Salutations to Dr Vandana Shiva

A special post on a woman I respect the most

Poorna sthree salutes a complete woman who is working for farmers all over the world and people in this planet. She is working towards safe food for everyone, sustainable resources for the planet and better life for farmers all over the world.

This post is about a person I have been following for a while now. This person is a quantum physicist who has taken up a cause that is very important to all of us. She is an activist working against genetically modified foods. Her name is Dr Vandana Shiva.

Her work mainly is to oppose giant seed companies like MONSANTO that actually produce genetically modified seeds and patent them. These companies compel farmers around the world to use their patented seeds.  Because these seeds are patented, farmers are restricted to use their own seeds from the yearly yields and they end up purchasing seeds from these giants for a lot of money.In addition to pushing farmers in debt  these organizations have managed to make these seeds genetically modified.These seeds produce genetically modified grains and vegetables thereby making it unsafe for consumption.  These seeds have caused farmers to rely more on  chemical fertilizers and pesiticides that make the food even more unsafe.There were so many farmers' suicide in India related to this issue.

 Dr Shiva is constantly working with governments and NGOs to make sure farmers' interests are protected in the matter of seed autonomy. Her objective is to remove genetically modified food production and encourage  local farmers to grow food using organic sustainable methods. Her aim is to protect nature and rights  of people to access food and water.

Her movement is called Navadanya which is a seed bank to help farmers grow food using organic methods. Once using Navadanya seeds, farmers are free to re use the seeds obtained from their yield for the year without having patent restrictions.

There is a lot  of information involved in this cause. I request everyone to please read about Dr Vandana Shiva and watch her videos on youtube.  I am sharing one with this post. They say "We are what we eat" however we do tend to forget about paying attention to the most important thing - food. The youtube video is from the movie called The future of food.

This cause is so dear to me so I have shared this in both my blogs.

Xoxo
Srividya

Happy Thanks Giving

On Gratitude - Byron Katie

Notice the abundance of what you do have, right here right now, and let it in, really let it in. You may lose it all later, but for now, while you still have it, can you relax and be still, be comforted in what you do have in this moment. It would be nice to think, later, ‘I really appreciated it when I had it, I didn’t waste being grateful for a moment.’ We could wait gratefully for years to lose it all and notice to the end of our lives that losing it all never happened. To open to what is reality right now is to see options that are unimaginable to the frightened, living-in-the-future, I-know mind. ~ Byron Katie

Happy Thanksgiving all of you. Every tradition has some festival to give thanks. In south Indian farming communities, Pongal or Shankaranthi is an event for saying thanks for the great harvest that year and so on.

Being grateful for what we have is the only way to happiness. I began my post with Byron Katie's quote on gratitude. I bumped in to a book called " A thousand Names for Joy" by Byron Katie a few years ago. I met her in person in NY once. She is the founder of a revolutionary technique called "The work" . I am first of all grateful I ever found her and attended one of her workshops. Her book and her teachings have COMPLETELY changed my life. I am sure there are books and gurus out there with " Life changing" books and teachings. But this is not one of them. When I say changed my life it LITERALLY did. I look at life very differently now I am a lot happier in all circumstances than I used to be.I encourage all my blog readers to check out this book and her work at thework.com .  She is amazing.. I say thanks to many things this year.
1. Thank you my blog subscribers. I cannot tell you in words how much your subscription means to me.
2. Once I was told I can never be a mother. Those were the harshest words that I ever heard. Now I am a mother of a beautiful angel. I am thankful for that. I will always be.
3. In addition to being thankful for all those who love me who have been therefor me, I am thankful this year for life itself. Life is so kind that even in its darkest time it leaves us with something to notice or learn. I am thanking everything , everyone in  this universe.

