One for Keeps ....

One of the most cherished gifts - these beautiful traditional pearl gold 'Bugadi' gifted by Akka, my dear maternal grandmother; passed down to her by her paternal grandmother which in turn was a gift from her maternal family when she was young. These will remain close to heart as they were Akka's last gift to me.

Over 150 year old this timeless and classic piece is to be worn as an ear draping in the upper most ear hole and is lined with a row of small raw oval pearls that beautifully hang from its base to add a touch of elegance .Most pearls sold today as we know are cultured pearls with the exception of vintage and heirloom pieces that are more than 80 years old. And being a pearl admirer myself,these are one of the most prized possessions I have today ....waiting to be passed down to someone in the family who deserves them. #heirloompiece #vintagejewellery #maharashtriantradition

Far from the Madding Crowd In Dorset

Ambling in the picturesque valleys in Thomas Hardy’s county in Dorset, May bank holiday was a fresh breather and an escapade 'far from the madding crowd’ in London and the swarming neighbourhood tourist spots. Highly recommended by a colleague, a native to Dorset and the recently borrowed Hardy’s book from the library had put this quintessentialEnglish countryside on my wishlist for some time now and with the nearing bank holiday it was another tick off the list. Starting off with a impromptu visit at my frequented favourite - Jane Austen’s Chawton and nibbling away at the Cassandra’s Cup, we strolled along the Jane Austen’s trail for some time before hitting the road. This was followed by a small trek at Melbury Down Estates in Dorset where the essence of Hardy still survives with landscapes right out of his novels; the green vales , the flail and flattened gorse-heaths , bees buzzing and grasshoppers around - it’s a sheer delight for ramblers and those who love a sense of seclusion. 

Fontmell And Melbury Downs

With an enthusiasm for aviators and their classy planes our next stop was Compton Abbas Airfield. It indeed was a spectacular view from this hilltop spot to witness the flying vintage aircrafts dextrously controlled. alas! before my husband hushed me into the car for our next stop. Whilst a quick seaside stroll to Durdle Door concluded the day, we were off to Brimpts Farm, Devon for the haul and looked forward to our next two-day excursion in the woods, the lovely comforting woods.

What was he painting - was it Hardy's Egdon Heath? I'm just guessing...

In the morning with the homemade farm oporridge and fresh farm honey for breakfast in the farm cottage, we were braced up for the moorland romps and the mountainous treks. With the maps on and the walking boots , we were on our way tiptoeing across a beautifully picturesque stream,wandering into the coombes, smelling the wild garlic hangs, daffodils and other spring flowers, walking alongside the grazing sheep and wild ponies strutting around, listening to the chirping of the birds, the babbling brooks, and crossing the fields to reach the village pubs for refuelling.. aah! the sun felt so warm amidst all this - the whole place shouting life ! They say walking is one of the life’s greatest pleasures, it truly is. Thanks to hubsy who does all the orienteering and is supremely great at it when the GPS ain’t working. 

Fingle Woods

One of the best walks is the Teign Valley Classic Circuit from the Fingle Woods all the way to Dorgo Castle ( the hill had kicked in by then with the previous small treks ). It’s a long arduous walk but you’ll thank me later, we cannot recommend it highly enough. 

With our muddy boots, cold aching feet and warm contented hearts the holiday ended on a good note. How I wish it never did ! 

Dorset offers a plethora of things to see, do and explore. Next time we come , we plan to explore the coastline.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Date- June 21st 2015

Happy Father's day , Dad ! Miss you dearly. Not only you made a wonderful father but you were a person with a heart of gold and a humane disposition of peace and conciliatory. Today, I wish I could hear you say that you have missed the flattering notes that I wrote you on this occasion. How you just laughed it off and kissed my forehead saying you were proud of me. You are missed every single day since the last I saw you six years ago, Dad. I cannot thank you enough for making me independent, choosing my life and living on my own terms defying the family norms. And thanks for imbibing me earlier on - there's more to life than being domesticated - married and having kids.

Yes,life moves on as it does with everyone : by seeking solace in the old adage -'God takes the best angels first' But, today when I look back at the wounds that scarred us with your untimely death, I just can't help but think of the drudgery we treaded through. Not only your death saddened us, but bought me to a broad daylight and practicalities of life which changed the circumstances forever. It would have never been an easy one without Mumma's willpower and fortitude in those tough times when you weren't there. For the times she has managed through thick and thin fighting against the odds with a heart of lioness and courage. Just like you always wanted me to be an equal to brother, Mumma left no stone unturned and lived by your word from giving me the independence of choosing my own life - living alone , choosing my partner and even supporting brother's independent decisions.

I’m taking this opportunity to bow down to Mumma on this day, Dad who stepped in when you couldn't be there on the most important days of our lives. I see you in her and continue to seek inspiration. And today on father’s day , I owe it to Mumma for being there and being more than a father figure. Love you both to bits.

OLDIES, THE GOODIES !

If there's another reincarnation destined for me , I would beg God to send me back to 1950s  to live in the era of Presley, Monroe, Grace Kelly,Audrey Hepburn,Jacqueline Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Chuck Berry, gramophones, LPs, wiggle dresses, saucer hats, lacey gloves, polka dots, cupcakes..phew ! I can go on and on...

