This n That

As the Golden State limps back to normalcy, The spousal unit comes up with never before, unique and out of the box ideas to venture out of the house. He started reading some MD's best seller about healing and is a paragon in advocating the benefits of walking to all and sundry. 'All and sundry' in question is yours truly, thanks to the confined audience he gets due the social distancing lately. I have to admit that though I am not a fitness freak by any stretch of imagination, I'd always loved walking all my life. So the hubby and I walk these days in the nearby park - which is a lovely spread of everything a outdoorsy adventurous type seeks and also what everything a nature lover like me seeks - Just the other day, I heard this resonating, rhythmic tap tap tap while I took the fleet of stairs paved through the creek to launch me into the park. I looked up to spot a tiny feller with a beak that looked like it was carved out of iron pecking away at a far away branch of the walnut tree. I even tried to film him in on my smart phone - but the sun placement didn't yield share-worthy results. So anyway, the stroll gets punctuated with such diversions but who's really a fitness freak here? So, it's all okay without any plot holes - The path only has yummy twists and turns and no wonder the weighing scales don't budge much for me.

It was a relief to note that businesses are slowly but surely limping back to normalcy, opening their doors to patrons. We realized the outlets were open and decided to drive by just to gauge the atmosphere outside. I am happy to report that the parking lot had quiet a few cars and people ventured out with masks, probably armed with other precautions and lingered around the open strip. We didn't really step out but decided to drive by the picturesque Winery route to breathe in some fresh air and feast on some green scenery. As we drove past, the little one expressed desire to buy some slime. Now talking about the many facets of slime dear people, is going to be a diversion that wouldn't let me blog about this or that, so I'll pass that while making a mental note to use it as a prompt for one of my blogs one of these days. 

So the slime acquiring stop happened when we all decided to step into a store. While we traced the sparsely occupied isles of the store, I spotted a pair of pillow cases that are dressing up the pillows in my room as we speak, snuggling up with James Bond. James Bond is a stuff white tiger that I got as a return gift for my now fifteen year old niece's third birthday that was celebrated in her hometown Mumbai. As we were asked to pick a toy for the kids post party that was hosted in Hamley's, I sidelined my then barely two year old first born who didn't have to vocabulary to convey her choices and did a little bit of match fixing to make her pick James Bond the white tiger. Ever since, James Bond had been my favorite (or one of the few favorites) that was a steady companion on my writing desk, book case or the bed. Now, I don't cuddle with him (as he is, err, too tiny and I need body pillows to support my frame) but he has been a joy for ever in literal terminology. 

So back to the pillow case spotting - seldom do I pick thing off the shelf and buy them as my shopping style isn't impulsive. The contemplation lets me choose wisely and pick things like James Bond that kind of become as permanent a fixture as they can become in this impermanent life. Now let's no digress into the impermanence thingie as well as that won't end well, or that won't end so to speak ;) So the pillow cases were white, the preferred shade of my bed linens and they have these cute cues - and they have flowers and they have the yin and yang in the safety and adventure they seem to suggest. When I picked them, I thought of James Bond and me - The yin and yang. I promptly peeled the cases off of their snug packaging and put them on the pillows, grabbed James Bond to pose for my blog and viola, I had a whole this and that forming in my head and heartscape.

So here we are, with a picture peek into my head, heart and home - and here is James Bond, the cutest white tiger known to human kind. I'll capture him up close sometime to show off the pool like blue eyes he has and I'll bet my last dollar that it'll inspire you to swoon if not write random lines in your random verses about 'the blue eyes you'd fallen in love with' :) And by the way, I say James Bond is the cutest stuff white tiger of all because on one instance, a very sassy and out spoken art student of mine asked me for James Bond as a birthday present. Now on this particular occasion, I brought this little girl a case of colors for her birthday (that I usually, voluntarily celebrate for my students in my classroom) "I want the white tiger instead of these" She pointed to James Bond and demanded. I for the first (and hopefully the only time in my life) kind of dodged someone and denied them what they asked for, though it was in a very sly political manner. "James Bond has been with us for so long and he is not new. I shall find you a new one next time around but you can have the colors and anything else you please till then" I negotiated. The little girl settled for the colors, a box of chocolates and a shiny bracelet with mild reluctance but I from then on, made sure that it wasn't in the eye shot of any little kids my age (mental age that is) And one fine day,  the second born was old  enough to demand things and I cannot, no matter how hard I try, dodge those demands. So James Bond goes on his adventures now and then to tacky sticky play surfaces and I am off late, looking for ways to keep him clean. We'll see how that goes.

But for now, and at the end of the days he strays, James Bond is securely placed back in clean, loving condition like he is tonight - and I am sure he'll keep me safe while I'll keep him wild.

And what delightful irony James Bond's life in in the company of Elloco Numero Ono :)

(Published in first draft glory and may contain spelling blunders and the occasional skipped words, which my world wide brethren are humbly requested, as always, to condone :) )