Can't deny it !

Every thing seems perfect and spotless today but if for some reason i feel blue tomorrow or day after,  i want a wise man sing for me telling "That's life", can't deny what he said or can't remember all the time that 
world spin'n around around .........

Dive deeper

I think this topic always makes me sit strait and learn more, never ending exploration and interest. i find this cute animation for kids, 
and like minded .........

explains meditation in beautiful and fun way.
"to open your eyes, sometimes you have to close them"!! 
Nice :)

voneelu ceremony

  
first listen the song

 My daughter is my first love and i always tell her that.
we have our fair share of arguments, yelling at each other, i wish i have a nice mom stares and what not, but it's a separate post, not in here;) 
because this post is about love sharing not other side:)

she is the first grandchild from my side of the family, younger girl in my husband side of the family.

girls grow faster, she is a pre-teen now. she grow up observing all the stages and traditional ceremonies of our nieces in India through phone conversations and photos.

she never attend them but saw the pictures of those ceremonies numerous times, she asked all sorts of questions, why they dressed up so pretty and colorful, when i am going to get that kind of attention.

she dream of the attention and love the girls get through those ceremonies. 

i started dreaming along with her because there is nothing wrong of giving some deserving attention to your daughter and tell or show her how many people care about her, and love her!

voneelu ceremony is one of them. 

in telugu society pre-teens wear a langa-oni or half saree  while friends and family bless her for her bright future, then change in to saree that symbolizes the transition from girlhood to womanhood.

Indian celebrations are full of fun and colorful, 

bangles, silks, 

henna

 curls, up do, tearra

 spicy food,

 goodies for kids

thambulam (goodies)for woman
1.betel leaves 2.pakuchekka 3. quarter 4. banana 5. senagalu
6.egg whisker 7. vendi ginne 8. sweet 9. incense 10. blouse piece 11. kumkum 12. pasupu 13. apple 14. putarekulu

 i purchase this cutie from beau coup
to put the silver goodies (vendi ginne) 

 all the arrangements, invitations, last minute party hall changes, decorations,  menu decisions, help from India (sisters pulled in for purchasing clothes, gold, necessities for ceremony)
at least once a day while doing these for a while i started wondering why the heck i started this, but at the end while looking at her pretty face
in the pictures it's worth million bucks.

For about two solid months we are talking about her, planning for her ceremony, guests are there for her, blessing her, praising her how pretty she turned, patience, grace and smile i hope she felt the attention she deserves.


girls bring color, smile, tears, love, attitude, emotions, what not!
and i still have time to enjoy her presence before she leave the house for college and i cherish with all my heart.
ceremonies are just the reminders of the time the families share together!

veggie garden is in FULL swing!

so many interesting things happened since my last post and i can't wait to share and keep them here, all of the incidents are great except, my laptop suddenly, stubbornly backed down on me :(

My garden is in full swing, looks FAB and delish!!

i planted many crops for experiment and pleasure to see how they grow and none of them disappointed me :)

mostly Garlic came out fantastic!

i planted garlic last year in October and harvested in 

July!

yes! these are from my garden!

i got the garlic seed from seed savers exchange in September 2009 and they send 2 bulbs and a garlic planting guide, i just followed the instructions 

ola!!

• when you are planning to grow garlic do not separate the cloves from the bulb until you are ready to plant.
• plant the cloves root end down, 6-8" apart. 
• cloves will begin to emerge in 4-8 weeks if not do not be concerned, the plants may  suffer frost or freeze and will survive the weather and emerge in spring, very forgiving:)
• fertilize up to may 15, do not fertilize after 15.
• garlic needs 1" water per week during the growing season. stop watering from June to harvest easily
• keep weeds under control.
• 'Scapes' form when garlic matures. cut or break them off after they are 10" long.

i don't know that the bulbs up there are good in soups or stir fries, so i toss them, and got so sad after i got the info:(

•   harvest after leaf die-back begins sometime in June or early July.
• dig the garlic carefully, do not pull the stalk or it will separate from the bulb.
• gently clean the dirt, don't bruise. remove from sun immediately.

• tie a bundle and hang in shaded, dry shed or garage. leave hanging for 4 weeks.
• after drying, trim off the roots and cut the stalks off leaving 1 1/2" above the bulb. store in netted bags or baskets, do not refrigerate.
• hold the nicest bulbs for replanting.

i think i am definitely planting them again this October!!

i love the feeling of digging them from ground like treasure hunting and find out how big the cloves and the smell of them.

