new year Archives - Page 3 of 3

07/01/201515/04/2017

One last 2014 post

Happy New Year folks!!

I find I cannot get on with my posting without one last 2014 post even if we’re already sitting in the second week of the new year.

Of course, this should have ideally come at the year-end but it never did happen. Seriously, I always wonder how most bloggers manage to post bang at the right time – right before a big day or after a celebration. Never ever have I managed that – which is why most festivals and birthdays sail by without a mention.

Sigh! That’s one of my resolutions then.

On with the news now..

Our Christmas play went of wonderfully and was much appreciated. That the audience was made up half of doting moms and dads and half of people who were simply glad to see the kids kept out of their way, may have something to do with it. Since many parents didn’t arrive in time, it being a working day, we had two runs of the play back to back for those who missed it.

What’s more, the kids brought out the Christmas spirit in our fuddy-duddy apartment members. An ‘uncle’ brought cake for everyone – enough to feed an army, an enterprising mom turned up with homemade chocolates, at least two others brought more bunches of chocolates and still another one got tiny gift wrapped ‘Christmas trees’, real plants, for each of the kids. One of them dressed up her little daughter as Santa and there she was – distributing sweets to adults and kids alike.

And the best part – none of it was planned, other than the play. Each of the other acts were individual acts of affection and camaraderie in true Christmas Spirit. The children of course felt on top of the world and went on to have quite a party.

Preparations are already underway for Republic Day.

By the time 2015 rolled along, I’d turned another year older and we rounded off with a wonderful family get-together at Goa.

I’ll leave you with some pictures and hope to get back really really fast.

Looking forward to a wonderful New Year.

31/12/201315/04/2017

In the New Year

Aren’t accidents things that happen to others? Well yes.. Until they happen to you. We were on our way back from a wonderful holiday in Goa (where I also turned a year older but birthday posts do not come easily to me so this bit of information has to suffice) and it happened to us.

We were travelling in a convoy chatting.. calling, whatsapping.. 12 of us split into three cars. The road is twisting and narrow so we are driving at a careful pace. The Husband being the most careful brought up the rear. One minute we were joking and the next we see a car coming right at us at an alarming angle in a bid to overtake another one. ‘Gosh it’s sooo close’ was my thought before it crashed.. right into us. I barely registered the noise as the air bags sprung out. My first thought was my sister who was in the back seat with my daughter, N. They were thrown right out of their seats.

It seems like a miracle that we are all fine, in both cars, other than some bruises and muscle pulls. The Husband couldn’t get out because the door was stuck. N was a mass nerves and had a small fainting spell and that was as far as the damage went. The cars are however in a bad shape.

What happened was scary. The ‘What If’s’ were way more scary. What if my sister hadn’t been with N to break her fall? What if we had been pushed off the road to a fall along the mountainside? What if we hadn’t worn our seatbelts? On and on…

As I sneak away from the family (who are all writing down their New Year resolutions complete with signatures) to quickly type this last post completing my hundred for the year, I have plenty to be thankful for.

This laughter, this togetherness is the only gift I want to take with me as I enter 2014.

Happy New Year Everyone!

31/12/201215/04/2017

Happy New Year

A friend had this as her Facebook status.. I thought it was a pretty apt ending as well as a great beginning.

Umeed waali dhoop sunshine waali asha,
rone ki wajah kam hai hasne ke bahaane zyada,
zidd hai muskuraayenge khush rehne ka hai waada..

Here’s the video for all you dear friends and a
Very Very Happy New Year to all of you and your families.

See you in 2013.

05/01/201215/04/2017

Happy New Year

First things first… a very very happy new year.

2012 kind of crept up on me while I was busy having a good time with the visiting in-laws and celebrating birthdays and anniversaries… we have a total of four in December, mine included. With Christmas plus the holidays … the month is a total riot.

Christmas Eve which began as a perfect day, ended at Chokhi Dhani. That’s highly highly recommended for kids and a warning for the adults – be careful with the food — it’s delicious but steeped in ghee/oil and had us all rushing around for digenes and enos. The kids were/are happy with Santa’s gifts, Hrit included, and for the moment the skateboard threat is off.

Santa Rangoli at Chokhi Dhani

And the crown Santa got. For some reason it has to be worn with a dupatta even if you’re in your nightie.

The in-laws left on the 30th after wrapping up the celebrations. Next morning we drove off to Panchagani. That’s becoming our regular year end destination. I rung in the new year sitting under clear open skies at a strawberry farm, a blazing bonfire, hot biryani, kids curled up fast asleep under thick blankets, friends around me and music from our cars parked by. The only catch.. I was nursing the worst cold of my life. Which meant a zillion sneezes, a red nose, hurting ears and throat, watering eyes and a trail of tissues wherever I went.

Pretty much like the year gone by — the good and the bad together in a bunch but the good far overshadowing the bad.

We did a quick detour to Mahabaleshwar next morning. Said our ‘hello’s’ to Mapro farms in our own special ways — the children by jumping for ages on the trampoline and the adults by tucking into bowls of fresh strawberrys and cream… completely forgetting the fact that some of them hadn’t met their weightloss targets for the year :-(.. but really, those berrys are worth it.

I had a great birthday even though I’m not really good at celebrating my own. Most birthdays I end up overworked and depressed… not so this time. The in-laws were there to cushion kidstress (that’s the stress that kids cause merely by being ‘kids’). And the icing on the cake.. I got some very thoughtful presents… my favourite – a new pair of sneakers from my SIL. My niece picked them so they had to be pink and white and I love them. The Husband, that great forgetter of birthdays, also remembered. (To be fair.. he forgot just once but I’m not about to let him forget that he did forget. Nor is the entire family .. everyone remembers to remind him each year).

School has reopened and I am revelling in the routine.. yes I do love the comfort of routine. Managed my morning walk after the kids left for school and then jazzed off to the gym singing ‘I am H.A.P.P.Y’.

Hope that’s how the New Year will be for all of us… H.A.P.P.Y.