Monday, 24 March 2014

Kali darling

Kali found herself an activity to do everyday during the one hour power cut. She is doing pooja (prayer) everyday. Lol 

Mom told me that Kali looks super cute as she falls asleep with her hands folded (in namaste pose) as she prays. 

When I was in India, Kali used to do mediation everyday(fore few days). She used to fall asleep, sitting in a Buddha pose. If she ever caught me taking a picture or video of her meditating, she would get mad at me. 

I (& Sru) miss her sooooooo much!!
Kali found herself an activity to do everyday during the one hour power cut. She is doing pooja (prayer) everyday. Lol 

Mom told me that Kali looks super cute as she falls asleep with her hands folded (in namaste pose) as she prays. 

When I was in India, Kali used to do mediation everyday(fore few days). She used to fall asleep, sitting in a Buddha pose. If she ever caught me taking a picture or video of her meditating, she would get mad at me. 

I (& Sru) miss her sooooooo much!!
Kali found herself an activity to do everyday during the one hour power cut. She is doing pooja (prayer) everyday. Lol 

Mom told me that Kali looks super cute as she falls asleep with her hands folded (in namaste pose) as she prays. 

When I was in India, Kali used to do mediation everyday(fore few days). She used to fall asleep, sitting in a Buddha pose. If she ever caught me taking a picture or video of her meditating, she would get mad at me. 

I (& Sru) miss her sooooooo much!!
Kali found herself an activity to do everyday during the one hour power cut. She is doing pooja (prayer) everyday. Lol 

Mom told me that Kali looks super cute as she falls asleep with her hands folded (in namaste pose) as she prays. 

When I was in India, Kali used to do mediation everyday(fore few days). She used to fall asleep, sitting in a Buddha pose. If she ever caught me taking a picture or video of her meditating, she would get mad at me. 

I (& Sru) miss her sooooooo much!!

Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Day 11 to 15: Changes

Hey,

Remember my first post on Lent, when I wrote a list of rules to follow for Lent and said at the end of the list that "Probably I might keep adding or modifying the above list! " Yup, I have decided to make some changes. 

At first I thought I shall give up this whole Lent idea because I failed at keeping my commitment. But on further thought I realised, 'we do not have to be perfect at everything we do. Achieving ones goals is the first best thing and the next best thing is to 1. not giving up in despair, 2. Be willing to change for better and 3. Be committed to gain perfection.'

  • Eat in moderation. ( not yet broken...I guess ;) )
  • No meat on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. (not yet broken!!)
  • Fast on Wednesday, Friday and Monday(Broke this rule this week! ....Hey I can justify though. Fasting is kind of making me sick. Moreover I have tired hard to habituate myself with good (and consistent) eating habits since an year and I do not want my new fasting habits to affect my recently developed healthy eating habits. )   
  • Pray everyday. ( informal praying counts too, right? Like the conversations in the head with god? )
  • Read bible and Bhagavad Gita. (Read 4.37% of Bible and 4.09% of Gita)
  • Exercise at least for an hour. Regular exercise. ( Not exercising everyday, maybe it is a good idea to change this goal to something more achievable.)
  • No Facebook. Minimum Facebook usage. (I broke this rule. I had to log in. I had to see if anyone missed me or not. I had to be available for friends, in case they needed me. Excuses apart, I need to cut down my FB time significantly. Phones or direct conversations with friends are still the best way of communication.)
  • Blog everyday about something positive. Blog as often as I can.  (Everyday blogging is sort of tough. Mainly because I am not in the best of my moods these days and it is very difficult to blog positive when I am stuck in a rut. So I will just make sure to write (+ve) when ever I can.)
  • Stay calm & positive, do not argue and learn to forgive others and yourself. ( I try to remind myself of this rule again and again. It will be a while before I can incorporate it in my life.)
  • Sleep early and wake up early. SLEEP EARLY. WAKE UP EARLY. ( Got to follow this simple rule. No excuses can justify for breaking this simple rule. )
Love,
Archana

Friday, 14 March 2014

Day 10: The best is yet to come!

Hi, 
Here are some pictures of the blooming tree in our front yard. 

