HeaRtBeAtS

In the Name of a Photograph....

2014-07-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

Light from the streets played hide and seek with the curtains as she lay resting her head on the soft pillows. It had been a long day and all that she wanted was to get to bed and drift off to sleep, hoping that when she woke up the next day all would be back to normal and this day would’ve been just a dream!

But as she closed her eyes trying to shut off the waves of thoughts flowing through her over strained mind, once again flashes of the day’s events appeared before her… it had been the day she had dreaded for quite a while, a day she prayed would never come, the day she will never forget in her life!

The voice had asked.... "where are you?" She couldn’t recognize who it was on the other end of the phone. Maybe because her mind was elsewhere and she was busy trying to hide the tears rolling down her face as she walked swiftly towards the gate, or maybe because the other person's voice was distorted as he tried to control the urge to cry out loud!

She asked.. "who is this?", when he said his name, inspite of the tears, a smile spread across her face. He went on “we didnt take a photo together....” her instant reaction was to deny that fact, how can she miss such a thing. Then she remembered, how busy both of them had been, he had to finish all formalities, and she was busy scheduling get togethers with their different groups of friends and getting gifts for him. One moment she didnt know what to say, and heard him say that he is coming to the gate. "stay there!" he had said. But she had to go back, she knew she can't leave like that, with tears and sadness. She turned around and found her way through the crowd rushing towards her ...and managed to tell him "i am coming".....

She will never forget that moment, a simple phone call and simple sentence had made her day. When everyone around them were busy making speeches of how they gonna miss him , this simple sentence had said it all between them!

It hadn’t been smooth and she knew it was all her fault! Her unending urge to make new friends had left him sad and alone. But he held it back until one moment, when it all just had to burst out! She was thankful that he said it atleast then, else she would have never realized the worth of the time she was wasting without being with him!

Something simple, yet more special than anything else!! Unexplainable and undefined their friendship would live on forever… no matter how far life is gonna take them. Even after years it’s gonna bring a smiling tear to their hearts… the moment that held it all, in the name of a photograph!!!!

Lead kindly light!.....

2013-04-20T19:38:00.001-07:00

As more and more incidents keep happening, its no longer enough to worry about it and blame the authorities for being brutally blind to all this. Let alone the fact that everyone other than the authorities who have power seems to see what the obvious punishment shuld be declared as!
Reading newspapers have become a disturbing routine of everyday life now. But when we pray for the victims and for our dear one's safety, dont you think there is pondering required on the real factor that's causing people to turn cannibalistic?
When did we humans start being so overwhelmed by our desires! Sudden exposure to things which the mind can't differentiate as right or wrong often leads us into obsessing . Human nature gas always between to desire for what's not at hand . So For example, people who haven't had much chances to use internet, when they get an opportunity tends to overdo it.
It is the same with every thing in our life.
Learning to control our desires is a critical factor for preventing future disasters. Starting with small sins it can lead to barbaric actions just to satisfy one's thirst. As long as it hasn't quenched, it would keep us under its mesmerizing claws, promising heaven! Its not just government or laws that has to be reviewed, its every one of us. Society as a whole should take responsibility for the future of our sons and daughters. what we show them is what they'll become!
Starting from relationships at home , movies, internet, school and friends.... Exposure is at its max. We can't say no to it, we can't.bring them up inside the four walls .... The only way to help is by lighting the candle of awareness. Talk to them on what's right and what's not, dont be shy like our senior generations have been. Let freedom of speech lead to freedom of movement!

...to the world of Rapists!!!!!

2012-12-20T22:57:00.002-08:00

It was a cold morning and i slipped out of bed careful not to wake up my two year old sleeping peacefully beside me...

I hurried to the kitchen to start with my chores for the morning. one of it being retrieving the milk packet from my front door, i opened the door and picked up the packet and the newspaper.
I conducted the usual ritual of reading the headlines and was about to flop the paper on the table, but before i could walk off something caught my eye. Dumbstruck, shocked, numb, shivers.... i don't know exactly how to explain that moment of pain.

"Capital shamed: Girl gang-raped on bus in South Delhi", it read. Details of it all of you would have read. It was too much to believe.

As i managed to handover the paper to my husband and walk away, my mind was flooded with the many such articles I've read in the past. brutal cases like these have been in the papers on and off. Fathers, Uncles, Caretakers, turning into monsters at schools ,home etc, The very people and places we considered secure is now where we should be extra cautious !!!

