Say yes to Organic- 2

I always enjoyed nature. Growing up in a metropolitan city made me look and admire concrete nature more than Mother Nature. However, a wonderful trek with my darling brother when I was 16 did give me a perspective of how beautiful and unique every aspect of nature is. However, I experienced it in full bloom after moving to the US. I have experienced all the four seasons and it's wonderful how the same tree which is completely green, changes orange, red, brown and then leafless. This connection with nature, wanting to move away from chemicals and feeling connected to beauty, made me start my little garden. It's a wonderful feeling to wake up to fresh bloomed flowers and pluck tomatoes from your backyard, just when you need them. My attempt has been so far so good. Although some of my plants have something going wrong with them, cos their leaves have holes. However, most of my plants are doing well. The tomato,  mint and  flowers all are doing wonderful. I am sure this summer, I am going to enjoy using mint, cilantro, peppers and tomatoes from my very own garde. Not only do I save money, but I also know that I am eating organic. One more step closer to good health :-) 

My Garden

Baby tomato:-)

DIY - Say Yes to ORGANIC

It's been so long since I wrote in here, but that doesn't mean I have stopped writing or don't have reasons to celebrate. I always have reasons to be happy and writing is what gives me my bread and butter.

I have been fascinated by the DIY world and have been grateful for all the websites which provide details of this. The DIY trend has made me wade away from chemicals slowly and use natural products for my skin and hair.

1. I started with " No Poo"- This basically means no shampoo. I use baking soda mixed with water, as shampoo and apple cider vinegar mixed with water as a conditioner. I have been doing this for 2 months now. This has helped my hair's natural oils be restored and because of that, my hair is not oily anymore and manages to remain clean for more than two days.

This link has detailed instructions on how to "No Poo"
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Go-No-Poo/

2. I use honey as a face wash and have stopped using any other face wash. I apply raw honey a few minutes before showering or washing my face, It is a little sticky, but it leave you clean.

3. This is the most excising thing I have done in this series. I made my own face cream. Is that not wonderful. Oh My god... It was so exciting to even try making it. It turned out perfectly well and I love the cream. It' not only economically, but free from chemicals and suits well on my skin,  I used this website for guidance-
 http://www.robinskey.com/diy-beauty-luxurious-homemade-all-natural-face-cream-recipe/  
I didn't use chocolate butter as suggested , but substituted that with coconut oil and it works perfectly wonderful.

Do try one or all of these at home and let me know how amazing you feel. If there are  some ways you are trying to minimize the use of chemicals. pls share the same in the comments section. I would be happy to learn.

Safety (#75)

I am a very emotional person, who is easily affected by the news around her. The headlines these days have not been good.They are full of missing planes, terrorism, discrimination and rapes. I have had sleepless nights for a long time now, cos I am in constant fear. Fear of all this horrible tragedies happening to anyone I know. I am aware, it's a big big world and the chances of my loved and known ones falling into these mishaps is .001. However, when you are away and don't see the actual scenario at places, what you know is what the media highlights. Oh! the media does a brilliant job at highlighting the gruesome incidents and conveniently forgets the good happening in the world. In the last 100 years, this is the time when human kind is the safest, more connected and the spirit of humanity is alive. This is a good time to be alive and see the beautiful world around you growing. I am confident that the world is becoming a better place and soon we will be a greater, more peaceful, more accepting and a more sensible society. Till then,I am happy and very very grateful for the safety of my loved and known ones. I can't thank Almighty enough for this blessing, may this blessing be showered on me and everyone who is reading this and is not reading this also.

My Best Friend...Always will be (#74)

My best friend My Life….

The first day I met him , I was bewildered at the fact that he was from Pachappas College………The first thought my mind processed was “ Stay away from this handsome guy “. I was introduced to him by my classmate who eventually became his first love.

My inhibitions about the college and all the students from Pachappas College made me keep my distance from him, but nothing stopped him from helping me. My first paper presentation in my new post graduate college, actually my first paper presentation in my life… without even knowing who I am and what I think about him. This guy stood there and said…. “Lets hear it once, that will give you the confidence”. It indeed did give me confidence and as I was giving my presentation, he anticipated the judges’ question and sent the answer across to me. Lo behold! That was the answer to whatever the judge had asked. I won. Not only a trophy, but a friend, a friend for life.

My inhibitions only reduced, they didn’t disappear. He offered to drop me home.. It was pouring cats and dogs and I kept arguing “ I will manage “… Thanks to my inhibitions. I was extra cautious of the way I was sitting on his bike… Keeping my distance as much as I could and being conscious that I don’t touch him… He insisted he drop me home and I fought back saying “thank you , I will walk “ . My mind kept saying “You don’t know him, how will you go home with him, after all he is from Pachappas…..

