Mania

I dont know when it started...was it the olympics..or was it much before that..click click click...searching for news on the web...on anything interesting that is going on..

Olympics made it quite obvious to me I think...never before in my 8-olympics past life have I been so fascinated with it...and media fueled it...I keep looking for more information ..dont know what exactly..but keep looking...never satiated...

After Olympics I was lost for a day or 2 and on I started again with DNC - it is quite fascinating to watch a man's unprecedented rise to power...but I think im getting a bit obsessed here...I am looking for all the obvious news coverage...and as if that was not enough I want to go into the specific searches...and the history...and opinions..

Why do I care so much about what others think of something...Do I even know what I think about all these things ??

I like the change..

There were days...when our weekend..or rather Sunday would start with me waking up late...lying in the bed some more to read a book...and then R and I heading for a niice breakfast...brunch maybe ..come home satiated...watch a movie...langorous days..come to think of it not so bad...

but now...we want to wake up early..so as to miss the weekend crowd on our biking trail ! pack off our bikes and off to a 6-10 mile of biking workout..and it makes us sing ..makes us want to do better...again...gives us a great sense of accomplishment in the day...what could be better than that ?? I like it !

Skipping...

So I skipped rope today...and it was great ..cant even remember how long ago I had done that last...! I remembered my cousin who skipped her way to weight-loss...and did she loose it...

Im not really looking at weight loss as a goal..rather being healthy...eating good..staying fit...Im getting more and more invested in that..

I used to be so anti-gym...they are pretentious ..boring..cooped in ..blah blah..

On the other hand I do not have enough self-discipline or patience to do what needs to be done at home..Im just thankful I realised that about myself and my need for some sort of physical activity just got too big to ignore and I joined the gum ! and Im discovering new stuff everyday...today was jumping rope !!

Internet is such a blessing...it has every kind of info...you just need to know what to look for....I am finding out all kind of things about workouts and diets and trying to apply it all..

 

Im quite proud of myself for taking this step..

Im also happy for quitting on coffee...It had become addictive ...even though it was just a cup a day..but still I didnt like the dependency and I quit !

I thought it would be tough..but it wasnt ..except for weekend ..when we go out a lot ..then I just have a coffee..I dont want to be too obsessive about having/not having it...

 

I just had to jot somewhere about the positive things in my life right now...

 

 

Health tips

Courtery http://www.dumblittleman.com/

 

White is Not Right: Having a love affair with white bread, white potatoes and white rice? Kiss them goodbye. Although you were taught otherwise, breads and cereals made from white flour are not good for you. White flour simply breaks down into sugar. Not only is too much sugar bad for you, you ultimately crash as quickly as you peak and therefore you are hungry again in no time! Guess what. You eat more and more until you fall asleep. In the morning, you wake up and have a muffin and start the process all over again.

 

Go Nutty for Nuts: Stop worrying about nuts being fattening; forget calories. Scientific evidence suggests (but does not prove) that eating a handful of nuts daily will give you less probability of heart disease. Nuts are rich in fiber, and antioxidants and high in Omega 3 (the good fats shown to lower LDL cholesterol). Personally, I have a handful of walnuts, almonds, pecans and 2 Brazil nuts each morning, with my coffee. (Yes, I do drink coffee).

 

Avocado is your Best Friend: You are probably thinking right now, this whole list is full of fat (!!). It is - but it's GOOD FAT. And, if eaten in proportion, it won't make you fat; that's a promise. I eat half an avocado every day. Avocado is considered the world's healthiest fruit, because of its nutrient contents such as vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C and copper. Health benefits include lowered chance of heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer's disease; keeping you young, fit and fabulous.

 

Reverse your Meals: Most people don't eat breakfast, have a sandwich for lunch and gorge on a big dinner. This my friends is waistline suicide. Its been said a million times before, but eating a big breakfast, a smaller lunch and a tiny dinner will do WONDERS for your jean size. Also, try not to eat after 9pm. Can you possibly imagine the joy of going to bed on a stomach that is not bloated or having to concentrate on digesting that rack of lamb you just ate? For one, you will sleep better and secondly, you'll wake up with a healthy appetite.

 

The 80/20 Rule: Eat healthy 80 percent of the time - the other 20 percent - eat whatever the hell you like (but not after 9pm). The whole point of eating well for the long term (your whole life) is knowing that you can also have whatever you want sometimes and that yes, a little bit of what you fancy really does do you good.