Accidents happen.. it's part of life... but what about things like these? What reason or justification do they have for committing such a brutal act, to make a person devoid of the capability to live a life, dignity aside, atleast with the minimum confidence that someone will not plunge over them in the next second. To say that its animal behavior would be to insult the animal kingdom itself, atleast they Kill and dont make their victims's life a rotting hell!

When i grew up we were told to be careful about strangers. Don't talk to strangers my mum used to utter, outgoing was not the kind of thing one was supposed to do when in a vulnerable situation and it was understood well. But now? what should i tell my son\daughter?

Should i isolate them into a cube and let them live their lives in a dungeon where no one can reach them?

Whom should i warn them about? strangers? or their own family members?

Schools are now creating awareness about good touch and bad touch, but what do we teach them about the jungle out there? How can one live with the fear that any moment, any one can turn into a monster and pounce upon you!!!

Right and Wrong no longer comes in Black and White! We need to revisit our morality. We need to find our moral self to be able to stop ourselves from viewing others as probable Victims. Wake up people.... wake up the human in you....

HeaRt Vs MiNd

2012-08-14T02:25:00.002-07:00

Arranged Vs Love? .... its Complicated!

2012-08-06T02:25:00.000-07:00

SALE SALE SALE ... everywhere a SALE... that's how it is now when u tread outside nowadays. Every other store has an ON SALE board hung bright and bold in front of their entrances,and knowingly or unknowingly we get pulled in.
So last weekend i was on this shopping spree, desperate to checkout the sale at my favorite store, i made time from my usual schedules to head out and indulge. Since the day i had planned for this, my mind had been on this all alert mode, where i pick up colors and patterns from everything i see, from tv serials to magazine pages, to distant memories of beautiful dresses worn in my favorite movies. Every now and then, in between the routines my mind would return with a new color and pattern to put in my bookmarks list, so that i can refer to them when at the store.

All set for the endeavor i headed out to the store. The innumerable colors that the store held out to me were more than manageable. Never had i felt so overwhelmed with the need to pick my favorites! So there i was surrounded by all sort of colors and patterns one could imagine, and yet even after an hour i couldn't set eyes on even one garment that would satisfy my style definitions!
True to the moment, i was greatly disappointed at this unexpected turn of things. Even with all that it could offer me.. it was just not enough!

Life sometimes is like this... the moment would ask for it, the nature would strive to offer it , but all of it wouldn't be enough to make it happen! It wouldn't matter whether u actually prepared/planned for the moment or it happened spontaneously, the only thing that matters is for you to feel right.

Strength of a relationship is based upon the quality and not upon the length of time u knew each other. Sometimes even spending a lifetime with someone wouldn't be enough to understand them, and some other times the sincerity and loyalty of the other person would strike you in just few seconds spent together !

Like they say 'everything has got its place and time'... even love and marriage has its predestined place and time... sometimes it just feels right and u just need to trust your instincts. Love ya arranged .. its the commitment towards it that matters... nothing more..nothing less!

(www.facebook.com/LoveYaArrange)

PS: for the contest Love Marriage ya Arranged Marriage! on indiblogger.in

Forgive and ForgeT? or Revenge and Regret?

2012-08-03T03:41:00.001-07:00

There are basically two kinds I've come across..

The ones who forgive and forget and the other who don't!

While the former glazes through life leaving breakups and regrets behind , with the hope of a better tomorrow, the latter holds on to the past and evaluates everything the future holds in terms if the past memories. Even the smallest mistake you do with a person who never forgets will be written in big bold letters in the book of your relationship and will be referred back and forth every valid and invalid times.

Hence evidently forgive and forget is the way to be if you want to enjoy life without the dark shadows of the past.

But in todays wild world, there are some others who take advantage of this Forgive and forget trait. Just because we move on with life more easily, people tend to think that they can get away with anything ,cos we'll forgive them and get along as if nothing happened. So then it becomes important that forgive and forget be always accompanied by assertiveness, so that you don't allow anyone to make you feel inferior or victimized.

So then how should it be ? ... i guess even the universal rules need to rewritten to face today's unforgiving world.

Forgive and become a door mat? or take revenge and be called a fighter?? .... what to be and what not to stays a mystery!!!!!

Soul space !!! ...........