Wimbledon 2010 ....part 2

 after three days playing in "court 18" they finally pack up, but i don't think there is a loser, how come we call opponent a loser, when the sportsmanship is as awesome as the winner, they both are winners

Match duration: 11 hours, five minutes
Fifth set duration: Eight hours, 11 minutes
Total number of games: 183
Fifth set number of games: 138
Total number of points: 980
Isner aces: 112
Mahut aces: 103
Combined aces: 215
Isner winners: 246
Mahut winners: 244

incredible!!!!!

photos: Wimbledon 

Wimbledon 2010

 Men's singles In Wimbledon 2010 1st round match between john Isner and Nicolas Mahut is one amazing and historical match i witnessed today and it's definitely mind boggling

4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 59-59

59 what??????

unbelievable

and the best part is i didn't miss the game  

the players are not done with 59-59, they stopped because it's 9pm in England and it's getting dark so they have to go home!!

players coming tomorrow to continue the game ..........
9 and 1/2 hours in the court today and still not done!!!
to be continued....

photo from: the New york times

Summer fun!!

Summer holiday's are started and our entire street, filled with kids laughter and fun games.

we started road trips as a family,
visiting Historical landmarks
the Dan Waugh nature trail, Olmsted Falls, Ohio

natural wonders
Niagara Falls

Downtown, Cleveland

 Zoo

Lake Erie beaches 

Cleveland museum of Art

 

Cleveland Botanical Garden

still there are more things to do and enjoy, in summer holidays and explore the life with kids and recharge the enthusiasm through them, that's the summer and holidays all about!

Indian eyebrows

when we are teenagers we do all sorts of experimenting and regret later for doing that. i have one, shaping my eyebrows! my friends are doing, so i ask beautician shape my eyebrows too, and she did. from then on i am not happy by my decision. 

after i moved to America it become more hard for me to maintain because when ever you need a threading expert she is always out of town or moved from here! forget about waxing in salon, they have no idea what they are doing and it's $30 and threading is $10! you do the math;)

 so you have to do it by yourself and oh boy! i did all sorts of things plucking, waxing, using hair removals(not recommended at all)

when ever my daughter watching this drama while i am cleaning my brows, i am keep telling her that never ever ever ever ever do this to herself and waste time for damn brows!

one day i had enough! and

i decided to learn the technique by my self.  

Indian way 

 Indian eyebrows are perfectly shaped
but threading technique is kinda hard. one thread they put it in their mouth and twist the thread with other hand and do amazing job but doing by your self that way? it has to be better way! so i never even imagine learning that.

but mark my word it's damn easy in Arabic way, after all, we learn this technique from them, right? i find this beautiful young girl in youtube. she saved me from my own prison and i am free!!!

arabic easy way, thank you who ever you are!!
 

all you need is Dual-Duty sewing thread spool and is $1.50 at the craft store, patience until you get hang of it, keep practicing and you are set for the rest of your life!!

isn't it amazing what youtube is doing for us!! all you need is curiosity and attitude to learn.

eyebrow threading is becoming a phenomenon in America, every magazine and makeup artists are talking about it 
all major cities in US know about threading by now, but Cleveland is still working on that!
that's why people in the mall ask me all the time who did my eyebrows and you guess my answer;)

spring onion!

spring onion

my Chinese friend who lives across the street gave me 3-4 spring onion from her garden in sep o9 and warned me not to plant in the ground just plant them in a container since they spread a lot, but i didn't listen to her and planted them in the ground and now i harvested them since i am loosing place in my tiny patch and i have to remove them and replant them in the container just like she told me!

 new bulbs to plant
these are the new ones coming on top of the mature spring onion, what i have to do is separate them and plant them again. isn't that easy!

but the crop is great, i get rid of mature green but kept the fresh greens, onion bulbs and new bulbs to plant.
 now i have to look for recipes that i can use all of these fresh and healthy looking greens and onion bulbs. yey!

Recognition

Like everybody else I am taking pictures for a long time but never interested to share them to public in flickr, after i started blogging i put some interesting photos in flickr and in April i received a mail from

Subject: Schmap: Chicago Photo Short-list
Date: 14th April, 2010
Hi migration musings,
I am writing to let you know that one of your photos has been short-listed for inclusion in the eleventh edition of our Schmap Chicago Guide, to be published early May 2010.
http://www.schmap.com/shortlist/p=27188631N08/c=SO2015954
Best regards,
Claire Evans
Editor, Schmap Guides
www.schmap.me/claire.evans

After reading this i really don't get what this is all about, i was

thinking like, i am not going to loose any or gain any so i

submitted the photo and forget about it.

recently i received the mail again,

Subject: Schmap Chicago Eleventh Edition: Photo Inclusion
Date: 14th May, 2010
Hi migration musings,
I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo has been selected for inclusion in the newly released eleventh edition of our Schmap Chicago Guide:
Navy Pier
http://www.schmap.com/chicago/tours_tour5/p=10712/i=10712_175.jpg

some incidents are so funny and unexpected, even though 

I don't gain anything from this, i take the recognition as

simply as encouragement of what i love to do. 
 
