Starlit Days!

The best part of the year gone by was the time with Family. The time with a certain family, really, watching Modern Family! I still crack up thinking of the many evenings, or lunch times, we shared with those three families, the threes of us, and Bowie looking quizzically at us. So, today, I cannot think of a better way to say it, than the words of Manny Delgado (while initially I thought he was rather too much of a whiny nerd, the seasons, as they happened, made him personable and even adorable!) And his mother, the drop-dead gorgeous and very very fierce and real mother, Gloria! But yes, I love all the others too! (That’s enough digression, but before I stop, just a word: If you have not watched Modern Family, please do?)

So there I was for most part of the first half of 2020 with both of them and their fur baby, with the next baby on his way! I should have been there to welcome him, along with his parents, but the Vande Bharat Mission rescued a person, unwilling to return, and so, the remaining part of the year was spent with the rest of the family, back here!

Their days, were now lit by a Star, a Sun of their own, Dhruv. Neeti and Ashwin and Bowie and Dhruv, which the quintessential joke maker of our family, as a whole has captured in the acronym BAND family – Neeti and the BAD bois – that is him, my second born, Ashwin, talking of Neeti his partner, and B and D their bois!

These words below, from Season 8, of Modern Family, I think, when the season for me, was maturing like fine wine, says a lot of what you mean, to me, and as I see it, what you mean to each other 🙂

“What qualifies someone as a hero? Obviously, a hero has to be someone we respect. A person we look up to. A person who is generous of spirit. Who’s willing to grow and learn. Maybe it’s the person you love most in the world. Or the guy who makes he most out of life no matter what anyone thinks. For me though, the hero of my family is my family, because of who we are together.” – Manny Delgado 

 “It’s scary to let people see the real you, even when these people are your own family. But aren’t they the ones we should be least worried about? The ones who will love us without judging, who forgive our faults and celebrate our imperfections, maybe even encourage us to let our true selves shine through.” – Gloria Pritchett

I cannot think of better heroes, than you both, Neeti and Ashwin, in a world unravelling, you have woven a fine, beautiful tapestry (sleep deprived as heck, of course! 😛 ) that shines, for us to see!

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Today it will have been eight years to their wedding day, and an aeon more of love. I cannot better express myself that I have over the ways in which both Maney and Gloria have, above!

Your resilience, your partnership, the buoyant love, the utter faith in one another, the way you second guess each other, and have each others’ backs! The laughter, the tears, on occasion, the giggles, the smiles, the way Dhruv and Bowie adore you, all the more, and the adoration of each other. Sigh.

To the most beautiful of partners, Neeti and Ashwin! Happy 8, me dearest darling bacchas!

May these starlit days continue to comfort and and wrap you all in the indefinable warmth and glow of love.

May the Sun shine bright upon you two, and cool wins blow the blues away!

May rainbows crown each little storm that you revel in

May blessings pour, unabated, and fill and flood your lives, ever…

May you be happy, healthy, and always as in love

All my love.

Amma.

For 14 January 2021

Over the years, this blog has celebrated them, in the links given below 🙂

(2020 got a miss! Given what the year turned out to be, it seems as if my not posting something is in keeping with the kinds of things the year threw at us! 😀 )

2019

2018

2017

2016 

2015

2014

Milestones…

…aplenty, for her, who makes anything seem absolutely doable. From the time I’ve known her, this is what has been my greatest takeaway. From experience of being one, and knowing ever so many, young people are easily distracted and perhaps cannot focus enough, and for the “enough” amount of time to be able to find success or satisfaction in what they do. She has always been a source of inspiration, motivation and perseverance for me, personally, for she is all that. Focused, and “enough”.

Today, and most especially over the past three months, I bow down to her absolute (I know I’m using that word much, but at this point I have no other word that comprehensively says what I want to 🙂 ) indomitable self in achieving milestone after milestone, and staying grounded, humble, and the fun person she is. It ain’t easy, but with her, she knows what she is about, and if not, she knows how to ask what it is about! Can’t beat that combination, no?

Neeti, from the fun person you are, to the grounded and wise daughter to this Amma, the giggling gal to the one who said to me, comforting me when I thought my heart would break, having to leave you and Ash and Bowie when you needed somebody there, Amma, there’s probably something more important that you are required for, there, maybe. Let’s look at it that way? I am and always will be proud of the innate grace and maturity you carry, quietly, and yet with that thread of determination, that underscores your commitment and sense of service; the way you give, and give of yourself in time, and generosity of spirit… Oh so much, so much!