2012-07-24T02:26:00.002-07:00

Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho, Toh zinda ho tum

{If you carry your restlessness in your heart, then you are alive}

Nazar mein khwabon ki bijliyan leke chal rahe ho, Toh zinda ho tum

{If you carry the flames of your dreams in your eyes, then you are alive}

Hawa ke jhokon ke jaise aazad rehna sikho

{Learn to live free like the gusts of wind}

Tum ek dariya ke jaise lehron mein behna sikho

{Learn to flow like the waves in a stream}

Har ek lamhe se tum milo kholke apni bhaahein

{Embrace every moment in life with open arms}

Har ek pal ek naya samha dekhen yeh nigahaein

{Each moment your eyes see is a new season}

Jo apni aankhon mein hairaniyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum

{If you carry wonder in your eyes, then you are alive}

Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum

{If you carry your restlessness in your heart, then you are alive}

The lines from a recent bollywood hit movie.

Worries anxieties and pains are something we all wanna get rid of from our lives. but have you ever felt that even the most challenging moments in ur lives have some purpose in the road to fulfillment ?!

This song, rather poem depicts the true meaning of life.. of being alive. it's not only about roses, kisses smiles and happiness, but its also about the anxieties,challenges,dreams and struggles to attain them. Without such worries or heartaches one would never be able to appreciate the true value of the happiness we receive!

To be fulfilled with life, one has to accept and live through not just the easy days but also the hard sad days.

Being tension free doesn't always mean being happy, as many of us would imagine!

Sometimes being devoid of something , even when that is not one of the pleasantries of life, makes us crave for fulfillment. ..... but sadly, we don't accept this unless we've painfully lived through it!

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

2012-07-05T00:06:00.003-07:00

Excerpt: "Everyone knows they're going to die,but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently."

All of us have thousands of complaints right? about the traffic, the food, the salary,the work, the politics,... on goes the never ending lists.

So amidst all these regrets and worries, there came by a book which left me thinking how silly i am !!

A professor counting his last days of life, shows us the true meaning of being alive! to not surrender to the disease is one part of whole book, but the most important part is the lessons he teaches us.

Excerpt: "Take any emotion-love for a woman,or grief for a loved one, If you hold back on the emotions-if you don't allow yourself to go all the way through them-you can never get to being detached, you're too busy being afraid.You're afraid of the pain,you're afraid of the grief.You're afraid of the vulnerability that loving entails.

But by throwing yourself into these emotions,by allowing yourself to dive in,all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely, you know what pain is . you know what love is, you know what grief is.And only then can you say, all right i have experienced that emotion, i recognize that emotion,Now i need to detach from that emotion for a moment. "

Many a times in life I've been through stages when the same had happened to me, an emotion is with me only till i go to the full extent with it! and it being not the norm, i have been questioned by many of my queers... all those questions remain answered with professor morrie's statement above.

Excerpt: "No matter where u live, the biggest defect we human beings have is our shortsightedness. We don't see what we could be, we should be looking at our potential stretching ourselves into everything we can become."

Through simple statements , Mitch Albom, brings out the real essence of life.. of living and letting others live!!!

Thanks Mitch for this wonderful composition.

Got a Second look?

2012-07-04T22:38:00.002-07:00

If people are giving you a second look,
there can be two possibilities,

either you are looking too beautiful to take eyes off,
or something is too awkward to stop laughing about!

What You Choose to Believe, Decides the course of your next step.....

Fights matter!!!

2012-05-17T03:40:00.000-07:00

Calm,Composed,Adjustable.... on would go the list of good traits, but unless you are a fighter, no one's gonna give a damn about you!!!

Compare ?

2012-04-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

One should not compare One with the Other…. ….b’cos One is One and not Another!.....

Caramel Custard Pudding

2012-04-24T03:18:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

0.5 ltrs milk

4 eggs

1 tin condensed milk

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Method:

* In a vessel (preferable aluminium) put enough sugar to cover the bottom surface and heat on stove.

When golden brown remove from fire and keep aside to cool . The bottom surface should be fully covered by tht layer… be careful not to overdo melting, cos if burnt off it will taste bitter.

* In another vessel beat 4 eggs , mix the milk and condensed milk.

* Mix well and add vanilla essence as required for taste.

* Once the caramelized vessel is set, pour the above mixture on top of it.

* Double boil, or put in a steamer to cook.

* Can be considered done once the surface has thickened.

* Remove and allow to cool. Keep in fridge after that.

* Serving: topple the vessel contents onto a plate… so that caramelized side is on top. Cut as required and serve with the caramel liquid.

The Facebook Phase!!!

2012-04-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

Just the other day I caught myself red handed .... thinking in terms of facebook status messages!

