Thankful and Grateful

Being Thankful and Grateful...

Month on November brings gratitude .. I am very thankful for all my blessings and my family Thanksgiving is around the corner. Its the most wonderful time of the year. I love holidays, I know different holidays have different meanings to people of different religion. I love the celebration part, joy and happiness of having friends and family around, lots of food.

Since my kids are getting older we have started doing thanksgiving dinner. Just for our family. Turkey is too much for us as we don't eat too much meat. Chicken is enough for our family. We make mashed potatoes, bake some croissants, green beans and stuffing (I love) and Cake for desert. Oh yeah corn bread not to forget.   I have many times given a Indian twist to the bland food, but it has been growing on me. We also have a tradition we set the table but before we start eating we all have to say we are thankful for ...

Every year my workplace also had celebrated with a thanks giving meal close to Thanksgiving. Place I work now does not do that... come on people appreciate and be thankful for the people. I also used to eat with my kids when they were in elementary. I was so happy when one of my kid told me that they are serving pumpkin bread at school, and they would love to buy it and bring it for me since I don't go to school to eat with them anymore. Emotional mommy moment sweetness.

Simple traditions that will last long, I love these.

Book Club

Book Club

I am part of a neighborhood book club now, its a blessing, as I always wanted to join a book club, but was never able to.
All the book clubs I knew were farther from home, so going to attend on a weeknight after work and after taking care of the dinner for the family, always seemed like a fantasy. I know there might be so many moms out there who are like me. Once I am home I don't want to go anywhere if not necessary.

Since my book club is in the neighborhood, so very close by. Its a small group of 8 ladies. We keep on trying to encourage more ladies to join often. Our starting member is retired as an English teacher, she keeps the schedule and keeps track of suggested books. Books and hosts are decided 3 months in advance, so people have time to buy books and read. Its so interesting these days to see the technology we have some of us do Audiobooks, some use Kindle some read real books some of us also use libraries to loan the books, since all versions are available in libraries these days.

Many a times there's a member or two who has not read the book or was not able to finish it. We still like them to join and participate in our discussions. As they tell us where they lost interest or why they were not able to get into the book. My realization as I listen to lot of books while commuting to and from my work. Its easier to finish a book when  you are listening, even  if you are not fully into it. I love our book club meetings as the discussion starts with the book, and the author. We also talk about similar experiences related to real life. Story takes a different meaning to some people. sometimes my perspective changes to the story after the discussion.

Another thing that I like about the book club, they pick the books that I would have not picked usually. So its like a surprise to unfold and finish. We have read many historic fiction books. Its fun to discuss the books that has a movies related to  the story. Discussing old times with new times, old trends with new trends. Some books are from different countries. We had deserts from that country. Thanks to the internet availability we look at the pictures of that time periods of the places mentioned in the books.

Any one who's motivated enough to setup a book club I can suggest some ideas to keep it simple

1. We meet once a month with Wine and dessert (Host Provides)
2. We get to know our neighbors
3. Its fun to look at our neighbors homes, so differently and beautifully decorated
4. everyone takes turn in hosting the book club.
5. We are planning on including guys to the discussion as well, not sure how it will change our discussions of if it will change anything at all.
6. Host also leads the discussion doesn't have to be the host, but we want everyone to have this option.
7. Find Pictures of places mentioned in the book (Last book we read was about a trail, one of the members marked the map to show the trail)
8. Find food from that country
9. Find books from different cultures and talk about them
10. There will always be some books that no one will like, its ok
11. Find interesting facts about the book and the author (available on internet)
12. Find interesting quotes from the book (available on internet) 
13. Find interesting questions to discuss (available on internet)

My Dad's Birthday Today

Happy  Birthday  to  you  dear  Papa...  How much  I  wish  that you  would have been  here in  this world with  us. We all miss you  a lot, I  really wish that the times should have been  different, and you can come to  visit  me and stay  with  us. Spend good times with  your grandkids. They remember you from  your last  visit.

My  Papa would have been  75 years old today. My  Dad passed away January  of 2013,  he was gone very  soon,  but then  I  cannot  say  very  soon he actually  really  suffered enough. I  don't  wish that he should have suffered even  a single day more then he actually  did. My  dad was diagnosed with Blood Cancer in simple language. Disease was diagnosed at a very  advanced level. He passed away with  a month  of being  diagnosed. During  this one month  we nearly  lost  him once.

I  don't  want the focus to  my thoughts on  his disease or his suffering. As till the very  end he didn't complain he kept  on  telling  everyone I  am  fine (main theek hoon). He was very  self sufficient even  working as much  as he can till  very  end. I  hope I  am  as strong  as he was. He lived a very  good life.  He was a very  happy  person. A Mechanical  Engineer,  very  hands on. He saw many  ups and downs in  career. He was really  good at  what  he did, except  judging  people. He joined his hands with some bad and selfish partners in  his business. He was able to  stand up  straight  from  the losses,  and was positive and restarted his business.  I  have learned a lot  from  him  about  tools and how to  use. He was also very  Tech  Savvy. He loved to  read and educate himself,  Newspapers Magazines Self help books. He taught  himself how to  use computer and was very  proficient at  it. His communication skills were really  good. 

He enjoyed Traveling,  Driving, Good Food,  Music, Dancing. He was a popular person  in  the society,  very  social. He tried his best to help  people as much  as he can. He used to  donate blood often. Education  was very  important to  him,  he always told us to  educate ourselves more. He wanted to  see his kids in  good positions. I  don't  know some times I  feel  we  did not  talk as much  as we should have talked. We didn't each other how much  we loved each other. I  don't  have any  regrets but  I  think I  could have done more,  or we should have done little more.

I  miss you  dearly... on  this day  and everyday.