No Resolutions ✍️!! Just Self-Care 👍

 Staying calm in every situation is not as easy as it sounds. Life constantly puts us in situations where we are misunderstood, judged, or blamed for things that are not truly our responsibility.

We cannot be the reason for other people’s problems or the circumstances they face in life, and often, there is no way to prove that we are not at fault. Even so, some people choose to believe what suits them and accuse or blame us without fully understanding the situation. While these accusations can be painful, the real challenge is deciding whether we allow them to affect our peace, lifestyle, and emotional well-being.

We never intentionally harm others. Our actions usually come from good intentions, yet sometimes, indirectly, we may appear responsible for outcomes that were never under our control. This misunderstanding often becomes more common when emotions, expectations, or personal interests are involved.

A good example is financial help among close relatives. Even if you have money, you may not always be in a position,emotionally, mentally, or practically,to help. This decision is not always based on fear of not getting the money back or expecting help in return someday. The deeper reason is that many people fail to recognize or appreciate the help given to them at the right time. What most of us seek is not praise or repayment, but basic respect acknowledgment of our effort, our time, and the care we extend.

Sadly, there are individuals who only think of you when they require assistance. After their needs are met, the bond weakens, and the affection, concern, and support you provided are overlooked. Being continually utilized in this manner can be exhausting emotionally and painful.

End-of-Year Reflection👸

Date: December 31, 2025

Thoughts:

Today, as the year comes to a close, I realize how much this year has taught me,both physically and mentally. It was interesting, challenging, and enlightening. Most importantly, I discovered how much I have neglected self-care, not in terms of outward routines, but in terms of internal peace.

External achievements, appearances, or responsibilities may seem important, but nothing compares to the calm and contentment that comes from within. This year reminded me that taking care of my inner self is not optional---it’s essential.

Lessons Learnt:

Internal peace and self-care are the foundation of everything else. Without them, nothing else feels complete.

Intentions for the New Year:

• Focus on small, daily acts that nurture my mind and soul
• Honor my need for rest, reflection, and calm
• Let go of guilt around taking time for myself
• Celebrate progress, not perfection

It is important to understand that setting boundaries does not make you selfish or heartless. Choosing to protect your peace and self-respect is necessary. Staying away from people who fail to recognize your value is not an act of arrogance, it is an act of self-care.

Surround yourself with those who appreciate you, respect your boundaries, and value your presence in their lives. Distance yourself from those who only see your worth when it benefits them.

Gratitude:

I am thankful for all the experiences good, challenging, and surprising that led me to this self-realization.💓

Curd Rice Aka Thayir Sadam - The world's most peaceful and blessed food 🤩

 Some Chase dreams!!! Guess What I chase The most ??? is Thayir Sadam 😀

One of my all-time favourites from childhood.

Except chapathi, I hated every other tiffin item with a passion strong enough to scare even my mom.

In fact, there was a full-time deal running in our home always:-

My tiffin → My sister

Her curd rice → Me

A perfectly balanced deal ( my mom doesn't know)

If someone opened the fridge and there was curd rice inside, I’d appear out of nowhere like a superhero whose only power is smelling thayir sadam from 2 km away and don’t get me started on vadu maangai.,that combination is so good it should be declared a national treasure. Add a little mustard and chilli tempering, and I’ll eat like its a divine blessing.

Today I found myself thinking about those old family afternoons when we’d all gather in a big circle to mix rice. It always felt like a community event,everyone waiting patiently while my mother or grandmother sat in the centre like the official Rice Distributor of the Household.

No matter how old I got, I’d still wait for my turn with the same excitement, especially if curd rice and vathakulambu were involved.There was something magical about that combination. I used to “decorate” my curd rice with vathakulambu ,honestly, nothing else has ever matched that taste. Even if the rice was a day old, the fresh curd made up for it so well that the bowl practically tasted like nostalgia with extra seasoning.

I remembered another day-more recent-when I went to Saravana Bhavan with my son. We arrived embarrassingly late for lunch, the kind of late where the waiter looks at you with sympathy. He informed us that only curd rice was available, and instead of disappointment, I felt a strange surge of happiness. Of all things, curd rice was waiting for me.

