Category: photo challenge;

All-time favorites

It has been a while since I was active on wordpress, just as it has been a while since I wrote a poem, or spared a moment doing the soulful things that make me happy. It is amazing to think I have now been on wordpress for over four years! And look how time has flown by…much as it always does. It makes you realize the importance of preserving special moments with photographs and reliving those moments again…even if slightly altered in your memory.

Here is a collection of some of my favorite pictures over the past four years. Don’t tell me you cannot find a couple nice treasures here, even if I am no photographer! Enjoy!

I love pictures of everyday simple things. Beauty lies in things we tend to overlook so easily…and we are the losers for it. I love the spindly canopy of this coconut tree and the sky peering from its foliage.

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I love the icy perfection of winter captured in this photo taken by a friend Viraj Thakur.

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Isn’t this picture of Walden ponds in Massachusetts, simply beautiful? I mean just look at the vibrant colors. I can’t help but feel a kinship to Henry David Thoreau by being able to enjoy what he grew to love and enjoy so much. I am not comparing myself to Thoreau that would be tall order…just saying that I feel blessed enjoying the same sights he probably once did!

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My husband and I had stopped by a random coffee shop one morning on our long walks. We were young, happy and carefree and the picture reminds me of those days.

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And how can you live in Los Angeles and not have a few favorite pictures of the beach?

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I know people find graffiti ugly and disfiguring, but I actually dig it. I see it as just another form of art. Take these beautiful photos for instance. What’s not to like?

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Aah beautiful Sedona. Nothing screams peace, perfection and grandeur like Sedona! I wish I could live here.

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So that’s it folks. Feel free to pingback with your favorite photos or articles. I am dying to see what you got!

Traditions

IMG_2266IMG_2272IMG_2261The word tradition is peppered with the notion of religion, culture, race and diversity. Different set of people around the world have built there own set of customs and traditions. Through the ages traditions become revered, unshakable, ingrained and distinctive. But there are other simpler traditions that we all follow that were passed on to us by our parents or our grandparents. But what about habits that have become an unshakable part of our grown up lives? Could we call those habits traditions?

For instance,most of us have a morning ritual of drinking tea or coffee and devouring the morning newspaper, or exercising and so forth. I for instance have a habit of making a cup of masala tea every morning. I take the time to crush fresh ginger and mint for my tea. The aroma is absolutely delicious and the moments spent sitting and sipping it is divine. It is not merely a habit because this time is almost sacred to me. And no matter what comes my way, I always plan to leave aside a few moments to make myself the perfect tea and sip it.  I know it is in no way constructive but this simple act charges me for the rest of the day.

I know of people who will wake up and perform 7 sets of Suryanamaskar (sun salutations yoga sequence). And then there are those who will snooze their alarm clocks seven times and continue to languish in bed only to get late to work. Whatever your habit may be, over the years it becomes ingrained into the very fabric of your being. Should these habits constructive or not be given the title of Traditions as well?

Aah whatever your thoughts on traditions may be, I love sipping this piping hot, delicious, crisp cup of tea. Join me in my tradition if you like with this simple recipe below.

Ginger and mint tea

1/2 thumb size piece of ginger (or use to your taste)

6 leaves of fresh mint (or use to your taste)

1 cup of water

1/4 cup of milk (2% for a creamier tea)

1 spoon black tea (I use Red label Brooke bond but you can use English breakfast or Early Grey)

Honey to taste (I use raw organic and unfiltered honey)

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Morning

I am now full term and just waiting for my baby to come. But as yet there is no sign of baby. Sleeping at night is getting harder and harder (due to the constant discomfort), which makes waking up in the wee hours of morning almost impossible. So for now the beauty of the morning hour is as bereft as a good night sleep. Cheri Lucas’s morning post reinstated what I am missing out on right now: the early morning inspiration.

Here are some pictures from Bali that to me are as fresh as the Morning 🙂

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Seasons: A White Wedding

When Winter covers every nook and cranny in white it looks like Mother Nature herself has dressed to become a bride; what a sight to behold! These pictures were taken by a friend and bring to mind a grandiose White wedding thrown for a Snow queen or maybe Snow White? Who says fairy tales are for little girls?

Pictures courtesy Viraj Thakur

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Chandelier view of White Woods – Viraj Thakur

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Inspired by Photo Challenge

 

Photo Challenge: Now

Here is wishing you all a very Merry X-Mas and a Happy New Year. Since this week’s challenge is all about the “Now and here” I thought it only be appropriate to catch a little of the Christmas cheer on lens. The Sleepy Hollow Christmas Lights in Torrance California are famous for streets and streets of decorated lights. Hundreds of cars pass by the neighborhood every hour to check these lights out and one has to be really talented to be able to drive and aim for pictures.

Since it is really cold and breezy outside, some houses even sell hot chocolates, popcorn, water and even churros! I am sure many of your neighborhoods do something similar? I tried to catch some of the holiday cheer driving past the neighborhood, though it was hard to do justice. Enjoy!

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Photo Challenge: Creepy

New Orleans is famous for its Cemeteries so much so that it was nicknamed as the “City of the Dead“. The Cemeteries are unique in that they are built above the ground, since the City is built on swamp land. As a child I used to find visiting Cemeteries spooky and creepy even. Today, I visit them with a more somber attitude respectful of the sleeping place of the Dead.

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