Enjoy your weekend.
Love,
Archana



Thursday, 13 March 2014

Day 9: Persevere

Hi,

I logged in to my FB, today. Oops, right!? I know I should not have but ....I just wanted to see if someone or anyone missed talking to me ( or maybe I felt lonely enough to believe FB can make me feel less lonely). I feel guilty that I did not keep up my word of not logging into FB. Hmm...what is done is done and I need to not repeat it again. Logging in FB or not, is not a big deal for me, but what is important is sticking to my decision which I did not. :( 

I try to make the best of my time but few days like today, I fail at doing so. Every morning I wake up and unintentionally end up counting the number of days (well years) since I've seen my parents and Kali. I wonder if what I am doing in life right now is really worth it. 

 My goals are and have always been my priority but sometimes I ponder if I I am not being pragmatic enough and need to reevaluate my goals. Or should I believe that perseverance wins and dreams always come through if one works hard enough? But how will I know if I am working hard enough and not just wishing for something that I do not deserve to? Sounds confusing right? 

Maybe I think too much. All I need is sleep for now and patience to do what all I need to do from tomorrow. Wish me luck world. 

You know I love you, right? :)

Have a wonderful friday!

Archana

p.s.:  "Some of my lowest points were the most exciting opportunities to push through to be a better person." Demi Moore  


Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Day 8: Grateful

Thankful for the amazing people in my life!
Hi,

There were and are so many nice people in my life that it makes me wonder if this is how it feels to be blessed.

Rajesh Sir during my childhood who taught me lessons that still help me learn and evolve. Anil who stood (and still stands) by me during all my tough times, My sister who cares for me more than I do for myself. Bryan who taught me not only have the confidence to drive but also not give up on something I failed at once. Bincy, Reema and Jay for their little words of encouragement that keep me going right now and not give up my career aspirations in despair. And there are so many others that played and still play a vital role in helping me reach my full potential. 

There has always been someone in my life who unconditional helped and supported me to face a difficult phase of my life. Some of these people I haven't even met in person nor know how they look like. Probably if I ever meet them in real life, I would not even recognize them yet they have touched my life in a way that I often think of them and thank them for the role they played in making  me a better person.

I aspire to be like these nice people in my life as they inspire me to be a person better than I am right now. 

Love,
Archana

PS: When you realise who the good people are in your life, you're so lucky.Sophia Bush

Tuesday, 11 March 2014

Day 7 of Lent

Today was okay!

Hi,

I did nothing much today. I was feeling a bit home sick or maybe just anxious. So I just decided to relax and not be bothered about anything. :)

I got to start preparing for my GRE test, which I need to take ASAP. There are a lot of things I need to do right now, but sometimes I do not feel like doing anything because I am so stressed. Blah. I am good at making excuses I guess. 

On a brighter note, I found myself making better choices in matters of food. Like choosing salad instead of a cookie, for a snack or pushing myself on the treadmill to challenge my own limits. It feels nice to know that making better choices for a healthier life style comes naturally after a couple of months of struggling to do so. Weight wise, I have not lost much and the number on the scale is the same. It's disappointing for sure, but I do not expect to lose all the excess fat I have in a day or a month or two. As my mom reminded me, 'Slow and Steady Wins the Race.' 

I need to catch up on my sleep now. Need to make the best of tomorrow and strike off a few things of my 'To Do List'.

Have a happy hump day you all.

Love,
Archana

Monday, 10 March 2014

Day 6 of Lent!

A day of fasting (or self control)!
Hi,

Nah! Just Water!
Today went great! I was able to fast from the time I woke up in the morning until sunset at 7.38 pm today! I did feel hungry a couple of times during the day and had cravings of food in the evening. But I kept myself busy doing things I needed  to do and also drinking ample amount of water through out the day, which helped a great deal. 
Sunshine soaked!
The beginning of many beginnings!
 I realized today that when I kept myself occupied, it became easy to not focus on my worries or needs (that could not be met immediately). Moreover, when I finished the tasks I had to, it made me feel better! I need to remind myself of this little lesson I learnt today, i.e. 'not to waste time on matters that can not be changed but focus on what needs to be done at the moment.'