Please leave a comment on what you are thankful for its such a joyful place to visit. Gratitude always brings us back to center :-)

Xoxo
Srividya

11.11.11 A lucky day?

Is today lucky? Mmmm Let us see. I got up in the morning. Alive and kicking. Lucky!Did not have a wink of sleep because LO had cold last night. But I managed to get up this morning holding her, nursing her, comforting her. Lucky! I have a beautiful baby girl. Had a fresh brewed cup of coffee. Lucky! Friends had left some pizza and bread sticks over for me so I don't have to cook today. Lucky! Had that for lunch. I managed to put Daksha to sleep even though she struggles to breathe with blocked nose. Some friends are coming over this weekend. A cousin coming over tomorrow. Yes lucky once again I have family and friends.  Hubby called from out of town. Lucky! I have a loving husband!This is yet another day but realized how lucky I was. It is just not a lucky day. It is a wonderful day like every day. Life has been so kind to me. I have been a lucky person through out. Having best parents, a wonderful loving sister, an amazing brother in law, nieces, cousins, friends. I have been lucky through out. It is a wonderful reminder and I am grateful. This is not bragging it is just a reminder to myself on what I have taken for granted. Sometimes I do grumble saying things are not going my way and I am waiting for my lucky day. But everyday is lucky. It is just how I decide to look at it. This was a sudden train of thought I had when i was revisiting 11.11.11 I thought I would share this with you. Please let me know what you are grateful for. What makes you feel you are lucky?

Xoxo

Srividya

A memory that makes me LOL

I have told this story multiple times to my friends and family. Every time I get reminded of this incident I laugh out loud. Especially when I talk about this with my friend who was with me when this happened .

When I was in my XII grade, my friend and I had trouble with accounting course. So we wanted extra coaching classes outside school for accounting. We looked and looked never found anyone offering accounting classes in that area. I remember how we walked streets of annanagar ( chennai - India) looking for a good teacher for accounting. On a very sunny day we were so thirsty and found this board with an arrow mark saying CLASSES. This arrow led us to an apartment in a cool and shady area with lot of trees. We knocked the door of the apartment. A very courteous woman opened the door. She invited us in and offered us a very cold glass of water. It was such a relief especially after walking around in the sun for so long. We took turns in explaining how much we have trouble with understanding concepts of accounting. We also said we would like to score 100% marks in the subject and that we wanted to master it so we could pursue our bachelors degree in commerce and accounting.

She listened intently and smiled at appropriate places.We almost were happy that we got a good teacher who can help us. When we asked her when we can start the classes, she said " I dont know girls you seem to speak very good English I am not sure if you need classes"

IT WAS A PLACE FOR ENGLISH SPOKEN COURSE. That was funniest half hour wasted in my life.

Xoxo
Srividya

Few of my favorite things

I recently purchased a red scarf at Target.Those who know  me know I am obssessed with scarves. I thought I will post a mini haul and favorites section. My current favorites are :

red scarf -frm target. This practically beautifies any basic Tee and top. This scarf has wonderful detailing and goes with all colors. I just love the fact that I can just get into something basic and throw this scarf around and look as if I put so much effort into my outfit.

Sleeveless Floral button down shirt - thrifted : its ann taylor it fits so perfectly. It only costs $3.00

coral colored skinny pants - forever 21 : I could practically live in them.They are so comfortable. Colored pants are so in now. It is such a nice change from blues blacks and greys.

Sally hansen distressed denim nail polish : This is from the crackle series of sally hansen but I use this alone. This says overcoat on the bottle though. People who are used to covering up their nails with color will find this weird.Single or  double coat of this exactly creates a distressed denim effect on our nails. You will still be able to see your nail color. It is different and cool. I love it.

Please enjoy the pics. I will do fav shoes section soon...

xoxo

All about a pair of jeans

My hunt for perfect pair of jeans is a story that could fill 1000 pages. Since I was 22 ( yes i started wearing jeans that late. During my times in south India jeans were considered too modern and modest girls wouldnt wear it.. Whew! That is one story that could fill pages LOL) my searching for a good pair of jeans started. My sister had bought me a pair from the United states. Those were loose. Later after almost 7 years those became the most figure flattering jeans I owned. Apart from that pair I never remember any jeans I ever purchased to be up to my full satisfaction.I would walk home with a pair and will find it either loose or too tight. In India returns were not accepted in most of the cases. I would end up giving away my jeans at some point. During this time straight cut, boot cuts and flare jeans were in. I have never seen skinnies in India.