May life lean towards infinite kindness, love, and joy, all the more, now that you are holding within your arms, your universe – your boys – be it Dhruv, Bowie or Ash – and may this day, and year get better with each passing day!

May your days be blessed with the gurgling laughter of little Dhruv, and the joy that wagging tails bring, most especially Bowie’s! May your workplace and home complement each other, and may your littler bois be good, for you! May the partnership and love of your own partner be more profound and pronounced, as you share of yourselves with each other.

May you be healthy, find peace, especially when you need it 😀 , and get lots and lots of sleep, unexpectedly and expectedly! 😛 May life sing songs of love that move you to blessed tears.

May you find the infinite blessings and grace of God.

Happy birthday, dearest Neetikutty. Better than the best, may this one be that 🙂

30 August, 2020

Dreamer-Doers

For the longest time, with this new-blog-post box open, my fingers hovered over the keyboard, the cursor blinking away inside the (new editor-layout-er, so says WP 😛 ) title box, what I would key in, and let the blog write itself. I kid you not. I obsess blog post titles, and when that title just has to come write itself, it does. I really really kid you not 😀 . When that time is right (Naadodikkattu dialogue alert – Vijayan and Dasan 😛  ) it happens, as it has today. 

This blog is part of my blog tradition, one that almost took a bashing along with a whole host of others in my wee state – but luckily it has survived, being one that actually sustains love and empowers both writer and reader to be able take more and more verbiage 😀 It all about the Family, in this one, and a special two, who, being the more practical of the lot of us, are also the Dreamer-Doer-Duo 😛 *The blogger-rambler-proud-momma pats herself on the back at the alliterative hyphenated title for them* Tee heeee 😀 

Last year they received a Five Star rating, which has risen beyond our own, heck, their own expectations! Families always expect na? We, in ours, actually did not. But then, remember what the title says Doers. That’s them. Planning, getting organized, implementing. After the dream is carefully nurtured. It’s a tough act to follow, you can bet! Nearly two hundred and fifty words on and we’re still dealing with chaff! Where’s the grain, you ask? Ahem, drum roll and all that jazz – here they are, them two 🙂 

Ashwin, my second born, and Neeti my DIL, over the past six years ❤ 

They have been a very hatke couple, right from the word go 🙂 In these times where young people prefer to wait and watch and take it from there, to wherever, they’ve been absolutely sure of what they wanted. To be partners in every sense of the word, respecting the institution of marriage, and going right ahead, with the blessings of both families. This was six years ago… 

And each new moment, no matter what the quantity, they’ve given it their all and made it worth it, to a point where, when I listen to them speak of how things are and what is happening with them, expanding their horizons, taking up new challenges, with ease and grace, I’m not just amazed, but at times stupefied by the flow of their thoughts, their plans, their comfort being who they are! Most especially, when my son explained how he was thinking of upping his expectations, moving on to a different work place, and the reason he gave while talking to his team members and his superiors… Was this the same rather hot-headed young man I’ve watched grow up, I wondered…. And still I listened, and still the wonder grew that my wee brat had started ‘adulting’ in ways I’m still groping with and trying to figure out. What he said echoed something I read from Trevor Noah, in his book “Born a Crime” – Ash mentioned that he did not want to forgo any other experience and then wonder “What If I’d tried that” – to leave no room for regret for not trying that too! Goodness me, I wondered! And was filled with pride, not because I had in some way helped him to realize that, OH NO!! – but because he had figured it out all by himself (and with his partner, Neeti, of course 😀 ) and more importantly, he managed to articulate it with the comfort of a person who’s been doing this forever! Heck! Dang! Oh Boy!!! Yep! Nothing from me, and he rocks it! As does Neeti, who, dreamer, doer, executor of ideas, and promoter of positive ways to deal with anything life throws at you, who totaaaallllly rocks all de way!!

The regulars here (whaaat? regular? errrr…. 😛 ) know they live in the Land Down Under, and so I must beg your indulgence while I go on show-off-ing some more, by telling you how they have been figuring all this out, digging their heels in, but working out ways and managing all of them ups and downs by themselves, while I wax poetic about them from a gazillion miles away! 

They are 6, together, today and I knew, just this moment, JUST THIS VERY MOMENT, typing these words, this paragraph, that this is the perfect PERFECT song for you two, you two to each other too! 