The whole idea of fasting all day today seemed to be a pretty neat challenge for myself. I am not a very religious person (or well I do not know), but this "fasting task" is more of a self control thing for me rather than a religious or cultural custom. I did end my fast with a prayer though. I wonder if that actually makes me a religious person?? Well, I really do not mind I am religious or not...as long as whatever custom I follow makes me a better human being ...physically, mentally and spiritually.

Oh, in-between, I did start reading Holy Bible today. Just a couple of pages. Reading Gita and Bible, I have more questions than answers though. Like; Are they called texts or verses? How are the page no.'s listed? Am I pronouncing the words right? Who is him or her? In which time period did this happen? And so on. I need to do more research  and get the basics right, I guess. Well, at-least I  now know what all I do not know and where I would need to start to begin my(?) spiritual (?) journey (?).

By the way, when I ate my dinner tonight, I loved it! I do not know if the food was really tasty or my body deprived of food for 20 or more hours learnt to better appreciate whatever I ate?? Whatever the case be, I am happy to be aware of the self control I possess when determined to achieve something. :~)

Have a great Tue-S-Day!

Loads of Love,


Archana

Sunday, 9 March 2014

Day 5 of Lent!

Today feels magical!
Hi,
Day light saving began last night, due to which the clocks are advanced an hour. As the days progresses on, there will be more sunlight in a day. To be precise there will be 16 hours of day light in a given day.

The sunset was at 7.36 pm today and the weather was nice too with the temperatures being in upper 40's F through out the day. 

I simply love it, how nature transitions from one season to another. It's a really slow process yet it's such a huge change from one season to another. The change in: sun rise &
 sunset, temperatures, the growth of trees and plants, blooming of flowers, growth of grass, the colors in the sky, the attitude of the people...all this feels magical to me and I love it. 

Looking at the beautiful sunset and contemplating on how nature transitions itself slowly over a period of time instead of abruptly changing from one season to another, I realized I needed to learn a lesson from Nature.  I aspire to do great things and in a very perfect way, but I lack the patience that is essential to accomplish them . I need to learn to be patient, perseverant and  work harder & smarter to reach the goals I set for myself .

Well, that's it for today. I hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Love,
Archana

PS: Life is short. Go new places, meet people, learn, travel and learn more. Be a better you! Make the best of every moment. Make every day count. :)



Saturday, 8 March 2014

Day 4 of Lent!

Today was okay.

Nothing eventful. I Just stayed at home. Spoke to my grandparents, uncle & aunt in India through Skype.

The rest of the afternoon, I tried to draw a family tree of the Kuru dynasty that I read about today. It's confusing and interesting at the same time. I wanted to know more about kuru Dynasty so that I would be able to better understand all the people involved in Mahabarath as I read Bhagavad Gita.

After a couple of hours of hard work, I did come up with a family tree for six generations of Kuru dynasty. It is still a draft though. It will be a long while before I come up with the final family chart.

I spent so many hours today to make this draft chart which I know is not of any worth. :-/

I did not sleep well last night, so I am going to sleep early tonight and hope tomorrow will be better than today.

Love,
Archana

Ps: I need a job. I want financial independence and the freedom to live life my way. :-(

Friday, 7 March 2014

Day 3 of Lent!

Hi,

My day 3 of Lent went great. 

Today being Friday, I did fast (not absolute fast though). I ate an energy bar, pineapple, drank lots of water
through out the day, had a cup of coffee and ended the fast in the evening with spring green salad & a glass of Raagi Malt. I never felt hungry or took a nap during the day, which is kind of surprising. Probably having a good night sleep last night and keeping myself hydrated through out the day helped.  

I started reading Bhagavad Gita today (finally), well just the first verse of first chapter (see below). I actually wanted to read more than just a verse today, but I realised that reading Gita is going to be a long and strenuous process. Reading and comprehending Sanskrit, is not as easy I thought it could be. I need to be patient and take as much time as needed, so as to understand every word of every verse of Gita apart from the significance it holds. It's actually fun, trying to correctly pronounce and learn the verses, as it is quiet challenging. 

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya

As, I read the Gita and (or) the Bible, the next few days (or months or years), I have to keep reminding myself to have a neutral state of mind instead of judging the holy writings to be biased. I hope to interpret both the books in a way that I can learn to live life in a much meaningful and peaceful way.