 

 

Nature-al parenting

Nature at work
these cute Canadian goose couple are so busy now a days.
they are new parents!
mom and dad goose teaching everything what those cute goslings supposed to learn!
every minute they are protecting and keeping an eye on babies, don't even dare to go near them while they are parenting.
fun to watch from my kitchen table. 

parents visit

They are here!

both of them are adjusting very well of the new surroundings.

Nanna is observing my lifestyle for the first time,

I left his house 14 years ago as a bride, visited him every two years but never had enough time to sit and talk in those visits, with long list of to do things and visiting relatives it's always hectic.  mom is busy cooking and dad is busy doing his work.

so here they are, just for a change
 in my world and sweet home. 

They are asking millions of innocent questions of how things work from faucet to American system of law!

what not, anything they see there is a question.

so much curiosity and observation.

wondered and amazed by the quietness of my surroundings,

ducks in the lake, lawns in America and how much time, water, energy especially money wasted for that grass. 

schools, drain systems, cars and roads, trees and landscaping, 

heating and cooling systems, markets and price comparisons,

food and packaging, the fact that they didn't smell anything even though they are in meat market!
they like every inch of it.

suddenly nanna asks, where are the people! i can see only cars, but where are the people!!

My kids overwhelmed by the fact that grand parents visited them, so they could share the stories just like there friends sharing with them.

showing off everything and try to adjust, forgiving ammamma's constant criticism and comments. 

  

my husband is in ecstasy because i am controlling my temper towards him and the company of my father.

for me nothing changed so far, at the same time everything changed.

 

welcome to the otherside

To day a man's dream is going to come true!
my mom and dad are coming to visit us! 
mom visited once but this is my dad's first international travel. i bet he is so excited but never expressed it.

Never prayed this hard in my life, 
for his safe journey from Bangalore India to Cleveland, Ohio. 

None is going to touch his dreams to shatter, None....bird, volcanic dust from Iceland, dopey pilots, maniacal terrorists, tired airport staff, flight food, immigration, security, gruesome travel for 22 hours sitting way up 34,000 feet in the air, confusing time zones, jet lag, sudden adoption of deviant land.
mighty transformation in 24 hours!!
i can't wait to welcome him to this side of the earth.

hard to be patience

 being patience For me, is one of the toughest things to do! it's a struggle to except the fact that things don't go the way I planned. i simply can't take it. Nature is being just what it suppose to be. raining, windy, cold, hot, sun and moon are doing their jobs, plants are waiting so patiently to go outside......wait! plants are not waiting they are growing perfectly fine in the pots where i plant them, they actually don't know weather they are outside or inside so they are fine. 

problem is ME, and my mind. 

i am keep bugging myself why Cleveland weather is contently changing and didn't let me plant my plants outside:(

about week ago temperature is 75 degrees and i quickly clean the beds and ready to plant and today 41 and sooo damn cold. 

 i learned very important lesson that no matter what, i am not supposed to think about planting Indian veggies outside in the beds until May last week!

 i don't think it works but i have to train my mind for that.
people who know me would say yeh! right! 

 

First Spring Harvest

First harvest of Methi (fenugreek leaves)

never fails to show up and great health benefits as green veggie.

the seeds i sow directly outside(spinach, carrot, beetroot, cauliflower) showing up one by one .
so excited, weather is so beautiful, 72 F sunny and warm but i am not falling for this weather or neither getting confidence to transplant my seedlings out yet.
i will wait one more week.

jest on immigrants :)

Russel peters is a Comedian.

Canadian Indian and make fun of everybody who are immigrants and their attitudes. he don't leave anyone in his comedy act. Indians, Chinese, Jamaicans, Africans, Canadians, Arabs, even his mom and dad and their accents.

when i moved to States i never liked comedians in this country, because they are making fun of other person or some ethnic groups and felt so offended but years passed by gradually i am the biggest fan of these comedy shows and enjoying thoroughly, since it is true what they are saying! and such a relief when laughing so hard at ourselves.

doggy training

Snowball (our 4month old coton de tulear) is doing great and we all enjoying his company.

Naturally he is well behaved dog, doing his best pleasing us, listening us, eating, pooping, peeing, sleeping,chewing and 

being healthy. 

no complains about him, but he mush have some complains about US.
he is patiently waiting somebody make some house rules for him.

we are still pampering him since he is new and young, if it's cold outside or raining no one interested to take him out

so we are dangerously confusing him where he should go to poop or pee!

four of us have different opinions about every single situation, like 

training, who is going to walk him, who is going to play this time, feed him, the most important thing discipline him.

we didn't give him specific rules, bathroom place, commands to sit, stay, come, 

 go to his kennel, 
or haven't decide who is the leader!
No one surrendered to no one yet (balance between human and dog) we are still in the process of deciding that and applying in real life.

if we continue like this for a while he is going to decide to be our leader and we are going to be doomed and become his human pets for the rest of his life and that's for 14 years!
that's not gonna happen in my watch!!