It came with freshly made nellikai pickle-bright, tangy, delicious. I think I ate it with the level of enthusiasm usually reserved for festival feasts. My son probably thought I had lost my mind over a bowl of rice, but he’ll understand someday. These small, simple foods carry decades of comfort.

Preparing curd is also equally important as that is the key for its taste. 

I have tried eating my favourite curd rice with various combinations like mor milagai, sundai vathal, manathakkali vathal, kothavarangai vathal, bitter guard vathal, sun dried narthangai vathal.

However my DH too loves to eat pazhaya sadam with small Onion says by "eating  curd rice" your stomach will always bless you....🙌

Recently addicted to eat along with nartha leaves powder( infact in my blog I have Receipe for it). Also I have tried with idly podi / coconut podi too......

In recent years, bahalabadh / curd rice has returned to our cultural tables, enriched by the flavors of pomegranate and grapes.

Idk why, but this tiny thing has a big chunk of my heart 😂.

What to do?

I am a certified, lifetime member of the Thayir Sadam Pattarai Association. 😎

Margazhi Kolams : My Happy Hues!!!

  Krishna states, "māsānāṁ mārga-śhīrṣho" in BG Chapter 10.  In the Hindu calendar, Margazhi is the ninth month. It is really difficult to wake up early on a chilly day.  Even so, when I was younger, we would get up at 4:30, get ready, and head to my grandmother's house, which was across from ours. There, we would sing the Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai of the day with other friends.  My grandmother offers us all hot ven pongal on mantharai leaves after we chant.  We like to eat it.  We kept track of our attendance, and if we were there for all thirty days, we would receive a gift at the end of the month.  We joyfully strolled around the streets after eating Pongal to view all the colourfully designed kolams with small ball of cow dung in the middle,to hold pumpkin flower.

 Neighbors will compete to see who can draw the kolam first, and no one will wake up late. Then bhajan singers walk throughout our neighborhoods singing. Those were truly golden periods.Those memories stay in my heart, from a time before phones.

Recent years I started clicking pictures of everyday rangoli am sharing few of them here.

Despite the many changes over the years, we still adhere to the traditions of waking up early, putting colorful kolams, and chanting Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai at my home.
On normal days, i tend not to put in as much effort, except for Tuesdays and Fridays, or any festivals of the month.
Margashirsha or Margazhi considers every day to be auspicious. Practising next day kolam in advance and mixing colours brings happiness, and it's a great way to start my morning routines.

Hope you all enjoyed seeing my Happy Hues.......to be continued.....😊

Navarathri Golu Memories_ Over the years!! Part- 2

In this post am sharing some creative stuffs we did for decorating our golu. 

The picture below features our handmade Mayura Velan Temple, built entirely using my kids’ play blocks. I drew inspiration from the stunning temple setups at Chokhi Dhani. It was such a fun family project and added a playful yet traditional touch to our display.

In front right side green and orange Tanjore dancing dolls in plastic 

Flower shop and vilakku shop in front of temple 

This is my dream set up I did by arranging carton box and covered with mountain colour sheets, later using carton box sides painted i inserted black painted tooth picks to form a compound wall like structure.steos i prepared using paper.

In the above picture u can see close up darshan of Lord Ganesha. I have created prasadam stall, coconut breaking place, Chappal stand place and kizha pillaiyar Kovil with small temple entrance 

Circus tent and rockfort temple set up

For circus tent I used chart paper and painted and pasted on a card board box to make a tent look and placed trapeze artist and circus play set inside. That was very nice to see overall.

Below park is a miniature model of our apartment park ( all our golu visitor said so) 

My kids never touched or took any dolls from the golu display, even though I used many of their play toys. It seemed that they understood that golu was a sacred part of our tradition.Their calm respect and enthusiasm during those times made me feel really happy.

Moments like these will always hold a special place in my life.They serve as a reminder of our childhood innocence and a strong connection to our traditions.