birthday

Ganesh Chaturthi 2016

Ganesha's birthday is usually celebrated in this house, except under extreme duress when we have cut a cake and sang a happy birthday song to celebrate it western style

Usually though, San and or MIL do the good eats, I do the pooja and we all eat and take a nice nap after being stuffed to the gills with Kozhukattai (dumplings)!

Today the long weekend helped with the relaxed atmosphere. I went to yoga class while San finished making the dumplings and Vadai.. which I will now present to you in HDR.. it was yummy. I say it in past tense because we were all digging in as fast as we could.

San has understood the concept of suppy and demand and recently she makes very small quantities of delicious stuff. The thing disappears off the kitchen table as soon as it is offered to the gods and she claims success! 

Some of my friends call this "sundar going into full Poojari mode"..will take that as a compliment. The apple did not fall far from the tree. . .  

There is a good chance this prayer thing might die with my generation. Will do it while I can to celebrate a certain event in a certain way. After that.. the world evolves with or without you!

For some reason, going off the philosophical deep end again. My dad used to do the prayer with such gusto and happiness. Last week I was told by my mum that dad's hands are shaking so much that he doesn't sit for prayers anymore. 

Was physically here doing the prayer, but my mind was in Chennai hoping that the new medication they are giving him will stop the shakes or at least slow it down so we can have long coherent conversations on the phone again. 

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to everyone! 

Hope you had a dumpling filled day!

Attention everyone: We now have a teen in the house!

Thirteen years ago, something magical happened!

Jr. came out and stared at me with those big beady eyes for the very first time.

The nurse said they were all surprised by a few hour old baby looking up at everyone with her eyes wide open. Given San was so overdue, we treated the newborn as a two week old!

That was my 30th birthday present from Sangeetha! 

Today that present has grown to be as tall as me and is funny enough to pose for a recreation selfie. 

We found her "poobie" for this special photo. 

My grandma used to say "eera peen akki, peena perichchaali akkakara madhiri unna ungamma valththurukka".. it loosely translates to "taking a small thing that lice eat in your head and growing it into a lice, then growing a lice into a large rat.. that is how hard it has been for your mom to raise you". I am sure something was lost in the translation there in spite of my best effort.

Relatively speaking Jr. has been an easy kid. She has been healthy and happy and easy going. She always cares about folks around her and holds us very very accountable whenever she gets a chance to do so.

Here's to our big baby!

It does not matter if you turn 13 or 30. Will continue to save that blanket somewhere in the house and if I am still hale and healthy when you turn 30, we can  recreate this picture on your 30th birthday! 

Here is to many more happy birthday's to my little girl who continues to amaze us everyday!

Time to be thankful..

Thanksgiving as a festival always eludes me. The whole Indians-Pilgrims-Turkey-Corn thingy doesn't strike a chord. 

Since getting married though it has been a means to celebrate Sangeetha and my birthday at nice locations as this holiday falls between our two birthdays. 

People tell me "this is a time to say thanks and be thankful for the good things in your life". If there is one thing to be thankful for in this life, it is family!

For the last 16 years we have mostly spent this long weekend with the cousins family at parks, theme or national..

This year was no different. We went to Yosemite Falls for two days. Got to see some wondeful sights, get way more exercise than we bargained for and had some fun times playing board games in a cozy cabin!

The pictures are promising so far..

San turns 29 again today! I am thankful to her parents for their first creation, who gave me a second chance in life and has made a better person out of me than I would have thought possible.

Here's to San, second chances and family!