On another note, the weather is warming up lately and the snow is melting.The tree in our front yard seems to be ready for spring, as I have spotted leaves Or maybe flower buds growing! I am excited to see this tree grow back to life!! Shall keep posting pictures of the this tree for you to see it.

Spring is almost here!
 Enjoy your time!

Love,
Archana

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Day 1 & 2 of Lent!

 Last night, I happened to discover that Lent for the year 2014 has begun. I decided I shall as well use the 40 days of Lent to further improve my life style. I do not know all the rules that people usually follow during Lent but with a little bit of Internet search and introspection I came up with the following list of rules for myself to follow until Easter. 


  • Eat in moderation.
  • No meat on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
  • Fast on Wednesday, Friday and Monday.
  • Pray everyday.
  • Read bible and Bhagavad Gita. 
  • Exercise at least for an hour.
  • No Facebook.
  • Blog everyday about something positive.  
  • Stay calm & positive, do not argue and learn to forgive others and yourself.
  • Sleep early and wake up early.
Probably I might keep adding or modifying the above list! 

Have a good rest of the day!

Love,
Archana

Monday, 3 March 2014

Egg scrambled veggies & garlic bread sticks

Egg scrambled veggies:

Sauté carrots, onions, corn, chillies, cilantro and coconut flakes for five minutes in olive oil or butter. Add egg white and sauté for few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste! I am going to try this recipe again! It tasted great and is healthy too!!

Garlic bread sticks:

Toast two breads. Cut them into 3-4 inch long slices and sprinkle garlic dipping sauce (or make your own flavored butter).

Have a great week ahead!
Love,
Archana

Sent from my IPhone

Friday, 21 February 2014

(Spicy) spaghetti & garlic mushroom

Recipe for Spicy Spaghetti: 
(My own recipe :~) )

You need: bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, butter, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, red chili flakes(optional), garlic(optional).
Directions: 
1. Add two spoons of butter and two spoons of olive oil in a deep pan and set the stove on medium heat. 
2. Add minced garlic(optional) and sliced peppers and saute them for two minutes.
3. Add sliced cherry tomatoes,salt to taste and saute them for five more minutes.
4. Add spaghetti (that has already been cooked in boiling water) to the above pan and let it all cook for five to ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add red chili flakes (optional) and Parmesan cheese just before turning off the heat. 
6. Serve hot and enjoy!
Spicy Spaghetti & Garlic Mushroom

Oven roasted mushroom
Recipe for Garlic roasted mushroom: 
(Recipe I found on Facebook )

You need:  16 mushrooms whose stalks are cute evenly,
3 tbsp corn or vegetable oil, (I used 2 spoons of vegetable oil)
1/4 c unsalted butter, softened  (I added about 4 spoons of butter),
3 cloves garlic, chopped very finely,
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (I did not add this),
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 c fresh breadcrumbs (I blended garlic croutons and used it as bread powder)
 Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Lightly fry the mushrooms, cap-side down, in hot oil for 20 seconds.Arrange the mushrooms in a shallow roasting tin with the stalks facing upwards. Mix together the butter, garlic, thyme, lemon juice and seasoning. Spoon a little garlic butter on to each mushroom, then lightly press the breadcrumbs on top. Either refrigerate for later use, or cook immediately in the oven for 10 minutes.

I added more bread powder than was needed,  yet the mushrooms tasted good! I might try this recipe again, this time using chicken instead of mushrooms and see how it turns out!

I am real bad at writing recipes. I hope you do not have a hard time deciphering it.
Enjoy your day!

Love,
Archana

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

I hurt my elbow.

I hurt my elbow, I spilled coffee, I spilled fruit juice, I wasted $60 on an application for which I missed the deadline, My job search is leading me nowhere, My iphone charger stopped working. I am still fat.

I am depressed. But I know I will be okay soon. It is just so hard to be positive when not one thing nice happens in life for a long-long time, right?



:( 

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Happy day !

Hello World,

My day was pretty awesome today, though nothing special really happened. I think I have learnt to be satisfied and be happy no matter how worse the times are. And I am getting successful in handling the toughest phase of my life quiet well, these days. Some days (and nights especially) are much tougher than rest other days, but I am HANGING in here and holding on to the belief that everything happens for a reason (and a good reason).  

