a time, and few other nick nacks..like sick kid back home..new housemaid...he locking himself at home while the maid goes downstairs to drop our 3rd son to the schoolbus...phone not being answered.... just got to my desk feeling crap and telling myself..."wow!! indeed a classic start a new work week !"
.................................
"....I had read somewhere that it is a bit of a task to make someone laugh or atleast smile. You do that everytime through your post with such an ease. Always look forward for your funny aspects to everyday things. Good job girl!!!"
..................................
That was a portion from a comment that I received on one of my posts on Quick Picks and it was dated few days back, but, was it just coincidence that this was the first thing that caught my eye, when I opened up my inbox ? I had missed this comment,and saw it only now.
Shibi....thanks very very much for that. You have no clue, but...you just made my day ! Am happy that I could bring in a smile to your face and today, you have just paid me back with interest, when I was definitely lacking those. Thanks a bunch, sweetheart !
Today is way past June 15th, but yet...please make yourself at ease...push off all that disturbances for a while to the backburner....feel free to take one of those...
It is, for FREE...and the offer never expires !
Thanks Lord ! If , in the above scenario..You make me consider myself blessed, to be an artist and not sick....to date. Amen.
And, I am no joker...I am just blessed. I'll keep it that way.
Think we definitely need some stickeys like this around. Very inspirational.
Too many things about smiles and laughter..so, as a closing note...i'll keep that frowny lad for now to say..catch you later.
