Of Sea, Sand and Sunsets - Reflections #GoaDiaries #MondayBlogs

“Every sunset is an opportunity to reset.”– Richie Norton

One of the best feelings in life is to watch a sunset over the sea. It’s a splendid sight to watch, how the blazing sun gradually dims, appears to dip into the sea, and the sky gradually changes its hues. That’s something I relished witnessing on our first getaway of 2021. Last week we were in Goa for a much needed short holiday, and it was a very welcome break for all of us. 

Whenever we are in Goa for a holiday we prefer to have a relaxed stay by chilling on the beach and enjoying the sea. So instead of going and rushing around places, we try to in soak in the sun, have fun in the water, watch sunsets and unwind. With a kid, it makes more sense to keep things simple and it works for us very well. Sharing a few pictures and some musings and reflections from the trip here.

37‌ ‌Things‌ ‌I‌ ‌am‌ ‌Grateful‌ ‌for‌ #WrappingUp2020

 

I have been cultivating an attitude of gratitude for years now, and 2020 has been a year when its meaning took a whole new level. 2020 has been a year like no other in our lives, and it only makes sense to bid adieu to this year while counting our blessings. I have been thinking about it ever since Corrine had suggested this prompt for early December linky, but I could not get around writing it then. But, hey, can you be ever late in counting your blessings? Yes, it’s never too late to be grateful and count our blessings. In case you are wondering why the number 37, well I turned 37 years fabulous and wiser this year. Considering one blessing for each year I have lived till now, listing 37 blessings is not too difficult. Isn’t it? I must add here that adding this number was also Corrine's idea and a fun one at that I say.

20 Years Ago #WordsMatter

20 Years Ago #WordsMatter 

20 Years ago I had passed my 10th board exams and had chosen 'Science' as my preferred stream of further studies. When I think about myself then, I realize how serious I was about life. There was zeal and a desire to do something. I was a sincere and hardworking student and academically I did pretty decently for myself. But did life turn out to be the way I envisioned during those days? Well, not very much. There have been detours and curveballs along the way and I believe I am where I am meant to be (maybe), but not where I thought I would be.

Come to think about it, I think most of us given a chance to go back in life would want to do certain things differently; certain things that might even change the course of our lives. At some point or the other, we have all said if only I had that chance, if only I had this opportunity earlier if only this and if only that. The list can be unending.

When It Rains #WordsMatter

When it rains… 

I crave for a plateful of freshly fried onion bhajis and a cup of strong adrakh-wali chai. And as I write this, the memories of many rain-soaked evenings spent with friends in Pune indulging in these small pleasures of life come to my mind.

I love rains. I always have. I love the freshness and moisture it brings to the air. I love how everything green starts looking lush after the rains. I grew up in Assam, so I have always experienced the rains of the torrential kind – not for a few minutes on some days - but for hours, for days on - like the sky would pour incessantly – relentlessly. As a kid, I would listen to the pitter-patter of the raindrops falling mercilessly on the slanted tiled roof of our house, in some rhythm of its own. just by the sound of it, it was easy to know when the intensity of the downpour increased and when it stopped.

Outside My Window #WordsMatter

The scene outside the windows can serve as an inspiration - if we are looking for it. The seat by the window has always been a coveted one - I can remember numerous occasions as a kid and as an adult when I had wanted that seat - during a car journey, on a train trip or on a flight. But what I am sharing today is not from a journey, but a scene outside my room window one evening some days back. Some days the sky can amaze us with splendid colours. Well, that was one such day and I can tell you this much - my phone camera did it's best to capture the scene - but there is still so much that you can perceive through your eyes only. 

I am not much of a poet, but seeing the sight these lines came to me automatically - simple lines written by a heart that was enchanted by the sight.


The Evening Sky Outside My Window

I looked up at the evening sky
It was painted in shades of pink
Telling the story of the day gone by
Go home I heard it say
For the sun has set for today

Another day will dawn tomorrow
And will bring sunshine and hope
Or it might rain and bring some cheer
And sooth the scorching land
Both the sun and the rains do us good
So take them both in your stride.

The things that went awry
Take lessons from them
The good moments
Forget not to rejoice
Life goes on regardless
So stop sometimes to marvel
At the splendour of the sky.

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I am participating in the #WordsMatter Blog Hop initiated by Corrine, Shalini and Parul. The prompt for this month was "Outside My Window".

I received this tag from Shalini at Shalzmojo. It’s my pleasure to pass on this tag to Pragnya at Life With My Penguin There are 47 of us on this Blog Hop and it will be spread over 3 days – 2, 3, 4 August. Do follow the #WordsMatter Blog Hop and prepare to be surprised!