 

Leo

Following the Obama news trail it suddenly struck me that maybe Obama is a Leo (sun sign) , that would attribute to his phenomenal rise..and indeed I found it to be true...as seen in the wiki entry :

 

    "Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. (born August 4, 1961) is an American junior United States Senator from Illinois and the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2008 presidential election. He is the first African American to be the presumptive presidential nominee of any major American political party."

 

and ofcourse I am not the only one thinking about this, as you will see if you do a simple google search with 'Obama Leo' ..

 

I have a few Leos in my life and have a healthy respect for their effortless personality and conviction of belief in themselves..or ego as you might call it...but in this case warranted ..

Im just glad my hunch proved to be right :-)

 

 

I think the world is sinking

Yesterday a friend mentioned that he checked out a book from library 'The world is flat' and I quipped ..no..its sinking !

But then I realised its true...given the situation in China, Burma, Afraica .. the soaring fuel prices , the food prices , it does seem

to me that the world is sinking...and unless we take a consious step ...live more consiously this will just go on...

 

Do you feel the same way ? Are you doing something about it ?

Going to try this today .. thanks Allrecipes !

Easy Pesto

Submitted by: Rebecca Jane Thompson Rated: 4 out of 5 by 71 members

Prep Time: 2 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 12 Minutes Yields: 6 servings

"This is the easiest pesto recipe, using easy to find ingredients. It can be prepared in 2 minutes after you toast the almonds."

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup almonds 3 cloves garlic 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil 1 pinch ground nutmeg salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place almonds on a cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
2.	In a food processor, combine toasted almonds, garlic, basil, olive oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Process until a coarse paste is formed.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 5/15/2008

Happy thoughts...far and loose

but here it is..another one...I was reading the FingerSmith by Sarah Waters yesterday and was deliciously surprised by the end of Chapter I !

I liked how it took me unawares...wanting for more..this is what reading brings gives you...unexplained intimacy into some strange time and period and people .. :-)

Peace

equates happiness..isnt it...atleast for me..so I try to keep my mind at peace...banish petty thoughts....be clean...white..calm...

On other happier notes...yay...I finally bought and installed a bird feeder and added 4 flowering plants to my small garden :-)

Tough one...

Its a difficult day to note any happy thoughts...quite a depressing thing happened at work today ...and though Im just an observer...it saddens me much...I cant say much more than this...

6th April happy thoughts

Some holy time in the temple , a new recipe tried, a cute lunch bag brought and opened my birthday gift..15 days in advance :-)))

Recently

5th April -
A nice relaxing day, a classic movie (Godfather), biking in drizzling tranquil park , a beautiful dinner (Fiamma's) and good talk with my dear hubby....there is nothing else this gal would want...

Happy happening of the day

Spending time with my dear cousin and his sweet wife...good food...and some good laughs...

Loving loving loving these

Happy Thoughts

This being my birthday month , I have decided to start blogging again and also note down what makes me happy each day (atleast this month), in a way be thankful for what I have...

Today - 1st April -
As learnt from Gretchen from http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/ , money used in the right way can indeed make me happy - I got my house cleaned today first time by an external entity and that made me really happy...Im going to do this more often...it was just letting myself realise that I cant do it, and I was really hating not being able to do it and having the house untidy too...
The feeling of coming to a clean , lighted , warm house is amazing...hope I remember that..

A hint , rather actually knowing my bday present makes me very very happy !! :-))

Something I learnt today -
You cannot be in control of everything, even if its yours , and when you know you are not in control you have to let go, trust and be positive !

The 100 most influential books by women - and how many Ive read

Which is not too many, maybe I will take some up in 2008..

1. Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind
2. Anne Rice, Interview With the Vampire
3. Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse
4. Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway
5. Virginia Woolf, The Waves
6. Virginia Woolf, Orlando
7. Djuna Barnes, Nightwood
8. Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth
9. Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence
10. Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome
11. Radclyffe Hall, The Well of Loneliness
12. Nadine Gordimer, Burger's Daughter
13. Harriette Simpson Arnow, The Dollmaker
14. Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale
15. Willa Cather, My Ántonia
16. Erica Jong, Fear of Flying
17. Erica Jong, Fanny
18. Joy Kogawa, Obasan
19. Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook
20. Doris Lessing, The Fifth Child
21. Doris Lessing, The Grass Is Singing
22. Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
23. Marge Piercy, Woman on the Edge of Time
24. Jane Smiley, A Thousand Acres
25. Lore Segal, Her First American
26. Alice Walker, The Color Purple
27. Alice Walker, The Third Life of Grange Copeland
28. Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon
29. Muriel Spark, Memento Mori
30. Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
31. Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina
32. Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea
33. Susan Fromberg Shaeffer, Anya
34. Cynthia Ozick, Trust
35. Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club
36. Amy Tan, The Kitchen God's Wife
37. Ann Beattie, Chilly Scenes of Winter
38. Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
39. Joan Didion, A Book of Common Prayer
40. Joan Didion, Play It as It Lays
41. Mary McCarthy, The Group
42. Mary McCarthy, The Company She Keeps
43. Grace Paley, The Little Disturbances of Man
44. Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
45. Carson McCullers, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
46. Elizabeth Bowen, The Death of the Heart
47. Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood
48. Mona Simpson, Anywhere But Here
49. Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
50. Toni Morrison, Beloved
51. Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm
52. Sylvia Townsend Warner, Mr. Fortune's Maggot
53. Katherine Anne Porter, Ship of Fools
54. Laura Riding, Progress of Stories
55. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
56. Penelope Fitzgerald, The Blue Flower
57. Isabel Allende, The House of the Spirits
58. A.S. Byatt, Possession
59. Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
60. Rita Mae Brown, Rubyfruit Jungle
61. Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
62. Angela Carter, Nights at the Circus
63. Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca
64. Katherine Dunn, Geek Love
65. Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle
66. Barbara Pym, Excellent Women
67. Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony
68. Anne Tyler, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant
69. Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist
70. Nancy Willard, Things Invisible to See
71. Jeanette Winterson, Sexing the Cherry
72. Lynne Sharon Schwartz, Disturbances in the Field
73. Rosellen Brown, Civil Wars
74. Harriet Doerr, Stones for Ibarra
75. Harriet Doerr, The Mountain Lion
76. Stevie Smith. Novel on Yellow Paper
77. E. Annie Proulx, The Shipping News
78. Rebecca Goldstein, The Mind-Body Problem
79. P.D. James, The Children of Men
80. Ursula Hegi, Stones From the River
81. Fay Weldon, The Life and Loves of a She-Devil
82. Katherine Mansfield, Collected Stories
83. Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills
84. Louise Erdrich, The Beet Queen
85. Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness
86. Edna O'Brien, The Country Girls Trilogy
87. Margaret Drabble, The Realms of Gold
88. Margaret Drabble, The Waterfall
89. Dawn Powell, The Locusts Have No King
90. Marilyn French, The Women's Room
91. Eudora Welty, The Optimist's Daughter
92. Carol Shields, The Stone Diaries
93. Jamaica Kincaid, Annie John
94. Tillie Olsen, Tell Me a Riddle
95. Gertrude Stein, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
96. Iris Murdoch, A Severed Head
97. Anita Desai, Clear Light of Day
98. Alice Hoffman, The Drowning Season
99. Sue Townsend, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
100. Penelope Mortimer, The Pumpkin Eater

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Coincidence ..

I just saw this news blurb http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6962606.stm and just yesterday I started reading this http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Boy-Novel-Last-Tsar/dp/0142003816/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0786880-9280109?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187988825&sr=8-1 

 

Spoooky !

Harry Potter marathon

Starting at 4:00 PM on saturday , in flight from Boston to Baltimore , from Baltimore to Charlotte.. continued through dinner and till 1 am in the morning..

Start back on page 512 at 9 AM sunday.....skip breakfast .....and at 11:34 AM we have a winner , who crossed the 'HP and Deathly Hallows ' in record 10.5 hours !!! 3 cheeers !!!!

 

As for my thoughts on it... its a paceful story, but seemed a bit juvenile to me... but ofcourse as every other reader of the HP series I 'had' to read it.. so there...

 

 

 

Toto and Alfredo !!

what a delightful relationship...in a delightful movie.. 'Cinema Paradiso' - saw it over the weekend and just looooved it...particularly the young Toto.. brings a smile to my face even now :-) .. A Classic !!

 

Interesting fact of the day

Saffron comes from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus. Each purple flower has three threadlike orangish-red stigmas, which form part of the plant’s reproductive apparatus. When these are removed by hand and then dried, they become saffron. The stigmas are very, very small, and it takes several hundred to make up a gram of saffron. Depending on their size, it can take as many as 200,000 flowers to make a pound of saffron. Only about 30 tons are produced per year worldwide.