New year New resolution.

I may not be posting as much as I want to but I just realised that I have made some progress on my 52 goals for the year. So I am taking a moment to celebrate the ones that I have completed. Lots left to do you yet and I need to refocus on these items and get moving. So I guess my New years resolution is to refocus on the things that are important to me.

1) Take a go-see-it vacation : This summer we ended up taking a trip to Costa Rica and we went Zip lining over trees. That's a whole blog post in of itself.
2) Build a new garage - well its a long long process with lots of roadblocks...
3) Loose 5 pounds - really need to kick start this process and give it more serious attention and focus.

4) Take voice lessons : Few months ago I started vocal lessons in Indian classical music. Makes me realise how much I lack in musical ability LOL. Its been great, I am glad I am doing it cause its something I always wanted to do since I was a little kid and I love singing .

5) Go apple picking with the family
6) Go berry picking with the family
7) Teach the kids to ride a bike
8) Learn to swim without fear
9) Surprise my H for lunch
10) Host an afternoon tea with my Girlfriends

11) Paint my sons room : OK so I hired painters to do this but hey its done so it counts.
12) Paint the front door : OK so I hired painters to do this but hey its done so it counts.
13) Paint the bathroom door : OK so I hired painters to do this but hey its done so it counts.
14) Get some yard work done

15) Plant Basil for the summer : It was great to have fresh basil on hand when needed. Definitely on the list for next year.
16) Plant an Hibiscus tree : Done but as we speak it is dying out side in the cold as I forgot to bring it in once the cold set in .
17) Plant a Jasmine tree
18) Set up a plan for DH”s 50th Birthday
19) Spend a day with each child exclusively
20) Get drapes for the bedroom : Done and they are pretty multi color striped.
21) Take sewing lessons
22) Take the kids to a museum
23) Repaint the guest room : done
24) Clean the office
25) List 50 items on EBay
26) Buy a new set of dishes
27) Donate my time/expertise to a Nonprofit
28) Start a new friendship
29) Have lunch with a friend I don’t see often
30) Go see a play with my husband
31) Go see a Broadway show in NYC
32) Teach the kids rollerblading
33) Climb to top of a mountain with spectacular views
34) Hike with the family on local trails
35) Go racing with my DH
36) Learn and master a new recipe
37) Eat breakfast regularly
38) Take vitamins regularly
39) Get a physical
40) Get a mammogram : Done- All clear.
41) Go to an annual OBGYN visit : Done - All Clear
42) Go to the gym 3-4 days a week regularly- been doing good all of 2009 hope to step it up in 2010.
43) Stick with the blog for 365 days

44) Ride my bike

45) File paperwork for my mom

46) Paint the kitchen baseboards

47) Spend an entire day in silence

48) Fast an entire day

49) Have a family movie night in the basement

50) Frame and display family photos

51) Spend a whole day without using any power

52) Read 25 books

Flower car lady - Have a happy and colorful day

Useless facts

Here are some interesting and useless facts to make you chuckle.

Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. (Since Venus is normally associated with women,
what does this tell you!)

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

The King of Hearts is the only king WITHOUT a moustache.

Turtles can breathe through their butts. ( if you dont belive me google it, I dare you)

Flower car lady - Have a happy and colorful day

I am

I am – trying to put back my house together after having painters and contractors in here for the past 2 weeks. The end result on the walls and floors is pretty but there is just so much stuff that was moved around and it all needs to be put back to where it belongs. So much dust covered every square inch of the house.

I am looking outside my window – and I see leaves all over the driveway. Its clear and warm but the leaves are just everywhere.

I am listening to – Calle Ocho it is a fun upbeat dancing song I love to hear in my Zumba class.

I am thinking - about the NY Yankees and I hoping that they play well and win the WORLD SERIES tonight . Go Yankees !

Flower car lady - Have a happy and colorful day

Quote This!

An Eye for an Eye ends up making the whole world blind - Mahatma Gandhi

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I am

I am – still here , haven't blogged much recently but I am still here .

I am looking outside my window – and I see the leaves beginning to turn into these delicious shades of gold and orange.

I am cooking – Eggplant Parmesan for dinner tonight.

I am trying – to get back into a regular routine of going to the gym at least 4 times a week. Over summer with the kids being home he routine was kinda of sporadic. Now I am trying to get back on track. Today I did a Zumba class ( my fave) and 25 minutes of the treadmill.

I am reading – A Million Little Pieces by James Fry.

Flower car lady - Have a happy and colorful day

Kabhi Kabhi Mere dil mein khayal aata hai

If you are familiar with Indian music then you know this song. This blog entry is my homage to this incomparable love song. Such beautiful poetry and the melody made unforgettable by Mukesh, Lata and of course the one and only Amitabh Bachan.