If you are on social media, take a minute to follow me there to stay updated about my blog posts. 

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Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Looking Back - January to March 2019 #GratitudeCircle #MondayMusings

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Anonymous

A gratitude post and a post about life, in general, have been long due on the blog. The first quarter of the year is done and dusted with. So it makes sense to look back at the months gone by so far this year. I have had a lot to be thankful for, quite a few things to ponder about and lest I forget about it as the year goes on, I should make a note of it here on the blog. So, I will not beat around the bush and straight get to the point.

The year so far has been a happening one. Of course, there were highs and lows too. And there were things to be grateful for. The universe keeps people aligning on my path to show me the way - to say the things I need to hear, to get the lessons I need to learn to grow and most importantly to not give up on trying - opportunities are just around the corner. We just need to make sure we aren't just walking straight.

Where Are You From? - Some Pictures From My Jan Assam Trip #MondayMusings

This January I made my annual trip to my mom's place. Some of my new friends and acquaintances asked me to share some pictures from my trip. That is when I realized I have never really shared anything about my hometown in this space. This space has been primarily for book reviews and sharing recipes, so I guess I had never given it a thought. Now that I have voluntarily taken a break from food blogging for a while, I guess it is fair enough to share some snippets from my life here to keep the blog going.

Where are you from?

This is one of the common questions I am often asked whenever I make new acquaintances. For that matter, I think it is one of the common questions posed to most people. For me, however, the answer is not as simple.

On Decluttering Memories - Does it Spark Joy?

On Decluttering Memories - Does it spark joy?

It was early morning and my boy was blissfully sleeping tucked in the blanket. My mom was in the kitchen busy preparing breakfast. So, I thought it was a good time to check out my things in one of those tiny shelves upstairs. I donned my fleece jacket and wore my socks – it is quite cold at this time of the year (January) in Assam and when you just get out the blanket, you feel the chill all the more. So, I dressed right for the weather and made my way upstairs.

It has been a kind of ritual for me whenever I am visiting my mom’s place to go over all my old books, diaries, knick-knacks and that special pouch that safely keeps old greeting cards, scrapbooks from schools, letters and notes that I loved exchanging with my friends. It serves as a souvenir of sorts for me – a lovely reminder of the good old days. A large part of the so-called letters and notes came from my best friend from school; ironically she is someone with whom I am barely in touch these days, despite the convenience of being connected on social media.

Of New Year resolutions & Word of the Year 2019!

Of New Year Resolutions & Word of the Year 2019!

We are done with the first week of February of the year 2019 and here I am talking about New Year resolutions! You must think I must have lost the track of time or something. But, let me tell you that I have not. 

I am pretty old school when it comes to resolutions. I make them, often break them; at times stick to them and many times change them. Point is - I keep setting some goals for myself throughout the year. So, New Year is just another opportunity to set goals and I see nothing wrong with that. Coming back to my resolutions for this year, I took a different approach. I came across this picture on Instagram and it kind of resonated with me. So, my resolutions for this year can be summed up in this image.

Only Change is Permanent - Looking Back - June to September #GratitudeCircle

Finally, I am here clearing the dust and the cobwebs off this space. For almost 3 months, this place has been deserted and I am really not sure if anyone is peeping up here to see what’s up.

But, hey I know some of you are stopping by because the blog stats say so. So, all is not lost yet and yes, I am not the one to give up. Hello folks, welcome back. Make yourself comfortable as I want to share some news here.

Life at my end past 3 months has been one with lots of movements. Yes, quite literally. We have moved out of Pune and have now stationed ourselves in Hyderabad. So, you can guess what all kept me occupied. Lots of decluttering, cleaning, packing, unpacking, selling stuff, meeting people,  finding and a new place to live, and the list can go on. I am slowly settling down in this new city – the house is almost set, found a help (so important), slowing making new acquaintances. The little one resumed his preschool after a month’s break. But, there are many things that still need to be done – like getting the mobile number ported to the new state, changing the address in every damn place – bank, adhaar, etc. (small tasks, but takes up time real quick).

While chatting with a friend of mine who shifted to Bangalore from Pune while we shifted to Hyderabad, she said – ‘ aisa lag raha hain sab kuch hil gaya hai’ (everything seems to be shaken from its place). Indeed that was my feeling too when we shifted. This has been our first city change within India and with a toddler on tow, I can say that it is not a small task.

There have been a lot of things that I have been grateful for the past three months. But, I think I will concentrate on the one thing that clearly stood out and will stay afresh in my memory for a long time. And that is meeting friends.