Gosh what’s in a name? I Thought. But so much a college name did.  It made me waste one full year, by staying away from this gem of a person…. We eventually got close.

I was a day college student, he also was but he was special and that’s why walked into college at 11.00 A.M – 12.00 A.M   and left an hour after that.  His brilliance helped him be one of the best students of the college and although he was a hourly visitor to college, he was made the Chairman of the Student’s Union council.

The department Journal – Decorum 360 degree (for which he recommended me- Wonder why?) got us closer and made us friends. Things slowly changed, I came when Day College began and left when the evening college got over and this hourly visitor came in the afternoon and went home after dropping me home. Yes, right outside my house :-)

We were supposedly working for the paper . we use to be in Canteen fighting over the one Masala Dosa which he would ruin completely or else we would be seen on the bike together leaving to the printer. Oh! What a Unicorn it was (the bike ) – It would always run out of petrol or the tyres would go whooooooooshhhhh exactly when we were getting late or there was no petrol bunk in the vicinity. He would make me run pushing his bike from behind and he dragging it. He would always blame his Unicorn’s laziness on me and say – “ it happens only when you sit on the bike”… Stupid never realized- No one else ever sat J

He created history in college by organizing Disha- the college cultural program. I give the credit to myself, wonder whom he gives the credit for the name. I worked for the cultural cos my heart said – “He is a nice guy and he needs you”.. Doubt if he ever needed me. The cultural was on Valentine’s Day…. No, no I wasn’t expecting anything from him…. He never believed in love then….

It was amazing, our college, our journal, our cultural program and our new relationship- Our out of this world friendship. He was my only friend in the whole college of 3000 students… was it because I never got along with anybody or I never needed one, cos I found him?

Everything was perfect, till  he feel sick.Hospitalized…Typhoid…………nooooooo…. It was terrible, no not his falling sick, but the lecture from his brother ( great guy ! Seriously) J . His brother thought he fell sick because I made him eat at all the local eat outs while working with him… But was he not the one who recommended me for all the work along with him ????

Whatsoever, said and done…This guy was no ordinary guy. He was an super intelligent guy, being a hourly visitor and coming to the exams directly from the ICU and still clearing all the papers… wowwwwwwwwww. Only somebody with his caliber and determination could have done it.

That was my first year in College, he wasn't my class mate.. he was my senior… Hated him for being the Chairman, cos of him I never became the chairman (they wouldn't give it to the same department for 2 consecutive years – Stupid rules ! ). I loved him for his humor. Got irritated with his innocence, he would never understand the clues of me wanting to change my sanitary pad. I would tell him  10 times in different ways “I want to wash my face , lets go home “ he would repeat it 10 times “Wash it in the canteen” . I would give all the reasons to go home and he would reject all of them and then with all my frustration and irritation ( Thanks to the monthly cycle and his innocence ) I would scream and say “ I have got my periods and need a sanitary pad”  and he would keep mum throughout  the way and take me home…

The day I wouldn't go to college, he would come and meet me at home and we would endlessly  talk about everything under the sun. We have walked for 3 hours at a stretch. Thanks to him , I am fit today., So is he ….

Oh ! How can I forget the mess I created in his life… My classmate and my friend  loved him deeply and she said her love increased cause of me… (I was always spending time with him). He never wanted to get into and always confessed the same to me and she would also confess to me all what she was going thru… I always pushed her to him and eventually asked her to express her feelings and after 2 years,( dude took quiet a lot of time )  he fell in love with her ……How much I hated myself for it…. Cause in 2 years he became my best friend, and I wasn't willing to share him with anybody on planet earth….

I should be honest, I had a boy friend then…. My first love..  This hourly visitor would drop me to my boy friend’s place when asked for and has even had dinner with us even though he hated it… (An awesome friend)

His typhoid didn't stop him from attending the farewell, how could it ???? She had insisted he be there.  (he is a sweetheart).

Missed this hourly guest in my second year of college, but he made his attempts to stay connected so did I. He would give me a lift, actually not a lift , he would go out of his way to drop me to college, every time I was late… I was late most of the times( learnt it from him ) . During my exam, I would read one subject of mine and he would read the other and explain it out to me… thanks to him, I topped the university…. Wouldn't have , if not for him. College got over and it was a beginning to my career life… He was always there listening to my fears and always kept telling me  “ if you don’t get a job who will” . I got the first job I applied for.

He gave me Joy, Courage, Confidence, Smile, Time, Success, he gave me life,  A life which I would have never enjoyed , if not for him….

Thank you friend, thank you Guru ,Thank you my Guardian Angel… ( only I am allowed to call him all the above even after 5 years of college ) Love you doggy J