This link will take you to the song as sung in the movie “Kabhi Kabhi” : Kabhi Kabhi original Male version .

Here is the Kabhi Kabhi original Female version of the song again from the movie .

A link for a portion of the Kabhi Kabhi poem recited by Amitabh .

For those of you who want to explore the origins of this beautiful song here is the poem in Urdu as written by Sahir Ludhiyanvi .

If you are brave enough to stray from the original masterpiece and want to see a Remix here is one to enjoy. Thankfully it still has Amitabh Bachan's charm to pull it off.

If you have any link to better or different versions please share so we can all enjoy it.

For those of you who don't speak Hindi and hence don't really get the song, I am sorry there is no decent available translation for it on the web, trust me I have looked. Just suffice to say IMHO its one of the best love songs out there telling of a love story that could not be.

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Quote This!

We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness.

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Five Word Fridays

Summer's flying away too fast !

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I am not who I used to be

I am not who I used to be
Where am I gone, where should I seek
When I glance in a mirror, I am not sure who I see
Who lives in here if it’s not me?

As I trace the scars of my torn heart
I mourn with sadness the beauty lost
Laughter, life and joy lived within
Now there is a silence inside that had never been

A stranger is rising from what remains
I don’t recognize her shape, doesn’t feel the same
If her and I should ever happen to meet
We would pass each other like unknowns on the street

I wonder if anyone can tell I’ve been long gone
Slowly being replaced with this newborn
Even as I protect this new sapling that’s grown
The end of what I used to be I do mourn

I scour for nutrients to help this child grow
To nurse her strong and let her glow
No matter how long she lives inside of me
Will she really ever be me?

Flower car lady - Have a happy and colorful day

I am

I am – enjoying having the kids home for summer. Its sometimes challenging to come up with activities to keep them entertained, and I hope when they are grown they remember their simple, quite and relaxing summers, just the way they are meant to be.

I am thinking – about my brother because today is a special holiday in India that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. I send my brother lots of love across the miles and wish him happiness and success in life.

I am cooking - grilled vegetables- mushrooms, asparagus and peppers to go with red wine and garlic marinated steak .

I am looking outside my window – and I see sunny skies and a storm on the horizon. There is s o much rain this summer that it can officially now be called the Monsoon season.

I am reading – A Song Flung Up to Heaven by Maya Angelou.

Tags by Technorati: Maya Angelou,Rakhee

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My trip to the NEW Yankee stadium.

Last month was my birthday and my DH got me a really neat present. Six tickets to go see the NEW YORK YANKEES at their new stadium. If you are a Yankee fan of any sort you have heard that they have a new stadium this year. Well for my birthday I got to go see it with my family. In fact DH got an extra ticket so I could take my BFF with me.

Ride in was great, some traffic along the way but with hubby at the wheel and some smooth maneuvering not to bad getting in to the city.
Parking was a breeze and then across the street and up the escalator right to our seats, which were thankfully under cover perfect in case of rain. It was a sort of pretty day with chance of rain (so what’s new) but it held out for the most part. There was a 25 minute rain delay at the start due to sprinkling but the rest was smooth sailing.

The stadium itself is BEAUTIFUL. You can walk along side the entire stadium and pretty much see the game from any section without sitting in a seat. The food court is just amazing, along with the usual hot dogs and burgers and baseball food there was falafel, noodle bowl, Mexican food and my favorite sushi. I mean really where can you see a Yankee game and eat sushi at the same time but in NEW YORK CITY.

During the course of the game we ate ice-cream, did the 7th inning Cotton Eyed Joe, danced to the YMCA with the cleaning crew and even joined in the stadium wide wave. It was a great outing and I am so proud of my hubby for making my day so special. Thanks Honey you really know how me make me happy. Sorry about screaming out into your ear the whole game, but you know the players are so far I have to scream so they can hear me LoL.

Oh yeah about the game, on the mound was CC Sabathia and we played the Seattle Mariners. We lost 8-4, and Mo did not come out in the 9th inning but none of that mattered. I had my Hubby, my kids and my BFF and the Yankees all in one place at the same time. What else could you a girl want for her 41st birthday.

How did you celebrate your last birthday ?

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Summer Reading

One of my goals for the year is to read 52 books , that's one a week if you are counting. With 3 kids it not so easy and so I am always looking for interesting books to read. So far I am making good progress on my list. Here are a couple that I just finished reading.

Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulaya Malladi

Description from Amazon -
In Malladi's third novel, following A Breath of Fresh Air (2002) and The Mango Season [BKL Ap 15 03], the characters keep referencing "bad Hindi movies." Indeed, the plot of this very readable novel does resemble something out of Bollywood, but the characters are drawn so clearly and strongly that readers will immediately be taken by the triumphs and tribulations of the Veturi family. Devastated after being fired from her job at a Silicon Valley start up and suffering a miscarriage, Devi feels she has strayed far outside the expectations of her traditional Indian family and attempts to commit suicide. However, her intrusive mother, a continual source of aggravation for Devi, saves her life. Devi then moves in with her parents, but she refuses to speak, taking up cooking instead. Channeling all her emotions into the elaborate meals she prepares, Devi prompts her family to engage in a series of completely honest conversations that draw all of them closer to each other. A reading-group guide is bound into this heartfelt novel, which also provides a candid snapshot of fractious mother-daughter relationships.

I’d say this is an easy read, gets you invested in the characters. It has a “Bollywood” type plot and gives you a humorous insight into the Indian culture and the relationships between mothers, daughters and fathers. Warning: reading about the cooking parts makes you hungry for Indian food. I’d give it 2.5 stars out of 5.


I Am Not Sidney Poitier: A Novel by Pervival Everett

Description from Amazon -
Everett's latest tells the story of a young man named Not Sidney Poitier who bears an uncanny resemblance to the famed actor and is adept at deploying a hypnotic technique called Fesmerism. When Not Sidney is young, his mother dies, but not before becoming an early investor in Ted Turner's enterprises. The boy then moves to Atlanta, into the home of Ted Turner. Despite his vast wealth and celebrity looks, when Not Sidney ventures out into the world as a young adult, he faces bizarre, stinging and potentially deadly forms of racism. While Not Sidney comes across as a likable and thoughtful soul, he's the perfect foil for the fictionalized Turner's stream-of-consciousness non sequiturs (I've never been struck by lightning. You?) as well as the logical absurdities that pepper the speech of his university professor who happens to be named Percival Everett. Not only is the novel smart and without a trace of pretentiousness, it shows Everett as a novelist at the height of his narrative and satirical powers.

Again another easy summer read kinda bizarre and kinda funny. I’d give it 3 stars out of 5.

I just started reading The Queen's Bastard: A Novel by Robin Maxwell

I will add a review when I am done. So far so good, if you like the Tudors, or Anne Boylen you might like this book.

Description from Amazon –
Maxwell's second novel (after The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn) breathes extraordinary life into the scandals, political intrigue and gut-wrenching battles that typified Queen Elizabeth's reign as seen through the eyes of Arthur Dudley, the man who may have been the illegitimate progeny of the Virgin Queen and her beloved Master of the Horse, Robin Dudley. Arthur's first-person narration is cleverly juxtaposed with third-person dramatization of significant events in the queen's life, bringing an intricate authenticity to the possibility that Elizabeth gave birth to a bastard son. Maxwell's research examines the biographical gaps in, and documented facts about, the queen's life, making this incredible tale plausible, and the author aptly embellishes her story with rich period details and the epic dramas of the late 16th century. Switched at birth with a baby's corpse by a lady-in-waiting who foresaw the disastrous political consequences of a royal bastard, the infant is raised in the English countryside, where he is abused by his adoptive mother. Only his adoptive father, Robert Southern, knows his true background, and it is only when Southern lies dying that he reveals the secret to Arthur. The circumstances leading to Arthur's reunion with his father and finally his mother range from the young man's military training in Wales and encampment in the Netherlands to his post as a spy in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, all played out against the backdrop of England's defeat of the Spanish Armada. The novel falters only with an abundance of references to Anne Boleyn's diary (coy allusions to the author's first novel), but this minor affectation defuses none of the powerfully lascivious intersections of sexual and international politics that, combined with Maxwell's electrifying prose, here make for enthralling historical fiction.

If you have any book recomendations for me leave me a comment I'd love to try them out.

Flower car lady - Have a happy and colorful day

I am

I am – working really hard on trying to over come my fear of water and swimming. Its one of my 52 goals for the year and I am starting on it. Yesterday I went in the swim lanes in our lake and swam 4 laps in DEEP water on my back. Hurray for me !

I am thinking – about my oldest son who is away at Boy scout summer camp for the week. I hope is doing alright and is having fun with his merit badge workshops.

I am wearing - gym clothes as I am plotting to find a way to get to the gym today. Have not been there in several days. Its harder to get there now with the kids home for summer.

I am looking outside my window – and I see sunny skies.

I am reading – a book called Waiting: A Novel by Ha Jin. He sets many of his stories and novels in China, in the fictional Muji City. I would say that Waiting is an interesting read if you are looking for something different. The title of the book kindof explains what its about. All 3 of the main characters in the book are waiting for something in their life. Makes you think of what you are waiting for and how life is just passing by while you wait. I am just starting on a second book by the same author called The Bridegroom: Stories . This one is a collection of short stories. I like the writing style not sure I like the abrupt endings.

