Crying Into My Coffee

Bit of a whirlwind these days, Mi. But I must admit, not spending time online can be a big relief sometimes. It lifts an invisible pressure off and literally lets the fresh air in.

One thing you would have really loved that happened last week was the Sri Satyanarayana puja our neighbors performed. We missed you very much. I am still smiling at how Mr.K handed me a little towel to wipe my hand after the “theertham“. We were also invited for lunch. You would have been very proud of me for immediately wearing the jasmine flowers they gave me with the tamboolam. The smell drove me nuts because it is that type of jasmine whose fragrance is very strong and doesn’t quite go away even after the flowers have dried up. Like you, I kept the little string of flowers next to my pillow and that spot still has a mild fragrance. Crazy how smells can put us in a time warp. I won’t be surprised to discover, yet again, another of your dried champa petals neatly packed in a handkerchief somewhere in the cupboard even though I am sure I’ve reorganized it several times. Sigh.

Oh, by the way, we had Sury’s students over for lunch the Sunday before last. What a nice set of people! I  made puris, chholay, stir-fried veg rice, sprouts salad, papad and of course, curd. For dessert we got soan papdi and gulab jamun. I also cut up some ripe mango. I wanted to bake a cake but didn’t have the time as we were busy with something over the preceding two days.  Funny thing is, this time Vidur enjoyed the soan papdi. I ought to use the gulab jamun syrup for something. I remember how we would use it to make that apple pie cake. Maybe I can rustle up something with it and add a layer of paneer to it and whip up a cheesecake of sorts. Hmm. I fondly remembered the days when we made GJs and I’d have eight at a time. Now I can only look at it!

Every time I made dosas over the last couple of weeks, I must confess I was doing it through bleary eyes trying to hold back the tears. I could almost hear us arguing over who would use the brand new tava – what a pleasure it was to use it! You would want to keep on making something or other on it! We’d be ultra-careful the first few days and then, discard those velvet gloves and settle down to making it a part of the household. Did I tell you that even as I was planning to buy a tava, suddenly I got three? One of which was a memento from Vidur’s school for judging a competition. Talk about Universe listening!

Incidentally the Ks also gave us a couple of podis. One is of course a total bomb hot enough to launch a rocket. The other is a little milder. Vidur has found the balance by mixing a bit of both for the perfect taste. Which reminds me, it is time to make dosa milaga podi again. I should do it over the next two days in time for school, which reopens on 23rd June. You know what? This time, Vidur’s vacation seems to have whizzed by. Can you imagine this is the last actual “school” vacation for him? God knows what’s in store for him this time next year. I pray. That’s all I can do!

So I saved the most momentous news for last. I am thinking of sacrificing my third coffee of the day. Two days back, I felt like having some coffee but found that as I was drinking it, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I used to. I wondered if the time had come for me to give it up. No no, not entirely. But just the third cup. So, after much thought, I decided to give up the second one, which I usually have around 11.30 am in the morning. If not, just half a cup at a time. Not the first one of course, which has to be the mega-tumbler. And no, the escalating price of the coffee powder  has nothing to do with it. Just thinking I might be better off cutting back a little.

I am in a bit of a limbo right now what with a series of visits to the dentist. I shall be back anon. Or sooner. Or we may meet at Philippi.

Sharing is caring!