The day I knew we were moving out of Pune, I made a list of people I needed to meet before I left the city. We live in a world that is so connected online that we often discount the feeling of meeting people for real. Of course, there are reasons why we can't meet often - jobs and responsibilities keep us occupied and sometimes the distance within cities is so much that it needs a special occasion to meet. But, trust me the feeling of meeting friends and chatting over a cup of coffee is incomparable to any online chat. I am so grateful to have made such wonderful friends in Pune – all of them made the stay memorable. I can't really express in words how I cherish all the lovely moments spent together.

Pune was a city of many firsts for us - for starters, I took my first scooter ride here (LOL), I made a new beginning as a content writer; we bought our 1st car here; we welcomed our bundle of joy in this city, we bought our 1st home here. No matter where we go, Pune will always be special and we hope we come back to this city again in the future.

Letting go is difficult – be it a habit, person, or a place. But, letting go is important. While I still miss Pune and all my friends there, I am also excited about what life will unfold in this new city. Life is all about experiences and we sure want to have varied experiences in our lives. It is what it takes to make a life rich. So grateful that I am getting the opportunity to experience living in another iconic city.

September was my birthday month and I got to celebrate my 35th birthday with my elder sister (Yes, she also lives in Hyderabad). So grateful to have family and friends wishing me a great birthday - no matter how old you get this day always seem special. I think in recent year birthdays for me are less about celebrations and more about contemplation and reflections. Does that sound like the effect of the approaching middle-age? I don’t know yet. But, I do think that I am clearer about my life goals and my priorities. Am I getting wiser?

Since the city move took most of my time and energy, reading has been laid back, so has been the blogging. But, I am soon getting into the rhythm of writing and reading regularly. Did I tell you I have ordered 5 new books (so hard to resist the temptation even when you have a pile of unread books)?

I have big plans on the blogging front this month. So, do visit by to catch up on the pending book reviews and some sumptuous recipes. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

Have an awesome October. I am joining Vidya's Gratitude Circle for the Month of June. You can check it out too for a liberal dose of Gratitude.

If you like what you read here, do share your thoughts with me on my Facebook Page, Twitter Handle or tag me on Instagram @jyotibabel using the hashtag #jyotispages 

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

When Gratitude is Hard to Find – Looking Back at June 2018 #GratitudeCircle

When Gratitude is Hard to Find, Look For it a Little Harder.

So, finally, here I am with the much-delayed gratitude post for last month. Looking at the title you can make out last month wasn’t a great good one. I will correct myself further here – I just managed to get through it. The reason why I am dwelling on it here is that I think writing about it will make me accept the things as they happened and yes, writing always makes me feel better.

The beginning of the month started on a sad note. A school friend of mine lost her younger brother; he had been fighting for his life and was in ICU for almost 1.5 months after meeting a drowning accident. He never came back. The image of my friend and her brother as I remembered them in school flashed in my mind for days. Such is the fragility of life – it happens to us when we are making other plans. My deepest condolences to the family and I hope they find the strength to move on in life.

If you know about the law of attraction, you would know like attracts like - happiness attracts more happiness and misery attracts more reasons to be miserable for. That was exactly the case with me.

May 2018 - A Month That Flew By #GratitudeCircle

May was a month for me that just flew by! Yes, quite literally. And it ended on such a crazy note that I myself can’t believe what happened.

Life always has its own ways of throwing things our way; things that we think would never happen to us. So, when they such things happen, we can be reeling under it's after effects for days. The challenge is to accept the things as they are and that can be the most difficult thing; easier said than done. No regrets whatsoever, because I think if I were to pass through the same circumstances again, for the first time, I would do the same thing, again. But, will I let that happen again? I won’t comment there, because as I said life can throw a googly anytime but I am better prepared now. At least I think so.

May though fast, it was also memorable (or should I say unforgettable) one. While I may not seem to be all that appreciative of others, I know in my heart how thankful I am. And even if I try to put it all in words, I know my words will fail me. My way of handling things that I can't control is by distancing myself from it. That doesn't necessarily mean that someone did anything wrong or that I mean to hurt someone or be coldhearted. It is just that I would rather occupy myself with something else rather live in a dilemma. It's only sane to stop when you can see that there is a dead-end ahead. Making up your mind is one thing, convincing your heart is another deal.

Everything in life happens for a reason. And my problem is that I try to find a reason for everything!

On that note, let me begin my reflections on the month of May 2018.