Happy Anniversary, my dearest darling bachchas, Ash and Neeti, #NeeAsh, as Arjun has coined 😛 

Our prayers, wishes, and all our love for a happening year ahead, when dreams unfurl into the most fragrant blossoms, when plans build themselves into niches where you rest a while, find a new dream… May the light of all your brilliant dreams light the way as you do what you do, one step, one light frisky dance step, a twirl, a pointe, a dervish of desires… however you dance to those dreams, may you hold each one of those dreams, and each other in the spiral of togethernesses, bound by the softest and yet the strongest colours of Love!

I just discovered Zachary Levi, thanks to a friend on Facebook, where I had spoken of how I’m in love with The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, who shared another song of his (I’ll add it later, just for entertainment 😀 ), and I discover that he’s the Flynn Ryder of “Tangled”! How … apt! Serendipity, nothing less! ❤

 

One more song, and I’ll make an exit, well within 1000 words! Surprise, surprise… and I thought I’d have less than a hundred 😛

I lubb ya both, with all my heart! Waiting to meet you both to give you the biggest hug ever! Mwwaaaaaah!!!!

14 January, 2019 (Again, the first blog post of this year! 🙂 )

Over the years, this blog has celebrated them, in the links given below 🙂 Click on the year and be taken to that year 🙂

2018

2017

2016 

2015

2014

 

 

 

Of Thresholds and Liminals

Thresholds and liminals are but a medium, in the onward journey, or a portkey to the past.

A warm afternoon in December, 2010 comes to mind. Meeting her, and her parents, at their home. Being charmed, enchanted, if you wish! That is how I’d describe that day. That has been the first of days, months, and years of knowing this precious girl. She’s the steady and still point of his world, one that is inhabited by tapestry of togetherness woven with tangible colours and moments over the years they’ve been together.

Even now, successfully settled with her partner, she is that proactive, perennial source of inspiration and person-to-look-up-to, for me. I guess there is a word for it, but my addled brain refuses to discover it! No matter, because what matters is here, an expression of what is in my heart!

I’ll probably be kicked for this, in royal style, by her partner, my son, but I must say that it must feel special to be that age your date tells you that you are. 😀 Be that as it may, all I want to say is that age, finally is a number, a number that has nothing to do with how young one shall ever be!

On Vishu, while on a call with them, I asked them what they wanted as Vishukaineettam. Ash had his request, pat, a Mridangam (which, lately, he has acquired, thankfully!) and I said Okay; Neeti on the other hand, said Ma you come here, that is all I want! Dawwwwww, so lovely of her no? And I said okay, here I come, for by the next weekend I had planned to get there! A lovely two weeks ensued there at Sydney with them. A lovely delightful time! Watching them together was comforting, and at the same time, a lesson for me. I rather like how supportive they are of each other, and how (I’ve said this ever so many times!! 😀 ) Neeti has got the Lion quite by the tail, successfully! 😛 He can roar, growl, whatever. She remains cool, and able to restore that sensibility, sensitivity and common sense, to both of us 😀 I’m waiting to get back there, as soon as is permissible, pocket wise, and leave-wise 😀

Neeti, my dearest DIL celebrates her birthday today. The today that is already in Sydney, which is almost five hours ahead of us in Kerala! She and Ash have already been to a Trevor Noah live show there, and I am jealous as hell, while, at the same time so danged happy he turned up just in time to help them celebrate a wonderful day! Also a double whammy it be, since her Lunar calendar (Malayalam birthday we call it – according to the Rashi and the nakshatram) birthday coincides with her ‘English’ Birthday! Lovely, na?

So, my darling gurl, my goo’gurl, Neetikutty, here’s wishing you a fabulous day, and a fantastic year ahead, that, will, most certainly, be memorable, for that is waiting for you. I’ve a song for you – and please do take it for the lovely lyrics; it so happened that the visuals are just so… No pressure, pliss to understand 😛

Keep on Lovin’ you…

Love you, sweetheart. Stay blessed and awed and awe inspiring, as you always have been, to me!

