I had one of THOSE days. It was beautiful

I watched a French movie last night about four Jewish women trying to find love in Paris.
I slept like a log (touch wood) and woke up at 8 a.m.
I woke up to a terribly quiet house today.
I read the whole newspaper (almost) on the potty today
I actually did yoga for almost 45 mins with no interruptions (except when the dhobi came to pick up clothes).
I actually gardened for about 20 mins flat!
I lugged in the new cooking gas cylinder the delivery man had left at the door!
I paid the newspaper delivery man
I didn't cook breakfast, lunch or dinner...just ate some toasted bread
I cleaned the drawing hall, changed the diwan covers
I listened to songs on the radio while working around the house (here's a pix of one of my latest projects -- trying to pair my gardening attempts with refurbishing and revamping my great-grandfather's old hat stand/coat hanger)

I spotted two red-whiskered bulbuls on the neighbour's coconut tree
I actually had a hairwash without anyone knocking on the bathroom door
I picked up lunch on the way to work from my mom's.
WOW I loved my day till this far...afterwards it was work as usual.....


I relished my morning ....yes, that would describe it so perfectly.
Sonny Boy is really growing up. Sometimes i feel sad that he's probably "growing away" also pretty soon. I missed him so much since last night. It was too quiet...but still, it was  quietness I miss from my earlier days.
With the hubby travelling and Sonny deciding to stay with grandpa yet again last night, it was MY day.
Yeah, I'm sounding selfish, all over again.
Yeah, I know, there are many raised eyebrows that I'm getting "too much time" for myself these days (any guesses who's raising the eyebrow?! ;-)
But there's no such thing as too much time for yourself.
Because when we women do get time for "ourselves" we don't run to have a massage or pedicure. We clean the home, prep it up, do things for family.
That's how we are. Because when we go to a salon or parlour, we'll feel GUILTY that we spent so much time on ourselves. The irony of our lives!

Finally some green...my attempt at "gardening"...pictures

I've been very excited about balcony gardening  and trying to grow plants in the teeny-weenie utility balcony at the back of the house and the small porch in the front of our door where the shoe rack and newspapers are.

Started out with a tulsi (courtesy: mom-in-law) and the hardy money plant. Both are alive and kicking.
There's also calendula, balsam, ferns, and some crotons (I think...need to figure out). There's also a mini jade growing in water. Not too sure it's douing too well. Waitinga and watching that one.

I gave in to temptation and bought a small bougainvillea, yet to be shifted to a large pot but sitting at our home entrance now.

I've also tried growing one croton completely in just water,in a glass vase  what's called hydrophonic gardening. I just change the water once a week, top up if the levels fall, and wash the leaves gently with water once a week. It's been around over two months now -- I'm proud to report its got water roots! It's also sprouted a new baby branch -- a good sign which means this one is growing!



So that's the plant in the glass vase in the first picture, and below are the plant's roots. The tiny little branch in the centre is the newborn. Yipeeeeeee



That's a pot of ferns that a colleague's mom gifted. Again, the intense heat of the balcony burnt some of them. But, new ones are sprouting ever since I shifted it to the front porch, so there's hope...



Ok so i BOUGHT a bougainvillea. Not a done thing in gardening...you must try and grow your own. But this one's a difficult guy to grow so I used the shortcut. Hope I don't kill it.



This is the kind of hedge plant that seems to be grown everywhere..specially parks. So you know where I snipped this one from...;-) Trying to see if it'll settle down and "grow" in the stone vase