Although it was funny at start, later I was wondering what's wrong with me. Am I obsessed with the social networking funda ...or is it just a minor symptom to ring the bell and stop me from getting there.?!
Whatever it is, I'm sure that lately my fb addiction has increased a tiny winy bit....and now i recognize ...its changing the way i think !!!

So what's it that has made face book so famous and what's that one string its originators struck right in the entire human population's minds.

** This social sharing concept has affected us so much these days that the first thought on every photo we click, is whether it'll look good on face book and how many of our social circles would like/comment on it. Every dress, styles, jobs, and even the Person is evaluated based on the number of likes\comments we receive for it!

** The don't tell mama trick no longer works...cos most probably, even before you reach home from the so called study tour, your mom would have noticed her kid tagged in one of the cool party pics, by one of the buddies!

So that's how our life has become.. an open book. As long as you don't indulge too much in the privacy settings of your account, you and your life is accessible to anyone anywhere anytime!!!

** On one hand this may prove good, the feeling that anything and everything we do is gonna be out there for everyone to see, makes us more cautious and responsible about ourselves!

** Often there are problems we are involved in, for which we struggle to find solutions! Sometimes we turn the world upside down in search of a solution when it would be actually hiding behind our door!!!
Its a very common scenario and it happens mostly because we are in too much of a hurry or anxiety to stop and think about the actual issue. Calming down and thinking about the problem would give us a better perspective and new ways of solving ti effectively.....Summarizing the moment in few words, could actually be a help in this regard! :)

so there does seem to be an upside to face booking too rite? .... but then there is a downside too .....

** It's true that "sharing it with someone makes the moment all the more special". But then there is a bold dark line between the shareable and unshareable things of life too! Remember ... no matter what happens with your life, whether good or ugly... there are always people out there who could make a joke out of it... may not always prove to be a good picture for you and your folks!..so beware and think before you post!

Take care.....

Listen...!!

2012-04-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

The listening heart should also have a forgetful mind... else other's concerns will become own heartaches!!!

WMI Date time formats in Vbscript

2012-02-20T23:02:00.000-08:00

Date time formats can be a real pain !!!

When accessing multiple servers.... each of these can follow a different Regional setting in the format of date.
For example mm/dd/yyyy OR dd/mm/yyyy
This would cause issues when we trying to convert WMI date stamps to standard date stamps , or converting to different formats like UTC ,CET etc...

To convert WMI date stamp to standard date format:

There is only one way .. that is to extract the individual components from the date stamp and rejoin to form the required date format

* WMI date stamp format is : YYYYMMDDhhmmss

* wmi_to_date = CDATE(mid(strwmidate,5,2) & "/" & Mid(strwmidate,7,2)&"/"& left(strwmidate,4) &_
& " " & Mid(strwmidate,9,2) & ":" & Mid(strwmidate,11,2) & ":" &
Mid(strwmidate,13,2))

* This will give date in the format : MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm:ss

Servers which follow a different regional setting for the date format, will cause confusions when we do Dateadd or any other functions.

For example:

DateAdd("d",1,"01/02/2012") --> here we intend to add 1 day to the date 2nd January 2012, which is depicted in the format mm/dd/yyyy ,so the expected output is 01/03/2012 .. that is 3rd January 2012.....

But if the server regional settings follow the format of dd/mm/yyyy , then the above code line leads to a confusion of month and day. so output becomes 02/02/2012 ...

To avoid such instances use the DateSerial function, this gives us date in the system's local setting format... and prevents any misconceptions caused due to format mismatches.

For example:
DateSerial(year,month,date) --> gives date formatted as per system regional settings.

A Dream........

2012-02-15T23:31:00.000-08:00

A dream has come true, as our passions are recreated
a dream that can be made colorful with your support....
please visit us at http://colorchalks.blogspot.com/ ...

...hope you like it :D

The Desire to Inspire ….

2012-01-23T23:47:00.000-08:00

What do I write about? This has been the question on my mind for several days now. And even now when the deadlines are at hands reach, I have no idea what to scribble about!

There have been so many topics in my mind but none has managed to hold my concentration for long. I wonder why I’m out of topic at this very hour when the need for it is high.

Many times in life we are in similar situations when we desire to perform, but we are in lack of inspiration! Inspiration is required not only for a work of art, but in all walks of life, whether it be to do chores at home, or to survive through the heavy traffic everyday, to get to office. Without inspiration life doesn't move on!

As a mother, father, brother, friend, or whatever roles u play in your lives.. how do U add inspiration to your loved one’s life?