I am listening to – Fallin' by Alicia Keys.

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The River Dogs win, The River Dogs win!!!

My youngest son’s Rookie league Baseball team made it to the Kinnelon Recreation league championships. After several games had to be moved due to the rainy season here that we are experiencing, it was finally the day of the championship. The uniforms are all washed, the matching pair for the lucky socks hunted down and the cleats donned. Entire families complete with proud grandparents are all assembled at the field. Thankfully the rain decides to take a break and give us a few good hours of dry weather to squeeze in the rain.
The 2 teams playing in the championship today are the River Dogs and the Mud Cats. My DH joked that it was raining Cats and Dogs.

Usually when the rookie teams play there are no umpires, the coaches just kind of agree on the call. On this final championship game, 5 minutes prior to the game I see “Blue” walking towards the field and it reinforces that this game means serious business. You can feel the excitement in the air.

Both teams are hitting well, fielding well and making plays like never before. All the effort they have put in over the 8 weeks of practices and games is paying off. Cameras are clicking and everyone is cheering. The score goes back and forth until 6 innings are played and the final outcome is the River Dogs are the Kinnelon Rec Baseball Rookie champions for 2009

After the game there was a nice awards presentation ceremony out on the field and the kids were received their trophies and celebrated their great baseball season. The River Dogs coach graciously invited the team for a post game pool party complete with hot dogs and chips.

It was such a pleasure to see these first and second grade kids progress and learn so much more as the weeks went on. Not only were they learning baseball, the kids pick up so many valuable life lessons on how to interact with other players, how to deal with losses and strike outs and how to be gracious winners.
Thanks to the volunteer parent coaches who take timeout from their busy schedules to help teach the kids the skills of baseball and help them gain invaluable life lessons. Our town has really made a great effort this year in making the baseball season a truly well organized and well run baseball program. I am looking forward to bringing the boys back next year for another fun filled season.

Tags by Technorati: Kinnelon Rec,Rookie League Baseball

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Five Word Fridays

Last Day of School Today !

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I am

I am – half way thru painting my guest room a soft shade of sky blue.

I am - looking outside my window – and I see partly sunny skies and some sun shinning.

I am thinking – its nice to the Sun finally. Is the monsoon over ?

I am wearing - a pink top and Trina Turk pink and brown flower pants as I going to attend my nephews graduation from High school.

I am hoping – my son has a great time at his baseball championship game tonight.

I am listening to – Don't Stop The Music by Rihanna

Tags by Technorati: Trina Turk,Rihanna

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How to talk to your kids about sex.

Here is what can happen if you use too many big words and vague descriptions when talking to your kids about sex. LOL

If you have a tween or a pre-teen you know you need to have “THE TALK”. I wont get into a debate of when is too early or too late to have the talk. Suffice to say at some point you will need to do it. Gone are the days of when your parents either had an awkward or worse no conversation with you that basically explained nothing. In the end you gathered all your misinformation in whispers from your friends. Since mine are all boys I don’t have to deal with all the complexities of talking to girls. Also much of the burden of the “Birds and the Bees” conversation was thankfully carried by Dad in our case, however I did not want it to be a “Ask your Dad” exclusively relationship between myself and my boys.

So I gathered myself and went into the bookstore ready to research “THE BOOK” for my son I was pretty shocked at the level of information and detail there was in these books. Granted here are some tame versions out there, some of which are no clearer than the stork explanation and one that had a little cartoon on the bottom of the chapter on Masturbation that said the words “Yippee”. Check out Amazon at the link below and search for “puberty books for boys” and you will be able to browse inside some of them and see what works best for you.

I was conflicted on how much information should the book have and which one made the most sense. It is not an easy choice there’s a lot of books out there. The one I eventually settled on was SCARY at first in that it has a lot of information and pictures in there, not to mention the “Yippee” cartoon. It took me 3 months or so before I could bring myself to hand it over to my son. This was partly because I was reading and absorbing it myself and partly because I was not ready to discuss the information with him. There was a whole lot of information that I am embarrassed to admit that was NEW to me.

When I did eventually have to hand the book over to him, I said a little prayer under my breath as I passed it along to my son and hope that he uses the information in it to help him along his path of life. My baby boys are growing up and some day I am going to have to see them as the Men they will become. As a mom that’s a hard transition because the way I see it the information transfer signals an end to the “innocent child” phase that my boy was so far living in. At the same time I am also glad that he has the tools he needs to arm himself with what will be coming his way and hopefully he is more prepared than I was at his age.

I know first hand that its not an easy conversation to start but with the help of PICTURE books it makes it a lot easier to get the information exchange started. I am glad I took the plunge and survived .One down, two to go!!

Flower car lady - Have a happy and colorful day