happiness and food

Sitting and penning this post from the comfort of my home in my small and slow hometown, I don’t know where to begin. October was exactly how I had expected. Busy and happy. The month brought much-needed mental break from the humdrum and also showed some brightness after sad September. I am not going to talk about where did the month go. By now, we all agree that time comes with wings.

Weather is getting better and the sun is setting sooner than in the summers. Oranges are now available and soon it will be winters up in the North. Bangalore will also have that little crispness in the air. Just the right amount that brings a smile.

On that note, below is my list of things that made me happy this month.

♥ At the start of the month, I took a day off and leveraged the long weekend opportunity to spend time with myself. I slept, read and arranged my wardrobe. A long pending chore but I was able to organize and clean up.

♥ AZ and AB were around early this month and with all that happened in September, their coming over to India was a blessing for me. I loved taking my mind off all the negativity and I had some great days with them. Shopping, a visit to Bull temple, trek to Nandi hills, brunch and all the time we spend together. With AB, it was fun to turn around and chat about work. There was no need to wait until the evening. Little joys made my heart happy.

♥ I enjoyed all the books I read this month. It is true that I am way behind my 2018 reading goal but goals for me are not to put pressure on myself. This month I got the time I wanted to have to read. Four books and I am not complaining. Which ones of these have you read? Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Sarah’s Key and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?

♥ As much as I love Yoga, I am not a fan of the yoga instructor anymore. I hope Cult team is reading this. A blessing in disguise this was. I developed a taste for other formats of workout and this month I practiced a lot of strength and conditioning exercises. A zumba class a week kept my heart rate up and then I tried to get 10,000 steps a day. And guess what? I gained a kilo which was never the goal. Joke apart, I feel good about my activity level and I would like to continue the momentum once I am back to Bangalore.

♥ I met LP, MS, VM and her little girl this month. We planned a larger group meet one Saturday but not every one could come. Still, it was fun coming together after close to two years and chatting our hearts out. I am grateful to have these fabulous women in my life.

♥ Fitbit Blaze. The universe listens and listens intently. A dear friend gave me her Blaze and her gesture made me so happy. My Fitbit needed to be replaced. I knew we would not be able to buy so I was sad about moving back to watches when A came with this surprise. Kindness is a beautiful thing and I am grateful to her for what she did.

♥ My friend P came over to meet me at home. I feel immensely grateful to have her as my closest friend. I am so lazy but on the contrary P juggles studies, mothering and travelling across cities. In spite of all this on her plate, she managed to travel from Lucknow to meet me. I must have done something right to deserve her in my life.

♥ This month VT and I met RJ and S. We went to their home and drove to a restaurant on the outskrits of the city. They are a great couple and both of us felt very comfortable with them. I am grateful that life gives us an opportunity to meet new people and make friends. Yes, I work in HR and sometimes it is hard for me watch how I write.  But I mean it!

♥ Traffic can be a blessing. Yes, read on to know how. Our friends GK and MK were having long days at work and the traffic was bad. So they took up a temporary place near our home for three days. And then started our dinners with them. We would dine together and chat until late night to go back home and sleep. It felt like the old days when GK and I used to stay together.

♥ On my ride to work one day, my ride partner played Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu. It was the navratras those days and like how it happens some times that such bhajans transport you to another time in life. All the thirty minutes that the song played, I thought of my parents and grandparents and how I never listen to this song but is such a deep-rooted memory.  It’s now added to my playlist. I am grateful to YP for picking a song that struck a chord and made my month.

My time at home has been amazing. I still have a few days here and Mum and Papa can’t stop getting me all my favorite food. I am bingeing without guilt. When I get up, Papa is keen to make a cuppa for me and Mum before leaving for work has a list of things written on a list to share with our house-help. It all starts with give P this and give P that. We are looking forward to two days of no work both both Mum and me. There will be some shopping and a trip to temple.

Diwali is just around the corner and I am looking forward to more exciting days ahead with VT and my in-laws. I will also spend a few hours with my brother in Delhi this year. As the year gets close to a wrap, I am wondering about the wings that time has. Looks like these wings get bigger every passing day. Would you agree?

How was your October?

This is a monthly gratitude post on my blog and I am linking up with Vidya’s gratitude blog hop.