Inspiration is sometimes such a heavy word that we tend to look too far for it, when in reality we could have found it not farther than our door steps! A simple smile, a small word, a gesture of care and concern, would change our worst days to the most beautiful ones. Remember the last time you screwed up your presentation and u were feeling at the edge of the world? On completion when u wanted to hurry and hide, your big boss had congratulated you on the best effort made! …. Didn’t that change your worst nightmare to a beautiful dream achieved?

The world we live in is spinning at high speed, we are all in a hurry, to achieve, to compete, to survive. We say we don’t have time, for fun, for hobbies, for family, for kids, for ourselves…..for all that really matters in life! We spend our lives, chasing the materialistic world, with the aim of framing a better future for our kids, while our kids grow up without knowing their parents or their love! And later we complain about them not treating their parents right! how contradictory is that!

It may not be about expensive gifts , but about simple gestures which would make someone’s day!

So the next time you feel good about someone or something… don’t hesitate... go on ..tell them …. be the reason of their smileJ it doesn’t cost you a thing and still will return to you in blessingsJ … be an inspiration !!!

When responsibility comes knocking......

2011-11-03T03:12:00.001-07:00

It's a common scenario,(i guess especially in India) where parents work hard for their kids, to provide them with the best of everything. We see to it that our kids get an environment of total comfort, so that they can concentrate on their studies and work towards achieving a bright future.
In today's all hi-tech world, there are so many channels offering us advice on the best ways of Parenting. From diet charts to academic know-hows, all r there in the wide web.
So in this wide world web of parenting do's and dont's i thought i will add one of my thoughts too...... so here goes.....
One thing that we almost always miss to teach our kids is how to handle responsibilities.We are too busy in providing and creating a safe platform for their lives, that we forget to show them how to do some thing on their own. It can be anything, from simple things like tying a shoelace, to a bit more complex things like shopping wisely on their own.
It might sound silly at first, and we may end up thinking that kids will learn all that as they grow up... Agreed! Afterall most of the things that we know and do in our daily lives today have been self-taught. We all learn from the situations we are put into... but depriving our kids the chance to be responsible is something which will show its effects later in their lives. One fine day when he/she is asked to take up responsibilities, it may not be easy for them.
So let's teach our kids to be responsible for their actions. Give them small chores, let them be held responsible for them.When they go wrong, don't shut them out, noone can be perfect in the first trial. Teach them how its done and correct their mistakes. This will not only make them feel responsible, but they will also be happy that they are helping you out!
... one day later in their lives they are gonna be thankful to you for these small lessons! :)
Your valuable comments are welcome...:)

.... and then we Grew Up!

2011-10-20T03:25:00.000-07:00

"Give me SomE SuNShiNe

GiVe me SoMe rAin

GivE me AnotHer chAnce to gRow up onCe agAiN"

...... Lines from a box office hit!....

... other than making its way into my "favs" list, these lines also became successful in making me wish ....

.... wish for another chance to grow up...
.... another chance to be that innocent life with no worries to scare away my sleep....
.... another chance to keep smiling and not be mistook as having 'wrong intentions'
.... another chance to dance in the rain and not be considered Crazy!
.... another chance to laugh and cry whenever i feel like, and not to 'control emotions'

...now does that sound as if there are more privileges wen being a kid, than a grownup! If you had a chance to grow up again... what would u wanna do friends?

Slow Down.....:)

2011-10-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

Last sunday i heard the following story ....

A scientist was performing an experiment on the verbal reactions of fleas. He had trained a flea to jump on command. The scientist would command the flea, "Jump flea!" and the flea would jump. Then the scientist would proceed to pull off one of the fleas legs with a pair of tweezers and write a comment in his notebook. The scientist did this many times until the flea had only 1 leg left. The scientist commanded, "Jump flea!" and the flea made its best effort to jump, which the scientist recorded in his notebook.
After he pulled off its last leg, the scientist again commanded the flea to jump, and after repeating the command many times without the flea responding he jotted down in his notebook, "After the flea loses all of its legs it becomes completely deaf."

.......:) ..... thinking about it, how many of us have been like this scientist so many times in our lives?!!!

When faced with challenging situations,how many times have we reacted impulsively, made conclusions without giving it a second thought! ... .how many have we hurt due to this impulsive behaviour. How many times have we got hurt !!!

Many times at a later point it would have all looked pointless. but it would be too late to do anything to reverse the damage caused..... words being sharper than swords...makes it an unforgettable act, which does not deserve forgiveness! How many people have we lost in this way?