 

30 August, 2018

Neeti’s Birthday posts, over the years: (I wonder where the 2014 post is, though )

2013 https://ushus.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/the-queen-of-his-heart/

2015 https://ushus.wordpress.com/2015/08/30/a-goooo-gurl-she-is/

2016 https://ushus.wordpress.com/2016/08/29/that-virgo-woman/

2017 https://ushus.wordpress.com/2017/08/30/these-are-a-few-of-my-favourite-things/

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Happy birthday also to two lovely lasses I have had the privilege to know 🙂

The first is Keerthy, Arjun’s classmate, and buddy! Hope you have a great day and year ahead, dearest Keerthy!

Uma, you’re also wished a beautiful cloud fluffy joyful day, where you get to spend some precious time with loved ones and happiness, good health, to last you through the year!

Hugs to both of you!

Five Star

…rating? Place? Whaaat? As always, the rambler here (she always talks of herself first, pliss to note 😛 ) has a round about way of putting things across, as she thinks she’s being entertaining, letting you in on rather unconnected rambling (is there any other kind? 😀 ) and then triumphantly telling you, see, see? This is where we were headed, all along!! Yeah, I know. She’s weird. Wacky too. And now that she’s talking of herself in the third person, she’s fit to be certified too. She is. 😀

It’s a five star day, a five star occasion, and more….for a couple who transcend all this in terms of who they are, their shining selves 🙂 Ahem. Now you’re wondering (actually, you know already, but you’re willing to give this rambler a long long rope to …. anchor you? 😛 ) who these paragons of everything could be? I’ll let you think a while longer,while I go on to telling you some more. (No, not of me, or my meandering intentions! That’s the surest way to lose a reader here 😀 )

Stars. While on the topic of stars, I must tell you of the link I came across, thanks to Rashmee’s share of the same. I love the Orion Constellation (mainly because that’s the only one I can figure out 😀 ) and finding Orion in the headline of that link, was a sure draw… apparently, the Orion Belt is a place where several baby stars are forming, and being sent out 🙂 Such a delightful picture no? So appropriate here too… 🙂 But, yes, as you want to remind me, that’s out there in Space, the Final Frontier (heh heh heh … the insane tripe here simply does not let up, no? I’m having a ball, even though it’s at the expense of the reader… very costly for a blogger, who rarely blogs, and has a small amount of readers, right now, but then, remember? Weird, wacky? 😛 ).

There’s this notion that’s been around in me head, about how there are universes in us, around us (duh) – and we create them too. The breadth of this thought, quite covers everything, as cliched as it is, and any post on it would be verbal diarrhoea, So, I shall restrain myself, for this post is about stars, five stars, and stardust and faery fancies too!

Onward to the darling two, and the Star Rating on them 🙂 Five stars, is the standard, more or less, for the perfection, excellence, quality…. yada yada, ain’t it? We’ve never gone by the levels set by others, have we, as a family? So why this now? Bas, sometimes, there is this worthwhile, nice, round number, five, and stars, to boot, and it fits, the boot and the name, to the occasion, so yeah, let’s, I decided 😀 (Puns galore, Chots!!! 😀 )

So here goes, the reasons I know you two are ⇑⇑⇑⇑⇑⇑⇑ them stars up there… 🙂

• For you two, separately, and together, you’re gold, and stars, in our lives, you are! Precious, precious… even though I’m reminded of the dialogue from “The Lion King”, between Pumba and Timon. Timon’s words, actually 😛 😀 *giggling away*
• For the love you have for us!
• For the sheer amount of work you do… out there, at least … hehehe! JK 😀
• For the dreams you hold precious, and work slowly and sure, towards them 🙂
• For all those times you take care, of us 🙂 Of each other, the bestest way you know!

And most of all, for who you are, to each other, every single moment! Enriching each other,  carrying each other, when needed, on the roads you journey; for the love that shines out from your eyes, your whole selves; for having each other’s backs, for all that you ARE. You are, and that’s all there is to that!

Happy fifth anniversary, Neeti and Ashwin, my baby bachchaas ❤ ❤

You are stardust, precious, magical entities, who wreak love into our lives 🙂 Stay so, just so, always!

And here’s the song dedications to both of you, this time, and I see you singing this to each other 🙂 Part of the list of my favourite songs, both of them 🙂 For my precious Five Star Couple!!!

 

 

This is you two, to each other… ❤ 

 

Love you, endlessly, infinitely, absolutely! Wishes and love from all of your loved ones too!

Over the years, this blog has celebrated them, in the links given below 🙂 Click on the year and be taken to that year 🙂

2017

2016 

2015

2014

14 January, 2018

First post on this blog this year ❤