This is what happens.....

Time is savage! Full stop. Who ever has come up with it had the humanity at doom. The other day, I was engrossed in the Documentary on Kalachakra initiation done by His Holiness The Dalai lama and wondered why man had to come up the the concept of time in the first place, it was only shackling us to our egos and false identities. But this digression, I didn't plan though my life is by and large unplanned. May be it seeps into my art, this spontaneity, if I could used that as a euphemism for digression. - Art's got to imitate life after all. Any way, it is the fourth day of the fifth month and Moi stands here gasping - Cinco De Mayo already? and it only feels like last night that I had slipped into my prayer room at the strike of twelve on new year's eve and vowed to banish this savage time and ego body out of sight - as both are the hindrances in the path of connecting to our source. It is a few days flipped past May and I didn't trot this way once the April challenge was done with. Guess what? I was missing my cathartic writing and thought I'd do it today. I looked for a pic prop to write about a woman that defies stereotypes and found this young Meryl Streep, in a very unusual pose, to be lost in deep cogitation. Now, unusual is what we want to portray, in case you are wondering where I am going with the prop. But truth be told, my little verse around it got dissipated into this pointless ponder about time. I'll leave esteemed Ms.Streep here anyway. She is uber easy on the eye - and an icon all the same. Perhaps the most successful it gets in her chosen field. As I child, when I first spotted her in a regional Sunday edition sometime in the eighties, I was so smitten by her high cheekbones and broad forehead. Incidentally, we were reading something related to the Helen of troy in some primary school texts and I instantly thought she'd be the best bet to play that part. 

"A face that launched a thousand ships"  The description went but truth be told, my expertise to interpretation wasn't as sharp back in the day, though I could cite under age as a reason.I used to ponder and wonder as to how that expression made sense. How would a face launch ships in the first place? My literal sense of the childhood lens wasn't very effective after all. It took me several years to figure out that her abduction by Paris was said to be the reason for a fleet of a thousand ships to be launched into battle, initiating the Trojan Wars. I don't know why I got to the Helen of Troy but I did. May be I should rechristen this entry as 'Arbitrary' or even 'Arbitration' though the latter doesn't make sense just like this banter. 

Or may be it does. Nothing is said to be a coincidence. When I ponder in solitary bliss, though the world wide web is my witness, there is a certain aplomb that plagues your creativity. Or may be it adorns it! Either way, Ms Streep stays. I'll call it a day and come back again, may be with yet another alluring photograph of hers to pose as my prototype under the "defying stereotype" specimen. 

For now, It is Meryl and Me (please disregard my poor grammar just like you'd disregard my poor writing skills, if you are here, to disregard in the first place!)

Give without counting the cost, fight without healing the wound and blog without weaving a plot - said no one I knew, But let's see if we can get away with attributing it to The Helen of Troy.

On a different but slightly related note, I'd like to add the new favorite quote of mine.

“Solitude gives birth to the original in us, to beauty unfamiliar and perilous - to poetry. But also, it gives birth to the opposite: to the perverse, the illicit, the absurd.”

― Thomas Mann, Death in Venice and Other Tales

Solitude - Let's see if it heals. I won't put my bets on it, but let's see :)

Pic courtesy - www.Iconichistroticalphotos.com

Day 26 - Z - for Zilch

Dear April -  Thank you for the experience, for everything I learned, discovered and expressed with the A-Z challenge as my motivator.

And to the zilch, I add some Tolle wisdom.

Day 25 - Y for Yumm yumm!

Penultimate day of April and A-Z challenge. I get this feeling of accomplishment when I look back at the bygone month. It had been a really wonderful few weeks wherein I loved myself and did the things that feed my soul. They say the things we love as kids would stay with us for ever. I still remember the day of my second grade like it was yesterday, When I pulled out a pencil and tried to sketch  the picture of a medieval looking young lady. The picture adorned one of my notebooks. I still remember the thoughts that occurred to me at that time and the sense of fulfillment I felt when I was able to make a fairly accurate copy of the said lady, for my age and expertise that is. There was no looking back ever-since. It isn't until my third grade that I was bit by the writing bug,I am in thrall every since. My love for writing peaked in my seventh grade (and maintained its status quo), thanks to a teacher that mentored me. But after the love for doodles and words emerged my love to cook.

It pays to be the progeny of the artistically inclined. My mother, who had a blockbuster run as a sewing and craft teacher brings her sense of harmony and aesthetic to every thing she touches, including the way she chops vegetables and serves food on the dinner plate. So it was given that some of it seeped into me, just by the virtue of being around her and observing her intently. My mom is the most professional cook ever, and I don't mean it like how every child means about their mom. She is a cut above, no matter whom she is pitched against, and no there isn't any nepotism in that statement. When I first landed my own homemaking gig, I was barely an adult and when I tumbled down the hole and found myself in my own kitchen, it was no less than a wonderland. I was soon to discover my serious passion, cooking. And alongside, I discovered the mighty avocado.

When I first tasted the fruit, I was flabbergasted by the rich, creamy burst of flavor and had a hard time believing that it occurred on a tree. From then on, it became an integral part of my pantry. I somehow try to sneak it into most meals. Whether I smear it on the panini sandwich or toss it along with grilled veggies in that house salad I make. Yesterday, I had this sudden impulse to recreate my favorite appetizer from Cheesecake factory - the Avocado egg rolls. The spontaneity kicked in and I rolled in freshly made dough into the wrapping and stuffed it with garden fresh cherry tomatoes, red onion bits, chunky avocado rounded up with salt pepper and a dash of lemon. The yummy stuffing was securely swaddled in the sheets and fried to enjoy. Even the ever finicky second born finished a roll, without uttering a word! When they eat without talking, I know, they are speechless :-D "This is better than the original" The first born hesitantly said. And no that doesn't qualify as nepotism from my worst, most hard to impress critic. I hope :)

So here's to the wonderful journey so far, the words and drawings from my desk and then the dishes from my kitchen. My life is blessed with these three companions and all the company I share them with.          

Pictured - My very own Avocado egg rolls, served with Thai sweet sour chili dip.