Here's what I did this morning! I am too lazy to type in here, so I am sharing a snapshot of my tweets!

Here's the conversation between mom and me today!
Me: Mom!! Guess what? 
Mom: What?
Me: Sru left her clothes in the dryer! I am going to iron them!!
Mom: NO. NOOO. Please don't do that. You will end up burning her clothes. She will be mad at you. She is already having a long week, Please leave her alone.
Me: Ok

When mom says No, I have to take it as an yes, right?! So yep, I did iron Sru's clothes! Guess what? No burnt skin or burnt clothes at the end of my ironing task! 

I updated my Skype status to 'Happy Day' today. I was talking to one of my recruiters  on skype, who pretty much became more of a friend as we interact almost everyday since a couple of months. This lady noticed my 'Happy Day' update, and said in a very cheerful way that things were going to work out in my favor and that everyday is going to be like my skype update. This little talk with her made me realize that when we stay positive, it effects not only us in a good way but also the people around us. :)

By afternoon, my symptoms of headache and tingly nose worsened! Mom told me I might have cold. I am pretty much EXCITED to have cold, since it's been like a year or more since I got sick or cold. Sometimes we take our health for granted and a little sickness is good, as it helps us to appreciate the importance of being healthy and well. I also had to make a vine about this <-- click here to see it.

I did treadmill for 45 minutes ( 2 + miles), no running (since my knees are hurting from yesterdays workout) and did some abs exercises (ball crunches--> my favorite) though I least wanted to exercise. It's really tough to not quit exercising when the numbers on the scale does not change, isn't it?! Well, I am trying to keep myself motivated and not give up anytime soon with my fitness goals. :)

I shoveled the snow on our driveway, which took me more than an hour. It would have taken one more hour, if it was not for a very kind young man who helped me shovel off the last few heaps of snow. 

I bundled up as I went to shovel the snow but  I was sweating profusely as I shoveled that it felt nice to have a naked face! I think my cold is for real. :P


Fruits+Vegetable juice I had after a hard one hour of shoveling the snow. All I ate until evening was cheerios for breakfast and this glass of juice. I have to stop skipping my meals and stop being lazy. :~{



Alright, that is it for now. I am doing my laundry and I still got to fold the clothes and put them back in my closet. I am all ready to get done with it and sleeeeeeeeep! It feels like a long long day yet there are many (MANY) tasks I need to finish.

Stay safe, stay calm!

Love,
Archana


Monday, 27 January 2014

Am I homesick / capricious / just a foodie ??

In a span of 24 hours...here is a list of my cravings! :~D

Me to sru: I feel like eating pizza!
Sru: Ok
Me to sru: (while eating pizza) I feel like eating rice & not pizza.
Sru: Ok
Me to Sru: (while eating rice) I feel like eating colocasia curry that mom makes & not rice.
Sru: Ok
Me to Sru: (while eating colocasiai) I feel like eating poori & not this.
Sru: Ok
Me to Sru: I feel like eating tiramisu.
Sru: Ok.
Me to Sru: I feel like eating french fries.
Sru: Ok
Me to mom: I feel like eating the veg rice you make.
Mom: hmm
Me to dad: I feel like eating idly, dossa, poori, vada and hmmm..
Dad: Sure, but when you are here.

Me to Sru: I feel like eating...hmm
Sru: :~O
Me to Sru: I do not know what but I feel like eating something.....
Sru to me: I think your problem is that, you are never happy with what you have. 
Me: I know that!
Sru: I think you are just home sick.
Me: hmmm...

PS: I am tired of being the caterpillar in the cocoon. 
I love my family for putting up with the crazy me.
I haven't yet eaten tiramisu. :~|

Monday, 13 January 2014

Sunrise smoothie!

Handful of blackberries, one orange, one banana, two or three strawberries. Add Two or three spoons of yogurt and half a glass of water to the above said fruits and blend them all together. Add a spoon of honey if it is too sour.

I found this recipe on pin-interest originally.

This smoothies is so full of antioxidants. I shall update with detailed nutritional benefits later.

Love,
Archana