Herb and vegetable garden in containers

It is my dream to have a kitchen herb garden and a vegetable garden of my own since ages. I don't live in a bunglow so I don't have a space to create a garden of my own choice. We have a terrace garden and it houses plants like Palm, Tulsi, White chrysanthemum, and some flowers.

Then I came across this blog Geek Gardener, by a person in India who writes about growing gardens in pots and containers, that too on the terrace. I was thrilled! He has written about almost everything that I ever wanted to plant. There are cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, coriander, chillies, eggplants and so on. He was a vast experience in  growing plants. What encouraged me more is that since he is located in Bangalore, he writes about Indian seasons, plants, sowing time, seeds and all. It will be much easier to find the required tools and seeds that he mentions.

So, after wondering a lot, I finally sowed my first plant - Coriander, yesterday. Now begins the wait for the germination and the actual plat. I am so exited. If this plant grows the way it is written in the blog, I will move on to the next plants such as mint, basil, and eventually may even try bigger plants such as tomatoes. I am crazy for tomatoes and I would be on seventh heaven the day I pluck a ripe tomato from my own garden.

I feel so anxious and impatient. Eager and exited...let's see what happens in a couple of days.

Here's a snapshot of my terrace garden.

Athavani

I have a wonderful group of college friends. We are together for more than 10 years and I love these people. We fight, we yell, we laugh, we even sometimes cry together. We are there for each other. We may not be able to attend someone’s wedding, we may not be able to go and see the first baby in the group, but we are there. Just a phone call away.

Today morning I and another friend of mine we were talking about how it’s been a long long time since we went on a trek. And the very mention of the work trek opened a box of memories. This poem is an outcome of those nostalgic moments.

तुझ्या अंगावर शहारा 

माझ्या डोळ्यात पाणी 

अशा कशा ह्या कॉलेजच्या आठवणी...

माझ्या मनात उठले आठवणींचे पूर 

तुला गवसले कवितांचे सूर 

त्या सुरांमध्ये गोड वेड्या आठवणी 

ज्या दाटल्या कितीवार्षांपासून आपल्या मनी...   

दोन वेड्या मित्र-मैत्रिणीने रचलेली कविता  – Ranjit Ahire and Shweta Hardikar

Rhydhun

I can spend hours listening to each of the track in the album by Taufiq Quereshi - Rhydhun.

It's been years since I was introduced to a complete different genre of music by Taufiq Qureshi. I am not someone who has studies music, neither am I a big fan of classical music. However, Rhydhun is beyond classical, it's mystical. It speaks the language of rhythm.

Taufiq Qureshi belongs to a legendary family, with a father like Ustad Allarkha, and a brother like Ustad Zakir Hussain, it is not easy to retain your individuality. However, he not only retains his individuality, but creates a different genre of music.

His music has no barriers of language, country, region or religion. You are definitely transported to another magical world when you hear the sounds and rhythm.

My favorite track in the album is Nand. It has soft and beautiful music and enthralling vocals by Geetika Varde - Taufiq Qureshi's wife. Her voice is too beautiful to be called haunting, but I am lost for words now. I have tried scouring the internet and music cafes for more vocals by Geetika Varde. That she should only sing for Taufiq makes her voice even more precious.

If you have ever seen Taufiq Qureshi perform live, in front of hundreds and thousands, you will notice that he is an out-an-out entertainer. He does bit's and pieces of percussion in between just to entertain you. His train music emitted only out of a tabla is legendary. Conducting a live performance that comprises only rhythm based music is not an easy task. But with Taufiq and team, two hours seem so less.

I have not attended a program in a long time and now yearn to listen to new music by a legend in itself. 

Old melodies+paper quilling=best way of spending evening when husband is working flat out