 After I came to US, when I was 29 with one pair of good fitting jeans I tried every well known brand to Wal Mart jeans. NONE of them were good. My body shape is unique I am very short with heavy thighs but skinny knees. Any pair that fitted well on my upper part were baggie on my knees and down. If knees were fine it would be too tight on the hips. If everything was fine it was loose on the waist where I had to wear a belt only to have bulges in between. It was a mess. Now that I have given birth the problem has multiplied with my being short, I have heavy thighs, skinny knees AND a stubborn bulging pregnancy pooch that need to be taken care of.

Today I went to the mall to return some stuff. I had purchased 2 tops in one of the shops called deb. I returned the tops only to find they only do store credits. I saw 14.99 jeans section. I tried the one that said short. I was almost certain it was going to be one of those ill fitting jeans where only the height would be perfect the rest would be disaster. But in the dressing room to my surprise... TADA I had the perfect skinny jeans EVER. It felt great and comfortable to be in a pair that partially hid my pooch slimmed my thighs, hugged my knees and I was jumping for joy.

Just as a single comment or frown from someone can spoil your day, a good fitting pair of jeans can brighten one. Good luck my dear fellow jeans hunters.....

Xoxo
Srividya

Happy Halloweeen

Happy Halloween to all. Halloween is an alien concept to me. However I like this holiday and have always wanted to wear costume and celebrate it. I also have secretly yearned to go trick or treating even though I am too old for that.

Similar to trick r treating is navarathri sundal hunt in India. Trick or treating takes me back to my childhood when I stayed with my aunt and uncle. According to Hindu mythology Navarathri is celebration of  9 nights honoring goddess Durga who killed evil and protected the good. During that time we had a huge display of various dolls called kolu at home. We as children knocked every house every night and asked for Navarathri kolu sundal. Sundal is a protein rich snack made during those 9 nights.Members of each home will hand the children with the snack. We used to hold it in a cloth bag or even skirts ( ewww i know but all the play with germs never harmed us!) and bring them all back to a place called thinnai in a south Indian house. Thinnai is the porch of the house usually supported by pillars. It was a lovely corner for children to play. We used to mix all of them and eat the most healthy snack sundal. We even had a song when we knocked the houses. It is similar to christmas carols and halloween trick or treating combined.

Today I have planned to dress up as a witch ( not much of a transition u see LOL) and Daksha is going to be.... well its a surprise. Pictures coming soon. Happy Halloween to all
xoxo

Let it snow

 Its not even halloween yet it is snowing already. I love snow. Having come from South India where it is always hot, I love the cold for a change. As one of my ex coworkers said, when it is cold you can layer up when it is too hot how much of your clothing can you remove? LOL. I do empathize with those who commute in the cold. I can see why people hate the snow. However for someone like me who stays at home ,watching the snow with a cup of coffee on one hand can be a tranquil experience.

I am double excited today because I can show Daksha how cool snow is.I even want to take pictures in her purple snow suit i have bought for her.   I cant wait for her to grow up so I can grow down. ( If that makes sense) As a child I never got to play in the snow. Now I can ! I have the snow and a play date with the cutest baby girl in this whole wide world :)

Happy Diwali to all

Today is Diwali a colorful festival for Indians. My husband and I were talking about all our childhood Diwali memories. My husband sure had a lot of memories about how he helped his mother with the elaborate cooking and how much he enjoyed the day bursting crackers. All fond memories of Diwali for me were the ones that I celebrated with my sister. When she got married and moved out Diwalis were just another day for me. I have never enjoyed the sound of crackers. So I do not miss crackers at all. With age my tolerance to loud meaningless blasts have only decreased. To think of having Daksha getting scared of those sounds makes it less appealing. What I actually miss is the excitement of wearing a new dress, new pair of shoes that my mom would buy. The sweets that mom made were to die for. The company of my sister made Diwali a wonderful experience. Now that Daksha is with me Diwali has become a day when I dress her up, make sweets ( even though she still cannot eat those I look forward to days of making her fav sweets in future) and make home a wonderful and joyous place for my family. Happy Diwali to all