So friends.. before its too late... lets slow down a bit ..... before making conclusions... before letting out those words of anger... before making life hell ..

Take Care! ...

A Budding Artist..... Hansuja Bramhi

2011-09-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Presenting an article by one of my loved ones.

Hansuja Bramhi..... she's our little angel and is now a Class IV student ... check out her article which got published in Bangalore Mirror- The Times of India Bangalore Supplement.

She sure is gonna reach some awesome heights :) Proud of u dear Bramhi :)

Click here for the article : In Kelly's Wonderland

Books Books !!!!! ~~~~~~ "The Last Lecture"

2011-09-14T03:50:00.000-07:00

"When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody's bothering to tell you anymore, that's a very bad place to be. Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you and care. "

Makes sense?? ….. Yes?.... then you Should read this book…..

Randy Pausch Is a professor, who is counting his days as he fights against pancreatic cancer.

The book as named is about his last lecture, which he sees as a way to connect to his fellows and specially his 3 little kids who’ll grow up without him around.

Thinking about a sad autobiography of a cancer patient? …. You are wrong! As he narrates his life and dreams, not even once we feel sad or sympathetic for him. He brightens up the day with instances from his childhood and teen years and makes every moment as lively as possible with his simple yet forceful language.

The energy with which he presents his lecture reflects in his words too. And it is something that lifts our spirits to greater heights. Through the various moments,people and places of his life he brings to light the real lessons of life which could change the way we see things! Some quotes below:

"The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

If I could only give three words of advice, they would be, "tell the truth." If I got three more words, I'd add: "All the time."

“Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side. Just keep waiting, it’ll come out.”

As he explains the simple yet most important moments of his life, we can’t help but agree how simple and small things matter more when it comes to adding meaning to our lives.

Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, with the youtube video of his actual lecture and his website, attracting millions of visitors each day…

So what are you waiting for... check it out..and do let me know if u like it.. :)

Links:

The Site : http://www.thelastlecture.com/

The Lecture Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
The Lecture Transcript : http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/Randy/pauschlastlecturetranscript.pdf

Happy Reading... :)

Jam Filled Cookie

2011-09-12T02:20:00.000-07:00

Courtesy:Ria's collection

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
21/2 cup all purpose flour(maida)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup jamor preserve of your choice

Method:

Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until light & fluffy. Add flour and vanilla, mixing well. Shape dough into a ball.
Roll out the dough and cut out rounds, equal in nos. (You need 2 types: one solid round, another round with a smaller round in the centre i.e.; doughnut shaped)
Pierce solid cookies with a fork. Bake at 300 deg for 20 mins on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake till very lightly browned.
Spread jam just before serving & sandwich one solid cookie with the doughnut shaped cookie.

Others.... ????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-08-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes i wish that i wouldn't care so much
..... for what Others would think
..... for what Others wud say about something i did
..... for what Others would see wrong in something i feel is completly harmless!
Sometimes i wish i would do what I wanna do and be happy ..
.... and not do whts expected frm me.. by Others and make my heart wear a fake smile!!
Sometimes ..... i wish .. Others wouldn't be so much more important to me ..than me!

What keeps us young.......?

2011-07-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

Amidst the busy schedules of family and work, amidst the worries of getting up early, cooking, school timings, work timings, work schedules and dinner plans! rarely do we get time for 'ourselves'.
and because of this same reason, the concept of staying young or loyal to ourselves has become a real big marketing strategy all over the world. "age defying", "stay young", "weight loss" are all words in our day to day life which targets the same thought….. of making us think about erasing the lines of old age.
But friends, what is it that actually keeps us young? Is it the wonder formulas available in colorful packages? or is it the millions of spas and gyms asking us to spend just a few millions to get back that "glow"?
What keeps us young... are our Friends.....
.....as we grow, we take up more responsibilities, each of which comes with their own built-in set of worries and heartaches..... amidst all of that when we have a friend who looks at our tired face and says "how do u manage to look so beautiful everyday" it indeed gives us a boost.
When we have friends who call us up in the middle of their busiest days to sing a happy birthday over the phone......
When we have someone to squeal on seeing us , no matter if that is in the centre of a shopping mall filled with strangers....
When we have someone to go for a lazy afternoon of window shopping with.....
When we can feel the thrill in someone's voice and see him\her jumping with joy when we break the 'good news' ......
......these are the times when life matters the most .. and these are the moments which remind us of the child in us , moments which keep us young ...forever!