50s was truly an ultimate era of sophisticated elegance in terms of fashion. Style icons of this decade like Marilyn Monroe, Jacqeline Kennedy, Madhubala, Gayatri Devi, Grace Kelly ,Audrey Hepburn remain  timeless beauties with their innate charm and  their subtle sensuality. They were what you would call them glamorous and the real stars in a true way- heavenly and  untouched ...something very mystique about them unlike today's bare-it-all  sexuality and obtrusive media exposure of celebrities. Maybe that's prominently why the fanfare and the adulation the celebs enjoyed in  those days doesn't exist today. The musicians  of  yore to name a few  Elvis Presley,Little Richard, The Temptations, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, The Drifters,Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis ,Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong  remain frozen in time The music they created is irreplacable and  listening to them on  LPs playing on gramophone is definitely an enthralling experience. I'm not dissing the newbies ; some of them are exceptionally good but most of  thr artists seem chugging out  the music that sound like everyone else.



Most of today's celebs - style icons and  musicians are transient entities.Like for example-think of white jumpsuit and pompadour hairstyle you'll remember Elvis , think of chiffon and pearls and a demure image of Gayatri Devi comes to your mind, androgynous and still sexy that's Audrey Hepburn for you  and who would forget Monroe's raw sex appeal ? They are even mimicked today and their style being recreated again. There are many out there like me who recognise and are influenced with  the style and music that defined this decade. So be it the Monroe inspired wiggle dress in my wardrobe or the 70s ruffle blouse that I got specially designed from a couturier (which cost me a bomb) , my hand painted  polka dotted storage trunk and the music collection I continue to add to my oldies collection.. ..the obsession will go on ...

Good old days and vintage is here to stay ! :)

.

The most painful day of my life...

3.30 AM , 9th September,2012

As I write to pen  this down, I fume with anger  and  disappointment strikes me once again ......

 It's been two weeks my cousin, Dr. Chetan Patil , a 26 year old  aspiring MD student studying in Bagalkot, was brutally murdered and stabbed to death  by nine men on the deserted streets of Belgaum.   REASON :he was a HINDU ! Chetan had become another victim of religious conflicts in the nation; his bloodshed body just lay there on the street in the wee hours of morning. What a draconian act  to kill a innocent passerby in the wee hours of night who's oblivious and is returning home.All in the name of Religion! Its no more a new phenomenon in the country since  thousands of innocents  have so far fell to the senseless killings.and will continue to... Wonder how people can be so radical and inhumane!

The entire incident is infuriating--- the cops trying to hide the incident by dumping my brother's dead body in a Civil Hospital  not to instigate further riots, only informing the unaware parents the morning later When contacted by these helpless parents, no hospital takes responsibility about the whereabouts of the dumped body.The  bandaged body is then handed over to the parents the next day in the noon after post mortem and the tedious investigations.....I just couldn't hold back my tears when my weeping aunt narrated the incident to me.

It's the aftermath the families of these victims  go through. Those ba****will never know my Uncle's silent cries nor my aunt's sleepless nights and what it is to lose the only child on whom they had their hopes on and their entire dream built upon.Some words of sympathy and some condolences in the press is all the power pundits could do .And that has been for years. Such incidents are a  routine affair for them.

And I'm so very sure those accused in my brother's murder will be out of  jail on bail  in search of another Chetan.I realise that this mere piece of blog is not going to humanize the laws out there nor stop those dogs to hunt down for another Chetan...And I do not know if ever there will be an end to it.

Cheti, you are truly missed...And I just can't get over the fact that you aren't there anymore.Its a sheer unjustice that we had to part with you.

God bless you for such a wonderful soul that you have always been....

I just can't wait ...

 The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting. Ain't it?!! Fingers crossed........



 

With Half of my Heart ....

At times we  are stuck in a  sticky situation, where we are never too sure of things and can’t just let go.........I was lost in my reveries thinking about such instances in  life , while this song was on my music player.…..I somehow could relate to the melancholy of the singer and thought of sharing it here…

It’s a great song which depicts the predicament of ‘half heartedness’ a guy is going through….where half of his heart  says he should continue loving his girl , although the other half of his heart says he is not sure  and not ready yet. He hopes that in time, he will fully love her again but currently, he is in a quandary waiting for it and the wait to find out if he really loves her or should he just let this girl go and move on….

In the later part of the song, where he says "Half of my heart is a  shotgun wedding to a bride with a paper ring and half of my heart is the part of a man who's never truly loved anything" aptly deciphers the feeling he goes through.  By ‘shotgun wedding ‘ and ‘a paper ring’, I think he relates it to a fragile bond. While shotgun just goes off and paper breaks/tears easily at the first sign of stress when it's wet, torn, burned; which clearly  means a short lived relationship.

I understood this song through my own perspective. Probably the  guy was too apprehensive and didn't believe in love or maybe he loved her and wasn’t sure and had second thoughts..One moment he feels he should marry her and the other he thinks he doesnt love her because he isn't even able to do so. ….

I think we often face such situations, where  everything is so unpredictable.....  and  wait for time to unwind such questions for us …....