Attitude of Gratitude - Looking Back at Jan to April 2018 #GratitudeCircle

It seems unbelievable that we are into the fifth month of the year already. It was only some time back that we all were making grand plans for the New Year (at least I was). While I am happy that I have worked on some areas of my life and am happy with the progress I have made. But, that’s not what made me stop now and ponder over the happenings this year, till now. The universe has a unique way of responding to our wishes and time and again it leaves surprised, as to how it manifests the things that one asks for. Past few days have been a roller coaster ride for me – it is incredible how someone comes into your life - like a gush of wind - out of nowhere, connects with you instantly, and puts your life in perspective for you. The happenings past few days put me in a mood for introspection and deep contemplation and at the end of it, I was just left with one feeling – Gratitude. It is a feeling of happiness that comes from appreciation. And I am learning to cultivate it - one step at a time.

It has been a while since I mused about my life, in general, in this space here. So, today I take this opportunity to ramble it out. It is going to be a long one. So, please make yourself comfortable. But, before that let me express my thanks for two fabulous bloggers that I had come across virtually last year – Vidya Sury and Shailaja. Their posts on gratitude have always touched my heart and in the process have inspired me to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. If you have not checked their space, do check out and I am sure you will love it there. I am forever in debt to them for the inspiration - as I know now, it is such a fabulous and rejuvenating feeling. 

Word of the Year | A Word to Guide Me Through 2018 - Mindfulness #WOTY

Word of the Year | A Word to Guide Me Through 2018

Have you heard the 'Word of the Year' concept yet? 

Well, here is my two cents about it, but before that please bear with my rants for the year that was.

2017, the year that was.

2017 for me was a mixed bag affair. There were some highs and there were some lows. I did work on some of the goals I had set for myself for the year. For example, after almost a year of no posts on this space, I took up blogging again, although I could not be as consistent as I would have liked. I took out time to read some books too. I also got the opportunity to travel a little.

But, most of my time went in taking care of the needs of my little one. In the role of a mother attending the beck and call of her toddler, came the realization that motherhood is a demanding job, one that can keep you on your toes 24x7. In the process of fulfilling my mommy duties, and taking care of the home, I always had my hands full. Too much multitasking became the norm, and soon it started to take a toll on the quality of my life. I felt burnt out at the end of most days.

Thankfully, I realized sooner than later that I have my own limitations and that I do not have to be a superwoman all the time. I learnt to delegate and prioritize which have made life easier. I also learnt that it is okay to put yourself first before others sometimes.

Word of the Year for 2018

Mindfulness #WOTY 

So, when I came across the concept of choosing a Word of the Year - a word to guide you throughout a year, instead of making resolutions, ONE word came to me spontaneously. I am a little old school in that and have already made a list of resolutions to work on and stick to throughout the year. And I am going to do it with the help of this one word - MINDFULNESS.

Mindfulness is quite the buzzword these days. But, what exactly it is?

In simple words - mindfulness means being present in the moment. It is the state of being conscious and being aware in the present moment.

Doesn't sound like much, right? But it is. Today, in our fast-paced lives we are always multi-tasking. So, practically we are never living in the moment. I know being mindful is a habit and it will take a conscious effort to be there and I am going to make it there one baby step at a time.

There are a number of ways I can exercise mindfulness in my day to day life. Here I am listing a few ways and I am sure more will come to me in the way. 

• Take one thing at a time and do it well. Say, when I am spending time with my little one, I will just focus on that and be there in that moment. What I will not do is check my phone for social media updates, or flip the page of a book I am reading. I will concentrate on doing one thing at a time and do it well. 
• Mindfulness while cooking. I will try to cook as much we can eat and cut back on any food waste. More thoughts need to be put into menu planning. For that, I need chalk out a weekly menu plan a week in advance so that I can order groceries in time and the work in the kitchen is streamlined. It will also help me in developing food related posts here consistently. 
• Mindfulness while eating. For that, I will keep the phone away when having food so that I can savour the food I eat. I am often told that I am a fast eater - which means that I don't chew my food well. Being mindful while eating will be good for my gut too. 
• Mindfulness online. When you are into blogging, spending time online on your blogs, visiting fellow bloggers and spending time on social media is necessary. But, once we get online there are so many things that can distract us. Being mindful when online can help me in being productive when I am online. So, on any particular day, I am going to make a list of things need to be done online and set timelines for that so that I don't while away my time on unnecessary things online. 

There are so many more avenues to put mindfulness to exercise. In our words, in our actions, in our relationships, in our responsibilities towards the society, environment, etc. and more. I hope to better myself by being mindful.

If you have any tips more me for the same, let me know.

Have you chosen your Word of the Year?

Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!