Yesterday i went to library for some books and my eye caught on a 6 disk DVD set, i heard about the dog whisperer through media before, like always I got curious and bought the DVD home.
we sit as a family and watched first Disk and we were amazed of Cesar's talent and his techniques. 


 balancing life needs commitment and 100% effort. 
parenting, being a better person in any relationship, good employee what not everything.
it's all in your mind.
if you stood up and tell what you want that's what you get, but HOW you ask? is the real challenge:) because it changes from person to person and animal to human.
Dog whisperer show me that, simple body language, commands, signals make the dog understand that you are the leader and every dog likes to be under pack leader! when ever you show your weaker side then and there he become your leader.
my family decided that i should be the leader and trainer.
since i am so natural bossing people around ruthlessly (according to every one in the family)
why not the dog as well;)
my daughter does what ever sonwball wants, so he likes being around her, with in my watch we have to adjust this whole thing and train him together Cesar's way before it gets too late.


{text and puppy photos are mine}
 Dog whisperer: Cesar millan

spinach and chickpeas curry

where ever we are in the world Indian pantries (vegetarians and non vegetarians) filled with lentils and legumes. They contain plenty of essential nutrients, even after taking a full meal you feel lighter.

 when you mix some spices, veggies, greens along with them, that dish makes your body, soul, taste buds calm and satisfied.

In this dish i used canned Chick peas and frozen spinach.

chick peas..........1 can

frozen spinach 1 box ...or...2 cups diced fresh leaves

tomato's..........2

tomato paste or 1sp tamarind paste.......... 2sp

fenugreek seeds..........5

 small onion.........1
grated ginger....... 1 sp

diced green chili's............2 or 3 
salt.........2sp
coriander pwd............1sp

In a pan add 3sp oil stir fry fenugreek, grated ginger and add onion, salt cook until it turns brown, to this add chili, diced tomato, coriander powder cover the pan stirring occasionally cook until you can mash tomato from back of the spoon.

add tomato paste, spinach, 1/2 cup water and let it cook for 10 minutes.
add chickpeas (with out can water) adjust salt to taste and with out lid cook for 5 more minutes.

 serve with hot rice
or

 with chapati, puri, pita bread, or naan 

{pictures by me}

14 years and counting

The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.  ~Gertrude S. Wister

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.  ~Chinese Proverb

 I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.  ~Emma Goldman




{pictures taken by me}

bellpepper ballerina

it's not my fault i see things this way, it's completely my right brain's fault.

bell pepper from seed to now.

Pumpkin

transfering to bigger pots

  finally got time to transfer the baby plants to bigger pots.

i killed gongoora completely. i got so excited past week when weather got warmer and planted them in the garden

big mistake and lost them after a week with snow fall.
Cleveland or what?
never fail to fool me!
my friend called me the other day a fellow gardener, i told her the tragedy and she said 
why did you plant them out? never forget 

"mother's day is a good rule of thumb to plant seedlings out"

great, after killing the gongoora, ridge gourd i learned a valuable lesson.
good part is i still plant them as seeds directly in the ground but my greed to get month worth of extra crop is not going to work. that's all, no big deal.
actually i am looking for tissue to wipe my warm tears.
IT IS A BIG DEAL!!!
i think i preached about this before and suggested get ready for that, it's not easy at all, i am telling yah! not at all.
 but
i planted spring seeds directly in the ground.
spinach, thotakoora, carrot, cauliflower, beetroot, brussels
they are doing great.
Garlic, onion is doing fantastic.
at least there is something to smile :)



{text and pictures by me}

Art on the wall

my son's art on the wall.
this art drew by him a year ago.

a friend of mine came to our house and saw these, curiously inquiring me did your son in trouble after this?

No, i kinda like the antenna on the apple though;)

above the apple is a cute mystery alien.
i yakked and yapped about his talents and how we supposed to encourage and not destroy their imagination, what not!

recently he drew again with permanent marker in play room,
he is working on the second one while my daughter caught him red-handed.

this time i got mad and told him that's not funny and i don't want him draw on the wall again.

he said i don't love him anymore, that's why i am mad,

yeh! right, he thinks i fall for his pitiful face and 

long eye lashes. No way!!

 "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me"

                       -Ricky gervais in Night at the museum. 

i love that line when Ricky says in the movie.