Thomaston train ride

This weekend we took our baby girl to connecticut's scenic train ride. These trains are 1920s train refurbished and fixed for the ride. Loved it. It took me back to all train rides we made as children to our cousin's place.My sister and I used to stay awake all night during train rides. We used to spot a lonely house with a light bulb every now and then. We were so excited that we were never able to close our eyes! I loved train rides. Even now I do. The hustle bustle of train stations in India with all the announcements, the coffee and magazine vendors OMG I miss them all. Most of all I miss being a child, being excited to stay awake during nightly train rides, asking mom whether our destination had come with every stop that the train made. The excitement of packing stuff to travel, excitement of wearing new clothes on Diwali I miss it all. Thanks to God I have my little one with whom I can be a child once more get excited for nothing and everything once again. I look forward to many train rides with my darling....

SV

Fall is here so is dry skin

I learnt this thing about coconut oil and sugar scrub in a youtube video. I made this last winter and my skin has never felt so good. I even used this scrub during summer because i have dry skin throughout seasons. Its simple just mix some sugar with some coconut oil. Make sure the sugar is 2 times the coconut oil in proportion. For example if you use one cup of coconut oil make sure you add 2 cups of sugar. The sugar should be visible enough. I basically eyeballed it. Using this scrub I never have to moisturize separately which is a plus for a lazy person like me. I always have this in my bathroom now. The sugar exfoliates the skin and the oil takes care of the dryness that follows exfoliation. If you feel it is too grainy and is scratching your skin you can reduce the amount of sugar. This is something that has worked for me so I thought I should share this with everyone.

SV

One of those lazy days

I am enjoying these days with my little one. Its so nice to get up with her soft skin pressing against me. Her warm hands touching my face... When i open my eyes i see her smiling I think this is called life. I do miss working but I do enjoy each moment with my daughter even more. I wouldn't trade this for anything in this world. I call her little miracle for a reason. She came in to our lives after a long struggle to get pregnant. After an ectopic pregnancy, a surgery, a failed IVF she came as a result of a frozen embryo transfer. Almost everything in my life has been this way. I have to struggle a lot to get anywhere but when i do get what i want it is the perfect thing at perfect timing. I got married late had my first kid late. But that is the right time. Universe is kind. She is a mother. She exactly knows what to give and when. For now I am enjoying mother universe's best gift motherhood. Yes there are frustrations, sleepless nights and tear filled days I am loving this anyway....

My first post

My friend Stephanie said I should blog/ share my ideas about things that make me happy. Well there are a lot of things that make me happy. Top on the list is my beautiful 4 month old daughter's smile.. We all know materialistic things give us less lasting happiness.. but yet my first post is about a materialistic thing! Yes it does give me long lasting happiness. Who does not love the word SAVING? Our CVS pharmacy extra care card gives back something called extra care bucks on some items we spend on. So last weekend I had close to $15 worth of extra care bucks that I could spend on. So when I picked up stuff and my receipt said $0.00, I couldn't stop smiling. There is something about sale, buying things at good rates and other such materialistic things. They do give us happiness! So this is something I would recommend If there is a CVS pharmacy in your area please do sign up for their card. It is free ( signing up for their card) Their items are mostly on sale and extra care bucks actually helps you buy things for household for free. This sounds like an advertisement. Its not! I wasn't paid by CVS to say this. I am a real customer.

New to blogging

Hi All

I am new to blogging. I am not a writer. I quit my job to take care of my little one. I have some time on my hand so i am giving this a try.Not even sure who will follow my blog. But just thought will share some thoughts that cross my mind every now and then. I thought I would put in some ideas, recipes, reviews on books, products and other boring stuff. Our little miracle is our daughter Daksha. She will also be a part of the blog's content.

I am taking a deep breath now.... BLOG START

SV