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 Book My Life

My Book My Life

We all live and create a story that's called life. One choice made leads to another and another... It unfolds the story of our life.

Are there any choices that I would like to redo or not make yes, but I like where it lead me so far. I like the end result, so if my end result will change if I redo my choices then no I wont change anything. There are some mistakes that I wont make again.

How many books have we read where people mention that so many people we meet we cross our paths with. Where are they now, we never see them again. So many schools friends that were so important in that moment are long gone. I have no clue where they are and what they are up to. Do they ever think the same, like I do sometimes.

Some friends I try to find on social media, knowing that I am not even  sure if I  can recognize their faces if I see them now. Names have changes personalities have changed. people have moved but they had a part in my life. They played a character in my book, some had important part and some were barely present. I wish everyone best and hope their book in which I was a character is also very interesting.





Kuch log kabhi kabhi yaad aatey hai

Kuch cherey jo dhundaley ho gaye hai

kisi bheed main kho gaye hai

zindagi ki zaddo jahat main ulajh gaye hai

Kabhi dikh gaye to shayad pehchann lengey

unsey unka haal chaal jaan lengey

panno main dabey kirdaar nikal aatey hai
Kuch log kabhi kabhi yaad aatey hai

No Girl only Boy

Few comments make me mad and I  want to  scream  this is wrong.

I  met  a very  nice lady at  work. She is a Temp helping  out  with  a project. She is from  Morocco, looks nice and very courteous. I  helped her  with the scanner and she said "shukriya"  (Thank you in  Urdu). I  happened to  be in  a room  with  her  for a while and we started chatting  as women do. Exchanged names how long  we have lived in  the city  and all. Then  she asked me how many  kids I  have,  and I  asked her the same. She said only one. When  asked Boy  or a Girl,  her answer  made me mad.

She said Boy  only  no girl,  this is not  a good world to  have a Girl. I  never thought this is an  awful world to  have a girl. There might be some bad people in  this world and some women do  go  through hardships. Should that prevent  us from  having  girls. What  are you  going  to  do  when  there's only  men in  this world. We should try  to  make this a better place for our kids. Boy  or a Girl. If she already  has this perception, isn't  she unintentionally teaching  her  kid a wrong  thing. This is beyond my  imagination that people so  much  educated and living  in this modern  world are thinking  like this and a women is so  afraid to being  another  women in  this world. I  wanted to  ask what  will  happen  with  your husband if she wasn't born  and she would have not  her  son in  this world.

What  are Daddy's doing, Isn't  a  girl  supposed to  be his daddy's princess. Do  men not  want  to  have a daughter and cherish her. These are the times when  I  am very  thankful to  be born  in  the country and family  I  am  born  in. I  was always given  the freedom  to study any subject. I  had freedom  to  choose my  career. Always had freedom to speak  and think,  before and after marriage. I  am  also  blessed to  be married in  a very good family. Where My  mother-in-law a very strong  women raise very  strong daughters. My sister-in-laws are also carrier oriented independent women.

Don't let  few incidents scare you. Its a beautiful world out there. Daughter is mom's best friend, Have daughters and raise them to  be independent  and confident women. Who  can  make this world a much  a wonderful place for all of you.

Pandora or Spotify

It really  amazes me when  my  little boy who's not  even  a teen  knows more about the technology. I  am  not  an  ignorant mom I  think  I know my  fair share about the ever changing  technology. Now on  second thoughts I  don't  think  I  can  keep  up  with  my  kids.

Son  : Mom what  do  you  use for radio?
Mom : Pandora
Son : Have you  tried Spotify?
Mom : No why  same internet  radio ?
Son : Don't  you  get  ads or Do  you  have the paid one with  no  ads?
Mom : I  do  get ads they  are annoying  but oh  well
Son : Try  Spotify
Mom : Why  does that have no  ads
Son : It does but  once you  watch  an  ad you  don't  get  ads for next  30 minutes. So  its better to  watch  one ad and be ad free for 30 minutes. Isn't that nice, try  it  next  time.

Mom is sold but still too  lazy  to  download a new app and mess with it. May  be I  will  get  to  it  some day.

with this he now walks in  the house with  tablet playing  his favorite songs,  showing  off trying  to  play  DJ with the volume buttons.

This also  makes me think  of my  mom who still  like listen  to  the real  radio. Old school with  batteries in  the radio  off the air not  on  internet.

I  don't  even  think kids these day  can understand such  thing  exists,  people can  survive without internet

Me watching different generations and comparing with a sigh !!